Camped in a corner at Nero’s

‘been a busy week; I’m currently in the UK, enjoying the beer, the rain, the easy English communication.

• What’s the best way to get to England?

  I took the Norfolk Line Dunkirk to Dover ferry over: it turns out to be a really good alternative to Easyjet.  Round trip is 54 euros for a car and up to four people. The ferry terminal is an easy hour’s drive west of Brussels and drops off an hour southeast of London.  The crossing takes two hours and the boats are surprisingly clean and modern. 

  I may never take the cheap flights again.  Highly recommended.

• What lies behind Dutch houses?

Dutch streets are lined with picturesque row houses, but  what lies beyond?  Generally, row houses are narrow and deep, ringing an open inner courtyard. The open space is divided into gardens, terraces, and balconies; it’s a comfortable jumble that’s usually busy with everyday activity, wonderfully ordinary to watch.

• A couple of Dutch shopping thoughts.

My least favorite Dutch pricing:

I was a big fan of Cherry Garcia frozen yoghurt, but it’s absolutely unaffordable in the Netherlands; nearly 5 euro per pint.

• … and my favorite Dutch t-shirt slogan for the week:

• And an expat-philosophy thought of the day (courtesy of Slate’s Culture Gabfest)

…you learn not to assume anything; but you also learn not to take any aspect of everyday life for granted.