Moving to The Netherlands, Tell Me What to Expect!

You have to make a tough choice: Heineken or Grolsch? Don't come to the 'Achterhoek' if you prefer Heineken!

I didn't realize outside of the cities is crowded. That kinda sucks!

expect exorbitant high gas prices!

A whole country full of devious Joran Van Der Sloot types with bad food and unhygenically clean women. Have fun!

You export the better food and import what you eat? That's crazy!

I'm vegetarian so maybe it won't be so bad for me.

I'm going to admit to another reason of moving to The Netherlands. I've found The Nobody. I'm going there because of him. And, if anybody wants to travel there with me, let's do it!!!!

Expect to get HIGH!

as a belgian, i'm not ashamed to say that Grolsch is actually a nice beer :)

You have to make a tough choice: Heineken or Grolsch? Don't come to the 'Achterhoek' if you prefer Heineken!

personally, i love the southerns parts of the netherlands (province Noord-Brabant and Limburg). they are, for me, the ideal mixture between the dutch and the flemish people. there is also a lot more nature, compared to most other provinces in the netherlands.

on both sides of the border in these provinces, you will always have a mixture of both cultures. the actual 'border' is just a sign saying "welcome to holland/belgium" anyway, tollbooths and border police stations have gone since a decade.

if you like to live in a smaller town with plenty of cultural accomodations, and easy public transport to the rest of the netherlands and belgium, try Tilburg.

LOL!

I had to look Achterhoek up and it looks like a beautiful part of the country. I'll drink Grolsch even though I'm not that much of a beer drinker!!!!

It's not! We have many small towns in between big cities but also much green and lovely lakes. Visited one at the border of Belgium today, it was like being in southern France again. :)

I'm going to admit to another reason of moving to The Netherlands. I've found a spiritual teacher. I'm going there because of him. And, if anybody wants to travel there with me, let's do it!!!!

Care to explain?

Expect to get HIGH!

It's the best part of the Netherlands, close to the German border (they also have good beer/cheap fuel/good quality affordable food).

Not as good as Jupiler. :)

This sounds great. What town did you visit that reminded you of southern France?

I live in Maastricht in a nice little village just outside the centre called 'Borgharen'. Today we went to Maasmechelen (20 min drive, just in Belgium), which has really nice lakes with a bit of a sandy beach, very very nice!

Okay, will google it. You don't know of any rooms for rent around there do you?

If you google my town, you'll see a lot of flood-history, but thats all in the past :) we've got some huge 'buffers' now.

I happen to know there are one or two appartments available in my building, and there are some farmers who rent out stuff for much less, if you are looking for that.

If you google my town, you'll see a lot of flood-history, but thats all in the past :) we've got some huge 'buffers' now.

I happen to know there are one or two appartments available in my building, and there are some farmers who rent out stuff for much less, if you are looking for that.

I came to US as a political refugee from Poland in 1976, with grandiose vision and ideas about the Land Of Free. Slowly this onion got peeled out to about a one string of chive.
I read this post here, and me and my wife, both in advanced 60's, have tears in our eyes.
The responses and compassion of you folks are proof for what kind of people live there. It helps that OP has nice and mature style of babysitting this thread.
Who knows... perhaps we should pack-up, with our Social Security we could make it... unless SS will die, which is possibility here.

Great thread, thanks.

You have to make a tough choice: Heineken or Grolsch? Don't come to the 'Achterhoek' if you prefer Heineken!

I came to US as a political refugee from Poland in 1976, with grandiose vision and ideas about the Land Of Free. Slowly this onion got peeled out to about a one string of chive.

I live in Maastricht in a nice little village just outside the centre called 'Borgharen'. Today we went to Maasmechelen (20 min drive, just in Belgium), which has really nice lakes with a bit of a sandy beach, very very nice!

I was in Maastricht 2 weeks ago.

Such a friendly atmosphere there, totally different from Amsterdam, Rotterdam & The Hague.

Groningen is also nice, Arnhem & Nijmegen too.

Utrecht is supposed to be okay - I can't tell 'cos I never go there.

Haarlem is a very nice town to live - inbetween Amsterdam (15 minutes by train to the east) and the beaches of Zandvoort in the west.

europe is slowly becoming the same sort of police state, with mindless consumerism, fascism, racial tensions, and all kinds of limitations on personal freedoms. the united states was just the first to succumb.

but luckily the people tend to try and counter all that.

I have a small income and hope to start a small business. No leeching here, I promise.

both the netherlands and flanders (roughly the upper half of belgium) don't have any nature left. originally, those regions were either floodland, heath or moorland - but massive forests have been planted during medieval times; those forests have almost been cut entirely these days. a few spots still stand ground, and are more or less untainted.

the only real nature close to the netherlands is either on the german border (forests) or in the southern part of belgium (hills, forests, peatland, farmland).

of course, if you like the seaside, you'll find all you need :)

Also. Watch this video. You must formulate a strong passionate opinion either for or against this song. It's doesn't really matter if you hate it to death or love it to pieces but you must MUST do one or the other. It is verboden to just say, I don't get it.

I met him when I was working for a Dutch tv-show, weeks before he got 'famous' with this song.

The guy was sooooo nice, I thought he was taking the piss outta me.

But he's really like that - a very friendly, almost humble person.

I can't stand his music though...

Is that the national athem?

Seaside in Netherlands?

expect a lot of muslims..
learn arabic
lol