Kinderdijk: The village my husband grew up: At Kinderdijk in The Netherlands province of South Holland, you will find nineteen windmills lined up. Although there are lots of windmills in the Netherlands, you will not find this much mills together at one spot as in Kinderdijk! As you probably know, much of The Netherlands is below sea level and the farms and towns are protected by dikes. These windmills were built to pump water out and keep the farms and towns dry. At Kinderdijk, the mills from 1740 still run! There are many, many windmills in the Netherlands. Most of them are in very reasonable, many of them even in excellent, condition and a lot of them are working regularly. There are windmills of the most varied types: drainage mills, corn mills, and industrial mills for all sorts of purposes. Leiden: The city I was born and raised. Very beautiful city and I am still very proud of it, though I do not live there anymore. I have tried to gather some info and links. Click here. School: Children from 4-12 years old go to elementary school. Most schools start at 8.30 and have lunchbreak at 12.00 ( Wednesdays at 12.30), children mostly eat at home and then go to school again from 1.15 until 3.15. On Wednesday they only go to school in the morning. In the Netherlands we do not know such a thing as homeschooling. Children are obliged by law to attend school when they are five years old, almost all children start primary school at four (i.e. the first year is optional). Primary education is free of charge. School books are supplied by the school. Most primary schools are divided into eight classes, each containing one age-group. The same teacher is responsible for teaching a class all subjects during a school year. The school year runs from 1 August to 31 July. The date for the six-week summer holiday and its duration are laid down by government authorities. They are staggered over the three large regions into which the country is divided for this purpose. the Weather: We have cool summers and mild winters. The last time we had snow on both Christmas days was in 1981! The temperature does not fluctuate greatly in the course of a day or a year. The average temperature fluctuates between 2 °C in January and 17 °C in July. About 800 millimeters of rain fall each year. Food: I must say that I am not particularly fond of Dutch food, but many dutchmen cannot live without the potatoes/vegetables/meat for dinner! Typical Dutch things I do like are: cheese and drop (black salt liquorice). recipes Tulip time: Most famous of course is 'the Keukenhof', Holland's famous bulb flower park. Generally speaking the bulb flowers bloom from the end of March to the end of May. But the exact period depends on the weather conditions, of course. The tulips are usually at their most beautiful in the second half of April. The Keukenhof is the biggest bulb show on earth. A tongue-twister for non-native Dutch speakers, the Keukenhof owes its name to Countess Jacoba van Beieren, who owned the grounds in the 15th century. Though the herbs and vegetables in her "kitchen garden" have made way for an array of more colorful flowers, the name has never been changed. Keukenhof: Some 70 acres of winding paths, gurling streams, gushing fountains, placed ponds and more flowers than you have ever seen in one place at one tine. Almost 7 million at last count. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowering bulbs, flowering shrubs, ancient trees, and countless natural surprises. With ten ever-changing indoor exhibitions or flower parades, seven theme gardens, a corn mill and a special route for children. Keukenhof Clogs or Wooden Shoes: The wooden shoe has already been worn in the Netherlands since the end of the Middle Ages. Because of the wetness of the ground and the abundance of trees in the Netherlands it was an easy choice to make clogs. The clogs were then handmade by the users themselves. They used the wood of willows or poplars. Many parts of the country had their own clogs, with its own characteristics. Different painting and woodcarving were used as decorations. There were special painted clogs for Sundays and festivities, special clogs for bridal days. Nowadays clogs are being made with machines in clogfactories. Are clogs safe? The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research was called forward to run a battery of tests on the wooden shoe. The tests of the research were: * Cold test: Falling of the temperature in the clog is not allowed to be more than 10º C when the clog has been exposed of extreme coldness of - 20º C during 30 minutes. * Warmth test: The rise in temperature in the clog may not be more than 21º C when the clog has been exposed of extreme warmth of 150º C during 30 minutes. * Nail test: The clog endured the pressure of a nail under the clog with 75 kg. * Water test: The clog endured the test of the absorption of water. * Pressure test: The clog endured the test of pressure of 400 kg on the instep to 750 kg on the nose of the clog. * Fall test: The clog endured the fall of a blunt axe of 20 kg from the height of 50 cm. The result: Our wooden shoe matched or outperformed modern-day, steel-toe factory boots in every test!! Links: Wooden Shoes Holland Site History of the Wooden Shoe Our Struggle against the water: Holland used to be, and still is, inextricably bound up with water. This country, located on the North Sea, came into being in prehistoric times as a delta of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt. The ever-changing water level of these rivers, the wind, the ebb and the flood resulted in a landscape with very deep estuaries and an irregular coastline. Time and time again the dunes and man-made dikes proved not to be equal to the forces of nature. During the great flood of 1953 the dikes burst in dozens of places. The consequences were disastrous: over 1,800 people died, thousands of cattle drowned and the financial losses were enormous. 1958 Saw the start of the Delta project. Central to this gigantic project is the closure of all estuaries in the south-western part of Holland, with the exception of the New Waterway and the Wester Scheldt (both open waterways to the sea). On top of this all the dikes had to be reinforced and raised. The safety of the whole of Holland was thus guaranteed. St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas): Long before 6 December it occupies everyone's thoughts. The Dutch prepare full-on for St Nicholas' birthday. In November the steamship carrying St Nicholas and his Black Peters to Holland arrives, and is met by thousands of people. His entry is also broadcast live on television. Shop-windows are decorated with special sweets and presents. Children who believe in the existence of St Nicholas put their shoes under the stove before they go to bed, they make rhymes, and sing songs. St Nicholas is a renowned national saint about whom there is no reliable history information. He is thought to have been Bishop of Myra (Turkey) in the fourth century. Nicholas is the patron saint of students, children, cities and countries. Since the 9th century Nicholas has been worshipped in Italy. In the legends which circulated about him in Holland Spain replaced Italy. That explains his Moorish servant Black Peter. Nowhere in the world is the birthday of St Nicholas celebrated as extensively as it is in Holland, by everyone, young or old. It is celebrated on 5 December, the eve of his actual birthday. Originally a feast for children, it has gradually become an occasion for the whole family, who exchange gifts which are usually accompanied by rhymes which take the mickey out of the recipient. Sometimes the presents are wrapped up elaborately, making the unwrapping quite an adventure. Traditional sweets are eaten, including ginger-bread men and spiced biscuits. Other public holidays in the Netherlands: New Year's Eve, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Liberation Day (5 May), Ascension Day, Whitsuntide, Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December). Links: Sinterklaas info More info on Sinterklaas Other sites with lots of info: Learn Dutch!! The Royal Netherlands Embassy Dutch Export Site Museums: Museums Anne Frank house Amsterdam Historical Museum Attraction Parks, Zoo's etc.: Artis Amsterdam Zoo Burgers' Zoo, ArnhemDutch only Dolphin Attraction Park De Efteling Attraction Park De Hoge VeluweNational Park Adventure park Hellendoorn June 2006 Back to: Monica's page index HOME