We are Chris and Shae, an adventurous American couple with our lovable dog Tarlo. We recently made the exciting move to Europe, and we're thrilled to share our journey with you as we travel around and explore this incredible continent.
Join us as we dive into new cities, savor delicious foods, and discover hidden gems together. Whether it's exploring picturesque streets, visiting historical landmarks, or trying local delicacies, we’re always on the lookout for our next adventure.
Follow along for travel tips, food recommendations, and a glimpse into our life as we embrace new cultures and experiences. Subscribe and come along with us as we create unforgettable memories across Europe!
The carpet is absolutely stunning and so glad you guys got to see it! I see why you love Brussels so very much! It definitely would be a city I’d love to visit some day! The food always looks so amazing! 😉 what a fun getaway! 🩷
Thank you love! You would have loved it! I got so much content from that trip that the video could have easily been 30 mins, much too long but we had such great time. Thank you watching!!
Nice to see one of the fanciest parts of The Hague! FYI: the 'park' you show in the first part of the video isn't a park, despite the many trees. It is just a very wide street, in the form of a try-square (according to the dictionary, the dutch word is 'winkelhaak'). It is called Lange Voorhout; locally the emphasis is on the last syllable ('...hout'). You can recognize a visitor when the emphasis is laid in the syllable before it ('...voor...'), in line with standard Dutch. It is part of the king's procession on the third Tuesday of September, when on his way to the formal read of the government's programme for the next year. Set your video to record it from approx. 12:00 to around 15:00 if you want to see some Dutch pomp, or join the crowd weather permitting of course. The USA embassy building there is its former embassy. The embassy is now in a different location just adjacent to the The Hague municipality, mainly because it could be better secured. So if you need to visit the USA embassy in NL, look up its current location first... Lots of stories to tell about the Lange Voorhout, it's immediate surroundings and buildings. In old city maps you can see this street already in the 16th century, if memory serves me well !
Thanks for all this info Eric! So helpful. I dont think I've heard of a try-square before. The procession is coming up, I'll have to let Chris know about it. Hopefully the weather will be nice. I had no idea the embassy was elsewhere! I was wondering why there weren't Marines outside, makes sense now. Wow! That's incredible! It sure was a beautiful area.
@@RiversRoamEurope A 'winkelhaak' is a tool where two straight pieces of metal are together at 90 degrees. Type 'winkelhaak praxis' in the google search field and it'll show many photo's of the item (in advertisements, but that is not my intention; it's just where to find pictures of it). Try-square is the translation both my old paper dictionary and Google translate offered.
It looks like you went to the south beach (zuiderstrand). Scheveningen beach is more north at the other end of the harbour. When you saw the sign "Scheveningen" That's the Duindorp part of Scheveningen. Duindorp is a neighbourhood of Scheveningen which is a district of The Hague. This beach you went too is known by the inhabitants of The Hague as the quite beach. The actual Scheveningen beach is far more crowded in the summer. Most families tend to go to the quite beach. Great to see the Fahrenheitstraat. That's my old neighbourhood. Nice video as always.
The quite beach was so perfect for us and especially Tarlo! We can't go to the Scheveningen beach with Tarlo, he's not allowed on the beach :-( but we want to check out the area.
What an absolute gorgeous beach and love the trails they have there. Reminds me a lot of ludington state park here in Michigan. Tarlo looked like he had the very best time. Loved seeing him in the sand. Oh my gosh that Cesar salad looks absolutely amazing! Glad you all got to enjoy the beach. 💚💚 thanks for taking us along with you.
This was the dog beach which is obviously where we will go since Tarlo can run and play like he has no cares in the world 🥰 thats cool that Michigan has a similar coast! I had no idea. Im so glad you enjoyed it!
The entire coastal strip is called Scheveningen, formerly a separate village but has been part of The Hague for a long time. Where you were it is called the southern beach and it is also a lot quieter there in the summer than around the boulevard. In the winter it can REALLY storm there
Maybe you can rent a transportation bike (bakfiets) first to try out, or go to a bicycle shop and tell them about you're doubts concerning your dog and ask them if you can try if it's suitable for you.
