Quarantine 12, A walk along the beach

A beautiful day, very cold but sunny. After an early excursion to the shops to restock my fridge, an intricate dance with a shopping cart as my partner along the narrow aisles to avoid any other potential infectious shopper, I went to the beach for a walk. Yesterday the beach I wanted to go to was closed off, police keeping watch so that no cars should find alternative routes. And if they managed to do so, they would have found all the parking lots closed and cordoned off. Today I chose another part of the beach and was luckier. The weather forecast isn’t so positive for tomorrow, and this may be the last sunny day for now in a remarkable string of perfectly sunny but cold days. I had figured out that it might be relatively quiet as it was still early, which was indeed the case. It may also have been due to the very cold wind of course, which I did not notice till I turned back and faced North. 

 

 Looking towards Scheveningen

 

 

I was afraid the fine sand which was chased across the beach by the strong winds would damage my camera, so I did not use it much. But the wind and the waves at least swept all the cobwebs away and cleared my head – and made a mess of my hair.

One of the funniest things I saw was a group of sandpipers, huddling together in a long double line, facing the wind. Every so often a few birds at the top of the line would turn around and run to the back of the line to be out of the wind, sheltered by the other birds. I did not have much of a chance to film them, which was a pity, for they run very fast on their tiny legs. I had never seen them do this before. Usually they forage in groups, busily moving along the breaking wavelets at the flood line, trying to find some fresh delicacy. Seeing them like this was new for me.

Sandpipers

Quarantine 11, Lepers

We are all considered lepers till proven otherwise.

It is very hard to be in quarantine, especially for those who are single and live alone. No touch, no shoulder to lean on, nobody to cook for or talk to. Solitary confinement is supposed to be a very cruel and harsh punishment. But that is what has happened. People flock to churches when there is a crisis like this. At least, they used to. Being a member of a church one would suppose the church would provide comfort in the midst of all this uncertainty. However, also the churches leave their flock to struggle alone.  We have to find our own way, our own personal relationship with God. We are often told that without a family, a church family, one can’t experience one’s faith, or one’s faith cannot grow. Faith is partly a relationship with God through our fellow beings. We are in it together. Isn’t it strange then that in a crisis like this we are left in the cold and even churches close their doors? Our government (this of course depends on the country one lives in) has left us some possibilities. 30 people are allowed to attend a church service, with restrictions of distance, hygienic measures, no touching etc. That can be done. Why then do most churches prefer to close their doors? It may be the only contact – not physically of course – and comfort some of us can have during these isolating times.

Quarantine 10, Nelly's farewell service

We had the farewell service for Nelly on her birthday, an intimate and moving thanksgiving for her life. Nelly had a small family, which was helpful under the circumstances as we could have a small choir as well. The total number of people present did not exceed 30. Nelly apparently had prepared herself for this, for she had chosen the hymns and anthem she would like to be sung. We are grateful that we could have the service and the music she had wished for. Perhaps, being with a small number of people, any service feels more intimate. For us as a choir, Nelly’s passing is the end of an era. As mentioned before, she had been a choir member for almost 60 years. With Wies, who passed away a few years earlier, she formed a strong team. They were the mistresses of the robes, always seeing to it that every chorister was provided with a fitting robe, mending, lengthening and shortening them as required. They told us to launder our whites so that they looked clean and fresh at Christmas and Easter. They saw to it that we wore black shoes and no sneakers, and that the men wore a white shirt with a tie underneath their robes, or a white scarf. They were a formidable pair, and also organized the choir flea market, an annual highlight. After Wies died, Nelly could no longer do this alone, or at all, as her health had always been precarious. But she never stopped making coffee and tea in the  break during choir practices, or feeling responsible for the robes.  We will all miss her, each in our own way. But within its limitations, the farewell service was moving, intimate and graceful, thanks to Andrew and Christina and all the others who made it possible in these unusual times.

 She crossed that bridge away from us towards the light, and was laid to rest in Westduin, a very peaceful cemetery.

