No Highland Games for the Trail marker

[Mike_Oettle]

Sorry to learn that there are copper thieves lurking in Nederland, too.
In South Africa they are termed izinyoka (snakes), but although most people hate them for the way they disrupt the power supply, they seem able to strike with impunity – although occasionally one will get himself zapped into the next world.
When my ouma visited Nederland she became especially fond of the Zuider Zee, and brought back a large painting of a sailing vessel (perhaps a fishing boat) in a storm there.
She also told a story she had heard about a man who went swimming in the Zuider Zee and, finding himself exhausted and out of sight of land, decided he could go on no more and sank into the water – only to find it was so shallow that he could wade!
Your reference to the Jewish cemetery calls to mind parallels with South Africa, since there were once Jewish communities (with their own synagogues) in many small towns here. But first they moved to the cities, and then they began leaving the country. The main synagogue in the city where I live has been divided, and half the building (which included a mikveh) sold to a commercial enterprise.
You have had a most interesting walkabout. Thanks for sharing it.
Regards,
Mike

[Lodrorigdzin]

Sorry to learn that there are copper thieves lurking in Nederland, too.
In South Africa they are termed izinyoka (snakes), but although most people hate them for the way they disrupt the power supply, they seem able to strike with impunity – although occasionally one will get himself zapped into the next world.
When my ouma visited Nederland she became especially fond of the Zuider Zee, and brought back a large painting of a sailing vessel (perhaps a fishing boat) in a storm there.
She also told a story she had heard about a man who went swimming in the Zuider Zee and, finding himself exhausted and out of sight of land, decided he could go on no more and sank into the water – only to find it was so shallow that he could wade!
Your reference to the Jewish cemetery calls to mind parallels with South Africa, since there were once Jewish communities (with their own synagogues) in many small towns here. But first they moved to the cities, and then they began leaving the country. The main synagogue in the city where I live has been divided, and half the building (which included a mikveh) sold to a commercial enterprise.
You have had a most interesting walkabout. Thanks for sharing it.
Regards,
Mike

Sometimes I guide visitors. Usually they'll want to go to "the coast" and they think the North Sea coast is it. But it isn't, the borders of the Zuiderzee, that's our coast, with the rich history, gorgeous coastal towns and variegated local cultures.

There's a number of notorious shallows in the IJsselmeer/Zuiderzee: near Stavoren, Urk. Huge fishing trawlers are still stranded there and sink.