Jonnie Boer obituary: Celebrated Dutch chef
Diners wanting a three Michelin-star experience in the Netherlands know to head 75 miles east of Amsterdam to the medieval city of Zwolle where Jonnie Boer and his wife Thérèse, who both grew up nearby, ran De Librije (the Library), one of the country's most extraordinary culinary experiences. Housed in a 16th-century former Dominican monastery, De Librije seats about 35 diners who are served by black-gloved waiters in a high-ceilinged room with tall windows, well-spaced tables and a large chandelier.
Unlike many Dutch chefs, Boer did not look to France for ideas. Instead, he sought inspiration from local nature. He used only Dutch ingredients, caught fish in nearby canals from his boat and pioneered the use of the whole animal in meat dishes. 'I don't
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The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Major airline warns of technical blunder with passengers told their flights are delayed – when they aren't
GROUNDED Plus, one man tried Wizz Air's mystery holiday and was treated like royalty at a sunny all-inclusive resort WIZZ Air has been warning passengers their flights were delayed - despite them not. This morning Wizz Air claims to have had a technical issue that meant some customers were sent email telling them that their upcoming flight was delayed. 2 However, for most of the passengers who received one of the emails, this is not true. The airline is now advising travellers to check their flight status via it's website or app, and if still in doubt, to call the customer service team. One person commented on social media: "Such error in 2025 not acceptable!" Some people appear to have been sent the email who don't even have a flight scheduled. A person shared on social media: "Why's Wizz Air sending me an email apologising for flight delay when I don't have any flight scheduled with them?" Another person said: "I have received an email supposedly from Wizz Air but it looks like a phishing email. "I do not have a flight booked, and there are grammar issues and display issues with the email. "Just informing you this is circulating. "Sender was offers@ maybe it is spoofed." A Wizz Air spokesperson said: "We are aware of a technical issue that caused some Wizz Air passengers to receive incorrect emails stating that their upcoming flight is delayed. "We can confirm that, for the majority of passengers, these notifications were sent in error. 'If you are scheduled to travel in the coming days, we recommend checking your flight status directly via the Wizz Air website or mobile app for the most accurate and up-to-date information. 'We sincerely apologise for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused. "If you have concerns about your upcoming travel plans, please contact Wizz Air's Customer Service team for assistance." Flight compensation rules A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs. What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed? Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late. If you're flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight. You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven't used yet. So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded. But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline. When am I not entitled to compensation? The airline doesn't have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather. Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other 'extraordinary circumstances' are not eligible for compensation. Some airlines may stretch the definition of "extraordinary circumstances" but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled? If you can't claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you. Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer. Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof. If your flight is cancelled entirely, you're unlikely to be covered by your insurance. The airline also had a similar issue in 2024, where passengers were told their flights were cancelled following a confusing "technical issue". At the time, customers were left frustrated, with one person spending "hours sitting on the terminal floor" with no information. A pretty European city most Brits won't have heard of also has new cheap flights from the UK. Plus, one man tried Wizz Air's mystery holiday and was treated like royalty at a sunny all-inclusive resort. 2
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
How the EU's biggest air passengers' rights shake-up in a generation will affect you
Flight cancellations, long delays and overbooking resulting in passengers being denied boarding: for decades, airlines could cause all kinds of problems without regard for travellers. In many parts of the world, they still can. But in 2004 the European Union announced Regulation 261 – which transformed air passengers' rights rules across Europe. It stipulated a duty of care for disrupted travellers and provided cash compensation for short-notice cancellations and overbooking. Three things happened over the following years: A series of increasingly eccentric European Court of Justice rulings distorted the original intentions of the rules and made impossible demands of Airlines Claims firms sprang up to extract cash from carriers for delayed flights Airlines realised they could ignore many of the rules, particularly on passenger care, with impunity The EU is now in the process of revising the regulation. The European Parliament and Council of the European Union have agreed fresh proposals that try to clear up some of the many anomalies in the law. But the proposals could yet be amended, and there is no clear indication when they will take effect. These are the key questions and answers. In the beginning … The EU said airlines must improve their