I heart Holland...

And they heart their bikes....

Things Learned from Mission Holland:

1.) The Dutch have different eating habits. They eat chocolate sprinkles on their buttered toast in the morning. The chocolate sprinkles are called "HAGLESLAG." Not only is it a bit enjoyable to eat, but it is quite fun to say. "Hey honey, can you pass the Hagleslag?" Also, they like their French fries with mayonnaise instead of ketchup. There is no way I am adopting the mayo on fries. That is a heart attack waiting to happen. But I could definitely get accustomed to the sprinkles. Sounds strange, but you have to try it at least once. So next time you are buttering your toast in the morning, look in the cupboard for some chocolate sprinkles. You may just find you like it too.

2.) It is a biking culture in Holland. Aside from their bad diets, the Dutch are actually quite active people. They bike everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Kids bike into school from the villages anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes every morning. I don’t know why I only said kids, because it is everyone. Kids not only bike everywhere, but EVERYONE bikes everywhere. Teachers, doctors, shop owners, dads, moms. They really all bike. I think it is so they can say “way back when I was growing up I used to bike to school in the snow, uphill.” (I know your parents tried to pull that one on you.) And you thought there was bad traffic in the morning getting over the bay bridge. Imagine bike traffic in the small city. Quite a site at 8 in the morning.

3.) Holland is known for Van Gogh, wind mills, tulips and wooden shoes. Unfortunately due to the timing of our trip tulips were not in season. We did however happen by the flower market in Amsterdam where they sell hundreds of types of flowers, and of course, the tulip bulbs safe for crossing borders.

4.) And finally, the most important thing I learned is....drum roll please. The name of the country is the Netherlands, though it is commonly referred to as Holland. (As Max pointed out to me, Holland is a province, of which Amsterdam is the capital, though because of its historic importance and dominance of the rest of the country, Holland has become an unofficial name.) Good to know, huh?

Now, I am sure I learned a lot more than that, but those are the interesting ones. And I have to keep it interesting. Enjoy.