Below is a fun (& funny) video about Holland. Of course, biking is highlighted a bit. Biking makes life so much cooler, easier, more relaxed and carefree. It is used in (non-car) advertisements of all kinds simply to stick a cooler and more positive image on the product being sold. With bicycling at the center of one’s transportation system, the quality of life rises tremendously.
At one point in the video, the narrator jokes, “They still drive cars. Haha.”
I actually lived in the Netherlands (Groningen) for 5 months. I’ve never been to a country or city with a higher quality of life. It’s a full level above anyplace I’ve been in the US. (Notably, I’ve lived in several “best cities” in the US — Charlottesville (VA), Chapel Hill (NC), Sarasota (FL), Sunnyvale (CA), Ithaca (NY).)
Frankly, the video really does nail the exceptional “original cool” of Holland (which, to be specific, is only a region of the Netherlands).
One note: the narrator highlights the country’s green energy. Sadly, the Netherlands is no longer a leader in green energy. Hopefully that will change sometime soon.
h/t Grist