Sisters Sylvie and Loïse van den Heuvel host popular high tea events featuring 25 alpacas at their family business in Beverwijk. The venture is expanding to offer children's parties and specialized sessions for people with intellectual disabilities. Despite the proximity to food, the alpacas remain calm and do not disturb the guests' meals.
Construction company Heijmans is largely replacing traditional pile driving with drilling and screwing methods to reduce noise and vibration nuisance for nearby residents. This change will become the standard approach for projects in urban and rural areas to minimize the impact on the local environment.
Farmer Tom provides gardening advice on how to maintain annual summer flowers through October, recommending thorough watering over frequent small amounts. The tip comes in response to a reader from Alkmaar seeking advice on keeping plants healthy late into the season.
Dutch golfer Mike Toorop returned home from Austria after experiencing significant self-doubt during recent performances at the highest level of professional golf. Despite his usual confidence, Toorop admits the transition has been difficult and aims to rediscover his form. He looks to make a fresh start at the upcoming KLM Open in the Netherlands this week.
A group of residents from Haarlem has launched a national citizens' assembly on migration to address and reduce deep societal polarization on the issue. The initiative aims to involve approximately 175 randomly selected participants in structured discussions to bridge opposing views and strengthen democracy within the Netherlands.
Donald Pols, the director of the Dutch environmental organization Milieudefensie, has faced criticism for concealing his past involvement with a far-right group in South Africa for decades. Experts and psychologists explain that while early disclosure is recommended for reputation management, the psychological barriers to doing so are often significant.