 Amsterdamse Bos The Dutch are
quite fond of their many parks and their long coastline. A Dutch
park is a marvel of design. Most towns and cities in Holland have
a large park making a border or buffer zone. The one south of Amsterdam
is called the Amsterdamse Bos. These regional parks are a bit more
wild than those found in the cities. Typically a large park will
have various paths and roads, each one designed for a certain type of transport.
You have your footpaths for pedestrians, usually dirt. Bicycle paths
for bikes (fietspad), sometimes paved, sometimes dirt, horse trails with
deep sand, and roads for automobiles. What's amazing is that they
all go in different directions, allowing visitors a unique experience depending
upon their chosen mode of transport. Only occasionally do the paths
and roads cross or join up for a short distance.
Many of these
parks are also tree farms. So it's not unusual to see one type of
tree on one side of the path and another type in a different stage of growth
on the other. Few parks have sections of native, unmanaged forest.
Remember much of the land has been reclaimed and was once just sand!
Besides bicycling, horseback riding and walking, the Dutch love to picnic
or just lay out in the grass. If the day is sunny and warm, you can
watch them peel off their clothes until they are partially or totally naked
(yes, in public). Football (soccer) is the national sport and any
field or grassy area is a likely spot for practice or a game.  Vondelpark
Amsterdam's popular
Vondelpark is a great place in summer to stroll, taking in the scene of
people on rollerblades, playing football, picnicking, bicycling, sitting
in the Film Museum's cafe. You can walk around the lakes, listen
to live music, or just sit and do nothing. It can be very crowded, but
it's always a joy.
 Holland's
beaches are usually damp and chilly. On those rare warm sunny days,
look out! The Dutch will stop whatever they're doing (if they haven't
already called in sick) and make a bee-line for the beach. All business
and commerce just about comes to a stop on those days as the cities seem
deserted. All forms of transport heading to the beach are jammed
packed and the beach itself swarms with sand to surf bodies. I could
not believe the crowds! Unfortunately such an onslaught has its drawbacks.
The most noticeable is the trash. The Dutch don't seem to provide
enough trash cans for these busy days (if you can find any!). So
everyone just leaves their trash behind. What happens then makes
ones heart sink. The tide comes in and carries thousands of plastic
and metal cans and debris out to sea (I wonder where it all washes up!).
Nude beaches exist
just at the edge of the most popular beach spots. Just walk beyond
the crowd and as the bodies thin out so do the bathing suits. Even
in the middle of the crowds it's not unusual to see children completely
naked (and not just tikes), and many, many topless women. Even young
teenage girls have no qualms about baring their breasts! The sun
is such a rare commodity in perpetually overcast Holland, that everyone
exposes as much skin as possible when the opportunity presents itself.
Note: Holland's parks and beaches are very popular with the Dutch and visitors alike. Find out why!
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