2018 Embassy Festival, The Hague

On 1 September 2018, we attended the colourful cultural Embassy Festival in The Hague. This was the fourth year we have attended, and it didn’t disappoint. To make it even more special, I was the lucky winner of their Facebook competition for an overnight stay in a suite at the Mecure Hotel Den Haag Central. A huge thanks to them for our amazing view and the great opportunity to have a very rare night away, even if it was in our own city. My mum was here for a visit from Australia, so she and the girls came to check out the festival and our suite, then she took them home.

The Embassy Festival really is an amazing example of what world harmony can really look like. With around 50 stands showcasing the food, drinks, products, traditional dress and tourism of their countries, it is a truly unique experience. Even just simply pointing out the names of each country to our children is a great learning experience. The festival gives them a tiny taste the many, many sights, sounds and smells our world has to offer – without expensive airfares! What I love most is that it is all in an atmosphere of interest of and respect for each other. Whether you attended the festival or not, even a peek at the Embassy Festival website gives an impression of the variety of global culture that was there.

I had a lot of delicious food and drinks – I have to admit though that now I am sharing these photos, I don’t actually remember which stands/countries it was all from! I know the first is my daughter enjoying Finnish food (a type of cinnamon bun). The rest became a bit of a blur (and I don’t think the margarita and strawberry daiquiri were to blame!)

Our only two complaints were that firstly, it was a very crowded. Great to see it so popular (I’ve been telling my friends, students and colleagues about it for years!) but when attending with two kids and my mother, it was a bit hard to keep track of everyone, move around and see what was at the stands. Secondly, as an asthmatic, I also had the issue I often have in crowds – regularly breathing in cigarette smoke.

That said, it was still a fantastic festival and we enjoyed a few hours wandering around and literally exploring the world. A huge thanks to the organisers for making the festival both free and such an amazing experience.

It finished at 8pm, and we stopped off at the Pathe to see some American culture on the way back to the hotel (Mission Impossible Freefall!) before enjoying this great view from the Mecure Hotel Den Haag Central.