attitude to passengers. Cancellations, delays and overbooking are common. Brussels decreed that airlines making short-notice cancellations should pay compensation – unless 'extraordinary circumstances' were responsible. The amount: between €250 and €600, depending on the length of the flight. The same applied to airlines denying boarding to passengers because they had sold too many tickets. Cash payouts comprise one half of the rules. The other half is to do with passenger care in the event of disruption – requiring meals and, if necessary, accommodation to be provided until the journey begins. Airlines must get the traveller to their destination as soon as possible, including on rival carriers if need be. What happened next? Many airlines ignored at least some of the rules, for example: Neglecting the first rule of the rights register, which is: tell people their rights Insisting passengers could only be rebooked on the carrier's own services Not providing accommodation for passengers stranded at airports At the same time, an industry of claims handlers sprang up – fighting for compensation in return for about one-third of the payout. A series of test cases came up with some surprising conclusions, such as that a three-hour delay constitutes the same degree of harm to a passenger as a cancellation, and therefore deserves identical compensation if the airline is responsible. This led to all kinds of passenger-unfriendly outcomes, such as airlines shuffling fleets to delay multiple flights by less than three hours rather than having one flight Another case concluded that if a pilot tragically died in service and a flight was delayed or cancelled, the carrier should pay compensation for failing to have spare crew everywhere it flew. What is proposed? Compensation The EU accepts that initial compensation rates were ridiculously high. Inflation has halved their value in the past two decades, but there is no attempt to keep up with general price rises. In fact, payouts will be cut for many passengers – except for those on the shortest flights. Flights up to 1,500km: Now €250, future €300 Flights 1,500-3,500km: Now €400, future €300 Flights over 3,500km: Now €600, future €500 The length of the delay will also rise before a pay-out is made: Flights up to 3,500km: now three hours, future four hours Flights over 3,500km: now four hours (with half- compensation after three hours), future six hours In a bid to increase the proportion of passengers claiming compensation, airlines must 'provide the passenger with a pre-filled form' to help them get the payout. Airlines' excuses 'Extraordinary circumstances' are excuses that allow airlines to dodge compensation payouts, though not the duty of care. They will be more clearly specified so that: Airlines will no longer be expected to have pilots and cabin crew stationed at all their destinations in case a crew member falls ill or dies Strikes among airline staff in protest against government decisions (eg on pensions or retirement age) no longer require compensation to be paid Other key changes The duty of care will be limited to three nights accommodation; cases that are longer than this are rare. No-show outbound should not lead to cancellation of whole itinerary – eg Air France passenger from Manchester to Paris who doesn't take the first leg should still be able to fly back. Airlines can claim redress for financial damage from third parties that trigger a duty of care – eg the Heathrow fire, which cost carriers up to £100 million. Greenland swerves compensation payouts due to 'particularly harsh meteorological conditions, and is characterised by very low population density and the remoteness of its populated places'. Will the UK follow suit? It will have to, or there will be some irrational outcomes – for example on an Amsterdam-London flight operated by an EU-registered aircraft, the rules would be different from a UK aircraft. Since easyJet has both kinds of planes, and deploys them on this route, the entitlement to compensation could hinge on the registration – causing yet more passenger confusion.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Sweat, tears, devotion: Pilgrims cross the wilderness to honor the Rocío Virgin in Spain
Their faces, hats and flamenco dresses caked in dust, hundreds of pilgrims gathered around an ox-driven carriage with their icon of the Virgin Mary after slogging on foot, horses and wagons through dirt roads for nearly 12 hours. The festive flamenco music stopped, the ubiquitous beer bottles and wine glasses were put down, and the Catholic faithful prayed an evening rosary by pine trees in the wilderness a few miles from the hamlet of El Rocío. ' One can drink and hang out. Our best friends are here. But it's essential to pray,' said Meme Morales, who's been doing this pilgrimage since the early 1990s, this year with her two grown daughters. 'The Virgin is something that forms part of our life.' Venerating the Rocío Virgin has been a tradition since the main icon was discovered near this village in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia around the end of the 13th century. It has grown into one of world's largest, most unique Catholic pilgrimages. For days before Pentecost weekend, about a million people do the 'romería del Rocío' in swirling clouds of dust that's as pervasive and natural as the faithful's devotion. Feast and faith as pilgrims make their way It looks like a rolling, wild party, even among the religious brotherhoods, more than 130 of whom participate, taking different paths from around the region and as distant as Brussels. Morales' group is the Triana brotherhood. From when they break camp around dawn until well into the night, they sing flamenco songs, many specific to each brotherhood — accompanied by guitar and rhythmic clapping. Homemade food and copious amounts of water, beer and sherry are shared with friends and strangers alike. But there are prayers at every break along the country paths, priests to hear confession at day's end, conversations about the pope, mission trips and social outreach, even solemn Masses in the fields. 