Thursday, April 17th, 2008...9:29 am
Dutch Raspberry
Before I say what I am about to say I must tell you I love Holland and I will tell you why later.
However, before I tell what I like I have to balance that out with the dislikes.
Firstly, the language which is as confusing as why someone hasn’t given Simon Cowell the good news with a five iron yet.
In Dutch the A is pronounced I and the E pronounced A and don’t get me started on the J.
Then there are the words which require half a ton of phlegm in your mouth just to say it……I asked directions from a Dutch Guide today and my hair is now full of his spittle.
Then there is breakfast which is as important to the Dutch as not making a complete ass of herself is important to Paris Hilton. Therefore breakfast is as boring as an RCI Cruise Director.
For example, my choices were bread, three kinds of cheese and some cold ham……..where was the eggs, bacon, pancakes, cereal, fruit…….even some Herring would have been nice. Instead of breakfast the Dutch have what is called Elef or Elevensees as we say in the UK. This is a snack consisting of a cream cake or sausage roll with coffee and this keeps you going until lunch.
There are many things I love about this place though. The people are friendly although they always say what they mean and never, ever exert themselves with expression. If you here a Dutch person use the word OK it is used on the same level as we would use fantastic or great. This can be quite disconcerting especially when fishing for compliments. When I first met Heidi I remember asking her a very personal question to which she answered “OK”………..I did not feel like a man for days until she explained “OK” meant I was a Stud.
This morning we have already visited the Rijksmuseum museum and saw the amazing collection of art and of course this includes the works of Rembrandt and his Night Watch painting. This was followed by a trip to the Van Gogh museum and this includes his Sunflower painting which is the one everyone wants to see.
We have set up tours to both museums although you can take our shuttle bus into town. However, my advice is to take a tour. This is because we have pre-paid entrance to all these locations which means no standing in line which can and will in season take up to an hour.
Time to go. I will be writing lots of mini blogs from the raspberry thingy today as we are traveling again…..hope you are ok with this.
Just before we get of the bus lets talk about smoking. Denmark, Germany, Finland and Holland now have smoking bans…….Holland’s starts in June except in the “coffee houses” which is something I will talk about later. So on this trip you will find its just St. Petersburg that allows smoking in all public places and judging from what I saw they would rather welcome Stalin back than be told “Nyet Smoking”
Ok, we are now at Ann Frank’s House…….I will write soon
Cheers
John and Heidi
16 Comments
April 17th, 2008 at 9:51 am
John,
I must agree with you about their breakfast…don’t they know breakfast is the most important meal of the day?
Good tip about taking a tour…not having to wait in lines to enter would be nice.
Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be able to see Ann Frank’s House!! I want to hear all about it!
Princess Susan
April 17th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Dutch Raspberry! Sounds like a wonderfully rich dessert!
Yes, I want to hear more about Anne Frank’s house too. I remember reading parts of her diary in school, then saw the play. Very courageous family, just trying to live a normal life in terrible times.
Later,
Carol
April 17th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Thanks for the update, can’t wait to hear all about Anne Franks house.
Jan
April 17th, 2008 at 11:04 am
john
how about a Aston Martin Factory tour?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Anne Frank is one of the few required readings growing up that I felt was a justified required reading. It details everything so well. Let me ask you something big mate, I can’t remember if there were two separate houses; one that she (and her family grew up in) and one in which they spent all of the time in the attic hiding. Regardless, don’t skimp on the details.
_BigMike
Director of B.S.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I love Amsterdam ! Love the Dutch pronouncing Van Gough—your description of phhlem is so accurate.
Ann Frank’s house is amazing !
Cant wait to hear all about it.
Take care
April 17th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I thought I was linguistically challenged before now you’ve really got me worried… I fear I shall never visit Holland as I’d be so confused I’d fear for my head exploding!!
Keep those raspberry blogs coming, my friend!! Great stuff!!
GregB
April 17th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Hi John:
You know, of all the places in the world to visit the #1 on my list is the Ann Frank House! I’m so jealous. I really wish I could be with you. Enjoy!
Sue
April 17th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Thanks for the 1st edition of Raspberry Blog from Holland. The “J” really confuses people when they try to say Dutch names even here in the US. I don’t speak the language but I heard my grandmother on a few occasions and frankly I was concerned that she may have been choking……kidding….. but it was painful to envision the throat contortions necessary for that language. I’ll stick to English.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I prefer to eat breakfast at Sissy’s house… and plan it myself…
As for the language… I’m happy I wear eyeglasses and I never stand close…
Holland is OK and so are the Dutch people!!!
Lambie
April 17th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Very droll, John. You complain about how Dutch mispronounces letters and then you immediately use the English word “phlegm”, hee, hee! Eye theenk Eenglish wirds arr speld bettur thin enny uther langwitch in thuh whirld!
April 17th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
HI John/Heidi:
Looking forward to reading about Anne Frank journey.
Hope you were able to find more food besides bread/meat for breakfast.
I hope everything else is going well
Take care.
David
April 17th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Here in the Dutch land of Michigan we have a different type of Pot-Luck going on…… you’re extremely lucky if you can avoid the multitudes of cavernous pot holes marring up the roads around this joint…..
Mark
The Flying Dutchman ….weaving around craters on the parkway
April 17th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Bugger!!!!! My last comment landed in the wrong Raspberry……
anyhoo…
According to my Latin teacher it is the French who really buggered up the English language with odd spellings and pronunciations…..something that annoyed her to no end…..
But we use many French words everyday without much thought as to their origin ……
bon voyage….concierge… à la mode…. faux pas … souvenir… maître d’
April 17th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
ha ha…I know all about the “phlegmy” way the Dutch speak. I was married to a man whose parents were both from Holland. It certainly wasn’t a romantic language.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Oh fun reading you’re blog. Specially the way you described our language. But a thought to all non Dutch speaking readers. How many languages you speak. Ask a ordinary Dutch man/woman a question in English, and they will answer back in English on most accounts. Try that in France, Germany, Italy etc. Don’t forget if we not have sold Nieuw Amsterdam to the British the USA would have probably speak Dutch.
Greetings frome the homeport of Holland America line Rotterdam.
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