HUNTING FOR TINY ART IN LEEUWARDEN (first day in friesland, the netherlands)

In this episode, Michelle and Alex stop in Leeuwarden on the first of a 4 day trip to Friesland. In addition to a very quirky (and tiny) scavenger hunt, they finally get to try the famous Frisian "suikerbrood" (sugar bread) and some delicious seafood, fresh from the Wadden Sea.
Episode 80 · Filmed on July 29, 2023 · Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
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0:00 Introduction
0:50 Kattencafe Poespas (cat cafe)
1:20 Let's talk about Friesland
1:54 House of Taste (sandwiches)
4:10 Seeing the sights (Oldehove, De Waag)
5:22 Suikerbrood (sugar bread)
7:03 Miniature People (art walk)
8:33 Krist Vis and Dis (local seafood)
9:45 Our thoughts on Leeuwarden
10:46 What's next in the Friesland series?!
#expatlife #netherlands #friesland #leeuwarden
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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!

[@kappeuter]

I suggest a visit to Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker. I am looking forward to your next Friesland video's.

[@vorwald1968]

I live in Friesland, a village called Feanwâlden, just a 10 minutes train ride from Leeuwarden. I regular visit Leeuwarden for all kinds of reasons, most of all for the nice time spending , like to have a drink with my son and enjoy our life in Friesland . Nice to see you both enjoying your stay in Ljouwert 😉

[@HermanProsje]

Franeker is nearby Harlingen (12 min by train). younique opportunity to visit The Planetarium (uniek in the world). BTW its run by volunteers en fundid by donations and the local authority "De waadhoeke", so a non profit organization. Like to see you two in Fryslân. Lots of fresh healthy air.👍

[@lennartvers1767]

Your new slogan: Having fun in Fryslan! PS. I think wasps were bothering you not bees. Bees are quite friendly here in this country. Always open for a conversation and ready to help when you need it most. The wasps on the other hand..utter bastards!

[@buncharted]

haha you’re right - we googled it on the train back home earlier this week. def wasps!

[@dykam]

@@buncharted Well, that's august in the Netherlands. Wasps, so many wasps. At some point you kind of learn to deal with them. They *generally* don't sting unless provoked, but they do invade your personal space without hesitation.

[@JanBinnendijk]

Suikerbrood (Sûkerbôle in Frisian), is one of the first things i bought when i moved here... With Coffee, try the "Fryske Dúmkes" (Frisian Thumbs) these are Cookies the size of a Thumb, spiced with Anisseed and Ginger..

[@wmas296]

Hindeloopen has a cool ice skating museum that’s worth a visit. Furthermore, the Sneek week is about to start. More Friesland than that is hard to get.

[@frankgeurts3912]

The cafe where you cannot leave❤

[@Maurice...]

As always a nice video👍✌️♥️

[@HermanProsje]

Don,t forget to get the real treat here in Fryslân, the Oranjekoek. Buy it in a real bakery!! The one from the Supermarket is a cheap alternative and not nearly as tasty.

[@CatsLilaSalem]

5:10, in the back is the Blokhuispoort, an old prison. It now has the library and multiple smaller companies, and has an place to sleep even. The prison is free to visit

[@Dutchbelg3]

Lay-Ward-en 🙂 Like Leeuw (Lion , Pronounced Lay-W). My favorite treat are the typical Antwerp cookies: Antwerpse Handjes. Real buttery rich cookies in the form of a hand.

[@henk4639]

Actually by pronouncing it the way they do they are very close to how we say it. We call it Liwadd'n here in Leeuwarden. :)

[@jacobusbinnema3096]

Of course Franeker with the planet museum that is 300 years old. Amazing

[@buncharted]

we def have to go back and see this - it looks amazing!

[@Realjulius184]

Damn i follow you guys for some time now and this is my hometown. Who would have thought you guys came over here.

[@SanderWebbers]

i love this video as someone who was born in Leeuwarden and has lived here his whole life.

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

Good to see you've reached one of our 2 most Northern provinces. What for me defines the landscape of Friesland is the openness and the many waters. Exploring by boat is the best, with the bicycle being a good second ,or ice skates in winter ;o). For one reason or another I've always had a soft spot for Franeker.

[@daniellediepenbroek9614]

The krentewegge developed in Twente a part of the province Overrijssel is also a really delicious sweet treat!

[@fkaptijn7111]

Visit the Eise Eisinga planetarium in Franeker.

[@jacobusbinnema3096]

And try oranjekoek and dùmkes as well

[@davevanbeers6944]

Texas style Apple pie? Deep fried?😊 another awesome episode, thanks!

