31 May 2008
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten will seek to plug the last holes in his European Championship lineup during Sunday's warm-up game against Wales. Faced with an abundance of creative players and a dearth of solid defenders, the Dutch will go to Switzerland with an attacking lineup. The major question remains who Van Basten will put as defensive midfielders in front of the back four. However, he also must consider a replacement for Liverpool winger Ryan Babel who tore ankle ligaments in a training injury Saturday morning and was ruled out of Euro 2008.
Last weekend, the Dutch rolled over Ukraine 3-0 and on Thursday they mixed creative flair with defensive weakness in a 1-1 draw with Denmark. A young and inexperienced Wales should allow for the perfect send-off in a sold-out 51,000-capacity De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam. The Dutch have a tradition of turning their last preparation game into a festive orange-colored occasion.
International Herald Tribune
Netherlands Euro 2008 Squad
It is 20 years since Holland won the one major title in their footballing history, and many believe they finally have a squad talented and united enough to replicate their success in Germany back in 1988. Marco van Basten knows a thing or two about what it takes to score goals at the top level and he is lucky enough to be able to select from a talented array of attackers.
The Dutch legend recently switched from playing with a three-man attack, to a 4-2-3-1 system at the request of his players. Despite the emergence of the prolific Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ruud van Nistelrooy is used as a target man and he is supplemented by three offensive minded midfielders. For those positions, Van Basten can choose from the likes of Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart.
The draw has been far from kind to Van Basten, with world champions Italy, double European Championship winners France and Romania, who they finished runners-up to in qualification, set to provide stiff competition. After reaching the semi-final four years ago, and with a squad seemingly united, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Dutch making a major impression at Euro 2008.
soccerlens.com
28 May 2008
The breathtaking Oude Kerk, Old Church, located in the heart of the Red Light District. With lovely green pissoir in the forefront.
Imagine buying marijuana along with your espresso beside Toronto's Royal York Hotel. Or window-shopping, literally, for a prostitute behind the Westin Harbour Castle. And doing both openly and legally.
You can in Holland, within a few steps of two of Amsterdam's top hotels. Big cities on this side of the Atlantic downplay their seedier sides; Amsterdam marks its Red Light District on tourist maps. It accepts that hookers, soft drugs and porn appeal to some folks. Rather than criminalize those activities, it legitimized them.
There's another reason to visit the Red Light District. It's in one of the oldest parts of the city, with winding cobblestoned streets and canals lined with tipsy-looking buildings whose staircases are so narrow an outside hook and pulley are needed to move furniture in and out. Even during the day, pot-smokers and peeping Toms are outnumbered by parties of camera-snapping foreign tourists.
More at
canoe.com
26 May 2008
From an editorial at
goal.com:
"The Dutch have been one of the mainstays of recent European Championship history having qualified for 8 of the last 9 tournaments, missing out only in 1984, they’ve also reached the final four of 3 of the 4 editions of the tournament. The Netherlands, one of the great under-achievers of European football, have shown plenty of consistency in the continental tournament and tend to perform better at the European Championships than at the World Cup.
That said, they didn’t bother qualifying for the European tournament until 1976 but immediately made their mark on the tournament in Yugoslavia. In the semi finals they lost out to the Czechs but managed to beat the hosts in the 3rd/4th place final.
In 1980, the Dutch were back in action at the revamped tournament: 8 teams participated in the finals this time around, which were held in Italy. The 1980 tournament was the end of the golden age for the Dutch national team and they didn’t qualify for another major tournament until the European Championships of 1988. A new generation of Dutch players had broken through [...] PSV had already won the European Cup that season and the spine of that team formed the backbone for the new Dutch national side, the most successful they have ever produced.
Hopes were high in 1992 that the Dutch could repeat their victory of four years earlier after the disappointment of their early exit at the hands of the Germans at Italia 90. In 1996 arguably the weakest Dutch team for several years laboured to the quarter finals. A side torn apart by internal rivalries and lack of respect failed to perform despite containing the core of the Ajax side that had won the European Cup in 1995 and were beaten finalists in 1996.
