Our lifestyle section is all about leisure. Find out about the latest trends, entertainment and Dutch culture while planning your next shopping trip armed with insider knowledge...
The many languages of love
By Christine Fisher
14 february 2012
Imagine you are writing a love letter, an epistle to a new beloved who is as frightened as they are charmed by the cultural differences between you. Perhaps you would begin with the saying that 'love laughs at locksmiths'. Or perhaps you could draw from Dutch wisdom and tell them liefde schiet pijlen over honderd mijlen: 'Cupid's arrows can fly a hundred miles.' You want to remind your sweetheart that the two of you have traveled those hundred miles already. It was how you found each other.
Flat as a pancake - cycling in the Netherlands
by Olivia van den Broek-Neri
September 2011
There's no better way to see the scenery in the Netherlands and enjoy nature. Everyone cycles: adults, children, teenagers, the elderly, students, and even professionals. Cycling is a way of life, and popular because a continuous network of cycle paths are maintained, making it convenient and easy to get around town. It's also efficient, energy saving and environmentally friendly! More than 1.3 million new bikes are sold annually from over 3,200 bike shops. So enjoy cycling, the Dutch way!