[@jacobusbinnema3096]

Sneek, Hindeloopen, Workum, Sloten, Vlieland and Terschelling are all great places to explore.

[@666Maeglin]

Snits, Hylpen, Warkum, Sleat, Vlielân and Skylge you mean..

[@flessuh]

Nice to see you in my home town! As suggested earlier, from Leeuwarden there's a train to Stavoren (IJsselmeer coast) which stops about 1.5km outside of Hindeloopen, which is where the ice skating museum is. Also, good taste on the carpaccio :)

[@Dennisboetes]

Finally 😊. Great to see my hometown through your eyes. You see a lot of stuff you take for granted normally. Not too shabby. Can't wait to see what you think of the islands

[@henk4639]

Nice to see you in my own city, sorry the weather wasn't better! We're having the worst summer in a decade and hopefully it'll get better soon. Frisian sugarbread can be great but the quality differs so much between stores. The best supermarket Frisian sugarbread can be bought at Poiesz Supermarkten, it's a northern supermarket chain you may encounter while you're up north. They also sell roomboter suikerbrood which is a fluffier version that is even better than the regular compact version. Always eat it with roomboter! Looking forward to your adventures on some of the Wadden islands. :)

[@Mdgd63]

Yes, you are going to the islands! 🤗😆👍👍👍

[@buncharted]

just one this time but we def want to visit more!

[@leoaltilio6854]

I love Poespas, my favorite place in leeuwarden and Natuurmuseum is amazing.

[@TheBontekraai]

i love cats so much. and your channel too!

[@dirkdemeirleir264]

From Harlingen you could take a ferry to one of the wadden islands…

[@bertkassing8541]

Very nice video. I, an Amsterdammer (living in Hoofddorp) like to visit many provinces. I have of course been to all provinces quite often. In the coming months I will be going to the Veluwe (Gelderland), Texel (North Holland) and to the Lauwersmeer (border Friesland-Groningen). Every province in the Netherlands offers something interesting. Each province also has its differences. Take North Holland as an example. In the north you have Texel (wadden island) and in the south you have the Gooi (Hilversum, Laren, Bussum). In between the beautiful cities of Alkmaar, Haarlem and Amsterdam. And so each province offers huge differences.

[@teejay4903]

You should get the loaf of suikerbrood bij de echte bakker, not the ah 😊 and real roomboter ofcourse 🔥💯

[@melissaL1411]

Absolutely loved this video. Been living in Leeuwarden for 4 years and it was nice to see it from a different perspective. Also the Vis en Dis is like 2 minutes from where i live and never thought about eating there, so maybe i will next time 🙏🏻

[@ruudg3565]

Best vlog of its kind.

[@edwinbartels9360]

I'm guessing you're going to visit the waddeneilanden. Vlieland, Terschelling and Ameland.

[@MarceldeJong]

I always get hungry when I’m watching your videos, not sure why… 😊

[@renevaanhold]

A "Kozak" is a kind of cake from the east of the Netherlands, especially in the Twente region. The cake is usually rectangular in shape with a chocolate exterior and a (jam) filling inside. The cake is surrounded with marzipan. Actually, it is a slice of sponge cake with jam and cream or butter cream in a rolled form (like a Swiss jam roll), which is glazed on both sides with dark chocolate. A "Kozak" is also available in a round shape.

[@buncharted]

yum! 🤤

[@Meine.Postma]

Nice video of my home town. My favorite sweet treat is oranjekoek

[@buncharted]

we were luckily able to try it in our upcoming harlingen video! 😋

[@rensbuist]

You two go "Wadlopen" ,that would be awsome

[@neelz401]

Suikerbrood is zooooo lekker 😋😋

[@rutgerdeboer-fo7xw]

Hope you have a great time in Fryslân! 😊 Some guesses/suggestions for a next time: - (one of) the islands, duh 🙃 - Fries Museum in Leeuwarden - Sneek(week) - Dokkum, place of the St. Bonifacius murder in 754 - The best way to explore the beauty of Friesland is with a boat or sailing ship - Franeker, the old university and Eise Eisinga planetarium - Heerenveen en Oranjewoud - try and take a course in Frisian. It is the closest related language to English so that could be fun 😋 - attending a Skûtsjesilen match (traditional sailing competition) - wadlopen - Kazematten museum at the Afsluitdijk (the only place in Europe where, during the Blitzkrieg-invasion days in May 1940, the Nazi invaders couldn't push through)

[@buncharted]

this is great - thank you! (and yep, we did do a few of these, haha)

[@woutersplinter4981]

just an edit: St. Bonifatius was killed together with his army of knights, definitely not murdered...

