17 Must Have Items to Survive a Dutch Winter

Today marks the official start of winter. It's time to store autumn in your memory banks and get ready for the onslaught of colder, greyer, darker days. Some winters in the Netherlands are more, well, wintry than others. Last year was a rubbish winter. Surviving last winter was something everyone could do with their eyes closed. It was a shame because there is so much to love about this time of year in the Netherlands and this year, hopefully, the weather will let us see what the Dutch are really about when winter strikes.

If you want to get the most out of winter in the Netherlands you'll need these 17 items.

1. Ice Skates - as the temperatures drop the nation collectively blows the dust off their ice skates, sharpens their blades and heads to the nearest frozen puddle, pond, canal or lake to skate. It's an amazing sight for someone who did not grow up in this winter skating culture. It's not such an amazing sight for the locals to see those of us who did not grow up wearing ice skates every winter flailing around haphazardly on the ice......

For the Dutch skating is second nature and their love of ice skating is reflected in their many Winter olympic successes. How many gold medals did the British win in ice skating at the last Winter Olympics? I rest my case. That's why I stay on the sidelines and let the Dutch get on with it, but I encourage you to give it a go.

2. Eternal Hope - where there is ice in the Netherlands there is eternal hope. As the ice grows so do the hopes of a nation that this year will be the year that the Elfstedentocht takes place. Every year hopes are dashed, dreams are shattered as the ice melts. But it doesn't hurt to hope does it?

3. Sledge - if you don't have a sledge you are never going to be considered fully integrated, unless the reason why you don't have a sledge is because you are still cycling even when it snows and the pathways are covered in a thick layer of ice. Some do. I'm pretty sure they are a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but nonetheless you do still see cyclists skidding their way to work and school on two wheels on the ice. Otherwise, you need a sledge to take your children to school.

4. Winter Coat - I almost don't need to say it, but for those of you who come to the Netherlands from sunnier climes - you need a winter coat. A big thick one. See number 5.

5. Scarves and Gloves - it's a flat country, there's nothing to stop that cold, icy wind blowing over the land. There are no hills people - the wind tears over the land like a savage beast and nothing can stop it penetrating to your very core. Except a good pair of woollen mittens and a thick, homemade knitted scarf of course.

6. Umbrella - just like during the autumn months, it rains during winter too. The difference is that the rain is slightly colder as December zips by. A storm proof umbrella is probably a better recommendation for December actually, one of those funny shaped ones that promise never to blow inside out.

7. Potato Masher - winter means stamppot season. It means dinners come mashed. Stamppot is basically mashed potatoes with some kind of vegetable mashed through it, served with a bendy sausage and gravy, or jus as the Dutch more elegantly put it.

8. Hot Chocolate - if ever there was an excuse to drink lots of hot chocolate, Dutch winter is it. Going ice skating? Then treat yourself to a hot chocolate from a festive stall around the rink. Going walking? Stop in somewhere and have a hot chocolate to warm your cockles. Christmas market? Well. the day wouldn't be complete without a mug of hot chocolate. And by hot chocolate I actually mean Chocomel of course.

9. Nerves of Steel - as I touched upon earlier (see number 3) there are some that continue to get around on two wheels even then there is a smattering of ice covering the cycle lanes. In my humble, unimportant opinion, you'd have to be bonkers to cycle on ice, but if you really want a gold integration star then go ahead. Ga je gang.

10. A Sweet Tooth - during the first week of December in the Netherlands you need a sweet tooth and a hardy stomach, and good diving and evasion skills. The first week of December is the home straight to the climax of the whole Sinterklaas gedoe which has been going on for many long weeks. There are kruidnoten, pepernoten and speculaas biscuits everywhere. And I mean everywhere. And it's not unusual to have the small round kruidnoten thrown at you by an assortment of Zwarte Pieten. (Though I have noticed this year the throwing has been minimal - has that been outlawed too?)

11. An Ability to Take Things with a Pinch of Salt - and talking of Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten..... When you experience your first Sinterklaas it can be a bit of a shock for an expat. Take it for what it is. If you have children, throw yourself as enthusiastically as you can in to the story that takes on a national perspective and go with the flow. You ain't gonna change it - leave that to the locals.

