I've been back home now for more than three months and I cannot help but miss certain, simple things about the Netherlands. After all, it was my home for more than three years.
I'll start with food and stores and continue with other topics later on.
The farmer's market
Once every week I got most of my fruit and veggies from the market. It was cheaper and more fresh than the grocery stores and it was just a lovely thing to do every Thursday or Friday. Yes, we do have markets in Estonia too, but they are definitely not the same. Prices are often higher than in the stores and the choice.. well, you cannot really compare it with the country who produces most of Europe's fruit and vegetables. I think about half of the veggies here come from the Netherlands. And, the closest decent market is 20 minutes away by bus, so it's really not worth the trouble. We do have the amazing Christmas market in December though, which is something neither Vlissingen nor Middelburg has.
Small grocery stores that have everything
Maybe you've heard that Estonia has most shopping space per person in the world.. Honestly, it is ridiculous with all the malls and shopping centers and they are still building new ones. And still, many Estonian's prefer to buy their clothes during their trips abroad. Small grocery stores are also a rare thing here. Most of them are still at least as big as the Albert Heijn XL or double the size. And then there's another one just across the street or 500 meters away. So if you don't have a grocery store within a walking distance in Tallinn, it's almost abnormal.
Sometimes though, even in those large stores, I cannot find what I need. Small AH in Vlissingen always seemed to have all I needed. And a trip to Lidl was always fun to get everything cheaper for the week. Those kind of "cheaper and small but good quality grocery stores" don't really exist here.
Cheese
First of all, Dutch cheese. Available here in specialty stores but too expensive to eat every day. Estonian cheese doesn't have much taste after you've eaten Dutch ones for a long time. So far I've found one local cheese that tastes something like young or young-matured Dutch cheese. But it's considered more of a gourmet cheese, sold in small pieces and of course more expensive. As a result, I don't really eat that kind of cheese often. Another cheese that is less on my plate is goat cheese. I could eat beets and goat cheese all the time, it's my number one choice of dish in a restaurant. But having to travel from far, it's definitely pricier than in the Netherlands. Sometimes it truly feels like groceries are more expensive here or same as over there. Which is a sad phenomena if you'd think about the salary differences.
Do you want the receipt? - No.
In my opinion, it's the little things every person can do to preserve the environment. For example, if I don't want the receipt which is mostly the case, then why print it after all? I know some little cafes over here do practice this, but the bigger issue is still the grocery stores. As far as I remember, most grocery stores in the Netherlands do have the possibility. They ask first and then act accordingly, instead of just throwing it in the trash like happens over here. I can only hope it will change soon in Estonia too.
