I’m currently sitting in Saint Quentin, France as I type and my 2 week vacation is slowly winding down. I spent the beginning week of my trip visiting Brussels, Amsterdam, Brugge, and London. I’ve now spent 5 days visiting family in France and I have a shocking revelation. French people don’t seem to be as tall as those I found in the Netherlands or Belgium. Even in England they seemed taller. I have another shocking revelation: all French women are not skinny!
I have a theory on why Europeans are much taller and thinner as a whole. This probably wouldn’t hold up in a court, but it’s a personal theory. Cities are very small and owning a car is a luxury that not everyone can afford. Bikes, bikes, and more bikes! Everywhere people are out exercising because they are riding their bikes to the stores and to visit friends. It’s pretty incredible.
Finding a place for your bike is difficult in a town with over 1 million bikes!
People are out exercising and eating much more healthy here than in the United States. I’m not surprised because I was expecting this however I wasn’t quite prepared for the amount of activity. People are rushing to catch their trains or the subway whereas in the United States, we drive our own cars. I think this also contributes to the overall health.
I’m still having a wonderful time but I think my sense of amazement for everything is dwindling a bit. I passed a very nice museum and I thought to myself, “I’ve been to the Louvre, how can I ever go to another museum?” Snobby!
My height is continuing to cause amazement in others. I’ll elaborate on this more at a later time but it’s pretty fun. I always like it when I cause a commotion and of course, Ylian is handing out my Miss Tall International cards so I almost feel like a celebrity at times!
Gentlemen from London getting ready to go out and celebrate a rugby game!
We leave tomorrow morning and head back to Amsterdam for our last night. I’m very sad that this trip is ending but I also have many more trips being planned in my head! I’m thinking Italy perhaps…
The Tall Blog 
I live in København and people in the Netherlands and Scandinavia are seriously taller than those in the US or Southern Europe. The difference between Paris and Amsterdam is pretty amazing. Most of it is in the younger generation. I think the average guy in his 20s in the Netherlands is something like 186 cm and women are maybe 177. It is very easy to find guys who are over two meters.
The Dutch growth all came after WWII. There is a very interesting New Yorker article on the subject: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/04/05/040405fa_fact
Biking is a lifestyle and is encouraged. I don’t have a car and don’t want one. I have a commuter bike that is used in the snow and rain and a very nice touring bike for beautiful Sunday rides. In my town over 50% of the population rides a bike or walks to work and it shows. Danish women have the best butts and legs in the world:-) The guys are pretty impressive too. I’m shocked when I visit the US and Canada to see how heavy and out of shape people are – especially kids.
Italy is a wonderful place and finding the local food in the little towns is something I could do for the rest of my life. There are little restaurants that raise almost all of their food on their property and some even do their own wine. I am in Milan now on business. The big cities are great, but the countryside is fantastic.