Shoes, shoes everywhere, but not a pair to wear

12. Spare Shoes - and still on the topic of Sinterklaas and the Dutch traditions around him, you'll need lots and lots of spare shoes. Children can leave a shoe out at the supermarket, at school, at their sports club and of course at home. The good Sint and his helpers will then fill the shoes with a small present and lots of sweets and biscuits (see number 10).

13. A Love of Pea Soup - eating pea soup in the winter is not just obligatory, it's the law. It should be the deepest green you can imagine, have slices of sausages floating in it and be accompanied by roggebrood (that's rye bread to you and me).

14. Patience - if you use the Dutch public transport system in winter you will need oodles of patience whilst trains grind to a halt because the wrong kind of snow lays on the tracks. Or the wrong kind of ice. Or just ice. Or snow. Of any type really. Just be patient. Or give up waiting for a train/tram/bus and head home to collect a bike/sldege/ice skates (see items 1, 3 and 9).

15. Transport to Germany - winter means crossing the border to visit the German Christmas markets. There are some in the Netherlands too, but if you want authentic then head to our neighbour who really knows how to 'do' Christmas markets.

16. A Supply of Gluhwein - Gluhwein tries its best to outdo it's hot chocolate colleague during the winter months and can suddenly be found everywhere as soon as December rolls in. It's a real belly warmer once the temperatures drop so worth indulging in a tipple whenever you are out and about.

(Although I would never condone an excessive consumption of the delicately spiced mulled mixture; as the Dutch say, "Geniet, maar drink met mate", which for the first few months of my Dutch adventure I translated in my head as, "Enjoy, but drink with friends" even though my Dutch partner kept reminding me it meant don't be a 'pisshead', quashing my belief that I had already, instantly,  passed my first initiation in to Dutch Society.)

17. Candles - it's not that the Netherlands has electric power issues during the winter, but if you were an alien visiting for the first time you could be forgiven for thinking this is in fact the case. The Dutch love candles during the winter - in fact the whole season is all about gezelligheid. And it's wonderful. So get those wicks burning and get cosy for the duration. See you in the spring!

My Expat Bucket List - 10 Dutch Things I Want to Do

As I mentioned last week, a new expat blogger's link up starts today and it will stay open for a month. This time it's all about the things you still want to see, do or experience in the country you currently call home.

I realised whilst writing my expat reverse bucket list that there are still some things I want to do whilst I am here in the Netherlands as an expat (not that we are planning on leaving anytime soon but I have a list). And here it is:

1. Write a book about life as an expat
I have started and thanks to NaNoWriMo last year I made some serious headway with my own musings on life as an expat in the Netherlands. But there is still a long way to go.

2. A Writing Afternoon at Kasteel De Haar 

We recently visited the beautiful Dutch castle of De Haar in Utrecht and I fell in love with the place. It conjured up images of sitting under one of the many majestic trees dressed in a long flowing white dress and a summer hat doing nothing but writing. And how I would love to do just that. If only I owned a long, flowing white dress.... Maybe if spend many afternoons doing just this I might achieve the first items of my wish list in the process.....

3. Visit Giethoorn
I first read about the Venice of the North in an Access magazine and it stuck with me. However, I still haven't quite chalked up an actual visit. Giethoorn is located in Overijssel in the Netherlands and the only way to get around is by boat or bike. Picturesque doesn't begin to describe how it looks.

4. Boerenspellen
This is maybe a strange one, but I keep seeing signs for 'boerenspellen' as we drive in through farming areas and rural landscapes and it sounds like a lot of fun. This is essentially traditional Dutch, outdoor games played in a farmer's field. Think along the lines of pole vaulting over water, chain gang clog walking, farmer's golf (picture big wooden clubs), wheelbarrow races, tyre rolling, tug 'o war.

5. Cycle like a Local
I'm more of a recreative cyclist. And that at a push. I'd like to think nothing of jumping on my bike and heading off out. The reality is clambering in the shed, checking none of the tyres have gone down since the last outing six months ago, cursing because I've caught my leg on a pedal of one of the kids' bikes, leave the shed in a foul mood and limp off to my destination. My husband has been busy clearing the shed up the last few weeks, give the bikes an overhaul and is regularly going off on jaunts on his bike - and I am going to follow suit......

