Explore Paleis Soestdijk

Whilst a new purpose is being considered for Soestdijk Palace, it is open to visitors. And it's well worth a visit.

It used to be the working palace of Queen Juliana, the mother of Princess Beatrix, the grandmother of the current king of the Netherlands.

From the smoke stained walls of Prince Claus's study to the family photos of princesses in their childhood prime, the palace gives a fascinating, historical glimpse into the life of the Dutch monarchy. 

The grounds are beautiful to walk around and there's a speurtocht for the children, which gets them uncovering places and facts about the palace and the family that lived in it.

If you haven't been then go whilst you can!

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking!

National Veteran's Day in the Netherlands

This Saturday is the annual Veteran's Day in the Netherlands, when those who have fought for our freedom come together in The Hague to be properly acknowledged and thanked.

The days starts in the presence of the Dutch King, Minister of Defence and Prime Minister in the Ridderzaal with medals presented shortly after in the Binnenhof.

The veterans then parade from the Dutch houses of parliament to the Malieveld where there is a fly-over, music, food and drink and children's activities (a climbing wall and a flight simulator for starters). Many military and peace-keeping organisations and museums are represented in some capacity or another. You can find the complete program for the day here.

There's always an amazing atmosphere and my three sons have such a great time - and if you go talk to some of the veterans too it makes the day even more amazing! Oh, and when else do you get to hang out with a King and a Prime Minister?

To give you an impression of the day, I'll leave you with some snaps from previous years.....

16 Must Have Items to Survive a Dutch Spring

Ah yes, the daffodils are blooming and the snowdrops are bursting out of the ground. It must be spring. But what does springtime look like in the Netherlands? What do you need to survive a Dutch spring? Here's the low down.

1. Umbrella - that umbrella you needed in autumn and winter? Don't store it away just yet. You'll be needing that throughout the spring too. April showers are as prominent here in the Netherlands as they are in Britain. The nice thing about rain during the spring season here is that there is an element of surprise to it. One minute the sun is shining and you're thinking of heading to the beach, the next minute you are pissed wet through. Think of it as a fun Dutch game, but without the fun.

2. Sunglasses - as I mentioned above, the sun shines in spring. Just be sure to carry your sunglasses case with you as the sunshine can be short-lived (see above).

3. Camera - springtime in the Netherlands is a feast for the eyes so be sure to carry photographic equipment around with you. It's the time when flowers cover the ground - and the Dutch are not known for their blooms for nothing. Exploring the flower fields at this time of year is a must if you are in the Netherlands.

4. Winter coat - don't dump it yet, the mornings snd evenings are surprisingly nippy well into April. It's tempting to look at the sun out your bedroom window and think you can pass up your thick coat for that lovely springtime jacket but don't do it. Not yet.

5. Orange clothes - April means King's Day. Which means orange. If you ain't in orange on the 27th of April I suggest you leave the country.

6. Tickets for the Keukenhof - spring means flowers. Did I say that already? And flowers can only mean one thing - the annual spectacle that is the Keukenhof. If you have never been it should be on your bucket list, no matter where in the world you live. Yes, it's busy. Yes, it's jam packed with tourists. But wow, it's beautiful.

7. Food for brunch - spring brings the paas haas to the Netherlands (that's the Easter Bunny to you and me - to the Dutch it's a hare) and on Easter Sunday it's traditional to sit down with family and eat brunch together. It's something driven by the supermarkets I'm sure.....

8. Waterproofs - did I mention it rains a lot in spring here? So you'll need protection. All over rain protection.

9. Pedalling power - spring storms (like the one this week) are not unusual and the wind blows over this flat land with nothing to stand in its way. However, do not think for a minute that winds gusting at 70km per hour stops any real Dutchie from getting on their bike. Depending on whether you are cycling into the wind, or have it in your back, your bike journey will either be done in record time or you'll need every drop of pedalling power you can muster to make it to your destination.

10. Long pants and a jumper - at least that is what Trip Advisor tells those planning on visiting the Netherlands in spring. I would listen to me, and not Trip Advisor - you'll usually need a damn sight more than a jumper and long pants (presumably they mean trousers and not underpants) to stay comfortable in April but hanging about in May in your pants may work.

"The spring months of April and May are also great times to visit during, even though the cooler daytime temperatures may require long pants and a jumper to stay comfortable." Trip Advisor

11. Suncream - having said what I said for number 10 we have had some remarkably summery weather at the end of April in years gone by so sun cream should be at the ready.

12. A favourite strandtent - that's a beach cafe to non-Dutch speakers. At the end of March the cafes are rebuilt on the beach and the terraces and doors open once more. It's THE place to hang to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat with friends and loved ones. With a jumper and long pants on of course.

13. Wellington boots - did I mention it rains in spring? If you like wet feet put on your summer footwear, otherwise keep those wellies on hand.

14. A garden centre - spring is when the Dutch move outside and the garden gets a spruce up. Garden furniture is replaced, renovated or uncovered. Signs and pictures go up in the garden. Candle holders and ornaments appear on patio tables. The garden centres across the nation are buzzing with a capital B (although having said that our local Groenrijk has gone bust so that's a little less buzzing this spring time).

15. Holiday plans - the meivakantie falls, surprisingly, in May and the nation heads off for anything from a mini-break to a two week long vacation. You should too.

