A NOT-SO-HIDDEN SECRET IN HARLINGEN (friesland, the netherlands)

In this episode, Michelle and Alex explore Harlingen (the one in the Netherlands, not the one in Texas) and finally get their hands on some Zeeuwse mosselen (mussels). Plus, they stay in what is probably Europe's most beautiful waterfront accommodation: a tiny home inside of an old crane (that's also rated as one of Airbnb's most saved accommodations with amazing views!).
Here's a link to stay in the Harlingen crane home: www.airbnb.com/rooms/42850678
Episode 83 · Filmed on August 1, 2023 · Harlingen, the Netherlands
☕️ Interested in supporting us directly? ko-fi.com/buncharted
📸 Follow us on Instagram! / buncharted
0:00 Introduction
1:05 Atelier Swoop (coffee, wadlopen review)
1:59 Homminga's Fijne Winkel (sandwiches)
3:40 Seeing the sights (Stadhuis, St. Michaelskerk)
5:08 Our ship from yesterday!
5:19 More sights (Lighthouse, whale fountain)
6:30 Finally trying oranjekoek (orange cake)
8:00 Timelapse of the port
8:07 There's a Harlingen in TEXAS?
9:01 Grandcafe de Reus (Zeeuwse mosselen)
10:18 Full tour of the tiny crane home!
14:20 Should you stay here?
15:04 Breakfast and trying kanterkaas!
15:42 Thoughts on Harlingen
16:09 Wrap up
#expatlife #netherlands #friesland #harlingen
---
WHO IS BUNCHARTED?
We're Michelle and Alex, an American expat couple living abroad in the Netherlands. 🇳🇱
In 2020, we quit our jobs to travel the world, and... well, that didn't happen. So in 2022, we decided to make an even BIGGER change by packing up our lives (and our cats 🐈) and moving from Austin, Texas, in the US, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Subscribe for new videos like this every week!

[@tubularap]

You should be the new mascottes / figureheads for the Dutch tourism industry. Quirky and informative. I learn so much about my own country.

[@ElMariachi1337]

Borrelnootjes finally getting the recognition it should have had in the snack taste!

[@peterf1]

Lovely video. I definitely want to visit Harlingen now! Our 'local Dutch shop' here in the US... about 45 minutes away is where we go for kaas, koek, drop, etc flies a Frisian flag. Now I know what specialties to ask for!!

[@RealConstructor]

There is also a Harlingen in New Jersey with a Dutch Reformed Church from the time the Dutch were the colonizers of New Netherlands and the most important settlement of New Amsterdam (New York).

[@ruudbremer]

But also Brooklyn is named after Breukelen, Harlem (Haarlem), Wall Street (Waal Straat)

[@mweskamppp]

@@ruudbremer And New York was renamed after it was first called Nieuw Amsterdam...

[@stephanvanlunenburg4930]

​​@@AlexK-yr2thin Flatlands, Brookling vind je nog een buurtje Amsfort vernoemd naar Amersfoort. Het ligt op de plek waar vroeger de nederzetting nieuw Amersfoort was. Er is ook nog Amsfort park en een school PS 119 Amsfort

[@OsmosisHD]

Even I was a bit confused about the cheese 'Kanterkaas' Never heard of it. Till I saw the cheese in question, commonly known as 'Nagelkaas' Never heard it being called 'kanter' even tho according to wiki it's a correct name for it as well. If it's a bit too much for your liking in the early morning, you could try 'Komijnekaas' a bit softer taste . 'Nagelkaas' contains avens and cumin, avens has a pretty dominant taste. 'komijnekaas' only contains cumin

[@buncharted]

yeah - weird, right? it def confused us. i’m glad that it was actually authentic though 😅

[@MichelBaek]

Friesland is beautiful. It is up my aisle uuhhh alley 😜. That B&B looks cosy. These 4 videos were a nice tour of Friesland. ❤❤❤

[@buncharted]

😂😂😂

[@DrClumber]

I grew up in Harlingen, I lived all over (NW Europe) since, but it is my dream to retire there as well. It is a lovely town with way more character than it should have. Pleased to see you enjoyed it!

[@Paul_C]

I really like Friesland, just getting to know them can be hard. That said, it is my second favourite province. What most Americans still don't understand, probably because re-use isn't done, most industrial goods get refurbished or get taken apart and altered to a new use. Why pay for something new when something old would do nicely. That frugality is in the Dutch DNA probably since time began 😂

[@DenUitvreter]

If you ever wondered why the French and the Thai use cream sauces for their mussels, it's because they don't have Zeeuwse mosselen. They are the best.

