Trap

trap m (plural trappen, diminutive trapje)
  –  stairs, staircase

One of the things the Dutch do best, is making the most of available space. Thanks to the clustering of their brick buildings, they manage to allow open farmland and forests between towns. It’s very surprising, given the density of residential areas. They also manage to conserve space inside their houses in a variety of ways. There’s closets tucked into corners of walls, bicycles dangling from ceilings, and the stairs are very steep and narrow inside most buildings. When I saw my first Dutch staircase, it was like staring up the side of a mountain cliff. It was mindboggling watching Gerben carrying my suitcase up the stairs, and spring back down like a nimble mountain goat.

Eventually I learned to go up and down the stairs at a decent pace too, but I still need to watch my feet. Despite “mastering” the stair cliffs, I still manage to fall occasionally. Such was the case today, when the postman’s incessant doorbell ringing and my hurry sent me sliding down the stairs on my rear end. I might as well have been riding a sled, since the angle of the stairs allows perfect sliding down to the bottom. And crashing into my bicycle parked into the hall!

I’ve learned to appreciate the need for space conservation in  houses here. We’ve even designated separate names for stair styles, since nothing can really compare to the Dutch “standard”. Anything that isn’t precarious or steep is designated “American Stairs”, since they’re a little wider and allow lazy climbing up/down 😛

Dutch stairs are dangerous. It’s a trap!*

*joke attempt