Palenque

Recently in cleaning out my extensive library of travel books, dating from the mid 60s, i stumbled across "Europe by Rail and Backpack" by Doug Smith, copyrighted in 1979.

Doug makes some interesting if bizarre comments on places in Europe.

Today i will quote Doug on Holland - "The Dutch people are the most hospitable in Europe. They are very friendly towards all foreigners. Yet the Dutch have a certain enigmatic character to their nature. This is caused by their high population density, the flatness of the land and living in a highly controlled society.

The Dutch make excellent meals. Their best food is Chinese-Indonesian. I especially recommend fried rice for a very tasty low-cost meal. Holland also has a nice treat in its vanilla pudding. You can find it in any milk case."

COMMENTS

Well since 1979 i think the bit about Dutch being friendly towards all foreingers has changed, at least vis a vis their Moslem immigrants?

Being 'enigmatic,' or mysterious or baffling - i'd say the contrary - to the point and efficient in getting things done.

And though the Dutch are indeed IME of 40 years of traveling there rather hospitable i'd say that hospitality is more a reserved one and any more friendly than in other countries and perhaps less so.

Vanilla Pudding - in 40 yeras of visits i've never even seen it - where do i find it?

OTHERS' COMMENTS ON DOUG'S OBSERVATIONS?

TommieG

Regarding the vanilla pudding; I believe he is talking about Vanille Vla. This is something in between yoghurt and pudding. Thicker than yoghurt, but less thick than pudding.
To be found in every supermarket, and it comes in a lot of different flavours also.

Regarding his other comments. I still think the Dutch are friendly towards foreign visitors. And regarding immigrants they still are friendly also, but the approach of immigrants is maybe less naive/more realistic then in the '70's. The mayority of the Dutch still don't have any problem with immigrants, as long as they speak the language and try to adjust (at least till some level) to the way things are 'normally' done in the Netherlands.

And indeed I can't call ourselves enigmatic/mysterious etc. We can be rather blunt/rude/efficient etc.

hetismij

The Dutch are actually very reserved if you want to get to know them more than superficially.
Yes they are friendly and welcoming to an extent, but then the barriers go up and it is hard to break them down again.
They do come across as blunt and rude, uncaring even, at times. Maybe that is what he means rather than enigmatic.

And as TommieG says the majority of Dutch have no problems with immigrants who are prepared to integrate to a certain degree. They also have no problem with headscarves - indeed orthodox Christian women wear scarves or some other head covering.
Where I live we only see the occasional burka on refugees at the local refugee centre, but generally the women, after being here a while, ditch the burka and settle for a scarf instead, and more western clothing. No doubt that is not true in some areas of the bigger cities though.
The Dutch do have a problem, as do most other countries, reasonably enough, with people who arrive and do not integrate, but in fact try to get the country to bend to their way rather than them adapting to the Dutch way.

Vanille vla is a sort of custard, and is available not only in vanilla but chocolate and other flavours. But there is also "pudding" which is what we English would call blancmange, so maybe that it what he means?

I'm not sure Dutch cuisine could ever be referred to as excellent, certainly not back in 1979. Nasi Goreng(the fried rice he refers to) is still very popular with Dutch but it's not that special imho, unless you go to a really good Indonesian restaurant. It is then served as an accompaniment, not as a meal in itself. I never order nasi, preferring plain rice.

bilboburgler

I find the Dutch friendly and enigmatic. Fantastically friendly towards immigrants. But pretty anti-"the intolerant"

Some of my old books are even weirder. I have a wine book which explains that "African people cannot taste wine properly" (I've used their words if not their spelling). I find the sentance hard to understand at so many levels its weird

PalenQ

thanks Tommie and hetismij for the detailed takes. Ah yeh - Vla - i do know that very wel and have bought it from supermarkets.