This Week in Wijnjewoude 2022

  Week 4 We had to pick up some of Ben's stuff in Amsterdam, as he was leaving for South Africa and is sub-letting his apartment. We had to make room for the new person! Ben took us "walkabout" as he usually does, this time to Westerpark - a round trip of about 8.5 kms. We stopped for some Chinese crepes and dim sims along the way. That was on the edge of the park and a stones throw from an old bridgekeepers cabin which has been made into a "hotel". History of the park  Westerpark was actually the first municipal park of Amsterdam, originally named Westerplantsoen (Western Garden). It was constructed in 1845 in this emerging working-class neighbourhood as a breath of fresh air from the industrial pollution of the growing city. In 1891 the garden was torn down to make room for the relocated Western Canal, and today’s Westerpark was born. Behind it still stands the old gasworks, the largest gas extraction plant of the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century, wh...

Week 3 (again) (Sunday morning - I cheated this week and wrote some of this on Saturday evening whilst Janny was was watching some so-called "reality" TV). We're driving down to Amsterdam this morning to pick up some of Ben's stuff - he has sub-let his apartment for the 2 months that he will be in Cape Town. During my walk this morning I listened to the Al Franken Podcast (available on Sundays). Rather chilling this week... I only know one Canadian... ...some of the podcasts I listen to poke a bit of fun at how "polite" Canadians are. My single aquaintance would confirm that idea. But, that aside, I was interested in this article about Canada being prepared for events in America.     https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-american-polity-is-cracked-and-might-collapse-canada-must-prepare/ One of the comments had this to say... This is a great analysis by Thomas Homer Dixon, one of Canada's premier intellectuals.  Critics will need to study th...

  Week 3 Up early for the cricket...fire going at 0500hrs I listen to too many podcasts and read too many articles on Global Warming, the messy to the point of being sad America and lately a few on the changing face of Europe. One in particular..."Europa Draait Door"... (I surprised myself when I found that I could listen to the Dutch stuff and understand it!!) The first one was titled "Can America Still be Saved?" They are obviously for a Dutch audience. One listener wrote in to say that "she felt like hiding under the table" when she heard what is going on. They had a few Dutch correspondents giving the commentary from America. The second episode looked at the Ukraine situation asking the question "Are the tanks going to roll?" . I like reading the comments by other people almost as much as the articles themselves. Hence my observation of "These Precious Days". Indeed, t hey may well turn out to be... But life goes on - around the fa...