Things I've learnt from lockdown in the Netherlands (Part 1)

Did I envision that I would be spending 6 months (and quite probably more, depending on how soon the world gets to ‘the new normal’) living in the Netherlands? I’m going to go with a strong no. It’s not that it’s not a country I would be averse to living in, it just wasn’t part of my plan. However, I think 2020 had a different plan for all of us, and mine led to me living here. Whilst not being what I thought would be best case scenario, having temporary residency here has opened my eyes to a number of things that are so very Dutch that I never would have realised had I not been placed here. Please enjoy the things I’ve learnt from quarantining in the Netherlands:

Transport

Everyone rides a bike

And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. We play a game here to see if we can find the youngest child riding a bike by themselves with no stabilisers, and think our record is about 3 years old. 3 years old?! I don’t think I could ride a bike until I was about 7, and even then I was still pretty shaky. However, this country is built for bikes, I’d say even more so than for cars. Every road has clearly marked out cycle paths, cyclists have right of way at roundabouts, there are traffic lights specifically for bikes, and the whole country is basically flat. Since living here, I think I’ve been in the car about twice, because it’s so much easier to just cycle everywhere. From my house in North Holland, we’ve cycled to major cities like Hilversum, Amsterdam, and Utrecht, and I’m sure there’ll be more to come. Getting fit and getting wherever you need to go? It’s a no-brainer.  

No one wears a helmet / cycles without hands

Maybe something which isn’t as much of a no-brainer for me is the fact that not a single person wears a helmet in the Netherlands. When I arrived here and was notified that we would be getting around by bike, my first question was ‘Where’s my helmet?’ The answer: ‘You can’t wear one, you’ll look stupid’. Excuse me? Safety is stupid? I wasn’t very thrilled with this answer (please wear a helmet if you’re out cycling!) but it is true that no-one wears one here, not even little kids. What’s more is that there is also a distinctly Dutch way of cycling with no hands – we’ve seen people texting and talking on the phone while cycling, eating, carrying groceries, and even holding a guitar instead of the handlebars…

If they’re not on their bike, they’re in their Tesla

I come from a country of Fords and Volkwagens, so one of the first things that I noticed upon arriving in the Netherlands is that every other car is a Tesla. I swear to you that I am not exaggerating in the slightest. I have never seen so many Teslas in my life! And I don’t think it’s necessarily because the Dutch are in general super wealthy, it’s more that, just like with the bikes, the country is built for Teslas. You’ll find electric charging stations on most streets and in most carparks, and I also believe that electric cars are heavily subsidised by the Dutch government, meaning that Tesla owners have to pay very little tax. Nice.

Homes

No curtains

Okay, guilty pleasure alert: one of my favourite things about Christmas is getting a glimpse through peoples windows of their Christmas trees and decorations as I walk home, but back in London, this is far from easy. Most houses would have net curtains, and come nightfall, i.e. the time they’d be turning those beautiful lights on, the curtains are drawn and it’s just me and the flickering streetlights to keep me company along the streets. Completely different story here. Most downstairs windows in the Netherlands are huge, and almost none have any form of curtains. Why? This dates back to the popularity of the Calvinist sect of Protestantism, which had a core belief that faithful citizens should have nothing to hide. A lack of curtains and big windows were a way to show everyone this, and the influence of Calvinism remains to this day. I haven’t been here for Christmas yet, but I’m sure I’ll get to see some great decorations when the time rolls around!

Trampolines

Kids here are lucky. When I was growing up, my form of entertainment was sitting in my room and reading a book. Go outside? No thanks, there was nothing to do, and it would most likely be raining. Dutch children don’t seem to have that problem, and it seems like inside is the last place they would want to be. They’re either out on their bikes, decorating the pavements with chalk, or bouncing on the built-in trampoline that most houses seem to have. Who cares if it’s raining if you have a trampoline to bounce on? The social activity of the day seems to be seeing how many children you can fit on one of these trampolines. Looks like fun!

Flags

If I asked you what you thought the most patriotic country was, what would you say? I find it hard to believe that the Netherlands would be the first to pop into your mind, but my gosh, it sure seems that way. Just like the trampolines, the vast majority of houses are equipped with a small metal or plastic holder on the side of the house. This is where you hang your Dutch flag from, and you’ll definitely see every house on the street with these on important days like Kings Day, if not every day. If you’re super patriotic, you can also get an absolutely massive flag pole to stick in your front yard because, why not? It’s also nice to see schoolbags at the top of the flagpole towards the end of the school year to signify passing exams, or a teddy hung up to signify a new baby in the house. 

Well, who'd have thought that there'd be so much to discover from spending my lockdown in the Netherlands! And this isn't even the half of it - I've had to split my discoveries into two parts, so I hope you'll check out my upcoming post with even more revelations from living here when that's posted soon! Be the first to know by following me on Twitter @CiarasCountry, where you can also send me a message (or leave one in the comments below) on what discoveries you've made from wherever you've been quarantining - I'd love to know! Thanks for reading!