[@dondersteen100]

Did you know that the ‘Noorderzon-festival’ just started in the city of Groningen? It’s all theater (some in shipping containers…), music, great street food and happy people. It might be worth a train ride up there… the festival will last untill next Sunday (august 27th).

[@eddys.3524]

Good video... I love to see how Michelle makes friends everywhere ( mew ).. The B&B looks awesome.

[@buncharted]

😻

[@urbandiscount]

Harlingen used to have a direct ferry service to London! And the eel in jelly tradition in London was started by eel fisherman from Heeg who sailed up the Thames and had their own jetty in the East End, and started trading

[@urbandiscount]

"Ouwe Zeun"! No whipped cream on the Oranjekoek!!!! Sacrilege. There's candied orange peel in there, hence the name

[@ptbd]

Got me googling for hotels in Friesland 😂

[@siccodierdorp6947]

I did not know the name 'kanterkaas', but only 'Friese nagelkaas'. Have it in my fridge at the moment:)

[@buncharted]

ah it’s the same thing - i wonder where the kanterkaas name came from?

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

I'm from Noord-Brabant, and here it's only known as nagelkaas as well.

[@norajazzypoppy9043]

Your dutch is very good Michelle & Alex.😊great vlog 😊

[@Dennisboetes]

Harlingen is definately one of the more beautifull cities in Fryslan. The start of a lot of fond memories for me. You should absolutely return here again for the vlootdagen.

[@nout1972]

These random encounters with cats are always a highlight in your videos

[@peterjaro6804]

😂😂😂 ' It was built 1730... rather recent! ' You are the FIRST Americans EVER to say something like that! 1850ies is old in the US.

[@Species6079]

😂😂😂

[@BrazenNL]

Man, I _love_ mussels! Since you live in Dordrecht, do yourself a favor and go to Belgium. They have so many variations of mussels, it will really surprise you.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

As a Dutchman from Holland, I like Friesland a lot. I don't know, it is the vibe, I guess, more relaxed. Oh and you should practice the "eu" sound more. It is the same sound as the german ö.

[@BabzV]

You pronounced 'fijne winkeltje' perfect Alex. 👍

[@BabzV]

You guys have the best videos, because I love food and food loves me(love to cook as well) plus I'm getting to appreciate my own country more, perfect combo! Oh and your editing is quite smooth. :)

[@buncharted]

thank you! you're too nice :)

[@BabzV]

@@buncharted It's obvious that you guys have so much fun making these videos, so it's fun for us to watch as well! :)

[@jackvandersluis1723]

Friesland, Harlingen great places and yes the view is great! 👍

[@wz8851]

Well you could make a series where you visit al de 5 places called Harlingen. Only four more to go! - Harlingen Germany in the vicinity of Jever in the North - Harlingen Germany in the vicinity of Merzig in the South - Harlingen near Austin Texas - Harlingen in New Jersey

[@JohnZonneveld]

Hmm Harlingen near Austin Texas?? Is still about a 5 hours trip ;)

[@inaverhoeff5273]

Found your channel a view days ago. And I like it. Oranjekoek has orange peel inside the 'koek' part. That's why it's called, like it is. Love it very much. There's a cremeversion (kind a butterly), but best is with whipped cream. And every bakery has his own recept. I'll check Harlingen, Texas.

[@bertoverweel6588]

Hallo lovely people, I don't eat food out of a shell or with it's house on his back, great video again. Veel plezier, groetjes.

[@Mauer102]

I live in Harlingen and dindt even know Atelier Swoop existed. Because most times ateliers are just Art Shops. But will check it out

[@neuron82]

Friesland is amazing! Visited it a couple of times already!

[@janbuitenga]

The Fryslan cheese was put on a “beschuit” and topper of by a slice of “roggebrood” by my beppe (grandmother) before she and my “pake” (grandfather obviously) went to sleep. Next morning they ate it……. It was called a “houtsnip”, don’t know why…..

[@vanderquast]

Harlingen is great 👍

[@Species6079]

This video was so much fun! 😍 I love the whay you tease each other! 😆 A small tip: practice the way you pronounce the "a" and "aa" in Dutch, like in "kast" and "kaas". Mijn complimenten! Jullie Nederlands wordt beter met iedere video! 👏🖖

[@DecodingHistory0517]

funny i live in that city, hope you enjoyed the stay

[@stephanberger3476]

Awesome videos. A tip, get some Riperkrite cheese. That's the bomb.