Co-hosts of the tournament in 2000, home advantage was going to be key many felt as the Dutch side were once again considered to be potential winners. Hopes in the Netherlands were slightly lower prior to the start of the tournament after a series of disappointing friendly results, but once it all kicked off the excitement was tangible.
The Italians were the opponents in the semi final at an expectant Amsterdam ArenA. The defensive Italian approach to the game frustrated the Dutch as they threw everything at the Italians but were unable to break them down. Having missed two penalties in normal time, the match went to penalties and the Italians held their nerve as the Dutch seemed overwhelmed by the pressure. For the Dutch, who also lost in the semi finals at the World Cup in 1998, it’s been a case of what-if far too often in recent history. But with much lower hopes this time around after struggling to find any sort of attacking momentum in qualifying, 20 years after their first triumph, maybe it will be the turn of Oranje again?"
Read the entire article
here
23 May 2008
Robert Eenhoorn’s cellphone rang to the tinny tune of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” interrupting a discussion of the vigorous state of honkbal in his native land. Honkbal is the Dutch word for baseball, and Mr. Eenhoorn, 40, the coach of the Dutch national baseball team, should know something about it. A former infielder with the Yankees, Mr. Eenhoorn coaches the Dutch team that was the only one in Europe chosen to compete in the Summer Olympics in Beijing. His father played ball, he said over coffee, recalling the years under the German occupation in World War II, when Dutch kids turned to American baseball in defiance of the German occupiers.
Yet, as attested by the trickle of young Dutch ballplayers now entering the minor and even the major leagues in the United States, that wartime popularity never faded. Asked what Dutch youngsters like about baseball, Mr. Eenhoorn said: “It’s American; it’s a summer sport, filling the gap left by soccer in spring and early summer. You know, we did research and found that kids like baseball, they like hitting the ball with the bat, they like the clothing. I don’t think it’s peaked.”
The Dutch baseball federation, with its 30,000 members, cannot compete with soccer, whose federation boasts 1.5 million. Give a Dutch boy a ball, and he will usually drop it and try to kick it. But not everyone is cut out for soccer, particularly not tall, lumbering young men who can throw hard. And increasingly, those sorts are finding their way to the United States. In 2007, five Dutch nationals were playing in Major League Baseball in the United States, among a total 250 foreign players, according to the Baseball Almanac. Statistically, the Netherlands limped behind countries like the Dominican Republic, with 145 players, Canada and Mexico, each with 22, and Japan, with 17. But for the Dutch, it is not just about numbers. Indeed, some Dutch fans speculate that baseball could be a descendant of the Dutch game of tripbal, now extinct, that the Pilgrim Fathers may have taken with them when they left the Netherlands for America. If true, that unlikely tale would make Rotterdam, not Hoboken’s Elysian Fields, the cradle of baseball.
More in the
New York Times
19 May 2008
The Netherlands is famous for two things on the soccer field: playing brilliantly without winning trophies, and producing world class quarrels that have dragged more than one team down. The glorious exception is 1988, when "Oranje" won the European Championship with nary a team fight. This time, the Dutch hope to get the quarrelling out of the way before their tournament opens against World Cup champion Italy on June 9. They had better be united and sharp from Day 1, because after the Azzurri, World Cup runner-up France is lined up. The Dutch team closes out the toughest group against Romania, which finished qualifying ahead of the Netherlands.
"The three are world-class opponents, that much is clear," Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said.
Then again, it has a sense of deja vu because the Dutch easily survived the toughest World Cup group two years ago when it had to play Argentina, Ivory Coast and Serbia.
Several Dutch players are on a roll. Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder are celebrating Real Madrid's league title in Spain, and Van der Sar helped Manchester United win its second straight Premier League title.
