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midnightiscoming-kasabian · 5 years

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Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno tells us about his debut solo album as The S.L.P.: “I’ve been completely reborn”

Jun 21, 2019

"This isn't Kasabian. It's a completely different sport"

Kasabian guitarist Serge Pizzorno has described his upcoming debut solo album as The S.L.P. as an exercise in freedom and the opportunity to show the world an “updated self-portrait.”

Last month, the guitarist and songwriter surprised fans last when he shared his debut solo track ‘Favourites’ – a collaboration with Little Simz. The rave-inspired ‘Nobody Else‘ followed, before a full album and UK/European tour was announced today – also featuring special guest slowthai.

“I’ve been describing the album as an updated self-portrait,” Pizzorno told NME at a playback of the record, following a Q&A between himself and comedian Noel Fielding. “There are three tracks following this ‘meanwhile’ concept in the beginning, middle and end. The tunes in between kind of make up the story. It’s always fascinated me that during the ‘meanwhile’ you can be here, but somewhere completely different. I tuned into that then filled in the gaps.

“I was delving into my personality, then dialling it up.”

So what does the album tell us about the real Serge Pizzorno in 2019?

“I’m feeding into the media, I’m feeding into myself, and I’m feeding into everything that’s around me,” he replied. “It’s what is coming into my brain. It feels like Britain, it feels like me, it feels like where I started, where I am and where I’m going. I’m on this journey – we all are.”

As for the sound, Pizzorno drew on a number of genres – from dance music, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, indie and “skits on hip-hop records”.

“This time I ditched instruments and just made sounds with my voice, nicked sounds off the telly, nicked sounds off the net and just made stuff,” Pizzorno continued. “I was just recording the underground, recording tables and just finding sonics to strip away the layers and have a new sound.”

The inspiration behind ‘Favourites’ was also borrowed, after he heard two girls discussing dating apps while on a bus.

“This online persona is in the way of the real you,” Pizzorno told NME of the track. “They’re screaming out inside you but you can’t be that person. You have to be the perfect version of yourself, and none of us are.

“Behind closed doors we’re all as ridiculous, beautiful and crazy as everyone else. But to the world you have to show this performance. It takes us even further away from who we really are.”

Would it be fair to say that The S.L.P is the most exaggerated version of Pizzorno himself?

“Yes, it’s true! Exactly, exactly, exactly.”

After admitting that he’s already in the process of writing the next Kasabian album, Pizzorno said that he feels so invigorated by the process of making his solo record that the energy is bound to feed back into the band.

“What’s exciting for me is that I’ve been completely reborn,” Pizzorno says. “It’s reminded me of why I wanted to be an artist. Why does anybody want to make anything? It’s that first moment when you can be anything you want. You’re not weighed down by expectation or what it should or needs to be. All of the other forces in your world slip away. When you’re sat there as a five-year-old kid, you get a bit of paper and you just draw, or you just pick up a guitar and you just draw. You don’t care what any of it’s about, you don’t care if it means anything, you just do it.”

He continued: “This has jogged my memory back to that.”

As for the upcoming tour dates, Pizzorno said that fans should expect the unexpected.

“Bullet point one is that the photo from the pit can not look like the band I’m in,” he added. “The band I’m in are pretty amazing at what we do, so why would I want to do anything like that? This is a different sport. I’m in a different game.

“Once you start clearing the tables, it gets pretty exciting. You start thinking ‘What can it be?’ Then your mind starts to race. Then you start to think, ‘Fuck, this could be exciting’. You’re gonna come to see it and think, ‘Fuck, I was not expecting that’. I will be like nothing I’ve done previously.”

The S.L.P.’s upcoming UK and European tour dates are below.

September 2019

5 – SWG3, Glasgow 6 – Albert Hall, Manchester 7– O2 Institute, Birmingham 9 – EartH, London 10 – EartH, London 12 – Circolo Magnolia, Milan 13 – Frannz, Berlin 16 – Paradiso Noord, Amsterdam

The S.L.P. is released on August 30.

Source: www.nme.com

#kasabian #sergio pizzorno #the s.l.p.#interviews #interviews 2019

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onestowatch · 6 years

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Feng Suave Flaunts Effortlessly Psychedelic Soul in “Venus Flytrap” Video [PREMIERE + Q&A]

Amsterdam-based duo Feng Suave are the dose of soulful, psychadelic pop that we all need. Fronted by two different Daniels, the up and comers have a relaxed yet sophisticated sound. Their self-titled debut EP quickly caught the attention of the industry, racking up 15 million streams across platforms and receiving praise from punk rock legend Iggy Pop. In the performance realm, Feng Suave sold out their first headline dates in both Amsterdam and London and are currently embarking on a tour across Europe and the UK.

“Venus Flytrap” is their first single since the EP, and doesn’t disappoint with dreamy production and delightfully offbeat lyrics. The accompanying video is equally satisfying, shot at a remote cottage in The Netherlands and complete with both vintage appeal and a modern touch.

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We caught up with Feng Suave before their tour to get the details on how they met, the benefits of being a duo and what they love about their fans.

OTW: How did you two connect?

Feng Suave: We actually met on a Dutch talent show. We weren’t exactly vibing with the show, or the environment, but one great take away was the fact that we met. We instantly dug each other’s music and ideas.

OTW: What do you love about being in a duo rather than a solo project?

Feng Suave: Ultimately we have had the benefit of our songwriting process gelling smoothly between just the two of us. We seem to complement each other and also hold each other accountable. Perhaps the best thing about it is the inspiration we draw from each other, that you might otherwise not get from doing it alone.

OTW: What's your dynamic like when you're songwriting together? Does it change depending on the song?

Feng Suave: It definitely changes song to song. Sometimes Daniel will write the instrumentation of an idea and then hum some rough lyrics or melody for Daniel to rework and lay a vocal track over. Other times, one of us will pen a vocal idea first and we will flesh it out together. We record and mix our music, for the most part, up on the third floor of a rickety old apartment that Daniel lives in. His room is like an old attic. Three floors below are the streets of Amsterdam’s red light district, and there’s tourists usually running around and yelling at all hours. Up in his room is a bit of a safe space, tucked away from the chaos, but sometimes we need to get out of the house and city altogether to drive some inspiration.

OTW: In terms of genre, you have a very specific blend to your sound. How did you find that distinct sound?

Feng Suave: Thanks! It would have to be mostly via the broad set of influences that have rubbed off on us. From a young age we’ve both listened to and taken inspiration from almost every style and genre. This project in particular is influenced as much by artists like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard as it is Myles Davis, Nina Simone and MF DOOM--and everyone in between.

OTW: What has been your favorite performance moment thus far?

Feng Suave: Definitely performing at Paradiso Noord, an amazing venue in our home city of Amsterdam. We played there in December to celebrate the release of “Venus Flytrap.” Playing at home is amazing. That said, we’ve had some incredible times on our first ever tour which recently took us to amazing spots like Paris, London, Berlin and Geneva. We love playing and are excited to add more performances to our personal highlights.

OTW: What do you love about your fans?

Feng Suave: Firstly it’s still kinda new to us that people are vibing our music to this extent, considering we are only new to making music and this project is very fresh. It’s always hard to know how people are going to view or respond to creative output, and we are just completely floored and humbled by the response so far. To answer your question, we have such a supportive fan base who are very active on our social media. They seem to always be supporting us and saying nice things.

OTW: The video for "Venus Flytrap" is in a very secluded spot, what gave you the inspiration for the location?

Feng Suave: We wanted to give the video a bit of an old school feel, but also ensure the vibe was a bit eerie. We felt this was a great representation of the song itself. It is also our first ever music video, so it’s the first chance for people to get a peak behind the curtain of our creativity in terms of a visual. We rented a cottage in the middle of a forest in The Netherlands. The house itself was perfect for it. Our close friends Bob, Pasqual and their amazing creative teams deserve all the kudos for the clip.

OTW: What's next for you two?

Feng Suave: Always writing music, and touring! We have about 20 shows announced today for the UK and Europe for this spring. It’s gonna be a busy year.

Q: Who are your Ones to Watch?

Feng Suave: There are far too many exciting upcoming artists to list here, but we’ll pick a few. Joviale ia an exciting new artist from the UK and Tora is an Australian band who took us out on our first ever shows in London and Amsterdam. There’s also an amazing Dutch rapper called Ray Fuego that you should check out.

