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The Liebster Award!
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The Liebster Award!

Niche Travel Design3 Comments

Niche Travel Design has been nominated for The Liebster Award!

I was nominated by A World in Reach for this peer award. For a somewhat new blogger like me, this is a special treat.  It’s always a great feeling to be recognized by your peers. Thank you, Sydney and A World in Reach.

What is the Liebster Award?

The Liebster Award is a peer to peer award, given to bloggers, by bloggers as a way to foster collaboration and support. What a nice idea.

I noticed a message board in my German friend’s house that said “liebe und respekt.”  I asked what liebe or liebster meant.  She told me it means dearest or kindest. Thus, bloggers being dear and kind to one another. This is an award I can get behind. I am always seeking advice from others and I am happy to promote the idea of collaboration. I strongly believe in the theory that what you give comes back to you.  

The Rules of Engagement

Once you’re nominated with the Liebster Award, you have to follow a few rules to celebrate your win and spread the award throughout the blogging community.

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and put a link to their blog on your blog.

2. Display the award on your blog.

3. Write a small post about what makes you passionate about blog posting.

4. Provide 10 random facts about yourself.

5. Answer the questions from your nominator and provide a fresh set of questions for those you nominate.

6. Nominate 5 – 10 blogs that you feel would enjoy blogging about this award.

7. List these rules in your post.

How I Began My Blogging Journey

I began blogging when I first moved from California to Parma, Italy in 2011.

When my daughter was a toddler she frequently made up words that sounded similar to the adult versions. She would say strawbellies instead of strawberries; froggy instead of foggy. One of the words she transposed was Parmesan. In her toddler mind, Parmesan cheese was Purple John cheese. For years our family asked each other to pass the Purple John cheese at the dinner table.

Imagine our surprise when we realized that we were moving to Parma, Italy – the birthplace of Purple John cheese.  Apparently, the universe has a sense of humor. It seemed like serendipity. What we did not know is that an international move is difficult. Life in another country is difficult. It is not all adventure.  I had 2 very sad children who did not want to move and leave the comfort of their home.

[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Read about the reality of an international move here.[/dropshadowbox]

All that being said, life in Italy was often quite funny because things were soooo different than what we were used to. Thus, my original blog, Purple John, began by me just telling friends about the difficulties and the funny stories that we encountered along the way.

[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Read funny stories about life in Italy in the drop-down menu here. [/dropshadowbox]

And of course, just when we were settled into life in Italy, the universe struck again and we had a second move to Malmö, Sweden. Once we moved and settled into Malmö, I toyed with the idea of reworking my past experience as a travel consultant and incorporating the blog as part of the business. The kids were older and they did not need me as much as they did in Italy. This last year I began my existing blog Niche Travel Design using my name and domain name from the travel business that I ran in the USA. So now my travel business has a blog attached to it.

My blog still occasionally includes funny ex-pat tales of excitement and woe, but now I am more focused on the business of travel. The funny thing, though . . . that little toddler that inspired my first blog name, she now works with me on the business.

At Niche Travel Design, our philosophy is that designing the perfect vacation is as much an art form as designing a home’s interior or a garden’s landscape. We curate a unique experience for each of our clients. 

We are experts in finding the best cup of coffee, the most interesting art gallery, the best place to sip Prosecco while watching the sunset, and the best accessories to make your adventure more comfortable.

The perfect cappuccino
Aperol Spritz – the classic summer cocktail

Niche Travel Design is more than a travel blog. We are a community featuring stories of life abroad, cultural experiences, recipes, ideas, and tips for creating unique memories to last a lifetime. We also recommend products and services.

10 Random Things About Me

  1. I once sort of crashed a funeral. My friend was supposed to go and I was staying with her so I went too because it was celebrity filled. In the end, I felt like a heel and a looky-loo. People (even celebrities) were grieving. I don’t recommend it. Not my best moment.
  2. I always top off my gasoline, despite the warnings.
  3. I love Gene Kelly movies and I got to meet him once and had a conversation with him about his more obscure movies. It was amazing and he was so kind.
  4. I am secretly a Carpenters fan. I guess it is not a secret anymore. 
  5. I sing all the time in public even though I really shouldn’t.
  6. I once got into a car accident on the way home from a car accident and neither one was my fault. I know you don’t believe me, but it is true.
  7. Apparently, according to my family, I say Google incorrectly? Who knew?
  8. I hate, I mean really hate, The Pillsbury Doughboy. His voice makes my skin crawl.
  9. I once stayed at a “pensione” in Barcelona that was actually the host’s children’s room. He was clearing toys out of their bedroom. It was weird, but it was late and there was a train strike so I paid to sleep in a stranger’s kid’s bed.
  10. I generally don’t like chick flicks despite being a chick. I seem to be missing a gene or something.