In Paradisum deducant te Angeli

Quarantine 9

A 3-month verdict of solitary confinement for those living alone.

Today will be the funeral of a beloved choir member. She was the choir. It will be so different without her. And we can’t give her the farewell she so deserves. Probably she wouldn’t have minded. She was modest, did not like to make a fuss. I am glad she doesn’t have to live through this lock down. She lived alone, and wasn’t in very good health. We then depend on friends, on social contacts, on the church and for her and myself the church choir.  A number of the choir, her second family, is allowed to sing, unrobed. We will sit quite far from each other. But we will do our utmost to sing for her as well as we can with depleted numbers.

Quarantine 8, Life in the Time of Corona

New measures, quite shattering if one lives alone, as I do. I thought I could handle it, but realise that because I live alone, I always have to go out to meet people, to see things, to have company. I go to choir practice, sing every Sunday in the church choir, go to museums with a friend, go for a walk on the beach, alone or with others. This time, leading up to Easter, the most sacred time in the Christian year, is usually full of music, Passions, contemplative and finally happy music, singing in Haarlem and The Hague. Besides, we have the three choir practices for our cathedral week in England in July. Not just an enjoyable time because of the music we practice, but we also meet with friends we may not have seen for a long time. No choral Festival, although that may take place in June and perhaps by then we may have more freedom. But travel might still be out of bounds. At the Choral Festival we are trained by a professional musician from England. Is travel for this choirmaster possible? Are we allowed to travel to England in July when we are supposed to sing the services for a week in Portsmouth Cathedral? Yes, we are allowed to go for a solitary walk. If we live with other family members, we may even walk together. But for singles like me, there is no chance of company. If we live alone, we live for the moments when we can meet loved ones who are not necessarily family. Till June 1^st this is not allowed. Is it more dangerous for (elderly) singles to have contact with friends as there is a chance of being infected by this nasty virus, or is it worse when we have to live for three months without any human contact? Not to be touched, no shoulder to lean on, no hugs. The only time we can meet with just a few people is at funerals, not exactly the events which might cheer us up. And even then, no handshakes, keeping a distance of 1,5 meters, no moment together with something to drink, just no socializing at all. At least in the Decameron people were quarantined together. And in Love in the time of Cholera, people did touch and did make love. It will pass, of course it will, but when??? And will our friends come back to us?

Yes, Anne Franck lived in a very cramped space for a long time with family members, too many, with fear for their lives. It was worse, far worse as FB points out to us. But she wasn’t alone. It is a false comparison. It was wartime, but we live in a time of peace, and our freedom now seems to have turned into an open prison. So, what is it to be: Spring clean the house? Cook fancy meals for ourselves if we can get hold of the ingredients? Sew a new wardrobe in the hope we’ll survive this virus? Declutter the house? Tend the garden? Knit? Take a free online course in one of the many courses on offer? Or perhaps write stories or even a novel, as Camus, Marquez and Boccaccio did. After all, writing is something one has to do in isolation.

We are of course not alone in this. Let us all write that novel we always dreamt of. Or find out that sadly we have no talent and tick it off our bucket list for good. We’ll get through this, with or without our novel.

Quarantine 7

Everybody has heard enough about quarantine, although not everybody has taken it seriously. Why? Because a virus can’t be seen? Because it seems so unreal? Like the scenario of a horror film? I think if we do not take it seriously, it is going to be a horror film, but a real one we have to live through and not just watch.

 A white carpet of anemones

 A late daffodil amongst the anemones

 celandine

I must admit I did go for a walk as well yesterday, like so many others, lured outside by the beautiful day. I started from home, walking through connecting parks in a circle. It wasn’t at all busy, as the parks and pieces of parkland are not very well known, except to dog owners. Only the last park I walked through was crowded, and I was amazed that people were sitting on the grass in groups. Also youngsters. Do they think they are untouchable?  So today I just enjoyed my garden, which is facing south and with the sun shining in a perfectly blue sky, it is a small piece of paradise. I know I am luckier than most having a garden. But I live in a suburb where the majority of the inhabitants have a garden. So it is not as hard for us to stay at home as for people cooped up in a small apartment without a balcony.