Catch Feng Suave at their upcoming shows below:

FEB 20 2019 - Huset KBH, Copenhagen DK

FEB 22 2019 - Daze Days Festival, Stockholm SE

APR 04 2019 - Tweetakt Festival, Utrecht NL

APR 30 2019 - Boderline, London UK

MAY 02 2019 - Altstadt, Eindhoven NL

MAY 03 2019 - Muziekcafé, Enschede NL

MAY 04 2019 - Rotown, Rotterdam NL

MAY 07 2019 - Neues Schauspiel, Leipzig DE

MAY 08 2019 - Berghain Kantine, Berlin DE

MAY 09 2019 - Nochtspeicher, Hamburg DE

MAY 10 2019 - Etepetete Festival, Dortmund DE

MAY 11 2019 - Lotte Lindenberg, Frankfurt DE

MAY 13 2019 - AB Club, Brussels BE

MAY 15 2019 - The Rocking Chair, Vevey CH

JUN 01 2019 - Best Kept Secret Festival, Hilvarenbeek NL

JUN 18 2019 - Oerol Festival, Terschelling NL

#feng suave #venus flytrap #indie #pop #interview #soul

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thepropertylovers · 6 years

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Feature Friday with Wouter Hinrichd

Happy Friday! In this week’s Feature Friday, Wouter (pronounced WOW-ter) talks about his internal struggle with coming out, even though his older brother had already come out as gay and was accepted by their friends and family. Read on below to find out more about Wouter and his journey with self-acceptance.

Where are you from? I was born and raised in Groenveld (Noord-Holland), The Netherlands

Where do you live? I currently live in Deventer (Overijssel), The Netherlands

Instagram handle: @koenraadkulture

Age: I’m 21 years old

On an unforgettable trip: My favorite place I’ve ever traveled to is Curaçao! I study archaeology in Deventer, and a part of my education is that we have to do internships, which may take place in The Netherlands or abroad. Together with a really good friend of mine, Esther, we chose something very different than Holland and traveled to Curacao for an internship.

It was my first time really out of Europe (I had been to Turkey several times, but that is relatively speaking still close to home) and it was also the first time that I flew across the Atlantic! It was also my longest trip I’ve ever traveled, as I lived for three months there. Together with Esther, I had the time of my life! From swimming with sea turtles to climbing the St. Christoffel mountain and from dance party’s on the beach to help excavate a Caquetio-settlement site in the Midlands: It was something I had never experienced before. I’ve met a lot of great friends during this trip that I still speak with today. I think about this magical time on a daily basis, as it has made a real impact on me as a person and my perception of the world & what it has to offer. I learned a lot about myself on this trip, being away from home for so long. Sometimes bad things, but most of the time good things, like growing my self-confidence, which made this trip so special to me.

On always being curious: I have a lot of things I want to do in life, but for now, I think I would like to do a lot of traveling! There are so many places in the world I wish to visit, such as Japan, South-Africa, The US, and Australia. I’m really curious about what the world has to offer! I want to live in another country for a certain period! Or build out my carreer as a heritage young professional. It’s hard to choose one!

“My biggest obstacle in the process was that I dislike “Coming out”. I always thought: “Why does society expect me to do that? Straight people don’t have to come out as straight!’”

On coming out: Well… I remember it as a struggling time. Not because of fearing the reaction from the people close to me, because I knew my friends and family wouldn’t mind, as they were always spoken out about supporting LGBTQ+. I knew this because my older brother had already come out as gay and the support he got was amazing.

It was an internal battle for me with society and things I didn’t understand. For most of my life, I’ve felt like a freak. I’m a bit of a weirdo and a nerd, which I nowadays really appreciate about myself. I didn’t really fit in, as far as I felt.

In high school, I knew that something was different, but I really couldn’t point out what it was. This is also the time that some people started picking on me for showing “The gay-stereotypes”. This frustrated me so much. I have never seen “being gay” as something that was bad, and it angered me that people could be so mean about people that had a different preference when it comes to love. As I got older, I knew that I wasn’t straight. Thank you, Josh Hutcherson, for portraying Peeta Melark in The Hunger Games, that was a real eyeopener!

My biggest obstacle in the process was that I dislike “Coming out”. I always thought: “Why does society expect me to do that? Straight people don’t have to come out as straight!”. I also didn’t wanted to validate the people who always called me gay, because I thought they didn’t deserve the feeling that they were right. I completely wanted to be in charge of this journey myself and in that mindset, I only told the people that are close to me. Others could find out later, “Not my problem”, I thought.

On being being able to express yourself: In that period of my life, I finally stood up for myself and just did what I wanted to do and not what people expected me to do. After I got comfortable with myself, I started to truly live my life. It maybe sounds dramatic, but this is how it feels to me. There was always something missing. Now I feel so much better and feel lucky that I can also talk about this time with my brother, who went through the same process, and with my parents and friends. I feel confident most of the time and it is just a wonderful feeling to have the abillity to fully express myself.

On having a support system: My family and friends are super supportive of me and they don’t mind at all. They don’t treat me differently! The worst I’ve had so far is person yelling at me and calling me names, but it was never someone I knew personally.

On interior design: I think I would describe my interior style as young, nerdy & modern, but also with a touch of tradition. I like bright colors and patterns, but I also like the simplicity of a white room where the furniture and objects speak for itself. As a student, I don’t have a big spending budget, so I own a lot of second-hand pieces. Because I have always been fascinated by history, I like to show pieces that have a story behind them or that have a personal connection to me.

On growing up gay in the Netherlands: I am very lucky to have grown up in The Netherlands. Most of society and politics are accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and feel comfortable with my sexuality in public life. Just as in any other country, The Netherlands also has it’s bullies, anti-LGBTQ+ parties and people who are strongly opposed to people that don’t fit in the heteronormative culture, but these form a small minority. in the beginning of coming to terms with my orientation, these people could really irritate me. Now I try not to spend too much of my time on them. In the wise words of Kimberly “Sweet Brown” Wilkins: ‘Aint nobody got time for that!’.

On religion: I’m irreligious. My parents wanted me and my brothers to choose our own faith (if we wanted to) based on our own beliefs. I chose not to, as I can’t find myself in a religion.

On life in the Netherlands. Life in The Netherlands is good! I am finishing up my bachelor's degree in archaeology at Saxion University with a research about the history of the Roman Empire in the Netherlands. I have a great room in my student lodging house, where I live with one other roommate. Deventer is a very old city with a lot of great shops, restaurants, and bars. A lot of friends of mine are also studying archaeology and live in Deventer too! We often have a movie night at someone’s house or we go out for dinner and drinks. Every once in a while I’ll meet up with my friends to go out and dance in Amsterdam, Groningen or Utrecht, because Deventer doesn’t have that many clubs or bars with a dancefloor!

In the weekends, I travel back home to Groenveld to stay at my parents' house with my parents, brothers and our dog Risto! Groenveld, on the contrary to Deventer, is a very small village in the countryside, not far from the beach and the sea. I really like going there, because I can meet up with my high school friends and distance myself from the city life.

Noord-Holland has a lot of great spots to visit, like the beach, the duneforests or one of the old towns, so I like to go out on road trips with my best friend Marijn to hit these places up! We always have a blast and talk about gay-stuff, because we both don’t have a lot of gay friends that we can discuss these things with! When I’m alone I usually write, read, draw, play The Sims, Netflix or sing (I am not saying that I’m a good singer).

On his biggest inspirations: I have a lot of great inspirations in my life for different aspects of life! For example, I hugely look up to Lady Gaga as a musical artist and creator. But when it comes down to it, my biggest inspirations are my mum and dad. I know it sounds cliché, but it is true. My mama has always been very vocal about injustice in life as she faced it herself when she was younger, because she was a woman that didn’t wanted to do things traditionally. My mama is in my eyes the definition of a strong independent woman. My papa is such a hard working man who will do anything to support his loved ones. The way that he keeps going on, even when the odds aren’t in his favor, really inspire me. The amount of love, respect, and support that I’ve gotten from my parents throughout my life is priceless and I couldn’t be more grateful to have them.

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nemobogaarts · 3 years

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All About the Different Locations for Rent out Apartment in Amsterdam

Rent out apartment in Amsterdam is often not just based on features such as a balcony, bath, or beautiful kitchen. The location is one of the first choices you have to make. Would you rather live in the center of the bustling capital or would you rather find some peace outside the ring road of Amsterdam? In this blog series, we explain everything about rent, rental, property management, and corporate housing. Not only do we cover factual information about our services and contracts, but we also advise on what to take into account before making a decision. This blog informs you all about the ‘highlights’ and pros and cons of different places in Amsterdam.

