Exploring the Dutch Tulip Fields in a VW Bus – Once Upon a Journey

Exploring the Tulip Fields in a VW Bus - Once Upon a JourneyM

Can you believe we never visited the tulip fields in the Netherlands?! As a Dutchie, that’s pretty weird since the tulip fields are becoming increasingly popular every year, especially because of Instagram. We decide to go on a little trip in style: with an old VW bus named Miss Peach. Miss Peach can be rented from Oldtimer huren for a fun day trip or for a special event: a wedding for example! Talking about weddings, during our little trip to the tulip fields we do a special shoot with some gorgeous dresses…

Tulips are for old people?!

When we were younger our moms and grandmas visited the tulip fields. So in our minds, it was something old people did (equals boring). Instagram has definitely changed our minds, because wow, these fields are far from boring: colours everywhere! Last year we were sad to miss tulip season so we promised each other 2019 would be the year. And we’re sharing the fun: my sister Denise joins us on our day trip. Denise is a beautician so she can help us look extra pretty. Usually, we never wear any make-up, but this is a special occasion…

Hit the Road with a Volkswagen Bus!

We pick-up Miss Peach in Nieuwegein at the garage. Before we hit the road I need to get the hang of driving an oldtimer. VW buses are old and therefore drive very differently than modern cars. Luckily it doesn’t take too long before I can enjoy riding this beautiful bus. So funny to see so many people looking at you while driving such a beauty!

By Maartje and Roxanne – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

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Gay Amsterdam, More Than Damn Thrilling – The Gay UK

gay Amsterdam - pixabay

Paris may try to lure you in with its reputation for style and sophistication, Berlin with its unconventional ways and underground creativity and San Francisco with its liberal mindset. Gay Amsterdam, however, has all of this but doesn’t feel the need to flaunt it. It is the coolest looking person in the club, and it knows just how cool it is. If Amsterdam didn’t exist, you would think it’s too unbelievable to be real, a fictional utopia, the product of an over-zealous mind.

As always the Eurostar journey was effortless, the perfect combination of speed, practicality and comfort, which could almost be the motto on the coat of arms of the city I was heading for. You can travel directly from London to Amsterdam for as little as £35 per person, and Amsterdam to London (with a stop in Brussels) for £65.50 per person. Time your return to London smartly and spend the day in Brussels at no extra cost.

My destination was The Toren hotel, only 15 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal Station, nestled seductively in the iconic canal belts of the city and the perfect location from which to explore the main attractions at the heart of Amsterdam. Chic, theatrical and more than a little bit mysterious, this old building blends warmth and comfort and is rich with vivid patterns and lush interiors.

By Ray Si – Full Story at The Gay UK

Gay Amsterdam Travel Resources

 

Getting From Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to City Center – The Nomadic Boys

Getting From Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport to City Center - The Nomadic Boys

Amsterdam Schiphol is the city’s main airport and one of the busiest airports in the world. It is located around 17km (10.5 miles) southwest from Amsterdam’s main train station (“Amsterdam Centraal“). Most of the European budget airlines fly here, so if you’re based in Europe you can get some pretty cheap flights to Amsterdam for a city break.

The main way to reach Amsterdam centre from the airport is via the Airport Express Bus 397 or the regional train to Amsterdam Centraal. We set out the various options below in detail, but strongly advise you to consider getting an Amsterdam Public Transport Ticket prior to your visit. This card gives you unlimited travel on all the city’s public transport networks operated by the Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf (GVB), and also has the option to add on the Airport Express Bus return journey to/from the airport.

The Amsterdam Public Transport Card

Amsterdam’s public transport is impressive with a comprehensive network of buses, metro, trams and ferries. But this makes the ticketing system rather complicated and confusing, particularly for first time visitors. When buying your ticket at the ticket machines, there are so many options, it can be quite overwhelming! In addition, queues for the machines can get quite long, particularly during rush hour. This not only wastes time, but can be quite stressful.

