tim horton's was a mainstay of my college days, but i had to kick THAT habit very quickly when i settled in holland.
nothing, but nothing, is open 24 hours a day here. no-one in this country seems to need cafeine and baked goods (or pizza or chinese food) at 4 a.m. - unbelievable, but true.
our coffee, though, is undeniably delicious, and, instead of donuts, we have the seasonal sustitute: oliebollen - golden, deep-fried-on-the-spot globes of light dough, plain or with currants, or ginger, or filled with custard, popped into a paper bag, and dusted with lots of icing sugar.
they are sinfully tasty, and very very fattening. i resist them whenever possible. but i do relent at new years, when the queues at the stalls are rows deep, them being traditional festive fare and all.
who am i to defy tradition?
and whatever are holidays for if not for nudging guilt aside, and simply enjoying?
Oooh! I want to try the ones filled with custard.
ReplyDeleteIndeed !
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the 'poffertjes'. I tasted them the first time about a year ago in Maastricht. Mmmmmmmmh
ReplyDeleteGood shot! but you`ve cut of the KEN on the right hand side :-)
ReplyDeleteI would gladly buy you a crueller and a double double if you would only visit. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, aren't they lovely. I can rarely resist the temptation when I pass a 'kraam' on the streets these days. Especially the currant variety. And how I will miss them on new year's eve in Poland...
ReplyDeleteWhen we are in the Netherlands, mostly Venlo or Roermond, I'm always looking forward to the delicous food there :-), I love it.
ReplyDeleteYou owe it to the world to support these traditions. Increasing globalisation means we often lose those little local delicacies to the 24-hour international names. Go on, spoil yourself - think of the planet!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ceri. Globalisation equals homogenisation ... the scourge of humanity.
ReplyDeletewhen I moved to Vancouver four years ago there were no Tim Horton's in the city, it was more a Starbucks crowd and I felt very cheated because I hadn't got the excitement of living overseas and the only coffee I could get cost 3 times what I was used to.
ReplyDeleteFortunately progress has come to Vancouver and we now have two Timmys not to far from my house (breathes sigh of relief).