The Netherlands have lots of owns customs.

 To welcome someones, when going to a new country, one has to fit to the countrie's culture. In France when people meet, they kiss ones on each cheek. Here in the Netherlands, it is customary to shake hands (even if you're a girl !) ,and say your name, when you do not know the person very well. However, when Dutch friends meet they kiss cheeks three times as well as when they say goodbye.

 

Contrary to France, the houses are built with little red brick and not with big and grey brick with color paint. That is the big difference between the French cities and Dutch cities. Moreover, the post box are not yellow than in France but red or orange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As typical things in Holland, the windmills are the best to represent the Holland. I could see them near Kinderdijk. It is a place where there are 20 windmills. Some people live in these windmills; others can be visited by tourists. Tourists have also the possibility to go for a walk along the river or take a boat for the visit.

The clog is very typical from the Holland also. In fact, we can find them in all the country. In Amsterdam, all the souvenir shops sell lots of clogs either in wool or in porcelain. The Dutch clogs come from the city of Gouda like the cheese and the blue porcelain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue porcelain is also typical from Holland. We can find all kind of things in blue porcelain: souvenirs, plates, glasses etc. We can find cook tools also. Each family owns one thing in blue porcelain in its house.

 

The Netherlands have lots of owns traditions also

 

When there is an event in a family, family members don’t hesitate to show it. In fact, when a baby was born or a student passes their exams or when one person celebrates his 50^th birthday. A party is organized for them and some posters are stick against the window.

For example, when a student pass it exam, the student put his bag with a flag of Holland in front of the door of his house. It permit that show to the other people that he passes his exams.The same for a baby who was born, the parent color the house in blue if he is a boy and in pink if she is a girl with balls and paper chains. For my cousins, my uncle and my aunt put two boards in the garden with the name of the twins and the date of births.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For people who celebrate their 50^th birthday, it is the same. Family members put boards in the garden but they change the name. In Holland, when you are 50 years old and if you are one man, you name ABRAHAM and if you are a girl, SARAH. This event is only a Dutch tradition. For my aunt, other member of my family made a scarecrow with my aunt clothes. This event is as we celebrate the majority.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it is very cold in winter, the rivers in Holland freeze. It is a tradition that each year, the children and some families slip on their ice skates and skate on the river. Some people put one music box in the river; others sit down on a chair and slip on the river. I must say that it is very strange to be on a river and that some months after that, I ride along the same river.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The zoo of Rotterdam is also called Diergaarde Blijdorp. It is one of the biggest attractions in the Netherlands and one of the biggest zoos in Europe. Moreover, the zoo has doubled in size since the opening of the oceanium. It is one of the oldest zoos of the country. It was destroyed because of the second war world, and then it was built again.

This zoo is a real factory. In fact, lots of people work in the zoo as secretary, veterinary or guide. The zoo is separated in three main parts, each part represent a world region.

The zoo welcomes many tourists which do the main part of the zoo business. Lots of school groups and Scientifics go to this zoo in order to learn more on the animals and the plants. Lots of information is given on the animals and their environment. It is very instructive.

Moreover, the zoo owns its own laboratory. When I visited the zoo, I could enter in the laboratory where Scientifics do experiences in order to improve the research. In this laboratory, they occurs the birth of the baby animals also, especially the eggs of reptiles.

This zoo is separated by themes: Asian, Africa, and Arctic... I can tell you that the environment is reproduced very well. And each theme owns a restaurant which local species. Some people come only in the Park in order to eat in these restaurants. Furthermore, in these restaurants we have a view on the animals. For example, I could see a landscape of savannah with zebras, antelopes and giraffes... It was so beautiful.

The zoo has also its own shop of souvenirs. We can find lots of objects: postal cards, glasses, pins, poster or cuddly toys. The shop is located in the outlet of the zoo. It is the last mean to do spending the money of the tourists. Some tourists pay more to have the possibility to give food for the animals ( especially the giraffes ).

The zoo of Rotterdam owns also a famous oceanium and a reptilarium. We can find all kinds of fishes and reptiles. In the oceanium, there is tunnel under the water with sharks, skates and other fishes. I believe that I am with the sharks.

I can add that the entrance of the Zoo cost 21€. It is expensive but I spent 4 hours in the Park and I saw lots of beautiful things and creatures.

For the rest, I recommend to visit it because I had a very good time inside.

 

A little movie about the sea tunnel:

The stroopwafels is composed of two waffle layers stick by karamel syrup. The stroopwfels are producted from Gouda like the cheese and the blue porcelain. We can eat it with coffee, tea or hot chocolate ; we can also soak them in it.

 

The boschebols is a cake producted from Hertogenbosch. They are composed of batter and filled with whip cream and covered with chocolate fondue. The chocolate used is plain chocolate and not milk chocolate.

 

The Frikadellen look like sausages that we can find in chips tubs. They are composed of meat and are mainly cook in oil but can be also fry. We can find Frikadellen in Germany, Belgium, Alsace-Moselle and in the north of France too. We eat them mainly with chips. We can find someones with a pellet form.

 

The cheese do the reputation of the Netherlands because of their cow farming. These cheeses are producted mainly from Gouda, Leyden, Leerdam (for  the famous Leerdammer).

 

 In Holland like in Belgium, we can find the best of chips. Their chips are very excellent, I dont know how many tubs I ate. In the big city like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, we can find stands which sell only chips. The chips are given in tub but more often in paper cone with lots of sauce. If we will go to Holland, you must eat their chips, it is so delicious!!

 

The harring is a typical way to eat this fish. In fact, we can find it like a sandwich, but in Holland, the tradition want to eat it with the next way. People soak the fish in onion, then they put the fish above them and take down it in order to eat it. They eat the fish when it is craw. After eat the fish, people drink a strong alcohol.

The fish is mainly gone fishing for in June and are put in barrels as soon as they leave the port. This event is so famous that the first barrels are sold by auction and are bought at a high price by collectors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Out of school and courses, the students like to have a good time and entertain themselves. Breda is the city for that ! In fact, Breda is a city for students because it has the premises in order to entertain the students and young people. Moreover, several events are organized.

First of all, lots of students  go to the Bress center. Bress is a sport center in association with Avans Hogeschool. Lots of students  of our school practise sport in this sport hall. Moreover it is not very expensive: 60€ per semester and for the member card. This card leads to many sports free or with reduce price. It is a good opportunity to spend free time and meet new people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breda owns also a big swimming pool with slides, outside tanks, tanks with bubbles etc. It is a good place to entertain oneself. Lots of childrens go to this swimmingpool. Inside, we can find a little fast food where we can eat the good chips from Holland. I spent a good time in the Zwembad Sonsbeeck swimming pool.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the afternoon, some students spend their time playing in the park ; they play football or other games, they tan and speak between them. Breda has lots of pleasant park with little lakes or rivers. Others visit the museums. Breda has not lots of museum but each museum has a good reputation in the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the night, Breda is also an active city. We have the choice between the pub, the famous cinema Pathé and the bowling. All these recreations are located in the same place. In the cinema, the movie are in english and subtitled in dutch. The bowling is not very high but we can have a good time. In the city center, we can find lots of pub and bar dancing. We were often in the Dinges bar dancing. The difference with the France is that people can smoke inside. Several students prefer going to chicha club or coffee shop ; there are 7 coffee shop in Breda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first week of April, the city organized a fun fair. I had not the possibility to go over there because of exams but I saw it.