Thanks to its flat (meaning not hilly) landscape, the Netherlands is the perfect place for getting around on bike. It’s also quite safe: bike lanes are virtually everywhere, and drivers are so used to the many bikes around that they take them in careful consideration. So the ‘fiets’ is the preferred means of transportation for most, if not all Dutchmen. We cycle to work, we cycle to school, we cycle to the shops and we also grab the bike if we go out at night (this will also conveniently save us the money for a parking ticket or a taxi).
Kids? No problem. We just take them in front with us when they are little, in a special seat hanging from the steer. When they grow bigger, they get a seat on the back of the bike, if necessary combined with the pre-mentioned seat on the front for a little sibling.
If you have three or more children though, it’s probably time to get a bakfiets. A bakfiets is kind of a cross between a bike and a beach wagon, and you can conveniently fit in as many as 4 children (although I’ve seen people squeeze in even more!). If you’ve ever been in Amsterdam, chances are high that you’ve noticed them around.
Bakfietsen come in many shapes and varieties. Foreigners usually choose the variety with two wheels in the front for more stability, but most Dutchmen get one with just one wheel in the front because it’s lighter to cycle and easier to maneuver… I think if we were to (finally) get one, we would get the one pictured.
If you’re ever in Amsterdam with children and are interested in doing as the Dutch do, I suggest renting a bakfiets in one of the many places in the city. It’s the most convenient way to get around, and super fun!

xxx Esther

P.S. We typically don’t put helmets on in the Netherlands, not even on the kids!

1) Rent a Bakfiets
A great and very Dutch way to get around Amsterdam is on a bakfiets. They can be rented in numerous places around the city, and your kids will love this way of transportation. There are bike lanes everywhere, and cars are very much accustomed to all the bikes around, so it’s all as safe as can be. You can just leave them in a corner on the sidewalk if you’re going inside somewhere, but make sure to lock them well… Read more here.

2) Boat Tour
The best way to experience the wonders of the canals of Amsterdam is by a boat tour (found in front of the Central Station). The beautiful and unique canal houses can be best admired from the water and the great part is that you won’t wear out your little one’s feet. The guides will give you and the kids interesting background information in a number of languages. And there’s a toilet on board, just in case.

3) Tram
A very pleasant way to get around town is on the tram. They allow a few buggies inside (take the bigger entrance in the middle of the tram), and kids will love seeing the city pass in front of the windows and the ‘train-like’ feeling of it all. If you find the maps in the tram-stops confusing just ask the people around for help. Virtually everybody speaks English fluently in Amsterdam, and knows the tram system by heart.

Once a year, a magical event hits the city of Amsterdam… De Parade!
Although ‘De Parade’ does translate into ‘The Parade’, it is nothing like a parade – it is in fact a theater festival, disguised in an old-fashioned looking fair ground!
‘De Parade’ offers a mix of art, theater, film, magic, comedy and music, together with a good supply of food and drinks. The atmosphere is arty, bohemian, easygoing and trendy – every single hip person in Amsterdam seemed to be at the opening night last Friday! It’s a great place for people-watching and having drinks by itself, but the shows are really worth paying a visit. The theater makers now have an outlet for ideas that are hard to find an audience for the rest of the year, so you can see some really special performances here!
One ‘idea’ I saw and thought to be supercool, was a silent disco. About fifty people in an open air disco, all wearing headphones and dancing the stars of the sky, and occasionally all singing along with the lyrics. Such fun! I will definitely go next time!
Every afternoon, beginning at 3pm, there is a special children’s program, with theater, dance, film and workshops. It’s aimed at kids aged 4 to 12, but it’s really a great place to bring younger children too – there is so much to see and experience! There are also some carnival rides that children will love!
Don’t worry about cooking dinner – next to a variety of bars and terraces (all special and cool), you will also find a huge choice of cuisines on the festival terrain: Portuguese, Algerian, Surinamese, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Cajun, soul food, French, pizza, to name a couple… All serving small portions, so great for kids (and for us, as we can try out many)!

Now, let’s hope for some good festival weather the next few weeks!

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De Parade takes place in summer in the Martin Luther Kingpark (about 4 kilometers south of the city centre).

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Did you know that ‘Schiphol‘, Amsterdam’s airport, is the first airport in the world to have a museum in its terminal? And not any museum — it is an annexe of the famous Rijksmuseum! So while waiting for your flight, you can show your kids ten works by famous Dutch masters (like Jan Steen, or Rembrandt)!

Or, visit the ‘Babycare Lounge’, where parents can take care of their babies in private — bathe them, feed them and/or let them sleep in one of the seven bed cabins, which include comfortable seats for the parents. Sounds good, no? (Well, I guess they could have thought of a bed for parents too)!
You can also let your husband take the kids to one of the indoor playgrounds, or to the Panorama terrace to look at all the aircrafts and the platforms, while you visit the XpresSpa for a manicure, pedicure or massage! This, in fact, might be the best option!

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you leave for the gate in time — with children it might take you longer than normal to get there…

xxx Esther

P.S. Always check if your child is entitled to his own frequent-flyer card! Better to start early than late — he might be able to bring you to those chic private lounges before you know it!

