Keeping fit can be fun. It sure was fun yesterday, when I celebrated the World Animal Day by doing pilates with puppies. Yes, you read that right: I attended a pilates class with dogs, sharing the yoga mat with a handful of furry friends. The event was held in De Pijp, one of Amsterdam’s hippest neighbourhoods,… Continue reading Keeping Fit in Amsterdam: Pilates with Puppies
Tag: netherlands
Keeping Fit in Amsterdam: Barre + Beats at Studio 191 West
Ballet is one of the hardest sports out there, I remember mum telling little Liza during an interval in the foyer of the Finnish National Opera. She had worked with ballet dancers and seen first hand how much work went into the seemingly effortless performances like the one we were about to continue watching. Making it… Continue reading Keeping Fit in Amsterdam: Barre + Beats at Studio 191 West
The Garden of Europe: Postcards from the Gorgeous Keukenhof
I love flowers. So much so, in fact, that if I were to make a list of the five top sights in the Netherlands, at least two would involve flowers: the tulip fields (read more about them here) and the Keukenhof gardens. In case you’re not familiar with Keukenhof, it’s an annual flower show that… Continue reading The Garden of Europe: Postcards from the Gorgeous Keukenhof
In Search of Tulips: Cycling the Dutch Flower Fields
Holland is perhaps best known for its flowers, and exploring the famous flower fields on a bicycle is one of the best things to do in the Netherlands, if you ask me. It’s a breathtaking experience, standing in the middle of a field of tulips, surrounded with flowers, in all the colours of the rainbow, … Continue reading In Search of Tulips: Cycling the Dutch Flower Fields
Boat Parties and Orange Balloons, or Celebrating King’s Day in Amsterdam
Now I know it for sure: celebrating King’s Day in Amsterdam is best done aboard a boat. [What is King’s Day, I hear you ask? Well, as the name suggests, it’s a day dedicated to the Dutch ruler, currently King Willem-Alexander (until a few years ago, the party was known as the Queen’s Day after… Continue reading Boat Parties and Orange Balloons, or Celebrating King’s Day in Amsterdam
Party Like a King: 5 Tips for Celebrating King’s Day in Amsterdam
It’s that time of the year again – the whole of Holland is turning orange. No, I’m not talking about the world-renowned Keukenhof gardens or the famous tulip fields – I’m talking about King’s Day. What is King’s Day? Well, as the name suggests, it’s a day dedicated to the current Dutch King Willem-Alexander (until… Continue reading Party Like a King: 5 Tips for Celebrating King’s Day in Amsterdam
Monthly Roundup: February 2018
I’m typing this listening to Katy Perry’s Hot n Cold, which seems very appropriate: from record highs (in California) to snowstorms (in the UK), February was full of contrasts. I started the month soaking up the sun in San Francisco and ended it watching snow cover the pretty streets of London. In between, I had… Continue reading Monthly Roundup: February 2018
Get your skates out: There is ice on the canals of Amsterdam!
Breaking news from the Netherlands: there is ice on the canals of Amsterdam! I repeat: there is ice on the canals of Amsterdam! This is huge: if the freezing temperatures continue – and if we’re very very lucky – the ice might get strong enough for people to get on it. Can you imagine walking or… Continue reading Get your skates out: There is ice on the canals of Amsterdam!
Monthly Roundup: January 2018
I’m sitting on a park bench. It’s 4pm and sun has just set behind the hills of San Francisco, yet it’s still warm enough for me to chill outside wearing nothing but a short summer dress that I got this afternoon for 3 dollars (we didn’t pack summer clothes as we definitely did not expect… Continue reading Monthly Roundup: January 2018
Meeting Her Majesty the Queen and Other Travel Highlights of 2017
It has become a tradition of mine to dedicate a couple of days around the turn of the year for looking back on the travels of the previous 12 months. Many of us travel so often these days that it can almost start feeling mundane, so it’s good to take time to appreciate that traveling is,… Continue reading Meeting Her Majesty the Queen and Other Travel Highlights of 2017