Orange feathers and puke. Granted, only a small amount of each but it wasn’t quite the scene I was hoping to see when I stepped out onto Museumplein in Amsterdam. To be fair, not only is this area sardine packed with top museums but it was also one of the key places for last week’s (April 30th 2013) Queen’s Day festivities – hence the orange feathers, and probably the puke as well.

Behind me the remains of a stage used for the celebrations was being dismantled. Groups buzzed around the controversial bathtub shaped building of the Stedelijk Museum in front of me. And just through the buildings on my right, I could see a rather long line of people – all facing the building I wanted to enter – the Van Gogh Museum.

To read the rest of this article, visit Holland.com.

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Monday Madness is supposed to be about news that happened in or around the Netherlands but this story was just too good to miss…

A paraglider in Australia landed in the area of ​​a heavily guarded prison in Lithgow, not far from Sydney.

According to the police, the landing was not about an escape attempt but was indeed an accident. The paraglider landed in a place where the prisoners could not come and was allowed to leave after questioning.

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Were you in the Netherlands on Queen’s Day? If so you know just how crazy and orange the Dutch can get. But did you also know that there is another time of year when part of the country likes to live it up?

You can read more about carnival in my article over on Holland.com.

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It is an important day in the Netherlands as today was not only Queen’s Day but also the day the country got a new King. It is also Foodie PenPal reveal day and we couldn’t miss out on that, could we?!

This month my parcel came from Eleanor in the UK. And what a parcel it was!

Before I mention all the great things that were inside I want to mention one of the best things about the parcel and that was how each item had a little note on it to explain what it was and/or why it had been picked. That was such a nice addition. And what was inside? Here’s the list:

• Cheddar biscuits
• Norfolk cherry and almond cake
• Strawberry and raspberry tea
• Rhubarb and custards
• Camomile and spiced apple tea
• Green & Blacks chocolate
• Stem ginger shortbread
• Munchy seeds

If you would like to take part in Foodie PenPals, you can click on the big button below for all the details.

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A 9-year-old boy from Voorburg who had been reported as missing last week on Tuesday was found to have been helping a confused elderly woman search for her house.

The mother of the boy rang the alarm when he had not come home for dinner. Before dinner, one of his friends saw him walking around outside. Agents started a search, and found the boy and the 81-year-old woman after about half an hour.

After a long walk helping the lady search for her home, the boy treated her to something to eat at McDonald’s. The woman turned out to live in the county of Waddinxveen. The police then brought her home.

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“Writers are a little below clowns and a little above trained seals.” - John Steinbeck

As much as visiting Ecomare on Texel in the Netherlands isn’t just about seeing the seals, they sure did their best to steal the show.

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What:

Moroccan mint tea (also called touareg (or tuareg) tea, mint tea or Maghrebi mint tea) is a combination of green tea (usually gunpowder tea), mint leaves and sugar. It is poured with an extravagant technique – lifting the tea pot high above the glass – to produce a foam on the top of the poured tea.
 

 

Why:

In Morocco, great pride is taken in the tea culture.Green tea has strong antioxidant elements and is high in caffeine. The mint helps to give the tea a refreshing taste.
 

Where:

The tradition of Moroccan tea began in Morocco and then spread throughout north Africa and southern Spain. Having missed out on the Turkish coffee influence by not being part of the Ottoman Empire, Morocco was able to hold onto its tea culture.
 

When:

The tea is served throughout the day and especially when guests visit. The tea is often served three times. The amount of time each serving has been allowed to steep is illustrated in this proverb:

The first glass is as gentle as life,
The second glass is as strong as love,
The third glass is as bitter as death.

Varieties:

Moroccan mint tea tends to be sweeter in the north than in the south of Morocco and some places also add pine nuts. Sheeba (leaves of the wormwood tree) or lemon verbena leaves can be used instead of mint.
 

How Much [Should I Drink]:

If you are a fan of green tea and/or mint, then this tea is likely to suit you. You may wish to sweeten it yourself, however, as the tea is often made with a lot of sugar.
 

Pas Op! (Watch Out!):

Moroccan mint tea is regularly served to guests and it can be impolite to refuse to drink some. This can add a complication when it comes to shopping in the souks and nearby shops as tea will often be offered allowing the stall/shop owner to show you more and more things that you should buy.

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In a country where conserving historical city centres trumps large, ample parking spaces (and rightfully so), parking in the Netherlands can sometimes be a challenge. The introduction of Park and Ride (P+R) facilities have been a welcome addition. For example, you can park at the Amsterdam Arena for eight Euros a day and then you even get public transport cards for up to five people that will ensure you get to the city centre with ease.

But the best P+R that I have come across so far has got to be the P+R Haagweg in Leiden. It was recommended to me the first time I visited the city for the Glass House.

The word easy doesn’t do it justice. Once you park your car, you hop into one of the waiting mini-buses that will take you to wherever in the city you need to go. And don’t think you need to sit there until the bus is full – they have several, so they regularly will leave as soon as you get in.

When you have finished your day and are struggling to walk due to all the shopping bags, you don’t even have to make it back to a bus stop. Nope, you just pull out your parking card, call the number on it and tell the office where you are. They then send a mini-bus out to collect you and I have never had to wait longer than about five minutes for it to arrive.

Like I said…the word easy just doesn’t describe it well enough!

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One week from now, the Netherlands will be celebrating the biggest party of the year – Queen’s Day. This year is extra special because not only will it be Queen’s Day (it won’t be called King’s Day until 2014) it will also be the day that Prince Willem-Alexander becomes King.

If you will be in Amsterdam for the big feast of orange, then you might like to take a look at my article over on Holland.com about 3 Unusual Places to Visit in Amsterdam’s Canal Ring. Here’s a preview:

Most people visiting Amsterdam become aware of the canals in the city during their visit. It’s pretty hard not to. Those canals that you use to keep your bearings as you navigate the city or that feature as a backdrop to your “wish you were here” photo are marking their 400th anniversary this year.
 
The canal belt was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010, and in addition to their historical importance, the canals have plenty to do on, next to or above them. But rather than give you a list of places you probably already know about, I went searching for some of the more unusual things to be found along the canals.

 

A hidden church in an attic is just one of the things you can find in Amsterdam.

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The police have it hard now-a-days. Take Saturday night when all they wanted to do was stop 400-500 car drivers for an alcohol test when out of nowhere comes a naked man to interrupt them.

The alcohol control test was taking place in Etten-Leur on Saturday night when it was disturbed by “the naked man” who wandered over, made some obscene movements and then was promptly arrested on charges of indecent exposure.

According to the 38-year-old nudist, he was at a nearby party when, in a drunken stupor, he had announced the joke he was going to pull off before stripping off.

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