The Company of Monks

I went to work, by tram for a change, and listened to music along the way. Not just music, but the music of monks. I recently heard a radio programme on Ambrosian Plainsong and was fascinated, so I went out to find some more. I ended up with some Gregorian chant, which I found wonderfully calming.

So this morning, in a crowded tram, crossing crowded streets, there was such peace, it was lovely but alienating. I felt detached from my surroundings. I got the feeling back I had on Iona, the sense of quiet, of great peace. As easy as that.

The Diver and His Niece

When I was staying at Harberton earlier this year the little giant visited Santiago. The girl, created by Royal de Luxe, completely took over the city for three days, and her visit was shown live on Chilean television. At Harberton that is the television you get, so my host sat and watched much of the spectacle. I joined him a few times and was quite amazeda at the event. Could it be possible to create such huge characters and still make them believable and provide them with a soul of sorts. On screen it all looked pretty impressive and convincing.



Then the party came over to Antwerp, just when I had a morning to spare there. I went out into the city centre quite early, to look for the Diver or the Little Giant, and found the Diver. He was just getting ready to move on, and walked past me into busy streets, followed by a huge crowd. I took a shortcut and managed to arrive right in front of the Diver as he passed the small boat that was on its way to pick up the Little Giant. The Diver got cleaned along the way, by his escort, and took in his surroundings. It was a moving and overwhelming sight.



I had no time to seek out the Little Giant, but I will catch up with her one day, I'm sure. I might even get to see the Sultan's Elephant.

Mr Cohen

I went to see Leonard Cohen again. Late August, a beautiful sunny evening in Ghent. After all the rain, a dry day and evening, a beautiful sunset, and a great concert out in the square. Some 8000 people probably, but it didn't feel quite so big. The setting was quite intimate. For the first part of the concert we still had daylight, so everything was clear and easy to watch. I sat quite far back, but I had brought my binoculars, and the big screens helped. Then there were the beautiful pink and orange skies, the bright moon lighting those lovely old buildings, and changing the atmosphere to the intimacy of darkness and late night. Mr cohen played for about three hours, lively, and intimate, with that golden voice. The perfect night.

The Game

So, WE got to play another match, against Cameroon. WE are through to the next round already, but still, time to party. I decided to go shopping around 8 p.m. I thought it would be nice and quiet, and it was. On the way down there were still a few people around, lots of people in orange t-shirts, hats, and other accessories. It was lovely and sunny, so it all looked pretty good. Once I got to the supermarket I had the place virtually to myself. No one pushing in the isles, no avoiding trolleys, just empty lanes and a chance to get everything quickly. And then there still was a queue at the checkout, because only one was available. But it was a tiny queue and I was happy. I think the next game is on Monday, 4 p.m....

Sunday in the Park in Amsterdam

About 20 years ago I was at the National Theatre in London to see a production of "Sunday in the Park with George". I didn't know the piece, and didn't know much about Sondheim. The production blew me away. There was Maria Friedman, just perfect for the part, the setting and design just perfect, and the piece and the music itself. Some of the lyrics are forever in my mind, they just pop up at weird moments, for strange reasons. Like some other songs, actually, but that is another story.

Then this month the first professional Dutch production is on in Amsterdam, so I had to go and see it. It's part of the Sondheim festival, celebrating the man's 80th birthday. I cycled up to the M-lab, a wonderful place on the river IJ, a lovely view over the water. Like an island in the Seine maybe? I like the theatre, no frills, just seats and a stage, all attention going to the production. Like the Donmar.

Then the production. I enjoyed it, it moved me, and I was impressed by the performances and the translation. Sondheim's lyrics are hard to sing in English, so they cannot be easy in Dutch, and translating them must be a tough job. I know the lyrics well, and there were some very nice finds in the translation. The production was a little smaller than the London one, but no less effective, and the actors managed to fill the painting, even with a smaller group of characters.

It is such a beautifully constructed piece, obviously well thought out, and it all fits like the painting. But the piece also has a heart, a story, and characters to care about. That is what makes it special. You can admire what the mind has put together, and feel the emotion too. That is what makes it so perfect.

I loved the way the lead actors played the characters, the way the songs were sung. The passion that was in the piece. We need more Sondheim.

Birding Spring

It's been a good spring for raising birds in my street. I had a family of Blue Tits living in the box attached to my window. Towards the end of their breeding season they were threatened by the Great Spotted Woodpecker that was trying to raise a family in the trees at the end of the street. He clung to my wall once in a while, trying to get into the box. I love woodpeckers, and I guess they do eat young Blue Tits, but they're not having mine if I can help it.

