Yes, you CAN visit the Rijksmuseum in 2 hours!
Yes, it is possible to see the Rijksmuseum in just two hours. Read this article to find out how I saw the best of the Rijksmuseum in 2 hours.
Europe travel
This category includes all my articles about my Europe travel. Because I live in the Netherlands, I can travel in Europe quite easily, and as you see here, I’ve seen a lot of it. Generally I don’t write “ultimate list” or “everything you need to know” posts. Instead, I tend to focus on just one or a few sights or experiences from my specific point of view. Enjoy!
An unusual walking tour in Athens
It was just my luck that the day I’d signed up to take a walking tour in Athens, there was torrential rain. Nevertheless, this tour – covering religious Athens under Ottoman rule – was fascinating. Disclosure: I received this tour for free, but all opinions are my own. It never occurred to me, to be honest,…
St. Maartens Day: A sweet local tradition
Today is St Maartens Day here in Groningen, a children’s tradition that is relatively unique to this area. On the 11th of November, once the sun goes down, children go door-to-door begging for sweets. Instead of threatening “trick or treat” like on Halloween, the deal here is that they sing a song, and in return,…
A one-day Greek island cruise
I’ve been to Athens before, so I’ve already done the usual Athens itinerary like visiting the Acropolis. Disclosure: This is a sponsored article in that I was given a free ticket to the cruise in exchange for writing about it. All opinions, however, are my own. So, with only one free day after my conference was…
Bicycle baptism
All we were trying to do was to get out of the car while it was stopped in traffic. The plan was to walk to the restaurant two blocks away while my husband went to park the car. It made sense. I stepped out on the right side, but not before saying to the kids…
Watery Hubris
That’s part of this admirable hubris: complete and utter self-confidence.
Forbidden Spaces in Chateau Chaumont
When you tour a historical building, do you ever wonder about the rooms they’re not showing you? I do! My ruminations about Chateau Chaumont.
Arromanches 360 circular cinema: A review
My oh-so-laconic son, on exiting Arromanches 360 circular cinema, which depicts the D-Day invasion, remarked, “Even I found this one moving,”
The Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy: A review
A not-very-favorable review of the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy in Bayeux, France, with other ideas for learning about D-Day.
War graves in Belgium: Living among the dead
With so many Belgium war graves, memorials, monuments, trenches and museums in the Ypres Salient, it’s as if the locals live among the dead.
How NOT to design a bathroom!
We ate lunch yesterday at a café in Gent. Afterwards, I went inside to use the toilet, followed the signs upstairs, came around a corner, and saw this.
In Flanders Fields Museum: A review
The In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, Belgium, is one of the most effective museums I’ve ever been to. It focuses on WWI in the Ypres Salient. Read my review here.
On not being a VIP in Rome
We were in Rome yesterday and the day before, but apparently so were representatives of the G8 nations and other VIPs. Sights/sites closed or opened arbitrarily to accommodate their whistle-stop visits. A note from 2020: I wrote this post back in 2009, one of my earliest ones. I usually try to keep my articles useful…