 Fritillarias

A white carpet of wood anemones

Anyway, the garden is waking up, and the colours are surprising. So to cheer everybody up, I will post a few pictures. Also pictures of the fritillaria, which I found in a small park alongside a pond, where some people claim to have seen a kingfisher. I haven’t been so lucky, but at least the fritillarias warmed my heart.

Of course, life is a bit complicated, more so for families with working parents and small children. For me it is easier. Tutoring a high school student via WhatsApp – the only medium we both shared – was a new experience. Especially as he forgot that you can’t eat your breakfast in school either during a lesson! His concentration wasn’t optimal. Having long phone conversations with friends instead of seeing them, and Skyping with dear friends far away is a different way of socialising. I also went to church to take part in a service which was recorded. Two priests, a reader, the organist and choirmaster, and the choir, that was all. We, choristers, were spread out far apart, and formed the congregation, as well as the choir. I wondered how we would sound, being so far apart. But in fact, the result isn’t so bad. Except for the quality of the recording, which could be improved.  But this was a first, and will probably not be the last time we have to worship as a congregation in this manner. We also prepared for the funeral service of our dear friend Nelly, which will take place this coming Tuesday. The choir will be so different without her. May she rest in peace.

 In the garden

The new leaves of the pieris

Quarantine 6

19-03-2020

I haven’t noticed it immediately, but it has been very quiet here the past few days. There is far less traffic on the adjoining motorway, and by chance the maximum speed throughout the country had just been lowered to 100 kms. Besides, being in the flightpath of Schiphol it is usually very noisy here, but there are hardly any flights as many countries have closed their borders, except for their own inhabitants. However, they have to be quarantined as soon as they enter their home country. Perhaps the relative silence also gives me the feeling we are back in the fifties of the 20th century. Add to that the children playing together in the street, enjoying themselves enormously, and everything reminds me of the time I was a child myself. Children are now studying at home. The internet has opened a lot of possibilities unknown in the fifties. It is hard work for the parents, who work from home if at all possible. But children can’t be kept inside all day long, so they have to get rid of their surplus energy now that swimming pools, sport clubs, ballet, music schools, everything is closed. No training, no matches or competitions. There is a run on boardgames and jigsaw puzzles. No more commuting, no more ferrying kids to sports, to parties, to school and orthodontists. Dentists only take emergency cases.

To my relief Nelly’s funeral will take place in church, in spite of all the restrictions, and we are allowed a small choir to sing for her. She has been a chorister for almost 60 years, so it would be such a shame if we could not give her the farewell she deserves.  Not even a month ago we went to a fashion show together. Nelly had asked me to go with her. It was fun, and although she was tired, she did not seem much different from usual. At least her end was not painful, relatively quick and two friends from the choir stayed with her night and day till the end. What a blessing to be part of this choir family.

Quarantine 5, Bocaccio revisited

18-03-2020

We are cooped up in our houses. A virus is racing around, attacking the poor and the rich, not making any distinction between race and gender, the colour of skins. A new and amazing phenomenon, since we do. But this pandemic as it is now called, does not divide humanity into class, race, groups. We are all the same, academics and the uneducated, the immigrants and the others. There are no others, we are all alike. There hasn’t been time to flee to the hills, to a healthy environment as in the time of Bocaccio. The virus has surprised us by its speed and sneakiness. We try to find out its path, how people get infected. So far, no success. Will social isolation help? Not mentally, as we do need the support of our fellow beings, especially now. We are cut off from them. Happy are those who have a garden, a great escape. Spring is tentatively on its way, and nature just does what it always does, irrespective of viruses. Trees blossom, buds are thickening, bulbs prick up their spiky leaves, goldfish appear when he sun is out as if basking in the warmer temperature of the water, Frogs all of a sudden appear from nowhere and splash around in the pond, looking for a mate. No social isolation here, but quite the opposite. During the Middle Ages when the pest was going round people would flock to the churches, pray there and find solace, if no cure. But in this secularized world, not many people go to church anymore. For those who do, no church services or any large gatherings are allowed. Too risky. The virus might be an unwelcome gatecrasher and infect us all. How do we keep up morale, survive a time of isolation, a time without human contact, without cuddles or a hand on one’s shoulder if we live alone? Bocaccio’s remedy was telling stories. Stories take our minds off the problems, give us energy, set us thinking or dreaming about things which are possible when life has returned to normal, opens other worlds where everything is possible. 

