A couple of days in Drenthe

Just too late, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

We spent the last couple of days up north with Fred's youngest brother, Jan and his family, Jannie, Kimberley and Raoul, in Klazienaveen, in the province of Drenthe, based around Jan and Jannie's joint birthday party on Friday evening. This was very enjoyable and went bon quite late with the result we were quite tired yesterday!

We accompanies Raoul to his football match where his under-seven team from Kalzienaveen played against a team from nearby Sleen (pronounced Slane). It was avery one-sided contest with Raoul's team winning 8-1, Raoul scoring one of the goals. At least the Sleen goalkeeper had something to do, as in here where he is saving a ball from the feet of Raoul.

It was disturbing to watch Match of the Day to see two very very nasty injuries to two of Chelsea's goalkeepers, Pieter Cech and Carlo Cudicini who were both concussed. Not a very good incentive for potential young goalkeepers, but these things do happen and it was probably just a bad coincidence that these two injuries occured in the same match.

Back in Amsterdam today, it is the Amsterdam marathon, being run under dull grey skies. I used to run the Amsterdam half marathon regularly but have not sone so for two years now but would like to get back to running again when I have recovered properly from my ankle injuries.

But back to Sleen, it was near here that Fred's great uncle was shot by police for poaching. The silly man had been caught one week and had in his turn shot at a policeman. So, when the silly man went back a week or two later, the police were waiting for him and shot him dead. Rough folk up there.... fortunetely the football game yesterday morning went off without any problems.