Someone recently asked on Facebook where to buy organic strawberries without plastic packaging. The last few years I avoided fresh strawberries because of the chemicals sprayed on them and the excessive plastic, so what better opportunity to investigate and maybe find them organic and plastic-free. All Dutch supermarkets stock frozen strawberries. They are sold in…
All posts tagged Living in Amsterdam
First tasks: Dutch Tax Number
There are several necessary tasks to be undertaken when you move to a new country. But as once you have these in-hand then everything else can follow more slowly. One of the first tasks to undertake is obtaining a Dutch Tax number which is very important for everyday administrative life. Everyone living in The Netherlands…
Bridge Cooling
As the temperatures supposedly reach above 30 degrees the coming days, cyclists should be prepared for sudden big puddles and wet legs. The reason for this is ‘bridge cooling’ whereby the bridge authorities have set up a hose system and are actively watering any drawbridges. This may seem a little strange to foreigners but it…
Plastic Free in Grocery Shops
There’s a lot of talk about the negative impacts of plastic on the environment. The news tells us of water creatures with stomachs full of plastic and encouragement to try and reduce our single-use plastic. But how easy is it to avoid plastic when grocery shopping in Amsterdam? Fruit and vegetables are fairly easy to…
Your Amsterdam Bike
You only need to be in Amsterdam a short time before realising how important cycling is in this city. One of the first things both new arrivals and visitors sort out is getting hold of a bike. Swapfiets is a fairly new concept where you pay for long-term rental of a bike. If you have…
A Buzz in the Night
It’s been great to finally see some sunshine and to feel that eventually yes summer is coming! But with the good weather in the Netherlands come some rather annoying little night- time friends. This is especially true if you live anywhere near stagnant water. Since this can mean anything from being near a park, canal…