U.S.-Netherlands: A Friendship Older Than America Itself

In this episode of World of Travel, host Kolyn Boyd visits the residence of the Netherlands' Ambassador in D.C to speak the Ambassador to the U.S., Birgitta Tazelaar. As America marks its 250th, the ambassador traces a friendship stretching back to the nation's very first days, when a Dutch fort in the Caribbean fired the "First Salute" to the American flag in 1776, the first time a foreign power saluted the new nation. From there, the pair discuss Dutch traditions present in everyday American life: how New York began as New Amsterdam, and how words like "cookie," "dollar," and even the "Knicks" trace back to the Dutch. Tazelaar also shares what makes Amsterdam a magnet for travelers and expats alike, from its architecture and liberating atmosphere, to a way of life rooted in biking and community over cars and individualism.