Headbutter of the Gods

I suppose that Holland is the country that I’ve visited most over the years. But almost all of those visits have been to the predominantly rural province of Overijssel, to the East. Even the people of Overijssel refer to their country as “Holland”, even though, strictly-speaking, Holland is just another province of the Netherlands, the one that faces the sea. No Scot would say he was English, though.

But, Schiphol airport aside, I haven’t been to Amsterdam since I was about ten years old. I remember it from then as being very clean and very quiet, and also I recall seeing policemen with guns, which was quite scary. One of these things I remembered correctly.

But I’ve long felt a connection with Holland, partly because I tend to look at things from the perspective of a classical liberal, which is how Holland seems to work, and partly because after nearly forty years, I’m still in awe of Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff, and their team. So it was with great anticipation that I finally visited Amsterdam again, and I wasn’t disappointed. Continue reading

I’m still not entirely sure what this blog is for. A vehicle for ideas or verbal diarrhoea –  is it for other people or just myself? Or a combination? Should I post personal data, or attempt some measure of objectivity?

It’s virtually impossible for me to make any posts at this time of year, as my wife is on the long teachers’ holiday and she has this strange idea that blogging, and things associated with computers in general, is the work of the devil, and therefore a more productive use can be found for my time, such as hedge-cutting.

And we’ve been on holiday. And just for that reason I’m going to bore my handful of readers with a few holiday snaps.

Thailand was an experience, to be sure, although it would have been better, perhaps, if they didn’t make such an effort to conform to the expectations of their Western (and increasingly, Chinese) visitors. Having said that, it was immensely enjoyable. I thought I’d post a few images.

While I’m obviously not impressed by religion itself, some of the Buddhist temples are at least as awesome as any Catholic cathedral. The sheer scale of the main temple complex in Bangkok could not be captured without actually going there.

This is the Reclining Buddha of the Wat Pho complex. It must be forty metres long. It’s impossible not to be impressed with the workmanship on offer.

The view from the river opposite the Grand Palace shows what an exciting mixture Bangkok is. It’s full of skyscrapers, yet at street level no space available for trading is unoccupied.

Off to Phang Nga Bay, which is the site of some of the most arresting scenery I’ve ever seen. This is the famous “James Bond Island” which is overrun with tourists – a suppose a price we have to pay, although there are countless equally spectacular views.

It is a testament to human ingenuity that people can thrive living entirely above water. This picture is also unusual in that the men were not wearing Manchester United shirts.

Of course it wouldn’t be a proper holiday without at least some relaxation. This was our hotel beach at Cape Panwa, Phuket, and it was this peaceful.

This is not a picture I took. Phuket is famous for certain things which although are restricted to a small area, have to be seen to be believed. We didn’t participate fully, I hasten to add. The two people in the picture above are men – I thought they would be harder to spot but as they’re all about two metres tall it’s quite easy.

It’s a shame that Phuket’s most iconic man-made landmark is still a work in progress. Nonetheless, well worth a visit.

I’d love to go back, with the benefit of experience, and I’d also recommend Thailand to anyone who hasn’t been there. Still, there’s so much in the world I haven’t seen that I’ll just have to savour the memories.