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Joel lives in Haarlem. Joel is sad. Joel is funny. Joel wrote a book.

So who is Joel Azulay? Joel is your neighbour who takes the dog out at the same exact time every day, your friend from home who married his highschool sweetheart, the waitress at your favourite cafeteria, your annoying cousin who still collects…
Organizing Your Wedding In HaarlemPexels
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Organizing Your Wedding In Haarlem

Every year, 130,000 people get married in the Netherlands. Haarlem is the perfect place to organize your big day, as you can find everything from the venue to the beautiful flowers right here. You could even get married in the Grote Kerk if…
Ikea SYMFONISKIkea
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What's that noise coming from the painting?

Imagine you are lying on the couch, thinking about the beauty of life and looking at the beautiful paintings you have in your home. While thinking you dream away in the art, in the colors and in the brushstrokes that are smoothly spread over…
booksroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Family sagas my grandmother would have loved to read

The recent passing of my grandmother has made me think of how some of my favourite books depict grandparents and family relations. My grandmother passed away on 6 October 2020. Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, I was not able to go…
SMaSH Beer
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SMaSH Beer Packet Taste Test

We are proud to present the first ever expatsHaarlem beer review! In this article, we will be reviewing a SMaSH beer packet from Beerwulf. Let's meet our testers From left to right: Nick, Cyriel, Andrew, Martin Andrew is an Australian…
Agatha Christie booksroyalty free with attribution ( CC BY-SA 3.0 license))
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Agatha Christie books you should read (and read again)

During these recent strange times and periods of uncertainty, I have found myself going back to the comfort of Agatha Christie’s classics and, again, the 'Queen of Crime' did not disappoint. In March, when lockdown hit and it was clear…
Greenjoy Boat Renting Summer 2020: Special € 20 Discount for expatsHaarlem readers
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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…
bison in netherlandsroyalty free (photo author's own)
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Bison in Haarlem’s backyard

Did you know that there is a herd European bison roaming a stone’s throw from the centre of Haarlem? Next to the largest dune lake of the bison area Kraansvlak in Zuid-Kennermerland National Park, you might have chance to spot them – and,…
tools
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Useful tools for video calls and online meetings

Your customers or colleagues are not together in the same location, but you still want to see each other in an online environment. The solution is to get your team together via video conferencing. There are now many tools to facilitate virtual…
whodunnit booksroyalty free (reuse without attribution)
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Classic locked-room mysteries to read during the lockdown

I have always loved locked-room mysteries and since we all seem to be in a locked-room life these days, I thought it might be timely to recommend a few ‘impossible crime’ reads that might help to pass the time. According to Wikipedia,…
Netflix tipsroyalty free (reuse with no attribution necessary)
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Binge-worthy Netflix shows to discover

During your time of social distancing, why not escape with some of our top picks of binge-worthy Netflix shows? In this time of social distancing, I will also admit that my grand plans of organising the house, learning Dutch and catching…
international women's dayroyalty free (reuse with no attribution necessary)
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Five books with a feminist focus for International Women’s Day

International Women's Day (Sunday 8 March) is a global day of celebration of the social and political achievements of women and marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. This list contains some of the books that have helped me educate…
kids book museumroyalty free (author's own photo, no credit required)
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A Day Trip to the Children’s Book Museum

The Children’s Book Museum, a museum dedicated to Dutch language children’s books, delights the young and old with beautiful design and creative exhibitions. What could be better that finding a weekend activity for your children that…
Gluren bij de BurenRoyalty-free (author's own pic)
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Musical tour of Haarlem with Gluren bij de Buren

On the day that many people stayed holed up behind closed doors due to the fact Storm Ciara was making her presence felt outside, myself and the rest of the 'Gluren gang' took to the streets for a musical tour of Haarlem. What awaited us were…
A day off in HoofddorpApproved for re-use with attribution
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A day off in Hoofddorp

From water to land, between history and modernity: explore Hoofddorp in the heart of the Haarlemmermeer. It was a little over a year ago, when I arrived in the Netherlands initially, that I first heard about Hoofddorp. “Hawfff-what?”…
One hundred best poems for boys and girls. Compiled by Marjorie Barrows