Although we can’t physically take refuge and tell each other stories, we have the internet. In times like these it can connect us. Church services can be streamed, loved ones talked to face to face, letters and e-mails can be exchanged. Music and concerts can be streamed. It helps, although nothing can beat making music together, singing, playing concerts, going to exhibitions seeing the wonders of the world. Travel is out of bounds. However, museums have opened their collections on the internet so that we can enjoy those treasures from the relative safety of our homes. Since schools are closed and parents work from home if possible, the streets and highways look deserted. But young children roam the streets, and it feels as if the nineteen fifties are back. Board games, knitting, reading, listening to CD’s, all that helps to spend our time not idly, but in an enriching way. Telling each other a story every day, although not in a remote and attractive village in Italy – especially not Italy which is the center of the infection in Europe – can certainly be done via the internet. We will have to do without the different voices of the storytellers, without their facial expressions and use our imagination.

Let us imagine we are hiding in a remote hamlet, just a group of a dozen people or so, men and women. We are lucky to have found an abandoned villa, in a wooded and mountainous area. A perfect spot away from others. The place is well stocked with provisions, firewood for the cool evenings and cosy beds. During the day we go about our business, preparing food, cleaning the house, exploring the surroundings. But when the night closes in, we stay together round the fire, and start to talk, telling  about our lives, dreams, children, family connections if any. There is a limit to that, so after a while we decide that in turn we will tell a story every night to keep us going. Who will be the first one….. ?

Quarantine 4, Nelly

We tend to forget that life and death go on as normal, and people we love die of other causes than Corona.

Today a dear choir member has died, and we are sad. Glad that she is now no longer restricted by her body, sad that I have to miss her singing in front of me in the choir. She sang in this choir for almost 60 years, coming to church as a high school student and staying! Although very modest, she seemed the heart of the choir, a constant factor, quietly providing us with coffee and tea during the tea break on Friday night, choir practice night, sorting out the robes for unexpected singers at a feast day, or new ones who only stayed for a short time. She had been unwell for some time, not well enough to sing on Sundays. We had hoped things would improve, but they didn’t. We believe she is now safe with the Lord. But we will miss her terribly.

Because of Corona and the enforced social isolation, we can’t probably have a big farewell service for her. Attendance is limited to 30, although some say 15. Anyway, not enough for a proper service with a full choir and lots of beautiful music which she loved. But we can always have a memorial service later, once life has turned back to normal whenever that is.

Quarantine 3

The advantage of our times is the internet. Often seen as negative, now it is a blessing. For at least life can partly go on for some of us because of it. It helps to have social contacts when we have to practice social distancing, a rather novel combination of words. Skype and other programmes like that are a very positive medium and will save us from utter isolation.

I also had to cancel a holiday apartment and a flight. No need to go to a travel agent, for I could do it online. As a matter of fact, I haven’t crossed the threshold of a travel agency for ages.

