Haarlem churchroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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November happenings for Haarlem's 775 years

This month our November events are fully focused on the fantastic occasion of Haarlem celebrating being a city for 775 years! Haarlem’s calendar for November has at its heart the fact that the city has a big birthday happening this month!…
Haarlem corona numbers 21-27 oct
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Coronavirus in Haarlem: latest numbers from the RIVM

The total number of Haarlem residents that tested positive for coronavirus over the last week was 553. The figures were announced in the new weekly update from the RIVM. A total of 67,542 Dutch people received confirmation that they are infected…
helping handsroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Kids who give a helping hand to be honoured: call for nominations!

Haarlem’s very own children’s mayor, Quinten de Lange, is calling for nominations from the city’s residents to nominate Haarlemmers aged between 4 and 12 years for the chance to be rewarded for acts of kindness or dedication they have…
Major job losses are imminent at and around Schiphol due to coronaBen Koorengevel on Unsplash
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Major job losses imminent at Schiphol due to coronavirus crisis

Due to the coronavirus crisis, about half of the jobs at and around Schiphol are at risk of disappearing in the short term, the NOS national news website reports. There are about 35,000 job at Schiphol, says the FNV trade union. In addition,…
Tonight winter time 2020 started and clocks moved or have to be set one hour back again. Which means that until your system adjusts, it will feel like you can get up an hour later.
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Time change in the Netherlands: winter time 2020

It is official: winter time 2020 has started! Overnight our clocks went back an hour as daylight saving time came to an end. This means that today it feels like we have an 'extra hour' and no doubt your system will need to adjust. It also means…
kids on bikeroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Cycling with kids in the Netherlands

Dutch kids grow up on bikes – and it is never too early to get them out on two wheels. Until they are old enough to cycle on their own, they will need a little help. This post outlines my experiences of cycling with kids in tow. Living…
Fireworks bomb thrown in Haarlem house again, resident not presentfsHH via Pixabay
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Fireworks exploded in Haarlem house

During the early hours of Wednesday 14 October, there was an incident at a house on the Prins Bernhardlaan in Haarlem caused by fireworks exploding after being thrown through the window. It is the third time in a few days that the house has…
kids jumpingroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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The Netherlands ranked best place to grow up by UNICEF report

According to a recent UNICEF report, Dutch kids come out top in a league table of well-being outcomes across 41 of the world’s richest countries. Though, there is always room for improvement. UNICEF’s Innocenti Report Card 16 – ‘Worlds…
coffee signroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Dutch coffee quirks

Yes, it is official: the Dutch drink an awful lot of coffee. However, the coffee landscape in the Netherlands brings with it unique experiences and traditions. Read on to discover more! Coffee – one of life’s simple pleasures enjoyed…
Green-roofed bus shelters in HaarlemArianna Ardia-Wenink
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Green-roofed bus shelters in Haarlem

Two bus shelters at the Verwulft in Haarlem have gone 'green'. Since 7 September, the bus shelters have been installed with eco-roofs and are topped with plants. Residents of the surrounding houses can now look out onto a mini garden. The plants…
the discomfort of eveningroyalty free (promo shot of the winning book)
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Dutch win for the 2020 International Booker Prize

The Discomfort of Evening, by author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld and translator Michele Hutchison, was announced as the winner of the 2020 International Booker Prize at the end of August. A number of 'firsts' came with this announcement, as this…
Waste Free: local initiatives and what to do to fight food wastehttps://haarlemlink.nl/initiatief/haarlem-food-future
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Local initiatives to combat food waste

Every year, we throw away 34 kilos of food per person. This shocking statistic raises the question: what can we do about this? Haarlem Food Future is committed to combating food waste, for example with the 'Doggy Bag' scheme and providing inspiration…
Dutch house red doorroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Haarlem’s black and red house numbers

Encountering a new city for the first time can be confusing at times and finding your way around can throw up challenges when you least expect it. How about when you are looking for somewhere to live and you go to a house viewing, only to be…
STAD AMSTERDAM AT THE MARITIME MUSEUMTHE MARITIME MUSEUM AMSTERDAM
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Stad Amsterdam at the Maritime Museum

The clipper Stad Amsterdam will be moored at The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam until the end of March 2021. The clipper Stad Amsterdam will arrive at The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam at the beginning of September. After…
Body found in the Spaarne near Catharijnebrug in HaarlemCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RM513353-Haarlem-Catharijnenbrug-01.JPGNetherlands license.
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Body found in the Spaarne near Catharijnebrug in Haarlem

A body was found in Haarlem on Saturday afternoon in the Spaarne near the Catharijnebrug. It concerns a 35-year-old man from Haarlem. At around 14:30 on Saturday 29 August, passers-by discovered the body and alerted the police. The…
Hema leaves Kruisstraat and moves to the old Hudson's BayHema
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HEMA leaves Kruisstraat for good and moves to former Hudson's Bay in Verwulft

