When island hopping comes to mind, it's easy to think of places like Greece or the Caribbean. But this activity is also possible in the Netherlands. Ever heard of Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog? These are the islands located in the Wadden Sea, which also happens to be a World Heritage Site since June 2009.

What can you do there? Texel, the largest of the islands, hosts the nature center Ecomare, which is located within the seventy-acre Dune Park. You can visit one of the tallest lighthouses in the Netherlands (236 steps high, on Ameland) or visit the seal colonies on Terschelling. If you visit in the warmer months you might even spot some baby seals. As with any visit in the Netherlands you can also cycle around the islands and enjoy nature.

In the summer, from Amsterdam you can make use of the Eilandhopper, or Island Hopper. This service provides sailing trips between three and six days long.

Not many visitors to the Netherlands find the information about special trains that run in the winter to ski destinations in France, Austria and Switzerland. These trains start running at the beginning of December and continue weekly service until around the end of March. Many are high speed trains with few stops and plenty of luggage space for your ski luggage.

The popular line for winter wonderlands in the French Alps is known as the Ski-Thalys. This sleek train runs from December 18th until March 20th, leaving every Saturday. Direct connections include the ski hubs of Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers Aime-la-Plagne, Landry, and Bourg St Maurice. Add to that a list of other ski resorts reachable via a bus transfer, all of which make the Ski-Thalys an easy and useful way to take a ski trip starting from somewhere in the Netherlands.

Read the full details of the Ski-Thalys and other ski trains on the NSHispeed website. As is always the case with Thalys trains, if you book a month in advance it is far cheaper then if you book less then a week before your departure.

Running around the internet, through the magic of social media, I learned about an impressive project someone did using old WWII era photos of Amsterdam and splicing them with photos from today. The result is a color and image mix that not only shows you the impressive similarities and differences between then and now, but also shows you what was a very difficult time living in Nazi occupied Amsterdam.

The creator, a self proclaimed retronaut, explains on the site that he got the idea when he got some old negatives at a flea market, and then decided to go to those places and take a photo now. His work is worth seeing. It also makes me think to try some of the flea markets around town and see if I cant find some old photos for my own retronaut experiment.

Here is an example of his work, follow the link to see all the photos:

I have a confession to make, I have never been to the Wadden Islands, not even the most famous one: Texel. This confession is disappointing, I know, especially when you consider that adults and children, virtually anyone who has ever set foot on Dutch soil, has most likely taken time to visit the Islands up north.

My guilt and curiosity for this region is so deep, that i find myself researching the trip for when I finally make it up there.. which I intend to do this November. Nature walks, historical landmarks, traditional culinary delights; the Wadden Islands are not only choc full of activities, they also seem to be a really healthy and revitalizing destination. How do I know? I'll refer back to the fact that almost everyone in the Netherlands has been there, so all I have to do is listen to the conversations around me.

To further inspire a trip up north, I'm posting a few fine photos I found on flickr from the "Waddeneilanden". (all photos are CC Licensed click for more photos)

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This is your chance to go to Amsterdam! Check out the contest tab on the Holland Facebook page (or laugh at some of the hilarious entries!). All you have to do is Go Orange for Holland and upload a picture of yourself displaying your orange spirit for the final World Cup match. The most stunning display of orange-hued flair will win two tickets to Amsterdam (from any major international airport). The contest started yesterday and ends on Tuesday at noon - the grand prize winner will then be chosen by public vote.

Temperatures keep going up over here in the Netherlands, set to hit 30C (86F), which for this part of the world is quite dramatic. Naturally with all this hot weather, people are flocking to the beaches. With so many people heading to the coastline, you're unlikely to find a beach that isn't packed. Still there are ways to find something off the beaten path, and here is one of my favorites:

From Amsterdam Central Station take the train to Alkmaar, if memory serves it is around a 40 minute ride. In Alkmaar find the bus outside the station that will take you to a town called Bergen. In Bergen what I like to do is rent a bike for the day (about 8€) and ride through the dunes. The dunes are awesome and there are a few choice spots to stop and have a drink.

Once you're through the dunes you arrive at the beach, Bergen aan Zee. A nice beach that is by no means private, but potentially with a bit more space for you and your towel. Plus this fine beach has plenty of activities and places for you to grab food and drink. All the ingredients for a great beach day on hot Holland days.

Schiphol airport is full of fun treats - museums, a casino, lots of shops and plenty of food and drink. But they're now offering a new, more educational option: the world's first airport library! From Expatica:

The project is being set-up by the ProBiblio Dutch public library organisation with money from the ministry of education, culture and science. According to project leader Dick van Tol, the collection will be very diverse. "It will be a multimedia venture and will include different aspects of Dutch culture. There won't just be books, but also films and music."

To appeal to a more global audience, most materials will be in English. And although travelers can't take away library materials (that would be tricky!) there are some digital materials available for download.

Look for the airport library to open at the beginning of July.

Greetings from Novosibirsk, Russia, where my trans-Siberian journey continues. Watching the news in between stops and cities Im traveling through, obviously I know all about the trouble with the volcanic ash and the airline industry all over Europe. Strangely enough this happens at a time when Im traveling almost everyday across Russia... except that my travels are by bus and train.

All this reminds me of the great transport network of trains and buses we have in Europe, so that even when airplanes are not an option, there are ways! Unfortunately few people travel 36 to 40 hours by train as Im about to. Busy lives and limited time does not seem to allow for it. Me, I've got a date with the Trans-Siberian... next stop.. Irkutsk and lake Beikal, the deepest lake in the world!

See you all on the other side.... of Siberia.

Ok well its not a direct connection; Greetings from Siberia! Yes we trippists aren't always in the Netherlands, like any good .NL residents, we travel. In keeping with that tradition, Im traveling through Siberia, and I wanted to share a few nuggets of wisdom regarding the process of getting from the Netherlands to Russia.

Traditionally in the travel world, people love to make jokes about Aeroflot Russian airlines. This might be because in the past there have been accidents, or because with such a large country they have to cover alot of territory and they've surely got some old planes in service.

That said, if you travel from Amsterdam or, for example, Paris on an Aeroflot plane to Moscow, you'll find yourself on a very new plane and met with extremely good service. Perhaps it is because of the bad reputation they gained since the end of the USSR, or perhaps they had a management epiphany - whatever the reason, we traveling from Europe to Russia are benefiting.

In summary, if you are someone planning a trip to Amsterdam, and then thinking to continue on to Russia.. first.. I admire your taste in travel. Second, don't ignore aeroflot, their prices might work for you and the service if definitely on the rise. Once you get into Russia and take a domestic flight.. well... Ill save that for another post!

You've heard the announcements before, it was popular in the early '00's for city's around the world to announce they were going to have free wifi citywide. Then the years went by and companies pulled out of the projects, went out of business, or they turned it into a pay-only wifi option.

This week the city of Rotterdam announced that they're getting back into the free public wifi game. As of January 2010, next month, anyone on the street in the city center, will be able to access the citywide wifi system. They haven't mentioned any limitations on this system other than the fact that for those indoors, the signal will not work or will be weak at best.

I'm especially happy about this as in previous years I've heard from tourists who have their laptops or wifi-enabled mobile devices who are looking for a specific address in Rotterdam but could not find a convenient place with open wifi. Looks like the wait is almost over, next thing you know we will all be sitting around in public parks and street corners checking our email and updating facebook.