For centuries the Dutch relied on windmills for energy production and had built about 9000 of them by the 19th century. Traditional windmills, such as these in the countryside near Amsterdam, can be seen all over the Netherlands, and many are still in use. The country's mostly low-lying terrain has few topographical features to impede the wind that operates the mills.

Throughout Holland, you will see bicycles wherever you look. This is not a strange phenomenon, knowing that 15 million people own approximately 12 million bicycles. The Dutch use the bicycle as a way of transportation rather than just for recreation. It is common to use the bike for daily shopping and to commute to work and school. You will find clearly marked bicycle routes (direction pointers with red lettering on white backgrounds) throughout Holland. There are many special lanes and paths for cyclists with a total length of approximately 11,000 miles!

From all over the world tourists flock to Holland expecting to see all Dutch people in traditional costume. That is about as far from the truth as what many Dutch people think themselves: that the traditional costume is something we wear for tourists only. The truth is that the traditional costume for some people means daily wear and not because they work in the tourist industry, but because their parents and grandparents before them wore exactly the same things and it is part of their cultural background. Holland doesn't have one single national costume. It does, however, have a rich variety of traditional regional costumes.

The most famous part of the Dutch costume is the wooden shoes. In the past, leather shoes were a luxury that only the rich could afford. These days, 3 million pairs of clogs are still produced in Holland annually. Nowadays, clogs are mostly worn in the countryside, as they are warmer and dryer than rubber boots. You can tell where people came from by the shape and look of the clogs. Not too long ago clogs were approved for industrial use by European Community regulations, something Dutch farmers have known for centuries of course! Wooden shoes are therefore not only abundant in souvenir shops, but are also still worn by many farmers and bulb growers as cheap, long-lasting and save working shoes.

Where to see traditional costumes? The former fishing villages around the IJsselmeer (formerly Zuider Sea) are your best bet. Volendam and Marken are not far from Amsterdam and you are guaranteed to see the inhabitants in costume. If you'd like to see how wooden shoes are made, visit a clog factory! Other areas where you will see people in costume are the provinces of Zeeland and Friesland and the northeastern region of the Veluwe.

All that cycling, the traditional mode of transport in Holland, creates a healthy appetite. The bicycle, combined with the unpredictable Dutch weather, heavily influenced Dutch cuisine, which offers substantial, simple, and straight-forward fare. The daily eating pattern of the Dutch: round the clock!

• Breakfast - Start your day with a wholesome Dutch breakfast: fresh bread with butter, jam, cheese, ham or chocolate sprinkles (hagelslag). Yes, you've read it correctly: Scatter chocolate sprinkles on your buttered bread!
• Coffee - At 10:30 a.m. it's time for the traditional cup of coffee. 'A cup of coffee' is not just a cup of coffee in Holland. The small, but strong, cup is to be savored while reading the newspaper or conversing at length with friends.
• Lunch - Lunch is another bread and butter meal, the same as breakfast, perhaps served with thinly sliced cold meats. More coffee, tea, milk or buttermilk. An 'uitsmijter' will satisfy your hunger pangs. It consists of bread with slices of cheese or meat, topped with fried eggs.
• Tea Time - At 4 p.m. it's time for tea. Be sure to try a delicious Dutch pastry ('gebak') or a piece of 'vlaai' from the province of Limburg.
• The 'Borrel' - At 5 p.m. it's time for a "drink", a 'borrel' as the Dutch call it. A glass of beer, a nip of Dutch jenever (Dutch gin), a glass of wine or sherry accompanied by cheese, nuts, or crackers. A favorite snack is 'bitterballen', deep-fried breaded meat balls, eaten by toothpick and dipped in mustard. Mmmm! Lekker (as the Dutch say!)
• Dinner - Come dinnertime, the choice of food in Holland is as varied as the weather. In Dutch homes old traditions die hard and the simple, substantial meals of potatoes, fresh vegetables, meat, chicken, fish or salad, followed by a milk-based dessert, are still favorite.
• After Dinner - After dinner, the Dutch enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. In fact, if you are invited to someone's home after dinner, you'll first be served coffee or tea with a piece of cake or pie. This is followed by a drink. Visiting friends and family in each other's homes is part of traditional, fine Dutch hospitality.