Today I had an appointment with a Bank about some financial issues, which also took place online. I must say I hate having appointments like that online. I like to be able to hand over papers, to see a person’s reactions, and not to have to send pdf’s which I have to collect via my DigiD. It means logging into bank accounts, into Skype for business which first has to be downloaded, into a site I can only get into with my DigiD and the password for that. Logging into bank accounts is a nightmare, as one needs a smartphone as well. It is juggling with a phone, and a laptop. A screen between the bank employee and me is not ideal, but in the circumstances, it was a great solution. The bank employee also worked from home, and as the schools are closed, he had to open the door for his children and their friends during our interview. So this time it had advantages for both of us, and neither of us had to travel for this meeting. Such interviews or meetings always involve travel, since most banks are closed and they are few and far between. This in contrast to countries like England where you’ll find banks on almost every corner.

 

Relieved after a session with the bank that went well in spite of my reluctance to have an interview online, I went out to the market for vegetables, fruit and nuts. The farmers market is still taking place, but that might change any day now. I enjoyed the sun and the fresh air and went on to take a look at the brand new and beautiful garden centre which opened its doors yesterday. Not with an impressive act as planned, but quietly as gatherings of people have to be avoided. It is indeed a beautiful, spacious and large garden centre, and I treated myself to some frivolous looking tulips as well as pansies in different shades of blue and purple to fill the empty tubs with some happy colours. And a clematis to plant against my new and still rather bare looking garden fence. I hope they will not close this garden centre. It doesn’t attract many people yet, so it is spacious and social contact can easily be avoided, even at the checkout, as payment is by card only. No infected money changing hands please!

Let us hope for a beautiful day tomorrow, so that I can do some uplifting work in the garden.

Quarantine 2

Sunday 15^th we had what now turns out to be our last church service. There were many restrictions, but we were allowed to worship together provided there were not more than 100 people present, the choir included, and we had to keep a distance from each other of at least 1.5 meters. The church was thoroughly cleaned beforehand, pews painstakingly disinfected, as well as door handles, handrails, everything. Every pew had a box of tissues and a basket on the floor for used tissues. There were hand gels in many places. All this took lot of preparation, as we have no caretaker, and everything in the church, every task, is done by volunteers. No handshakes were allowed when wishing each other the peace, and just bread at the communion, no wine. It was a quiet but beautiful service. In times like these we do need support and the church community around us. When that is taken away, things become more difficult to bear. Turning to God as a community, is what one needs. The music was so comforting, telling of God’s care and love for us. The sermon by our interim minister was very encouraging and thoughtful. It was a special morning. I will miss the singing, my fellow singers, the choir during practice on Friday night, the Choral Evensong, always so moving, which we were supposed to sing next Sunday. As well as all the other music in this time leading up to Easter, the most important feast in the Christian calendar. Little did we know then that it would be the last service for some time to come.  No coffee afterwards to greet each other and wish everybody well. When will we meet again? But apparently church services will be streamed from now on, so that we can take part in them at home.

 

A friend in the choir invited me for coffee and lunch at her place, which is on my way home anyway. Her invitation made me very happy!

Whatever happens, nature just doesn’t care. The magnolias in the gardens here look glorious, even better than usual after such a mild winter. I am happy to live in a green town, and near the sea. And luckier than most when it comes to social isolation. At least I have had 20 years of practice, on and off. And as for the music: Fortunately I have never been able to get rid of books and CD’s. Now I have time to listen to the latter, and read the many books still waiting to be opened.

Quarantine day 1

Saturday March 14th; The first full day of quarantine. The country is slowly grinding to a halt. It isn’t as bad yet as in Italy, where people are not allowed to leave their houses.

It was strange this Saturday morning not to hear the excited voices of the teams of young footballers, who normally can hardly wait till kick off. No shouting coach or encouraging parents. Yesterday there were no cars parked in front of my house. On a normal working day, the teachers of the adjoining high school tend to park their cars here in our narrow street, so that they can enter the school via a back door. It can be a source of frustration, as they tend to block my drive and I have the greatest difficulty getting my car out of it. There is a large parking area on the other side of the school, but that means they have to take ten more steps or so. It is just laziness, and very annoying for us, but we can’t do anything about is as the road is public. Apparently the school closed yesterday. They don’t have to – yet – it is up to the school management to decide what is best under the circumstances.

