Tag: netherlands
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ABBA Magazine
A few months ago I was asked to write a couple of articles for the magazine of the International ABBA Fan Club. A copy of the magazine arrived in the mail this week, and so I thought I’d share them here both for general interest, and as an online archive.
Anita and Helga who run the International Fan Club ABBA DAY REPORT
“If you’re in the ABBA Museum and you’re standing near the Ring Ring exhibit, you should answer the phone, as it’s probably going to be Frida” we were told by Ingmarie Halling from the ABBA Museum, soon to open in Stockholm.… Read the rest “ABBA Magazine”
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From Amsterdam to Reykjavik
I wasn’t entirely sure why the train trip from Amsterdam to Copenhagen would take fifteen hours. Leaving at 7.00 pm on Sunday night and arriving at 10.00 am Monday seemed like an awfully slow train. I booked it because it was the easiest, cheapest way for me to get from Amsterdam to Copenhagen.… Read the rest “From Amsterdam to Reykjavik”
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Five Hours in Amsterdam
“Would you like to join us for karaoke?’ the young woman standing nearby asked me. As I looked at the list of available songs (all of which were in Dutch) there was one which caught my eye, “Tulpen uit Amsterdam”. With a slight twinkle in my eye, I looked at her and said, “I’ll give it a try”.… Read the rest “Five Hours in Amsterdam”
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International ABBA Day – The Main Day
“If you’re in the ABBA Museum and you’re standing near the Ring Ring exhibit, you should answer the phone, as it’s probably going to be Frida” we were told by Ingmarie Halling from the ABBA Museum, soon to open in Stockholm. “And if you see the piano suddenly playing, it’s gonna be Benny doing it remotely”, she added.… Read the rest “International ABBA Day – The Main Day”
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International ABBA Day – The First Night
I’ll be the first to admit I can sometimes be a little bit socially awkward. In a group of four or five people I’m fine, but in a large room I am often the “wall flower” who finds it difficult to meet people and to make conversation. Thus, I’ve felt slightly apprehensive about my plans to attend the International ABBA Day, held annually at Roosendaal, a small town in The Netherlands.… Read the rest “International ABBA Day – The First Night”
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The Dutch Train System – Part Two
The only two words of the Dutch language I know are “alstublieft” and “bedankt” (please and thankyou). So the following translation of the accompanying hand-written note is only a guestimation on my part.
… Read the rest “The Dutch Train System – Part Two”The bearer of this note is obviously a complete idiot. In 2008 he came to the Netherlands and got completely lost on the train system then.
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The Dutch Train System
I knew the woman at the train station information desk could see the heart-break in my eyes as I approached. I explained to her that, for whatever reason, I’d taken the wrong train, or had failed to get off the right train or something like that, and that’s how I ended up in Leiden (thirty minutes south of Amsterdam) instead of at Amsterdam Centraal.… Read the rest “The Dutch Train System”
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Lovin’ Amsterdam
“You should join the queues early”, I was advised by both Marco and Peter. And they were right: the museum queues in Amsterdam are extraordinarily long. Once inside the Van Gogh Museum, I was amazed, first of all, at how many people there were. And secondly, I was amazed at how many people weren’t actually looking at the art.… Read the rest “Lovin’ Amsterdam”
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More Great Dutch Hospitality
Having made the decision to go looking for some better accommodation this morning, I figured I’d make use of the free breakfast before I left. I won’t begin to tell you the revulsion I felt in seeing people use their fingers to separate the cheese slices in the absence of knives and forks.… Read the rest “More Great Dutch Hospitality”