Coffeeshops?? You mean café. For headache and beginning migraine helps me 2 herring without additions. By the time you finish the 2nd you're good to go (at least try, its healthy too)😊
Oh, The Mega Stores..., sorry, that really is the worst place to go shopping there is in The Hague. For fun shopping it is better to go to "De Fred" in Scheveningen (Frederik Hendriklaan) Alternative for a shopping mall... "Westfield Mall of the Netherlands". I don't like shopping malls, but this one is certainly a lot better. And if you want to visit a real pet shop, you should go to 'Avonturia De Vogelkelder'. I just don't know if your dog is allowed in there. Truly an adventure, how many pet stores do you know that have flamingos in the store for example.
You can also have groceries delivered to your home. Almost all supermarkets have a website where you can order their products. For a few euros they will bring it to your front door. And in terms of food, you should also try the Indonesian ones although the vegetarian options are somewhat more limited there.
Thank you for that tip! I have seen some of the AH trucks around and the Pic Nic ones too but good to know. Someone else suggested we try the Indonesian food too. We just tried one recently (coming soon in a video) and holy moly! Ive never in my life had such amazing Indian food ever!!!!
@@RiversRoamEurope Indonesia (which we are talking about here) and India are two different countries. There are also some Indian restaurants, but who have Indonesian foot can be found everywhere in the Netherlands. By the way, India also has delicious, predominantly vegetarian food. So you can't go wrong 😆
A few days in the Netherlands and already complaining about the weather. That is very normal, as does every Dutch person, there is more to complain about, but everyone always complains about the weather here... 😊
What a beautiful forest stroll. Lots of lush greenery and that palace oh my gosh so stunning. Loved all the wood cravings and cute forest playground for the kiddos. This looks like a place I’d venture to a lot. Your food looked so good as well. Thanks for sharing your little venture with us. ❤
Good to see you found the "Haagse Bos". Except for the palace it has remained a forest since forever, thanks to some old decree. Likewise, the large rectengular grass field is protected by an ancient decree (16th century if memory serves me well) to remain just that. It is known as the "Malieveld". It is used for demonstrations, temporary circus locations, events like The Hague had the largest pasar malam of the country. The deer park is known as the "Koekamp". Just FYI...
@@RiversRoamEurope About 15 fallow deer and 15 red deer. The cabinet, with the support of parliament, has decided that from the year 2024 no breeding or supplementation will be allowed in deer camps in the Netherlands. As a result, the 250 deer camps in the Netherlands will eventually disappear. De Koekamp is one of them. There will probably be other animals. The name Koekamp was derived from bullfights on the veranda within high wooden fences, which took place until the end of the fifteenth century.
@@RiversRoamEurope There will still be wild deer on the Hoge Veluwe, for example, but you will rarely encounter them there in the wild because they are quite shy
"European kitchens"... she knows them all , are " simple"... says an American privileged to finally see a modern concept kitchen not made from tacky plywood and bulging fridges , I leave this channel NOW.
@RiversRoamEurope even though the tone of that comment was totally uncalled for and I like your toned-down response, you may want to be a little more mindful before using generalising (bordering on condescending) statements like the one you used to characterise that kitchen. There are enough ignorant Americans going around Europe on YT spouting unfounded generalised 'truths' about 'Europe'. I reckon you don't want to be placed in that category.
What a gorgeous day it looked like and wow those salads and whipped feta! Yum! Nothing like that here in the states that’s for sure. Oh my gosh, you found my favorite store. Never would have thought they had one in the Netherlands but so cool. I adored the palace. What a beautiful park they have next to it. Can’t wait to see part two! 😉
I agree, I dont remember ever seeing whipped feta on a menu in the states. Hahaha I couldn't believe they had it here either! It was a lovey park! We loved sitting in the shade by the water.
