Saturday 19 May 2012

Ice cream joy - the Dutch way

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After nine years of living in the Netherlands you would think that by now, I have seen the country from top to bottom and been to every possible corner - it is quite a small country, after all.

I have indeed visited lots of places - big cities and tiny villages; polders and islands; I've explored marshes, flatlands, beaches and woods; been to the sea and to former seas turned lakes. 

I have seen a lot of the Netherlands and I have taken thousands of photos of the country as well. I am also by now quite acquainted with the Dutch ways and I have even embraced many of the local habits and quirks. I have done my best to speak the language, I have learned about the country's history and I have admired its art and literature.

I would go as far as to say that I have truly earned the Dutch citizenship that I got back in 2007!

Bicycle parking lot at the train station in Amersfoort.

Still, there are sights that I think will never get old with me. Give me a bicycle in every possible setting and I will take a dozen pictures of it as if it were the first time I see one in this country of bicycle lovers. Every year in the winter I let the ice fever get to me as the whole country stands still waiting to hear that there is going to be an Elfstedentocht. Come spring, the tulip mania gets hold of me and doesn't let go until I have made every contact on Flickr or Facebook completely sick from a tulip overdose produced by a flood of tulip photos and tulip blog posts.

A very simple scene like the one I spotted in Alkmaar just a couple of days ago while waiting for my canal cruise to start, still feels new to me and fills me with wonder, as if I was newly arrived and just beginning to discover the country.

How often do you go out for ice cream in your town or city? If you like ice cream I bet you do that quite often, especially during the summer.
But how often do you go out for ice cream rowing your own boat down the canal? How often do you have to ring a bell at the ice cream shop, wait till you are served and then happily row your boat back home while enjoying your delicious ice cream? I bet not as often as you would wish!

Click to view the photo in a large size:
Icre cream a la Dutch: row your boat, ring the bell, order your ice cream, yamyam and row happily back home!







11 comments:

titabuds said...

I feel for those two kids 'on land' who are watching and undoubtedly thinking, "That's so cool. Why don't we do that?!" :)

Unknown said...

I just love the matter-of-fact attitude of the two kids buying the ice cream - it's sth they do every day, I suppose! The other two yes, they probably want ice cream and they probably want their own boat too! :)

Alison said...

How wonderful! I want a boat! :)

Unknown said...

@Alison,
Have you seen icre cream bought this way in Utrecht? I can imagine it's possible there too! :)

VagaMundos said...

We never ride a boat to an icecream shop :) But that´s pretty original! We never saw it before! Thanks for sharing Aledys.
Besos

Unknown said...

@VagaMundos,
I thought it was cute and yes, original! I have to find out if you can go get your ice cream by boat in El Tigre, in Buenos Aires - I guess you can!
Saludos!

Sil - Simplemente cocinera said...

Genial!! Me hace recordar imagenes de ciertos lugares de Asia (creo sea en Tailandia o Vietnan) donde podes comer en tu bote, y te pasan las comidas desde otro preparado con fogones y todo!! Un besito. Sil.

Katie said...

I think the ONLY way Argentine ice cream could possibly be improved upon would be if it were served to me while in a boat. lol I have to admit...that looks kind of fun!

Invader_Stu said...

This seems like the best way to get ice cream ever

Miss Footloose | Life in the Expat Lane said...

Aledys, you made smile! It is always fun to read posts about my native Holland. I would have seen this ice-cream-in-aboat scene and never given it a second thought, but seeing it through your eyes made it such fun!

Somerset Spa Girl said...

I rarely ever have ice cream actually! Seems like the Dutch have it sorted out. I've always wanted to visit the Netherlands.