Thursday 19th July 2012
The weather report is looking good, as far as Dutch weather goes. Today has been quite nice, and tomorrow some showers are expected…but then as you can see, there are less clouds and it’s due to get warmer. It makes me smile that there are still always clouds though, never just a bright sun.
A book I am reading, The Happy Migrant – a really great resource by a friend, Kama Frankling, gives some good advice for settling in to a new place – take a walk.
So Bas took the girls to a play centre for a while with their cousins, and I had a nice wander around the local countryside. There’s those clouds!
I was thinking of some of the words to best describe the Netherlands as I walked along and what comes to mind most are “neat” and “organised”. Everyone’s gardens seem to be beautifully arranged and tended, the fields and fences and even trees are straight and everything just seems to have a place. I can’t decide if I like that or not. I think I prefer a the wilder undulating paths, uneven fields and hills like the British and Scottish countryside or the completely beautiful “untidy” Australian bush. However I guess I don’t need to make a choice of which I do prefer and can appreciate the beauty in all, and there definitely is beauty here.
There is even a bit of chaos here and there if you look closely enough….the Dutch can’t control everything! I love these little wild daisies – they are called a “Madelief” in Dutch which is also my niece’s name – pretty.
Here is a Dutch house not far from where I’m staying, I’m not sure of the history but it has eet meer brood (eat more bread!) in large letters on the side! Perhaps a bakery – or perhaps just passionate about their bread as so many Dutch are?
The girls had a ball – literally – at the Holle Bolle Boom play centre.
Dutch Australian 