WARNING: Seeing these photos is like seeing The Netherlands in the flesh! Have fun!
Fast Facts About the Dutch
>The average height for all adults for the Netherlands is 6' 1" (6 feet 1 inch or 1.85 m). WiseGeek.>In the last 150 years, the Dutch have become the tallest people on Earth. USA Today, 2006.
>The president of the Dutch Tall People's Club is 6' 11" (six-foot-11), Paul van Sprundel. ABC News.
>The current minimum required height for doorways to homes and businesses is 7' 8". WiseGeek.
>A Dutch guy, Berger, stayed with us in Gent, Belgium for a couple of days and he was taller than Yoann who is already 6' 1" in height. Once Berger and I were walking and I realized how tall he really was because I couldn't hear what he was saying and his voice sounded so faraway!>The Dutch loves the color orange. Don't ask why!
Be a Giant for a Day!
So wouldn't it be nice to be a giant in the land of giants for a change? If you think so, too, visit Madurodam. It holds miniature versions of places around The Netherlands (NL), such as the Schiphol airport, the International Peace Palace, the Cube building in Rotterdam, Royal palaces, castles, the wonderful Dutch bridges and canals, iconic windmills, old buildings, theatres, museums, churches, and a lot more. The replicas look SO real and so beautiful. NL is truly a wonderful mix of the old and the new. I went and was treated by my cousin Mark back in 2011 (some good experiences in great places last!). It was a mere 20-minute tram ride from my student dormitory and had no idea the place existed. Thanks for taking me to this wonderful place and for these wonderful photos, kuya!
My cousin Mark, a proud dad to a super cutie baby boy Teddy! This building exists! It's the Corpus museum where one can learn about the human body. Click this photo to see a photo of the actual building!
This could be anywhere in NL but my good guess is it's the Rotterdam port. These toy boats move through the canal! How awesome is that?
Don't miss a detail, click to enlarge! The Corpus museum (also seen in the photo above) about to be invaded by giant blonde twins! Deswie, the smiley, friendly, furry giant! Photo below shows what's behind me!
Even up-close, the replicas look so real! People hanging out in benches, bicycles locked to the sidewalk rail, trees, the style of the windows, bricks, everything! Madurodam is as real as it gets!
Madurodam is not open all year long, it can get pretty crowded. Their website (www.madurodam.nl) is in English and should provide you all the information you need to plan your visit.
This is the International Peace Palace located in Den Haag, a 15-minute walk from Dorus Rijkersplein, the dormitory where I lived as a student in ISS.
Not miniature: the Peace Palace as seen from our balcony in Dorus.
This should be the Palace and National Monument at the Dam and the Nieuwe Kerk, all in Amsterdam. Thanks, Michael!
In Madurodam... In real life!
Typical Dutch architecture, these are the old-style buildings in the Netherlands.
The buildings in even dreamier real life!
Aside from bikes and bikelanes, parks, trees, bridges and canals are everywhere in the Netherlands. Lovely!
MarkyKong about to attack! Not! Just a friendly pose.
Details include truck advertisements. And trees during winter time!
Overview by the entrance.
The Dutch way: trees lined up perfectly!
Can you tell the real people from the mini ones?
I swear I know this building! Just have to think harder to remember exactly its name. The iconic Dutch windmills are charming and functional, and are easily spotted, especially in the countryside.
Madurodam is a perfect case of
art imitates life.These architectural marvels exist in real life! Well, they happened because of real life. For the Dutch, their country is their own architectural playground. I don't need Wikipedia to tell me that, it shows!
Those are real fishes! Not real, for reals!
So many music festivals during summer, and they look just like this, too!
This is NOT a miniature! You see how hard it is to tell the copies from the real ones? The Madurodam is so beautifully made!