[@frankgeurts3912]

The koekie of Oudewater Het Geelbuikje (Crum cookie with yellow fondant❤)

[@buncharted]

yum!!!

[@Paul_C]

Wadlopen, droogvallen, zeilen. Probably these three have to be on the list. Then a visit to the planetarium. For the rest, just have fun, stiff upper lip: August should be warmer. Oh well, 😊

[@jordicouperus4657]

Yes!! you finally made it to Friesland. For the next videos i'm really hoping to see some ice skating in Heereveen or wadlopen. For treats, the oranjekoek is a musthave so it has to make an appearance too.

[@TerryVogelaar]

Whenever I'm in Friesland, I always buy some Keallepoat (literally translated: "veal leg", but it is suitable for vegetarians). Think of it as a big cookie with pepernoten flavour. I've seen it in many bakeries and supermarkets in Friesland, but I don't know where to buy it outside of Friesland. Suikerbrood on the other hand is not just in Friesland; you can buy it anywhere in the Netherlands.

[@beauwolf5729]

What i remember from my visit to Friesland is wadlopen( walking at low tide in the wadden sea). Sailing around the isles. Duck with sugarbread and the many 6 ft women who made this Tacoma boy feel like a dwarf.

[@skippynoah]

@@AlexK-yr2thoh yes, you can go wadlopen from several places in Friesland.

[@skippynoah]

@@AlexK-yr2th Pieterburen in Groningen is maybe the most famous place to start wadlopen so maybe that was on your mind.

[@lisettem.6241]

Hahahaha 6ft women. Yes normal height over here…The men are even taller 😂

[@Martingj56]

You can even do wadlopen the naturist way if you want. Just do a little google search.

[@jacobusbinnema3096]

Mummies in Wieuwerd

[@dutchnintendo94]

Glad u enjoyed Leeuwarden. Hope u will visit it again someday with better weather. So u get to enjoy the atmosphere of the city a little bit more.

[@buncharted]

we definitely have to go back to see the frisian islands in sunnier weather!

[@jackvandersluis1723]

Great video guys, good promotion for Friesland, a great province indeed! 👍👍

[@robertlussenburg1770]

Lekker bezig! Enjoy exploring!

[@erikmulder2574]

Are you going wadlopen? For sure you visit either Vlieland or Terschelling or maybe both.

[@DJWezzyK]

You should visit Toverland, Netherland's second youngest themepark. It now has the only full wooden coaster in The Netherlands (Joris en de Draak at Efteling got steel track, so it makes it a Hybrid coaster), The most Intense wingcoaster in the world (even more intense then the 4 operating in the U.S.), and everything outside is beautifulky themed. And if it rains, just do the 2 indoor halls of the park full of rides. Also you can buy your own magic wand to activate stuff around the park.

[@nynkestellema2641]

I wish i knew you were in Leeuwarden. You really should have gone to the Fries Museum and see the sword of Grutte Pier. It's a great story and the sword is massive. Seriously, Game of Thrones has baby swords. Also, you should really try the oranje koek, fryske dumkes (cookies) and beerenburg (liquor). There are also beerenburg bonbon is the beerenburg museum in Leeuwarden. Some local treats you won't find anywhere else.

[@buncharted]

we try oranjekoek in our harlingen video!

[@urbandiscount]

Museum Belvedere near Heerenveen is fantastic for contemporary art. And Harlingen and at least one of the islands

[@Claudiaatje212]

I have a feeling those bees you mentioned were probably wasps, they are common in summer (especially in August) and can be quite aggressive. Contrary to bees, wasps do not lose their stinger and can sting repeatedly. They are attracted by food, drinks, trash and scents like perfume. I've been stung a couple of times over the years, they always freak me out.

[@buncharted]

yup, definitely wasps!

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Best thing to do is let them bee (😉) and not aggravate them. And don't drink them by accident.

[@Claudiaatje212]

@@rmyikzelf5604 I usually flee the scene and hope they don't follow me 🤣

[@timyotimbo]

I live in Groningen, and my favourite local treat is Knol's notenkoek and eierbal.

[@woutersplinter4981]

Finally! The city and province I call my home! Love it!

[@woutersplinter4981]

But De Oldehove is not a church, it is only a churchtower ;)

[@woutersplinter4981]

I am guessing yoy guys are going to Terschelling in one of the next videos :P

[@woutersplinter4981]

And for a couple of Euros,you could've climbed it and learn inside why it is so crooked. And also you have quite a nice view from the top

[@_x._elise_.x_3247]

Iff you visit Flevoland you should definitely go to the coffee cat in Almere. Great homemade pies 🥧 and other food, and 13 lovely 🐈 🐈‍⬛

[@jeroeniedema1507]

Take the boat to terschelling!

