The Netherlands vs. Italy

During our visit to Holland, one of the best parts was comparing the country to Italy, trying to spot differences and similarities.
The architecture, for one, was very different from what we find in Italy. Here in Italy, stone is the primary building material. Originally the exterior walls were stuccoed and painted; though a few families continue to keep the tradition, most of the edifices are bare stone, with perhaps an old entryway or window filled in with brick. The roofs are kept simple: a slope on either side in typical gingerbread-house fashion. They are covered in clay tiles in every shade ranging from light brown to muddy red to dusky orange.
In the streets of Haarlem, Amsterdam, Leiden, and Den Haag, we were surrounded by brick buildings (understanding each brick was 1 1/2" x 6") with the shutters and doors cheerily painted with glossy finish. Above each house rose several turrets, covered with glazed ceramic or slate tile-- or thatch for those who can afford it. The buildings themselves are much further apart than in Italy, where there is literally no green space between buildings because everything is built into everything else. In Holland there were rows of attached houses, then a gap, followed by more edifices.
Another thing we saw that we don't really have in Italy are suburbs. The cities in Holland are much younger than those in Italy (Den Haag was founded in the 13th century AD, while Todi-- well, there's some dispute. It appears to have been first settled between the 7th century and the 15th century BC), so they don't have the Italian mindset of "City. Country. Nothing in between." There are modern parts of town and older parts. In some places, everything is squished together just like in Italy, whereas in other places everyone has a garden, which is rare in Italy.
The Dutch are upright law-abiders. If a rule is written, it must be followed (see "Openluchtmuseum" for an example, namely the train conductor). As our friend Leonardo puts it, in the Netherlands there are few laws but everyone respects them. In Italy there are many laws, so no one pays attention to them.
However, both countries have a lessened dependence on cars. In the Netherlands, the substitutes are bicycles and trams; in Italy they are feet and buses. There are also trains that run regularly between cities for those Dutch or Italian citizens who need to travel a longer distance.
This was a very interesting experience, and I believe that we can safely conclude that there is a good deal of variety in Europe!

Eleanor