Center of Amsterdam

When you think of Amsterdam, you’re probably thinking of a vibrant, touristic city with bars, restaurants, shops, and pubs on every street. We don’t deny that the center of Amsterdam does indeed look like this. Yet Amsterdam is much more than that. As soon as you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of central Amsterdam, you can take the free ferry to Amsterdam Noord.

Amsterdam North

Although Noord used to be an up-and-coming neighborhood, it’s now a bustling neighborhood full of culture and activities. Noord is not only green and family-friendly but there is always something to do. It couldn’t be easier; take the free ferry from Noord to the city center and in no time you’ll be right in the middle of it. No matter how nice the busy city is, sometimes you just want to get away from it all. Along the IJ you can cycle into the nature of Durgerdam. This cycle route from the Nieuwdammerdijk offers plenty of opportunities to take a break and enjoy the surroundings. Durgerdam itself is reminiscent of the Netherlands in bygone days. To be able to enjoy the IJ even more and the view that goes with it, you should try one of the terraces on the north bank overlooking the water.

Amsterdam East

East is known for its wide streets with 19th-century buildings. The highlights of East are without a doubt the Oosterpark and the Tropenmuseum. The large selection of greenery in the East is no superfluous luxury in our capital. This way you can relax after a busy day at work. The Oosterpark has vast fields and lots of water. It is therefore not surprising that this park has been the place for residents and tourists to take a relaxing walk, play sports, picnic, or meet each other for over a hundred years. In recent years the Javastraat – with all its clubs, cafes, culinary wine bars, and traditional bakeries – has become the beating heart of Amsterdam East. This district has a rich multicultural core which creates a unique and dynamic atmosphere. Did you know that the Dappermarkt in Amsterdam Oost was put in the top ten best shopping streets in the world by the National Geographic Traveler? This market – and the entire Dapperbuurt area – are well worth visiting and researching.

Southeast

Clockwise we travel further to Amsterdam Zuidoost. Artists have recently been used to transform staircases, viaducts, parking garages, underpasses, and sidewalls of high-rise flats into monumental works of art. The start of this art route through the H-neighbourhood lies at subway station Bullewijk. In addition to art, you will also find a large green shed surrounded by nature where you can enjoy a delicious convent beer. The beer from this brewery is the only real beer of the Bijlmer. For an afternoon of enjoyment among the animals, the Bijlmerweide petting zoo is the place to be. In addition to goats, calves, and rabbits, you’ll also find a playground and a canteen for thirst-quenchers and snacks. Events for the little ones are also regularly organized here. The food court World of Food is an indispensable part of your tour of South-Eastern Europe. Here you will find over 25 eateries with the best street food from Arabic, Creole, Indonesian, Surinamese, Hindustani and Thai cuisine.

Amsterdam South

Do you want to spend a day sniffing out culture? Then you’ll end up in Amsterdam Zuid. Oud-Zuid is full of museums such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Moco Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and the Diamond Museum. After a day of culture sniffing, it’s best to unwind in one of the beautiful parks that Amsterdam South has to offer, of which the Vondelpark is the best known. To get a closer look at local life, dive into the Albert Cuyp market. Little more than a few hours of wandering around one of the most Amsterdam markets there is. Too hot or too crowded for a museum, park, or market? You’ll find a dose of peace and coolness in the Beatrixpark or Amsterdamse Bos. In the middle of the latter lies the Grote Vijver, which is considered by many Amsterdammers as the ultimate swimming pond.

Amsterdam West

Parallel to the Vondelpark runs a lively Amsterdam shopping street in West: the Overtoom. This shopping street is full of nice boutiques, shops, and concept stores. Old West has grown into a Walhalla for vegetarians and vegans. Anyone who thinks that you can’t get your cultural traits into the West is wrong. De Hallen is a cultural center full of shops, a cinema, a hotel, and a food market. Craftsmen are invited here every month to sell unique, homemade items. Here you’ll find not only clothing and jewelry, but also bicycles, furniture, books, and other trinkets. Fancy a nice walk through one of Amsterdam West’s most cultural neighborhoods? The Helmersbuurt is a unique neighborhood with tall trees and several cultural hotspots. Once upon a time, countless artists and writers lived here. Sniff out the creativity they left here.

I want more!

Do you want to know more about Amsterdam, the different hotspots, and what you can do here? Or do you have nice additions, tips, or advice? Please let us know by sending an email to [email protected] and who knows, we might be able to show your highlights next time.

Also read: Why North Wales Blew My Mind

8. Switzerland: Ebnat-Keppel

Snowy day at my wooden hut in Switzerland <3

The Bollywood phenomenon is still very visible in the Swiss Alps – so much so that the Swiss have even named a train after Yash Chopra for all the tourism he’s brought to the Jungfrau region (unfortunately this part of overtourism in Europe is largely driven by Indian travellers). To beat the crowds, it only took a 1.5 hour train journey from Zurich, to the little-known region of Ebnat-Keppel at the foothills of the Alps in eastern Switzerland. Surrounded by spectacular snow-clad peaks, hiking trails, blazing sunsets and virtually no tourists, this felt like the real Switzerland. One worth adding to any secret list of offbeat places in Europe!

I was smitten by Sonnmatt Bergpension & Gesundheitszentrum – a family-run, vegan / vegetarian B&B in Ebnat-Keppel; highly recommended!

Also read: Snow, Skiing and Wintry Dreams in Switzerland

9. Denmark: Bornholm

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A post shared by Shivya Nath (@shivya) on May 1, 2018 at 9:55pm PDT

Getting to Bornholm – Denmark’s easternmost island in the Baltic Sea – is an expensive affair that takes you through Sweden and on a ferry, but that’s perhaps why it continues to remain under the radar. After cycling and eating our way through the urbanscapes of Copenhagen, we were delighted to ride along the wild beauty of the Baltic Sea, catching fiery sunsets, chatting with friendly locals, getting a taste of slow-paced island living in remote Scandinavia.

Like much of Scandinavia, accommodation in Bornholm is expensive. Griffen Spa Hotel offers good value for money and is close to the ferry and bus terminal.

Also read: What Indian Cities Can Learn About Green Tourism from Copenhagen

10. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Una

Hiking along an emerald tributary of Una River.

My original plan was to make a quick trip to the famous Plitvice Lakes of Croatia, but I was worried it might be too touristy and disappointing like Lake Bled in Slovenia. A local tipped me off to take a bus to Una National Park – one of the most offbeat places in Europe – on the other side of the border instead. As I walked across the border from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was love at first sight. Much of the country is still under the radar – with 50% still covered in forests, pristine landscapes, friendly locals and heartbreaking stories of war in everyone you talk to. And I’m pretty sure I was the only outsider in Una village, exploring the unique ecosystem of Una River, with greenish-blue waters full of river islands connected by manmade wooden bridges, wildflowers and emerald blue tributaries.

I recommend staying with a local family in the self-catering Airbnb Pile Dwelling – a traditional, hand-built wooden hut on stilts.

Also read: Dreamy Airbnbs to Experience Europe Like a Local

11. Italy: Umbria

The charming villages of Umbria, Italy. Photo: Lachlan Gowen (Unsplash)

I took to heart the words of the Italian chef and ditched popular cities like Rome and Venice – victims of overtourism for years now – for a slice of life in the Italian countryside. In the relatively less-trodden region of Umbria, I cycled along the rolling hills to the walled city of Todi and ended up meeting some rather eclectic Italian artists and poets. Those delightful afternoons of crispy focaccia (baked in a 500 year old stone oven) and conversation continue to live on in my memory… as though I really did experience Italy with my taste buds, feet and heart.

Depending on which part of the Umbrian region you prefer to stay in and whether you have access to a car, there are plenty of charming accommodations to choose from.

Also read: Living with an Italian Artist in Umbria, Italy

What offbeat places in Europe have you discovered on your travels, and where would you most like to go?

*Note: I wrote this post as part of my collaboration with KLM. As you know, opinions on this blog are always mine.

Cover photo: La So (Unsplash)

Join my adventures around the world on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Order a copy of my bestselling book, The Shooting Star.

The post Away From the Crowds: 11 Offbeat Places in Europe Waiting to be Explored. appeared first on The Shooting Star.