Last night an ex-colleague phoned me unexpectedly asking me if I had anything special to do today. We had a date in two weeks’ time to see a film in Haarlem, a town midway between her and my town. But due to this virus cinemas and museums are closed at least till the end of the month. As she was alone – her husband away for a few days, - it seemed a good opportunity to get together today. I drove to her town, Petten, by most people here only known because of its nuclear plant as well as the fact there are no dunes there to protect the land from the sea, but a man-made dike, the Hondsbossche  Zeewering we learned as primary school pupils, a name so unusual and exotic that we never forgot it.  A few years ago, they transformed this bare stone dike into new dunes, by covering the dike with sand and adding sand dunes on the side of the sea, planting them with helm grass, a strong, silver grey beach grass. What once was a very uninviting massive stone dike, is now an interesting double strip of dunes, connecting the dunes south and north of this dike.

After coffee, we went for a long walk on the beach. For once the weather was sunny, although the wind was still cold, and we had to wrap up well. But it was so nice being in the outside and on the beach in the invigorating sea air. We had lunch in the only beach café there, which to our surprise and relief was open. Most beach cafes are built up in spring and taken down again in October. This one is apparently permanent. The many recent storms we had damaged its boardwalk and washed the wooden stairs leading up from the beach away. We were not the only ones there. People with kids had also decided to go for a walk, as the normal pastime on Saturday for the kids would be playing football, have swimming lessons or play any sport one can think of.  But all team sports and matches are forbidden. Concerts have been cancelled for a full month, including the many passion concerts, taking place during this time leading up to Easter. Concerts, theatres, opera’s, ballet, everything is cancelled. And more and more countries close their borders.  Many flights are cancelled, holidays are cancelled. It seems very unreal. People are hoarding and stripping the supermarket shelves. It is all very overdone, for we have more than enough supplies, as we are told again and again. I haven’t done any real shopping yet and can survive till Monday. But then I’ll have to hit the shops as well.

The beach is always so invigorating. The light on the water fascinating, dividing an often grey sheet of water into a multicoloured carpet, with different shades of blue, grey, foaming white, green, and golden stripes. From the beach café which was built on piles, we had a glorious view of the coastline, the sea and the dunes which become higher and more interesting towards the south. The clouds throw ever changing patterns of light and shade on the water, and also the wind plays a part. We felt very happy and satisfied when we came back after 4 hours in the open air. It would take another hour’s drive before I could lie down on the couch, preferably with a book. And that is what I did when I got home.

Corona

The corona virus shows us how arrogant we human beings really are. In spite of our enormous technical progress, we are not able to beat a microscopic virus which holds us all hostage. We think we can beat this by an almost world-wide quarantine. But are we any more able to beat this than we could beat the pest ravaging countries in the dark Middle Ages? We know a lot more about hygiene, viruses, bacteria and other ailments which attack and affect us. We can perform very intricate operations, technically we have come a long way. But we are still baffled when it comes to auto immune diseases and viruses. This outbreak and the ensuing fear show that we can’t control our lives, although we think we can. It also shows that we have become far too dependent on eastern countries for a lot of our products. Countries with cheap labour, for we have become very greedy. Money is everything. We – the Dutch – have converted good arable land into golf courses, because that is far more profitable than farming. We have closed well-working hospitals with an excellent reputation out of financial motives. We underpay nurses, healthcare workers, teachers. All we want is making money. Hospitals, schools, universities don’t make money, they are an investment for the future. They are there to keep the population in good health, to educate people, so that as adults they can contribute to the community. In order to achieve that, we have to spend money, but it is an excellent investment. With this health scare which by now has become pandemic, we have not got enough hospital beds, health care workers, nurses and doctors to cope with such an vast calamity. Under normal circumstances we already have long waiting lists in the hospitals which are left us.  It is rumoured that not every patient may get the treatment which is needed. Choices have to be made. Whether that is true or not, we have let our social system corrode.