'Without that, this wouldn't make any sense. It would be a picnic,' said Patricia Rodríguez Galinier, who oversees liturgical celebrations for the Triana brotherhood. Based in a neighborhood by the same name in Seville, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) away, it's one of the largest and oldest, founded more than 200 years ago. Rodríguez had just helped set up Mass by the Triana 'simpecado' — meaning 'without sin.' It refers to their version of the icon of the Virgin, carried by an ox-driven cart covered in silver and fresh flowers. At each night's camp, wagons are set in a circle and people gather to worship through the night. With the oxen tied to small trees and some riders still on horses in the 90-degree weather (33 Celsius), more than 700 faithful listened to the homily by their spiritual director, the Rev. Manuel Sánchez. He quoted Pope Leo XIV 's first public words about God's love for everyone — adding, to laughter, that love included those at that moment receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation behind the wagon still grasping their beer bottles. 'There's a profound sense of spontaneity in El Rocío … just like in the Gospel when Jesus goes to have dinner with folks,' Sánchez said later. 'We have a lot of time to come to God crying in life, but that's not El Rocío.' Popular devotion rooted in a place at the margins One reason for the pilgrimage's down-to-earth nature is El Rocío's location, in the wetlands and sand dunes of the Guadalquivir River's estuary, said Juan Carlos González Faraco, a University of Huelva professor who has studied the pilgrimage. Until the last few decades, when large-scale greenhouse farming and natural protected areas have taken over, it was a malaria-prone wilderness frequented mostly by cattle and horse ranchers. That's allowed the centuries-old pilgrimage tradition to continue without the strictness of other places of devotion to Mary. It has stayed in the hands of the brotherhoods instead of the institutional church, said González. He's a member of the main brotherhood from Almonte, the closest town to the sanctuary that manages its white church filled with golden images and orange sand from the pilgrims' footsteps. Its president, Santiago Padilla, spent hours at the sanctuary's doors Saturday, solemnly welcoming each brotherhood as they arrived. 'They come laden with intentions, supplications, prayers. And it's the moment we shake their hands, we hug and we give thanks to the Virgin for this pilgrimage they made,' said Padilla, whose family has been pilgrims for generations. A return to countryside roots Padilla wore an impeccably white jacket and formal riding kit, like many members of the brotherhoods who do the pilgrimage on horseback. Women wear shawls and long, flaring dresses or skirts — to better ride sideways on horses and protect themselves from the brush and the sun. Such outfits might look like Spanish stereotypes, but they pay homage to the working traditions of many families from the area. 'Everything that has a good presence takes us a bit closer to God,' said Ignacio Sabater Wasaldúa, the Triana brotherhood leader. He rode horses this year alongside his son, helping lead the dozens of wagons and thousands of pilgrims on foot. The brotherhoods stress that their commitment to Christian life transcends one yearly pilgrimage — though it draws inspiration from it and they wouldn't consider missing it. 'El Rocío should be a model for society, with affection and solidarity,' Sabater said. Triana, for instance, maintains a chapel with daily Masses and brings nearly 200 youth from marginalized backgrounds to the brotherhood's house in El Rocío for a summer camp. 'I'm a rociera the whole year,' said Macarena Ruíz, who started participating in the late 1980s and whose three children are camp counselors. Despite Spain's growing secularization, youth remain involved in the pilgrimage, whether to maintain a family tradition, make new friends or live out their faith. This year, Triana's youth group organized Eucharistic adoration late into the second night at camp. 'That's the assurance that this will not be lost,' said Esperanza García Rivero, whose grandfather took his wagon on the pilgrimage in the 1940s. Sweat and tears before Mary, mother of God Hidden beneath the traditions and the festivities, many pilgrims are motivated by promises they made to the Virgin. After a double mastectomy for breast cancer, Paloma Maria had a large Mary tattoo designed between her shoulders. 'It's her who takes care of me. My Rocío Virgin is everything for me,' said the young woman from Cordoba. Maria Mendoza also came to give thanks when, together with García and her close Triana friends, she walked into the sanctuary Saturday after the brotherhood was formally received in front of it. More pilgrimage events awaited, culminating in Sunday night's final procession of the Rocío icon to visit every brotherhood in town. It's a massive scrum that lasts hours, after which the faithful make their long return journeys, on foot, horses and carts. But this was the first moment when the women were finally face to face with their Virgin. Tears quickly mixed with sweat and dust on their faces. 'So many thoughts swirling, for you, for your friends … it's just an explosion,' Sara de la Haza whispered. Then someone in the crowd intoned the Triana's salute to the Virgin. The friends wiped their eyes and started joyfully singing — 'You are the white dove, you are what I've loved the most since the day I was born.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
