Wednesday, July 18, 2012

More random observations...

The cities are very multicultural. For some reason this has surprised me. I had not thought of The Netherlands as being particularly diverse. But the big cities very definitely so.

The food here seems to be highly salted. A little too much for me. I think our salt intake has decreased over the years in NZ.

The coffee is hot, short and bitter/strong. You KNOW you are drinking coffee! Always comes with a complimentary biscuit.

If I am uncertain I ask and people have been unfailingly helpful.

I'm not sure that beauty and elegance are what you might call national traits. Faces tends to the 'well lived-in' (talking here about 'native' Dutch, not immigrants).

I've seen some very tall young men and women - not necessarily Dutch. Saw a lass of at least 6 ft trying on heels of a good 4-5 inches. I am sure we are growing taller as a species!





8 comments:

  1. How is the coffee as a cost of living indicator?
    Presumably it serves its purpose as a morning kick-starter! That logo looks like it was Clark Kent's brew before he went out to save the planet.

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  2. Um, basic coffee with side-kick biscuit seems to be E2.30ish. Getting black tea (ie tea with caffeine) is more difficult. Lots of other teas on offer but not so much gumboot (to which I am addicted, big time).

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  3. Hi Jane, by contrast a coffee here in Rome is 0.80 euro usually. I buy breakfast at a bar for only 1.70 or 1.80. I don't know how they do it or how cafes back home can charge ore than $3.50. A mystery!!

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  4. eek that coffee does look strong. You'll be sprouting chest fur!!
    The latest instant coffee we're having is strong...blah! Made worse by the goatie goat milk I'm having to use. On the yummy side, I'm munching on scones made with the buttermilk from the last batch of butter. Gee buttermilk is funny stuff. Smells funny. The scones smell funny. Like cold battered fish. But they taste super yum yum. I haven't lost any weight! :( Wot about you??

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  5. I think I might have trouble getting past the 'cold battered fish' smell to enjoy the 'super yum taste!!!

    Weight? Well I have walked my socks off. No way of knowing if I really have lost weight but I am certainly getting exercise.

    Denis, I am envious. A coffee out is a treat and only warranted to allay total exhaustion!!

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  6. They reckon that with milk and coffee beans lower in price that our price for the brew should go down .. but it hasn't .. still around $4.50. In Akaroa they give you the side bik with the coffee :)

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  7. Strong coffee, high salt, sounds like a diet I could love. Not to mention Multicultural diversity. Sounds like a place I could move to if Mitt Romney gets elected president of U.S.A!

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  8. Ah, a good political comment - love it :-)))

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