Dutch is a Pirate Language
Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!! That one word describes not only the frustration I feel about my total inability to learn Dutch, but the atonalities in that vented expletive also sum up the essence of...
View ArticleWandering Through the Netherlands (Or is it Holland?)
Skiffs Along Harbor Dike, Hoorn, North Holland Many people are confused between Holland and the Netherlands. And, okay, I will confess, before embarking on this adventure, I used the two appellations...
View ArticleLiving in Holland: Cultural Adjustments & Tips
Cultural Differences Can Be More Than Amusing. We have been living in the Netherlands for nearly five weeks now and we’ve become accustomed to the essentials: we watch out for speed demon bicyclists –...
View ArticleBerlin Impressions Starting with Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate Berlin came full of surprises for me. Despite having read the guide books, I was unprepared, mentally, for the newness, the raw edge to the city, and what seemed an architecturally...
View ArticleArtists in Netherlands Never Cease to Impress
(Van Gogh’s painting of an almond tree in bloom.) Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Escher. All notable Dutch artists whose talent was recognized in their lifetime (to varying degrees) and whose...
View ArticleThe Magic of Germany’s MUNICH
It’s a sad conclusion to reach that the highlights of a world-famous city were a bejeweled skeleton and a glockenspiel, but that’s how we felt about Munich. Alas, the city we encountered fell so far...
View ArticleAn Artist of Unique “Wire Figure” Visions
Too often artists of tremendous talent and beauty are not recognized in their lifetimes. I’d like to help change that for at least one artist. In this blog I’d like to introduce my faithful readers...
View ArticleLiechtenstein: Mountains, Trains and Polkas
“What country has only 35,000 inhabitants?” my husband wondered as he scrolled through an information sheet on Liechtenstein. “How can that be?” Take 62 square miles, the vast majority of it a...
View ArticleThe Dutch & Their Oh So Very Happy Cows!
With one look my husband fell in love with Dutch…cows. “They look so happy!” Michael exclaimed on our first train trip through central Holland. I pointed out he probably meant they appeared to be...
View Article