16. A car or a bike - if you are in the Netherlands in springtime you'll want to visit the flower fields. Did I mention flowers already? Online there are lots of touring routes to get the best views of the spectacular blocks of colours that cover the Dutch landscape. And if you do it in a convertible with the top down then you'll blend in a treat. And one free tip - a family photo session in such a location is a great idea for the memory treasure trove - something that Vinita Salome can help you with but be quick because those blooms are gone before you know it.

Two Reasons to Celebrate Today: 200 and King's Day

This is my 200th blog post on Expat Life with a Double Buggy! Woop, woop. Want to know just how special that is? Look outside and you'll see flags flying and people partying in the street. 200 posts. Wow.
Oh, and it's also the first King's Day in the Netherlands. Ever. Koningdag. Which is also kind of special. But absolutely not why everyone is flying flags and dancing in the streets.

Noticed how everyone around you is still calling today Koninginnedag  - that's because this kind of change takes time to get used to. Since this day of royal celebration began, back in 1885, it has been Queen's Day, marking the birth day of the reigning Dutch queen. Until Beatrix came to the throne that is. She kept the celebration of Queen's Day as her mother's birthday on 30 April, instead of changing the date to her own birthday in January. For weather reasons. Who wants to party outside in January? In the Netherlands? No one, not even to mark 200 blog posts.

Last year, on the last day of April the Netherlands celebrated Queen's Day for the last time, at least for a while until one of Willem-Alexander's three daughters takes over the throne. Beatrix handed over the royal reigns to her son and he became the first King of the Netherlands since Willem III left the throne in 1890. Hence, there has been no previous King's Day celebration in the Netherlands.

Everything wears orange
on Queen's/King's Day

King Willem-Alexander celebrates his birthday on the 27 April and so chose to move King's Day to his 'real' birth date. The 27th however falls on a Sunday this year, and Sundays are just not done when it comes to King or Queen's Day. So it was moved to the 26th, a Saturday.

So, one of his first actions as king was to piss off a lot of Dutch people who lost their day off work (had it remained the 30th April we'd all be dancing in the streets on a Wednesday, a bank holiday, a day off). Luckily for him, I believe, he was quickly forgiven.

So here we are. King's Day. My father and stepmother are actually flying over from England for this very historic, special occasion (well, that and their grandson's 4th birthday) but I'm guessing it will be pretty much like every other Queen's Day you may or may not have had the pleasure to
celebrate. It's a lot of fun - and the only day of the year you can just willy-nilly lay a blanket on the floor and sell your unwanted belongings to passersby.

More crap being sold than you can shake a stick at

In short, get your orange clothes on, put a silly orange hat on your head and get yourself in to your nearest town to buy somebody else's unwanted crap from the pavement, listen to music, have a drink or two and generally enjoy the gezelligheid of the Dutch party goers around you.

What do you have planned? Where will you be spending the first Dutch King's Day?

Different Expats, Different Challenges

It's school holidays here in the Netherlands and we've just got back from visiting friends in Prague. My friends are also Brits but are abroad for a work assignment for a couple of years. It was a stark reminder of how expat life is a varied thing indeed. Some become expats for the adventure, for some it's a move to be with a partner and for others it's for work.

Keeping children in touch with
their grandparents needs to
be worked at if you live abroad
Photo credit: Gokhan Okur

The different reasons for being an expat throws up different challenges for our children. My children are not actually expats themselves but I am. That means there are cultural and language issues to deal with. There are issues keeping in touch with grandparents and aunts and uncles that live overseas. The issues are more mine trying to understand a school system I did not go through, understanding a culture that is not mine. However, whilst they stand out sometimes, most aspects of life for my children are stable and consistent and not effected by my expat status.

For my friends in the Czech Republic almost every aspect of their lives is effected by their expat status. Their challenges are more related to providing their children with some kind of stability in another country, knowing that their stay there will come to an end. Their challenges include making a temporary dwelling that is not theirs a real home for the children. Expat life means the friendships their children make are temporary, and indeed the friendships they themselves make mean learning to say goodbye after a year or two. It's not an easy cycle to go through.

A temporary stay abroad also means a change of schools for the children and provides another challenge once the expat assignment ends, because it calls for the children to slot back in to the British state system. After being in small classes with a varied curriculum and an abundance of teachers how do you help children to adapt to classes of 30 plus and overstretched resources? The flip side of course is the gift of excellent education for at least two years in an environment the children are thriving in! And what an opportunity for children to go to school with such a mix of nationalities alongside them, in a cultural richness you won't find in national schooling. We arrived in Prague two days after the new Dutch king came to the throne. Thanks to the Dutch influence in her class, my friend's daughter knew all about Willem Alexander and Maxima, made crowns to mark the occasion and she proudly told us,

"The new Dutch queen is much better, because she's much prettier than the old one."

I'm pretty sure she would have known very little about this Dutch event had she still been in a British primary school.

Old Town Square, Prague
(c) Amanda van Mulligen

And on top of that what a rich culture Prague has to offer. A bustling city full of history and beauty. A surprise around every corner you turn in it's Old Town. What an amazing place for children (and their parents) to soak up and store in the memory bank. An expat life that surely enriches their children, but that inevitably comes with challenges. There are pros and cons to every decision we make. Different expats, different challenges.

Yes, expat life is a varied thing indeed but there is one common factor - we're raising the global citizens of the future!

What do you think? How does the reason for your expat status effect your children? Is it better for children to have the expat experiences and deal with the challenges as they arise or play it safe and avoid the big changes?