Then I keep hearing Short-toed Treecreepers, they have a nest somewhere round here too. And then today I got to see the evidence.



The one thing really missing this year in this street are the Swifts. I see them high up in the air, or hunting round my tree, but they don't seem to be breeding here anymore. A great loss.

The AJ Platform

After my trip earlier this month I couldn't resist the temptation and I went back. The main reason to pick this weekend was the Alex Jennings platform at the National Theatre. The chance to hear Alex talk for an hour on his life and career was too good to resist. I met up with Penny before the platform started, we took a short walk along the river and had some lunch, and then sat and listened to the interview. I enjoyed it and heard some news to put up on the AJ Diaries. Always good to get Alex news firsthand. It seems like he will be working abroad for most of the year, in Japan and Paris, resuming earlier roles. I'm still hoping he's going to do some Sondheim in the not too distant future.

Then there was "The Real Thing" at the Old Vic. Toby Stephens in a Stoppard play. I had forgotten how much I like Stoppard. I think "The Real Thing" was the first Stoppard play I saw quite a few years ago, the original production, but I couldn't remember much of it. This was a lively production with all the layers coming out. Good to see Toby Stephens again after a very long time.

Time for other London pastimes too. After my visit to Manchester earlier this year I wanted to go back to the Tate to see the Pre-Raphaelites. I like the way the Tate is organised and designed, plenty of room for the paintings, and beautiful, warm colours. It is the colours in the paintings that always strike me too. Somehow reproductions in books and on postcards never get the blue quite right, you don't get the real shades unless you are looking at the original paintings. And all the detail that gets lost in reproductions too, especially when it comes to the Pre-Raphaelites, where details are so important.






And talking about details, I couldn't help wondering once or twice whether London is going Dutch....

Back in London

It feels like a very long time since I was last in London, and it probably is, but it is good to be back. The city always changes but manages to stay the same. There are sights and sounds that I love, and that make me feel at home. It is good to find old familiar bookshops, though some seem to have disappeared, and others appeared. It is good to wander round Covent Garden, to see the theatres and think of all the productions I've seen over the years.

I love to walk across Waterloo Bridge, especially late at night, after a performance at the National Theatre or the Old Vic. I don't know what it is about that bridge, the sights, the sounds, the smells, or whether it is just the associations. Memories of walking towards the National Theatre in the daylight, full of expectation, of great plays and performances, and then feeling the cool wind in your hair afterwards, seeing the City and St. Paul in the one direction, the Houses of Parliament in the other, with the play still fresh in your mind.




This time I had the rare opportunity to see both my favourites in one day. I got to see Roger Rees in the afternoon, playing opposite Ian McKellen in "Waiting for Godot" and then Alex Jennings in "The Habit of Art" in the evening at the National. Both wonderful performances. Good to be back in both the Haymarket and the Lyttelton Theatre. It was Roger Rees who first got me interested in the London Theatre, when, long ago I first saw his Nicholas Nickleby on television, and then I got to see him play Hamlet in London. It was actually his Berowne that I really loved, though I've never seen a more impressive Hamlet. Just a few years later I first saw Alex Jennings, again at the RSC, his first season. I've had many opportunities since to see Alex at work in London, but Roger has been working in the US mainly. It was good to see both of them back in London, in such different but interesting productions. More!

Winter

Sitting in the office today, in another little closet because "mine" has been taken over by the company Christmas presents, I could see the snowy fog closing in. The rooftops stayed white, the pavements a little white. Cycling into work I managed to fall, of course, when I had to use the brakes just as I had to turn a corner and I had to give way to another cyclist. No damage, I just got my trousers wet falling in the snow.

Cycling back home tonight was okay, fortunately. We had our office Christmas party, and so I cycled home with a bottle of champagne in my bag. Not a good time to fall.

Zita

The day after Zita in Paradiso. I saw Zita Swoon a few years ago in Paradiso and was very impressed. I like the music and Stef Kamil Carlens has great presence and charisma. He moves into the music, and moves with the music. There is so much energy on stage.

The rhythms can be hypnotic.

Last night's concert had great variety. It started with Stef Kamil on his own, playing some quieter songs with just the guitar. Then the girls came on stage and gradually the whole band came on. He had some guests joining in as well. First the Dutch singer songwriter Spinvis, who told a Christmas story, and sang a song, interwoven with "I Feel Alive In the City". I wasn't too sure about this at first, I have mixed feelings about Spinvis, but this worked very well.

