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In the meantime, back in the UK, Section 28 was repealed in 2000 and the current Conservative Prime Minister has introduced a law to allow equal marriage, whereby gay people are allowed to marry each other.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.

Beach life in Batinah

Beach life in Batinah, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

Life came to an abrupt end for this shark, which was being kept in the fridge, not sure what its future woyuld be, maybe a trip up the coast to the fish market in Sohar... He weighed in at about 15 kgs.

Two brothers in Balad Seet in Oman

Two brothers in Balad Seet in Oman, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

A month on from my previous trip to Oman, I did almost the same thing, but this time with my brother. Here we are in Balad Seed, the photo having been taken by our new friend Ali, a young Real Madrid support from the village who offered to take us up there.

It was a wonderful day, spiced up by the uncertainties of whether the Mitsubishi Lancer we had rented would make it along the raod and also if our supply of petrol would last to Ar Rustaq. Fortunately, both did! We are now in a surprisingly noisy hotel in the seaside town of Al Khaburah and we will make our way back to Dubai tomorrow, ready for my two day trip to Saudi Arabia for work...

And, by the way, we did not see my friend from yesterday's posts at Nizwa market, but a host of other outstanding characters instead...

Two brothers in Balad Seet in Oman

Two brothers in Balad Seet in Oman, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

A month on from my previous trip to Oman, I did almost the same thing, but this time with my brother. Here we are in Balad Seed, the photo having been taken by our new friend Ali, a young Real Madrid support from the village who offered to take us up there.

It was a wonderful day, spiced up by the uncertainties of whether the Mitsubishi Lancer we had rented would make it along the raod and also if our supply of petrol would last to Ar Rustaq. Fortunately, both did! We are now in a surprisingly noisy hotel in the seaside town of Al Khaburah and we will make our way back to Dubai tomorrow, ready for my two day trip to Saudi Arabia for work...

And, by the way, we did not see my friend from yesterday's posts at Nizwa market, but a host of other outstanding characters instead...

Two brothers in Balad Seet in Oman

Two brothers in Balad Seet in Oman, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

A month on from my previous trip to Oman, I did almost the same thing, but this time with my brother. Here we are in Balad Seed, the photo having been taken by our new friend Ali, a young Real Madrid support from the village who offered to take us up there.

It was a wonderful day, spiced up by the uncertainties of whether the Mitsubishi Lancer we had rented would make it along the raod and also if our supply of petrol would last to Ar Rustaq. Fortunately, both did! We are now in a surprisingly noisy hotel in the seaside town of Al Khaburah and we will make our way back to Dubai tomorrow, ready for my two day trip to Saudi Arabia for work...

And, by the way, we did not see my friend from yesterday's posts at Nizwa market, but a host of other outstanding characters instead...

Omani air conditioning pots

Omani air conditioning pots, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

These pots are filled with cool water from the springs/falaj and hung in the open windows of the houses in the mountain villages of Oamn. Somehow, this keeps the rooms in the houses cool and can therefore be said to be the most attractive form of air-conditioning I have ever seen.

Parrot-face

Parrot-face, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

This chappie was seen in the bird section of the Nizwa livestock market. he was giving a green hot chili pepper to eat, mainly, I think to delight and surprise the the crowd which had gathered around.

A sunny spring day in Istanbul

A sunny spring day in Istanbul, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

Starting a new year in Turkey, with a stop-over visit to Istanbul on my way to Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Leaving the cold winds and wet snow of Amsterdam behind, it was wonderful to be treated to a beautiful sunny spring day. Here is some quince blossom.

Scenes from Flevopark

Scenes from Flevopark, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

From last Sunday's walk in a local park, a littlle bit of mist starting to arise after a bright sunny and slightly warm day.

Last Sunday's sunshine and snow

Last Sunday's sunshine and snow, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

The sun is out again today but the snow has all disappeared.... winter due to return later in the week though...

Colours and textures from Nizwa

Colours and textures from Nizwa, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

From one day in Oman... 1st February 2013...

Out in the Omani countryside

Out in the Omani countryside, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

A face in a crowd

A face in a crowd, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

As seen in Nizwa in Oman...

A sunny snowy Sunday in Amsterdam

A sunny snowy Sunday in Amsterdam, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

Using the panorama function on my Sony slt-a77v to capture a pleasant snowscape in Park Frankendael.

The beautiful metal doors of Balad Seet

The beautiful metal doors of Balad Seet, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

alad Seet is a village tucked away in the Al Hajar mountains of Oman, somewhere between Al-Hamra and Al-Rustaq. The drive across the mountains oin dirt-track roads is an amazing experience (especially when doing it for the first time as dusk was settling in with us having to get Fred to Muscat airport in time for his flight, as was teh acse two years ago). Anyway, I took this road again last wek, starting off at 13.30, giving me time to stopoff at Balad Seet along the way. It was a beautiful oasis set in a high valley, with fields of brilliant green, backed by date palms. A wonderful sight. More pics later.

Anyway, I managed to find and photograph a series of these weather-beaten iron doors, of which this is just one, three more on flickr. I had a poster made of the four photos when I arrived back in Amstertdam and it is now hanging proudly in my office in Rotterdam.

Women of Nizwa

Women of Nizwa, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.

Here is a portrait of a Bedu woman at the weekly livestock market in Nizwa, Oman from last week.

The faded pastels of Ayvalık

The faded pastels of Ayvalık, a photo by CharlesFred on Flickr.