August 2016, Lochem, The Netherlands
My first summer in the Netherlands since many years and no long, warm summer nights, filled with mosquitos, as in Canada. The nights are or wet or too cold. The good thing is that you really enjoy those few occasions, when you are sipping your wine on the patio and constantly telling each other what a beautiful night it is!
My garden gave me a surprise, when I noticed that the little plant, which suddenly appeared was not a cucumber nor a courgette, but a pumpkin! By now, my whole back garden is filled with pumpkins……..
I do miss my animals, after taking care for so many dogs and cats, goats and ducks and whatever else for the last two years. Though my neighbour cats are regular visitors and sometimes I wonder if they choose my house as theirs and their own house just as a favorite restaurant.
Though there have been enough days to enjoy the outdoor life, it seems that in the Netherlands sometimes summer starts, when school starts again……..We are amidst a heat wave and it is the end of august.
My new, old house is getting the colours it deserves. All my little treasures from a lifetime travelling and the cherished memories from the past are giving it the appeal I was looking for. I even started using my own pictures as decor. Waking up with the stunning sunset of Diakofto, Greece and the stillness of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada is giving my day a good start!
I am literally painting the summer away. A job, which will take months before it is finished, but to see the improvement is very rewarding.
Still, now and then I get my walking shoes on and try to catch some shots of the inviting nature of Lochem and surroundings.
From my home, I cross the street and walk into the cornfields, along the river and into the woods, passing a windmill or an old farmhouse.
Going in another direction, I can easily walk to the old centre of town, where tourists are filling the patios, as soon as one sunray breaks the sky. Lochem is a town, but it has a village atmosphere. It is surrounded by a river and a canal and filled with cycling and walking paths. Around Lochem, plenty of old mansions and castles are attracting many Dutch and foreign visitors.
Hopefully next year, I will have more time to discover everything the area has to offer. For now, we combine work with pleasure, as during the summer months many festivities are organized, not only in Lochem, but also in many of the villages around. After Canada, where drinking alcohol is not allowed “on the street”, it is great to be back in a country with different rules!
