Tag Archives: Groningen

Posts from Base Camp

Unusual postcards from my friends (Volume 2)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

My previous post featured a bunch of unusual postcards sent to me by friends between 1988 and 1998. As I had so many, this post also features cards sent to me in the late 20th century!

Four postcards for the price of one, from Northern Ontario

While there really isn’t a unifying theme for all of the postcards, there are at least a couple each in the categories of bones, communism. and the Netherlands. The 1998 postcard at the very top of this post shows an ossuary in Rome, Italy. Kind of creepy, yes. But not as creepy, I think, as the inclusion of such bones in the postcard at the very bottom of this post!

The card says New Zealand has more than 50 million sheep! (1999)

First, though, are a couple of old reliable subjects. In many Canadian small towns, you will find the biggest something or other. In Mundare, Alberta, you can see a giant sausage. In Vegreville, Alberta, you will find a giant Ukrainian Easter Egg. And so it is not surprising that the postcard from Wawa, Ontario, includes a giant Canada Goose (a.k.a. cobra chicken). And I suppose sheep farming is a fair topic for a New Zealand postcard.

Greetings from Restaurant Puri Mas in Amsterdam! (1998)

I’m always wary of businesses that promise something “you will never forget.” For example, I will never forget the food poisoning I suffered in Glasgow, Scotland, that necessitated a visit to the Emergency Department. But my friend assured me that this Indonesian restaurant in Amsterdam was very good.

“I arrived by boat, and as it turns out, I’ll be staying in Groningen for a while. Everything else is fine.” (1995)

Speaking of the Netherlands, it seems that one of my friends ended up spending more time in Groningen than originally anticipated. As you can see, the boat has not moved in quite some time.

The (extensive) information on the back of this Soviet-era postcard is entirely in French

This postcard from “Kiev” is from the days of the U.S.S.R. But my friend did not get this card in Kyiv (a preferred Ukrainian transliteration)…or even Europe. Instead, he found a shop in Laos (!) that seemed to specialize in postcards from the Communist world. This seemed to be a theme in Southeast Asia, as the card below from Singapore was also concerned with communism.

“Communist-inspired riots” occurred on May 12, 1955 in Singapore (1992)

And then there’s this card from Bali, Indonesia. For a place that is often described as a paradise, it was unsettling to see the skulls and uncrossed bones adorning this otherwise peaceful card. There’s even a guy waving in a friendly way! Is it for real, or is it just an act to lull us into a false sense of security?

Bali, Indonesia – a tropical paradise? (1994)

Do I have more unusual postcards? Of course! I will share some of them in the weeks ahead. But first, watch for a fun Toronto adventure that I didn’t expect to have…

Posts from the road

Adventures in Groningen

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(Haren, the Netherlands)

When I was at law school, I nearly went on a one semester academic exchange to the University of Groningen. While I ultimately didn’t go on the exchange, I always wanted to see what it would have been like.  My cousin is now teaching at that same university; it seems like the right time to see the school, the city and the province!

We’re staying in Haren, a quaint town about 7 km southeast of Groningen.  There is a tranquil park here with a lot of wildlife, including a herd of deer!  The downtown core also features a huge old-fashioned windmill.

Deer in Haren
Deer in Haren

During our wadlopen shoe-renting mission, one of our other stops was at the Fraeylemaborg mansion in the small town of Slochteren.  Parts of the mansion date back to the middle ages; the photo at the top of the post was taken from a bridge in the park that surrounds the mansion.  We had lunch at an old inn in the nearby town of Loppersum.

The Fraeylemaborg mansion (Slochteren, the Netherlands)
The Fraeylemaborg mansion (Slochteren, the Netherlands)

On August 19, we visited the city of Groningen.  While it may not be as dramatic as Delft (Groningen suffered more war damage and there are some ill-fitting 1950s structures in the downtown core), Groningen still has many beautiful old buildings both inside and outside the university.  One of the more impressive ones was the Plato record store:  of course, I felt compelled to visit and found a few vinyl treasures inside.  Like many university towns, Groningen is a treasure trove of interesting music.

The Plato record store on Oude Ebbingestraat in Groningen
The Plato record store on Oude Ebbingestraat in Groningen

There were many other interesting stores, however.  One store (“Klinkhamer”) could probably have charged admission to enter:  it sold everything from a stuffed two-headed bird to antique cigar boxes to radioactivity warning signs from nuclear plants.  The Kaashandel van der Ley cheese store was another example of a specialty store that went one step beyond the norm with its huge selection of domestic and imported cheeses.  Alas, it is difficult to bring home cheese and LPs:  our shopping is limited to 7″ vinyl singles and snack-sized cheese products.

