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Sunday, 12 May 2013

  • MOTHER'S DAY

     

    MOTHER'S DAY: What better way to celebrate than with a song.

    Happy Mother's day to all the mothers of the world. 

     

     

     

    De Haan in Dutch or Le Coq in French,  is the name of a village on the North sea.

    De Haan/Wenduine in reality, because Wenduine is attached to De Haan.

    De Haan means - The Rooster - so it is no surprise the symbol of the town of De Haan is a rooster.

    I found a good specimen of a wonderful proud rooster to pose for a pic. I asked him if I could use his picture in Xanga and he was very happy to accept the deal.

     

     

Thursday, 09 May 2013

  • NEAR THE WATER

    AMSTERDAM

    The Netherlanders have a great understanding how to live near the water; three quarters of the land is under sea level. You can imagine that is stressing: every drop of rain - and it rains a lot in the Netherlands, believe me - raises the level of the water. In many centuries they have learned to control the water level quite well, but they are still worried when raining too long.

    After having posted something about Amsterdam, the crowning of the King Willem-Alexander that as #Banyuls pointed out, he was a bad boy; not really; as a student he liked to drink a glass of beer too much: He was nicknamed "prince beer", but he has married a nice lady from Argentina - Maxima - and they seem to do quite well in popularity.

    Nice sun shine and flowers all over the place in " I AMsterdam" 

    It is a little too early for the baby to start with beer. some warm milk for her will be okay for now.

    Before jumping to Rotterdam I had to post these flowering trees in the Amsterdam's Museumplein.

     

    ROTTERDAM

    I will take you now to the waterways of Rotterdam.

    The fourth and fifth of May were respectively : Memory day, and freedom day.

    Rotterdam was flattened by the Germans bombers in the very first week in the War of 1940-1945. That is the reason in Rotterdam there are so many modern buildings.

    Rotterdam is one of the biggest ports in the world, and the water canal is very busy with all kinds of boats.

    Of course if a city is built on water, it needs a lot of bridges to cross over.

    The Pope in Rome (Pontefix Maximum) - which means  - Bridge builder - just said it. "We need to build more bridges and not walls" in Rome. Romans were very good bridge builders, but the Roman bridges are kind of "passé", while in Rotterdam are very much modern. The Pope should go to Rotterdam to see how to build bridges and faith in the modern world.

    The Pope also made an Eulogy for the poor. Well! The world governance are doing a good job about that, making more and more people poor. They do this just to send all to heaven; how nice of them.

    Anyway, in Rotterdam, my daughter and I took a water bus from Rotterdam - Dortrecht.  Dortecht is a town south of Rotterdam. We had nothing to look for  in this sleeping, suburban town, but we just went for the trip.  A water bus is just like a street bus, but travel on water. Lots of people take their bikes with them.

    The bikes have a very nice view: front row. 

     

    This is the first bridge "The Erasmus bridge"

    Some boats are just small enough to go under, but not by much : LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, LOWER YOUR HEAD AND TAKE OFF YOUR HAT WHILE CROSSING UNDER THE BRIDGE"

    More bridges along the road

    Sometimes bridges have to open to let tall ships with a mast go through. In this case the ship is a Frisian Chalk, a ship made to go on flat water, not on the sea. In the old times these were work and transport ships, now they are for leisure.

     

    The ware way is very busy with all kinds of container ships transporting all kinds of stuff. It is a very different way of life on the water.

    Of course if all your life is on the water, these people must have some plans, just in case it starts to rain for more than forty days. You know. The arc.

    They would not be Dutch if they didn't think about that. They are building the arc and they are already putting animals in it. First the big ones and the tall ones, then the rest.

    They haven't decided yet who will be Noah. The crows and the doves are already in training.

    Perhaps I will try to get in as stowaway.

    It was a busy trip and had to drive back to my little place in Wenduine.

     

    Wenduine

    In the morning I had to go out and say "Hi" to all my little friends in the dunes; the rabbits, the birds and the trees.

     

    KNOKKE-HEIST

     

    In the morning I had to go for car maintenance to Knokke-Heist, the richest town in Belgium - I don't understand why. This town is about 15 miles from here and if the bridge is closed this is a quick journey, if the bridge is stuck open, like yesterday this means an extra 20 miles of driving.

    Anyway, while waiting for the car to be given new oil, I took a walk in the longest shopping street I remember.

     

     

    I thought the Giraffe must have escaped from the arc and followed me all the way to Knokke.

    Some cows should be on the fields eating grass and not shopping around in the streets. Weird place, Knokke.

     

    One good thing about living in small countries is that you can easily go across cross borders in a short time....without taking airplanes of course.

    Spring is here and that is a good thing.

    Bye for now.

