Amsterdam Keukenhof Alternative Day Program Spring
You planned a spring holiday in the Netherlands. Everything packed: sunglasses, travel guide, tank tops. You made a little plan: visit the famous Dutch spring garden, see a bit of Amsterdam, maybe an authentic Dutch village, something like Volendam or no, make it Zaanse Schans. Great! You're good to go. Then your plane touches ground in Amsterdam Airport, you get out and....uff, it's terribly cold! And...it's raining! Well, here's an alternative day program that will still get you to Keukenhof.
The Staphorster Bike & the Dutch Dressguard
How I saw a picture of women cycling in folk costume and went to Staphorst in search of a bike showing the cultural diversity in the Netherlands
Like many curious travellers/ entrepreneurs I love absorbing a good deal of information. Information that I can later pass on to you, my dear participant and reader. In a few weeks I am to give my festive workshop about Dutch traditions and celebrations again. To prepare myself I take out this book called Typisch Nederlands: tradities en trends in Nederland . On page 36 a black-and-white picture of three women on bicycles catches my attention. The middle one is casually dressed, whereas the two women on her side are in full folk costumes. In the caption, freely translated, it reads:
In a small country like the Netherlands there's a large regional cultural diversity. Even the manufacturer of an everyday object such as the bicycle has to take this in account. A version of the classical lady's bike with holes in the mudgear/ fender to attach the handmade coloured 'cyclenets' (dress guards) existed for a long time in Staphorst.
A bicycle that was adjusted to the local needs! Of course I wanted to see this bike with my own eyes, but first I was curious which manufacturer made this Staphorster bike. Google being a good friend, I searched for 'Staphorster fiets' and 'Staphorster variant', 'Staphorst model' in combination with the words 'origin', 'history'. What I found was lots of information on the dress guards. Those dress guards...well, they are works of art.
How to Prevent clothes from getting into your bike's wheel
Cycling in Staphorst is and has always been done on a black omafiets or granny's bike. It was easy for the women with their long skirts to get on the bike thanks to the step-through frame. The only problem was that their skirts got ruined because they kept getting into the spokes. Inventive as the women were they found a solution to this: dress guards. If you see dress guards on a bicycle nowadays they're usually made of plastic. The Staphorster women made and still make their dress guards themselves. They crochet different creations in all colours and patterns. If you know a bit of Dutch you can find an original pattern here. Is your Dutch not that good and still want to get an idea on how to crochet your own dress guard? Find an English crochet pattern here. For the non-crochetters: you can also order them on Simeli.
How the crochetted dress guard led me to Staphorst
An employee at Velorama, the bicycle museum in Nijmegen, told me that a local dealer would make little holes in the omafiets to attach these crochetted creations. Blue-red ones were for daily use, green-black ones for mourning periods.
After all this reading about the Staphorster bike I still hadn't found what I was looking for: the manufacturer of this version of the classical lady's bike. So, it was time to visit Staphorst, the small town in Overijssel where time has stood still. The town with the low straw-roofed farmhouses with traditional green doors and green wooden window shutters. The town where women still ride their black omafiets in traditional folk costume.
What happened when I finally saw a lady in traditional costume on a staphorster bike
When I came in Staphorst, I could only see fast cycling kids wearing the latest fashion. We then stopped at a cycle shop where the most beautiful example of the Staphorster fiets stood waiting to be repaired. I asked the shop owner the manufacturer's name, but he didn't know and wondered if there had ever been a manufacturer specialised in the Staphorster bike. He said there was still a high demand in Staphorst for the mud gears with holes in them and he now ordered them especially for the Staphorster women. A little while after our conversation a women passed by. In folk costume. On a black omafiets with crochetted dress guards. I was too surprised to even think about taking a picture...
Did you go to Staphorst and managed to take a picture of a Staphorster lady in folk costume riding her bike? Please share it here, I would love to see it!
My 7 favourite spring events in the Netherlands
A fresh start of spring in Holland. Outside it's still rather cold and...where's the sun? When it comes to the temperature spring really has to warm up, but nature is ready for it. Just take a look outside and see the new born lambs curiously looking at the young tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. The start of the season brings excitement, some people even get a bit stressed when they see spring has come. Here are my 7 favourite spring events in the Netherlands.
Note: In case the Corona measures still apply, please use this post as a source of information for a future trip.
Tip 1: Easter 2022 on the Dutch Beach
Easter is one of these spring events in the Netherlands I wouldn't want to miss out on. There are lots of activities being organised. When I'm not on a bike showing you and your friends how amazing the Dutch countryside is, I enjoy my Easter brunch on the beach. The real tourist season starts in the Easter weekend, 15- 18 April 2022 Weeks before Easter the beach is inspected and levelled. The beach boulevards are full of trucks offloading material. Right after the beach is prepared, the beach restaurant owners can set up their restaurants. In the Netherlands cafes and restaurants can only be found on the beach between March and October. This means that every year before Easter the owners have to set up their beach restaurants again. Just to be able to welcome me & you for an Easter brunch. Isn't that great?