"It always gives a boost," said Boudewijn Zenden, a former Netherlands international who plays for Marseille. "If you had a good season and you win at the end it gives you a push in the back - on a positive note."
The four could well form the backbone of the Dutch team during next month's European Championship in Austria and Switzerland. Maybe, of course, should be stressed, simply because this is Oranje, and simply because Marco van Basten is coach.
Read the entire article
here
Van Basten Stunned as Seedorf Quits Dutch Squad
Clarence Seedorf has remarkably asked to be withdrawn from the Netherlands squad. In a statement, Seedorf said: “It is a decision that comes after serious consideration and months of reflection. Since my return to the national team, the right conditions have not been created to let me perform at my best and to effectively excel as the team member I always strive to be.”
EPL Talk
15 May 2008
Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer from Holland, unveiled today a powerful differentiator to drive its new marketing campaign - the brewing tradition and free spirit of its birthplace, Amsterdam. Research showed that the most ownable space for Amstel Light was based on a brand equity it had all along but just hadn't fully leveraged, and that is "Amstel Light is brewed in Amsterdam in the Amstel tradition, which dates back to 1870."
The campaign is anchored by the statement "One Dam Good Bier" - a line that describes the quality of Amstel Light, but also speaks to the premium beer's Amsterdam roots by linking the spelling of the word "Dam" to the Dam in Amsterdam.
New York City, a Dutch colony in the 1600s known as New Amsterdam, will serve as the base for a mock "Dutch Takeover" on May 15 to support the new Amstel Light campaign. This effort to "reclaim" the Amsterdam Avenue section of Manhattan will include a nod to the bicycle culture of Holland with an unprecedented bicycle giveaway by partner I amsterdam. Replicating the spirit of the Dutch city, an authentic 10-seater Beer Bike will traverse Amsterdam Avenue throughout the day, and pubs along the route will feature "Dutch Treat" drink specials. Also, Northwest Airlines/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, in conjunction with Metro New York, will provide complimentary round trip tickets to Amsterdam as part of a sweepstakes that will kick off at the launch event and run through the summer event series.
In July and August, consumers can experience the progressive, magical spirit of Amsterdam at the "Amstel Light Lounge 1870," a modern pop-up bar infused with elements traditionally found in Dutch pubs during the late 1800s. The lounges will appear in Boston, Chicago, Baltimore/D.C., Miami and San Francisco.
More at
Marketwire.com
12 May 2008
Friesland (Fryslân) has a population of around 640.000 distributed over 31 municipalities. Each municipality has its own administrative body, the Municipal Council, elected by its inhabitants. In addition to the 31 Municipal Administrations, Fryslân also has a Provincial Administration, which has its seat in the Province Hall in Leeuwarden. A large part of Fryslân has been and continues to be formed by the sea. This is most evident in and around the Wadden Sea, where ebb and flow occur every six hours, providing an almost complete alternation of land and water. This activity makes for a unique wildlife area with a unique abundance of birds and fish. Fertile fields, green meadows, a grand landscape with dikes and terps filling the horizon. This is a picture of northern and western Fryslân, a region that was slowly reclaimed from the sea in the distant past. From the south of Dokkum to Stavoren: one quick look at a map of Fryslân reveals a region abounding in water along this strip that stretches from the northeast to the southwest. It's an area full of lakes, waterways and ditches, alternating with pastureland rich in peat. This is Fryslân's 'low midlands'. Along Fryslân's eastern and southern borders, in a higher sandy area, lies an-other typical kind of landscape called the 'Wouden'. The common denominator here is a landscape whose banks of trees and shrubs surrounding the meadows and fields gives it a protected character. But 'Wouden' is really a collective noun for a great variety of landscapes.
www.fryslan.nl
Eleven ways to do the Eleven Cities Tour
You can do the famous Eleven Cities Tour in many ways besides skating. Go by bike, step, boat, car, motor cycle or fasten on your roller skates. You can even enjoy the Eleven Cities of Friesland by walking. Along the route you pass wonderful Frisian scenery and many culture historical curiosities. It's also a great experience for children.
