HOLLAND IN THE SPRINGTIME

Welcome to a new segment of my blog - travel. Along with my love of beautiful clothing, one of my other great obsessions is the thrill of adventure that comes with the unknown. This year, my boyfriend Nick and I packed up our little house, moved our belongings either to the second hand shop or into my parents shed, quit our jobs and ran away. First stop of our five month long European holiday – the Netherlands!

I’ll start out with a hot tip – if you think travelling to Amsterdam on the Easter long weekend is a good idea, you’re delusional! It would appear that everyone in Europe wants to head there also. Accommodation is scarce and expensive. Due to this, we decided to stay in Haarlem, which is about fifteen kilometers away from the capital. This was a wonderful decision, as this was the ideal place to get over the jetlag that comes with moving your body to the other side of the world.

During our stay in the Netherlands, we visited the famous Keukenhof tulip fields. Holland is famous for their ‘tulip mania’, although ironically the humble tulip’s origins lie in Turkey. The Dutch tulip mania began and escalated in the golden age, when tulip bulb prices escalated beyond the price of any other commodity and rapidly crashed. Tulips are still a wonderful part of the Netherlands experience, and you can find an abundance of bulbs and tulip-related tourist items at the floating flower markets in Amsterdam.

 

Haarlem, the cutest city there ever was....

EAT DUTCH WAFFLES. You won't regret it!

 

Dutch Do's

DO eat as many pancakes, as much cheese and try as many local beers as you can.

DO get lost wandering the cute streets.

DO  a canal cruise.

DO venture beyond Amsterdam. The Netherlands is so much more than just Amsterdam.

DO walk, or bike. The public transport system is great, but its not cheap!

DO check out all the gorgeous boutiques. Youll find things you wont get anywhere else.

DO try speak a little Dutch. Everyone speaks excellent English – but they appreciate you trying! A Goedemorgen, hoy or dank u wel will go a long way!

 

Dutch Don’ts

DON’T forget about the bikes. They will mow you down, all you will hear is a soft ding then feel a sharp pain in your back.

DON’T visit the museums, Anne Frank Huis et al in the middle of the day. Check when they close and go late to avoid the GIANT HIDEOUS queues. Anne Frank Huis closes later in tourist season, so even if you go at 8pm its still open.

DON’T forget to try the local delicacy – herring. Its an experience in itelf

DON’T leave it to last minute to book trains out of the Netherlands – prices hike closer.

DON’T forget to take a camera. Holland is one of the most photogenic places I’ve ever visited.

I plan on posting about Amsterdam - its so nice we went twice - down the track so stay tuned!

 

Thank you for reading,

With love from Olivia