It all started immediately after crossing the border, as I was travelling back home from London by train the other day. ‘Do you know we are actually sisters,’ the woman said in a loud voice to the boy. ‘We were sisters in a previous life.’

The train was a so called ‘sprinter’, which meant it made quite frequent stops. This type of train had made international headlines because it has no toilet facilities.

At the people’s university I was warmly welcomed and offered a cup of coffee. Announcements about courses were stuck on the notice board. ‘Twittering for the over fifties’, for example. In one year’s time I’ll be eligible to join, but when will I be the right age to take a course in ‘Using a mobile for the elderly’?

Read the full column to get a more intriguing glimpse of Dutch society.