The Story of the DC3 Plane Wreck in Iceland

The Story of the DC3 Plane Wreck in Iceland

There’s something mesmerizing about abandoned places. They whisper stories of the past, frozen in time, and when those places are dropped in the middle of Iceland’s desolate black sand beaches, it’s a whole other level of haunting. The DC-3 plane wreck on Sólheimasandur is one of Iceland’s most iconic (and badass) destinations for travelers with […]

The story of the fake (non- Dutch) story of Hansje or Hans Brinker

The story of the fake (non- Dutch) story of Hansje or Hans Brinker

Remember the story about a boy that put his finger in a dyke in The Netherlands and saved the country? His name is said to have been Hans or Hansje Brinker- but that’s not true. And it is a fictional story- meaning, it’s just a story and not factual. The famous story was written by […]

The Story of Mata Hari: The Dutch spy

The Story of Mata Hari: The Dutch spy

This is Mata Hari- or Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. She was a Dutch exotic dancer who was convicted of espionage and executed in France during the First World War. She was born in 1876 in the Frisian city of Leeuwarden. Her father was a hatmaker who eventually went bankrupt. Then he moved to Den Haag, remarried […]

The story of the Grolse Wanten (Dutch mittens from the East of The Netherlands)

The story of the Grolse Wanten (Dutch mittens from the East of The Netherlands)

Photo by grolsewanten.nl These are traditional Dutch mittens from the town of Groenlo, called Grolse Wanten. Many people think this is a typical Scandinavian pattern, but it comes directly from the Achterhoek or East of the Netherlands. A while ago, this centuries-old pattern was almost completely lost. You would only see an elderly man every […]

The story behind Frisian woodcarving (Fries houtsnijwerk)

The story behind Frisian woodcarving (Fries houtsnijwerk)

Photo by De Knipe This is Fries Houtsnijwerk, or Frisian woodcarving, a form of Dutch folk art that, despite its name, was found all throughout the North of the Netherlands and the area around the former inland sea called Zuiderzee. It’s one of the oldest decorative crafts in the Netherlands. Frisian carving has a long […]