Quixoticguide
Hi, I’m Maarten Van Den Driessche, a curious human, aviation enthusiast, vexillophile, world traveler, and food lover with over 14,000 days of life experience.
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Snow and Wind: Why Winter at Schiphol Airport is a perfect storm
Schiphol may look calm and orderly on most days, but in winter it becomes one of Europe’s most fragile major airports. The reason isn’t just snow, and it isn’t just wind — it’s the combination of both that turns even a routine travel day into a logistical nightmare. Snow: Small Amounts, Big Consequences The Netherlands…
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Turkey, Taxis, and the Art of Negotiated Reality
Travel in Turkey is a sensory overload in the best possible way. The call to prayer echoing over rooftops, tea glasses clinking endlessly, the smell of grilled meat drifting through alleyways — and then there are the taxi drivers. Ah yes. The taxi drivers. An essential part of the Turkish travel experience, whether you like…
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Isle of Skye — Where the Land Still Feels Alive
There are places that feel photographed before you even arrive. And then there is Skye — raw, unpredictable, and endlessly humbling. This is not an island you simply visit. It’s one you negotiate with. Weather, light, wind, silence — Skye decides the pace, not you. Driving onto the island, the world seems to slow. Roads…
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Beyond the Postcard Venice: Where the City Becomes Real
To truly understand Venice, you have to walk away from the postcard version of it. Not because that Venice is disappointing—it isn’t—but because it’s incomplete. The real Venice begins where souvenir stalls thin out, where menus lose their photos, and where the city resumes its daily rhythm. In Cannaregio, mornings feel almost domestic. Locals cross…
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New Year on the Road — and the Curious History of the International Date Line
Celebrating New Year while travelling already feels slightly unreal. Midnight arrives in unfamiliar streets, airport lounges, or somewhere over an ocean. But nowhere does New Year feel more abstract than around the International Date Line—the invisible boundary where the world agrees that one day ends and another begins. Why the International Date Line Exists The…
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Touristanbul: Turning a Layover into a City Break
Long layovers are usually something to endure. Touristanbul turns them into something else entirely: a guided, free introduction to one of the world’s most layered cities. Operated by Turkish Airlines, Touristanbul allows transit passengers at Istanbul Airport to step beyond the terminal and into the streets, mosques, bazaars, and waterfronts of Istanbul. For travelers who…
Dream destinations
Finding the perfect travel destination involves considering a variety of factors to ensure the trip meets your expectations and desires. My destinations
Research Destinations
- My Travel Blogs and Websites:
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- Books and Documentaries:
My Travel guides
- Travel guides are invaluable resources for planning and making the most of your trips.
- They provide detailed information on destinations, attractions, accommodation, dining, and local culture.
- Providing practical tips and itineraries with a focus on cultural experiences.
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” –
Ibn Battuta
Maghrebi traveller