Time to write the 900th blog. I can best express my experiences from the past 900 blogs through proverbs and sayings. What are the linguistic differences between proverbs, sayings, idioms, and expressions? Proverbs are fixed, complete sentences....
Museum Belvédère in Heerenveen presents the first solo exhibition in the Netherlands of the work of Sámal Joensen-Mikines (1906-1979), born in the Faroe Islands. The artist worked primarily on the island of Mykines – after which he was named – and let himself...
In 2025, PostNL is releasing a series of 8 framed stamp sheets titled Shipping in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. The first 2 stamp sheets will be released on April 1, 2025 (merchant shipping and the Dutch Republic). Do you have shipping as a theme in your collection?...
The Maritime Museum has existed for 150 years, and over those years a treasure trove of maritime objects and stories has been collected. We want everyone to enjoy this treasure and learn from it about what it was like then, what it is like now...
On Saturday, May 6, 2023, Port Days will be organized in Vlissingen and Terneuzen. On May 7, 2023, Port Days will be held in Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ostend, and Ghent (for the sixth time). There is plenty to experience: visits to around 80 companies, virtual...
Ascension Day was celebrated on May 26, 2022. On Ascension Day, Christianity commemorates that Jesus Christ ascended to God, his Father in heaven, thirty-nine days after his resurrection from the dead. The celebration is part of the...
The National Maritime Museum presents a major exhibition on father and son Willem van de Velde, two leading marine painters of the seventeenth century, each with their own specialty: pen painting and oil painting. On view until May 8, 2022. A must-see...
On Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722, explorer Jacob Roggeveen accidentally discovered an island off the coast of Chile. Roggeveen was searching for the Southern Continent but found an island (later named Easter Island) with mega statues (Moai) on...
Today, January 11, is International Morse Code Day. January 11 is the day in 1835 when Morse code was first demonstrated to the public. The inventor of this code is Samuel Morse. Morse code is used in telegraphy....
The most famous ship in Canadian history, the 'Bluenose', was built both as a fishing boat and as a high-speed racing vessel. Construction was carried out as a schooner and took place in the 20s...
From stamp enthusiast Hans van der Lelie from Germany, I received a complete folded letter from 1858. It just so happened to state therein that, pursuant to Article 8 of the Act, the contents of this letter were subject to confidentiality. But that applied only to...
900 years ago, in 1121, a chapel in Leiden for the Counts of Holland was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The dedication was performed by Godebald, the Bishop of Utrecht. We know this oldest church in Leiden today...
During a city walk across the Leiden market, I was approached by a young African man who was selling shirts there. “Sir,” he said, “do you know if slaves were traded on this bridge in the past? If so, I am going here...”
As a Leiden city guide, I strayed. I went for a walk in Delft. Great fun. Leiden and Delft are quite similar: a historic city center, canals, old churches, a university, and I also came across courtyards, including a...
400 years ago, on November 21, 1620, the ship 'the Mayflower' arrived in Cape Cod Bay in the US, with over 100 Pilgrims on board. Half of these Pilgrims came from Leiden. The Leiden (hobby) stamp designer...
Most entrepreneurs, flex workers, and self-employed professionals are struggling during this coronavirus crisis. The 1,5-meter society has major consequences for the post-corona period. Who are the winners and who are the losers now, and what are the consequences for...
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