The salads look so yummy! Oh btw, if you love roses then I recommend the Westbroek park (june-november), a big park with many roses in different colors. A nice park where I often go to is Landgoed Ockenburgh. And Kijkduin beach is also nice (a little bit less crowded than Scheveningen)
Try the Dutch tap water, it’s delicious and safe to drink. There really is no need to buy packaged water besides the times you are on the go and forgotten your reusable water bottle.
The Hague has so much parks and forrest not to mention the dunes. I recomend the Scheveningse Bosjes. Westduinpark and Park Clingendael. Zuiderpark is also worth visiting. You'll love it there
Lovely video. New subscriber. It does everything to confirm my memory of life in the Netherlands as a more tranquil and civil. Granted you went to one extreme (garden/sculpture park) to the other (hello! shoe store) but it still came off as a good way to spend a day.
I am sure you pay a lot of money to stay in that apartment. Thats how they rip off al the foreigners. The real Netherlands and The Hague is way different. Take a look in Transvaal and the Schilderswijk.
Dear people of this video. I started watching this as I was curious how foreigners experience the first few days in my city/ country. I always love that. And I learn new things about my own city🎉 But then... you showed us your home and I was really taken aback. I realise you are from another culture, and how you perceive things and communicate them are different than we do. However, I do want to share my first thoughts and feelings that came across my mind in those first 5 to 10 minutes. Just to let you see, and hopefully understand, that what you think and how you communicate things is perceived rude in the Netherlands. Now, I communicate this to you in a very Dutch way. Be aware, it's direct. I will immediately tell you how your comments make me feel. So please don't take this as rudeness, but as a Dutch way of letting you know 'hey, this is not okay, these are the reasons why not so you can learn and adjust yourself, and then you will be able to connect to the culture and perhaps one day become a part of it'. Dutch directness is way of giving feedback, to make you reflect about yourself/ situation you are in, to give you a chance to adapt. So the bluntness of us is actually a way of trust building. So there we go. Below, you will find my direct thoughts. I hope my introduction of Dutch culture helps to accumulate them😂: 2 minutes in.... you are calling this a simple kitchen. You should be ashamed. What I am seeing is pure luxury, only affordable to the elite and lucky few. Your washing room isn't small. It is huge. Plus, you have a washing room. 99% of the people don't have that. Little garden? Little (private) parking spot?! Like.... what? It is really big.... please stop calling everything little. You are really overstepping yourself here, making everything Dutch small and unimportant. Are you not aware you have moved into another culture? That The Netherlands are as big as a post stamp? That we have to make do with what we have? Who are you to put us down so much? It's giving me the feeling you are not realising you are in an elite position, in another country. In a very large and luxurious home. It comes across as ignorant. The house you have is not something most of us can afford. I am 40, worked in pharma, and even as an (ad interim) director, I was not able to buy a house or afford a rental place with a bedroom. Instead, I got a studio (a one room apartment with just a staircase bathroom with toilet) without sunlight but with lots of moulds. So I was already in an elite position (with the job and salary) and even I could not afford a 'normal' house. Most of us don't know how to make ends meet and live on the 12th floor looking out to another concrete building. The area in which you are living is only for the rich and some social housing initiatives. Or people who have lived there since the 80's/90's. Those were my thoughts....I hope you take them in and learn from it. That you may enjoy my city and country as you were already doing on your first strolls! Best of luck and one day we might actually come across each other, I don't live that far from you guys. Tchau
Thank you for your comments and thoughts. I appreciate you trying to educate us because those are things we did not know. I understand how my comments may have come across but I hope you know, that wasn't my intention. We made this channel for our friends and family to follow our journeys and this video blew up, which neither of us were expecting. Had I known that the whole world would be watching it, I would have used other language. We are incredibly grateful and thankful to living in this space, surrounded by a beautiful garden. That is something we do not take for granted. Cheers
@@RiversRoamEurope I think this exchange is a little bit funny, and is quite indicative of a typical exchange between Americans learning about the Netherlands, and the Dutch, who are -- by character -- used to correcting a perceived wrong. I just discovered your channel, and am happy to see this video "blowing up" ... IMHO there are LOTS of Americans like me who are very curious about those who have made the leap to Europe and especially NL. A big congratulations on the move, and on your channel. @vickymaaskant6784 There's a popular TV show here in North America called "Househunters International" which, as the name indicates, followers 'adventurous' people from outside the EU and their search for a home in various places. Predictably, like clockwork, the home shoppers comment on "HOW SMALL" the kitchen, bath, house, yard, etc. etc. is. It's so cringy to watch because as you say... it's a little insulting and it makes it seem as if the person has done zero research. It happens in NL, Germany, France, the U.K... I'm not trying to justify the comment, but am asking for an understanding that it is a common 'first reaction'. You are right to call it out. I hope to continue to see your comments. I love the Dutch approach: direct, blunt, honest, polite and thorough.
