On parole... Mouth of IJ

Soon after getting out of the prison I got a job as truck driver. A job like any other but it paid the bills. My first itinerary led me to IJmuiden, a port town and the entrance of North Sea to Amsterdam. I stayed in the port overnight and did some readings about the town.

What made me curious was the name of the town or actually its spelling. IJmuiden is written with two capital letters in front. The first letter is obviously a capital one but why the hell the second one as well ??
I jumped out of my truck, bought some Amstel beer and return to my cabin. In bed I started to do some research on the town of IJmuiden. And here it comes... the mystery was solved!

Inside...Sailors' den

IJmuiden... this place returns like a boomerang.
Deserted streets, north wind coming straight into your face, trying to warm your cold hands clenching them vigorously. And then you come across a lonely pub, in the middle of empty streets, but just on the corner, with the door wide open, inviting you to take a large beer.
And there is a man with a Victorian hat looking at the entrance to the harbour outside the window...

On the road...strange IJ

....we have finally arrived to IJmuiden, a quiet town on the west side of Amsterdam, where we ate a delicious Italian pizza made by a Milanese cook, wondering why the hell IJmuiden is written with 'I' and 'J' with capital letters in the name...

Weekend's reading.... Hunter S Thompson

This book I will read to my nephew. It goes like this:

"I wouldn't dare go to sleep with you wandering around in this condition - with a head full of acid and wanting to slice me up with that goddamn knife."
He rolled his eyes for a moment, then tried to smile. "Who said anything about slicing you up?" he mumbled. "I just wanted to carve a little Z on your forehead - nothing serious." He shrugged and reached for a cigarette on top of the TV set."
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Hunter S. Thompson.

Inside... Culturpark and a dancing ball

Westergasfabriek zone, one of the venues, I forgot the name, though.

In the sky... Rotterdam

Rotterdam, falling asleep.

On parole... Gallows pole

Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while,
I think I see my brother coming, riding many a mile.
Brother, you get me some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me, my brother, to keep me from the Gallows Pole?

Led Zeppelin, Gallows Pole. 

On the boat... Being a woman

Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.
Jospeh Conrad

4 strings 4 4 reasons

4 strings for 4 reasons:
First, always play straight from your heart.
Second, practice till the tune reaches its desired shape.
Third, get a beer and meditate through the piece.
Fourth, share the music with others.

On parole... Soundflakes

Haarlemerstraat, Amsterdam. 9Feb 2013. Snow flakes were like petals of sounds.

Fat Thursday

Dutch donuts for Dutch dinner. 

On the street... Ghostlawns

On the corner of Utrechtsestraat, Amsterdam.

Breakfast's ready ... Dutch donughts

These are already eaten. Sorry, folks !

On the street ... another Amsterdamse canal

A view from Utrechtsestraat, Amsterdam.

On the road... Fiat 500 L

Fiat 500L. produced in 1968.

Tulips ... can you smell them ?

“I must have flowers, always, and always.”
― Claude Monet
taken from Amsterdam flower market

A valuable lesson.

Grandparents can teach you what your parents haven't learnt yet.