Call it talent, genius, ingenuity, or inspiration, the Dutch have it!

As we have explored the Netherlands, we have been so amazed by the things we have seen.  Let’s start with the Eise Eisinga planetarium in Friesland.  In the little town of Franeker, in 1770’s lived a wool carder.  He built this unbelievable solar system in the ceiling of his little living room.  He lowered the ceiling, so he could build the complex system that runs it in the attic above the living room.  Yes, I said “runs” because it is still working!  It is the oldest working model of the solar system in the world.  He had no schooling, but the man was clearly brilliant and inspired. 

The living room…you can see the closet bed that was common at that time.  Very tiny..they slept sitting up! 

Much of the Netherlands is below sea level and has been subject to flooding.  After the terrible storm of 1953 that breached the dikes and caused much loss of life and property damage, the country began a system of water control projects that protect them from storm surges in the North Sea. 

We visited the Delta Works in Neeltje Jan, where there is a huge, man-made dike, 9 kilometers long (5.5 miles) with giant “garage-like” doors that they can shut against a storm surge.  Otherwise, they stay open and allow the natural eco habitat to continue to flourish.  It is an amazing piece of engineering.  This is a model of the dike….the big black garage doors shut when needed and the road is on top.

Much earlier they developed a system of water management that entails the use of windmills to pump water away from the land and out to the sea.  Kinderdijk is a beautiful example of this.  The world comes to the Dutch for expertise in water management. 

Because of all this water, at one time most Dutch people wore klompen (wooden clogs).  (disclaimer…the French invented the clog :) They are made of poplar or willow wood and keep feet warm and dry.  There were klompen for all purposes…ice klompen, farmer and seaman klompen to name a few.  They also had beautiful bridal klompen, klompen for horses and smuggler klompen (the soles make

your footprint look like you went the opposite way!).  Nowadays klompen are for tourists and take many forms.  These are the ones I covet : )  Red cowboy boot klompen! 

The Dutch are inventers. More patent applications are submitted by the Dutch than any other nation!   From the Netherlands came the technology for Bluetooth.  And Philips, headquartered in Eindhoven,….who hasn’t bought a Philips lightbulb?!  They produced a lightbulb in 1891 and from there proceeded to light the world with reliable and affordable lighting.  They light the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building and the New Year’s Eve party in Times Square! 

One of our unforgettable experiences was attending a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.  Acoustically it is consistently ranked in the top three concert halls in the world, along with the Musikverein, Vienna, Austria and Symphony Hall, Boston, USA.  It was divine!  The 16 voice choir and 12 piece chamber group sounded like a full choir and orchestra.  It was so beautiful. 

 

This is a short list…we have had so much fun exploring this tiny country and learning about it’s contributions to the world!