To overcome this, we use the Amsterdam Public Transport Ticket, which gives you unlimited travel across all GVB operated services on the metro, trams, buses and ferries. Needless to say, we found this to be a godsend for our trip. It not only saved us a lot of unnecessary stress and time, but also money. Prices start from €7.50 for a 1 day ticket, plus €10 for the Airport Express Bus return ticket add on. By comparison, a one way ticket on the public transport costs €3, so after 3 journeys alone in one day, you’ve already paid off the cost of purchasing the Amsterdam Public Transport Ticket.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

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Amsterdam Pride – Once Upon a Journey

Roxanne & Maartje - Amsterdam Pride

There’s no time to rest, as the next Pride celebrations are already here! After a fantastic Pride weekend in Berlin, we fly back to Amsterdam. We rest and work for two days in Eemnes before the exciting new things are happening. Amsterdam Pride is a lot about partying but we also have some meetings coming up. Somehow, now that we are back in the Netherlands we get opportunities to connect with people we couldn’t connect anywhere else before (read: networking!).

The highlight of Amsterdam Pride is the canal parade on the first Saturday of August. This year will be the first time we will go on a boat of the parade. Normally we see all the boats passing by from the streets so it’s going to be a whole different experience this time. Thanks to our new Berlin-slash-gay-friend Haroon Ali we connect with some great people from Amsterdam Marketing and that’s how we get the opportunity to be on the NYC-Amsterdam boat. Why an NYC-Amsterdam boat? Next year, 2019, NYC will host World Pride. Something we are already insanely excited for. Mark June 2019 in your agenda: World Pride time! See you there?!

Amsterdam Pride is a lot different than most Prides worldwide. In Amsterdam, it started as a celebration of freedom and diversity instead of a demonstration. Prides elsewhere are usually inspired by the Stonewall riots, but in the Netherlands, that’s continued by Pink Saturday. In 1996 Amsterdam Pride started. The canal parade grew the past years till a parade of 80 boats and over 500.000 visitors! To make our boat even more special we learn a choreography. Together we will dance on the song Go West from the Pet Shop Boys, the entire boat ride.

By Roxanne & Maartje – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Netherlands Gay Travel Resources

Amsterdam Without the Tourists – Keep Calm and Wander

Amsterdam Without Tourists - Keep Calm and Wander

Here are photos of what Amsterdam looks like without the tourists.

It is estimated that there are around 17 million tourists that visit Amsterdam every year. For a tiny city, this number is already insane! Come in summer and you might think you’re in China due to the crowd – everywhere! Your photo will always have people in the background. Unless you’d walk away far from the centre. You can’t even enjoy a very nice, quiet meal in a restaurant. Bicycle? Forget it! Biking downtown is truly a nightmare for someone who doesn’t know the city’s shortcut corners.

Go Around in the Morning. Before tourists are awake, take a stroll along the city’s canals and squares. Though it’s quiet but you’ll appreciate the city’s layout without the crowd. The canals are serene and seem to have a personality of its own. At 7:00, the locals start to go out by riding their bikes to their offices. You’ll be hearing more bike bells anywhere you go and suddenly, you feel that you’re really in Amsterdam. By 9:00 a.m., the city starts to look a lot more like Disney again.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Netherlands Gay Travel Resources

Masterpieces of the RijksMuseum in Amsterdam – Keep Calm and Wander

RijksMuseum Amsterdam - Keep Calm and Wander

When you’re in Netherlands, don’t skip in getting to know all the masterpieces inside Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Boy, until now, I can’t help but remember the goosebumps I had staring at the originals masterpieces of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer and other Dutch masters.

How much time should I spend there? I was there two hours before is closed. That’s good enough time to explore the whole museum. But if you’re really an art enthusiast, then, you need a half day to scrutinize everything.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

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The Narrowest House in Amsterdam – Keep Calm and Wander

Narrowest House in Amsterdam - Alain

This may not be the thinnest house in the world but this certainly is the narrowest house facade in the world. While I’ve seen some pretty small / thin houses on my walks along the canal, this one seems to be the narrowest. I didn’t find it on my own. I joined a free walking tour guided by a friend and he pointed this out as one of the world’s narrowest houses. Obviously, you can’t disagree by the looks of it.

