Netherlands

The Netherlands is a relatively small country and is home to about 16 million people; these people are ingenious in the way that they live and have sustainable resources for their whole population.

The Dutch have a saying: “God created the world but the Dutch created the Netherlands”

The Netherlands is a relatively small country and is home to about 16 million people; these people are ingenious in the way that they live and have sustainable resources for their whole population.

The Netherlands as a country most of the land has actually been reclaimed from the sea; now I’m not talking about riding on seashells fighting off big octopus; a very clever way of creating more space and farming lands for the people. For nearly 800 years the Dutch have been creating barricades against floodwaters, and slowly encroaching on the sea. What this means is that the land is below sea level, and the water is constantly being pumped out by the windmills and controlled by the Dikes (basically like a Dam)

The Dikes are put in place to control and capture the water to a specific area creating canal systems; that not only control the water and from the flood but filter through the country for farming and recreational sports. There are over 400 Canals in the Netherlands, and in Winter they Freeze over and families use them as their own personal Ice Skating speed races.

The land itself is mostly flat and very diverse; the constant filtration of controlled water systems provide a perfect position for agriculture; mostly in the breeding and export of animals

The Dutch people are the most beautiful people (until you get in their way on a bike; we will talk about that later) They are kind, they are generous and they are extremely intelligent in the way that they live; they are self-efficient people making the Netherlands one of the most well-sustained economies in Europe.

The beautiful and majestic windmill; historically the windmills in Holland served multiple purposes; however, the most important job for the windmill was to pump the water to the rivers and dikes. There are still over 1,000 historic windmills throughout the country but only a few operate commercially. The rest are for our enjoyment; once a year on the second Saturday in May; over 600 windmills and watermills are opened up to the public for a rare view of the original structure.

Cheese is something that the Dutch have been making for centuries and do it very well; they have perfected the art and are very proud of their local produce. Gouda cheese is the most famous, and then you have Edam, Maasdam and many other lesser-known varieties. They also experiment with flavours Herbs, Pesto, Garlic and Onion and my personal favourite is Smoked cheese. You will find places in the city of Amsterdam to buy Dutch cheese, but the real experience is seeing how it is done at a local cheese-making shop.

Did you know that Tulips are not actually native to the Netherlands? They were imported from Turkey in the 16^th Century; growing the Tulip was so easy for the Dutch; due to the lands being so fertile that they began to farm it as their own. Now it is recognised as a national flower of the Netherlands.

Almost 80 per cent of the world’s flower bulbs come from the Netherlands; the majority of which are tulips, as the Netherlands is also the world’s leading tulip exporter. Nine billion bulbs and millions of flowers are grown each year primarily for export.

If you want to see something truly spectacular head to Holland between mid-April and the first week of May; this is the season where you will find glorious seas of brightly coloured flowers; as far as the eye can see. With more than 7 million flower bulbs bloom. If you are visiting the city of Amsterdam you will see markets full to the brim; of these beautiful coloured flowers; but if you want to see the fields you will need to head about 30 mins outside Amsterdam; to see the true magic.

The Dutch have been producing Clogs to be the best form of footwear to date, it is a shoe that is carefully sculpted from wood. The traditional wooden clog or Klompen was made as a form of protective shoe kind of like our steel-capped boots tradesmen wear to protect their feet from the elements while farming, as they’re sturdy, waterproof and easy to clean, and in the rural Netherlands, they are still sometimes seen in the fields.

Nowadays they are a treat for tourists; the Netherlands produces around 6 million souvenirs clogs each year. Personally, I can’t walk in the clog; but we would defiantly recommend you visiting a traditional clog maker while in  Holland. Take a trip outside the city and be wowed by the tradition and pride of the Clog Makers.

The cost and quality of accommodation in The Netherlands can vary significantly from place to place. If you want to stay close to the main attractions in the bigger cities be prepared to pay big money for a “Questionable room”. My advice is to stay a little further out of the main attraction and pick somewhere that is close to a metro or public transport.

Haring –Yes, you read right Haring like the fish and the traditional way to eat it in Holland is RAW; if you are a fish lover and want to try; make sure you lift the whole fish from the tail and bite upwards.

Stroopwaffle- This delicious treat is made up of; two thin layers of a waffle-like batter filled with a sticky syrup that has a caramel flavour. They are the most famous and popular sweet in the Netherlands. The traditional way to enjoy them is to make yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee; take your Stroopwafel and it over the top of your mug. The Stroopwafels are the perfect size to rest on the rim of your coffee mug; the steam from the hot drink melts the Stroop on the inside turning it into a delicious gooey sweet

Profiles- Dutch Pancakes or Profiles AHHH so good; fluffy goodness they usually come in 6,12 or 15. Profiles traditionally come covered in icing sugar; although you can get them with fruit, chocolate or any topping you like really.

Fibo – is like a fast-food chain; you go and put your money in and the door pops open and you take your food; so it is like a giant vending machine for hot food. The food is cooked fresh and put in the little windows for your convenience, try the Croquets though they are amazing. This is a really inexpensive way of having a small lunch or snack

Chips and Mayo – Another one of their foods they take pride in is chips and Mayo; you will see people walking around with cones of the best chips in Europe covered in homemade mayo. You can now get different homemade sauces as well the curry sauce is amazing!

The public transport in the Netherlands is amazing; you can almost get everywhere in the country; on a bus, train or Tram, Check out our post Using the Amsterdam Trams

Bikes – The Dutch way of Life

No trip to Holland is complete without taking a leisurely ride alongside the beautiful canals; it is truly a unique experience that we can highly recommend. You will jump aboard an old school cruising bike; cruise around the stunning countryside, cute quaint villages and of course the amazing windmills. For this laid back experience, we would defiantly recommend doing this outside the city of Amsterdam.

There are more bikes in the city than people!

To put it in perspective how important bikes are to the Dutch; there are around 18 million bikes in the country. The Dutch cycle an average distance of 2.9km per day; and use bicycles for more than a quarter of all trips as opposed to driving.

Cycling in the city is a completely different experience; to taking your leisurely ride alongside the canal. In the city, everyone is on a mission and won’t stop for anything. The Dutch are very friendly people, very accepting and loving until you cross them on a bike. DO NOT GET IN THEIR WAY!! There are designated bike lanes all around the city; they are marked orange or blue. Please be careful and do not stand in the way unless you want to come across an angry Dutch person.

Don’t get in the way of a Dutch person on a bike

There is one other thing that is even more dangerous than a Dutch person on a bike; in the city that is a tourist riding on the bike path. Tourist don’t tend to know the “road rules” stop and start, and just get in the way of the Dutch trying to get to or from work. So the locals came up with a clever plan of painting all of the tourist bikes a bright colour; so that they knew who to avoid on the roads.

Bikes rule the roost in Amsterdam; so LOOK FOR BIKE LANES – DO NOT STAND ON BIKE LANES or you will be hit or yelled at.