More interesting tidbits about the Netherlands

What is the correct form in English? Netherlands or Holland?
The Netherlands refers to the entire country, whereas Holland only refers to the western part of the country. Holland is eroneously used to refer to the entire country, so Netherlands is the correct form. 


So how did this all start you may ask? Blame the French. 


The Netherlands (note the article "the") is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The kingdom as it is known today, came into existence after Napoleon. From 1806 to 1810, the Koninkrijk Holland (Kingdom of Holland) was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom governed by his brother Louis Bonaparte. So the name of Holland became the name for the entire country. The Kingdom of The Netherlands also included Belgium from 1815 to 1830. Today the Netherlands consists of twelve provinces: Groningen, Friesland (the local dialect sounds very similar to English), Drente, Overijssel, Flevoland, Gelderland, Utrecht, North-Holland, South-Holland, Zealand, North Brabant and Limburg (yep, the stinky cheese).  So technically "Holland" only refers to the two provinces called Holland.


Now to confuse you even more the Dutch cheer their football team by shouting out "Hup, Holland, Hup" which means "Go, Holland, Go" and you will see football shirts for sale with "Holland" emblazoned on them. Here is a flag hanging from an apartment. BTW the Netherlands lost the first game in their division.

See it says Holland! and yes the picture is sideways.

Tapas Bar Pilsvogel decked out in Orange for the first game. Just around the corner from my apartment.

Speaking of drinking here is what you call the designated driver on a night out here in the Netherlands - Bob, yes Bob. The Bob is the person who gets to drink one beer and drive everyone home. It is believed that Bob stands for Bewust Onbeschonken Bestuurder or "deliberately not drunk driver" but not true. It was originally from a Belgian (remember they had been part of the Netherlands a few years back) anti drunk-driving campaign and the name stuck. So if someone at a party call you Bob you better stop drinking, unless that is really your name.

So where do you go if you have the munchies.......

Febo

The often-derided Febo snack bar chain takes its name from the location of the first outlet, opened on the Ferdinand Bolstraat in Amsterdam in 1941. Founder Johan de Borst, who trained as a baker, died in May 2008 at the age of 88. Febo is a coin-operated snack bar – you drop a coin into a slot which allows you to open the door to the deep-fried food of your choice. And yes I have tired it once when I really needed to eat something.

But on the weekends I shop at the Albert Cuypmarket around the corner from my apartment.

The market is so big that it is difficult to get a good picture

My favorite produce stall

The Vishandel -fishmonger

There are at least two of these herons who wait for the fish market to close in the evenings.

These guys need a calendar the market is closed on Sundays and the Albert Cuypstraat doesn't look the same

What a difference on Sunday mornings.

   
Here is a video of the market and other things to do in Amsterdam.

The picture below is a store that sells....you would never guess that a country surrounded by water would have... Specialty water. No really, here is the link to Watershop.NL  This is almost up there with a Starbucks on every corner (and yes Starbuck coffee is available in A'dam).