Why We Love the Dutch

We love the Dutch for their windmills and ingenuity to invest in alternate energy resources and an alternative to water-driven mills.

We can't forget about the appeltaart also known to most as Dutch apple pie. This delicious dessert is baked with cinnamon, lemon juice, raisins, icing in addition to apples and sugar.

Bicycles are the main mode of transportation for millions of Dutchmen. In Holland, there are 13 million bikes and 16 million Dutchmen, and all social classes and people of all ages ride bikes. We love the Dutch for staying healthy and making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint.

We love traveling to the cheese markets in Alkmaar, Netherlands, where farmers sell yummy Gouda cheese wheels.

Clogs were traditionally worn by workers as protective clothing in factories, mines and farms. Today, Dutch clogs are primarily a tourist souvenir; however, clogs remain popular among people working in their gardens and farms.

We love Dutch directors and actors who've made it big in Hollywood, including actress Famke Beumer Janssen.

After a long day, we like to relax and unwind with a Heineken and Amstel, examples of Dutch brews. OK, what's not to love about that?

We admire Dutch artists and their work, including post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh and his mysterious painting 'The Starry Night'. Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer are 2 more amazing Dutch artists.

The Dutch Parliament, government and Royal Court are located in The Hague, the 3rd largest city in the Netherlands. The Hague is United Nations city along with NYC and Geneva; it is also the location for 150 international organizations, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

We love how the Dutch enjoy themselves especially during in the cold, wintry months. The Dutch love ice skating and riding on frozen lakes with a prikslee.

We enjoy heart and spirit of Dutch soccer fans, and we admire their love for other sports, including field hockey, volleyball, tennis and golf.

We love the Dutch for their beautiful waterways and canals -- perfect for a night stroll near Amsterdam's canal houses.

Tourists and locals stroll through the tulips and beautiful flowerbeds at the beautiful Keukenhof Gardens also known as the Garden of Europe near Lisse, Netherlands.

Salmiakdrop aka salty licorice is a special Dutch treat. Salmiak, a powder-based candy is also popular in the Netherlands, and it comes in sweet and salty flavors.

Rijksmuseum, one of the most important museums in the world, houses a very large collection of Dutch art, which includes paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn, Vermeer and Frans Hals.

In North Holland and Friesland, Dutch farmers breed Holstein-Friesian cows, which produce most of the world's diary.

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and the largest port in Europe. The Holland city is called the gateway to Europe because of its location at the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta on the North Sea and its massive rail, road, air and inland waterway system that extends throughout Europe.

Just in case you're a little confused, the Dutch is the dominant ethnic group of the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language.