Little Britain

It really is. No, I'm not being sarcastic. Nor do I want to offend anyone. It really, really is.And it's Linda's. Not Elizabeth's.
It's Linda's Little Britain . 

She opened her little shop last week in Hilversum, The Netherlands. Linda herself is born in Inverurie, Scotland and she's been living in Holland for many years now.

She specialises in typical British groceries and gifts.










If you happen to pass Hilversum or live nearby,
please give her shop a visit. The address is Vaartweg 22a Hilversum, 28 km southeast of Amsterdam.

Vertigo ? Don't watch this !

The weather hasn't been particularly sunny and warm this summer. Last tuesday I took advantage of a short dryspell and took my boys out for a day of altitude.

Near Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, on The Veluwe is 'Het Klimbos'. It's an outdoor activity centre offering you the opportunity to climb through the pinetrees upto a height of 15 meters. They have 2 junior routes for children who can reach to 1.4m and 4 routes for kids and adults who can reach to 1.8m and one tokkelroute.

Sit back on your couch, fasten your seatbelt and watch the walk through the trees for 15 minutes (it took us more than 3 hrs).

TGO Challenge 2007 day 7 : Kingussie-Rothiemurchus Forest

Pffff. Day 7 of my TGO Challenge is now online. It's easier to walk then to publish.

Phil at Doodlecat has asked me to republish the written account of my 2007 crossing. As you'll probably know the company that owns Fotopic has stopped their service and my story and all my Highlands and Islands pictures along with pictures of the ELD are no longer available online. I'm currently trying to locate my story on disfunctional computers. Once located I'll put it all back on t'internet using a new personal website. You'll just have to wait a little bit longer for that.

The tower of the Great Church of Naarden

Climbing the stairs inside the wall

  Yesterday we weren't really outdoors as we were ascending the local churchtower. Ascending that is using the stairs not climbing the outside.

Having been born in the neighbouring town the city of Naarden has always been the opponent. As a child I hadn't been to Naarden often and it has been one of my wishes to climb the churchtower of The Great Church of Naarden.

Yesterday I took 2 of my kids up the tower. Kids like to do these things.

 

The church was build during the fourteenth and fiftheenth century in the stronghold of Naarden. Naarden was rebuild after been flooded earlier as it's in spitting distance from the former Zuyderzee. Being part of the defenses around Amsterdam and Holland it got double starshaped canals around the city. People that wanted to live inside the city had to pay 2000 bricks for the construction of the church. With the small number of inhabitants 500 years ago it's a miracle the church has been completed - the walls are more than 8 feet wide. The staircase is inside the wall, turning clockwise so it could easely be defended with swords.

Floor of middle section : the churchbells
were hauled up through this hole

The ceiling of the lower part of the tower

The churchtower contained 5 bronze bells until WWII. The smallest of the bells was thrown in the canals to hide it for the German occupier. The 4 bigger bells were stolen by the Germans and transported to Germany where they were melted for warmaterial. Luckily plastermoulds were made so they could be reconstructed after the war.

5 bells in an oakframe

The views from the tower are wide and far.

It's windy on top

View north from the tower

View southeast with cityhall behind the church 

The Great Church of Naarden stitched together

Much too soon we had to get back down again after which we made a tour around the church. Ancient canonballs can still be seen sticking in the walls. Naarden has been occupied and looted by Spaniards, French and Germans and 'rentals' from all over Europe. As far as I know the British have never been here. Instead William of Orange went the other way.

A falcon as guest

When I was a young lad I've had a close encounter with an eagle in the backgarden of an aunt, its enormous wings spread out in front of me. Today I had another encounter with a rather smaller bird of prey but none the less still giving me a WOW moment. 

A young falcon had entered the conservatory, probably thinking it might have an easy snack with one of our Zebra finches. Being unable to reach the little birds it tried to find a way out again but the glass prevented a direct getaway. It gave me the chance to grab my photocamera and take some pictures before it finally escaped through an open door.

It's one of those rare occasions, when you come close and totally unexpected in direct contact with wildlife, that makes you feel very much alive.





Meltdown

Saturday 14 dgrs.C. - Sunday 26 drgs.C. - Monday 34 dgrs.C.

TGO Challenge day 6 : Laggan - Kingussie

I know.
Some people have already written down and published their account of this year's Challenge. I've published my 2007 Challenge long ago (which is no longer available because someone pulled the plug at Fotopic.net) but now I'm rewriting my story as an anquet video.
Main problem is time. There's only 24 hours in a day and I've got so much to do.
I can't say : "Next week day 7 will be ready". You'll just have to check in now and then.
In the meanwhile  day 6 for anyone who's interested :