[@jordicouperus4657]

Finally, the delicious oranjekoek, takes me back to birthday's at beppe (frisian for grandma) I really liked the i dept exploration of Harlingen since i mostly had experience with Leeuwearden and Heereveen so far. Also, love me a running gag so keep finding those hidden Hema's

[@darklady6987]

thanx for the nice video

[@spekkiestuff]

Next time try these locations in autumn.. It's the most underestimated season.

[@Capibaro]

Come friday and the whole weekend in Tilburg it is Kaapstad. Artists take 'hostage of' the city. Know you have already been here at the Kermis. Tilburg is the most average, ugly yet creative city in NL. Happy to show you around

[@rensbuist]

Kanter nagelkaas, Kanter is the shape, "kant" is the sharp edge that you normaly won't see on other cheeses, kruidnagel = clove, There is also a Kanter komijn (cumin) without clove called Leidse kaas, generally people call cumin cheese, "Leidse kaas"

[@buncharted]

ahhh thank you!!

[@leotakken6789]

Borrelnootjes are also my quilty pleasure. Nice video 👍

[@renevaanhold]

Dear Alex, if you want to eat a mussel the right way you don't eat it with a fork but with an empty shell of another mussel.

[@lbergen001]

Yeah, I noticed that too.😂 Btw I love your vlogs even more bc your 'style' is evolving to a more moderate way. Enjoying but not overreacting. Typically Dutch.👍👍

[@HermanProsje]

The name oranjekoek coms from candied, thinly sliced ​​orange peel in the cake. Most of the time its ferry fine, so you do not always see it. Have fun on your net trip. Love your video's. 😊

[@janeising3585]

Another different place to stay for the night, a converted watertower near Zwolle.

[@andysgarage233]

I lived in the Lighthouse behind your Cranehouse. And it was so amazing....

[@buncharted]

what - really?? you lived there?!

[@extrastuff9463]

The cheese name had me confused, but both appearance and your description of the actual thing makes more sense. Proper name would be nagelkaas (Dutch) or krûdnageltsiis (Frysk), I rather like it especially the older more aged versions. But not as a standalone thing to eat but it usually goes on something like bread, cracker or knäckebröd. Yet another video with some aspects that I recognised, I've seen the place you stayed at from the outside many times. It's an interesting conversion, if you ever plan to return to Harlingen going during the "Sail" event where some older and newer tall ships show up could be a good time. Probably not at the same accomodation though, my gut feeling tells me that it's already reserved for the next Sail event in 2026 and even if it isn't the price will much higher than normal. And I can certainly appreciate other areas than the usual Amsterdam/randstad getting some coverage.

[@mver191]

There is also a Deventer somewhere in the US. US history really got Englishsised.

[@makki71]

it's my hometown 😍

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

Really enjoyed your 4 Days in Friesland. Thank you! Maybe a bit off topic, but I love to see you two so wonderfully relaxed. Over the last couple of months I've seen you change somewhat. Hope it's the really settling in and feeling at home in Dordrecht. Or maybe it's just my misperception?

[@buncharted]

thank you! i think the move (apartment searching and the move itself) was looming over us for a while. and i think we’re getting more comfortable being on camera!

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

@@buncharted Whatever the cause, happy to see you like this.

[@grienling]

Where is the Berenburg??

[@buncharted]

i’ve never heard of it!! i’ll have to try it sometime!

[@grienling]

@@buncharted berenburg is an alcoholic drink. made from jenever with spices . It is most commonly drunk in Friesland . It contains about 30% alcohol. we drink it with or without Cola

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

@@buncharted Be prepared ;o).

[@mweskamppp]

There is also a Harlinger-siel in Germany. The lord recruited some dutch people to settle there.

[@macbosch64]

I would expect orange in an oranjekoek as well, but I found out that orange refers to the thin slices of orange peel that are baked into the cake. Fun video again.

[@buncharted]

ah ha - that makes sense!

[@jaccovermeulen2762]

for our cat magnets: het is : wij hebben gisteren wadgelopen.

