Dikes
Because if we didn’t have dikes, we’d drown.
Yesterday we went up to Kleine Huisjes, a little village in the north of Groningen, to get access to one of the dikes that keep us safe from the sea. Kleine Huisjes literally translates to Small Houses.
“Where do you live?”
“In small houses.”
“Why do you live in more than one house?”
“No, I live in Small Houses.”
“Why not buy one big house then?”
“No, I live in SMALL HOUSES!”
“I don’t get it…”
Not to mention the problems people in Vierhuizen or ‘Four houses’ will have. Or the people who live in Broek. Broek in English is ‘trousers’.
“Where do you live?”
“In trousers.”
“No, I’m not asking what you’re wearing. I’m asking where you live.”
“I live in trousers.”
….etc.
But this isn’t about funny named villages. This is about dikes. Dikes that keep the sea on one side and the land on the other side. A large part of the Netherlands (about 20%) lies below sea level. So you can understand why I love dikes. Very important constructions they are.
From this point of view the sea is on the other side of the dike. The sheep are employed to keep the grass short and fertilized.
They do a good job.
The Waddenzee. View from the dike.
And the view towards Broek on the landside of the dike.
The Waddenzee is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. To read more about it I’m going to refer you to Wikipedia. I will post more photos of this part of the Netherlands on my photoblog.
I love these lessons!
ReplyDeleteYou didn't fancy any mud-flat hiking then;-)
ReplyDeleteI once got hit with quite some force by my sister when she asked the question what the name of the village was and I said 'houses'. Two seconds later she realised that I wasn't being funny, the village was actually called Houses (Huizen).
ReplyDeleteOoh, mud-flat hiking, I've always wanted to that...
Pam,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you do ;-)
Jabblog,
Ah, you mean the ancient art of 'wadlopen'?
No thank you. I'll leave that to...
Mara,
Is it on your list? It might be even more dangerous than bungee jumping. Perhaps not as exciting ;-)
Reminds me of that story about the little boy who put his finger in a hole in the dyke to stop the flood. Could be quite difficult in the location you show!
ReplyDeleteAh how flat holland is It feels so familiar. I love the waddenzee. We went to terschelling with school and went wadlopen (no idea how to say that in english) We had dikes inland were we lived along the river.
ReplyDeletei didn't know that a sizeable part of the netherlands is below the sea level, it just shows how much attention i paid in school
ReplyDeletebeautiful pics by the way :)
Georgia has towns named Ball Ground, Social Circle, and Talking Rock.
ReplyDeleteI think it's marvelous that you live in a country with so much of the land area situated below sea level. I've always found that rather fascinating, and during my only visit (thus far) to your land, when I was a teen, I was truly somewhat in awe of how you've managed to keep the water at bay for so long.
ReplyDeleteto sldog above me>>>>with holes in dikes and little boys putting thumbs, fingers etc in the dykes it is awesome how the water has stayed out for so long oh p.s, i am embarassed that my religious tendencies have stayed on my blog for so long, but i honestly cannot find anything to replace my blog on suday church going
ReplyDeletejennyfreckles,
ReplyDeleteI'm not at all sure that is a true story ;-) Wasn't his name Jantje Brinkers or something? I'll have to google it now...
Marja,
Our school went to Terschelling too! Did you stay in the Youth Hostel near West Terschelling, the harbour? We did. Such fun!
t i m,
psst, don't tell anyone, but I googled the information about us being below sea level. I know that we are, but I didn't know the 20%
;-)
RWP,
OK, Georgia wins. Although we also have a village called Sexbierum *snigger*
Suldog,
Should you and your wife ever visit our below water level country again, you are very welcome to stay here. If your wife brings allergy pills. And I hope you both can swim. Better safe than sorry. They say the sea level is rising ;-)
I had forgotten how very flat Holland is; I spent so many happy holidays on the coast there.
ReplyDeleteAnd all those bicycle rides! Wonderful memories.
Putz,
ReplyDelete...with holes in dikes and little boys putting thumbs, fingers etc... Now I'm wondering what else the little boy put in the hole in the dike ;-)
It's nice to 'see' you again Mr. Putz.
Friko,
Hello...Flat? The Netherlands? Flat? Have you forgotten the Holterhump? ;-)
Wonderful pictures! I visited the Netherlands 40 years ago when my husband and I were touring Europe on a motorcycle. We were charmed by the country and the people.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, the story of the Dutch boy with his finger in the dike, was among my favorites. I've never forgotten how important the dike system is to the Netherlands. I've not had the pleasure of visiting your country, but your photos are the next best thing. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteWe leave at opposite ends, Carolina. You are below sea level, and I'm at slightly more than a mile high, which isn't even all that high for this state.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why if I tried to bake your carrot cake, it would like end in disaster :-) Pretty and green where you are, but below sea level sounds as if should be decidedly damp.
Do you keep a rowboat on hand, just in case?
I wonder how dike became the slang for Lesbian? I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteok, when I got to "trousers" I laughed out loud. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHAHHA! Too funny that would be to describe where you lived with thise names! I was chucking pretty good girlie!
ReplyDeleteI once thought.a good name for a salon would be a riddle as such; "Have you been there?" would be the antique store...and in the back of that would be: "Have you been there for hair?" Salon! imagine telling someone where you got your awesome Style! I went to, "Have you been there for hair!"
Very very interseting how these mudd falts were formed and that there is "Mudflat hiking".
And I do always love to read of "Flora and Fauna" too!
Excellent reasons to LOVE the Netherlands!
Kac