Tall dark stranger

Do you know something? And if you do, could you please tell me? It doesn't matter about what. It could be about the mating rituals of the garden pansy. Or about what to do if you ever get lost in space (I mean there's plenty of shows on with 'what to do when you're lost in the jungle/the desert/the arctic/the ocean, so why not space?). However, you could also just tell me what you had for dinner today.

Yes, I'm lazy. Asking you to fill my blog, when I don't really know what to write about myself. I could tell you about my meeting with the colleague who will do the Ireland trip. I could tell you about my fishy lunch with my dad (smoked mackerel sandwich, yummy), or about the weather (pfrt), but I don't really think it's that interesting.

I hope you like the poster at the top though. 'Bottled by pretty girls'. I love that line! I wouldn't mind reading things like that on my cereal box: 'Packaged by tall dark strangers'. How cool would that be? Can you imagine? It doesn't matter I know it isn't packaged by tall dark strangers, but more likely by silly giggly girls (I worked a conveyor belt in a biscuit factory, I know!) and grumpy beer-bellied balding blokes, it would still be really good to read about tall dark strangers!

Ah well, I've filled another post with nonsense. Please don't take offence!

Fitting

It was one of my yearly sortings today. Sorting through the amount of clothes I have and throwing out everything that doesn't fit anymore. And I am sad to say there was quite a bit that didn't fit anymore.

I'm not one of those women who go shopping every single week. First of all I haven't got the money for it, secondly, I prefer buying books to clothes. Clothes are great, don't get me wrong, but trying to find stuff that both fits and looks halfway decent is always a problem. Besides, I don't need to buy clothes for the job, since I'm wearing a uniform while working. So, I tend to go for the jeans, t-shirts and sweaters.

However there are some clothes I don't throw out. I've got a dress (size very small) that I wore once while in France. I haven't fitted in it again since, but it holds great memories. Then there's another dress (size a bit bigger) that I altered myself to make it look as slutty (sorry) as I could for a fancy-dress party. And then there's a jogging suit (or track suit) I wore in France while working for Club Med. Most of the t-shirts are long gone, but the coat and suit are still in my possession. And I won't get rid of them either.

My wardrobe is a bit emptier now, but don't worry, I will not have to walk around without any clothes on my back: there's plenty left!

Camera Critters 6

I took this photo in Ireland a few weeks ago. It was an okay day weather wise and we actually had the sun come out when we were at Muckross House on the Ring of Kerry. These horses were waiting for their next job, taking people to a small waterfall. You could also take the jaunting car (as they are called) to the nearby town of Killarney. The horses look okay albeit a bit bored, but I do think they are well looked after. They hardly ever do two runs back to back, there's always a rest in between.

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Feline Friday 20

He speaks for himself doesn't he?

Horror

I went to Scotland last year. I had only ever been once before and that was only for 3 days, so going there for just under a week was brilliant. Even if I did have to work! However, the trip wasn't as good as it could have been. One lady in particular made the whole trip into a horror that would have rivalled any horror film of today. Read all about it here!

Today I phoned the office. It's that quiet at work, I thought I would ask for some vacation. As long as I was back in time to do my trip to Ireland! At which point my boss told me I wasn't allowed to do that trip! WHAT?!?!?! My boss didn't know why, but he had been told I wasn't allowed and a colleague of mine was going to do it in my place. That colleague is not the sort of person to wrangle himself in my spot, besides, the trip is mine: I turned it into what it is now!

So, I phoned the planner's office. And was told that I wasn't allowed to do the trip because of that horrid woman of last year. Ah well, in that case: my colleague was welcome to the trip! Because I would want to kick her off the coach within a day! He is welcome to all my information regarding times and places and phone numbers of people and restaurants, so he can do the trip to the best of his abilities, but I am glad it won't be me.

Just a shame I can't go though, even if I don't feel like going with her on board. I know my way around and I am much more knowledgable about Ireland then I ever was on the trip to Scotland. And I will miss out on another opportunity to make gorgeous photographs! Ah well... no use crying over spilt milk...

Z is for...

Welcome to the bottom of the sea

Zuiderzee

When people (especially Johnny Foreigner) ask me where I live, I usually say I live on the bottom of the sea, making me a mermaid. Well, the mermaid part might be a bit of a stretch, but I do live on the bottom of the sea. Of course it isn't a sea anymore, otherwise I would have to seriously learn how to live under water or move away, but it used to be a sea.

The situation in the past, the red cross shows where I live now, click to enlarge to see!

In the nineteenth century the population of the Netherlands was growing and there wasn't that much space. So, the ideas of closing the sea and turning it into a lake and making land in that land were taken out of the cupboard again. It wasn't the first time this was thought of and indeed it wasn't the first time it was done. Most of the west of the country used to be water at some point or other, before being dried out by man (and windmills) and put to use as land. But this was going to be the most ambitious project yet!