     

     

     

Tuesday, 07 May 2013

  • AJAX IS CHAMPION

    Last weekend I went for a couple of days to Amsterdam (also to Rotterdam) to visit my kids and grand-kids.

    The Queen abdicatet and her son Willem-Alexander is now King. As you can imagine big celebration all over the country and specially in Amsterdam.

    The big Museums (Rijksmuseums, Van Gogh museum, Stedelijk museum)  were all open after years of renovation.

    The Amsterdam soccer team became champion and they had to celebrate, and they like to celebrate drinkin beer, singing, fireworks, and later , worse things can happen, but i will be gone by them.

      

     

     

     

     

     

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

  • CHANGE IN THE STREET

     

    This morning the trash truck was late and the seagulls were already drilling holes in the sacks and the crows were waiting to share the spoils. When I went out the door I was almost attacked by a crow - the seagulls had already taken off. I told the crow that was no food in the sack but she did not believe me

    "All men are liars" she said. "Watch out for the cats" I said. At the word cat, she flew away.

    There will be some changes in the street. Nothing stays the same for ever as I've already said many times: - We have to accept the changes.

    This nice house will be transformed  and put on sale. I like the special look of it; It is unique in his kind. 

    I love the other house next to it. It is a house full of colors . It is called "Casa del sole" - House of the sun - even IF the sun doesn't show everyday. I hope this house will stay.

    We have also a kind of castle in the street. It has been the house for firemen in the past. (firefighters) It is special too. 

    It is a small, one-way street but with character. There is a snack bar to eat French fries and pizza; opposite this, there is a fine restaurant. Not bad at all. There is also a beauty salon on the other corner of the street and a fish shop where you can by fresh fish...

    The birds don't care too much and are not worried about he changes. The two below, must be a married couple.

    This bird is wondering what the number on top of the pole means. I don't know myself I told him. "All men are liars" he said.

     

    "You should learn to read." I told him.

    He laughed. "A nine upside down is a six"

     

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

  • STORY TELLER

     

    Sometimes when I see people walking, I try to figure out who they are and what their life story might be.

    Young people walking hand in hand, or old people still holding hands. People sitting on a bench pretending to read the newspaper or the iPad. Children running around followed by worried parents in despair. Watch out! Don't run too hard! Don't go in the water after having food! 

    I want to tell their stories, but I can not go to them and ask:  "Sir, do you mind telling me the story of your life?"  Perhaps someone would answer but then, I might be sorry for asking.

    I prefer to invent my own stories.  I invent people, their faces, their characters. I invent places; cities and rivers and mountains. I invent relationships, marriages, even deaths and sorrows. I like to invent.

    Fantasy gives you a great freedom in writing, but my editor does not agree with this. "Where is the city? How far away is it from the ocean? What is the name of the church, and what year has been built. She never stops asking questions. Everything has to match, like the people would go and check out the locations, like they did with the "da Vinci Code" film!

    I like to use animals as characters. It is much easier to make them speak like people; I give them the same feelings and then I can write what I choose. Birds fly, fish swim, spiders make webs, snails glide. Many of these don't even have a fixed sex life; they can change from one sex to the other or can enjoy being both, like snails for instance.

    It gives one so much freedom in writing. No need to find out where the street is or the city or dates of events. (a real nightmare).  Nobody would ever think to seek out and visit the real places where my animal characters live.  In the forest or in the dunes or in the ocean is enough.

     

     

carlo

  • Visit carlo's Xanga Site
    • Name: carlo
    • Birthday: 11/27/1945
    • Gender: Male
    • Member Since: 4/6/2001
    • True

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About Me

  • I have no idea what I am doing it. Anyway, hallo to everyone. I am living in De Haan , Belgie, where is always raining, and I am always dreaming of a beautifull sun, nice and dry day. I like football, good food, good wine ... and I love birds. I speak Italian, French, Dutch and I understand English too, well, I do my best.

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Chatboard (4)

  • alyssagallo
    hi carlo nice to meet you, love your blog and pics. sem
  • Mystical2
    This is so cute. Me, your friend from way back had to use Xanga to show it. Love, Terri
  • meskids
    Where: blogworld When: 2006 i membr simon spidr an when i thot him died. teribl! tragedi! wat him up to now? - samy (imported from memories)
    • Posted 9/24/2006 6:59 AM
    • by meskids
  • anonymous
    Carlo..How wonderful you got to meet the Dalai Lama and just walking on the street* I love your writings and your messages of Love in here..I think we are all connected ...according to our Life Purpose and Intent* happiness for your good fortune this day* ((Wings))
  • Teena
    I agree about the smile...just beautiful...hey how's the weather there now?
    • Posted 4/29/2006 3:47 PM
    • by Teena
  • anonymous
    Where: In Here When: 2005 You had just lost someone you loved and we bonded over birds and Loss ((Wings))...thanks for being my new friend* (imported from memories)