Hi, welcome! My name is Zarina, what is yours?
After having lived in several towns and cities all across the Netherlands, I moved to the UK in 2012. I launched my website Dutch Girl in London in October 2013. (Click here to read my very first blog post!)
My website was born out of a very practical reason. Namely, to have one central place with all the necessary travel information for all my Dutch friends and family who were all very eager to come visit me in London.
What is Dutch Girl in London blog about?
I initially started writing about more unusual things to do in London on the website. Soon, I expanded with interviews and articles about street art, art & culture, travel and expat life. A year after the launch of the blog, it was voted one of the top 11 best arts & culture blogs nationwide in the UK Blog Awards!
In the years to follow, I changed my blogging goals several times. I even almost stopped blogging 2017. However, flash-forward a few years later and my Dutch Girl in London blog is still alive and growing.
Publishing a new blog post every Sunday, my main topics have remained the same, but come in a more mature packaging. And in addition, I’ve added two more personal recurring topics, Reflections and The Dutch Girl Tales.
One the last Sunday of the month I always publish my Reflections, a personal review of the month. This is where I get real with you and tell you about the lows and highs in my personal life. But also where I share my recommendations for films and series and much more.
Finally, in my Dutch-language series The Dutch Girl Tales I write about a range of personal topics, from feeling homesick to how to make friends abroad.
East London tours
When I moved to East London, I researched my new area just out of personal interest and was immediately fascinated with the rich cultural history of this neighbourhood.
While East London is one of the trendiest neighbourhoods, where every street seems to be covered in the most beautiful works of art by world-famous street artists, you can still see the traces (if you know where to look!) of the immigrants who have played a crucial role in the history of the area.
In my Dutch-spoken tours I combine my personal historical research and add my own experience as an immigrant to the story. But don’t be scared, a tour with me won’t be a 1.5-hour long history lesson! This is East London, so expect many boutiques, loads of restaurants & pubs, cake shops, funky looking people and graffiti literally everywhere!
So, if you speak Dutch and are coming to London, do join me on a tour and discover this trendy and historical area in your own language! Find more information on routes, dates and prices on the tours page.
Cultural travel blog ‘Miss Travel Clogs’
Travelling was initially one of the main topics on my Dutch Girl in London website, but as it was gradually starting to focus more on London and art & culture, I felt it was more suitable to launch a second website, entirely dedicated to travelling. On Miss Travel Clogs you can read my personal travel stories that focus on cultural city trips and road trips.
New to the blog? Start with some of my favourite blog posts!
My 10 Favourite Dutch Sayings Featuring Food
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…
10 Unique Things to See in Shoreditch
From the notorious Jack the Ripper murders to Jewish culture, here are 10 unique things to see in Shoreditch! Being part of the East End of London, Shoreditch is soaked in history. And if you know where to look, you’ll find that the history of Shoreditch is literally written in its streets.
10 Best Places to See Street Art in London
An insider’s guide to the best places to see street art in London. It lists well-known London street art locations such as Shoreditch and Hackney, but also some fantastic gems generally not known to tourists (or locals).
Where to Find Historical Roman London Sites
Did you know that London was originally founded by Romans? Almost 2000 years later you can still find many historical Roman London sites scattered across ancient Londinium.
Visit Sky Garden London, a Spectacular Free Viewing Point
In this blog post I will tell you how to visit the Sky Garden in London for free. Located at the 35th floor of the Walkie Talkie building, it provides amazing views over London.
Find all my blog posts here.
Enjoy the articles and leave a comment if you want. I love hearing from my readers!
Thanks, Zarina
Wauw!
Hello, nice to meet you on Wednesday. I see you studied English Literature, same here! Will have to check out more of your blog soon.