Things I've learnt from lockdown in the Netherlands (Part 2)

Wow, I had so much to say on the things I've learnt from living in the Netherlands in my last post (you can check that out here) and I've thought of even more I'd like to share with you! Sure, being stuck inside the house for most of my time here hasn't been ideal, but my brief trips outside have helped me discover so much about this beautiful country. I hope you enjoy reading about my observations!

Activities

Hockey

With all their cycling and trampolining, Dutch children must be some of the fittest in the world, and this is highlighted even more by the fact that the national sport seems to be hockey. If you’re out of the house between 3-6pm, you’re more than likely to see hundreds of kids passing you on bikes with hockey sticks poking out of their bags, or hear the distinctive clack of sticks being hit together from the many pitches peppered around the towns. Seeing and hearing this has been a nice reminder that the world is returning slightly to normal as we would begin to see more and more groups of hockey players returning to the sport. Watch out Tokyo 2021, the Netherlands is coming to take that hockey gold medal!

Boats

Another afternoon or weekend activity that seems insanely popular here is boating. Thanks to the country’s vast network of canals and rivers, you’re probably just as easy getting from A to B using a boat that using a car. We often cycle along the waterways on weekends, and they’ll usually be crammed with boats ranging from two man kayaks and pleasure boats, to houseboats and river cruises. I can’t think of a more pleasant way to pass a sunny day that floating up and down the canals, picnic aboard, and Dutch flag hanging off the back.

Doodles and long bois

I initially crafted this list in the Notes app on my phone, and this was my description of something else that I have seen over and over again in the Netherlands; and that is that they seem to have only one of two breeds of dog here! Almost every dog I have seen on my many walks and cycles is either some form of Poodle cross (doodle) or a Daschund (long boi). I don’t know what it is about these two breeds that appeal so completely to the Dutch population (maybe because it’s so flat, it’s easier to have dogs with short legs like Daschunds?) but I love seeing them out and about all the time!

Food

Fries

One of the severely underrated elements of Dutch culture is the food! I’ve asked friends what they would consider to be Dutch cuisine, and the answer has always been ‘The Netherlands has its own cuisine?!’ The first food that I didn’t know that the Dutch do well is fries. In pretty much every town, you’ll have a shop dedicated solely to fries because, when done well, they are an art form in themselves. Not only this, but they also have a huge list of sauces ranging from organic mayonnaise, peanut saté sauce, and NL’s own version of curry sauce. Yum.

Poffertjes

Not only are savoury snacks an option here, but so are sweet, and perhaps the best one I’ve discovered thusfar is poffertjes – essentially tiny pancakes smothered in slabs of butter and a mountain of icing sugar. Does it sound like a heart attack in the making? Yes. Is it still completely and utterly delicious? Yes. Now, I’m not suggesting this be something that you add to your weekly diet, but once (or twice) a month? I’ll allow it.

Apple cake

The last sweet treat that the Dutch do ridiculously well is apple cake. I don’t know how they do it, but even supermarket apple cakes or crumbles are next level, and to get a huge cake that’ll feed a family for a week for only €6 – yes please. Whilst these are the only cakes I’ve been able to get my hands on having been in social isolation and all that, I’m also keen to see what versions cafes and restaurants have to offer. In the meantime, stick a slice in the microwave, douse it in some slagroom (cream), and you’ll have one happy Ciara.

Landscape

Water

So, you’ll have gathered from my previous points that the Netherlands is a very flat country, but did you know that it’s actually really naturally beautiful? I don’t suppose that I did before moving here, but being confined to the areas that I can only reach on foot or by bike has helped me to realise that there really is so much beauty right on my doorstep. You might have seen the canals of Amsterdam, but waterways like this stretch across the entire country – indeed, my house is located right next to   stretch of water, and almost all of the walks we go on follow the natural path of these rivers and canals. As such, I’ve loved being here in Springtime and finding a new batch of baby ducklings, signets, and moorhens almost every week hatching along these waterways.

Windmills

Now windmills are probably something that most people would associate with the Netherlands, but I didn’t realise they were so prevalent – I thought they were like lederhosen is to Germany: a quaint reminder of some time and some place that the rest of the world has latched on to to represent the country as a whole, even though it’s not really much of a thing in the country itself. However, it turns out that windmills are still thriving over here and, like the waterways, I always enjoy passing them on our cycles. What’s more is that a lot of these windmills are still working ones, meaning you can go inside and buy a bag of freshly milled flour to make delicious pannenkoeken (pancakes) with.

Wind turbines

So hopefully the point above that there are lots of windmills in the Netherlands would also make you think that there’s a fair amount of wind here. As such, the Netherlands has embraced what could be quite nasty weather for good, by building hundreds of windmills to harness the power. What some might see as an eyesore, I see as an opportunity for a more sustainable future, and so I’m pretty happy to be living somewhere that takes our changing climate seriously and is trying to do something about it. I didn’t realise the Dutch were so passionate about the environmental side of things, so this has been a pleasant discovery for me since living here. 

This strange time we've been living in sure hasn't been easy for an avid traveller like myself, but I've loved having the opportunity to live and experience a whole new country. Where have you been spending your quarantine? I'd love to hear about your experiences - drop me a message in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry (where you'll also be the first to know about my upcoming travel adventures!) Thank you so much for reading!