Some people like to do the tour their own way. A famous phenomenal is the expression ‘klunen’. This means walking with ice skates over parts where the ice is not thick enough. Some men have been ‘kluning’ the whole route without any ice… With ice skates over the asphalt and grass. There has also been an Eleven Cities Tour by surfing.
11 ways to do the Eleven Cities Tour. From
www.visitfryslan.nl where you can find tons of information about where to go and what to do in Friesland.
Frisian - the language
Frisian is a West Germanic language (see characterisation of the Germanic language family) which is spoken by about 400,000 people in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. It is closely related to Dutch but also shows a number of striking similarities to English. Dutch is, however, the most important language for the development of Frisian. In the course of history the two languages kept coming into contact with each other. The province of Friesland is now multilingual. Frisian today, as can be seen from the studie van Gorter en Jonkman (1994), is the first language of 54.8% of the inhabitants of the province, and about 94% have a passive knowledge of the language.
Read more
here
More information and links
www.friesland.nl
i-friesland.com: portal for information on Frisian genealogy, history and language. The goal is to preserve the story of the freedom-loving Frisians, an original Germanic tribe first documented by historians in the days of the ancient Roman Empire.
www.visitfryslan.nl
More low country highlights
Groningen
08 May 2008
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten named the 30-man provisional squad on Tuesday for the European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland in June. The squad will be reduced to a maximum of 26 players on May 16, with the final 23 to be named on May 28.
Reuters
Euro 2008 only a month away
One month from today, on the evening of June 7, the national teams of Switzerland and the Czech Republic will walk out onto the field at the St. Jakob-Park stadium in the Swiss city of Basel, the referee will blow his whistle, and Euro 2008, soccer's second-most significant tournament, will be under way.
Greece comes in as the defending champion, but unlike Euro 2004 in Portugal, this time around the big guns - read France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands - intend to restore the natural order. Among the warm-ups this month involving the four favorites are: Netherlands-Ukraine on May 24 in Rotterdam; Germany-Belarus on May 27 in Kaiserslautern; France-Ecuador on May 27 in Grenoble; Netherlands-Denmark on May 29 in Eindhoven.
The next few days and weeks could be amazing for Dutch national team captain and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. On Sunday, he will win the English Premier League title if Manchester United overcomes Wigan on the final day of the league season. On May 21, he can add a second European Champions League title to the one he won with Ajax Amsterdam in 1995 if Manchester United defeats Chelsea in the final at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. And at Euro 2008, Van der Sar, 37, will bring to a close a stellar international career that has seen him play a Dutch-record 123 games for his country. More at
Los Angeles Times
05 May 2008
Fragrant flowers, half-timbered windmills and friendly attitudes are just a few of the reasons travelers hit up Holland. But there's another, just as kind, just as gentle land where wooden shoes and tulips rule: Holland, Michigan. Check in to the Dutch Colonial Inn B&B, which blends Midwestern hospitality with Old World atmosphere in a cozy house built in 1928. Amble through downtown where Dutch-accented shops flank the tree-lined streets and then settle in to the New Holland Brewing Co. for a few pints of Red Tulip Ale. In the end, you'll be wearing clogs too.
USA Today
From the official Holland, Michigan
website:
It’s both easy to see and hard to imagine that Holland, Michigan has its roots in the most solemn aspects of Dutch culture. Much of the religious conviction remains, as does the traditional Dutch architecture, and ambiance. But like its pioneers, Holland has reinvented itself without letting go of its heritage. Today’s Holland is alive with diverse cultures, whose influence has created an exciting, thriving community that has never lost its charm or affability. Long time residents can’t imagine living anywhere else; newcomers wonder why they didn’t move here sooner. And our visitors delight in the vast array of recreational activities, visual and performing arts, Dutch attractions, magnificant beaches and an award-winning downtown with exceptional shops, galleries, and eateries.