Then one of the highlights of the evening when two members of dEUS, Stef Kamil's former band came up on stage, Tom Barman and violin player Klaas Janzoons. They played an old dEUS song as well as a Velvet Underground song. I never saw the old dEUS on stage, and very much enjoyed this little reunion.

The show looked good again, with Stef Kamil in bright red and yellow.

Winter?

The rooftops are white, I wore gloves cycling into work this morning, and there was some salt on the Skinny Bridge. Is it going to be winter here after all?

Ramses Shaffy

The minister for culture said he carried his feelings straight under his skin, and that his vocal cords sat directly on his soul.

Radio Comedy

I just saw on the Unofficial offical website that "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" will be back again from next week, with Jack Dee in the chair. When Humph died I wasn't too sure about the series continuing, he set the tone for the show, and I did feel that tradition could not really be continued. For the first series after his death there were three chairmen, I liked the way Stephen Fry did the job, he had the toughest challenge, being the first. Rob Brydon did well too, but I guess Jack Dee has the same kind of deadpan attitude Humph had. The series wasn't quite the same as it was, but it has life in it yet.

My News Quiz has been back too. The cast has changed completely since I first started listening, back in the days when Alan Coren, Richard Ingrams and Ian Hislop were the regulars. Now Sandy Toksvig rules, and you get the voices of Jeremy Hardy, Andy Hamilton and Fred MaCauley. And they do make me laugh.

There are so many good comedians and comedy shows to listen to these days. And there is such a lot of history there too. It might easily become an addiction.

I do love radio comedy!

Almost Breakfast Time

On my way to work today I noticed the lettering over the new shop in the PC. And I could just peek inside, it looks almost finished, so I guess it's nearly opening time. Wonder what it will look like, and whether it will have the atmosphere of its New York counterpart. I'll have to go and have a look around soon.

The Spirit of Winter

A day out today, walking in the Oostvaardersplassen. The forecast said dry, a little foggy in the morning, and cold. Well, two out of three ain't bad, they say. I was with good friends, it was dry all day, it was cold, but throughout the day we never could see for more than about 50 metres. It was a lovely day, with a real sense of winter, a feeling of Sinterklaas, hot chocolate and speculaas, and a slightly mysterious atmosphere.



It was a lovely walk, and we got to see a Bittern, and Egret, Bearded Tits and a few more birds. The park was full of toadstools and funghi, mosses and lichens. It was quite obvious that winter has set in outside the city a little earlier than inside the city. The trees looked bare and there was little colour left. It was all very beautiful though, another side to the country.

Autumn and Dusk

I like this time of year, because it is a time of change. The light changes, it is no longer light when you go to bed, or when you get up. Soon I will be cycling to and from work in the dark again. It is getting dark now, and over the roofs across the street I could see the pinkish light that always reminds me of the far south. It's beautiful.

Coming back from my shopping this morning, I also noticed the colour of the leaves. The trees are slowly changing from green to red, brown and yellow, and soon they will be bare again. The streets are covered with leaves in various colours.

It is getting colder too, especially in this house, which is not very well insulated, and where I don't often have the heating on. No time to eat salads and drink juice, but a good time for stews, Turkish coffees, hot chocolates and Beerenburg. A good time to curl up on the sofa, under a sleeping bag, with a hot drink and some chocolate.

It is getting on for Sinterklaas, that time of year, when you see the Speculaas in the shops again, and all the other sweet things associated with the old Bishops birthday celebrations. And I guess soon we will get the first Christmas decorations in the shopping centres.

This is also the time of year, when you are more likely to get wet. I need to bring my weatherproof gear whenever I go in to work, or cycle somewhere else. And I need to go up to the attic once in a while to make sure no water is seeping in through the windows and the roof. Sleeping upstairs mean you sometimes get woken by the sound of rain on the roof.

For a while life will be based much more inside the house, which is the cosiness of the season. For now that is fine, but I know that in a little while I will start looking forward to the light and the openness of spring. That I will start missing the sunshine and the light, the warmth. That I will look forward to the time when I don't need to wear three pairs of socks and three sweaters when I'm in the house, but can just wear a t-shirt, and can go back to bare feet in sandals. I'll be waiting for the next season of change again pretty soon.

Myn Sjirurch

Every once in a while, when I have a cold, when it is cold, when I'm not feeling too well, or when I cannot sleep, I look for a natural, medicinal cure. My miracle drink is called Beerenburg. There is a Dutch singer, or I should say a Frysian singer, who shares my opinion and who has written a song to celebrate the medicinal properties of the drink. the song is called "De Bearenburch is myn Sjirurch", or the Beerenburg is my doctor. It confirms that this herbal drink can cure all ills. The only side-effect might be a slight headache.

