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The Netherlands (non-Amsterdam)
- Thread starter BryanS
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- netherlands tulips
Eleanor
1000+ Posts
I'm assuming you will be visiting Keukenhof gardens? I was amazed just how many fields of tulips we saw when driving around in mid april. They were everywhere, particularly in the north.
I wrote a trip report for a holiday back in 2017. #3 has information and lots of photos of bulb fields, particularly around the seaside town of Noordwijk. #7 is about Keukenhof.
I wrote a trip report for a holiday back in 2017. #3 has information and lots of photos of bulb fields, particularly around the seaside town of Noordwijk. #7 is about Keukenhof.
PatrickLondon
100+ Posts
Language is unlikely to be an issue in the Netherlands. Most people speak English, often better than native speakers, and public announcements and signage are commonly in both languages.
As for food, do you have any particular limitations? Traditional Dutch cuisine tends to the hearty/stodgy, but other styles are widely offered. There can't be many places without a pizzeria or different varieties of Levantine or Asian dishes
As for food, do you have any particular limitations? Traditional Dutch cuisine tends to the hearty/stodgy, but other styles are widely offered. There can't be many places without a pizzeria or different varieties of Levantine or Asian dishes
BryanS
100+ Posts
Actually we are specifically avoiding that one, looking for more of the "not everyone" is doing this.
Will look at that trip report
BryanS
100+ Posts
Only limitation is that it is local
. One of the joys of travel for us is to enjoy the local cuisine.Pizzeria - haha, we live in Italy
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
As Patrick mentioned, English spoken well by all.
Whilst we're on language, they tend to be rather direct. Not aggressive, just firmly to the point. Coming from England, it's still a subtle change, but noticeable for sure.
Food. The colonial reach of Holland has resulted in a diverse range of international cuisine, and this can rather overshadow Dutch food, but there are good places to be found. Probably my favourite imported cuisine there is Ethiopian, with the njeera bread (closer to a large flat pancake) a highlight, at times serving as plate and cutlery. You'll encounter a lot of cheese and ham, typically for breakfast but it's also common in Dutch dishes. One condiment I love with it, and I reckon the Dutch do it as good as the Scandinavians, is mustard and dill sauce. Find a good one and buy a few to bring home.
Cycles. It's a brilliant country for cycling, with a lot of effort put into building safe urban routes
Witbier / wheat beer. Some super producers in Holland, and also some imported from Belgium and Germany. A very refreshing and tasty (subtly spicy, often with a lemony twist). One great joy was convincing some Dutch cricketers I was playing against to try one that was on tap in their clubhouse. They'd not tried it before and loved it. You'll also see the great Dutch tradition of scraping the head off the top of the beer with what looks like a school ruler. Plenty of other good beers, and they're a bit more into their beers than wines (but there are some of the latter, and a few of them are palatable). Genever (gin) also a longstanding local speciality.
Public transport (inc. trains) very good indeed.
Whilst we're on language, they tend to be rather direct. Not aggressive, just firmly to the point. Coming from England, it's still a subtle change, but noticeable for sure.
Food. The colonial reach of Holland has resulted in a diverse range of international cuisine, and this can rather overshadow Dutch food, but there are good places to be found. Probably my favourite imported cuisine there is Ethiopian, with the njeera bread (closer to a large flat pancake) a highlight, at times serving as plate and cutlery. You'll encounter a lot of cheese and ham, typically for breakfast but it's also common in Dutch dishes. One condiment I love with it, and I reckon the Dutch do it as good as the Scandinavians, is mustard and dill sauce. Find a good one and buy a few to bring home.
Cycles. It's a brilliant country for cycling, with a lot of effort put into building safe urban routes
Witbier / wheat beer. Some super producers in Holland, and also some imported from Belgium and Germany. A very refreshing and tasty (subtly spicy, often with a lemony twist). One great joy was convincing some Dutch cricketers I was playing against to try one that was on tap in their clubhouse. They'd not tried it before and loved it. You'll also see the great Dutch tradition of scraping the head off the top of the beer with what looks like a school ruler. Plenty of other good beers, and they're a bit more into their beers than wines (but there are some of the latter, and a few of them are palatable). Genever (gin) also a longstanding local speciality.
Public transport (inc. trains) very good indeed.
PatrickLondon
100+ Posts
On specifically Dutch-style food, here's the menu for a restaurant I've been on most of my visits:
deblauwehollander.nl
When I said the food tended to be hearty/stodgy, I was thinking of stamppot or hutspot - hefty portions of mashed potatoes and vegetables with some form of meat. But all the portions are likely to be large. A bowl of erwtensoep (pea and ham soup - also a Dutch classic) is quite enough for a whole meal for me.
Menu – De Blauwe Hollander
deblauwehollander.nl
When I said the food tended to be hearty/stodgy, I was thinking of stamppot or hutspot - hefty portions of mashed potatoes and vegetables with some form of meat. But all the portions are likely to be large. A bowl of erwtensoep (pea and ham soup - also a Dutch classic) is quite enough for a whole meal for me.