Tidal marshlands and Frisians, a dual entity. The Chauci and the Frisians — referred to by the Romans as Frisii or Fresones — had learned to adapt to an unprotected yet strangely hospitable salty world: a vast, treeless expanse of tidal marshlands. No rocks, no forests, scarce fresh water, and regularly flooded by a cold,Continue reading “Shipwrecked People of the Salt Marshes”
Category Archives: landscape
Attingahem Bridge, NY
Brooklyn. Named after the charming village of Breukelen in the Netherlands. Its original Frisian name was Attingahem. With only a twist of history, the borough of Brooklyn would have been named Attingahem today, and the Brooklyn Bridge, therefore, Attingahem Bridge. The streets of Brooklyn, the set of movies like The Warriors (’79), The French ConnectionContinue reading “Attingahem Bridge, NY”
Groove is in the Hearth. Very Superstitious, is the Way
The hearth was, in pre- and early medieval times, the Holy of Holies. The heart of the family. Where you would lay back and groove. Groove on the sound of the endless rain on the thatched roof, or on the sound of seawater at your feet below. Splashing against the grassy slopes of your houseContinue reading “Groove is in the Hearth. Very Superstitious, is the Way”
The United Frisian Emirates and Black Peat. How Holland Became Dutch
In this blog post, we will argue that the Frisian lands might just as well be called the United Frisian Emirates. Granted, there are a few superficial differences with the modern United Arab Emirates. The Emiratis have camels and goats; the Frisians have cows and sheep. Their climate is hot and dry; the Frisians’ isContinue reading “The United Frisian Emirates and Black Peat. How Holland Became Dutch”
Have a Frisians’ Cocktail! A Rich Composition
With the upcoming seasonal festivities at the end of the year, it is appropriate to serve you a flavourful cocktail. It is a cocktail from the list ‘Myths of Nations’, namely the Frisians’ Cocktail. Its recipe is not as old as some people thought it was, or would like it to be, but it isContinue reading “Have a Frisians’ Cocktail! A Rich Composition”
Hero of Haarlem, or Dragon in Disguise? Rethinking Sea-Level Rise Strategies
It was a Yankee by the name of Mary Mapes Dodge who wrote ‘Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland’. The book was published in New York in 1865. It is about poor, 15-year-old Hans and his sister, Gretel. Gretel wins the Silver Skates, the prize for winning an iceContinue reading “Hero of Haarlem, or Dragon in Disguise? Rethinking Sea-Level Rise Strategies”
Take a Virtual Hike Through Zuid Holland and Utrecht
This blog post is a virtual hike. Grab a coffee and go 200 kilometers per hour. When ploughing through piles of research on where the Frisians roamed, we stumbled upon interesting Frisian place names. A few weeks ago (September 2018), we, the two Frisian bastards, took another hike. We walked a track of 31 kmContinue reading “Take a Virtual Hike Through Zuid Holland and Utrecht”
Grassland Conversation. Where Less Is More
Being out on the grasslands may bring you face to face with farmers, fellow wanderers, or — of course — ‘birdwatchers’; see the note at the end of this blog post. Encounters with these countryside folk unfold in slow motion, and follow a sequence of clearly defined phases. Out here, less is more — justContinue reading “Grassland Conversation. Where Less Is More”
One of History’s Most Enlightening Hikes: That of Bernlef and Ludger
This blog post is not about the Westfrisian writer Hendrik Jan Marsman (1937–2012), better known by his pen name Bernlef. Nor is it about the student association F.F.J. Bernlef in the town of Groningen, the Netherlands. No — this is about the original Bernlef, the bard and harp player who lived in Frisia sometime betweenContinue reading “One of History’s Most Enlightening Hikes: That of Bernlef and Ludger”
Burn Beacon Burn. A Coastal Inferno – Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland or North Frisia. The western coast and islands of the region of Schleswig. Stretching from the Danish town Tønder in the north to the River Eider in the south, it is a broad strip of land by the sea, together with fifteen islands and Hallig-islands in front of it. It is here where aContinue reading “Burn Beacon Burn. A Coastal Inferno – Nordfriesland”
Frisia Coast Trail 