A World In Reach’s Questions For Me

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your travels? That once one strips away all the cultural differences, we are all the same. We all just want safety, family, friends, love, and respect in our lives.

What’s your favorite part of traveling? Exploring and learning about a place. Finding off the beaten path things to do. I am a researcher and enjoy the discovery of new things to do, a great local restaurant, a specialty shop, an unusual experience in a typical tourist spot. Least favorite? The getting there bit. The airports, etc.  Ugh.

Do you collect any souvenirs from your travels? I used to collect art from each place but now I have too much. I had to stop. No more room to hang anything. We have also always collected ornaments for our Christmas tree. It is nice to remember our trips as we put up each ornament every year. Now I collect photographs and memories.

What is the most unique experience you’ve had with a local while traveling? Swimming with horses in Croatia. Just incredible.

[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Read more about swimming with horses here. [/dropshadowbox]

If you could travel with one person you’ve never traveled with before, who would it be? Barack Obama. He is intelligent, funny, has done some cool stuff and met a bunch of interesting people. I’ll bet he has good stories. Plus, he gets V.I.P. treatment and if we were traveling together I’d get V.I.P. treatment too.  

How did you come up with your blog name? It was the name of my travel business in the USA. I focus on niche, unique, unusual travel experiences. I curate and design your trip for you.

What tip would you give to a new blogger? Learn all the technical stuff before you begin.

Is there a book or a movie that has inspired your wanderlust?  No. My wanderlust was developed as a child. Actually, I feel like it has always been there. 

What are the top 3 things on your bucket list? Africa – all of it!  Australia/New Zealand and Asia.

What is your biggest travel regret? I had a chance to go to Africa for a summer. I didn’t go because it wasn’t practical. I should have gone.

My Nominations for The Liebster Award

I have really enjoyed the Liebster Award process. I also enjoyed reading about each of these bloggers that I am nominating. I hope that you each take the time to read up on what they have to offer.

1. Divine Kabwe at beingyourselfblog.wordpress.com 

2. Diana Danciu at ourblindlife.com

3. Jenny Toney Bhatia of travelingpartyof4.com

4. Temeka Flack Green of worklifemommyhood.com

5. Heather Eyre of thefemalefactor.me

6. Jamie Joseph of wearefreeindeed.wordpress.com

7. Samantha Norman of SammiNormanFit.com

8. Louise Emerson of 12books.co.uk

9. Mallory Herrera of mamaonparade.com

10. Megan Henderson of thehendersonhouse.org

Questions For My Nominees

Since I have a travel blog, my questions are all about travel.

  1. Where would you go if money and time were not issues?
  2. What is the best advice you would give to new travelers?
  3. What is the one accessory that you cannot travel without – your phone and/or computer don’t count?
  4. Where is one place you would return over and over again? And why?
  5. Where is one place you’ve been but never want to return to? And why?
  6. What is the funniest travel mishap you’ve had?
  7. What is the scariest travel experience you’ve had?
  8. What is your favorite travel souvenir?
  9. What is your favorite local cuisine?
  10. What is your next destination?

Looking forward to reading my nominees’ answers and getting to know them better.

And once again, a BIG THANK YOU to A World In Reach for my nomination!

Everyone, please be sure to check out Sydney’s blog for ideas on budget travel. A World In Reach can provide you with all sorts of ideas on traveling on a budget.

The Stedelijk – The Goldilocks of Museums
Americans abroad · art · European travel · ex-pat life · Holland · Honeymoon travel · Insider Tips · international travel · Modern Art · Off The Beaten Path · The Netherlands · The Unique and Unusual

The Stedelijk – The Goldilocks of Museums

Niche Travel Design7 Comments

Things Don’t Always Go As Planned

This past February the “Beast From The East“ descended upon Amsterdam just as we arrived to visit. It was cold. Really cold. In fact, it was miserable walking around the city and bikes seemed like it would only make it worse as we would have to cut through the cold wind.

