12 things we love about the Netherlands

So, you’ve decided to live in the Netherlands. Good for you! And for us, as we are glad to welcome new talent to our beautiful country. 🙂 You need to take care of many things when moving to the Netherlands. But, after that, let the fun begin! You can learn the Dutch language, and you can visit different exciting places (as far as it’s possible these days). And most importantly, you can discover interesting and sometimes even funny Dutch habits and customs. Sometimes, we forget that our foreign friends experience things differently. So, we have asked people who moved to the Netherlands what they love about it, and we have combined it with the things we, the Dutchies, love about our little country. So, what are the 12 things we love about the Netherlands?

1. We love orange

Yes, we do love oranges and other fruit, but that is not what we mean. We love the colour orange, as this is the official colour of the Dutch royal family. It called ‘house orange.’ On the 27th of April, we celebrate King’s Day! The whole country is orange; the clothes, the flags, even the sprinkles! 

 

2. We love fries and unusual toppings

Usually, people eat fries with ketchup. Dutchies love different unique toppings. We like our fries with mayonnaise, like a lot of it. The more, the better. And what about fries and satay peanut sauce? It is also one of the popular dishes available at snack bars. Just try it, you won’t regret it… We think. Are you amongst the brave ones? Consider ‘War Fries’; French fries with a topping of curry sauce, mayonnaise, peanut sauce and onions.

 

3. Bikes, there are bikes everywhere

The Dutch are the most frequent users of bicycles worldwide. They have developed a fantastic infrastructure for bikes. Did you know that there are even more bikes than people? How about that, huh?

 

4. We love to drop

Be careful when a Dutchie offers you Dutch drop. Drop is the Dutch word for liquorice, and we are addicted to this candy. But… be warned! Some of the candy can be very salty, and not everyone likes the taste of it. 

 

5. We love being on time

Being on time is important for us. There is a different meaning of being on time in every country, of course, but if we have a meeting at 9 am, we will have a meeting at 9 am. Not sooner or later.

 

6. Our English is ah-mazing

We are the best non-native English speakers in the world. One of the reasons is that the English language surrounds us at a very young age, such as television. We can watch everything on the TV in its original language while reading the subtitles in Dutch. We don’t dub any movies or series, except for a few children’s programs. 

 

7. We are the tallest people in the world

Yep. That’s us! But don’t be afraid of us. We are one of the nicest and honest giants who are happy to help you.

 

8. We have the highest quality of water

Did you know that Amsterdam has the best water quality in the country and… the safest tap water in Europe? We use high-level technology to turn surface water into pure, drinkable water without chlorine or fluoride. And did you know that quality standards for tap water are significantly higher than for mineral (bottled) waters? Many water companies strive to exceed these quality standards.

 

9. We are obsessed with coffee

Yes, we love our beans or any other country’s beans. The Germans love their beer, and the English love their tea, but we do love coffee. We are one of the biggest coffee drinkers in the world. 

 

10. We have the biggest port in Europe

The Port of Rotterdam is at this moment the biggest in Europe. We believe it is the only port in north-western Europe that offers unrestricted access to ships with the deepest draughts. Can you imagine that? Small country… big ships. Ah-mazing! 

 

11. The wooden shoes

Can’t ignore this one. At this moment, wooden shoes “klompen” are sold mainly in the Netherlands as tourist souvenirs. History says that fishers, farmers and others wore wooden clogs to protect the feet against nails, fishing hooks or other sharp things. 

 

12. Same-sex marriage, prostitution and euthanasia are legal in the Netherlands

Yep. We believe that people can decide what is right for them. 

Of course, there are so much more we love about our country! And we are excited for you to find out what we can offer. And you know what, we like this blog, so we will share more facts with you. 

Source: www.iamexpat.nl

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