Posted on 14 August 2008 by joost
A variation of the bakfiets, the crate bike is a phenomenon that’s mainly observed in Amsterdam. Ingredients: one bike plus one crate, preferably an old bakery or produce crate. You tie it to the front of your bike, using nothing more than a few ty-raps. Useful for transporation of just about anything.
Posted on 27 July 2008 by joost
Taxis are a sufficiently global phenomenon that I won’t go in detail here. You get in, state your destination, pay and get out: simple enough. But there are some twists in .nl. We have regulations you see. Or no, we don’t. Wait, yes, yes we do.
Posted on 27 July 2008 by joost
Difficult as it may be to comprehend, Amsterdam boasts a phenomenon called the plaskrul or “peeing curl”. This is a warped piece of metal in which men can take a pee. No, I am not making this up.
Posted on 24 July 2008 by joost
If there is something Nederlanders do, it’s building bridges. No wonder with a country that’s more water than land. And cities that have more canals than Venice! (Not sure if that is actually true, but it sounds dramatic.) And if you think having the longest bicycle-bridge in the world is outlandish, wait ’till you’ve seen one of the many bridges in the busiest highways.
Posted on 05 June 2008 by joost
You have heard this before: the Dutch love to ride their bikes. And it’s true. We don’t so much love it, it is just the de facto mode of transportation for everyone. I have a bike, you have a bike, we all have bikes! How did this bicycle madness come to be? I don’t know. Bikes have always been around, and children as young as two learn how to ride one. Bikes are cheap and reasonably efficient; two qualities adored by the Dutch.
Posted on 29 May 2008 by joost
Drugs are bad for you m’kaaay? That’s why they’re legal in Nederland! Well, not quite legal. Illegal, in fact. But there is something to say for this ‘gray area’ (or gedoogzone). We have a very low number of potheads, compared to other European countries for instance. Still, the scene is surrounded by some dos and don’ts.