[@nielsdebakker3283]

Nice location, But is that bnb not "slapen in een trechter"(sleeping in a funnel) instead of the harbour crane? (Sorry, been ogling maps ;) I have been to harlingen a few times by boat but never been in that harbour.)

[@buncharted]

yep it’s slapen in een trechter!

[@naanabsoj]

There's also an actual harbour crane in Harlingen that you can stay in.

[@noabakker3848]

You always seem to attract friendly cats 😊

[@mver191]

Look up the Georgian uprising on Texel. The 2nd world war continued there for weeks after German capitulation because the German troops there never received the news of capitulation from high command.

[@hildelouisevrijs774]

That was a really nice vlog. It seems that you are getting more enthusiastic about the various places you visit. A little more about the language, things are going pretty well, the AA in Kaaswinkel is fine, but the A in Zeeland, for example, is not good. It's a matter of practice….. I only have a few relatives left and one of them lives in Magnolia, do you know where that is? Groetjes ❤️ van Hil.

[@buncharted]

is magnolia a city? in the netherlands or the US? i’m familiar with a neighborhood in seattle called magnolia!

[@hildelouisevrijs774]

@@buncharted No, it is a village in Texas!

[@hildelouisevrijs774]

@@buncharted the other one lives in Double Spur Loop.

[@buncharted]

ooooh! no, we aren’t familiar - i feel like we’ve seen a lot of texas but it’s such a big state 😅

[@wendyfromholland6562]

Albert Heijn heeft frieze koek maar Dan met een rose bovenkant en zonder slagroom

[@whynot5698]

I feel like you guys need to follow the crane's example. It started out in Rotterdam and ended up in Friesland.. 😏

[@666Maeglin]

Unfortunately they didn't deliver the traditional Fryske nageltsiis.. frisian cloves cheese. essentially the only cheese i ever eat

[@buncharted]

we’ll have to try it sometime!

[@leojonkers3181]

Only province in The Netherlands I no like. The cat was nice :) And I love your vlogs. 😊😊

[@buncharted]

we loved it! and thank you :)

[@ialrakis5173]

just forgot about everything. else when the muscles where introduced :-)

[@buncharted]

muscles??

[@ialrakis5173]

i like muscles as a simple, tasty food, no matter what the situation is. @@buncharted

[@buncharted]

oh the mussels - haha yeah. i had high expectations going in and they were exceeded. so tasty!!

[@RuurdvdZ]

LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

[@Meine.Postma]

Ha ha there's always a butt shot.. cute

[@gertstolk]

I take it the term 'Dutch Treat' now has a different meaning for you guys? 😊

[@Snaakie83]

Yeah, it's when you go out and eat with others and everyone pays for themselves. The English have a shitload of (mostly derogatory) sayings and verbs about us dutchies... Has a lot to do with our competitive state between the 16th and 19th century.

[@buncharted]

😂😂😂

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

@@Snaakie83 You're not wrong ;o).

[@spekkiestuff]

In a way you were lucky you had that weather. In 30 over it wont be not that much fun.

[@buncharted]

100% agree

[@stephenrobinson3681]

When are we going to explore the peeing polar bear of Amersfoort?

[@buncharted]

we definitely talked about it but we have a pretty packed schedule for the next few months - i really want to see it though 😂😂

[@666Maeglin]

where do you think most american cities got their name from.. they are often established by european immigrants that name their settlement after the place they emiograted from in europe.

[@buncharted]

very true

[@frankgeurts3912]

Harlingen is not Friesland,i almost got smacked when i was there and said that😂

[@buncharted]

haha what? it is friesland!

[@wz8851]

100% correct Harlingen is a Londen suburb

[@rh1499]

Voor stad van Londen 👍👍

[@ilex471]

A tip if you want to see someting really quaint: The village of Baarle-Nassau, south of Breda and less than an hours' drive from Dordrecht. Within the village is the Belgian enclave of Baarle-Hertog. This means that scattered throughout the Dutch village, there are patches of Belgian territory. In some cases, the border goes right through houses and shops. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baarle

[@buncharted]

we've been there! it was such an amazing little town kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqebpWOuaJl0btk

[@ilex471]

@@buncharted Yeah, I should have checked that before I wrote this. But it's such an obscure phenomenon, I only learned about when I was an adult.

[@user-wj3ee8rq2k]

Lot's of places in the US are named after European towns. By far, the majority of the names are due to immigrants naming their new home after their former home. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._places_named_after_non-U.S._places

[@ikke5212]

😊😊