
Manifest anything you want
Every day, every moment, every second, we are determining our reality. We have the power. We have control.
Would you like to wake up in a good mood every day?
Monday or Sunday would be equally fun because you're doing what you love every…

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 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…

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 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…

How to calm down children?
When children are at home a lot, surrounded by their brothers and sisters, tensions can sometimes build. Children can suffer from tension and over stimulation. Here, I advise the following if you have children who argue a lot.
Read…

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…

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…

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…

Online Mysteryland Festival 4 million viewers
The online version of live music festival Mysterland attracted 4 million viewers from about 130 different countries, the organisers told Shownieuws. Mysteryland is the longest-running and largest dance festival in the Netherlands and is usually…

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 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…

September events in Haarlem
Haarlem’s events agenda is slowly getting busier in certain areas. The calendar for September has food markets and open monuments, along with some morsels of history, healthy options and pop quiz questions. Is there something here that interests…

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…

Juggling family and career: decide on your model
Anyone who wants to get back to work after having a baby will often seek tips from those who have done exactly this before them. What happens to family life when the time comes to rejoin the workforce? How do you approach this juggling act?…

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 …

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,…

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),…

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…

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 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…

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…

New store in Haarlem gives a ‘sense of place’ to great tasting wine!
After Markus Praat spent 6 months managing a wine store in Brooklyn, he decided to bring some Brooklyn air back to Haarlem. Now, he has opened a new, truly cosy and welcoming wine store that does things differently: selling honest products in…

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
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,…

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…

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…

Haarlem porn house unsaleable
The kinky apartment on Gedempte Raamgracht in Haarlem, where artist Willemijn de Lint took care of the interior, turns out to be unsaleable. So she decided to paint everything white.
The apartment, with jacuzzi, triple bed and hooks in…

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 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…