[@hanos4082]

Sleeping in the harbour crane in Harlingen? You can get some beautiful views there

[@rudyloedeman5730]

In Luttelgeest in the Flevoland province there is a topical garden (Orchideeënhoeve) and next to that is an indoor trout fishing where you can catch your own diner

[@bigbro8439]

So great to see you in Leeuwarden. Sorry about the weather. You probably go to Vlieland or Terschelling. Hope it is Terschelling. When there is sun it is like paradise. When it rains ......

[@buncharted]

you’ll see the “when it rains” version 😂 still fun though!

[@VDMOOLN]

Sûkerbôle🤤

[@TheJolanda01]

Suikerbrood you can buy at the supermarket were you live,and yes real butter on it is the best,not the salted butter so look out

[@H1SCOTTY]

Be sure to get your stamp at the eleven cities. 😉

[@buncharted]

ah - can you do that?!

[@H1SCOTTY]

If You skate it on ice it’s mandatory, not really sure if my parents got those while biking it.

[@zebraman36]

another great video 😍 you should try the Oranje koek and the beerenburg Weduwe Joustra(alcohol drink) and the Dokkumer koffie 😍also with beerenburg in it enjoy 😍

[@skippynoah]

Yes, oranjekoek should be on their menu when in Friesland. Maybe they did try it as this is only video 1.

[@ariearie3543]

Fryslan Boppe!

[@2coixos]

When you go to Groningen you need to buy some Knol's koek. I like the one with nuts the best but they also sell them plane, with ginger or sucade. For the last 18 years i have been living in the mountains of Portugal but before that i lived on a houseboat in the city center of Groningen

[@StefanCreates]

6:31 lmao that's crazy 😅

[@tonzelle2720]

Did you visit the birth house of the famous Dancer, courtisane and spy Margaretha Zelle, aka Mata Hari?

[@buncharted]

we didn’t - is it in leeuwarden?

[@tonzelle2720]

Yes, Kelders 33, her statue is in front of the house

[@TrojTV]

Wadlopen?

[@dutchflyingpilot]

Those yellowjackets are really annoying, especially in august when they are in search of sugar. Currently I'm in Washington DC and it's pure terror over here as well (we were under attack this afternoon. No human casualties). Enjoy(ed) Friesland!

[@extrastuff9463]

It was nice seeing many places that I recognised in this one. I did run into those miniatures without knowing what they were at some point, not so much because I spotted a scene but I was curious about the very deliberate sturdy QR code on a random building. Recognised most of the places you went to on this one although I can't remember having been to any of those places, oh and suikerbrood/sûkerbôle while its apparently originally from here can be found in the rest of the country as well just not as reliably. I generally dislike the supermarket ones though and don't even approve of those by every baker. But based on general appearance looks like the place you went to made it with enough sugar (arguably too much from an added sugar point of view but it's not intended to be eaten every single day). And I think I even recognised one of the cats on the street that was filmed, streets where cats aren't afraid of random people is usually a sign that it's a good place. Would've been fun if you actually caught one of the two cats that had the sign in the window about them being spoiled wanting people to open the front door while they have a back door they can go through. I'm also glad the Fryslân and Ljouwert thing was mentioned, to be nitpicking a little bit the official name the province as of a few years ago is Fryslân now but many things haven't caught up on that yet. A lot of places have also switched the official place name signs when you enter them with the Frisian one in the larger font and at the top, but that's not universal Leeuwarden is one of the places that hasn't. I think it's a decision that can be made at the munipality level.

[@666Maeglin]

I strongly assume that you mean wasps when you say bees. Bees have no interest in anything but flowers, wasps however love anything sweet from the end of July until it becomes too cold in autumn and their hive dies.. They need additional sugar to feed their larva when they have many larvae later in the season. Before that, they eat mainly insects like mosquitos

[@buncharted]

yup, it was wasps

[@kappeuter]

Try oranjekoek.

[@strikeformatik]

Are you guys going to visit Terschelling, Ameland, Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog? Please do! Especially Terschelling has so many cute villages with awesome food, beaches, shops, w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l-l nature

[@eddys.3524]

Harlingen... there is the ferry to Vlieland... you defenitly ought to go there too.

[@NLKINK]

If you're have plans to stay longer in Friesland I can recommend you guys to visit Sneek where it's SneekWeek! And for something sweet. Well, I am not much of a sweet tooth but we have a cookie in Assen, Drente, called Kletskop. Available in every supermarket.

[@buncharted]

we’re unfortunately already home but we will definitely be back this year!

