Exploring the Netherlands

 

Openness and friendliness are generally more characteristics of southern nations than of northern ones, but the Dutch also exhibit these characteristics. They’re always nice and willing to help. From my experience I can confirm at least two cases. In Amsterdam there was a girl, who by herself offered us help with finding the place we were looking for that day, even though we didn’t ask her. And moreover, she was travelling by bicycle. We wouldn’t have had any problems with finding our destination, but when she saw us leaning over the map, she kindly asked us, if we needed help. Naturally we couldn’t refuse her help and we sincerely thanked her for the explanation on how to find the place we were looking for. This meeting was a really pleasant surprise for us. As foreigners we felt somehow accepted. The other example that I was positively surprised by, happened on the way to the main train station in Amsterdam, around 6 a.m. Along the Amstel River there was almost nobody, only two people. The first man was somewhere half way to the main station, the other one already near the Prins Hendrikkade road that leads past the station. But the Dutch are obviously accustomed to greeting people on the street, including complete strangers, even so early in the morning. The second man was hurrying towards the main station with his luggage. When he approached me from behind, I stepped aside and he greeted me and thanked me. This wasn't only a superficial thank you that many people might say in a hurry (or perhaps some of them wouldn’t say anything at all), but it was genuine. And then he hurried on. People are also friendly in the countryside, not only in the cities. They’re always ready to help with information.

 

When travelling to another country, it’s always good to check what climate and weather is typical for it so it’s easier to decide what to bring. The Netherlands has a moderate oceanic climate with mild winters and mild summers. It’s located along the Northern Sea and along freshwater Lake IJ, which was created after the construction of the road on the embankment across the former Southern Sea. Location beside these two water bodies mitigates temperature extremes, which are therefore rare, but due to the humidity of the atmosphere rain showers in mid-summer aren’t unusual. In July temperatures were around 23 °C, so we could wear shorts and T-shirts, but we needed an umbrella, too. Sometimes we also had to put on long pants and a fleece or a thin jacket. But we had luck with the weather; it was nice most of the time. Including at the end of October, when during the day and in sunny weather temperatures were around 13 °C. It was necessary to put on a pullover and a fleece or a thinner jacket as well as long pants. In the morning and in the evening we had to put on a windbreaker or a thicker jacket, too. The temperatures were lower than 10 °C and it was fairly cold, especially, if the wind blew and we didn’t keep ourselves warm with movement. In summer it’s bright until late in the evening, while in autumn it already starts getting dark in the late afternoon. It’s the position of the Netherlands higher in northern latitudes that’s "to blame" for this.   

 

The Netherlands is crisscrossed with water canals and in winter they can be used for the Dutch favourite winter sport – ice skating. This sport is important to the Dutch for recreation. Competitively they’re known for having great ice skaters. In the last Winter Olympics in Sochi (2014) they had won the most overall speed skating medals (23 in speed skating and 1 in short track speed skating). Every few years or even decades, when winters are cold enough that water in canals freezes over approximately 200-kilometer long route at least 15 centimetres deep, they connect 11 cities in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands with organizing a contest in speed skating. When the organization succeeds it’s a national event that all people rejoice – recreational skaters, contestants and spectators. For the Dutch, ice skating in winter is something like cycling in summer. There’s also a summer cycling version of the tour of eleven cities that is more a recreation and an entertainment than a contest. In 1987 the number of participants was limited to 15.000 and this rule still applies. The summer and the winter tour don’t feature all the same cities. In winter, considering the conditions, they can also adjust the length of the route. It would be interesting to visit the Netherlands during the organization of these contests and to feel the atmosphere of two such massive events. Even more interesting it would be to compete in these events. 

 

The Dutch countryside is a subject of another article, so here I’ll only mention a few places of interest. The village of Zaanse Schans in northwest of Amsterdam features mostly still functioning windmills that are used in industry for producing oil, sawing wood, grinding seeds for spices and more. Windmills in the village of Kinderdijk in southeast of Rotterdam have always played an important role at pumping water and fighting against floods. Moreover, they’re on the UNESCO cultural heritage list as a special technological achievement. Today a modern system of electrical pumps is doing the work, but the windmills are adequately and carefully maintained and could – in case of emergency – still perform the function of flood protectors. Volendam is a fishing village along Lake Marken, which has already grown into a small town, but on the coast the feeling is like as we were at seaside, as the lake is that large. Edam is a town famous for its cheese, but it’s smaller than Volendam and it’s connected to it like they were one town, so it’s not so far to walk there and observe water canals and nice houses along the way. 

 

From late March to mid-May there’s also an annual exhibition of tulips in Keukenhof Park, known also as the Garden of Europe. It’s about half way between Amsterdam and The Hague, a little more than 30 kilometres from each city. Otherwise, the Dutch have whole fields of tulips that blossom in April and May. A view of the colourful flowers of individual or combined colours and patterns is really fascinating and the Dutch landscape in general has quite a calming effect.