So what to do Amsterdam when it is colder
than a Polar Bear’s toenails outside?

Head inside. Thankfully, my daughter loves art and plans on studying art history, so off we went to the Van Gough Museum. The next day there was a discussion of going to the Rijksmuseum. I opted out. No offense to anyone, but Dutch Masters aren’t my favorite period of art and I’ve seen it. I said I’d find something else to do.  But my mind wandered to the modern building we had seen the day before. Hidden in the shadow of the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gough museum is the Stedeljik.  

The Stedelijk is the Goldilocks of museums. It is not too small, not too big. It is just the right size.

The collection is primarily modern art, but it also houses quite a few paintings from other artistic genres. For a medium sized museum we all agreed that it is packed full of great art.

The Stedelijk Building

As I mentioned, the Stedelijk can be found tucked behind the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseums on Museumplein.  The Stedelijk is a contemporary art museum and thus, it is fitting that the building itself,  a modern glass and steel structure, is a stunning piece of architectural art on its own.

Benthem-Crouwel-Architects-Lensvelt-Stedelijk-Museum-Amsterdam
The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo credit: http://www.lensvelt.nl
Stedelijk Museum
The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo credit: ArchDaily by Jannes Linders

The Original Building

The original collection was made up of art and antiques that were donated to the city of Amsterdam by Sophia Augusta Lopez Suasso de Bruyn, a wealthy widow who wished to have a museum opened in her home and in her name upon her passing. Indeed, the Stedelijk was originally called The Suasso Museum and was housed in her home.

Eventually, Madame Suasso’s home was deemed too small and a new building was designed by A.W. Weissman, a local architect. The new museum building designed by Weissman has a neo renaissance façade with several ornate, figurative sculptures. When the new, modern, wing was added many of the flourishes were lost to modernization and renovations. The Stedelijk´s original and main building was constructed between 1891-1895 at Paulus Potterstraat, at the short walking distance from the Rijksmuseum.

The New Building – aka The Bathtub

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Stedelijk Museum. Photo John Lewis Marshall

A more modern and more functional building was opened in 2012 after almost a decade of renovations. The modern addition, designed by Dutch architects Adriaan Willem Weissman and Benthem Crouwel Architect, is a pretty sharp contrast in style to the Weismann building. After the unveiling of the new addition, many locals thought that the modern aesthetic clashed with the old Stedelijk building, The Concertgebouw, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. Essentially, they didn’t think the modern style went well with the other buildings in the neighborhood. Locals took to calling the new addition “the bathtub.” In my opinion, the new building fits its purpose of showcasing contemporary art and, an added bonus, it offers amazing views of the Museumplein. I sat and people watched through those big beautiful windows for 40 minutes as I sipped my coffee, warm and toasty away from the cold. It was lovely.

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Overlooking Museumplein

The museum’s purpose has changed many times over the years – going from a private collections of art, collectibles, furniture, and antiques to medical instruments and finally resting on contemporary art and design.

Along with the masters of modern painting genres such as Impressionists, Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, the Stedelijk also has a unique collection of furniture, and, photography.

The Collection

The collection includes modern and contemporary art and design from the early 20th century up to the 21st century and features famed masters such as Vincent, van Gough, Wassily Kandinski, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollack, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, and Keith Haring.

Highlights From The Collection

The Stedelijk has everything from quirky artists previously unknown to me . . .

Martial Raysse and Elaine Sturtevang, installation view The collection, STEDELIJK BASE. Photo: Gert Jan van Rooij
Personnage Hilare (Portrait de Francis Ponge) by Jean Dubuffet. 1947.
Lady Chatterly’s Horse. Bill Copley. 1960.

to the masters of the modern movement . . .

