Tag Archives: Netherlands

Never Have to Leave the Airport

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Situated near Amsterdam’s New West ,  Corendon Amsterdam New-West, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel has 680 guest rooms and two decommissioned Boeing passenger planes. One is available for special events, while the other is attached to the one-of-a-kind 737 Suite . … Continue reading →

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No fierljeppen for me

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I was lucky enough to spent quite a bit of time in the Netherlands and I constantly marveled at how they managed to engineer a nation with so much of the country below sea level. Many of their farmers needed a … Continue reading →

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That Girl

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Like many art lovers, I am a sucker for Vermeer’s wonderful paintings. And, of course, I am fascinated by the mysterious “Girl with the Pearl Earring.” Whenever I am in the Netherlands, I make time to visit the underappreciated Mauritshuis … Continue reading →

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Stumbling Through Saturday Around the Interwebs

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I am not embarrassed at all to admit that I have spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about things in the Lord of the Rings universe such as : who is in charge of trash collection; and what are … Continue reading →

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Making Space for Everyone

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I have been visiting the Netherlands for more than 40 years and have been truly impressed by the transformation in the way the country manages public transportation. I only wish that the U.S. would begin to follow their lead. If … Continue reading →

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Pocket Money

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Even with the widespread acceptance of the Euro, these days there are still about thirty currencies in use among the fifty countries of Europe. In the 17th century, things were much more complicated for travelers. This Dutch book offered a … Continue reading →

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The Poor Man’s Rembrandt

Posted on May 21, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Visitors to Amsterdam often take home Rembrandt related artwork in the form of posters, postcards, or T-shirts. Now they can also take home  permanent Dutch souvenirs on their own bodies. Travelers searching for that perfect keepsake of their time in the … Continue reading →

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Bookstore Art

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I have seen the painting pictured above many times online, but I only just took the time to research the artist. Although the image is often labeled as Bookstore (woman reading), I’m not sure what the actual title should be. The wonderfully … Continue reading →

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Amsterdam

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Amsterdam                                                                Sofia Elhillo Concentric ripple of the canals, little … Continue reading →

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The Poetry of Coffee

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

As an amateur coffee roaster, I have been accused of being mildly obsessed with the magical elixir. So my antenna is always up for books about coffee. But I was not prepared to stumble upon a one-of-a-kind, single copy poetry … Continue reading →

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