On the Road
Good Morning readers,
This year I intend to take advantage of using my subscription to House sitters for research projects, commencing with The Netherlands. Two weeks should be enough, but as I work out where I need to go, and believe me there is a lot to see, I’m heading down to Almelo, in Overijssel. For the geographically inclined it’s a municipality and city in the Eastern Netherlands. Not far from the German border. Here, I intend to walk around the old streets and contemplate how my characters would have reacted and what they had seen. I have a family connection here; my son’s grandparents were born in Almelo. Last trip was nearly 20 years ago.
Where to next. Take the train up to Amsterdam, I need two days there, to visit the verzetsmuseum. – translated – The Dutch Resistance Museum. Its website for those who are interested - www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/en/museum. Another interesting fact, personally I have a dislike for ‘fact people’ but for your amusement here it comes. All Dutch electric trains are now powered by wind energy. True. Since January 1st, of this year, Dutch electricity company Eneco signed a 10-year deal setting January 2018 as the date by which all NS trains should run on wind energy. Should make for a great ride. If I wanted to travel from Almelo. NL to Dortmund in Germany, the home of the famous Borussia Dortmund football club, I would have to change trains 4 times in a two-hour journey. But, that’s another story, travelling in Europe and rushing from one platform to the other with minutes to spare.
So next time, you’re out and about on holiday, take time to watch the faces of your fellow travellers. See their reactions. Reading newspapers. Playing on iPads or eating picnic lunches from brown paper bags. I dare you to speak to the person sitting next to you. Language no problem. Do what every English foreigner does, speak in a LOUD slow voice. I’ve seen plenty of replies, not fit for writing about here. Image today. On the road from Alemlo to the German Border.