Kaashandel van der Ley on Oosterstraat in Groningen
Kaashandel van der Ley on Oosterstraat in Groningen

We really like the feel of Groningen.  Our waiter at dinner told us that life is just a little bit slower in Groningen and even that “people from Groningen are a little more honest”.  While I can’t really assess that claim, I think it would be easy to live here.   As we have found elsewhere in the Netherlands, the people are very helpful and seem genuinely pleased that we are visiting from Canada.

We were also able to wander freely through the university buildings.  There is a large contingent of international students here and local residents seem quite comfortable with the diverse academic population.

Uurwerkersgang in the university district of Groningen
Uurwerkersgang in the university district of Groningen

Perhaps because of the huge student population, bicycle use here was even higher than in Delft.  Beside the train station, we saw a parking garage for bicycles!

Multi-level bicycle parking garage near the main train station in Groningen
Multi-level bicycle parking garage near the main train station in Groningen

As much as we enjoyed Groningen, we also really enjoyed travelling on the narrow local roads in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe.  The narrow local roads are often lined closely on both sides by tall trees that somehow create a cozy t unnel effect.  I think it would be great to undertake a bicycle tour of the small villages in this part of the Netherlands, as dedicated bicycle paths often run parallel to these scenic roads.  We’re now moving on to a different part of the Netherlands but I am quite sure that we will return to the north in the near future.

Posts from the road

The Peculiar Sport of Wadlopen

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(Haren, the Netherlands)

On August 16, we arrived in the town of Haren for a four-day stay in the northern Dutch province of Groningen.  I didn’t really know what to expect, as I have never been  to this part of the Netherlands before.  Haren is a town just outside the city of Groningen and looked rather prosperous upon arrival.

My cousin Nienke is helping us out up here and she had arranged for me to take part in a wadlopen tour on August 18.   Wadlopen can be roughly translated as “mudwalking” – taking advantage of low tides, it is possible (with a guide) to walk from the northern coast of the Netherlands to some of the Frisian islands located 10-15 km off the coast.  The exposed earth is very muddy and you often have to cross channels that are still filled with water.  Because you can get disoriented and drown, a guide is required.  Fatigue can also be a factor, as the trek is physically demanding and can take from 4 to 6 hours.  Finally, of course, you will get extremely muddy and it is possible (or even probable) that your shoes and clothing will be ruined.

The ferry we took to (and from) Schiermonnikoog
The ferry we took to (and from) Schiermonnikoog

On August 17, after determining that my intended mudwalking shoes were not high enough to avoid getting stuck in the mud (basketball shoes are recommended), we went to the village of Pieterburen to rent some special shoes.  We combined it with a car tour of the northern part of Groningen province.  It is filled with quaint little towns and villages.

Alas, after renting the shoes and returning to Haren, I received the news that the wadlopen had been cancelled.  The weather forecast for August 18 was abysmal, with thunderstorms and heavy rain in the forecast.  As a consequence, the channels were expected to be very deep and not suitable for crossing.   While disappointing, the danger is very real and I am glad that the guides were professional enough to make safety the top priority.

The village of Schiermonnikoog
The village of Schiermonnikoog

As the rented shoes still needed to be returned, we decided to visit a Frisian island anyway…but take a boat there instead.  The destination was now Schiermonnikoog, a small but relatively unspoiled island that doesn’t receive as many visitors as the islands to the west.

North shore of Schiermonnikoog
North shore of Schiermonnikoog

The village (also called Schiermonnikoog) was very quaint, but the real attraction was hiking over and beyond the dunes to the massive beach that forms the northern shore of the island.  We arrived slightly after low tide and explored the shifting shoreline with a careful eye (to avoid getting cut off from the shore by the rising tide).  It was very peaceful:  the Netherlands are very densely populated but we really felt like we were at the edge of the world out on the north shore of Schiermonnikoog.

Labrador Retrievers love exploring Schiermonnikoog at (relatively) low tide
Labrador Retrievers love exploring at (relatively) low tide

It would be misleading to say that the weather was perfect.  Although we didn’t hear too much thunder, it did rain on seven different occasions during the day (I stopped counting when we got back to Haren).  However, we were flexible with our schedule and retreated to a restaurant or café whenever the rain became particularly heavy.  One establishment (Hotel van der Werff) was especially intriguing:  its décor probably hadn’t changed in a century.  While it almost felt like being in a museum, it also was very much alive with an interesting assortment of characters from the present day.

Low tide reveals an abundance of life under water (Schiermonnikoog north shore)
Low tide reveals an abundance of life under water (Schiermonnikoog north shore)

Although I didn’t get to go on the wadlopen, I still managed to walk for a couple of hours on the remote island of Schiermonnikoog…and my shoes lived to tell the tale!  I’m sure I’ll be back in this part of the Netherlands before long to try again.