As any traveller knows, communication can often be a problem. A bit of learning the local language can go a long way though, especially in countries where there aren't that many native speakers. People in, for instance, Sweden really appreciate people giving their language a shot.

But in The Netherlands, what I've found is that everyone speaks English, and not only do they speak English, they speak it so well that Holland should surely be classified as an bilingual country. From the girl at the Albert Heijn checkout to the airport staff to taxi drivers - everyone speaks English. And maybe it's just me, bit when I try out a bit of Dutch, it's like I'm wasting everyone's time - you suddenly think "Come on, everyone hear speaks good English, just quit the terrible attempt at Dutch".

All of which makes visiting Amsterdam even more of a pleasure. Not because I don't want to converse in foreign languages, but because Dutch is really difficult to pronounce.

Tot ziens...!