Happy with a new King and Queen

Happy with a new King and Queen, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

A luscious spring morning in Bagnoregio

A luscious spring morning in Bagnoregio, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

At the end of April, we spent a few days in Rome. The weather was not too good but the sun came out on the last day when we took the opportunity of going to Bagnoregio.

Spring colours in the Green Heart of Holland

Spring colours in the Green Heart of Holland, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

Yesterday, I met up with my sister who is on a cycling vacation/long weekend in Holland, at Sassenheim station where this photo was taken. We cycled first to the nearby city of Leiden for a coffee before spending the day cycling through the so-called Green Heart of Holland, ending up in the old town of Gouda.

Fred teaches near Leiden and we were very near his cshool. However, today, I received a call from Fred at about 8.30 am to say he was on his way back home because his school was closed for the day. Some stupid idiot posted a message on the internet to say he was going to come to school and shoot his teacher and some of his fellow pupils at a school in the city of Leiden.

Of course, the authorities had no choice but to close all schools in the area for the day.The police say they have arrested someone inconnection with this stupid and cowardly act, whilst we are told that the maximum penalty for this sort of nonsense is nine months.

So Fred had to miss giving five lessons just a few weeks before the final exams which is very annoying and he had worked all day yesterday to have everything ready for today.

Anyway, it was a nice sunny day so not too bad to be sent home. I am off to Milan now, will be seeing Fred in Rome on Thursday evening for a long weekend there with my brother and my Mum.

The rainbow people of Amsterdam tell Putin to Go Homo

The rainbow people of Amsterdam tell Putin to Go Homo, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

Monday 8th April 2013, Putin visits Amsterdam and Margaret Thatcher dies.

In July1988, during a visit made by Queen Elizabeth II, there was a demonstration in Amsterdam against Clause 28,a clause in the UK Local Government Bill which stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

April 2013, there is a demonstration against Putin and his anti-gay law whereby he tries to outlaw gay propaganda, something in which he has received strong support from the Russian Orthodox Church.

In the meantime, back in the UK, Section 28 was repealed in 2000 and the current Conservative Prime Minister has introduced a law to allow equal marriage, whereby gay people are allowed to marry each other. OK, Britain has a much richer democratic history, but there must be hope for the gay people in Russia despite their current leaders.