Hallo!
Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 10:19AM Welkom, Nederlanders! (Did I get that right?)
I often marvel at the geographic diversity of our customers. People find us from all over the world: the farthest reaches of Canada, the most remote islands in the South Pacific, several countries in Asia, many Aussie outposts, and from nearly every country in Europe.
But there seems to be something going on in the Netherlands.
Never is this more evident than on club shipping day, when we send out two truck loads of packages at once, and we collectively admire the impressive stack headed there.
I wonder: do these people know each other? Are they all from the same knitting group? Do they get together to admire the yarn they receive each month? Are they all friends of Marjan from Yarnissima, one of our favorite sock designers?
It can't possibly be true -- it's a bit like telling someone you're from Minnesota, and having them ask you if you know their uncle Bob Peterson. But I wonder it just the same.
Thus, I took it as a sign when this showed up in the Duluth harbor recently:
That's right, two Dutch ships (the twins on the left and right), here to load grain. And a large vessel from Canada, proceeding quickly to its destination. There's actually another ship behind the Canadian one, but I was unable to see where it was from. Probably Liberia.
See? Duluth is actually a very cosmopolitan city of the world. The Dutch visitors (obviously) confirm this fact.
I can tell you that that people often mistakenly refer to the Netherlands as Holland. Holland is a region of the Netherlands, not a country. My former high school students were under the constant mis-impression that Amsterdam is a country unto itself. "Amsterdam is a city," I would say through clenched jaw. "Much like Baltimore is a city." They would blink at me blankly.
I can also tell you that every interaction I've had with a Nederlander has been lovely -- they are gracious, friendly, and obviously have excellent taste in yarn.
Who's been to the Netherlands? Are you from the Netherlands? What interesting tidbits can you feed this geography-obsessed yarnista brain?
Reader Comments (13)
I know I would like to visit there. And I know a Dutch young man who says with a smile (when new people comment on his ancestry), "If you're not Dutch, you're not much!"
I am a Nederlander (actually a 'Nederlandse" because I am female. The picture of the two dutch ships doesn't surprise me at all as the dutch have travelled the seas for many centuries. The port of Rotterdam used to be known as the largest port in the world (I think it's Shanghai now). There are about 16 million of us and we travel a lot. No matter which country I visit I always meet dutch people (even in the smallest places).
My country is also called Holland. It's not the right name but it is very commonly used, even by the dutch.
I have met people who thought that The Netherlands is the capital city of Denmark.
Oh, I have met Marjan from Yarnissima when I went to one of her workshops. She is soooo nice. I think a lot of dutch knitters know her.
If there are specific things you like to know about The Netherlands then please ask.
The part of Ontario where I grew up was heavily settled by Dutch farmers, so I went to school with a lot of people with last names like Van Laarhoven and Tjeerdsma. The most important thing that I have learned about the Netherlands is that the food is delicious. I particularly recommend poffertjes (tiny delicious pancakes) and boterkoek, which is kind of like a shortbread.
Stroopwafels (some kind of caramel waffle cookies) are even better! Especially when they are still warm, mmmmmmmm....
Some day soon the Netherlands will not be famous for windmills, wooden shoes or water but everyone will know about the stroopwafels! ;) And then our favourite Yarnista will come up with a stroopwafel colourway.
I personally hate it when people refer to the Netherlands as Holland because I'm not from Holland, I'm from Zeeland. The part of the Netherlands probably best known for the Deltawerken which were build after a big flood in 1953.
I went to the Netherlands on a work trip in April 2005 and was lucky enough to be able to spend 4 additional days exploring the country with my husband. We went to the van Gogh museum and took a canal tour in Amsterdam, viewed beautiful pottery in Delft, but our favorite was touring the Keukenhof. We were fortunate that our trip coincided with full bloom of the flowers.
This is very interesting! (but did you say Club Shipping Day?!?!!) *rubs hands together in glee*
Would love to visit the Netherlands someday. I had a friend, who is living in England, who was stranded in Amsterdam for a week due to the volcano this past spring. Her mother wished she were stranded nearly anywhere else...
I've been to the Netherlands! I can confirm the lovelieness and graciousness of its residents, and you must look up Madurodam in the Hague. Also good cheese, lots of lovely churches (I have a thing for old stone churches, especially with stained glass windows, don't judge me), and a whole lot of cows. Also also windmills and flood plains/wetland (there's a reason they wear wooden clogs that are rather boat like in the old paintings and pictures. If you step off the road you might sink). Also I think Rembrandt painted lots of pictures with yellow skies? The sky really does turn yellow.
I was born in the Netherlands, and the community that I live in Canada has many Dutch immigrants. All of my mother's family is still there. The Dutch have great colour sense, perhaps that why they love your yarn!
I used to work for a company that had a big office in Amsterdam, so I've been there quite a bit. My wife and I really love the city and the bits of the countryside that we've seen here and there. I concur that the Dutch are great people. Everyone that I've ever interacted with has been warm and friendly. If you ever make it to Amsterdam make sure you set aside some time to go to the Van Gogh museum. It's the coolest museum space I've ever been to and some of the paintings that I saw there were amazingly different than what I'd seen in prints and books. For somebody that works with color, I'd say it's a must. ;)
My mother is Dutch and we just came back from a trip to the Netherlands and caught World cup fever. Hup Holland Hup! My relatives live in Amsterdam, Amstelveen, and Middelburg and we've been back and forth numerous times. This time, we stayed in Miggelenburg, went to Maturadam, Terschelling, Amsterdam, Geithoorn, Hardivyck, Lelystad, Harlingen, etcetc. Stroopwafels fresh from the market stand in Ede were the best ever, frites near the Singel in Amsterdam. And sausage rolls! I did make a pair of socks for a cousin out of a Yarn Love colorway, "Warm Tulips."
I love it that you are from Duluth- I went to Carleton and for many years dated a boy from Grand Marias and spent summers on the North Shore with him and winters nordic skiing all over up there. This year my little boy turned 5 and the best present I could think of to get him for his Kindergarten debut was a Duluth Pack in orange, just like the one I got for my 21st birthday. I love your yarns and your city- I love the boats, I even love the winters and I miss that neck of the woods for sure.
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