This is what cars looked like when I was regularly driving -
I need to get back out there!

6. Drive
Following the transportation theme, I want to get out in the car. I wrote about my fear a while back, and it hasn't gone away. It is one of those stupid, irrational things that has grown and become the norm. And it's restricting. I even got behind the wheel with a driving instructor, got to the point where I felt confident enough to drive our car and then... I fell down the stairs and was out of action for a few months. And it all went to waste.

7. See Soldat van Oranje
Since having children going to the theatre hasn't been a regular occurrence. In fact, it may have happened once when I went to see Billy Elliot in London for a lovely weekend away with a friend. Once in more than seven years. So I don't really go out of my way to look at what is on in the way of plays or musicals but Soldat van Oranje has caught my eye. I have a thing for war time stories, particularly Dutch ones. In school, I learnt a lot about the second World War from the British perspective, and later taking French A-Level, from the French view. Living in the Netherlands now I am learning how the war was through Dutch eyes.

8. See the Dutch Football Team Live
I have only ever seen the boys in orange on the television and I would like to change that. I figure now would be great time to do that seeing as they are playing their matches in Brazil.
*Stumbles off to look for loose change down the back of the sofa*

9. See the Dutch Football Team Win a World Cup
This doesn't have to be live. I would settle for watching the Netherlands lift the World Cup on my screen in the comfort of my own home, as long as I got to see it. Four years ago Oranje made it to the World Cup final and fell at the last hurdle. It was devastating, even for an adopted Dutchie like me. So far this World Cup they have surprised everyone, and I hope it continues.....

10. See an Elfstedentocht
Oh, this seems like such a wonderful event to witness - a 200 kilometre ice skating tour/race through eleven cities in Friesland. Once the temperature drops below freezing in the Netherlands on more than three says in a row there is a rising national fever in anticipation of the possibility of an Elfstedntocht. Unfortunately, the reality is that it has been many years since the last tocht took place (namely 1997) and I really wonder if I will ever get to see one. There have been a few years since I came to the Netherlands where the rumblings reach epic levels, and it looks like it is a remote possibility and then comes a big thaw and the hopes melt as fast as the ice. One year maybe it will happen.

Linking Up
So, that's 10 things I still want to see do or experience in the Netherlands, now's it's over to you. What do you still want to do in the country you currently call home? If you are not a blogger but have an expat bucket list (big or small) then leave a comment here and share it.

If you are a blogger then link up your post below. There aren't really any rules but I would ask that you please share the link up button below on your own post and it would be great if you visited the other linked posts and leave a comment, even if it is to say hello. I look forward to reading all your expat bucket lists!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Dutch Speed Skaters Rule Supreme

The Dutch are proving unstoppable when it comes to collecting speed skating medals at the Sochi Winter Olympics this year. The runaway success of team NL has the world talking.

The media coverage around the globe started off positive, congratulatory and with a sense of amazement at the sight of an all orange podium. By the third all orange podium, the talk started to turn a little negative. And somewhere in between the media began printing stories and explanations for the Dutch success that were downright inaccurate and from the world of children's fairy stories.

Dutch visiting relatives en masse on their ice skates
(or back in the real world where the Dutch live: recreational
skating on a frozen lake)

I read one report that stated the Dutch have ice skating in their blood (as a foreigner here, I would tend to say that much is true) and that the natives of the Netherlands actually visit friends and families in the next village in winter by skating along the canals and waterways. Quaint, but totally untrue. Once upon a time that may well have been the case, but the Dutch, like all societies, have moved on. They now have cars, families that are dispersed, and houses in areas that are not surrounded on all sides by water, making such a social visit on ice skates an impossibility. Plus.. really? The idea has the Dutch tittering loudly. Very loudly. You can just imagine talk around the Dutch office coffee machines about Sven Kramer owing his success to those visits to his granny on ice skates.

Another report put the Dutch Olympic skating success down to the fact that ice skating at a competitive level is nothing new for the Dutch, with an Elfstedentocht being held every year up until 1997. Factually incorrect; without a good, long, hard freeze the race cannot take place and not every winter is that cold here. Research is king.

