Café ‘t Mandje – Amsterdam.
Not many drinking dens are of such cultural importance that their interior is reproduced in a national museum but Café ‘t Mandje is one…
Feline fine – the greatest bar cats from the lowlands
Amsterdam bar cats are an institution, adored by the clientele, with certain felines so celebrated they even have their own website. Some put it…
Arie, Café Krom – Amsterdam
Such is Arie’s fame that he has been known to reduce certain barmen to hissy fits of jealously. Why does no one ever enquire…
Sjef – Café de Doelen, Amsterdam
It’s possible that Sjef is related to his predecessor, a humungous ginger tom with a foul temper. In Sjef the ginger is combined with…
Museum of Bags and Purses – Amsterdam
Despite being named as one of the world’s top ten fashion museums, for some reason Amsterdam’s wonderful Museum of Bags and Purses still appears…
Max Havelaar – the book that killed colonialism?
Unless you were born in The Netherlands or Indonesia the name Multatuli probably means nothing to you, yet in 2002 the Society for Dutch…
Finding chocolate heaven in Brussels – a guide to the best makers in the city
Brussels, as any aficionado can tell you, is the world capital of chocolate. Home to a bevy of culinary wizards whose divine creations can…
Belgium’s Best Kept Secret
Dandoy is possibly one of Belgium’s best kept secrets. Their delectable biscuits have been keenly devoured for generations, but until 2012 there wasn’t even…
The Music of Françoise Sagan
Mention Françoise Sagan and the first thing that springs to mind is inevitably Bonjour Tristesse, her debut novel which caused a sensation in its…
Bécassine – The world’s first comic strip heroine
When the Nazis entered Paris in 1941 and began their systematic cultural purges it seems somewhat unbelievable that one of their primary targets was…