@@RiversRoamEuropedon't listen to that person. I myself did not get insulted by your comments. When I saw the kitchen I said that kitchen is a mismatch it doesn't suit the house imo and I understand why you called it simple because it is quite simple and there is nothing wrong with it. I wouldn't call it luxurious because it is not. That person is just complaining because that's a typical Dutch thing to do and that parking spot was small do don't know why they got so butthurtef about it. And I understand that everything IS smaller than the states and that person knows so I don't understand their need to complain in an unpleasant way and calls it Dutch directness. What a weird person. Just say whatever you want however you want it, you can do that in the Netherlands. That is your right! Hope you enjoy our country.
@@Dija-says-freePalestine I really appreciate you saying all of this! Truly. I'm learning to not take these kind of things to heart since not many people are good at giving others grace. Thank you!!!!!
You are alowed to speak in a normal voice in The Netherlands. Tell you companion to get rid of the ridiculous cap. Look around you, nobody uses baseball caps here. Especially middle-aged folks don't.
Um, Im not sure what you mean by speaking in a normal voice. The only time I change my voice is when I'm speaking to Tarlo. I will not tell him that. He is allowed to wear what he wants. I actually counted 9 men wearing "baseball caps" this morning while on a walk.
Thanks so much! As Americans, we are able to stay in a country for 90 days without a visa. But we are in the process of getting our visa's since we will be living here for a least a year ;-) (we may or may not stay here after a year, no set plans as of now. If we do move, it will be to another country)
Forget the horrible Megastores! Don´t forget to visit the Piet Heinstraat in the Zeeheldenkwartier. There are lots of nice shops, restaurants and cafe´s.
Zoutmanstraat, prins hendrikstraat, piet heinstraat. All three are pretty cool streets lots of little shops cafes etc. I also love anna paulowna plein for lunch. Frederikstraat tiny street across the denneweg. 🎉❤
The falafel place is call Falafel & Hummus, hahaha not the most original ;-) but it's delicious! The lunch place, what were we eating? That'll help me figure out which place it was.
The bush at 5:55 is a Fuchsia. It's the type that can have a little frost, which there isnt much of because you live close to the sea. In a very harsh winter it might freeze and has to grow all over again from the ground.
@@RiversRoamEurope when you want a walk around in your new city with a hagunees and interested in historic and beautiful places, i will show you around for for free go to Mesdag Panorama, Escher museum, the likes.
Megastores failed from the start. Too close to downtown and too far from the new districts. Good place if youre with a car though cause theres always parkingspace 😂 theyre planning to tear it down and build appartments. The entire area overthere used to be industrial and theyre rebuilding it as a normal district but its all so slow...
The Noordeinde Palace you saw on your left is being used as the official workplace of King Willen-Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima. They live in another palace in The Hague, called Huis ten Bosch which means House in the Woods and lies in a wooden section of The Hague. The statue infront of the palace is William of Orange and was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces (which later became the Netherlands) in 1648. Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he is also known as Father of the Fatherland. You could say he is the founding father of the Netherlands.
