skirah

This is the first place I lived outside of my parent’s house. I was an exchange student here for one year after graduating high school, and lived with a family in the rural south, in provincie Limburg, in the “dorp” of Stramproy. I got to see the “echte” Netherlands (no offense to the city-dwellers, as I love the Dutch cities I visited, but this comment is to those who only go to visit Amsterdam, and think that all of the Netherlands is like that wild wonderful city)

The people are at once family-oriented, yet very independent; open-minded, yet strong in tradition; proud of their country, yet well-aware of the bigger world.

The countryside is beautiful, narrow roads cut through wide farm fields bordered by orderly clusters of trees, quaint canal villages with cozy cottages where the transportation is by foot, bicycle or boat, and farmhouses of all styles, depending on where you are: round thatch-roof or long brick buildings with clay tile roofs.

Yes, my town had a windmill, two in fact, and my father did outdoor chores in klompen, the wooden shoes, which is seen only in the country, and people who lived within the village limits see this as old-fashioned, but this lifestyle endeared me to the history and culture of the people of this country.

I bicycled 30 min. to school in rain, snow and wind. Ate lots of sausage and potatoes, herring in the spring, pannekoeken and pea soup for Saturday lunch, the best fruit tarts ever – called vlaai, and oliebollen, which are soft, doughy donut-balls eaten at festivals and celebrations.

This I tell you to pique your interest in the rest of the country, and encourage you to add some smaller destinations to your trips, as they have so much to offer. Bicycling is an excellent way to see the countryside. Of course the shopping, museums, and big-city destinations are very fun too, so don’t totally ignore them!