I did a short course on Middle
Dutch poetry once, which I loved. And we weren't allowed to shorten Nederland to
Ned - it had to be Ndl, or we heard all about it!
Then there was the 2010 World Cup, and the
Dutch team was based in my home town. They were wonderful: so many, so happy and excited - just the best kind of visitors. But ... all those orange t-shirts! Some of the ladies were very large and well nourished, and across their chests the word Holland appeared, which is fair enough, you can't fit Nederland on a t-shirt, but I had to fight not to giggle: after all, the country might be 'hol', but not those ladies!