August 23, 2010
If we can believe these pictures (here and here), the world famous Anne Frank tree has blown over and is broken in two.
In 2007 we wrote about it being possibly saved by a judge and not cut down, but fate has decided otherwise.
The tree has been sick for years. It is famous for having been described in Anne Frank’s Diary.
Tags: Anne Frank, Anne Frank House
July 15, 2010
In the eastern province of Overijssel there is a lacustrine village called Giethoorn that has no roads, although according to wikipedia there is a bike path. Saying that is a ‘Venice of the North’ is a cliché since people call Amsterdam and St. Petersburg, Russia that already and with good reason. Giethoorn (referring to the horns of a goat) has some 2620 inhabitants, one of which we wrote about, Siegfried Woldhek, a famous caricaturist.
Back in 2008, Giethoorn celebrated the 50th anniversary of the film ‘Fanfare’ by Bert Haanstra, which was filmed there. See the news clip and bits of the film here:
You can always have a look at an elaborate video of Giethoorn, which starts with people skating over the water in winter:
Tags: Giethoorn, Overijssel, skating, tourism
June 4, 2010
A quirky little idea by DUS Architects: put a 3 x 3 metre box next to the Amsterdam public library, line its inside with mirrors, and put a tree in the middle.
The Urban Woods pavilion is part of the Liefde in de stad (Love in the city) art project about which we wrote earlier. You can visit the forest (a short walk from Central Station) until June 27.
(Link: Bright. Photo: DUS Architecten / Pieter Kers.)
June 1, 2010
Spanish artist Maider López is organising a football tournament on September 3 and is looking for both participants and an audience.
The tournament called Polder Cup will take place on the pastures of Ottoland in South Holland, halfway between Utrecht and Rotterdam. Contestants will be given food, drink and swag all for coming out to the middle of nowhere (using the charter bus of the project) and having their picture taken.
What’s the catch? Is there a catch? There is always a catch! As you can see in the photo, the pitches will be drawn across drainage ditches, and the players are expected to come up with their own rules and methods for dealing with these hazards. If you want to know beforehand how to fish a ball from a brook, check out Hans van der Meer’s photo book on Dutch football pitches. As for crossing ditches, see here.
(Link: Bright. Photo: poldercup.nl.)
Tags: football, polders, Spain, Zuid Holland
May 26, 2010
Wim Hof (aka the Ice Man) holds many records, including being able to ‘chill’ in ice for 1 hour and 13 minutes. Last week, two Dutch scientists tried to measure his bodily responses to cold and concluded that what he can do “is medically impossible”. The more I read up on this, the more I realise that crediting Tummo-meditaion for his talent is just a freaky coincidence.
Professor Maria Hopman explains that Hof is apparently able to influence his nervous system, which is supposed to be impossible. Hof also appears to be able to consciously open and close his blood vessels. Professor Mihai Netea has shown that Hof’s blood cells react differently than normal blood cells even after six days.
In 2009, Wim completed a full marathon of 42,195 kilometres above the polar circle in Finland in temperatures close to -20 degrees. Watch the video.
(Link: webregio.nl)
Tags: Wim Hof
May 24, 2010
Legend has it that when God created the Groninger, the Groninger said: “Get off my land.” And as if to prove a point, Groningers (and Frisians) still walk across dozens of miles of sea each day, as New York Times reporter David Corn attests:
After about an hour, Mr. Kraster comes to a stop. He says he has some good news and some bad news. For the next stretch, the ground will be less muddy — but the water will be higher. He points in the direction we’ll be heading. I still see nothing but sky and water before us. He could be leading us anywhere — including into deep water. He takes a step, and the water is close to his waist. The rest of us realize we are standing on a ridge and about to take a plunge.
The activity described here is mudflat hiking, wadlopen in Dutch, and is possible because of the unique properties of the Wadden Sea. At high tide the area is a sea, at low tide it is land—partly—and you can cross from the mainland to the Wadden Islands over some of the muddy watersheds. This is exactly what 30,000 people in the Netherlands do each year. Mudflat walking is also possible across the Wadden Sea portions of Germany and Denmark.
(Photo by nl.wikipedia user Marieke78, some rights reserved.
Tags: Friesland, Groningen, hiking, mud, sea, Wadden Islands, Wadden Sea
May 15, 2010
Last week inhabitants of the Horstermeer polder just south of Amsterdam removed a 10 ton weir placed there by the AGV water board (Amstel, Gooi and Vecht regions). They claim the dam creates a dangerous situation.
The water board wants to let nature run its course in a part of the polder by letting water levels rise, effectively turning part of the polder into marshland. The inhabitants fear that since their houses are typically located at the lowest point of the polder, the centre, these higher water levels will damage their properties.
According to the polder dwellers, the water board never filed official plans for their dam, so that the inhabitants could not legally protest its placement. The water board has reported the theft of a weir to the police.
Water boards are a parallel government in the Netherlands for the management of water.
Video: Republiek Horstermeerpolder.
Tags: dams, marshes, nimbies, polders, theft, water boards, water management, weirs
March 16, 2010
In the province of Friesland, it is a tradition to be the first one to find the year’s first peewit egg (‘kievitsei’, in Dutch). Unlike other birds who lay their eggs in nests, the peewit (aka Northern Lapwing) lays its eggs in the ground. There are wide open fields in Friesland where people go ‘egg hunting’.
Over the years, there has been much commotion about picking these eggs, as many Dutch people see it as unnecessary and what have you. As well, following a ruling by the European Union, harvesting these eggs is now forbidden — except in Friesland where a cultural exception was made. After much lobbying, the province of Friesland is now allowed to look for peewit eggs between 1 March and 9 April. I believe the difference is finding them is one thing and picking them (stealing them?) is another.
According to website Expatica.com, “It is a Friesland tradition to give the first lapwing egg of the year to the province’s royal commissioner. Originally, it was given to the sovereign.”
The finding of the first egg is a symbol of spring and always makes the news. The eggs in the picture are different and from Australia, albeit of the same bird.
(Link: blikopnieuws.nl, Photo of eggs by wiccked, some rights reserved)
March 12, 2010
Driving down the Dutch highway I have seen overpasses for deers and I have heard of frog overpasses and tunnels, but this is a first for me too: the very first beaver tunnel in the country.
Yes, as of today, the wee village of Panheel (189 villagers) in Limburg has opened a 30-metre-long tube, 70 centimetres in diameter so that beavers don’t wobble down a busy street and get turned into road pizza. Not only have many beavers died, but they damage cars when then do because they are bigger and bulkier than they look.
The people and animal lovers involved believe that other small woodland creatures will use this tunnel as well. It cost 40,000 euro and was paid with contributions as well as tax money.
I have only respect for beavers, and OK, this one is darn cute. I spent part of my youth at summer camp tearing down their dams only to see them fully rebuilt days later. It was either portaging (carrying a canoe over your head because of lack of water or obstacles), with two 9-year-old girls lifting an aluminium canoe of 45 kg over their heads with backpacks for 2 kilometers through the woods being eaten by mosquitoes or tearing down a beaver dam that grows back like weeds and canoe on the water like normal kids.
(Link: nrc.nl, Photo of beaver by stevehdc, some rights reserved)
March 1, 2010
The Dutch bird protection society (Vogelbescherming) has webcams on the birds of eight nests so people can watch the birds from a safe distance and maybe catch a glimpse of eggs hatching.
“Among the birds being monitored are various owls and birds of prey, a stork and a coal tit. It is the fourth year in a row that the bird society has installed webcams close to nests.”
Pick a webcam here.
(Link: dutchnews.nl, Photo: beleefdelente.nl)