Away From the Crowds: 11 Offbeat Places in Europe Waiting to be Explored. published first on https://airriflelab.tumblr.com

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gigsoupmusic · 5 years

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MOON DUO share 3rd single from new dance-inspired album

'Stars Are The Light' - out Sept 27 on Sacred Bones. Hear "Eternal Shore". Today Moon Duo share the final pre-release single, “Eternal Shore,” taken from their new album, 'Stars Are The Light', out September 27th on Sacred Bones. It follows the previously released title track and “Lost Heads.” Across “Eternal Shore,” Sanae Yamada’s hazy vocals drift over reverberating synth and flitting guitar licks. She says: “The lyrics are about the search for a sense of belonging and for the truth of one’s inner being, beneath the masks we’re conditioned to wear in order to function in society.” “We were experimenting with a lot of different rhythms for this record, and this one is in 5/8ths time, which is a real departure for us,” continues Ripley Johnson. “It moves us further away from the classic motorik beat. And it’s special because it’s the first song on which Sanae wrote the lyrics and sings lead.” https://youtu.be/AEpR3JQnGWQ The band’s Sanae Yamada comments: “We have changed, the nature of our collaboration has changed, the world has changed, and we wanted the new music to reflect that.” These are songs about embodied human experience — love, change, misunderstanding, internal struggle, joy, misery, alienation, discord, harmony, celebration — rendered as a kind of dance of the self, both in relation to other selves and to the eternal dance of the cosmos. Taking disco as its groove-oriented departure point, ‘Stars Are the Light’ shimmers with elements of ’70s funk and ’90s rave. Johnson’s signature guitar sound is at its most languid and refined, while Yamada’s synths and oneiric vocals are foregrounded to create a spacious percussiveness that invites the body to move with its mesmeric rhythms. With Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3, Spectrum) at the mixing desk in Portugal’s Serra de Sintra, (known to the Romans as “The Mountains of the Moon”) the area’s lush landscape and powerful lunar energies exerted a strong influence on the vibe and sonic texture of the album. On embracing disco as an inspiration, Yamada says, “It’s something we hadn’t referenced in our music before, but its core concepts really align with what we were circling around as we made the album. Disco is dance music, first and foremost, and we were digging our way into the idea of this endless dance of bodies in nature. We were also very inspired by the space and community of a disco – a space of free self-expression through dance, fashion, and mode of being; where everyone was welcome, diversity was celebrated, and identity could be fluid; where the life force that animates each of us differently could flower.” ‘Stars Are The Light’ will be released on September 27th via Sacred Bones. Pre-order here. Moon Duo live dates (all tickets on sale Fri June 28th): Oct 17 Ghent Videodroom Oct 18 Krakow Małopolski Garden Of The Arts Oct 20 Amsterdam Paradiso Noord Oct 21 Berlin Volksbuhne Oct 23 Zurich Bogen F Oct 24 Vevey Rocking Chair Oct 26 Angers Le Chabada Oct 28 London EartH Oct 29 Manchester Dancehouse Oct 30 Liverpool Invisible Wind Factory Oct 31 Glasgow BAAD Nov 1 Birmingham The Crossing Nov 2 Leeds Brudenell Nov 3 Gateshead The Sage Nov 4 Brighton St Bartholomew's Church Nov 5 Paris Petit Bain Nov 6 Charleroi Rockerill Nov 7 Luxembourg De Gudde Wëllen Nov 9 Utrecht Le Guess Who Nov 12 Brooklyn Music Hall of Williamsburg Nov 13 Philly Underground Arts Nov 14 Washington DC Rock & Roll Hotel Nov 15 Kingston Raven Sings the Blues @ Kingston BSP Nov 16 Montreal SAT Nov 18 Toronto Longboat Hall Nov 19 Detroit MOCAD Nov 20 Chicago Thalia Hall Nov 22 LA Lodge Room Nov 23 San Francisco The New Parish Nov 25 Portland Wonder Ballroom Nov 26 Seattle Neumos Nov 27 Vancouver Venue ‘Stars Are The Light’ track list: 1. Flying 2. Stars Are The Light 3. Fall In Your Love 4. The World And The Sun 5. Lost Heads 6. Eternal Shore 7. Eye 2 Eye 8. Fever Night Read the full article

#EternalShore #moonduo #SacredBones #starsarethelight

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dfelo · 5 years

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First 3 weeks

It is really crazy to think that I am here in Amsterdam. This is more than I ever imagine, being involved in God's dreams in what His heart desires.

I have been thinking about what brings glory to God, and I believe is a life surrendered completely to Him and just be willing to obey and be in the time and place where He wants me to be.

Being a full-time missionary here it is challenging even though we just arrived 3 weeks ago. But I can feel the atmosphere and the great job to be done in this place.

It is time for a new church, the real church of Jesus Christ. A church that is like Jesus in every sense of the word: humble, caring, firm, in a close relationship with the Father, and one of the most important things: a walking church that brings the love of God everywhere it goes.

We are a team of six missionaries from Colombia and our leader from Brazil, connected with pastor Enzo and Sandy of Credo Church here in Amsterdam.

Our main mission here is to reach and disciple the Global Youth Culture, but also connect with different churches who will be willing to be inspired to go out there and reach those who are far away from God even though they might live next to us.

What if we surrender our lives to God for real, and decided to follow Jesus and be like him in every way possible. We will have an amazing time reflecting Jesus in our everyday lives. And the world needs to know the real Jesus, the real son of God, a God who is not far away and truly loves us.

We have been able to spend time with the local church, inspire them in worship to have a more passionate life with the Lord, going into the streets of downtown Amsterdam and share the love of the Father with almost 40 people now. And establishing new relationships with a lot of them, taking time for a coffee, eating together.

We also had different times of public worship in Dam Square and Amsterdam Noord, and prayer walks.

Last week we had the excellent opportunity to go and share Jesus outside of a weed festival where people received a word of love, prayer and we got contacts for future meetings. God is amazing.

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enjoytheride96-blog · 6 years

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Europe Trip

So after a challenging year both mentally and financially as I took in my younger sister It was time for me to set off on an adventure, a well deserved break and explore what this world has to offer.

I was feeling so nervous and unsure of what awaited me, have i packed the right clothes, am I actually going on holiday for 6 weeks. I dont know it hasnt really sunk in yet! maybe when I get to Amsterdam it will feel real.

I got to amsterdam after a long flight that wasnt actaully as bad as i had expected, I turned to my left and looked out the window, everything was white from the topps of the buildings all the way down to the ground. it looked magical. as i took a deep breath I realised that I was about to freeze my but off. nothing that beautiful covered in snow was going to be singlet and shorts weather thats for sure.

I got off the plane and I had no idea where to go and thats honestly the fun in it, isnt it? well for me it definatley is I love being lost, I wemt to the baggage claim where they had told us to go and just my luck ouor flight wasnt unloading there, this airport was massive where was i going to find my backpack? after loooking around for some time I found a help desk, ofcourse the piolet was wrong and our bags were getting dropped at the other end of the airport never the less it was a little adventure to start. I found the train that headed straight into the city, exactly where i wanted to go.

I chucked my backpack on looking like a real tourist now with m snow boots, massive jacket, beanie and scarf because my god -4 wasnt something I was used to, lets be honest I stood out something like a readhead in a room full of brunetts.

the train came to a stop in the city, I had to ask if thats where I was and the first person I asked was more than happy to help, thats a good way to start your holiday really. i got off and now i needed to find the fairy, it wasnt hard beleive me walk outside the train station and follow the herde of people walking towards the water and there you have it, the fairy. its only a short ride but so beautiful i takes you straight scross to Amsterdam Noord. I walked to the bus stop once I got off thinking that my accomodation was goiong to be a while away and I asked the lady standing there if she might know which direction, she told me it was all the way down the end of the road not at all in walking distance. at this point I was freezing cold i could feel the hairs on my lips turing into little iciles.

I had a look on my maps and i didnt seem that far so I decided rto keep walking and about 30 secods later I look up and there is the sreet, that lady clearly had no idea what she was talking about, I qucikly got inside checked in and made myself at home. this place was called clink noord, it was pretty cool actaully kind of like a hippy vibe to it but I really liked the look of it, wasnt really made for socialising though it kind of closed alot of doors for making new friends.

it was only 2pm but I was so exhausted I needed to sleep! so i set myself up and introduced myself to my new room mates for the next 5 days . I climbed onto my bunk and got comfortable...... More next week

#travel

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lifeartmuzic · 6 years

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Joseph Clark – The Music Of QUEEN in Pretoria

After incredible public demand, the lead vocalist extraordinaire Joseph Clark will be in Pretoria with Joseph Clark – The Music of QUEEN, on at Sun Arena, Time Square, Menlyn Maine for 3 performances only from Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd July 2018.

