TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

Beverwijk in North Holland province is widely known for its bazaar, the biggest free or open market in the Netherlands. The Dutch national traffic signage on the highway even has Bazaar on it to guide visitors. That’s how popular this market is. And on its website, it says that the fete attracts about 60,000 visitors every weekend. Website: De Bazaar Beverwijk Dutchman took a souvenir shot of me, of course. That black plastic weave shopping bag on my arm, I bought it for only €3,50. It was Dutchman’s idea to visit the Bazaar (2 weeks ago). We’ve been to the Utrechtse Bazaar in Vleuten twice before, which for me was so and so. He swears though that the one in Beverwijk is nothing comparable; it is big, HUGE. He is trying to convince me to go. Ok, alright, we are going! Entrance fee to the Bazaar is €2 per person and car parking is a flat €3 for the whole day. The parking area reminds me of the shopping mall parking areas in the Philippines. This is a very rare thing in Holland, b...

There was some Indian theme going on in Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam 2 weeks ago when we were there for lunch on a Friday. They made a gazebo out of tin cans which was placed right by the entry hallway from the small hotel lobby to the café restaurant. The hanging tin cans remind me of thermos pack lunches in the early 70’s. A r eally nice work of contemporary display art and me squinting my eyes. My colleagues have actually started to wonder why I take so many fotos every time and every where. Of course, I never dared to tell them I have this blog to post them to ;-). Fotos taken by my Nokia phone. What’s cool with this design is the mini-TV’s inside the tin cans! It was really impressive, creative, unique, well thought of and resourceful for the artist, I reckon. The first time for me to see such minuscule teles! Really cool. The back of the café restaurant was transformed into a snug lounge area, quite inviting in fact, and the pillows and curtains were of Indian inspired design an...

A couple of weeks back Dutchman and I went for a walk in Leersumse Veld in Utrechtse Heuvelrug forest. This nature park is monstrous in size and has many pockets of walking trails and fields that stretches from Hilversum down to Rhenen. One of this is the Leersumse Veld of course. The national road through the forest and next foto is a snapshot of the entrance to the Leersumse forest. It was a nice walk as autumn was in full bloom at that time. Leaves in bright colors were everywhere as far as my eyes can see... yellow, orange, red orange, brown... autumn is undeniably my favorite season of the year. I just love walking in the forest. It is very still and the exercise helps empty my active mind (which at times is strained too). Leersumse veld is a 6-kilometer walking trail which is about a 90-minute walk. I just love this mushroom foto. Here are some more fotos taken during our walk: Leersumse Veld in Utrecht Heuvelrug, Utrecht, The Netherlands I am in the phase of my life t...

Philippine is a small village in Zeeland (region south of the Netherlands) that is famous for its mussels restaurants. Foto is from a book I bought early this year - 52 zondagen, wandelen en lunchen (52 Sundays, lunches and walking trails) Steamed mussels are not only a Belgian thing – which brings me to mind the little narrow yet full of activity side streets with open-air cafe terraces and restaurants offering mussels and frites on the menu in the Centrum of Brussels – but well, mussels are also a Dutch thing! 2-kilo pack: Zeeuwse Mosselen - Moules de Hollande - Hollandische Muscheln - Dutch Mussels The Zeeuwse Mussels in Zeeland province and this is mainly in Yerseke where these yummy mussels are cultured and harvested, are very popular. In fact this southern region is one of the largest producers and biggest oyster exporters in Europe. About 50% of the mussels harvested are exported to neighbouring countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, and Italy. So I will wager the thought...

Elburg is a fortified little town shaped like a square. The blue surrounding the town plan is the moat. The little preserved medieval town of Elburg is a perfect example of Dutch old glory. Elburg, once a wealthy town during the Middle Ages, a member of the Hanseatic League with a flourishing fishing industry, is nowadays a peaceful town in Gelderland province that mainly survives through tourism, which mainly is coming from local tourism or from neighbouring country, Germany – saw quite a number of Deutschland plate numbers. This is the little main square in the Centrum. Built only for 4 years, from 1392 to 1396, this fortified beautiful town is still in tact, in the form of a square with defensive walls which are now in ruins, and surrounded by a moat with stone bridges that connects Elburg Centrum to the rest of the Elburg municipality. It’s a picturesque place that will bring you back in time. The streets are straight and in the main square is a tea house and small canal with...