I spent most of December 1990 in Europe after travelling for two months in southern Africa. I arrived at Zurich, courtesy of a cheap around-the-world fare booked with a former school friend who became a travel agent. Having met some young Swiss people in Zimbabwe, I stayed with them for a few days while I [...]
Netherlands goes to pot
One of the more bizarre news stories I’ve read in a long while surfaced today when it came out that tobacco smoking has been banned in Dutch cafes and restaurants, but marijuana is still okay. I’m half Dutch, but the country today is nothing like the one my mother and grandparents left in the 1950s. [...]
More Dutch than Irish
St Patrick’s Day came and went. Because of the early Easter, St Pat’s Day was actually moved to March 15 in many places. I don’t think many Aussies heard the official edict, because we still drank Guinness and green beer on March 17. Anyhow, it begs the question: how Irish am I? Gorey is an [...]
Dutch heritage
I’ve been browsing tonight for information about my grandmother’s family. She was a Zelen from Helden, Limburg, in the Netherlands. I haven’t been able to find much so far, I’m afraid. Please contact me if you can help. I did learn however, that this is the flag of the municipality of Helden. The municipality includes [...]
Looking for Dutch ancestors
My mother was born in the Netherlands province of Limburg with the German surname of Wassenberg. We have a detailed family tree on her father’s side tracing back to the 1600s. With my current subscription to www.ancestry.com.au I have explored some of the female lines branching out from various generations. Again, I have been able [...]