This should not be confused as the “narrowest in the world” because that title is already claimed by the Keret House in Poland. However, this particular house in Amsterdam has the world’s narrowest house facade. It is much bigger inside.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Netherlands Gay Travel Resources

Xaviera's Happy House – Amsterdam

Xaviera's Happy House Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: Xaviera Hollander’s Happy House Bed&Breakfast is a perfect “lovers hideaway”, in other words “A home away from home”… where you are most welcome. Your hostess is Xaviera Hollander, the well known author of the Happy Hooker and she and her darling husband Philip, who is a terrific chef, will gladly cook you and your friends a delicious meal. Xaviera will even, on request do a workshop on “How to Become a better Lover!” Xaviera’s Happy House is the ideal bohemian place to stay at in Amsterdam for a few days, no matter why you come here: for a naughty romantic weekend, a congress at the Rai or simply as a tourist with wife and or kids. When looking for the perfect hostess, nobody compares to Xaviera. This is your opportunity to spend some time at a real diva’s house…one with flair for hospitality. It is located on the South side (gold coast) of Amsterdam, close to Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, colorful street markets and elegant Beethovenstraat with dozens of great shops and trendy restaurants and … what’s more it is also just around the corner from the famous RAI Congress Center. In the rooms there is wifi, TV, coffee and tea maker, hairdryer and in Goliath a fridge as well. It is a majestic house with quiet rooms even though we are not that far from the hustle and bustle of the city. A charming host and hostess Xaviera and Philip also offer private meals cooked by Philip who used to be a professional cook. The two of them speak each 5 languages and are most entertaining story tellers.

See the Xaviera’s Happy House Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in the Netherlands

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EATING OUT: Amsterdam

Amsterdam Amsterdam’s restaurants have lately grown in quality and creativity, to say nothing of the fact that food prices, now that the euro is friendlier to the dollar (as of this writing), are quite reasonable. For example: Dover Sole is priced around $17 on several menus, whereas the same would cost double or more in New York City. If you’re on a budget, you can eat well in Amsterdam, and if you’re not you’ll be pleasantly surprised at restaurant costs. Here are some wonderful places we visited that you should put on your must-try list the next time you’re in this always-beautiful, exciting, romantic city. Recently, I had an opportunity to explore an area in Amsterdam new to me with tasty results. Amsterdam-West is a conglomerate of the neighborhoods Oud-West, De Baarsjes, Westerpark, and Bos en Lommer. With over 175 different nationalities among its population, the mostly residential area is now dotted with up-to-date shops, cafés, and restaurants. A great feature of the neighborhood is the daily outdoor market at Ten Kate Market (10 Katestraat 97-99. www.tenkatemarkt.nl) that offers “flowers, cheese, wine, baby items, clothing, fruit, vegetables, and 101 other market items,” according to its website. I slowed down as I passed through every day on my way to the tram stop and invariably picked up a few items that included ribbon, toothpaste, and even a few wool scarves. One of the more ambitious projects in Amsterdam West is De Hallen, the renovation of seven immense maintenance sheds opened around 1900 when electric trams were introduced. Today, De Hallen includes a hotel, food halls with over 20 different vendors, a movie theater with separate viewing areas, a library, nursery school, dozens of shops, and parking for both cars and bicycles.

By Nick Malgieri – Full Story at Passport

Netherlands Gay Travel Resources

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Gay Amsterdam – The Scruffy Italian Traveler

Gay Amsterdam - The Scruffy Italian Traveler Amsterdam is not a huge city, so I was surprised by the amount of gay bars and clubs of the city: there is something for every taste! Yes Gay Amsterdam has a lot to offer! The city throws one of the best Gay Prides too! Its doesnt run on the streets, but on the canals: it is a procession of boats, really unique! This year, 2016, Amsterdam hosts the Europride, so an even bigger crown than usual is expected! Most of the gay scene happen in the center of the city. There are a few hot-spots where most of the gay bars are concentrated: the choice is very vast. Amsterdam is the ideal location if you are into bar hopping, like me: as you know Scruffy Gios is a professional gay bars hopper 🙂 This is the Scruffy Guide to the top 5 bars in Gay Amsterdam!

Gay Amsterdam – Taboo

This is the perfect bar where to start your bar hopping! But I recommend you to visit it also a few different times along the way! Taboo is a very relaxed gay bar located on the main Amsterdam gay street, Reguliersdwarsstraat. It has an excellent happy hour in the afternoon ! This is the reason why it gets busy pretty early: plenty of professionals flock to this bar soon after work for a chilled pint or two. In summer, and anyway on a sunny afternoon, its terrace get very crowded: try it on a hot Summer Sunday night! Its relaxed atmosphere makes it the perfect bar to enjoy a chat with a few strangers and some hotties! The place gets also busy at night, during the happy hour at 2 am: of course I took advantage of it, just before heading to other bars!

By Sergio Scardia – Full Story at The Scruffy Italian Traveler

Gay Amsterdam Travel Resources

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