Joseph and his band are proud to open and be the first production to play in the Sun Arena’s new 1500-seater Theatre layout, located in the Arena.

Joseph says: “My introduction to the Sun Arena was the two shows of Classics Is Groot on the 9th of June. It was an incredible experience. I was honoured when asked to open their new concept of a more intimate theatre style space. The Music of Queen lends itself perfectly to traditional theatres as well as arenas and the audience will be thrilled watching the show more “up-close and personal”.

He continues; “I’m also thrilled to be back in Gauteng after a hiatus of 3 years as I’ve been travelling internationally consistently since I was last here with a “Queen performance” at the SA State Theatre in 2015.”

Being regarded by many as the world’s number one performer doing justice to Queen’s music, Joseph will thrill you with his magical and individual style by taking the iconic group’s music to another level.

Added to the sensory experience, Joseph Clark – The Music of QUEEN also features a star-studded band of top local and international musicians; Nathan Smith/Axe Lourens (Lead Guitars/Vocals); Richard Brokensha (Guitars/Vocals); Kyle Petersen (Piano/Keyboards/Keytar/Vocals); Trevor Donjeany (Bass) and Peach van Pletzen (Drums).

Joseph and his band tour internationally with this powerful tour de force and played to over 30,000 Queen-fans in The Gelredome Stadium in The Netherlands in 2011 after which they followed up with European theatre runs and outdoor concerts till November 2017.

Queen crossed all musical genres and the line-up of songs in Joseph Clark– The Music of QUEEN is like no other Queen tribute. Apart from classics like We Will Rock You Another One Bites The Dust, We Are The Champions, I Want To Break Free, Killer Queen, Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race, and Bohemian Rhapsody they also cover songs not normally performed live, including Innuendo, You Take My Breath Away, Is This The World We Created, Too Much Love Will Kill You, Mother Love and In My Defence.

Says Clark; “I’m not a believer in impersonating great artists. But to pay tribute to their music, to keep it alive and new and fresh, is the greatest compliment to their genius.”

He continues; “To give an audience a taste of their music live, onstage, creates an atmosphere of magic and nostalgia for some and new discovery for others.”

Joseph Clark – The Music of QUEEN has all the elements to make for an eventful, memorable time out and audiences will enjoy an unforgettable 2-hour journey of pure nostalgic rock delight!

Joseph’s “Queen-roots” lie in the 90’s when he starred in Queen At The Opera, one of the most successful productions in South Africa. Apart from being a regular soloist with symphony orchestras in South Africa, Joseph has been the lead vocalist with the NNO (Noord Nederlands Orkest), since 2009, performing throughout the Netherlands, including the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Born and raised in Texas, Joseph left his ballet career in America when he was brought to South Africa to dance the lead role in Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet. He soon expanded to musical theatre and won immediate acclaim and national awards for dancing, acting and singing. Musical theatre roles include Buddy in

The Buddy Holly Story, Riff/Bernardo in West Side Story, El Gallo opposite pop star Jason Donovan in The Fantasticks, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, the narrator in Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Anthony in Sweeney Todd and Whizzer in March Of The Falsettos. One of the highlights of his career was singing for Nelson Mandela at his 85th Birthday.

“For me Joseph Clark has long been one of the great interpreters of Queen's music and he certainly doesn't disappoint with this magical performance. His vocal versatility comes magnificently to the fore as he moves effortlessly from the quiet ballads, to blues, to rock.” – Journalist Peter Feldman (Artslink.co.za)

Joseph Clark – The Music of QUEEN is on at Sun Arena, Time Square, Menlyn Maine, for 3 shows only from Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd July 2018.

Performances on Friday and Saturday are at 20h00 and Sunday at 15h00.

Ticket Prices range from R200 – R450 and bookings can be made through Computicket either online at www.computicket.com or call 0861 915 8000.

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technato · 6 years

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The Struggle to Make Diesel-Guzzling Cargo Ships Greener

How these emission-belching behemoths will transition to batteries and fuel cells

Photo: Martin Witte/Alamy

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Photo: Martin Witte/Alamy

The Big Leagues: The Emma Maersk, one of the world’s largest container ships, is powered by a diesel engine. The ship can transport 11,000 containers with a crew of 13.

At the pier outside Amsterdam’s central train station, commuters stride aboard the IJveer 61. The squat ferry crisscrosses the waterfront, taking passengers from the city’s historic center to the borough of Noord. Beneath their feet, two electric motors propel the ferry through the gray-green waters, powered by 26 lithium-ion polymer batteries and a pair of diesel generators.

Hybrid vessels like the IJveer 61 are increasingly common in the Netherlands, where officials are pushing to limit toxic air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime sector. Patrol vessels and work ships are turning more to batteries and using less petroleum-based fuel; so are crane-carrying boats that pluck fallen bicycles from Amsterdam’s famous canals.

Some of these vessels recharge during off-hours, pulling from the harbor’s electric grid connection. In other boats, diesel generators recharge batteries as they run. As the harbor’s electricity infrastructure expands, more vessels could ditch diesel entirely, says Walter van der Pennen from EST-Floattech, the Dutch energy-storage company that oversaw installation of the IJveer 61’s series hybrid system.

“The next step is to move away from hybrids,” he tells me one drizzly afternoon from a café overlooking the waterway. “For all of the vessels here, it’s perfectly suitable to go full electric.”

Meanwhile, at a nearby shipyard, another company is building what it dubs the “Tesla ship”—an all-electric river barge, like a Model 3 for the sea. Its makers at Dutch manufacturer Port-Liner expect to complete five small barges and two large barges this year to edge out the area’s diesel-burning, soot-spewing versions.

These Dutch vessels mark the beginnings of a much larger energy transformation sweeping the world’s maritime shipping industry. As emissions climb and environmental policies strengthen, shipping companies and engineers are accelerating their pursuit of so-called zero-emissions technologies—a category that includes massive battery packs and fuel cells that run on hydrogen or ammonia. Hundreds of large cargo ships are also switching to liquefied natural gas, which produces less toxic air pollution than the typical maritime “bunker fuel” and is widely considered a stepping-stone on the path to full decarbonization.

“It’s been a journey for the shipping industry, but there’s now a broad understanding and agreement that there is a need to do something” about climate change, says Katharine Palmer, global sustainability manager at the shipping services company Lloyd’s Register. “Now it’s a case of working out what that ‘something’ is.”

Unlike vehicles and power plants, cargo ships remain conveniently out of sight to most of us. Yet shipping is the linchpin of our modern economy, moving about 90 percent of all globally traded goods, including T-shirts, bananas, and smartphones along with medicine, fuel, and even livestock. Around 93,000 container ships, oil tankers, bulk carriers, and other vessels now ply the world’s waterways, delivering some 10.3 billion metric tons of goods in 2016, according to United Nations trade statistics. That’s four times the cargo delivered in 1970.

Created by London-based data visualisation studio Kiln and the UCL Energy Institute

Global Goods: The world’s busiest maritime trade route is the path from Asia to North America. Other popular routes connect Asia to northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.

Created by London-based data visualisation studio Kiln and the UCL Energy Institute

Global Goods: The world’s busiest maritime trade route is the path from Asia to North America. Other popular routes connect Asia to northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.

Nearly all cargo ships use diesel combustion engines to turn the propellers, plus diesel generators that power onboard lighting systems and communications equipment. Many vessels still burn heavy bunker fuel, a viscous, carbon-intensive petroleum product that’s left from the crude oil refining process.

As a result, maritime shipping contributes a sizable share—about 2 to 3 percent—of annual carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the U.N. body that regulates the industry. Left unchecked, however, that share could soar to 17 percent of global carbon emissions by 2050 as trade increases and other industries curtail their carbon footprints, the European Parliament [PDF] found in a 2015 report.

With pressure mounting to tackle climate change, the IMO has taken steps to limit emissions, including requiring newly constructed ships to meet energy efficiency guidelines. In April, regulators adopted a landmark agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050 from 2008 levels. Yet to align with the Paris climate agreement’s goals of keeping global warming to “well below” 2 °C above preindustrial levels, the industry must go even further, slashing its emissions to zero by midcentury. That means all vessels, from small ferries to ocean-faring cargo ships, must adopt zero-emissions systems in the coming decades, according to a research consortium comprised of major shipping companies and academic institutes.

Many shipbuilders and owners still aren’t convinced that such an overhaul is possible. But Palmer and other researchers say the technologies already exist to achieve this clean-shipping transformation. The challenge now, she says, is “making those technologies economically feasible, as well as being able to scale them.”