First of all, I have to put something straight: contrary to popular belief elsewhere in the world, NOBODY in the Netherlands wears wooden shoes on the streets anymore. Okay, what they say about tulips and soft drugs is true. But seriously, we ALL wear leather shoes, or even sneakers!
Every now and then you still see the odd Dutchman with wooden shoes though. Some farmers and fishermen still wear them, and the other day I saw a roadworker with clogs (not surprising if you knew that Dutch wooden shoes have been officially labelled as safety shoes)! Thinking about it, my father-in-law wears wooden shoes when he’s tending his garden…

Also, both my children have little yellow clogs and they absolutely love wearing them. They were able to put them on by themselves from a very early age and of course they make that funny clog-clog-clog sound. As a bonus they are believed to be extremely healthy for their feet!

If you thought clogs were lame you are mistaken… Last year wooden clogs were seen on the runway of the famous Dutch fashion designers, Victor & Rolf!!!
A pair of clogs, in my opinion, is a very good souvenir to take home for your kids! They are for sale in most souvenir shops…

xxx Esther

Today is Queen’s Day in the Netherlands! It’s a national holiday, and probably the most fun one of the year.
We are celebrating the queen’s birthday, and we do that by taking the day off, dressing up in orange (the name of the Dutch royal family is ‘The House of Orange’) and going out on the streets. The evening before Queen’s Day is called Queen’s Night, and special events are organized around all the Dutch towns. It’s a good night to go out (if you can find a sitter). The real Queen’s Day, however, is fun for the entire family.

The Dutch government allows tax-free sales on this specific day, so the streets in the Netherlands transform into one big flee-market. (We call it ‘free-market’). Prices are super-low, because most people regard it as a chance to have fun, chat with complete strangers and get rid of some rubbish as a bonus! Children love having their own ’stall’ (blanket on the pavement with merchandise) – and in fact here in Amsterdam, the famous Vondelpark is reserved just for children.
There are loads of other activities: there’s theater, music, and EVERYBODY who has a boat takes it out on the canals (we say that on Queen’s Day you can walk over the water — the canals are simply covered with boats)!

It’s a crazy, fun day and it’s 100% Dutch. Happy Queen’s Day!!!

xxx Esther

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Queen’s Day
April 30th

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Here in the low-lands, we have a funny holiday called Sinterklaas. If you’re in the Netherlands now, or planning to visit around the 5th of December, you most propably will be seeing some strangely dressed up people on the streets…

St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra (Turkey) in the third century. He was known for his goodness and generosity: he was quite rich but used his entire fortune to assist the poor. Furthermore he was known for his love for children and as such he became their patron saint. Apparently he was also very concerned about the welfare of sailors and ships but that has nothing to do with this. He died December 6 AD 343, and the anniversary of his death has (weirdly enough) been celebrated ever since. In Holland, we like to be different and celebrate St. Nicholas day (‘Sinterklaas’) on December 5th. But for weeks leading up to that, Sinterklaas keeps everybody busy!

Traditionally, Sinterklaas arrives from Spain (nobody knows why) on a steamboat (nobody knows why) somewhere in November; in 2008 it will be the 16th. On his boat, he brings alongside millions of presents for all the children in the Netherlands, his white horse Amerigo and many, many naughty ‘Zwarte Pieten’ (Black Peets), who throw candy to the crowds. This event is broadcasted on National Television. At the same time, Sinterklaas arrives in every single town or village in the Netherlands, and all little children go out to welcome him by singing the traditional Sinterklaas songs.

From that moment onwards, little children can put their shoes (yes, traditionally the wooden ones but nowadays even leather shoes are available in Holland!) in front of the fireplace before they go to bed. Sinterklaas will come in the middle of the night, riding his horse over the rooftops, and Zwarte Piet will climb down the chimneys (hense his black color) and gather the hay and carrots that the children have left in their shoes to replace it with a small gift, a chocolate letter, some traditional gingerbread mini-cookies called peppernuts or a mandarin (bad luck I suppose). Of course he only comes if the child has been listening to his parents perfectly well, didn’t wee in his pants, slept through the night etc.

Sinterklaas is dressed as a saint – red robe, red mitre, cross around the neck and holding a gold staff with a big curl in the top. He wears white gloves and an enormous ring with a precious stone around one finger (I guess he didn’t give it all away). He has a huge, white beard. He also carries a big book in which he keeps track of the behaviour of all children in Holland.

The weeks before December 5th, Sinterklaas visits schools, hospitals etc. We welcomed Sinterklaas at my children’s crèche last Friday. Of course the children are initially dead scared of this weird looking man with his black companions but when they understand they can eat as much candy as they like and get presents on top of that, they are even willing to sit on the good man’s lap (Kodak moment for all the parents).

The night of December fifth is when it’s really happening. Children are supposed to sing St. Nicholas songs in the early evening while dad sneaks out of the house and starts knocking on the windows and eventually the front door. When the front door is opened, a basket full of presents is found. In the meantime daddy re-enters the room pretending he has been to the loo (the older the children get, the more of a theater the whole thing becomes)! There are loads of presents for the children and also some for the grown-ups, and traditionally they are supposed to be accompanied by a poem.

When children are getting too old to be fooled by the whole thing, the evening is converted into a ’surprise’ night, where everybody makes each other funnily wrapped presents with poems – all aimed at gently mocking the other person.

If you want to know more about this silly tradition, you should read this article – it is all true, and it makes me laugh every time I read it: Sinterklaas, a Dutch tradition

xxx Esther

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Sinterklaas Avond (Saint Nicholas’ Night)
December 5th

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