Tip 2: Blossoming Fruit Trees, Asparagus and Bike Races
Another part of the food sector depends on good weather. Every year the fruit and vegetable farmers anxiously wait for the results of the season. Apple-, cherry-, peartrees are not only useful for their fruits, but also for their blossom. Walking trails take you through picturesque fields full of fresh, scented flowers. But, besides walking there is another option. Known all over the world, a typical Dutch activity is cycling. As spring is also the start of the cycling season, many regions in the Netherlands offer arrangements, excursions or routes for the cyclist. Cycling routes go through areas full of blossoming trees, or later in the season through fields of fruit, where farmers give you the opportunity to pick your own fruit or make an arrangement so you can take a picknickbasket and have a picknick in the garden.
Next to the fruit farmers I mentioned the vegetable farmers. Which vegetable am I talking about? The asparagus! Strawberries, the delicious fruit of the season are often linked with the "white gold". Asparagus are mainly cultivated in the region Limburg, the region in the south of the Netherlands. Here they can also prepare these tasty vegetables in many different ways and a meal doesn't even have to cost much. And, while you're at it, try some of the Limburgian wine ( yes, Limburg also cultivates its own grapes).
For the cycling fanatics, it is also the season in which bike races start. Limburg, with its Dutch mountains is also the ideal place for bike races such as the Amstel Gold Race. It is nice to see the cyclist pass by, with the thousand of spectator standing at the sidelines yelling and admiring. Of course, right after the race you can create your own track and set a new record.
Tip 3: Keukenhof and Flower Parade
When you think of spring in Holland, you think of mesmerizing tulip fields, enchanting daffodil fields and hyacinth fields filling the air with their spring perfume. Keukenhof is a must see when you are in the Netherlands around Easter. The park is dedicated to the tulip and other spring flowers. It is a beautiful park where you even get to shoot some good pictures of all that the Netherlands has to offer: a field of tulips in front of a windmill where a girl dressed in Dutch folklore clothes sells cheese.
A very popular spring festival is the flower parade, in Dutch we call it Bloemencorso. These parades are in the bulb flower region, that means in the area of Leiden, Lisse en Haarlem. It's a great parade to see the beautiful spring flowers and the creativity of the locals, who work on the floats for months.
Both Keukenhof and the Flower Parade are big attractions and they welcome thousands of visitors from every part of the world. If you don't want to be in a traffic jam of tourist buses for hours or are curious about the many other festivals & activities in the area, just take a look at Flower Festival Lisse for some original ideas. Cycling through the spring flower fields is -of course- one of my favourite ways to pass time and I would definitely recommend you to add it to your visit to the Netherlands in spring.
Tip 4: Cheese Markets
Enough about flowers, let's talk about cheese. The cheese market season also starts in April. It's one of those spectacular spring events in the Netherlands that is not to be missed when you come and visit. There are markets in Gouda, Alkmaar, Edam, Hoorn and Woerden. Cheese farmers and traders meet on the market square to negotiate the price of the cheese, Dutch cheese girls offer tastings of different cheeses and there are many special activities. It's a great outing for the whole family.
To see where and how the Dutch -Gouda- cheese is made, I would really recommend you to add a visit to a cheese farm and a historical cheese warehouse.
Tip 5: King's Day
King's day is on the 27th of April and Dutch love to celebrate this on the streets. Amsterdam is an orange heaven and should be visited on this dat, but be aware: on the 27th itself everything is fully packed, trains are full, roads are full, streets in Amsterdam are full. If you really want to be in Amsterdam on the 27th go to the city a couple of days before and make sure you have your accomodation booked long before, because Amsterdam will be crowded.
I have been in Amsterdam once on King's Day and I have to say I didn't really like it. To get there it takes a lot of patience and walking around in the city is a real pain: it's just too busy for my liking. I prefer other cities such as Utrecht or The Hague, where every neighbourhood has their own flea market and you can play old Dutch games. Nevertheless, if you want to have an authentic King's Day experience try celebrating it in a small city or even a village. It's much easier to get connected with the locals and the celebration is much more intense as it's much smaller and intimate.
Now King's Day doesn't start on the 27th of April, but the evening before. On the 26th in the late afternoon I would suggest you to go to The Hague to celebrate the Life I Live festival. Bands are playing everywhere, special theatre shows are organised and there are lots of things to do and see. It is one of the few nights this very special atmosphere can be sensed in The Hague, people are just having fun and there's a common vibe everyone can feel.