To get a glimpse of shipping’s future, I visited Hydrogenics, one of the world’s largest hydrogen producers and fuel cell manufacturers, at its headquarters near Toronto.

Among shipping experts, hydrogen fuel cells are considered the front-runner for zero-emissions technologies on larger, long-distance ships. Briefly, fuel cells get their charge not by plugging into the wall, as batteries do, but from hydrogen. With onboard hydrogen storage, fuel cells can produce power for the duration of most trips. Today’s batteries, by contrast, can’t make it very far without stopping to charge—and that’s impossible if a ship is in the middle of the ocean.

Cargo ships are “just too power hungry, and the run times are too large,” Ryan Sookhoo, Hydrogenics’ director of business development, tells me. “When we look at the marine space, we see it as a natural adopter [of fuel cells]. There’s only certain technologies that will be able to deliver.”

Hydrogenics has installed its fuel cells in buses, trains, cars, a four-seater airplane, speedboats, and a research vessel in Turkey. In recent years, the company has partnered with the U.S. energy and transportation departments and Sandia National Laboratories to build and test a fuel cell system that could eventually propel a cargo ship.

Sookhoo leads me through the company’s cavernous research and development wing, out a back door, and into the rain. A bright-blue 20-foot shipping container sits in the parking lot, labeled “Clean Power” in white block letters.

Photos: Top: Hydrogenics; Bottom: ABB

Fuel Box: Hydrogenics hopes its fuel cell, which lives inside of a shipping container [top], can provide propulsion for cargo ships. When hydrogen gas flows into the cell, an anode breaks molecules within the gas into ions and electrons. Ions pass directly to the cathode, but electrons are blocked by a membrane and must first travel through a circuit, producing electricity. When the electrons finally reach the cathode, they reunite with ions to form water [bottom].

We step inside. In a back corner, four 30-kilowatt fuel cell modules are stacked on sliding shelves, like computer servers on a rack. Elsewhere in the container are 15 cylindrical tanks full of compressed hydrogen gas.

As it’s set up now, the blue container works as a generator. But unlike its diesel counterparts, it doesn’t emit any sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, or carbon dioxide—only a little heat and water, which is vented out the container’s side like mist in a steam room.

Fuel cells have three key components: a negative post, or anode; a positive post, or cathode; and a polymer electrolyte membrane, an extremely thin material that resembles plastic kitchen wrap. Hydrogen gas arrives at the anode, where the molecules break down into positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. The membrane allows the positive ions to pass through it into an electrolyte and thence to the cathode; the electrons flow from the anode through an outside circuit, producing current. Finally, at the cathode, the electrons returning from the circuit reunite with the hydrogen ions coming from the anode and, together with oxygen from the air, they form water.

In the container, the electricity produced by the fuel cell flows to a separate rack of power inverters, which change the direct current power to alternating current. That electricity then goes into a transformer, shaped like a chest freezer, and then over to a dozen power outlets on the external wall. A suitcase-size battery, charged by the fuel cell, runs the fans that cool the container and vent any hydrogen that leaks from the tanks.

Before returning to Canada, where the unit was built, this fuel cell system was tested in the Port of Honolulu. The Hawaiian shipping company Young Brothers used it to power refrigerated containers on shore. Eventually, Sookhoo says, Hydrogenics and Sandia plan to assemble these components inside a ship’s engine room to run electric motors that drive the propellers.

About two dozen early projects have shown that fuel cells are technically capable of powering and propelling vessels. The most prominent among them is the Viking Lady, a supply vessel for offshore rigs that launched in Copenhagen in 2009. Its molten carbonate fuel cell, with a power output of 330 kW, uses liquefied natural gas in lieu of hydrogen.

Wärtsilä Corp., the Finnish manufacturer that installed the Viking Lady’s hybrid system, has said its chief challenge was establishing industry-approved technical standards and safety procedures for the first-of-its-kind installation. (Separately, ExxonMobil is testing whether molten carbonate fuel cells could generate electricity from power plant emissions.)

While maritime fuel cells haven’t yet been deployed on a large, commercial scale, a recent Sandia study [PDF] suggests that oceangoing ships could feasibly operate using existing hydrogen fuel cell technologies. For instance, researchers studied the Emma Maersk, a mega–container ship with an 81-⁠MW diesel propulsion engine that routinely travels some 5,000 nautical miles (about 9,000 kilometers) from Malaysia to Egypt. Based on the available volume and mass of the ship’s engine and fuel rooms, they found the vessel could support enough fuel cell modules and hydrogen tanks to complete one of these long-distance trips before needing to refuel—on paper, at least.

Joseph W. Pratt, who coauthored the study, says he had expected to find that fuel cell systems simply wouldn’t work on bigger ships or on longer voyages. He thought that as the ship scaled up, the amount of required fuel cells, tanks, and storage equipment would become too heavy, or too voluminous, to fit within the vessel.

“The biggest surprise was that there wasn’t a limit,” Pratt recalls from San Francisco, where he recently founded Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine to provide fuel cell power systems and fueling logistics.

His team also studied batteries, which proved the better option for high-power vessels making short trips, such as ferries or yachts. If ships can recharge at point A and again at point B, they don’t need to carry hydrogen storage tanks, which saves space and weight. And batteries are less expensive than fuel cells.

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The hybrid IJveer 60 carries passengers and cars around Amsterdam along with its sister ferry, the IJveer 61. Photo: EST-Floattach

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MS Ampere was the world’s first commercial ferry to run exclusively on batteries. Photo: NCE Maritime CleanTech

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After delays, the battery-driven Tycho Brahe now runs a regular route between Sweden and Denmark. Photo: John Peter/Alamy

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The Viking Lady is powered by a molten carbonate fuel cell and transports supplies to offshore rigs. Photo: Wärtsilä Corp.

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Port-Liner’s all-electric “Tesla ship” should begin sailing this year. Photo: Port-Liner

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Sookhoo says future zero-emissions cargo ships will likely use both technologies. Batteries can provide the initial spike of electricity that fires up the electric motor and puts the ship in motion—much as a car battery functions—while fuel cells will serve as the “range extender” that takes over as the battery winds down.

Given the potential, why aren’t more cargo shipbuilders ditching diesel and switching to fuel cells?

The technology is still prohibitively expensive, because fuel cells aren’t yet mass-produced. On a dollar-per-kilowatt-hour basis, the electricity cost from a fuel cell is roughly double or triple that from a diesel generator, Sookhoo estimates.

Second, hydrogen refueling stations are scarce and unevenly distributed around the world, whereas bunker fuel remains cheap and ubiquitous. For fuel-cell-powered freighters to succeed, ports will need to pipe in and store more hydrogen, and hydrogen production must ramp up dramatically.

Nearly all hydrogen produced today is made using an industrial process called steam-methane reforming, which causes the methane in natural gas to react with steam to create hydrogen and carbon dioxide. However, because natural-gas production and use results in greenhouse gases—methane itself is such a gas—the best way to make hydrogen for clean transportation is through electrolysis.

That process involves splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen by using electricity, ideally from renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Electrolysis facilities are growing in number, particularly within renewables-rich Europe, but not yet at the rate needed to supply tens of thousands of ships.

Finally, maritime authorities are only now starting to finalize the safety codes and design standards that will govern how fuel cell ships and fueling stations are built. Pilot projects can quickly adapt to rule changes, but large multimillion-dollar constructions cannot. This regulatory limbo also feeds into the wariness that many shipping companies and port operators feel about hydrogen as a fuel source.

For many people, the word “hydrogen” still evokes visions of the Hindenburg, a hydrogen airship that burst into flames in 1937 when hydrogen technology was still in its infancy. “Everyone references it,” Sookhoo says, with a hint of frustration. Modern hydrogen systems, however, are equipped with ventilators, sensors, and automatic shutdown modes to prevent flammable gas from building up and exploding.

Illustration: MCKIBILLO

Smil Says…

No-fuel megaships would need what we do not have as yet: megabatteries or mega–fuel cells.

However, one segment of the shipping world is readily embracing fuel cells: cruise lines, which face stronger air quality restrictions than other maritime companies. Many cruise ships and ferries don’t use diesel combustion engines. Instead, they have “diesel-electric” power trains. A diesel engine drives an electric generator, which in turn powers large electric motors. Because this platform and fuel cells are both rooted in electricity—not combustion—the new technology can more easily integrate into existing cruise ship designs.