Why is the government so concerned about the spread of this virus? Is it the loss of lives? But the mortality may mainly be amongst the elderly. So, do they care? Or is it the economic disaster? The value of stocks and shares has plummeted overnight. It scares the powerful financial organisations, the banking world.

Corona is a real threat, no doubt about it. The number of patients is rising every day, and for the elderly it is a killer virus. Still there are many things I do not understand. So many people die of starvation every day! I bet that number is much higher than the number of fatalities due to Corona. And what about the many refugees, for years living under unmentionable and inhuman circumstances, without regular medical aid, normal hygiene, and without hope. They are not mentioned at all. Are we not all humans? As a child I did not understand the concept of borders. The world was there for all of us. How could a country forbid people to live in it? Who decided on borders and why? Nomadic peoples have always roamed the planet. It seems a natural way of life. How can we forbid people to live where they want to because they are seeking a better life for their children? How can we let them rot in no-man’s-land, prisoners between two borders? How can we ignore them? I do not know an easy solution, but sending people back to a country where they are sure to be killed or die of starvation and hardship, isn’t one of them. We should be utterly ashamed of ourselves. I haven’t heard about corona being rampant in the refugee camps. Are they corona free, or do we simply not care? I wonder.  

Pruning and the corona virus

March 12th.

This morning the sun was shining. By now it is clear that I have to do jobs in the garden as soon as the sun is showing itself, because it might be totally different a few hours later. So when I got up today, I had a quick breakfast and went out to prune the roses growing over my garden gate. As always a job I dread because I have to stand on a ladder to reach the rose, and the thorns know no mercy! I have to dress for the job, protecting myself with a soft-shell jacket, a hoody, with an additional layer on top of it, Wellingtons, a very thick pair of jeans, workmen’s gloves, a baseball cap and glasses. Luckily nobody sees me, and if they did, they would not recognize me. Once I started many more jobs had to be done. They are not the only roses I have, and they all had to be trained and tied up. Anybody with a garden knows it is a never-ending job and a work in progress. But satisfying as well. I finished by 2 pm, had a shower and put on “normal” clothes. Just when I was ready to go out and do some necessary errands, it started pouring down! Fortunately, the sun came out again, so that I did not get wet at all.

 The magnolia stellata in bloom, always a joy. 

Below: Rain! From behind my kitchen window

In spite of the scare of the corona virus, the talk of the day, not only here but everywhere in Europe and even in the USA, nature doesn’t care. It only knows it is spring! The goldfish in my pond appeared again, happily swimming around, and I even spotted several very tiny young fish. The magnolia stellata tentatively shows its first flowers, white and virginal, and even more beautiful after the shower, decorated with watery diamonds sparkling in a ray of light.

From tomorrow on our country will be more or less in quarantine, museums closed, concerts and big venues cancelled. We were so lucky to enjoy the Maritime Museum only the day before yesterday. Not being able to visit museums during the coming weeks, go to concerts or other events and gatherings, is perhaps the perfect opportunity to start spring cleaning! Not something I fancy, but something which is at least productive. Let us see what happens.

Scheepvaartmuseum Amsterdam

Scheepvaartmuseum Amsterdam

Not every day is noteworthy. Most days just happen, and we go about doing our usual things, trying to keep body and soul together, not forgetting house and garden, cooking, cleaning, shopping, gardening, writing, phoning, without anything special happening. But yesterday was a day to remember. It was very wet and very windy, indeed so much so with strong gusts of wind, that an umbrella was useless. Pelting rain and storm are not unusual this “winter”. But nevertheless my day was special.

Once every so often a friend and I go out for the day, always to a museum, followed by some retail therapy as an antidote after our dosage of culture. Enjoying a nice meal in a restaurant usually marks the end of our day out. If the museum of our choice is in another city or town, we go by train, either meeting half way, or at the museum. This time we wanted to stay closer to home and so decided to visit the ‘Scheepvaartmuseum’, the Maritime Museum, which neither of us had ever visited before! As my forefathers were all seafaring people, from fishermen to licensed pirate, I had to remedy this hiatus. The building, originally the Arsenal, is very interesting in itself, built on an island, on 2,300 foundation piles. Not unusual for Amsterdam, which was completely built on piles. The transformation from Arsenal to Museum is a very interesting story and it is all explained on the excellent website of the museum, a treasure trove of information.

