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.
-
Stop the Malls build the Metro
A Statement from the Quixotic Institute for Global Futures The future of cities will be decided not by how much we consume, but by how well we can move. Across the world, urban investment continues to prioritize retail expansion, private vehicles, and short-term commercial returns, while public transport systems remain underfunded, delayed, or politically sidelined.…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
Where Curiosity Leads
Travel is more than ticking countries off a map. It’s about discovering the stories behind places, understanding the people who call them home, and seeing the world through new perspectives.
Quixotic Guide is a collection of destinations, cultures, history, aviation, food, and ideas, created for curious travellers who want to go beyond the guidebook. Whether you’re planning your next adventure or simply exploring from home, every article is designed to help you understand the world a little better.
Explore Beyond the Tourist Trail
- 🌍 Discover fascinating destinations
- 🏛️ Understand history and cultures
- 🍽️ Explore national dishes and traditions
- ✈️ Travel smarter with practical guides
- 💡 Gain context behind the headlines
- 📖 See the world through curiosity
“The more you understand a place, the more meaningful your journey becomes.”
My Travel guides
- Not instructions, but orientation.
- These guides explain how places work — so you don’t just visit, you arrive.
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” –
Ibn Battuta
Maghrebi traveller