Spring is finally here and Holland is alive with a host of special events and updated attractions. Our non-stop ode to spring begins with our celebrations of Latino and Dutch cultures: Fiesta! and the world-renown Tulip Time. Eight days of spectacular events await you, with parades, dozens of Dutch attractions, a wide variety of entertainment featuring local and national talent, and over six million tulips planted throughout the area. When you’re not attending a festival, you can enjoy Wednesday night sailboat races, museum and gallery openings, boutique shopping excellent dining. So put on your klompen shoes, grab a Saucijzenbroodjes, and meet us at the windmill!"
(Amsterdam, Holland, would like to edit that last sentence: Put on your klompen (wooden shoes) and grab a saucijzenbroodje. Or multiple saucijzenbroodjes. But still: Tulip Time!)
holland.org: Holland, Michigan website
tuliptime.com: Tulip Time festival website
Dutch village: Nelis' Dutch Village. A theme park in Holland, Michigan that recreates a village from the Netherlands over 200 years ago, complete with authentic Dutch architecture, flowering gardens, canals and windmills.
Shop Only in Holland
» The ultimate Dutch status symbol: House-shaped booze bottles
On a recent KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight, a business-class passenger stood up and addressed the cabin: "If anyone doesn't want their house, I'll take it," recalls another traveler. For 56 years, KLM has handed out a coveted souvenir: small ceramic replicas of historically significant houses filled with Dutch gin and topped with a cork. Many people can't get enough of them. The rarest houses - given only to honeymooners - can trade for upwards of $1,000. KLM's houses - which portray Dutch landmarks such as Rembrandt's home, the Anne Frank Museum and a brothel in Amsterdam's infamous red-light district - hark back to a more generous era of air travel. Once upon a time, airlines lavished passengers with logo-emblazoned playing cards, tote bags and cigarette lighters.
Wall Street Journal"
» Dutch cabinet crisis averted... for now
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's fourth cabinet has narrowly avoided its first internal crisis since coming to power in February 2007. In this instance the upset wasn't caused by a major international issue such as Dutch participation in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, or an imminent economic danger like the spiralling oil price, but by the domestic practice of carrying out tests for certain genetic defects on embryos during In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment.
The crisis in the Dutch political capital, The Hague, began on Monday 26 May when Deputy Health Minister Jet Bussemaker wrote to parliament announcing that, in future, it will also be possible to test IVF embryos for serious forms of hereditary cancer. If an embryo is found to have genes which lead to such diseases it is not implanted in the womb. What the Labour minister seems to have forgotten is that the Christian Union party, the smallest member of the ruling coalition, has the protection of the unborn child extremely high up on its list of priorities.
A government crisis has been averted, for the time being at least. The next question is how will the second round of discussions end? It's not unthinkable that the Labour Party and the Christian Democrats will ultimately back the proposed expansion of IVF testing, in the knowledge that this will also be supported by a majority in parliament's lower house. If so, all eyes will turn to the small Christian Union to see whether or not it will decide to bring the cabinet down.