Not every Dutch winter looks like this

Yesterday, I heard that the Estonian press ran an article that stated that the Dutch give birth and then skate home from the hospital with their newborns. The mind boggles. Yes, ice skates are an essential element of every Dutch woman's winter hospital bag.

What the press is trying to say, by fabricating the Dutch relationship with ice skating, is that there is a history and a culture of skating in this low lying country. However, I am guessing (and I'm no Olympian so bear with me) that the Dutch speed skating success has much to do with natural talent combined with large dollops of hard work and immense training. The Dutch skaters, as a team, have peaked at the right time (an Olympics seems a pretty good place to secure personal bests in my opinion, but as I said I'm no Olympian) and their hard work has been translated into medals. Lots of shiny medals.

Skating historian, Marnix Koolhaas, has now added his few cents worth of opinion to the debate about the Dutch success stating that this medal collection is great for the Netherlands, but not so good for speed skating across the rest of the world. The Dutch have made the sport less attractive to other nations because of their domination of the sport. The Norwegians have pulled out of the 10,000km race because they know they can't win it. Again, I'm no Olympian, but that really doesn't seem to be in the spirit of the games. Imagine if all the competitors behaved like that? However, that is how it is, and is the reason for Marnix Koolhaas' statements.

It looks like the world is getting a little fed up of seeing the men and women in orange on the skating track.

"And the Wall Street Journal wrote: 'Everyone sick of watching the Dutch win speedskating medals, please raise your hand. Hmm. Seems like everyone who isn’t wearing orange underwear has a hand in the air.' " - Dutch News 17 February 2014

Bah humbug! Now, if you'll excuse me I have to prepare for watching a 10,000km race later today. HUP HOLLAND HUP!

It's Starting to Look a Lot Like Christmas at Keukenhof Castle

On Wednesday,  we took a trip to Keukenhof Castle for the annual Christmas Fair held there. The kerstmarkt is a treat for the ears because aside from Christmas music playing over the speakers, there are choirs performing at intervals. There's also something special for the nose with the delicious scent of Gluhwein and artisanal bread wafting around and for those still needing Christmas gift purchases there are various stalls selling jewellery, decorations and ornaments, clothes and bags as well as food.

We were drawn in by a stall selling cheese, bread and wine - all in one little tent. The boys had a field day sampling different cheeses and various types of bread (a heartfelt apology to the owner who would have had to fill up almost every bowl once my sons had left; the image of locusts springs to mind) - and they were more than happy later to help devour the loaves and cheese we chose to take home. Tip of the day - try the Toscanse bread - heavenly!

For the kids the 'Coca Cola Santa' is on site with a large truck, there's a merry go round, a few animals (including the tallest goat I have ever seen, presumably Dutch) and music especially for the children at certain times. And of course no Dutch Christmas fair would be complete without a skating rink, and all three boys took the opportunity to do a few rounds on the ice, with varying degrees of success. With many laughs and bruised bottoms to show for their efforts we called it a day and headed back to the car, guided back by the beautifully lit trees.

The kerstmarkt continues over the weekend (until 22.00 tonight and tomorrow) so if you are starting to get into the Christmas spirit Lisse is a good place to head to - Gluhwein, christmas carols, twinkling lights and ice skating - what more do you need to get Christmas going? I'll leave you with a few images…

The big man himself is there, with the big truck.

The Dutch on ice - as natural as cycling

As dusk falls, it's time for the lights to take centre stage

Beautiful lights create an amazing atmosphere once the sun sets

Top 8 Must Buy Items for Expats in the Netherlands

I've entered the Expats Blog writing contest and would appreciate your help to make "Top 8 Must Buy Items for Expats in the Netherlands" a winner. To help, simply pop over to the website, read the article and give it a comment of appreciation, share it/like it on Twitter and Facebook using the links under the article on the Expats Blog - and that's it!

How many of the 8 items have you purchased since moving to the Netherlands?
Head over to http://www.expatsblog.com/contests/308/top-8-must-buy-items-for-expats-in-the-netherlands to find out.

What If My Kids Had Been Born in England?

