Claudia's Treats&Tours

25/08/2025

For too long, I was absent from this page. I will try to reconnect with those of you who follow it, and I will start with the most recent postcard published on my brand new website and blog. A postcard from Amsterdam, a click away from you.

 “It is so peaceful. That is freedom!”, says Arjan, who sits next to me. It is August 20th, 2025, and the Sail-in is in full action. We left the old harbour of Amsterdam quite early. We aimed to find the best place along the North Sea Canal to enjoy the Sail-in. We waited 10 years for it. E

03/06/2025

A trip to Groenveld Castle, about 30-35 km from Amsterdam, is definitely worth the effort. A walk on the estate is far from boring.

I called them 'talking trees' —perfect for being cast in a Harry Potter movie.

20/03/2025

It is that time of the year again: Keukenhof is open to visitors!
The theme this year is "The power of Flowers". How powerful can the flowers be?

Here are some images from today, the sunny windless perfect day to start the new season. The flowers are beautiful, and the art is amazing!

01/10/2024

What a wonderful note from the family I guided during the last two days. Not only their wonderful words made me happy, but also the fact that they hand-written everything. In an almost fully digitized world, such a note says more than the words on this piece of paper. Thank you so much!

20/03/2024

For some time an idea occupied my thoughts: stories about the cookies of the Netherlands. It starts today, with the cookie of the city of Leiden. It will always be part of a tour in Leiden.

There are about 10.000 words in American English with roots in the Dutch language. And one of those is COOKIE. It comes from the Dutch word KOEKje, brought by the Dutch colonists in the 17th century. It is a reason enough for me to start a series about the cookies…

14/03/2024

Strolling today through a market in Amsterdam, I found some old commercials of how the Netherlands attracted tourists in the past. The one for Paris clearly differs from the one for New York.

And, because Keukenhof will open again next week, I thought let's look for some old commercials for the greatest spring park in Europe. Take a look at the '50s.

Old funny times.

18/01/2024

From mid-March these fields will be full of flowers, colorful and joyful. For now, they are still sleeping under a dust of snow, which is quite rare in the Low Lands.