Radio Netherlands
» Viktor & Rolf: So good they did it twice
For a celebration of their work at the Barbican, London, fashion's most bizarre double act are dressing dolls in miniature remakes of their greatest hits. Quite how to do justice to the strange phenomenon that is Viktor & Rolf is a problem that has teased fashion editors for years. They are fashion's odd men out, a Dutch pair who dress like twins, speak in a serious monotone, always in agreement, never interrupting one another. The beautiful redbrick building they now occupy turns out to be an Amsterdam landmark, the former residence of the burgemeester (mayor) during the city's 17th-century golden age of trading and wealth. The front faces a canal, the Herengracht, and the back looks on to a small formal garden. The door swings open and you're led through a tall hall with incredible mouldings, past an electro-plated silver dress on a plinth, from the collection they had 'preserved' in the traditional Dutch manner of saving babies' first shoes for posterity. Read the whole story
here (Telegraph.co.uk)
» A mini guide to the Netherlands
The Netherlands exports a quarter of all the world's tomatoes. The Netherlands has the lowest incidence of lactose intolerance in the world, about 1%. Remember that Unicef report in which the UK came bottom out of all rich countries in terms of child wellbeing? Guess who came top. In addition to holey cheese and Delftware, we can thank the Dutch for the pendulum clock, the CD, gin, the mercury thermometer and Santa Claus. More at
The Guardian
» Dutch scientists claim sequencing of female DNA
Dutch scientists claim they have completed the first sequencing of an individual woman's DNA. The researchers at Leiden University Medical Center say they have sequenced the entire genome of one their female researchers, though no other scientists have yet verified their data.
Associated Press
» Unique Dutch settlement discovered from Bronze Age
Archaeologists have found a settlement dating back to the Bronze Age just north of Eindhoven, a city in the southern Netherlands, Dutch archaeologist Nico Arts told Dutch media Friday. The discovery was made during preparations for the building of a highway junction at Ekkersrijt, north of Eindhoven. The settlement may be the largest ever discovered in the Netherlands, and is definitely the largest settlement ever found in the southern Netherlands. Some 4 hectares have been dug out, unveiling at least 19 farms and more than 50 other buildings and two cemeteries.
monstersandcritics.com
» Street organs leave the street for the museum
Street organs are a distinctive part of Dutch street culture, even today they can often be heard, although they are more likely to be blaring out pop tunes rather than the more traditional melodies. It's true that in Amsterdam the organ tends to attract a more appreciative audience from tourists rather than locals. The oldest street organ rental company in the country is located in Amsterdam's most characteristic old city-centre neighbourhood, the Jordaan. The company has been run by the Perlee family there since 1875. Sadly, due to waning public interest, these days the family's street organs are more commonly heard at fairs and village fetes as opposed to the traditional Amsterdam street corner. More at
Radio Netherlands
» Let them eat cake!
When she left the throne in 1980, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands wanted to mark the occasion by having a serving of cake given to all prisoners in the country, according to a book published Monday. Mass pardons during major events were once common among European royalty, and Queen Juliana wanted to do that for all petty criminals when she abdicated to her daughter, Queen Beatrix. When the Cabinet told Juliana such a pardon was impossible in the modern era, she had difficulty accepting it, and asked whether all prisoners could at least be served cake instead.
International Herald Tribune
» Is Amsterdam turning into a prudish backwater?
The owners of cafés in the centre of Amsterdam are again up in arms against what they say is the umpteenth attempt to turn the city into a prudish provincial backwater. A majority of the Amsterdam district council 'Amsterdam Centrum' have voted in favour of an ordinance that would forbid customers from sitting outside on a terrace past midnight. A Dutch newspaper says the centre of Amsterdam is moving another step towards becoming a 'Staphorst on the Amstel'. Staphorst is considered the most strict and devout Calvinist town in the Netherlands.
Radio Netherlands
» Zenit strike a blow for Russian football - with Dutch help
When former Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned Dick Advocaat after the Dutch coach won the UEFA Cup with Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday night, the politician said that the victory was for the whole of Russia. Earlier, Zenit ground down a resilient Glasgow Rangers side at the City of Manchester Stadium. In the post-match press conference Advocaat said that Dutch coaches had shown that they are excellent coaches. "Maybe there should be some more Dutch coaches in English football," he said to the amusement of the many English journalists present. For Russian football the relationship with Dutch coaches has certainly paid dividends. Guus Hiddink has taken the Russian side to the Euro finals and Advocaat has finally added a European title to his already impressive resume.
