Random Walks in the Low Countries: Settling in

‘dialing in today from ‘Stone Bridge Biomedical South, our temporary offices in the front window of the Vrijthof / McDonalds.

When I need internet access in England, it’s the Starbucks; in the Netherlands, it’s the McDonalds (and ontbijt with my email…)

However, when I have to do Skype, I’m dropping into the Annex: a friend’s backyard for some quiet and some wider bandwidth. My comings and goings at odd hours has been noted by their neighbors, and is raising a few Dutch eyebrows.

Anyway, back online with a few catch-up posts today; nothing organized, but lots to share.

Despite my misgivings about moving, I am liking the new place a lot.

It’s on Kesselskade, a commercial area across the river from the old apartment. The namesake Stone Bridge is still there, the river, the steeples across the water to the north. But the pace of life is very different. There are restaurants throughout the area, so a lot more people passing by, sitting, talking, laughing. At night there is jazz and blues drifting in the windows from the bar up the street; late night is punctuated by the occasional yells and curses.

Te area is clean, cars are banned most of the day, and the bustle of boats and waiters is a nice backdrop. My office is on the third floor, with panoramic views along the river from the gable. There is a lot of unpacking and organizing left to do, but I’ve got my desk and workspace positioned to catch the street dynamic while I’m working.

To the back, the kitchen looks out across the rooftops to the south, blue skies and sunsets, lots more churchbells throughout the day. I still marvel at the close jumble of old buildings here in the older part of the city. The only worry is fire hazard; I installed smoke alarms and bought a ladder quickly – ‘I don’t know why the building codes don’t require them in wooden buildings.

The living room has windows instead of a balcony, so less room for plants and waving at the boats. But the arrangement with the two armchairs in kind of cool: they can be turned outwards to enjoy a drink in the evening with my feet up on the windowsill.