When we think of the internet today, we imagine a network that connect people, ideas, knowledge across the globe. In the 16th century, however, a different but equally informative network emerged in Europe: the printing press. For the first time in European history, texts could be reproduced quickly and distributed widely, connecting scholars, merchants and religious communities across borders.
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10 Ways to Stay Cool Naturally During the Summer
Although we all may long for a warm summer, when the temperature get too high, we look for ways to stay cool. Here in the Netherlands, we can have very warm summers too. Our summer might not be as long as in the Mediterranean area and even hotter countries, but we have pretty warm days […]
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Travelling with minors in Europe
If you travel with children in Europe you need to know that in case you are the only parent or adult taking a train or plane with your minor child or the minor child of a friend or family member, you should let the other parent or the parents fill out an authorisation form for […]
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Einen guten Rutsch!
When your German friends wish you a “Guten Rutsch!”, “Einen Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!” or say “rutsch guet übere” (Swissgerman), they don’t want you to “slide” or “slip” (rutschen=to slide; (aus)rutschen= to slip). They simply wish you a smooth start into the New Year. Can’t they just say “Gutes Neues Jahr”? Yes, they can […]
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Dutch and German: what do they have in common?
Learning a new language is always very exciting. Especially when the new language we’re learning is similar to one we already know. These similarities can be at different levels (phonetical, lexical, syntactical etc.). The Dutch language belongs to the West-German branch of the Indoeuropean languages and is actually close to German (and Swissgerman). [The simplified […]
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