The Netherlands
Seven interesting facts about The Netherlands
People who have traveled to the Netherlands would agree that it is a beautiful country. The Netherlands is a country full of lovely brick houses and cobblestone roads, iconic windmills, nice beaches, vast farmlands and huge tulip fields during spring time. That is why Au pairs staying in the Netherlands also enjoy going around the country during their day-offs.
Bicycles are literally everywhere!
The Dutch people love their bikes. They are trained to bike since childhood so when they grow up they use it to go to work, school, events, grocery stores, shops etc. Bikes are essential in their day-to-day activities to the point that some bikes, locked and unlocked, gets stolen. But these bikes are efficient and environmental-friendly, so everyone loves to use them.
Just always watch out for ringing bike bells when walking around or crossing roads because you might be on their way!
Tulips From Turkey
When you search for the Netherlands in the web, you will probably see photos of tulips there. Tulips are typically Dutch. But did you know that the first tulip bulbs originated from Turkey? The tulip bulbs were imported to the Netherlands and it grew well in Dutch soil resulting to the beautiful tulip fields in spring time.
You can visit Keukenhof during spring time to see beautiful varieties of tulips and other flowers!
Netherlands Is Below Sea Level
About 25% of its land is less than a meter above sea level. That is why this country has the best dikes and these dikes protect them from the sea. Dutch engineers give high priority in maintaining these dikes. Aside from dikes, this country also has Deltawerken and Oosterscheldekering that help protect the country from the sea.
Dutch People Are The Tallest In The World
Dutch people are known for being one of the tallest people in the world. Some Dutch men are about 6 feet tall and some women are about 5.6 feet tall. Theories say that it is because of their extensive consumption of dairy, specifically milk!
The Dutch Celebrate Sinterklaas More Than Christmas
Sinterklaas is a traditional Dutch feast celebrated on the 5th of December. Sinterklaas or Sint Nicolaas is the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus, however the difference is that he arrives by a steamboat together with his horse Amerigo and his helpers called Zwarte Pieten.
In this holiday, children get lots of gifts, sing lots of sinterklaasliedjes (Sinterklaas songs) and then eat tons of pepernoten (peppernut cookies) and chocolate letters! This holiday is really fun for kids and for adults, too!
Chocolate Sprinkles For Breakfast
Yes, Dutch children eat hagelslag or chocolate sprinkles with their bread for breakfast. No wonder Dutch kids are said to be among the happiest kids in the world!
Unpredictable Weather
What you really have to prepare for when you come to the Netherlands is the crazy weather. One minute it might be sunny, the next it could be raining water, hail or even snow. The only way you could survive in this country is if you have really good coats for rain and cold, and an umbrella.
You could also check weather apps like Buienradar or Buienalarm (every 5 or 15 minutes, probably) to have a more accurate weather forecast for the day.