High above the Waal. Cumulus Clouds and the Waal River, Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
The Netherlands as a whole is divided into two parts, the first by the locals is called 'Boven de Rivieren', the second 'Beneden de Rivieren'. The Rivers flowing into the North Sea are those of the Dutch Delta which separate the North from the South. No, that's not a mere geographical description but its meaning runs deep in Dutch consciousness. The North is heritage, it is claimed, to the protestant, austere work ethic, the South in the grasp op Burgundian, even catholic enjoyment of life. The South encompasses the provinces of Limburg - home of Maastricht - and Brabant (and possibly Zeeland); the North the others - home of The Hague and Amsterdam and, of course, Groningen and Leeuwarden. The South were once Generality Lands, which means they were governed directly by the States General unlike the others which had their own governments. Lots of cultural differences even extending to the pronunciation of Dutch (the Southerners are made fun of because of their so-called 'soft g', instead of the northern hard guttural).
One of those great rivers is the Waal. Here's a view from the railway bridge at Zaltbommel. Cumulating above are those wonderful woolly clouds in a blue sky.
High above the Waal. Cumulus Clouds and the Waal River, Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
The Netherlands as a whole is divided into two parts, the first by the locals is called 'Boven de Rivieren', the second 'Beneden de Rivieren'. The Rivers flowing into the North Sea are those of the Dutch Delta which separate the North from the South. No, that's not a mere geographical description but its meaning runs deep in Dutch consciousness. The North is heritage, it is claimed, to the protestant, austere work ethic, the South in the grasp op Burgundian, even catholic enjoyment of life. The South encompasses the provinces of Limburg - home of Maastricht - and Brabant (and possibly Zeeland); the North the others - home of The Hague and Amsterdam and, of course, Groningen and Leeuwarden. The South were once Generality Lands, which means they were governed directly by the States General unlike the others which had their own governments. Lots of cultural differences even extending to the pronunciation of Dutch (the Southerners are made fun of because of their so-called 'soft g', instead of the northern hard guttural).
One of those great rivers is the Waal. Here's a view from the railway bridge at Zaltbommel. Cumulating above are those wonderful woolly clouds in a blue sky.