The Dream City Hotel - Holland's Finest

The enchanting Hotel Des Indes

Save for the Waldorf Astoria, Ritz or one of the impeccable Four Seasons' addresses, Hotel Des Indes stands out as the best city hotel the Netherlands have to offer. Well, in my opinion of course.

Situated on 'Europe's most beautiful avenue', Hotel Des Indes is a haven of luxury in the hart of The Hague. The yellow façade of this five star deluxe retreat embraces you even before you enter.

My wife and I spent an enchanting day and magical night here to celebrate our fifth anniversary. A swift check in followed by some complimentary Pouilly Fumés (for me) and lemon verbena tea (from Thieme's Echte Thee) on the narrow but stylish terrace overlooking the Lange Voorhout, kicked off our stay at the Des Indes.

The newly refurbished hotel also features a 315-square-metre health club that has it all: swimming pool (which is actually a small plunge pool with jet stream), gym, spa and beauty salon. Between a city walkabout and dinner at restaurant Maxime we took the opportunity to try the pool, take a steam bath and experience the Swedish sauna in the basement that used to house the kitchen. An exclusive experience of total relaxation.

The most attentative service (in any case alien to Holland), impeccable interiors and exteriors on a dream location in the Royal City equals sheer bliss!

   

The Dream Workout - Hula Hoops

Not long ago, my lovely wife was browsing the web for a decent hula hoop. "A thorough but fun workout", she read somewehere and decided to immediately look for a shop in Amsterdam. Hard to find I must say. She later checked out some sites but left it at that.

Yesterday though, I accidentally passed by a shop on one of the outskirts of Amsterdam selling professional hula hoops and bought one for her.

In the evening she gave it a first and within minutes she got the hang of it. Even with her current physique (which is quite fit), the next day every inch of her upper body was sore, which is a good thing I guess. But next video will keep her focussed (or so she told me): Lisa Lottie Hula Hoops. I will post an update whenever she's ready to shoot a short movie ;-).

The Dream Folding Knife - An Original Laguiole

The artisanal Laguiole folding knife

A knife like no other.

Now I have to admit that the romantic story of (I think it was) Mart Smeets - a well known Dutch sports presentor - ending up on a meadow in France during the Tour de France, left me curious. His car broke down and some farmers approached him and asked if they could be of any assistance. When it was lunchtime they invited him to share a meal with them on one of the fields nearby. A long table was set out by the women and they all got seated. What immediately struck him as strange was the fact that only forks were handed out to the men. The women got both forks and knives. Right after the cutlery was handed out, all the men pulled out their own Laguiole knives, which they used for basically any purpose imaginable, as one of the younger farmers explained to him later.







The Laguiole knife, an 19th century juxtapose between the Spanish Navaja knife and the Capuchadou (from the Aubrac region), since conquered the world with it's sleek and sexy lines. My next Laguiole purchase would be a collection of table knives (see above). Whether it be a simple and sober knife, a champagne sabre or a rosewood set corkscrew, you can only but admire the outstanding piece of craftmanship.

The Dream Family Resort - Martinhal, Portugal

Family Resort Martinhal, Portugal

As parents of two my wife and I are increasingly focused on family resorts in Europe for our next vacation. Even with plenty of family resorts to choose from (like ClubMed and other 'labels'), finding a destination that fits most of our demands, just isn't that easy. Some months ago I found a story on Martinhal in the weekend's copy of the FT, highlighting the advantages of the newly built resort on one of the outskirts of Europe.

With a variety of accomodations to choose from, services tailored to every possible sort of guest (like complimentary pampers or professional daycare) and breathtaking surroundings, I guess Martinhal is exactly what we've been looking for and we should start saving up...for next year!

Why don't you see for yourself here?

The Dream Pre-School Bike - Early Rider

Early Rider® is a British company based in Henley. Their approach to design, engineering and safety is utterly without compromise and it’s what sets them apart. They produce fantastic pre school bikes that take a fun, systematic and safe approach to teaching young children to ride.

I found them on coolhunting.com and immediately had to have one for Cost Center #3: Felippe (picture right). Turned two a month ago, it would suit him just fine so I ordered one for his birthday. I couldn't have been more jealous when the box containing the semifinished bike arrived. High quality materials, mouth-watering design and a straight A for safety. I still have to get a helmet for him though, even if that's not standard procedure in the Netherlands; nobody wears helmets here when cycling!

The Dream Dress Label - Oh la La Dress

My wife came home yesterday evening with a dress by upcoming Dutch label La Dress. As usual when having bought something to complement her wardrobe, she was smiling. She had a private shopping date at the label's HQ with a friend of hers. It basically came down to fitting dresses without the high street, Saturday afternoon bustle. A few wines and canapés later, she ended up buying this crepe de chine, silk baby doll.

It seems they have an almost unlimited variety of styles and colours to choose from.

Good Lord, she found a new fetish...again! Come to think of it, in La Dress' case (commercially one of the best labels with ditto website so far in women's apparel), they probably found my wife first.

In above picture she's wearing her Helmut Lang slippers (note the rather unusual juxtapose: a crocodile strap in front playfully combined with a rubber band back sling).

The Dream Tuna Salad - Don't Forget Ortiz

Best of the Best: Ortiz Tuna

Summer is just around the corner. Spending lazy days in the park or on the beach (is that even possible with kids?) is always something to look forward to. Trying new (beach)restaurants for lunch or going all out preparing good food and drinks at home and taking it to a park or beach. A simple Caesar salad or tuna salad on the beach complemented by a crisp wine can easily equal an unforgettable lunch experience at some uptown restaurant (which we always enjoy).

We have some sort of 'simple' signature salad we tend to make more often than not:

Lettuce, fried chestnut mushrooms, slices of freshly peeled tomatoes, grated Parmigiano cheese, croutons (dices of fresh white bread fried in aioli), a fine chopped onion, slow cooked eggs (75 min @ 64°C), crispy bacon, and most importantly: Ortiz tuna - the best canned tuna in the world! Sprinkle some vinaigrette and lemon juice before serving.