earthtimes.org
See also:
The Australian: Pim Verbeek would like you to know that he is not Saint Guus. All Australians, even those who take only a passing interest in soccer, remember Guus Hiddink, the chunky Dutchman who piloted the Socceroos to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, only Australia's second visit to the sport’s biggest stage. Now Verbeek, a skinny Dutchman, is trying to get Australia to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
» Gardens galore in Amsterdam
Holidaymakers heading to Amsterdam next month should check out the city's innovative Open Garden Days festival. The event takes place between June 20th and 23rd and sees about 30 spectacular semi-private gardens open their gates to the public. This year's festival takes on the theme of Art in the Canal House Garden, offering three centuries of art for public view over all four days in both the gardens and local museums. For more information click
here
» Handbag museum feeds female obsession
A new Dutch museum celebrates an object which has driven women through the ages to extravagant expense and irrational desire - the handbag. The Amsterdam Tassen Museum's collection of 3,500 bags, suitcases and purses ranges from a simple seventeenth-century pouch, worn by a noblewoman buried beneath her cloak, to a startling armadillo-skin handbag complete with the beast's head and paws.
www.tassenmuseum.nl
» Part 3: NY Times eats bitterballen and more
Let’s begin with bitterballen, the little spherical croquettes that are ubiquitous at the “brown bars” that litter Amsterdam. They are perfect companions for any of the beers or for bittertjes, the Genever gin-based Dutch bitters that gave bitterballen their name. As with, say, the chips you’d find at London pubs, they vary enormously in quality — and, in fact, ingredients. The basic recipe is this: stewed and/or chopped meat with some kind of flavoring, breaded and deep fried, and served alongside at least one kind of mustard. Sometimes the little guys are made with beef brisket, sometimes with veal, sometimes there’s a pinch or two of nutmeg in there (another remnant of Holland’s colonial past), but what you usually get is an appealingly gooey concoction surrounded by the wonder that is deep-fried breading.
NY Times
» NY Times eats in Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Part Two: Localism Can Be Global. Wining & dining at the Kas in De Vondelpark.
New York Times
» Marijuana third on Dutch export product list
Marijuana is one of the most popular Dutch export products, it was reported on Monday. Last year, the 730 co-called Dutch 'coffee shops' sold some 265,000 kilogrammes of soft drugs, mostly grown in the Netherlands. Police estimate however that only 20 to 40 per cent of the Dutch marijuana is sold locally; the majority is exported. The Dutch tax authority receives some 400 million euros (617 million dollars) on value added tax (VAT) originating from the sale of the soft drugs sold in local coffeeshops. Total turnover in the soft drugs business is around 2 billion euros (3.2 billion dollars).
monstersandcritics.com
» The Netherlands remembers war dead
The Netherlands held a two-minute silence at 8 o'clock in remembrance of all Dutch people killed in wars or peacekeeping missions since the country was invaded by Germany in 1940. Trains and buses stopped. All motorists had been asked to pull off the road. Just before the two-minute silence, Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem-Alexander laid wreaths at the National Monument at the Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam.
Radio Netherlands Related: The Dutch public's appreciation for military veterans has increased over the past few years. The defence ministry is paying more attention to its former soldiers and society as a whole has begun taking a stronger interest due to the recent high-profile missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende received the next-of-kin of Dutch soldiers who have lost their lives in these two countries.
Radio Netherlands
» Dutch research shows Prozac can slow down MS
The anti-depressant drug Prozac can slow down the rate of progress of the disease multiple sclerosis. Researchers at the University Medical Centre of Groningen in The Netherlands announced their findings after extensive research on MS patients, who were found to suffer from fewer infections of the brain if they were using Prozac.
Radio Netherlands
» How the Netherlands fell out of love with Europe
Over the past 60 years the Netherlands has been one of Europe's biggest success stories. The Dutch are among the richest (and tallest) people on earth. Their social tolerance is widely admired. Yet immigration and the rise of Islam have triggered a backlash. The Netherlands is a place that is now palpably fretful about its future. Read the article at
The Economist.com