I've been thinking. How different would my children already be if they had been born in England instead of the Netherlands. So, instead of three little Dutch boys with a British mother, they were three little English boys with a Dutch father.

The most obvious different is that their first language would be English, and not Dutch which is the case with my eldest. My school going 5 year old speaks better Dutch than English (whereas it was the other way round when he was a toddler because he was home with me) and now has a Dutch accent when speaking English. In England, they would not currently be bilingual.

But what about culture things? Or experiences? How would they be different if my children had been born and raised in England?

Food
Well they certainly wouldn't have eaten sprinkles on their bread had they been born and raised in England. They wouldn't have eaten so many pancakes, and certainly not under the label of "dinner". They probably would have a better selection of healthier meal choices (read not everything fried with chips) whenever we eat out had we been living now in England.

My boys would know what a crumpet was without a lengthy explanation about a bread type thing with holes in it. Scones would be second nature. Hot cross buns at Easter time would be taken as a fact and Christmas crackers wouldn't be such a novelty.

Culture
Had they been British born, they wouldn't have had such a fine collection of orange shirts between them. They wouldn't have a clue what a Beesie was, seen an orange German helmet or seen a prince throwing an orange toilet. I can't imagine I will live to see the day that Prince Charles takes part in a toilet pot throwing competition, and I guess the real question is this: why on earth would he?

They wouldn't have scouted around flea markets on Queen's Day. Sinterklaas would have stayed a stranger.

None of my kids would have experienced being transported around on the front or back of my bike as past age eleven I cannot even remember owning a bike in England, let alone thinking about ferrying kids around on one.

Jip and Janneke would be an unknown couple. Dikkie Dik would never have become a familiar feline face and Nijnte would be called Miffy. They would have grown up with the bird on Sesame Street coloured yellow going by the name of Big Bird, instead of a blue bird called Pino.

Education System
My eldest would probably be wearing a school uniform (thus saving the knees on his day to day trousers) and I would likely be transporting him to and from school in a car. In England, he also wouldn't have already been a fully fledged member of the local junior school at the tender age of four.

They would be addressing their teacher as Miss Smith instead of Juf Krista if they were in the English education system and they would be unlikely to see their teacher in jeans unless on a school trip.

Television
I'm going out on a limb to say that I assume my sons would not be so exposed to poop humour in England as they are in the Netherlands. They would know the voices of famous actors such as Tom Hanks from watching children's films in their original language, instead of Dutch dubbing which is (rightly) used for kid's programs. They would never have heard of Bumba, K3 or Kabouter Plop. They would never have seen Charlie and Lola speaking Dutch or Makka Pakka singing in Dutch.

Outdoors

This is what I call hills - something my Dutch boys are not familiar with

If my boys had been born and were being raised in England, they would most certainly know what a real hill looked like. As it is they think a speed bump is "high".

For my little Dutch boys an old, traditional windmill is commonplace, not something special. If they had lived in Watford like I did, a windmill sighting wouldn't be a weekly occurrence.

I am not convinced my eldest would have already had ice skates on and been on natural ice had we been an "English" family. And they wouldn't have been ferried around on bikes as babies.......

As my boys are still only little, there are lots more things we will come to experience that will make their lives here in the Netherlands different to the one they would lead in England. Some are positives (after all, Dutch children are the happiest in Europe), and a few are negatives.

But sometimes I wonder what impact being born in England would really have had on their lives, their personalities, their youth, their memories of growing up. Would their lives have taken a different path? It's an interesting train of thought!

What differences would have been evident if your children had been born in your birth country instead of the country you now call home? 

You Know You're An Expat Parent in the Netherlands When...

Being a parent abroad means facing situations that you probably wouldn't face if you had stayed in the country you were born in. Being an expat parent means adapting...... Here are twenty things that make me realise I'm a Brit parenting in the Netherlands.

