Obama: Delft Tile in Netherlands

It would also work in the UK!

Can you tell the Difference between Heather and Sharks

One of the great joys of being resident in Netherlands is the diversity of the language and in many ways it has given the English and Scottish language many of their words or colloquial terms.

Mainly about fish and religion, which they often enjoy raw.

Today, I was sitting, drinking coffee in lengthy conversation with my, enduring and ever patient Dutch language coach (docent). We were discussing the autumn weather and the changes that it brings to the garden, both here in the Flatlands and back in the UK.

The chat move around to the type of flowers and plants that you would expect to see at this time and that brought us headlong to 'heide' (pronounced 'hay'), which is the Dutch for heather or Erica Vulgaris. The blooming heather moors of my youth. I remember them well!

In my ignorance and confusion I was sure that the word that I heard pronounced as 'hay' was normally the Dutch word for a shark but my teacher quickly chastised me and assured me that the Dutch word for a shark is pronounced as 'ha-a-ay', a subtle difference but one that could be of great importance while gardening or scuba diving.

Imagine the tragedy and chaos that would descend if, whilst visiting your local garden centre and a hungry rogue shark would appear, near to your children (kinderen). Oh no! You would be unable to alert them 'Look out kids, there's a white-tipped reef heather behind you. Run for your lives!'

- or -

Maybe you would terrify them unnecessarily by alerting them to a danger that did not exist. 'Hey, look kids! That's a pretty looking big purple shark behind you, isn't it? Do you think mummy would like it as a present, gift wrapped with a big bow on it? She would be surprised!'

The pen may be mightier than any sword but the ammunition is surely the language used and as an ex-pat Scot I still cannot tell my plants from my predators! Still not as bad as mistaking the King (koning) for a rabbit (konijn), though!

Cocaine Washed Up On Dutch Beaches

A large package of cocaine and packets of materials for cutting the drug were washed up on beaches in Kijkduin, Scheveningen, Wassenaar and Katwijk on Saturday.

According to the police, there was about 2.3 kilograms of cocaine left in the package when they got there.

As yet, no one has come forward to claim the package and the police have no idea where it came from. It was thought possible that smugglers had fixed the drugs to the underside of their boat and it had come loose. I think we are talking about 'really shoddy' smugglers here.

Meanwile peace and tranquility has returned to the sun scorched beaches of Holland but who knows what mysteries lie behind the wooden doors of the brightly painted beach huts that adorn the Dutch coastline.

Be sure to tune in next week to hear more nonsense!

Have you taken the Long Way Home?

His Master's Bicycle! (distant traffic crossing the 5m high dyke that protects us from the the North Sea flood via the Ijsmeer)


Wilderness Roses!

Traffic!

The Polder Wetlands - A Good Home for transient Geese, Spoonbills, Egrets and the resident Marsh Harriers, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Wild Horses, Buffalo and of course the odd Transient Ex-Pat!

Came across a very smart hairy caterpiller of the Garden Tiger Moth

.....and a Spoonbill!