Just back from a short trip with my mother to Leer, Germany. Only one hour by train from the city of Groningen it is my favourite place to travel to in the weeks before Christmas. The Christmas market in the main shopping street is not really interesting to me or my mother, but the Altstadt […]
Bückeburg
In some places the Christmas fun has already started. In the last days several Christmas fairs or markets and other Christmas events passed on social media. Therefore a post here with some that are being organized at palaces or castles. It seems many have a limited amount of tickets available, so if you plan to […]
When walking from the railway station to the old city centre/Palace of Bückeburg there is one short stop us royalty-watchers should make. Somewhere halfway is a house with a plaque on the wall saying (in German): Luise von LehzenEducator to the QueenVictoria of Great Britainlived in this housefrom 1842 until 1870 Johanna Clara Louise Lehzen […]
Two weeks ago I took a two-day vacation. Due to Covid I didn’t dare to go away that far yet. But I managed to book a night in a hotel on the Island of Borkum in Germany. It turned out later on that the room had become vacant because of the pandemic. Lucky me, although […]
Amalienborg
On 16 April and some previous days Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrates her 80th birthday. All one can hope is that the Covid-19 virus doesn’t influence any plans she or I have. Having wanted to see one of these celebrations for a long time, I booked a few days Copenhagen. I have visited the […]
Vakantietips voor degenen die nog niets geboekt hebben … Thüringen Oranje kenner Bearn Bilker neemt ons mee naar zijn geliefde Thüringen. Uit Thüringen stammen vele grote componisten, beeldende kunstenaars, denkers en wetenschappers die de Duitse zowel als de West-Europese cultuur, in hoge mate beïnvloed en zelfs gevormd hebben. Maar ook ons huidige vorstenhuis heeft vele […]
After having been in London several times, you’d think I have seen it all. Of course when you visit first you really need to see the obvious royal places like Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Kensington Palace, Clarence House, the Queen’s Gallery, Kew Gardens … I’ve never been inside Buckingham Palace or Clarence House, as […]
Vaduz Winery
More than 15 years ago I travelled to Liechtenstein to enjoy their national day, Staatsfeiertag, on 15 August 2003. It was a good opportunity to have a look around. I just spent enough days there to enjoy the national day and a few tourist attractions. I would love to go back and have another look […]
Planning a trip to Leeuwarden, the Dutch city that will be one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2018? The event will be opened in presence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands on Saturday evening 27 January 2018. There will be lots of activities this year, not only in Leeuwarden, but […]
On Sunday I just had enough time to pop into the Groninger Museum in my hometown Groningen. From King’s Day, 27 April 2018, until 17 May the portraits Photographer Erwin Olaf took of Queen Máxima and her daughters Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane for the 50th birthday of King Willem-Alexander, were on display […]
