It’s already over 7 years ago I dragged three suitcases full of my belongings on a plane from Amsterdam to London. Although I still feel very Dutch and am often baffled by certain British habits, by now I might be more integrated than I realise. From the way I answer the phone to greeting friends, here are 5 things I’ve had to relearn being Dutch in the UK.
Once a month I write a blog post in Dutch. Today I’m revealing my Top 5 Dutch music guilty pleasures. // Geïnspireerd door het zomerse weer, heb ik mijn favoriete Nederlandstalige liedjes voor je op een rijtje gezet. Ik ben erg benieuwd of jij je ook kunt vinden in mijn top 5 Nederlandstalige guilty pleasures!
If you’re looking for an unconventional feel-good movie to watch this summer, then I’d definitely recommend ‘Heavy Trip’. This Finnish comedy about an upcoming amateur black metal band has been hailed as the Scandi version of the cult film ‘This is Spinal Tap’. Even if you’re not the biggest metalhead, the bizarre adventures of the ambitious metal quartet will rock your socks off!
On the last Sunday of the month I always look back on what I’ve been up to in the past weeks. What were my personal highlights? What films and series did I watch? What exhibitions did I visit and which countries did I travel to? Find the answers in my Reflections on July.
Following last year’s popular blog post ‘My 10 Favourite Dutch Sayings Featuring Animals’, here’s another look at some curious Dutch sayings. This time I chose My 10 Favourite Dutch Sayings Featuring Food! I also looked up the origins of each them in an attempt to make some sense of them. Tell me, what do you make of them?
London is a city that is full of surprises and here’s five books that offer up different ways of seeing the metropolis. From the islands that people live on, to moving stories from a different generation.
On the first Sunday of the month I always blog in Dutch. Today’s post is a belated Father’s Day blog post. // Huh, hoezo Vaderdag? Dat was toch al bijna een maand geleden? Ja, dat is wel zo, maar mijn vader kan niet zo goed Engels lezen. En daarom bewaarde ik dit onderwerp voor mijn Nederlandse blogdag. Want mijn vader is een bijzondere man en dat mag iedereen weten.
There’s been some exciting news I’ve been itching to share with you for months now. After having sworn absolute secrecy, I’m so relieved I can finally tell you! Click here to find out what it is.
We all know of course that the British Museum is THE place to go if you’re interested in seeing ancient Egyptian artefacts in London. But did you know that the world’s fourth largest ancient Egyptian collection is housed in a small building on the University College London campus? I only heard of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology last week and was rather blown away by all the treasures it holds!
Street art has always been a main subject on ‘Dutch Girl in London’. Through my blog I’ve met some many great fellow bloggers and in today’s blog post I want to highlight 3 street art bloggers you should follow!
There are countless secret London landmarks. No matter where you are there’s history above and beneath your feet. You often walk past them without even knowing. Public executions, London’s oldest church, creepy skulls and bone flavoured water. What more could you want from a city?
Done all the main museums, parks and tourist sights in London? Then have a look at my 5 alternative things to do in London, from the Freemasons Hall to private film screenings – all entirely for free and also suitable for families!
What I love most about London is its rich history and the fact that some of the greatest historical figures have once called this city their home. Sometimes their former residences were quite extravagant, to say the least. In this post I’m sharing three of my favourite historical London homes with you that are far from any other house you have ever seen!
London is a great city trip destination, but sometimes the busy metropolis can also get a bit overwhelming. You could retreat in one of the numerous beautiful parks dotted around the city for a moment, but why not combine a free and unique public art trail with explorations of a far less touristy side of London? The Line art trail runs between the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and O2 Arena and is suitable for families, art lovers, ramblers and even thrillseekers!
On the last Sunday of the month I always reflect on what happened in these last few weeks. Read on to find out what horrible Dutch insect plague managed to survive and which series and films I totally recommend! (and much more of course)
“So what is it that you do exactly?” Although I feel I share a fair bit of my personal life online, people I meet often can’t work out what I do for a living. Some think I am a full-time London tour guide. Others think I couldn’t possibly be working as I’m always travelling. (I wish!) So to clarify this once and for all, let me tell you what goes on a typical day in the life of Dutch Girl in London.
Hello hello, can you read me? This message was sent to you from the unique landmark Lizard Point in Cornwall, mainland Britain’s most southerly location. Imagine visiting the lighthouse where Tolkien took inspiration for his haunting image of ‘The Eye of Sauron.’ Or how about the tiny wooden hut that was the birthplace for much of our modern communication? You can read all about this in today’s special Cornish blog post!
On the first Sunday of the month I always write a blog post in Dutch. // Het is de eerste zondag van de maand, dus tijd voor een nieuwe aflevering van mijn Nederlandstalige blogserie The Dutch Girl Tales. Met als onderwerp vandaag: 5 Nederlandse Instagrammers die je wilt volgen!
On the final Sunday of the month I always reflect on the last four weeks. May is always an especially festive because it’s both mine and hubby’s birthday month. In between bad colds I got to celebrate my big 40th birthday with my family and closest friends. But of course far more happened in May. Read all about it in today’s ‘Reflections’!
Unbelievable news! Dutch singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence is the winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2019! To celebrate this memorable event I explored the archives (thanks YouTube) and dug up all previous Dutch Eurovision winners. Great to see old footage dating back to 1957 already and see how much the Eurovision Song Contest has evolved over the years!
Hip hip hooray, it’s my 40th birthday today! And it’s the perfect festive ending to a great week spent in Cologne and Berlin. It’s been a week of history, art and the latest electronic music gadgets. From a visit to Cold War bunkers to the final resting place of the Three Wise Men, it all happened on this trip! Read all about it here.
