Tietjerkstradiel, Frisland

Tietjerkstradiel, Frisland
Originally uploaded by Don.

Over at Flickr I have more Friesian photos. I was living in Leeuwarden for seven months. I've now moved out to a village 10k towards Dokkum. It is great. Quiet, friendly, everyone speaks friesian... and dutch. At night it is pitch black. It really is beautiful here and there is so much wildlife.

End of the hibernation

I hope!! Don't expect a storm of posts here yet. But we are moving up to Friesland in the next week and I have high speed internet since today.

3 little birds

3-little-birds Click on photo for larger version.
Originally uploaded by Don.

We are just at the point where we will be moving up to Friesland to live. We can't wait. I've been living out of a suitcase for the last 7 months. My children only see me 3 days a week. Now we can live together again. We have a blackbirds nest in our garden and today these 3 worm lovers where born.

City Kid

No photos still, but a story about a city kid (moi). This happened last November. It was dark. I was on a mountain bike with a suitcase on the handlebars looking for ‘camping’ in Grou. It was too dark to see the sign from the cycle path so I kept on cycling until I ran out of cycling path. And then I did something stupid. I kept cycling, on towards Warten in pitch darkness, with only ditch on both sides of the road. The sudden appearance of driving rain didn't help either (er! – I may have used a few expletives in fact).

After more than 10 minutes I copped myself on and turned back and within half an hour found the camping. I was now soaked to the skin so I changed, huddled up to the gas fire for a few minutes and then made my way up to the restaurant for a coffee and a whiskey (to get the juices really flowing again). That was my baptism of fire for life in the countryside. I mean there were at least two motorists who thought I should cycle to the nearest psychiatrist. It being November we did not get loads of sun, but we did not get wet either for the rest of the weekend which was a big relief. And we really enjoyed ourselves.

Fresian winter landscape

Fresian winter landscape
Originally uploaded by Don.

Unfortunately I was sick this week so this photo was taken from a train (not that I would have had time otherwise). But the landscape is really cool when white. That should provide lots of photo opportunities in the future.

At flickr though they have public photos of Friesland by others. [1] [2] in particular are very good winter scenes, taken by Aldo van Zeeland.

First snow falls

First snow falls
Originally uploaded by Don.

We had our first snow in Frisland this week. Two days where a challange on the bike, because of the ice under the snow. I usually hate the stuff, in fact I think it's a pity we don't hibernate. The locals here though love the stuff and it's contagious.

Lots of open wireless points in Leeuwarden

Which is very nice if the owners don't mind. Wireless Points: Leeuwarden20040827.gif (GIF Image, 3000x3000 pixels)

There is also a Wireless Leeuwarden site. It's a good start. But much still needs to be done. I also see that Meditterane Cafe De Salon is a major sponsor. Very cool and I've eaten there once (wine, calamari, italian mozzarella-tomato-pesto roll and expresso) and it was really very good.

This week

I suppose we are out of hibernation for the moment. I have nothing new to add for this week, but coming soon another book review. This time I will be reviewing the Capitool guide of Friesland and pointing out a number of maps of Friesland you can buy.

Also you might not know but I'm a walking encyclopedia of useless information. I am collecting tidbits on Friesland which I will be publishing here.

Tags: Friesland | Tidbits

Franeker

Franeker
Originally uploaded by Don.

This is one of the squares in Franeker, a town in Friesland.

Tags: Franeker | Friesland | The Netherlands | Holland

Franeker

Franeker
Originally uploaded by Don.

This is the former orphanage in Franeker. The sign above the door on this building reads as follows (in dutch): ‘Bijkans twee eeuwen hebben de Weezen het huis bewoond, waarin zij in 1668 werden opgenomen. In 1854 betrokken zij deze betere woning die door de milde giften de Gemeente door de Voogden werden aangekocht onder goedkeuring van de kerkraad’.

Tags: Franeker | Friesland | The Netherlands | Holland