Last fall, Viking Cruises announced plans to build a 900-⁠passenger vessel in Norway that will use fuel cells running on liquid hydrogen for its main propulsion. A competitor, Royal Caribbean Cruises, is installing a fuel cell on a new vessel to supply onboard electricity while stationed in ports, with a longer-term vision of using fuel cells for propulsion.

While fuel cells are early on the adoption curve, battery-powered ships are steadily multiplying, particularly in Norway.

The Scandinavian country has deep pockets to invest in new maritime technologies, thanks to both its sovereign oil fund—which topped US $1 trillion last year—and a tax on ships’ emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are potent greenhouse gases and key ingredients in acid rain. The region also has an abundance of hydropower, which can support more battery-charging stations and hydrogen-production facilities.

Norway’s government plans to have 60 all-electric ferries in its fjords within three years, a target it set following the 2015 launch of MS Ampere , the first midsize commercial ferry to operate fully on battery power.

The Ampere carries 10 metric tons of lithium-ion batteries to power two electric motors, each with an output of 450 kW. The ferry fully recharges its batteries overnight but tops off every time it docks, for a period of about 10 minutes.

During trials, this fast-charging system repeatedly disrupted service on the rather small local electric grid. Siemens, which designed the charging infrastructure, fixed the problem by placing a high-capacity lithium-ion battery at each pier, enabling the Ampere to quickly recharge from the battery, while the battery gradually recharged from the grid.

The Ampere was a turning point for battery-powered shipping, says Jostein Bogen, the global product manager for energy storage systems in ABB’s marine and ports division. “The big start came from Norway, but now we see it coming all over the world,” he says from his office in Oslo, citing ABB’s electric ship projects in China, Turkey, and across Europe.

ABB recently converted two diesel ferries, the Tycho Brahe and the Aurora, into the world’s largest battery-driven ferries. The vessels, which connect Denmark and Sweden via the Øresund strait, each carry batteries that can deliver 4.16 MW of power and have a combined storage capacity of 8,320 kWh—equivalent to 10,700 car batteries. The ferries will quickly recharge at automated shore-side stations.

That project hit a snag in mid-2017, when it experienced a technical challenge in connecting and disconnecting the charging cables from the vessel, under certain conditions. The automated system had been tested successfully in a simulated factory environment, but it needed additional testing to make sure it could operate reliably in the real world, ABB said.

After postponing the Tycho Brahe’s launch, the ship operator HH Ferries began sailing the ferry in late 2017 in both full-battery and hybrid modes. ABB said it continues to make adjustments to the charging procedures.

As for container ships, tankers, and bulk carriers—the biggest contributors to the shipping industry’s carbon footprint—zero-emissions technologies may still be years away. But early projects with ferries and cruise ships could help convince shipbuilders and operators that fuel cells, batteries, and other technologies are viable alternatives—particularly where there is access to low-cost energy sources, or where ship operators can pass on additional costs associated with each voyage to their supply chain.

“Niche sectors have the ability to do this and drive the innovation,” says Palmer of Lloyd’s Register.

The Struggle to Make Diesel-Guzzling Cargo Ships Greener syndicated from https://jiohowweb.blogspot.com

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frenko1970 · 3 years

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‘Soirées’ Evening attires and the preparation are on full swing, you need to go to a special evening of dancing, socialising and showing you looks and style so dress up and jump in a taxi or Uber. A Gathering is planned of different people who sometimes pay a fee to attend a certain party. It can be in a social environment, grand hall, bar, club or restaurant but also at houses villas or apartments. They are finger foods, snack and often buffets and drinks all around, it takes place late afternoon, evening and nights. People dress up for it and show their own style and fashion sense. It’s nice to sometimes dress up for the occasion and show different side of yourself in stead of the work outfits and daily life settings. To walk around a bit listen to life music or a d-jay playing music dance and gaze at others having a good time, gossip a bit and show interest in other people, they make for perfect places to break loose of the daily grind of life. Everybody attends these parties once a year at least or sometimes if your social life is banging you could have lots of nice party’s and evenings on you list of to do’s. Often they are hosted to celebrate certain big events and to prepare for these settings you need some special pieces, cocktail, full length gown, skirts or long trousers tops and blouses. I made a series of drawings and designs with these evenings in mind. I used certain elements of the sixties and used bows and drapes, gatherings and pleads, tucks and intricate cuts are also to be found on each garment. I made it festive but also wearable with some glamour and special details incorporated in all of the styles. An evening is not necessarily private affair. Public evenings are often held throughout the year, so you should always be prepared to have those items in your closet which can transform you into somebody who sways the dance floors and which would give you that extra bit of Umph. Dance away…. the night and let the champagne and cocktails flow. (bij Amsterdam Centrum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSi5lcZIXU-/?utm_medium=tumblr

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tamboradventure · 6 years

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How to Spend 4 Days in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities in the world. I love its brick buildings, open skyline, rich history, and relaxed, easy going attitude towards life. Over the years, I’ve visited Amsterdam more times than I can count (I’m bad at math) and have spent countless hours walking the city, making friends with locals, and getting under its skin.

Amsterdam has so much to do that, even after so many visits, I still find new things to do and see. The city deserves more than just the few (and often smoke filled) days travelers give it, but if a few days is all you have and you want to make the most of it, this is the itinerary I would give to someone looking to get a good overview and feel for what makes Amsterdam so special:

Day 1

Free walking tour A great way to orient yourself to the city is with a walking tour. You’ll learn some history, find out where the major sites are, and explore all those winding canals. Free walking tours are a wonderful first activity in any city. I recommend the free New Europe walking tour. It covers a lot of ground and gives you a general overview of the city and landmarks. The tour meets in the main square and lasts about 2-3 hours. (Be sure to tip your guide though!)

Canal tour Amsterdam is a city tied to the water – it grew around its canals and the taming of the Amstel River. The canals of Amsterdam are incredibly beautiful, and there’s nothing like seeing the city from a boat. Skip the big canal boat tours you see around the city — they’re overpriced. You can often hire a private boat tour for about 20 Euros an hour (look for guides around the Red Light District). Moreover, you can also take the open-air Canal Hopper Small Boat. This is the company I use when I run group tours to the city — the boats are small, the tours more intimate, and your driver will give you a good personalized tour. The tours last about an hour. It leaves from Pier 6.

Van Gogh Museum This may be one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, but don’t let the crowds deter you. The museum features many of Van Gogh’s best works of art alongside an excellent biography of his life and is laid out in chronological order, starting with his earliest works. Though not a huge museum, I can spend hours just staring at the paintings as Van Gogh is one of my favorite painters. The museums also has paintings by other famous artists of the period, like Monet, Manet, and Matisse. Try to come late in the late afternoon when the crowds subside.

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum is located right next to the Van Gogh Museum, and after years of renovation, it’s now beautifully remodeled. The museum still features an extensive Rembrandt collection, and you’ll be able to see the famous painting “The Night Watch.” Besides Rembrandt, there’s also an incredible and robust collection of other classic Dutch painters, like Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer. Over one million works of art, craftworks, and historical objects are kept in the collection, and around 8,000 objects are on display in the museum so be sure to budget a few hours!

Day 2

Anne Frank House In all honesty, I don’t like this place. I found it to be anticlimactic. You basically do a slow walk through the house as the crowds pack the place. You don’t get to let everything soak in as you’re being pushed from behind by the endless crowds. It’s maddening! But, if you don’t mind waiting in line and you’re curious about Anne (I think the Jewish History Museum does a more thorough job of relating the events in Anne Frank’s life to the Holocaust), it might be worth the visit for you. You can book tickets online up to two months in advance, which lets you skip the line. If you don’t do this, get there very early in the morning to avoid the long queue that develops over the course of the day!

The Jordaan area This heavily residential area (an old working-class neighborhood turned hip) is probably the most missed part of Amsterdam. Although it’s right near the city center, hardly any tourists enter this maze of restaurants, cafes, and shops. It’s peaceful and a great place to wander while avoiding the mass of tourists crowding the main streets just a few blocks away. While in the area, be sure to eat at Moeders (traditional Dutch food) and Winkel 43 (apple pie).

The Tulip Museum Located in a room inside a tulip shop, this little basement museum does a wonderful job of telling the history of tulips in Holland and the infamous tulip craze. It’s one of the best off-the-beaten-path attractions in Amsterdam. You’ll never find a crowd, and it’s only 5 euros (3 euros for students)!

Amsterdam History Museum This museum features a very thorough history of Amsterdam. It’s big, and you’ll need 3–4 hours to really go through it in detail. There are a lot of relics, maps, paintings, and audiovisual displays throughout the museum. My favorite is the computer graphic at the entrance showing the growth and construction of the city over time. I can’t recommend this museum enough. It’s one of the best history museums I’ve ever visited.

