I’ve decided to be more balanced in my posts. Nicer. Lately, I’ve caught myself being automatically cynical, and I’m not sure I like that. F’instance… Dutch cuisine. Now some people (and I’m looking at you, anonymous), would argue that this is an oxymoron, that a nation that revels in deep-frying almost anything possible, although possible not quite as much as Glaswegians (haggis, Mars bars, granny’s underwear), couldn’t possibly have cuisine, and that the strength of the local beer can be directly related to the local croquette density (or whatever those horrible fried sandwich thingies are called).
See that – an almost-perfect example of why I think I’m way too cynical. I’m bitching about a nation that thinks a stein is an acceptably small beer measure, a place that produced the chap who told me to chill out and stop working whilst I ate earlier, a city where the cookies that come with your coffee can be especiaaaaally niiiiicccce (No, not Glasgow, although I’m sure that’s possible in some of the artier pubs there too).
So lets start again. I will, for at least as long as I can remember, attempt to be more pleasant in my posts. To see the good side of things, the hopeful in everywhere, but – and this is the difficult part – without being too hopelessly optimistic about life, the universe and human nature. To just be. And see. And comment as fairly and positively as I can. This probably won’t outlast Christmas, so grab it whilst you can.
So. Holland, Den Nederlanden, the place with all the windmills: what can I say (without ranting). Several of the people are nice. The beer is plentiful, drinkable and comes in big glasses that make you feel 3 again (the glass, not the beer: I’m not recommending that 3-year-olds drink here). Some of the Old Master art is stunningly good, ranging from almost-photographically perfect to capturing a mood, a soul and a time in one flat space. There’s some good modern art in Den Haag’s galleries, and some of it is set in stunning old formal rooms, all tapestries of wildly-coloured birds and crafted wood with no clothes on. It’s easy to find water, even in unexpected places (including lawns, which must be keeping the mole population down beautifully). It still has enterpreneurs who believe in new red-lit hotel lobbies despite the credit crunch. And. Erm. The tulips are cute. Can I have a gold star now please?