On 5 September, the HEMA store on the Kruisstraat will close its doors for good. The entire contents and all the staff will move from Kruisstraat to the former V&D and later Hudson's Bay building on Verwulft. The new store opens on 14 September. It…
Heavily pregnant cow walks into a busy Brabant restaurantDe Brabantse Kluis a
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Heavily pregnant cow walks into a busy Brabant restaurant

Imagine this happens to you ... you are having a nice dinner in a restaurant and suddenly a heavily pregnant cow walks in. This happened on Thursday evening in Brabant's restaurant Herberg De Brabantse Kluis. De Brabantse Kluis at Kloosterdreef …
to be continuedroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Funny language flops of an expat

The best way to master a foreign language is to jump in and start interacting with the locals. Sure, you will make mistakes – such as signing off an email with 'friendly vegetables' instead of 'kind regards' (writing groenten instead of groeten),…
Beverwijk Bazaar open or partly closed?falco via Pixabay
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Concerns about coronavirus measures at Beverwijk Bazaar

The Veiligheidsregio Kennemerland (Kennemerland Region Security Organisation) has decided to close three halls that are part of the Beverwijk Bazaar, Hall 30 to Hall 33, for two weeks. However, Bazaar Beverwijk entrepreneurs refuse to close…
No ice skating in the summer in Haarlem anymoreIjsbaan Haarlem
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Summer ice skating causes environmental concerns

Friends of the Earth Netherlands called on the municipality of Haarlem to close the rink as soon as possible and let the ice melt. It sounded like a charming idea. Enjoy skating in the summer, on the semi-covered ice rink in Haarlem. However,…
You don't believe it: the rent in Haarlem drops
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You won't believe it: the rent in Haarlem drops

It is hard to believe, but it is true: the rent per square metre in the free sector fell in Haarlem in the second quarter of this year, according to figures from NVM Makelaars. Earlier this year, all the way back in February, the average…
Thermometers, hand gel, ordering by phone and long rows of chairs: this is what the sit down edition of Haarlem Jazz & More looks like this year.
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Haarlem Jazz Sit-Down Edition: thermometers, hand gel and long rows of chairs

Thermometers, hand gel, ordering by phone and long rows of chairs: this is what the sit-down edition of Haarlem Jazz & More looks like this year. Haarlem Jazz & More is a unique multi-day event in the old town of Haarlem. Due…
Schools start again in North HollandVeilig Verkeer Nederland
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Schools start again in North Holland

The primary schools will start again on Monday 17 August. This means that many children go to school by bicycle and on foot. Coinciding with the opening of primary schools after the summer break, the Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) (National…
Testing centre at Schiphol Airport open from this week
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Testing centre at Schiphol Airport open from this week

A testing centre at Schiphol Airport opened on Friday 14 August. This is where travellers returning from high-risk areas can get themselves tested. Read about what that involves. By getting yourself tested for COVID-19 at Schiphol,…
Info face masks mandatory in parts of AmsterdamCity of Amsterdam
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Face masks mandatory in parts of Amsterdam

Since Wednesday 5 August, it has been mandatory for anyone the age of 13 and above to wear a non-medical face mask in parts of Amsterdam city centre. These designated areas have been selected due to there being limited space and where it…
End of heat in sight: showers and thunderstorms and cooler weekendKNMI
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End of heat in sight: showers and thunderstorms and cooler weekend

In a few days, the heatwave that the whole country has been dealing with for a week will end. According to KNMI, after some thunderstorms and rain showers, it will be 'only' 25-28 degrees from Friday.  Today was another hot day in the…
Refilling water bottle more dirty than licking toilet seatPhoto by Kate Joie on Unsplash
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Refilling water bottle more dirty than licking toilet seat

While reusing water bottles is good for the environment, it may not be as good for us. Research has shown that recycled water bottles can contain more bacteria than a toilet seat. For the study, water bottles of athletes were tested to…
There is recurrent car vandalism in the Vijfhoek in Haarlem. Local Municipality and Police are aware of the situation but do nothing. The citizens pay the fee of this uncontrolled vandalism.
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Car vandalism in the Vijfhoek

Last Friday morning my car was damaged in de Vijfhoek. The perpetrator has fled. Local residents say that trucks very regularly do not easily make the bend in the Gedempte Raamgracht, damage a car and flee. The Municipality of Haarlem and the…
The Netherlands officially has the first national heat wave of the yearGerd Altmann via Pixabay
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First official national heat wave of the year

The Netherlands officially has the first national heat wave of the year. Around 10 a.m. a temperature of 25 degrees was measured in De Bilt. To be classed as a nationwide heatwave, the De Bilt weather station must record a five-day period…
windmill reflectionroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Reflecting on my first year in the Netherlands

The first year as an expat in the Netherlands brings a roller coaster of emotions. Throw in a global pandemic and family issues and you have quite a year to reflect on. One year ago, my family landed in Amsterdam from America to start…