Rosy Fingered Dawn at louise Point. Willem de Kooning. 1963.
Cathedra. Barnett Newman. 1951.
Untitled (Umber Blue). Mark Rothko. 1962.
North Atlantic Light. Willem de Kooning. 1977.
The Water Bull. Jackson Pollack. 1946.

to the masters:

La femme enceinte (Maternité). Marc Chagall. 1913.
La Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Paul Cézanne. 1888.
Odalisque. Henri Matisse. 1921.
Femme nue devant le Jardin. Pablo Picasso. 1956
Le Violoniste. Marc Chagall. 1912 -1913.
Kitchen Gardens on Monmartre. Vincent van Gough. 1887.
Two Surroundings. Wassily Kandinsky. 1934
Femme assise au chapeau en forme de poisson. Pablo Picasso. 1942.
Femme dans un paysage – Anna Boch 1890. Legend has it that Anna Boch was the only person to have purchased apainting from Vincent van Gough while he was alive. This has been dabted but it is the reason that her work hangs next to van Goughs work at The Stedelijk.
La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle. Vincent van Gough. 1889.

And, The Keith Haring Velum

American artist, Keith Haring, began his career in 1980, drawing graffiti in the New York subway.  During a brief, but intense, career that spanned the 1980s, Haring’s work was featured in over 100 solo and group exhibitions. In 1986 alone, he was the subject of more than 40 newspaper and magazine articles.

In 1986, at the heigh of his career, Haring agreed to create a special piece for The Stedelijk.  From The Stedelijk website: “The American artist painted the canopy, which filters daylight into the grand hallway, especially for his solo exhibition at the Stedelijk in 1986. For this show, Haring didn’t simply want to present artwork he’d already made – he insisted on making new work. Laying out the velum (which measures almost 40 x 66 feet, 12 x 20 meter) on the floor of one of the museum galleries, he painted it in just one day, using spray paint. Haring turned the event into an energy-fueled performance: while photographers and journalists looked on, he painted rapidly and rhythmically, moving over the canopy, hip-hop playing in the background. He filled the canopy with dancing, waving figures, crawling babies and squirming animals. Known as the ‘Keith Haring velum’, the painting was stretched below the monumental glass cupola above the historic staircase. The painting was an instant hit. Now, more than thirty years later and restored, the velum is back for everyone to enjoy.”

The photos do not do the velum justice. It was beautiful in person with the light slipping through and contrasting the parts untouched by sun.

Keith-Haring-Stedelijk-Museum-Amsterdam
Keith Haring. Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Keith-Haring-Stedelijk-Museum-Amsterdam
Keith Haring. Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Keith-Haring-Stedelijk-Museum-Amsterdam
Keith Haring. Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Keith-Haring-velum-the-Stedelijk-Museum-Amsterdam.
The Keith Haring velum. The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.
Keith-Haring-velum-the-Stedelijk-Museum-Amsterdam.
The Keith Haring velum. The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

Practicalities

Hours:
Monday – Thursday and Saturday and Sunday:  10:00  – 18:00
Friday:  10:00 – 22:00

Tickets:
You can buy your tickets in person or online at Stedelijk museum tickets.

Adults: €17,50
Children under 18: free
Students (29 yrs or younger),
Cultural Youth pass (CJP)		 €9

Address:
Stedelijk Museum
Museumplein 10
1071 DJ Amsterdam
The Netherlands


If you get a chance to visit the Stedelijk, I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did. Maybe because we had not planned on going, in fact none of us had even heard of it, it turned out to be one of those serendipitous moments where things did not go as planned, but we ended up with a lovely surprise. 

The Fairytale Town of Giethoorn, Holland.
Americans abroad · European travel · ex-pat life · Giethoorn · Holland · international travel · The Netherlands · Travel

The Fairytale Town of Giethoorn, Holland.

Niche Travel Design15 Comments

Need a city break?
A break from the hustle, bustle and noise of a city? Then head over to Giethoorn, Holland, the picturesque village free from car traffic. Giethoorn is known for its many canals and in the spring and summer, for its colorful flowers. Even in the dead of winter, though, Giethorn will win you over with its charms, namely, its peaceful nature, the charming cottages, the many beautiful boats and the numerous wooden bridges.

This car free village can be seen one of three ways; by boat, foot or bike. Named the Venice of Holland, Giethoorn is a labyrinth of canals. In fact, the village is so dependent on its waterways, that many of the houses cannot be reached by road and the postal service delivers the mail by boat. How cute is that?