Tip 6: Liberation Day
Shortly after King's Day Day the Dutch commemorate the people who died in World War II, during peace operations or in war situations. The day after, the 5th of May it is Liberation Day, the day that we celebrate the end of World War II and think about the meaning of freedom. For this we have special Liberation Festivals in different cities in the Netherlands, where bands and known Dutch artists perform. This website gives you more information about who is performing where and what other activities are planned.
Tip 7: Museumweekend
Spring in the Netherlands means being outdoors. But, if the weather is bad, you can always enjoy the musea. In april Dutch musea organise special activities in a weekend that is cleverly called Museumweekend. Entrance in the musea is for free or you pay very little.
Special Spring Events
Verita's Visit organises special events around Dutch products, traditions & local festivities. From visits to Gouda cheese farms to cycle tours through quaint villages surrounded by blossoming fruit trees, from meet & greets with tulip farmers to creative games with locals to picnics in the Dutch countryside. Just go on a virtual visit and check all the special spring events in the Netherlands by Verita's Visit. For custom-made tours, questions and suggestions fill in the contact form or contact veritasvisit(@)gmail.com.
Dutch Winter Drink: From Alcohol to Hot Cocoa
Koek en zopie. These two typical Dutch products are lovers, they are meant for each other. Hold your thoughts! Are you reading this on your smartphone? Great! That means your flexible! Now ask a Dutch person who is closest to you what koek en zopie is. Done? Ok, now read on to see if he/ she got it right.
Where can you find koek en zopie?
You’ve seen them near an ice skating ring. I’m talking about the stands or tents selling hot chocolate, pea soup, broodje worst and other food & drinks to warm up after or during your fun activities on the frozen water. In the 19th century paintings these tents were famous for selling koek en zopie.
What is zopie?
Koek en zopie is part of the Dutch ice-skating culture. As soon as it starts getting cold, people are warming up to the idea of frozen lakes and the Elfstedentocht. If you ask a Dutch person today what zopie is, then it's synonym to hot chocolate. Back in the 16th century people knew better: zopie came from zuipen, meaning to drink heavily. So, originally zopie is an alcoholic drink. On the streets there were rules for drinking, but on the ice all limits were gone. The result: people got completely drunk with zopie.
A cold and windy day in #Holland? Then it's time for slemp! pic.twitter.com/L5J7H5New3
— Verita's Visit (@VeritasVisit) 8 februari 2016
What's in a zopie?
Beer was available everywhere and the taste of warm beer made the people feel warm inside. To enrich the taste they added spices which had just been discovered by the East Indies Company. Many varieties exist of the zopie, recipes differ per person, per region. Slemp, similar to the Indian chai latte is a mixture of warm milk with tea, spices and a good amount of rum or cognac, tastes delicious with a piece of koek. I always thought the koek or cookie is ontbijtkoek, but traditionally the koek is a kniepertje. A kniepertje is a bit like the base of a stroopwafel only finer and thinner. In Groningen and Drenthe these are regional products and eaten especially around New Year.
How to make -a really alcoholic version of- zopie
Landinwaarts, a Dutch tv- program did an item on the koek and zopie. The culinary author Janny van der Heyden made a Haarlem version of zopie. It’s ideal for rainy and (extremely) cold days and makes you feel tipsy right after the first sip. Here’s the recipe.
- 1 botttle of koytbier ( a strong & spicy Haarlem beer)
- 1 bottle of wheat beer,
- 100 ml dark rum,
- 100 gr sugar,
- 50 gram bread,
- 3 cloves
- A bit of cardemom powder
- Some cinnamon powder
- Tiny bit of nutmeg
- Piece of lemon or orange
Preheat the pan and slowly poor in the beer. Add the sugar, spices, lemon and bread. Scald, take the pan off the heat and stir in the rum. Serve the mixture directly without straining it.
or (stroop)koek & zopie! #thisisHolland #tradition #winter #drinks #iceskating pic.twitter.com/4dz5STRjLT — Verita's Visit (@VeritasVisit) 8 februari 2016
Enjoy the Dutch winter!
Want to know more about Dutch culture, food, drinks and traditions? Celebrate the Dutch way of life and join a cycle tour or choose one of the examples for team building events in the Netherlands.
Age does Matter: The 7 types of Cheese Gouda
Christian, a German friend of mine absolutely adores the Gouda Cheese. When I visit him in the morning, he offers me these little sandwiches with cheese. In the afternoon, there are cheese straws and mini kaassouflés with a glass of wine or beer. Dinners start and end with a big cheese platter with some mustard on the side and if he’s in a real good mood he’ll prepare a Gouda Cheese fondue.
Story and History of Flag Day Scheveningen
My first visit to Flag Day Scheveningen was out of curiousity. I heard that the whole festival around herring, and more precisely the new herring. But, if it was all about the herring, why wasn’t it called Herring Day or Herring Festival? I decided it was time to unravel the mystery and look for the story and history of Flag Day Scheveningen...