Not too long ago I found out there is a Beerenburg Museum in Friesland, in Leeuwarden. It is just a tiny museum, a little small for something so beneficial, I guess. It tells the story of the drink, reveals something about its ingredients, and, of course, you can have a taste. A group of ladies was there at the time, drinking their health, and they seemed very happy. I was feeling well anyway, so I didn't have a taste that particular afternoon. You need to be particular about these things.

Animals in the City

I was at an urban ecology conference today. It was held in a church in the city centre, and it was organised as a goodbye to Amsterdam's most popular urban ecologist. It was all about his work, and the importance of nature in the city.

There were some interesting talks, on the history of urban ecology, the way ecologists had to fight for a place in urban planning and about the way they are indispensable now. You cannot plan a city of quality if there is no room for nature, and that idea is generally accepted now. The group of urban ecologists in this city have worked hard to achieve this.

Martin was always the most visible of them, the one who turned up on television to show something special happening with the birds or other animals present in the city. I worked with him on one of my projects, where I was appointed "manager birds". We were responsible for making sure the breeding birds would not get in the way of the work, because that would mean the work would be stopped, but we were also given the opportunity to create room for breeding birds, or for any other animal wherever possible.

I enjoyed the work, making space for nature, as the BBC's Springwatch would call it. And it is good to see that now this is common practice here in Amsterdam. It was good to hear and see the stories today, to see men dedicated to the work they do and to hear them talk about it. And it is good to see that nowadays they are taken very seriously. I met some people I used to work with who were always a bit sceptical about the whole idea, but who ended up thinking about the animals and nature in their projects as a matter of course.

The other things about the conference was that one of the speakers decided to do without a big powerpoint presentation, but just used words to convey his message. He talked about ecology and communication, and he managed to get his message across powerfully just using words. They spoke louder than pictures.

Martin made a film about nature in Amsterdam, together with a journalist from the local TV station, and it had his signature to it. A lot of animals, lovely pictures, a love for the city and a good sense of humour. It'll be a success. At the end of the afternoon the mayor came to speak, and he presented Martin with an honour from the Queen, but that didn't seem to make much of an impression. I do think he was pleased though, because just for once he was speechless. For a little while, anyone.

A Girl's Best Friend

Cycling into work, from the corner of my eye, in the PC, I suddenly caught sight of a familiar colour, a special shade of blue. I know that colour, I've seen it before, but far away.

There are some shops that have a special ring to their name, pardon the pun, that somehow trigger the imagination. For me one of those shops is Tiffany. Every time I was in New York I would visit the shop on Fifth Avenue, not necessarily to buy anything but to get a sense of the place. Now it looks like I won't have to travel quite so far anymore to visit a Tiffany shop. And just in time for the holiday season too.

Training on the New Ship

I was away for the weekend for a meeting with colleagues. The other set of colleagues this time, fellow Antarctic guides and expedition leaders. The meeting was held in a small town called Haastrecht because the company's new ship Plancius is over there for the moment, awaiting sea trials, christening and departure to the south. She seems like a good ship, lovely great windows for good views of the ice and the whales. And a great many decks on different levels for watching them in the fresh air.

I got to sleep in one of the bigger luxury cabins, testing out the accommodation. Not a bad place to sleep, the cabin has nice big windows too. And a very comfortable bed. A lot of thought has gone into the design, and all the details that will make life at sea more comfortable. A lot of work still has to be done on the ship, but much has been done already, and it is all happening very fast.

One of the nice things about the weekend was meeting all these people who do the same job under the same circumstances and who share my experiences. We usually are on different ships, and when we are at work there always is something to do. It was good for once to spend a couple of days like this, talking about the work, sharing experiences, and looking forward to the next season.

It wasn't all about talking and sitting around. We had a zodiac out on the water for a practice run on Saturday morning, sitting out there in the quiet Zeeland delta instead of the wild waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. All of the waves there were caused by passing ships.

The greater part of the weekend was spent in first aid training though. A Scotsman came over who works for the BASP, the British Association of Ski Patrollers, so someone who knows what it is like to work in inhospitable, cold environments. He was a good teacher, a great story-teller, and he was good at organising the practical exercises. It was a good mix of the theory and the practical, and I learned a lot. I had great fun playing the victim in one of the practical cases. I spent five minutes hysterically screaming for attention, and I really enjoyed myself. I did end up with a sore throat though...