Rental apartment: Byzantiumstraat 17 in HaarlemOverspaern Makelaardij
, ,

Rental apartment: Byzantiumstraat 17 in Haarlem

Luxurious and fully modernized "newly-built" apartments located within walking distance of the pleasant city center of Haarlem. Now for rent.
nostalgia old photosroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
, ,

A healthy dose of nostalgia

Is there actually such a thing as a healthy dose of nostalgia? Most expats will be familiar with those pangs of nostalgia that can hit at any moment. Being overcome by a nostalgic fog can have both its positives and negatives – it can be triggered…
Green-roofed bus shelters in HaarlemArianna Ardia-Wenink
, , , , , ,

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…
Waste Free: local initiatives and what to do to fight food wastehttps://haarlemlink.nl/initiatief/haarlem-food-future
, , , , , ,

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…
STAD AMSTERDAM AT THE MARITIME MUSEUMTHE MARITIME MUSEUM AMSTERDAM
, , , , , , , , ,

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.
, , , ,

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
, , , , , , , ,

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
, , , , , ,

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 …
The CoronaMelder coronavirus app is in an advanced stage of development trialled in several regions in the Netherlands and in multiple languagesGovernment of the Netherlands.Government of the Netherlands
, , , , , , , , , ,

Dutch CoronaMelder coronavirus app to feature multiple languages

The CoronaMelder coronavirus app is in an advanced stage of development. CoronaMelder is currently being trialled in several regions in the Netherlands and will offer multiple language options, including English, German, Polish and Turkish,…
to be continuedroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
, , , ,

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
, , , , , , , , ,

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
, , , , ,

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
, , , , , ,

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.
, , , , , ,

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
, , , , , , ,

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
, , , , , , ,

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
, , , , , , ,

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…
broken heart stroopwaffelroyalty free (reuse possible wihtout attribution)
, ,

Saying bye to love: tips for the broken hearted

Coming out of a relationship through a difficult break-up can be tough – especially if you lose love while you are living overseas, many miles away from home. This article has tips to help you deal with the heartache and start the process…
End of heat in sight: showers and thunderstorms and cooler weekendKNMI
, , , , , , ,

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
, , , , ,

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.
, , , , , , ,

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
, , , , , , , ,

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)
, , ,

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…
Million building in Droste factory for saleAfbeelding van Jori Samonen via Pixabay
, , , , ,

Million building in Droste factory for sale

In the old Haarlem Droste factory, there is an apartment is for sale for 2.1 million euros. Although such amounts are more common in a city such as Amsterdam, they are quite unusual in Haarlem. In this case the price could be explained…
Docked Greenjoy Alkmaar boats
,

An evening on the water in Alkmaar with Greenjoy

The last Thursday in July was a beautifully sunny summer evening and the perfect time to cruise the canals of Alkmaar on an electric Greenjoy boat. The process for hiring your boat is quick and easy – and as an added bonus for COVID-19 times,…
Connexxion: This weekend extra buses from Haarlem to Zandvoort beachCreative Commons CC0 1.0 Universele Public Domain Dedication
, , , , , , ,

Connexxion: This weekend extra buses from Haarlem to Zandvoort beach

Connexxion will run more buses this weekend from Haarlem to the beach at Zandvoort. The transport company says that they learned a lesson from last Friday, when it was overcrowded in the buses on the way to the sea. This weekend there…
Greenjoy Boat Renting Summer 2020: Special € 20 Discount for expatsHaarlem readers
, , , , , , , , ,

Greenjoy Boat Renting Summer 2020: Special € 20 Discount for expatsHaarlem readers

Wow, it’s amazing.. SUNNY WEATHER IN THE NETHERLANDS! Can you believe it? Why not making the most of it then? The weather forecast seems to be pretty awesome for the coming week! Let's hope even weeks! Are you – like many others – eager…
enjoying liferoyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
, , ,

Lessons learnt since my last birthday

Every year, we celebrate our own birthdays – and what a good opportunity this is to look back and see what has been experienced, discovered and learnt about ourselves in the last year. A birthday is a milestone… an anniversary date…
arrivalsroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
, , , ,

Revelations of repatriation: 3-step-model to help you prepare

If you live overseas and are considering heading back home after months or years abroad, then this article is vital reading for you. Repatriation can be tough, so read on if you are curious as to why this is, what you can do to prepare and what…
intuitionroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
, , ,

Following Your Intuition: It Can Lead You to Surprising Places

We often drawn to a place, somewhere that you just feel that spark and you don’t know why. Did you ever land up somewhere on a whim or by accident, only to find it’s the perfect fit for you? Maybe it was an old photo that led you there,…