National stereotypes are a pretty curious thing. Most often they’re either completely outdated – it’s been literally weeks since I went to work in my bowler hat and pin-stripe suit – or plain inaccurate.
The Netherlands is famed for a few things these days, but the traditional image is of the Hollander stood in front of a windmill, wearing wooden clogs and clutching an armful of tulips. Happily, Dutch footwear has moved on, but the country’s association with flowers remains as strong as ever.