Poetry for beginners

Three gateway poetry books for beginners   As a child, I loved nursery rhymes. When I was a teenager, I discovered poetry and fell in love with it. Completely. As only teenagers can do.  Then I grew up and left poetry behind.  During…
© Wikimedia Commons
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A day off in Bloemendaal

Take time out in affluent Bloemendaal, a short bike ride from Haarlem city centre. Aren’t weekends the absolute best!? It’s amazing all the cool stuff you can do with the luxury of free time. Like, finally going on that romantic date your…
Marnetta Anderson from Marnetta's Soul FoodPhoto by Fiona McGeever ©
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Marnetta's Soul Food

Food for the soul! From Jamaica to Haarlem, Fiona McGeever talks all things Caribbean with Marnetta Anderson the owner of Haarlem's spicy lunch spot Marnetta's Soul Food If Marnetta’s welcoming smile doesn’t warm your heart, then…
Landgoed Duin & Kruidberg
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Pentecost 2019 in Holland

Something that intrigued me ever since I first arrived in Holland is the number of Dutch public holidays specifically related to events on the Roman Catholic calendar.  It struck me and still does that a fairly non-religious country like the…
Housing Event
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Review Haarlem & Haarlemmermeer Housing & Education Event 2019

The ‘Haarlem and Haarlemmermeer Housing and Education Event’ on Saturday may 18th was an excellent way to find out why Haarlem and Haarlemmermeer are great places to live and to learn all about finding a home and education in these areas.…
childrens books
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Children’s books too (re)read as an adult.

My friends are having children. And I am happy for them. I am also very happy for myself. Not only do I get to be the cool in-law uncle who spoils them without worrying about bed times and healthy meals, but I also get to buy them books. Children’s…
Dutch Mystery Books
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Dutch Mystery Books for a gezellige winteravond.

Reading a good mystery novel can be a very satisfying experience. I believe it has to do with the fact that, while crime is always terrifying, as readers we know that the crime will most likely be solved at the end of the book and the murderer,…
Christoph Paulik
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Visit Leonardo da Vinci at the Teylers Museum

The Teylers Museum for art and science opened in 1784 – five years before the French Revolutionaries stormed the Bastille and George Washington was elected the first president of the USA. As a museum of art and science, it houses fossils,…
novels
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3 novels from around the world.

When I moved to Haarlem in 2013, one of my biggest goals was to make local friends. I wanted my life to be Dutch and for a period I avoided things I considered not to be Dutch enough like meeting with expats or watching tv in English or Spanish.…
Kweektuin
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Visiting the Biomarkt at Haarlemmer Kweektuin

Living in Haarlem it is hard not to notice the big market at the Grote Markt every Saturday. But this isn’t the only market to discover. Every first Saturday of the month an organic market opens its doors in the Haarlemmer Kweektuin. Located…
novels
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Novels to better understand the Dutch

Getting to know a new culture can be difficult, especially when there is a language barrier. I moved to Holland five years ago and even if I have taken lessons and try my best to speak Dutch on every available occasion, my Dutch is still not…
greenjoy
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Get the Most from Haarlem — Rent a Boat at Greenjoy!

As 98% of Dutch people can swim and sailing a boat is an easy task even for a kid. An untrained expat also can manage it after fifteen minutes of shame. If you don't have a driving licence, no worries, it is not required if the boat is less…
circus sijm
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An intimate, wonderful world of Circus Sijm

There’s magic in a traditional circus that can’t be topped by any other forms of entertainment. Last weekend, I was able to see one of the few remaining travelling circuses in the Netherlands. The Circus Sijm doesn’t disappoint.…
Est! Est!! Est!!!
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Wine tip: Est! Est !! Est !!!

Est! Est !! Est !!! di Montefiascone is an unforgettable name for a wine named after a special story. In the year 1111 the German bishop Johannes Fugger traveled to Rome. On his way to Lazio, he asked his servant Martin to find a good…
New York Deli
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New York Deli: Food and Live comedy

On Haarlem Foodies we gave in February  a preview of this new spot with the taste of the Big Apple. With a unique concept inspired by inspired by Delis in The Lower Eastside. Fast-casual American Jewish comfort food with outstanding quality. The…