1. You actually consider a home birth as a viable option.
2. You think you can give birth without the help of pain relief.
3. The whole idea of a maternity nurse spending a week in your home directly after the birth of your child is inconceivable. You reluctantly commit to her coming a few hours a day (half of your entitlement) but make sure everyone knows you are giving in begrudgingly. When your second is born you sign up for your full entitlement and dream up elaborate ways to get more hours out of your maternity nurse.
4. When the well-baby clinic recommends your child eats six slices of bread a day you involuntarily take in a sharp breath.
5. Your three year old speaks Dutch better than you do. 
6. Your five year old actually corrects you when you speak Dutch.
7. You are floored by the way your toddler can roll their "r's" and say "Scheveningen".
8. You're amazed because there is no complicated school enrolment system* for your children. You fill in an application form and the school informs you within a week or two if they have a space for your child or not. You can't believe it can be that simple.
9. When your child starts school you have no idea how the school system works because it's not the same as the one you grew up in. 
10. You cannot get to grips with the idea that eating in a pancake house is "going out for dinner" and still see those Dutch pancakes as eating dessert before the main meal.
11. You stop calling your GP for every minor ailment your kids get because you know the answer will be "Take paracetamol and if he's not okay in three days come back."
12. There is more paracetamol in your medicine cabinet at any one time than you would conceivably use in a year in your own country. What's more you have paracetamol for every possible age range and for every orifice and  - you're not afraid to use it.
13. Your kids cycle better and more than you do.
14. The phrase you use most whilst walking to and around the local playground is "Watch out for the dog poo. I said WATCH OUT! OK, you can clean that when we get home...."
15. Your children eat sprinkles on bread for breakfast.
16. Your child brings home a different friend book to fill in on a weekly basis. But of course your child cannot yet write so guess what you spend your weekends doing....
17. You wouldn't dream of driving to school. Instead, you join the masses and walk or cycle with your child to school.
18. You have an impressive array of attachments for your bike, including a bike trailer and child seats.
19. You race to the nearest lake when the temperature drops so that your children can wear their ice skates.
20. Your child has a tendency to find the idea of poo sandwiches hilarious. 

*except in Amsterdam.....

11. You don't call the GP....
Photo: Andrzej Gdula



What have I missed? What makes you realise you are parenting abroad, which ever country you are parenting in?

A Cultural Winter Experience

This last weekend saw what could be the last of the ice skating on natural ice for this winter season. After the dashed hopes last week that an Elfsedentocht would take place, the Dutch took to the ice this weekend in their masses. Many had bought new ice skates for the occasion. Some grabbed them from the back of the cupboard. Others jumped on their sledge. Others collected their ice hockey sticks and pucks. Others just gathered on the ice to drink hot chocolate or gluhwein together.

Brand New Ice Skates
(c) The Writing Well

We took to the ice too. Or as least, some of the family did. Whilst I stood on the banks of what was water two weeks ago, my eldest sons and papa took to the ice. I scanned the ice for my family whilst I watched over the baby who was fast asleep in sub-zero temperatures in the double buggy. Whilst my eldest son lasted approximately two minutes upright on his ice skates, my middle son slid around enthusiastically behind him - until they both retired to the sleigh for papa to do the hard work. Watching them put a beaming smile on my face.

Out on the Sledge
(c) The Writing Well

The Dutch are almost as fanatical about ice skating as they are about cycling - another thing I have had to get used to as the Brits are certainly not renowned for their ice skating..... A few years ago it was my first time walking on a frozen lake and I stood amazed at those around me skating, sledging and pushing chairs across the ice. It was something I had never seen before and I loved watching it happening around me.

Ice Skating in the Netherlands - almost as popular as cycling
(c) The Writing Well

This year I knew what to expect. I could already picture the crowds on the canals and streams. But this year, two of my sons were enthusiastically thrown into the mix. Ice skates on, sledge out from the shed and winter woolies on.

Ice Hockey on a Frozen Lake
(c) The Writing Well

It struck me once more that my children will have different experiences because they were born in the Netherlands. Had my husband and I moved back to the UK before the children were born, I cannot imagine rushing out and buying a pair of ice skates for my eldest son so he could have a go at skating on a frozen lake. I don't think we would have a sledge tucked away in the shed as standard transportation (kids are taken to school on sledges as soon as there is any ice to speak of). I'm sure it's done in England, but not by the masses, and not with such fanaticism.

What different experiences do your kids have because they are in the Netherlands, or a different country to the one you grew up in?