Browsing CategoryThe Netherlands

Rachelle Meyer’s Faces on the Amsterdam Ferry

One of Rachelle's illustrations with people on a real ferry in a background

Before the new Amsterdam South-North metro line was opened in mid-2018, a ferry was the only way for cyclists and pedestrians to travel to and from Amsterdam Noord neighbourhood. One of those daily commuters was an artist Rachelle Meyer. During a short 15-minutes ride she made numerous sketches of her fellow Amsterdammers. Drawings from her sketchbook became large prints and a lovely ode to Amsterdam life. Amsterdam Noord Amsterdam Noord (North) was an industrial area of the city during the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Many old factory buildings and the vast areas, that are so unusual for…

Dutch Art Reproductions: Old Dutch Masters reproduced on Tile Tableaus

Visionplay studio in Amsterdam with tile tableaus on the walls

I’m always astonished to see how people get inspired by famous art to create something beautiful out of it. And I’m not sure there could be something more amazing than combining the traditional Dutch tile production with paintings created by some of the masters from the Netherlands. The results are some of the most beautiful Dutch art reproductions. Dutch Art Reproductions *This post was created in collaboration with Visionplay. This company creates art reproductions on canvases and tile tableaus of some famous Dutch paintings. Check out the blog post for more info about them. Dutch tiles The Netherlands has a…

The Cube Houses in Rotterdam

The cube houses in Rotterdam

The Cube Houses in Rotterdam are probably some of the most famous buildings in the Netherlands. Built back in the 1970s, bright yellow houses are attracting people from all over the world. I had a chance to visit one of them last weekend, and have found its architecture to be utterly amazing. So, I researched their history a bit, took some photos of their interior and explored the idea behind them.

SS Rotterdam: Spending a night at the historical ship in Rotterdam

Large historic ship in Rotterdam

SS Rotterdam is a ship that used to sail between the Netherlands and New York, starting from 1959. It’s turned into a hotel – ship today and while staying there, you can explore it and learn about the way it was navigated, or what people were doing during the long journey. I’ve spent a weekend on it with my son, and it was absolutely a highlight of our trip to Rotterdam.

Texel Island’s Legends & some beautiful art inspired by them

illustration showing the texel island lighthouse

A long, long time ago, while the ships were still mostly navigated with paddles and sails, the majority of men living on Texel Island were somehow related to the maritime business. They would wake up early in the morning and spend the whole day in their boats, fishing at sea or repairing them at the shore. This story starts on one of those early cold winter mornings. It was as foggy as it could only get on the islands. And the only person outside of his house was a young man dressed in a thick grey coat, walking alongside the beach. His walk was suddenly interrupted when he tripped over something. That was a wooden board sticking out of the sand. And then, when he turned around himself, he saw the shore was covered entirely with them. Boards, ropes and other parts of the ship. There must have been a shipwreck during the night. Curious as he was, he came closer and noticed a huge chest…

My Private Photo Shoot in Amsterdam

Tea from the Culture Tourist seating in the old street in Amsterdam

Have you ever had a private photo shoot on some of your trips? It’s something I was playing with as an idea for some time already. But, I always felt really uncomfortable and nervous in front of the camera. So, I would always drop the idea in the end. However, recently, I’ve finally booked a private photo shoot in Amsterdam and really loved the whole experience. And it’s something I’m definitely going to do more often when travelling. Photos as a lovely souvenir from your trip I love having some beautiful photos from my trips. They are my favourite souvenir…