On 28 August 1944, a desperate Hitler ordered the construction of a massive defensive line in northern Germany, stretching from the Netherlands to Denmark. Intended as a safeguard in case the Allies opened a fourth front, it followed the model of the Atlantikwall and was named der Friesenwall. The name also reflected the twisted NaziContinue reading “Der Friesenwall. An Unfinished Last-Ditch Coastal Defence System”
Category Archives: contemporary
The Old Man (and Woman) and the Sea — Hiking the Likya Yolu
April 2024. One of the bastards of the Frisia Coast Trail hiked a stretch of the Lycian Way — Likya Yolu in Turkish. This coastal track spans over 700 kilometers along Turkey’s southern shore, often tracing ancient paths once used by the Greeks and Romans. Lycia is the historical name for the Teke Peninsula, aContinue reading “The Old Man (and Woman) and the Sea — Hiking the Likya Yolu”
Between Leffinge and Misthusum — Understanding the Basics of Terps
Man-made hills to dwell upon. Long thought of as typically Frisian, but they are anything but unique. Consider the Kincaid Mounds of the Mississippian people along the Cumberland and Mississippi rivers in the United States. Or the lomas (‘hills’) deep in Bolivia’s Beni district, raised above the Amazon’s seasonal floodwaters to provide ground for livingContinue reading “Between Leffinge and Misthusum — Understanding the Basics of Terps”
“The Man Wants Another Steak!” She Snapped at the Waitress — Hiking the GR20
When thru-hiking, special encounters are part of the experience. One such encounter happened when one of the Frisian bastards completed the GR20 on the island of Corsica in the months of September and October 2018. It is a story that teaches you always to keep an open mind towards every person you meet and notContinue reading ““The Man Wants Another Steak!” She Snapped at the Waitress — Hiking the GR20″
Where Are the Corps and Student Associations? When Do the Corpsbrüder and Frats Rise Up?!
Recently, the regional newspaper Leeuwarder Courant published an article about how the town of Stavoren was tampering with the stones of the grave of King Aldgillis (Walinga 2024), a king of Frisia in the seventh century. This grave used to be the spot where the members of the Frisian student association D.S.S.F.S. Aldgillis of DelftContinue reading “Where Are the Corps and Student Associations? When Do the Corpsbrüder and Frats Rise Up?!”
Surf on Someone Else’s Turf — Hiking the Rota Vicentina
Boxing Day 2022. The Frisian bastard woke up in the small village of Aljezur in the southwest of Portugal. It was day ten of his hike along the Rota Vicentina, with three more days ahead. Like the Frisia Coast Trail, the Rota Vicentina follows the shoreline. A path shaped by wind, cliffs, and the constantContinue reading “Surf on Someone Else’s Turf — Hiking the Rota Vicentina”
Scratching Runes Was Not Much Different From Spraying Tags
Carving runes into combs and stones is basically the same as spraying tags on subway cars and bicycle tunnels. Those who create runes or graffiti are called writers. More precisely, rune writers and graffiti writers. The word graffiti stems from the Italian word graffio, which means ‘scratch’ and invented in the context of the PompeiiContinue reading “Scratching Runes Was Not Much Different From Spraying Tags”
Golden Calves, or Bursting Udders on Bony Legs?
Beauty is the best guarantee for quality and success. At least, this is how farmers in the province of Friesland thought of dairy cattle for (too) long. The better the exterieur ‘exterior’ of a cow, the better its milk yield. Velvety hide, size, expressive head, straight back, strong legs, sharply defined black and white spottedContinue reading “Golden Calves, or Bursting Udders on Bony Legs?”
What Killed the Radio Star? The Frisian Claim to Radio Fame
The Second World War. Despite a clear warning from the German Wehrmacht to buzz off, the nosy and inquisitive Hanso Idzerda returned to the crash site of a V2 rocket on Parkweg Road in Scheveningen — not far from his own home. Ignoring the warning, he was caught a second time by a Wehrmacht patrol.Continue reading “What Killed the Radio Star? The Frisian Claim to Radio Fame”
The Many Faces of Friesland, Including That of a Coast Trail Bastard
May 8, 2021. Visual artist, photographer Arie Bruinsma approached one of the Frisian bastards. Arie explained to him that his wife Cynthia and he were working on a new project, namely It Gesicht fan Fryslân ‘The Face of Friesland’. It had to be a compilation of 111 portraits of known, lesser-known, and unknown Frisians. OfContinue reading “The Many Faces of Friesland, Including That of a Coast Trail Bastard”
Frisia Coast Trail 