 The Roof inspired by the compass lines on old nautical charts

Replica of the 'Amsterdam'. In the background the copula and towers of the Nicholas basilica. Nicholas is the patron saint of Amsterdam

The museum is far bigger than we expected, with three wings for both regular and changing expositions. All exhibitions are about “water”, specifically about the sea. We could not manage more than two wings, as there was so much to see and to take in. The Golden Age was of course represented because of our fame as a seafaring country, the East India Company trading with countries in the Far East, bringing back spices, silk, china, and many other goods. The ship docked alongside the Maritime Museum is an exact copy of the famous Dutch East Indiaman ‘Amsterdam,’ lost on her maiden voyage in 1749.

 

 Although it was very windy, the place where the ship is docked is a bit sheltered and so we were lucky to be able to go aboard. For in case of bad weather and storm, wind force 5/6 or more, access to the Amsterdam is limited. With wind force 7 or more the ship and quay are closed, for the purpose of the safety of the visitors. There were not many visitors, so perhaps that was why we were allowed on board in spite of the strong winds.

 A battle. Spanish Armada?

 A fleet in times of peace

People drowning. Detail of a painting of a sea battle

The section about the Golden Age has famous paintings of those impressive ships under full sail, in peace and during sea battles, for instance with the English, fighting for supremacy on the seas. My pirate forefather may have been amongst them! There are ships’ models, maps, information about whaling which is also part of our maritime past, and about water management. I had not realised that as far as the Dutch were concerned whaling had gone on far into the 20th century. The emphasis now is on preservation and responsible management of our natural resources and environment, saving the riches of the planet. Our dubitable role in slave trading was also given attention.

There was an amazing photo exhibition about the Arctic, and ‘Rising Tide’, which is supposed to serve as a wake-up call, showing that climate change is an unstoppable force that can only be slowed down. The photos by Kadir van Lohuizen are breath-taking. One which intrigued me was displayed upside down, and I wondered why. Seeing ice floes in the sky is rather unusual. I asked the museum what the purpose was. Apparently, it was the interpretation of the photographer. Does he want to give us a feeling of alienation? For that happened to me. Strangely enough my friend didn’t notice that the photo was displayed upside down.

The upside down photo!

We could not see everything, so we have to go back one day during the summer perhaps. The advantage of the poor weather was that the museum was relatively empty, so that we could study everything at leisure.

 The Royal Barge, built in 1818

A view of the Museum and the 'Amsterdam' from the historical dock

Just after 5 o’clock we walked back in the direction of the train station. The area is very exposed, surrounded by water. On the islands, connected by foot bridges, many new and futuristic buildings have been erected, amongst which the huge Public Library of Amsterdam, as well as the Conservatory, and on an adjoining island the Music Centre.  Finding a spot where we could enjoy a glass of wine and a rather Dutch treat, ‘bitterballen’, wasn’t so easy. But at the back of the Central Station, on the side of the “IJ”, quite a nice area has been developed with restaurants, snack bars, shops etc. Once a seedy and unpleasant place to be, it was now light and very attractive. Besides, we were on the lee side as the wind came from another direction so it was rather nice there. Not needing a big meal after a substantial lunch at the Museum, we had what we wanted, wine and our favourite snacks, with a view of the ferries coming and going, and the new buildings on the other side of the “IJ”.

Finally we said goodbye, a bit awkwardly as handshakes and kisses are forbidden during this Coronavirus scare which is now considered to be a pandemic. We went our separate ways. For me it was train, train and car, for my friend the metro, a tram and a walk.

Whatever the weather, we both had a glorious day!