Hoofdrol voor het Holland heineken House (Olympic update nr 33)

Feb 23 2006

There is a queue at the entrance, before going through the metal detector. And there’s a queue inside as well: at the cloakroom and at the machine used to top up the Chipknip, the card used to eat, drink and purchase the official gadgets. In the end though, it will all be worth your while, and you will certainly leave Casa Olanda satisfied. We are in via Panetti in Torino, at the southern suburbs of the city. Here we find one of the Cus head offices, the University Sports Centre, which hosts the headquarters of the Dutch “tulips”, bearing the trademark of a major beer in the Netherlands.

Underneath the huge white marquee, it’s all orange. The carpet, walls, clothes. Casa Olanda has become a fixed appointment for the Olympic evenings, a real must. Lots of entertainment until late at night, live music from Dutch bands and, of course, streams of beer. Right after the entrance, there is the merchandising corner, which is becoming very popular due to its accessible prices. In the middle of the hall, there is an ice rink (open until 19), the favourite destination for children, but also adults. All around, there are lots of food places offering Dutch specialities: fast foods, self service places and a restaurant on the upper floor. In the second room, three maxi-screens show lives broadcasts of the Games. Those who wish to live the Olympic experience to the full really cannot afford to miss Casa Olanda.

Filippo Bonsignore - www.torino2006.com