Most of The Netherlands lies below sea level. Our roads are flat and we're always able to see what's coming next or what we are leaving behind while driving a car or traveling by train. The only structures that might block our sight on some days are dikes and dunes.
Dikes
For me this is such a normal sight - but I remember my boyfriend once said to me: a non-Dutch person would be so weirded out by walking here! I had no idea what he meant. Then he pointed at the dike we were walking under, and he said: "We're basically walking below water"
Kinda cool if you think about it, but then: I never really think about it. The Dutch have no fear for water. I was raised while living under sea level, and one of the main attractions near my childhood home is the very impressive Maeslantkering that closes when a heavy storm is coming our way.
Elevation facts
According to CIA's 'world factbook':
- Mean elevation in The Netherlands is 30 meters
- Lowest point is -7 meters. Yes, that's seven meters below the sea and the sea isn't that far away either
- Highest point if you don't count 'our' Islands in the Caribbean: 322 meters high.
The road ahead is empty
This came to mind while looking at this picture. While a regular phenomenon in many countries, I am not used to roads that only allow you to look ahead a few meters in advance. It's a different kind of cool than the 'I drive below the sea' kinda cool: the road ahead is empty, and who knows what will rise on the horizon once I passed that high point?
Everything is a surprise, you never really know where you're driving towards.
And yes, I now am motivated to actually create some photo series around dikes / places that lie below water in my neighborhood. I might take a while before I have something to show, but I'm suddenly interested to do this!
MORE MONOCHROMES:
- Monochrome Series: North-Coast of the Scottish Highlands
- Monochrome Series: North-Coast of the Scottish Highlands II
- [PHOTO] Taking pictures through dirty train windows #9
- Monochrome Series: Triangle Landscape
- Monochrome Series: Mountain Rhino and its mirror
All photography on steemit.com/@soyrosa is created and edited by me, Rosanne Dubbeld, 2005-2018. Contact me if you want to discuss licensing or collaborations on creative projects :-)
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