Early History of Giethoorn
Located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, Giethoorn was settled in the 1200’s when refugees  (some say fugitives) from Perugia, Italy founded the village looking for a new place to farm. The land was not conducive to farming however, as it was swampy and damp. While attempting to farm their fields, the settlers unearthed large quantities of goat horns. Yes, goat horns.  These horns were assumed to be the archeological remains of wild goats that drowned in the All Saint’s Flood of 1170. The villagers then began calling the village “Geytenhoren” which eventually became Dutchified in its present form of Giethoorn.

The marshland, while not ideal for farming, was a great source of peat moss which was burned as both a heating source for homes as well as for fires to cook over. It was also used as roofing material to insulate houses. The early villagers began peat mining with gusto and discovered the best way to move the harvested peat around was on the water. Canals were dug for transportation and the town became dedicated to water transportation.

Today the charming brick cottages are still adorned with peat moss thatched roofs and shiny black, forest green or red shutters. The thatched roofs add to the overall charm of the village, evoke days gone by and keep the tourists coming back, however, while originally the thatched roofs were the result of cheap and plentiful peat moss, today, maintaining the thatched roofs is no longer an inexpensive alternative. The roofs cost 150 euros a square meter and need consistent attention due to weather.

Home to less than 3000 people, Giethoorn is a quiet community with four miles of canals. Many of the residents live on private islands with their main means of transportation are with a canoe, kayak, punts or whisper boats (so named for their silent motor that does not disrupt the tranquility). Homeowners with cars park outside the village in a specially designated lot and then use punt boats to get around. One can also traverse the town on a bike or by foot.

The tranquility, coupled with the beautiful homes, the bridges and in the spring and summer, the flowers, make any journey through the Dutch Venice, unforgettable. One feels peaceful and calm while visiting this unique village. At times, the only noise you may hear are the calls of the local birds. Even the boats have been designed to make as little noise as possible. A visit to Giethoorn is about as close to a natural church setting as one can get.

Getting There and Getting Around
Giethoorn is 55 miles northeast of Amsterdam.  You can reach this amazing village via car or train from the city of Amsterdam. If you drive you will be required to park your vehicle near the village centre then walk to the port area where you can rent a whisper boat, a kayak, a punt or take a guided canal tour. The village is small and there are plenty of signs pointing you in the right direction.

It was cold when we visited so we opted to take a covered, guided canal tour that comes with a hot cup of coffee, tea or coco.  Not only were we warm, but we learned the history of the town. I highly recommend the guided canal tour.

If you decide to walk or bike, note that there are approximately 180 wooden bridges connecting the town. For some home owners, the bridges are the only way for them to connect to the rest of the town. 

If we had visited in the summer, I think I would have enjoyed exploration by bicycle. Giethoorn, true to its Dutch heritage, has extensive bike paths throughout the town. After cycling around the canals, one can also cycle around Lake Bovenwiljde and experience the Dutch countryside, complete with farm animals, wildflowers and windmills. There are a number of affordable bike rental places. As we did not rent bikes, I cannot recommend a specific company, however, we were told good things about these guys.

Lake Bovenwiljde. Geithoorn, The Netherlands
Lake Bovenwiljde cottage
Lake Bovenwiljde

Explore
If you explore Giethoorn by bike or foot you will also discover the many cafes, art galleries and churches tucked into little corners that are not as accessible by boat. From our boat we saw many that I vowed to visit again in warmer months.

There are 2 museums worth nothing as well. The Het Olde Maat Uus Museum takes visitors back to the time when the village was founded and one can experience typical Dutch farm life from years gone by – complete with cooking outside of the house in a special cooking hut. The thatched roofs made cooing indoors too dangerous, so the cooks were relegated to a separate cooking house. Many cooking huts are still on the properties and are visible when touring around.

And, if geology is your thing, you can visit De Oude Arde which touts a large display of rocks.

The beautiful Giethoorn pottery
Giethoorn in the spring. Photo by Shutterstock.

I, for one, plan on returning to Giethoorn when the weather is better. I want to ride a bike around the village, past the adorable thatched roofed cottages, over the wooden bridges past glorious, colorful  flowers, past the lake and out to the Dutch countryside where I will throw down a blanket and lay out a picnic.

I hope you are able to experience the charm of this quaint Dutch village one day too.