Friday, January 29, 2021

A January Citadel Walk in Gorinchem


Cold and sunny but without snow or frost, I should add.

By now many of you will recognize most of what I show-n-tell from these citadel walks, here where we live.  Forgive me if you tire of them but for me it's still like I'm "meeting them again" for the first time.

Where I start just meters from our backdoor, I'm always struck by the trees.
In wintertime I fall in LOVE with their naked bodies.

They 're free.  Alive.  Without a care in the world!

[Not like the ghosts from Christmas past!]

Look at how they, the trees, guard that which perpetually guards us.

Maybe this time I better see how important they are to our landscapes.

One of the reasons why we enjoy traveling in winter and early spring, 
by the way, is because you can see more through the trees.  But you knew that.
This is our outer harbor from the Merwede river, on which Gorinchem sits.

Our inner harbor, a few meters, later is closed off by an operated lock.
Dutch towns and cities take pride in their year-'round communal flowers.

Of the 4 original citadel ports, only the Dalem Port remains,
with the water tower in the background (now apartments) and our salmon fisherman.

Behind that salmon fisherman in the before collage is De Hoop windmill,
 one of our two citadel mills, always giving hope.

The "munchins" by artist Erik Buijs, hidden along the walk, delight me.
To be honest, I'm intrigued by all the city's art, in whatever form.

But I'm especially delighted when I can actually see the wall ahead,
reminding me that I really am on a citadel walk/wall.

See what I mean about the trees?  
Far  or near, nothing would be the same without them.

By the time we're almost back home, the Nooit Volmaakt windmill greets us.
Behind her in this viewpoint is our backdoor, from where we started.

A winter's day in Gorinchem with nothing better to do than to enjoy what we have!

 

Sunday, January 17, 2021

A Frosty Drive in Ottoland, NL

 
It was a week ago Saturday, January 9th, when Astrid and I awakened to a frosty winterland and decided we NEEDED to get out for a wee drive.  Our parched and aching souls needed a "fix" after the DC Capitol insurrection in America 3 days earlier.  When Astrid suggested Ottoland, I said "YES!"  It's only 13 km from home.

And it's known for its sheep.  I wanted me some sheep!

After driving through the wee village, we stopped at one of the first fields by a canal.
We're talking about only freezing point (32°F/0°C), so the thin ice surprised us.

But the calming effect was magical...

even though the icy soul of America's nation was gripping us both.

What was Mother Nature trying to say?

Would there be a peaceful transition of power?

Or would some still be tilting at windmills?

We found the sheep and asked them.  This is what they said:

"Sheep sheep are adorable.
Human sheep, not so much.
Think for yourself, for flock's sake."
--Scott Stabile

DUH!

And then I found this from J.R.R. Tolkien:
"Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate."

And that gives me hope,
before our new USA President is inaugurated this coming week.

May God have mercy!



Gorinchem's Citadel Walk with Hailey

  First of all, when we babysit granddaughter Hailey, who is now 6 years old, it's usually on a Wednesday afternoon (a Dutch universal s...