Red Light District Though much tamer than in previous years, the Red Light District manages to balance sex and seediness with being a major tourist attraction. During the day, it’s a quiet place. If it wasn’t for the red lights and sex signs everywhere, it would look like any other part of the city. But, at night, the area becomes awash with drunk, gawking tourists moving slowly down the street as they stare at the girls in the window while going from bar to bar and coffeeshop to coffeeshop. It’s a place to see and experience for a very brief time.

Day 3

Do a bike tour Bikes are to Amsterdam like wine is to Bordeaux. The city loves bikes, and there are supposedly more bikes than people in Amsterdam. In fact, forget about keeping a lookout for cars — it’s the bikes that will run you over. Seeing Amsterdam and its surroundings from a bike is something I definitely encourage you to do. Mike’s Bike Tours is the best company to use, whether for a tour or to rent a bike on your own.

FOAM This photography museum houses wonderful pictures and sees few crowds despite being in the main part of the city. It’s a must for any photography lover. The exhibitions are constantly changing so you never know what you might see! They have a beautiful outdoor garden too. It’s a small museum and doesn’t take long to see.

Jewish Historical Museum Often overlooked in favor of The Anne Frank House, the Jewish Historical Museum tells the history of the Jews’ prominent and influential position in Amsterdam. The exhibit on World War II does a great job of highlighting Dutch complacency, resistance, and guilt over the Holocaust.

Oosterpark Everyone goes to Vondelpark to sit around, bike, or get high, but east of the main city center is a beautiful park with fewer people and green space that is just as relaxing. It’s about a 30-minute walk from the city center, but the walk takes you through residential areas of the city not often seen and way off the tourist map. I enjoy coming here because it’s far quieter and more peaceful than Vondelpark. If you wanted a quiet park experience, this is it!

Day 4

Museum Amstelkring Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (“Our Lord in the Attic”) is one of the most interesting churches in the city. Hidden inside a 17th-century canal house, the clandestine Catholic church was built during Protestant rule. It was never really a secret but it was out of sight and out of mind for the authorities. The drawing room here is quite beautiful and the furnishings make it one of the most best 17th-century rooms left.

The Rembrandt House Museum Rembrandt lived and worked in this house between 1639 and 1658. Daily demonstrations show modern visitors how he worked and you can also explore the house and see a recreation of how it was decorated during Rembrandt’s time. I wasn’t too impressed, but Rembrandt enthusiasts shouldn’t overlook it.

Museum Van Loon The Museum Van Loon is a double-sized canal house (built in 1672) located on the Keizersgracht canal in Amsterdam. The house was owned by the wealthy Van Loon merchant family who set up a beautiful art collection. Now it’s a museum with period furniture, art, and family portraits. There’s a beautiful garden here too. This is definitely a place not to miss.

Vondelpark Amsterdam’s largest and most popular park is a great place to walk, bike, people-watch, or relax, especially after a visit to a local coffee shop. There’s a playground as well as places to play sports, and numerous areas for kicking back. During the summer, Vondelpark is filled with people, especially locals who hang out at the café ‘t Blauwe Theehuis for drinks in the center.

The Heineken Experience This museum used to be a lot better when it was cheaper and they offered more beer. It’s not a working brewery, and in comparison to the Guinness Museum in Dublin, it’s lame. But the price of admission buys you three beers and you’ll learn a bit of the history of Heineken (which I enjoyed since I drink a lot of their beer). It’s not a must-see, but it’s not a must-avoid either.

Some other sites in Amsterdam worth visiting

Don’t like the above? No problem! Below are some of my other favorite activities to do in Amsterdam

Waterlooplein Flea Market – This open-air market is like a giant flea market — everything and everyone can be found here. People sell secondhand clothes, hats, antiques, gadgets, and much more. You can also find new and unused items. If there’s something you want, you’ll probably find it here. Open Monday to Saturday.

Day trip to Haarlem – Just a quick train (or bike) ride from Amsterdam, Harleem is a quiet Dutch town that has a beautiful central church, great outdoor market, and all the beauty of historic Amsterdam with fewer crowds.

Visit Noord – Leave the city center, take the ferry across the IJ, and visit the up and coming area of Noord Amsterdam. In the last few years, a lot of people have moved here (it’s cheap), cool markets and restaurants have opened, and a lot of old industrial land has been reclaimed for public use. It’s the new hip place to be! Be sure to visit the famous EYE, Amsterdam’s film institute.

The Amsterdam library – The city’s library is a beautiful modern building built in 2007. It’s gigantic, overlooks the IJ, and has a wonderful top floor cafe for impressive views of the city. It’s one of my favorite places to relax in the city. It’s quiet, peaceful, and there’s nothing like reading a good book with a great view!

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – Like modern art? Well, I don’t but if you do, this is the place in the city to see it!

Foodhallen – Located in Amsterdam west, this place is what the name implies – a food hall! This indoor food market has various vendors serving a variety of delicious food. It’s like food trucks in one location. Personal favorites include Viet View, Le Big Fish, and Friska.

Houseboat Museum – This museum will show what it’s like to live in a houseboat! It doesn’t take long to see and only costs a few Euros.

Take a drug tour – This two-hour walking tour highlights the history of the city’s relationship with drugs. It’s designed to dispel the myths and perceptions of drugs in Amsterdam and Dutch society. It’s a very “pro-drug” tour, so go with an opinion mind. Or just for a history lesson. Tours are every Friday at 6pm; reserve by emailing [email protected]. Must be 18+ years old.

Take an alternative art tour – This is a really unique tour that I took this year. I was blown away by it. You get to see the city’s street art in alleyways, squats, and independent galleries while you learn about Amsterdam’s alternative side and underground and immigrant culture. It’s really fabulous. All the people I took on it loved it. Tours are private and require at least four people. Visit Alltournative Amsterdam for more!

Erotic Museum — This museum is located in the middle of Amsterdam’s Red Light District (where else would it be?) and looks at eroticism in all its forms through the ages and includes sculptures, paintings, drawings, photographs, and other artwork. It’s similar to Sex Museum Amsterdam but focuses more on the “art” side of nudity and sex.

Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum — Only a 5-minute walk from Dam Square, this museum presents information about the historical and modern use of cannabis for medicinal, religious, and cultural purposes. The exhibits focus heavily on how hemp can be used for agricultural, consumer, and industrial purposes.

ONE LAST AMSTERDAM TIP: Be sure to visit the city tourism office near central station. They have lots of information on free things to do, current events and activities, and discount passes and tickets you can use to save money! They are an underused resource by travelers!

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Four days in any city is never enough time to really see it, but given Amsterdam’s compact nature, it’s definitely enough time to hit all the “major” attractions here. This four day Amsterdam itinerary will help you make the most of your stay in Amsterdam while getting you on and off the beaten path.

Want the real, most honest, straight to the point guide on Amsterdam?

Want to plan the perfect trip to Amsterdam? Check out my comprehensive guide to Amsterdam written for budget travelers like yourself! It cuts out the fluff found in other guides and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel and save money in one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. You’ll find suggested itineraries tips budgets, ways to save money, on and off the beaten path things to see and do, and my favorite non-touristy restaurants, markets, and bars, and much more!! Click here to learn more and get started.

Photo Credits: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

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travelguy4444 · 6 years

Text

How to Spend 4 Days in Amsterdam

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Some other sites in Amsterdam worth visiting

Don’t like the above? No problem! Below are some of my other favorite activities to do in Amsterdam

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – Like modern art? Well, I don’t but if you do, this is the place in the city to see it!

Houseboat Museum – This museum will show what it’s like to live in a houseboat! It doesn’t take long to see and only costs a few Euros.

****

Want the real, most honest, straight to the point guide on Amsterdam?

Photo Credits: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

The post How to Spend 4 Days in Amsterdam appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/three-days-in-amsterdam/

0 notes

vidovicart · 6 years

Text

How to Spend 4 Days in Amsterdam

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Some other sites in Amsterdam worth visiting

Don’t like the above? No problem! Below are some of my other favorite activities to do in Amsterdam

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – Like modern art? Well, I don’t but if you do, this is the place in the city to see it!

Houseboat Museum – This museum will show what it’s like to live in a houseboat! It doesn’t take long to see and only costs a few Euros.

****

Want the real, most honest, straight to the point guide on Amsterdam?

Photo Credits: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

The post How to Spend 4 Days in Amsterdam appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

0 notes