[@ialrakis5173]

suikerbrood reminds me of my grandmother. Didn't know it was a Frisian thing. Not unlikely that it crossed the border to Belgium. I also used to eat it with a tasty butter and sometimes added a slice of salty cheese for the contrasting taste.

[@buncharted]

salty cheese would be really good with it 🤤

[@urbandiscount]

we do french toast with it (pain perdu)

[@MrCaspar72]

My favorite sweet treat here in Limburg is arretjescake. You should try it sometime!

[@OsmosisHD]

Ah already in Harlingen! (or already left) Either way hope you two enjoyed my hometown :) Also I recognize 10:49 it's the 'trechter' (sand funnel / hopper) truly unique place to stay

[@blinkachu5275]

I hope you're in Fryslan for Sneekweek! It's from 5th of August till the 10th of August and is a yearly tradition in Sneek (used to live there for a while as a kid) Suikerbrood, or Sukerbolle as the Frysian people say, is amazing and definitely something I enjoyed a ton as a kid too I'm guessing maybe as one of the other places you might visit (outside of hopefully Sneek), is Stavoren and well, since you're there, Harlingen ^^;

[@buncharted]

we’re unfortunately already back in dordrecht by now but we def want to check it out at some point! edit- we did visit harlingen though 😅

[@mefeather]

Some restaurants even have Fries Suikerbrood as a dessert. Which is normally french toast made of Suikerbrood. Yum. With icecream and sometimes something like Licor 43.

[@buncharted]

we almost got this at a restaurant in harlingen but we were too full - it sounds SO good!

[@mefeather]

@@buncharted Well, I normally first check the desserts on the menu and if it has french toast made of suikerbrood I make sure to fit my dinner to that. Meaning, something lighter or smaller or no starter. *grins* It's really really good! Looking forward to the rest of your adventures.

[@dahemper]

Fryslân boppe!

[@w.vandenhelder7849]

Jullie gaan vast nog naar een waddeneiland. Ik denk Vlieland. Gaan jullie ook nog wadlopen? Of kan dat alleen in Groningen? En een dagje varen over de Friese meren is ook erg leuk

[@Oxygenefrl]

Your going to Terschelling:)

[@BrazenNL]

Vliehors is close by. Could be a bit noisy at times, though. 🤣

[@buncharted]

haha because of the military?

[@BrazenNL]

@@buncharted You got it!

[@tinekepostema4672]

Of course a day trip to one of the islands. I prefer vlieland, but terschelling is also nice. And then visit as many of the 11 cities as you can😅

[@norajazzypoppy9043]

🐈🐈😊

[@evertoki]

you got to try Fryske droege woarst aka Friese droge worst aka Frisian dried sausage, only thing i really miss from Friesland. pro tip buy more then one

[@buncharted]

oh man, we saw these but didn’t get one - now i regret it! we’ll have to go back 😋

[@renevaanhold]

It's a pity you didn't stay in the "Havenkraan" in Harlingen. It's a unique experience. Als ik het mij goed herinner hebben jullie al een keer in een havenkraan overnacht. Klopt dat?

[@buncharted]

we stayed at a crane in den bosch but it didn’t quite have this sort of view… we didn’t know about the lighthouse until we were in harlingen. maybe next time!

[@walingsijtsma1204]

We eat suikerbrood with very old cheese

[@nielsdebakker3283]

Harlingen, end of the train just before it drops in the harbour ;) Harlingen hs ferries to a few waddeneilanden (vlieland en terschelling) and of course do not forget harlingen itself. It is not the right corner voor wadlopen. There are lots of historic cities around.

[@frankgeurts3912]

Krist is super❤

[@wiwingmargahayu6831]

no canned fish ?????? thats good actually. fresh seafood

[@robstone8435]

go to Giethoorn it is nearby now

[@ariearie3543]

No avoid Giethoorn at al cost!

[@pintdigitaleproeverij3916]

I love your great videos! It took me a while but I've seen them all right now. When you are in Harlingen, why not take a day trip with the boat to Terschellingen? (if not already planned)

[@buncharted]

maybe we did 😉 😂

[@AlexT74]

Visiting Schiermonnikoog maybe?

[@BobWitlox]

Are you going wadlopen in Harlingen?

[@Wielie0305]

Harlingen hmmm… Vlieland of Terschelling denk ik 😉

[@leojonkers3181]

I like Groningen much more then Friesland. Groningen city is so nice!

[@buncharted]

looking forward to checking it out!

[@bartlucassen9145]

I guess: sailing in Harlingen?

[@charlyvanbuuren2947]

Aren't your bees wasps? 😂

[@buncharted]

yup haha