Dogs, Delft and a dad's birthday

This past week has once again been dominated by the heatwave here, which is probably no news for anyone in Europe now. Suffice to say, it's been pretty intense here in our corner of Zeeland, but compared to France and Germany, we have been much better off.  Their temperatures have been beyond belief. That said, the nights here have been the hardest part as they didn't cool down and the temperature in our living room never dipped below 27º with a correspondingly high humidity; the bedroom was still over 30º. Needless to say, I sought the lowest point in the house and slept in our sunroom, which, with the sliding doors open, was marginally cooler. The downside came in the squadrons of mosquitos that flew in en masse to snack upon my recumbent form. Unfortunately, the itching has lingered longer than the heatwave, which broke in somewhat noisy style on Sunday night with a thunderstorm that caused havoc elsewhere in the country, but was merely a sleep disturbance here.

Thankfully, it is now cooler and more pleasant, so we and the dogs are much happier. Zoe has been particularly stressed by the heat and has been making much use of her cooling mats. Here she is in the garden with her best friend, Lucy.

But in other news, last Thursday I went to Delft – you know, that Dutch town famous for its lovely blue and white porcelain? I haven't been there for many years and I'd forgotten how heartbreakingly pretty it is with its myriad canals, charming bridges, gorgeous old houses, beautiful city hall, bustling market and everything you'd expect from a traditional Dutch town. The reason for my visit on one of the hottest days of the week was quite special. An author friend, Simon Michael Prior, whose books (both memoirs and fiction) I've enjoyed hugely, was visiting the Netherlands with his daughter. We agreed to meet in Delft where he had last been at the age of 11.

I drove half the way to Bergen op Zoom and from there took the train to Delft, a pretty efficient way of doing the 170 km journey although it was determined more by the closure of the railway line from Goes to Bergen due to work on the tracks than to my personal choice. At the station, I wrapped the car up in a white sheet leaving it shrouded and in as much shade as I could find to await my return.

I've often had mixed feelings about air conditioning, but for once I relished the wonderfully cool carriage in the train that sped me the rest of the way to Delft. Walking from the station to the Market Square where I met Simon and daughter Candi was a fairytale meander through cobbled streets, and over delicate arched bridges crossing the town's network of picturesque canals. 

We wasted little time in finding an ideal waterside café with shaded tables where we had lunch and chatted about all manner of subjects. Simon is one of those people I am quickly convinced I've known forever and felt so at ease with that I may just have asked some unforgivably nosey questions. Simon, if you read this, I apologise, but, oh my, you've led such an interesting life and have travelled so much! I had no idea! Candi, his daughter, was a real sweetheart and I'm sure Simon and his wife are very proud of her. I'm sure she will go far in life with her lovely personality.

Anyway, the time passed much too quickly and before we knew it we'd walked a circuitous route back to the station, where we said our farewells and I made my way back to my mummified car in Bergen op Zoom. The drive home was like being slowly grilled, but I made it before I was reduced to charred remains. Okay, slight exaggeration, but my little Fiat is a basic model and open windows  only serve to circulate the hot outside air rather than offering anything refreshing. I was very glad Zoe wasn't with me.

Here are a few of the snaps I took in Delft. Isn't it gorgeous?

Boats can be restaurants too.

A classic view of Delft

Boats and bridges on a Delft canal

A canal, a bridge, bicycles, flowers and trees.
What more could you wish for?

And here is the obligatory meet-up photo with Simon. Don't you love his sunglasses? They are just so cool!

Me with Simon on one of Delft's pretty bridges

Back home again, I spent the next couple of days trying to avoid being fried. My favourite time of day was early evening when I could sit in the garden and enjoy my chaotic corner of flowering shrubs. The buddleia bush has brought special rewards. The butterflies and bees love it and it's been enchanting to watch the red admirals and peacocks dancing over the florets or landing on my hair. These were moments of relief after the gruelling afternoon temperatures. 

My chaotic corner of my little garden

The problem here in the Netherlands is that our homes are designed to retain heat, not dispel it, and we don't have air conditioning, so when summer temperatures like those of the past two weeks hit, there's little escape. Note to self: maybe a mobile airco would come in handy for such spells in the future?

And that brings us to today, the last day of June. This also happens to be Koos's birthday, which we celebrated with his son and daughter-in-law, together with my daughter, at a local restaurant. I think I can honestly say the meal was enjoyed by all and the birthday boy was warmed by his son's visit. Given that they'd only returned from their holiday in Greece yesterday, it was lovely of them to make the trip down to see Koos. Thank you, Sanne and Marije!

Menus printed like old newspapers need careful
reading

The birthday boy :)

So that's it for this week and for June, allemaal. Tomorrow we begin the month of summer holidays, so let's see what July and August bring. For now, enjoy the rest of the week wherever you are, and I'll be back soon with more news and views from our world.