In my childhood, I read a captivating story about a Dutch boy who saved his village from a flood. Walking along a dike, he notices water trickling through a small hole. Realizing that the leak may weaken the dike and inundate the village, he tries to stop it by plugging the hole with his finger and holding still until help arrives. That tale formed my earliest impression of the Netherlands—a resilient nation situated below sea level and that relied on man-made dikes for prote

Venice: gondolas passing beneath the Bridge of Sighs, which connects the Doge’s Palace with a former prison When I told my wife that I had planned three days in Venice, she looked at me in surprise. ‘Why three days? One day is enough,’ she said. She had been there before and knew what to expect: crowds around Piazza San Marco and the Rialto, expensive food, hot weather, and a maze of narrow streets with vibrant shopfronts. A gondolier taking visitors along the Grand Canal, Ve

Discover how to beat the tourist rush with this early morning, self-guided Amsterdam walking itinerary. Explore historic medieval canals, see the iconic Damrak architecture, and witness the famous leaning houses before the crowds arrive.