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Last posts

David Garrett in Berlin

Mónica Boixeda Berliner, Only-Be

Berlin is without any doubt, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe. In this city, you can easily find people from all over the world, of all colors, all sexual preferences and all styles. The German capital has the power to be very dynamic in its structure; you can scroll to the underground, S Bahn, buses, taxis, bicycles and walking without any problem. A tour of the various faces of Berlin is always entertaining and lively, and can be done at your own pace. The city continues to change, with new buildings and public spaces for its citizens and visitors. The significant influence of immigrants, students and tourists, make Berlin one of the most preferred places to spend spring and summer in Europe. If it comes to entertainment and nightlife, there are endless options. The wide variety of clubs and bars with live music in Berlin is quite long and has all the contrasts you´d expect from a big city. From electronic, rock, classical, jazz, experimental, all music is in its main streets and districts. Berlin has also been part of the “gentrifrication” affecting big cities, and clothing chains, boutiques, restaurants and well-known cafes have invaded many of its most popular venues. However this does not stop you to get to know this important city. The costs of food, lodging and entertainment, are still much lower in comparison to other European cities. A trip to Berlin can take your best seven days. And there are so many options to go for. A weekend won’t be enough. Your journey can start at the national museums; with a single three-day... read more

Queensday in Amsterdam

Nancy Guzman Amsterdammer, Only-Be, Things to do in Amsterdam

The 30th of April is Queensday in Amsterdam, the birthday of the Queen Mother. Despite that it´s special in Amsterdam, this festival is celebrated throughout the Netherlands with open-air parties and covering everything in orange. The first celebration of Queensday was on the 31st of August 1885, with the birth of Queen Wilhelmina. In 1949, sixty-four years later, they began to celebrate the birthday of Queen Juliana, April 30th, as a tribute of her coronation. Today, Queen Beatrix still celebrates this party, keeping the tradition in her mother´s honour. The party begins around 7pm and the city goes onto the streets, with everyone walking around Niuewmarkt and the Jordaan, open spaces that start the party on the street. There are plenty of parties, street salesmen, activities for children, DJs for young people and adults and classical music concerts. To summarise, there are activities for all ages. One of the most curious activities of this day is that you can buy all sorts of second hand objects because everyone has the right to go on the street and sell whatever they want, transforming the city into one big flea market. For that, many people set up stalls in the parks, on the sidewalks and even on the roads, and sell sweets, books and various interesting objects, because nobody pays tax on this day. The canals are full of boats of all shapes and sizes, where people celebrate Queensday (Koninginnedag in Dutch) with music, dancing and drinks. However, if there´s something that makes it special is the distinctive use of the colour orange. You can see people in orange wigs, t-shirts... read more

Health and travelling to Amsterdam

Mónica Boixeda Amsterdammer, Only-Be

When we prepare a trip abroad in advance, there´s plenty of daydreaming involved. The expectancies are ever present and that´s because the human being lives in the future a lot. Planning the places we´ll go to, the great time we´ll have and, to summarise, the thrill of the moments before the trip are pretty much all the occupies our mind. However, on a trip, like in any other time in our lives, setbacks are never far away. Losing a suitcase, an airline strike or falling ill are pretty common things and being prepared for them is the key to not frustrate ourselves and be well prepared for it. For example, if we´re enjoying a few wonderful weeks in Amsterdam and we catch the flu due to the difference in temperature, it´s important to have a doctor´s contact phone at hand to make an appointment, know the hospital addresses and also where the different pharmacies are. The webpage of the Dutch Health Office can be very useful, so writing down all of this information can be of great help. www.government.nl/ministries/vws#ref-minvws Another good piece of advice for travellers is that if they have a more or less serious and prolonged illness and are also receiving treatment for it, it´s important to have all the paperwork on our state regarding the illness and our medical records given by our doctor, because in case something happens, it´s important that the doctors can have direct and fast access to everything regarding our health. Bear in mind that you might not be able to explain yourself correctly, so you need to add this paperwork to your... read more