The first thing they needed to do was close off the sea. It was only an inland sea, but it had an open connection with the Waddensea and the Northsea beyond. After a massive flood in 1916 parliament finally passed the law to close it off (it had been on the shelf for 30 years) and work started in 1920 on the Amstelmeerdijk. When that was finished, work started on the first and only Zuiderzeepolder: Wieringermeer, named for the island Wieringen which would be incorporated into the new polder*. Work was finished in 1930. Two years later the Afsluitdijk(Closing Dyke) was finished, turning the salt/brackish water of the Zuiderzee into the fresh water of the IJsselmeer (Lake IJssel). The sea was no more...

The current situation with the finishing dates; the little black cross shows where I live.

The Noordoostpolder (North East Polder) was the first IJsselmeerpolder and was finished in 1942. It incorporated two islands: Urk and the empty Schokland. After the war two more polders were formed: Eastern Flevoland and Southern Flevoland, the last being finished in 1967. In 1976 a dyke was created so a new polder could be formed (Markermeer), but during the 1980's those plans were put on ice indefinitely.

For more information please check out this Wikipedia article.

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*) Polder: tract of low land, especially in the Netherlands, reclaimed from the sea or other body of water and protected by dykes. In the olden days kept dry by windmills, nowadays more usually by diesel operated pumping stations.

Books

Occasionally a colleague of mine tries to berate me for 'not reading enough'. What he means to say is that I should read more Dutch books. But Dutch books always tend to be extremely flowery and they use so many big words. Words that somehow don't seem to fit with the book. So I stopped reading them. Instead I read in English. And if there is a big word, I can always blame my lack of knowledge of the English language!

I love to read and if I see a bookstore, I will go in and see if I can find a nice book. I've been known to spend over three hours in one shop, just picking and choosing. I will always come out with a nice book, be it by a writer I know or someone I've never heard of. I usually go to England, Ireland or Scotland with one book and return with a minimum of four! And if I don't like the book, I leave it behind: there might be someone out there who does like it.

Bookstores draw me in, ever since I was small. My mother was extremely glad I could read on my own, because she hated reading out loud to me. Once I'd learned to read however, the gate was off the dam (as we say in the Netherlands) and I would read anything. In Dutch still, but after starting high school, I would also start reading in English. I remember having to read 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in class. Everybody would get their turn to have to read out loud, yet I never did: I was chuckling away about 25 pages ahead of everyone else. My teacher never bothered... I read 'Pride and Prejudice' for school as well, even though I had to read it about three times before I understood (English, Dutch translation, English again).

Now you might wonder what the sign at the top of this post has to do with reading. Well, it was a sign I found on a small bookstore in Llangollen, Wales, while we were on our way to Ireland. And I totally understand. Books are to be treated with respect. I would never fold down a page, I use a bookmark. Books take you to places you didn't know existed, they make you smile on a bad day, they make you cry on a fantastic day. Books give you the world.

So, if you ever find yourself with sticky hands about to go into a bookstore, just wipe them on your trousers, find the nearest wash basin, but don't go in!

Zzzzzzzz....

I went to bed at quite a nice time last night. I finished my book (by Julia Quinn, I've forgotten the title) and went to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night, went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth! Which I had done before I went to bed!!!

Sometimes I wonder about myself...

Ireland 4

Well, I promised photos of my trip to Ireland and here they are:

This is one of the High Crosses in Clonmacnoise, one of the old monasteries in Ireland. A beautiful site with churches, crosses and round towers. I did my own tour, because if I have it done by one of the staff, I have to translate and that takes twice the amount of time!

According to some people this is the most beautiful view in the whole of Ireland. Of course you can only say that if you have seen every single view in the country, but it is definitely gorgeous. The photo was taken from Coomakista Pass on the Ring of Kerry overlooking the Kenmare River. The weather was not the best (we actually had quite a bit of rain during this trip), but it's still a really nice view...

You can't miss the fuchsias in Ireland. If you do, you are probably driving around with your eyes closed, because they are just everywhere. The most dominant colour is pink/red, but I have seen them in white/pink and they look even more delicate! The sight of hedgerow upon hedgerow of flowering fuchsias is amazing and brings so much colour to the countryside!

This is Galway Cathedral. After a day in Connemara I would usually end it by going to Clifden, the unofficial capital of that region. This time I decided to go to Galway City however and that was a good choice: we parked right next to this lovely cathedral. The clouds over the cathedral decided to drop their load only minutes after I took this photo. I had to run for cover, but still managed to get quite wet...

Camera Critters 5

Some people call them flying rats, other wax lyrically about them. I just felt sorry for this little one. He stood and walked funny because he was missing most of his toes. It gave him a certain air though, a certain elegance and he didn't mind posing for me!

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