Sunday, 25 February 2018

Week 8 The Russian Bear, a German Wolf, and a koala!



The "Russian Bear"

A bit of boat stuff this week. I'm hardly thinking of anything else because of the upcoming trip to Maastricht. But, "the best laid plans"...

We have a boating ban from Saturday onwards due to the "Russian Bear" - or Winter from Siberia. The major shipping canals like the Prinses Margriet Canal are still open for commercial shipping, but all the rest are not to be used - in an attempt to help the ice to form for skating!
... and so, I am not able to take the boat to Grou for some work. I was going to try to fix the (leaking) fuel tank - but it has stopped leaking, so I just have to fill it to about 3/4 and see what happens. The motor is going to be looked at under warranty - the water-pump impeller-shaft has to be replaced at their cost - they discovered that a harder metal should have been used (something I would never have known until it was too late).
Oh well, it would have been cold, in any case!

Near Beetsterzwaag is Nij Beets - an old canal was re-opened 3 years ago and the locals are now providing a mooring for "boat tourists".
I was quite taken by the words of the local spokesperson:

"Mar no moatte we se ek wat biede, funen we, om te soargjen dat se hjir oanlizze." 

I just love the written Frisian, especially when I can understand it! 

"But now we have to offer something, in our opinion, to ensure that they (boat tourists) can moor here".

There will also be a toilet block, free electricity and wifi.




NAP

(might be a bit boring! This was part of my boating exam that was quite complicated - when having to calculate the clearance of bridges, for example, if the water level has changed for some reason. It never seemed to be a problem in Friesland but now that we are going further afield, I thought I'd better brush up on it.)


Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP) is a vertical datum in use in large parts of Western Europe. Originally created for use in the Netherlands, its height was used by Prussia in 1879 for defining Normalnull, and in 1955 by other European countries. In the 1990s, it was used as the reference level for the United European levelling Network (UELN) which in turn led to the European Vertical Reference System (EVRS).

Mayor Johannes Hudde of Amsterdam in a way came up with the idea after he expanded the sea dyke after a flood in Amsterdam in 1675. Of course a dyke should be storm-resistant to protect a city against flooding, and in this case, a margin of "9 feet and 5 inches" (2.67 m - margin is defined in Amsterdam feet) was deemed enough to cope with rising water. So he measured the water level of the adjacent sea arm, Het IJ and compared it with the water level in the canals within the city itself. He found that the water level at an average summer flood in the sea arm (when the water level reaches its maximum, not counting storms) was about the same as the level on the other side of the sea-dyke, plus the margin of 9 feet and 5 inches. (The original Dutch measurements were 9 voet and 5 duim - "foot and thumb" )




The relatively constant water level in the canals of Amsterdam, called Amsterdams Peil ("Amsterdam level", AP), equalled the level at summer flood at sea in the sea-inlet, which changes throughout the year. AP was carried over to other areas in the Netherlands in 1860, to replace locally used levels. In this operation, an error was introduced which was corrected (normalised) between 1885 and 1894, resulting in the Normaal Amsterdams Peil.


It is impossible to avoid them in the Netherlands: the blue signs with white markings of the NAP. Because there are more than 35,000 throughout the country, one can almost always be found within a kilometre of any place in the Netherlands. Today (this week) exactly 200 years ago the system was introduced nationally.



"At that time, each region had its own level, the Frisian Summer Level, the Delfsland Peil, Rijnlands Peil, and each water board and many cities had its own, and it was a mess from our perspective", says Petra van Dam, professor of State Water History at the Vrije Universiteit - in With the Eye on Tomorrow .

"On 18 February 1818, King William I issued a decree to say: it is now over, and Amsterdam is being taken over for the management of the major rivers."

The 0 level of the NAP is roughly equal to the average sea level of the North Sea. The highest point in the Netherlands is close to the 3-country point on the Vaalserberg, 322.5 meters. The lowest point is at Nieuwerkerk on the IJssel: -6.78 meters.



In the capital, Mayor Johannes Hudde had already placed white marble stones in the Amsterdam locks in 1684 to measure the water level.




"Hudde thought it was important to set the zero point for Amsterdam once and for all, by measuring the water level of the IJ for a year and taking the average of the summer flood level, which became the Amsterdam Peil."


Originally the zero level of the NAP was the average summer flood water level in the IJ just north of the centre of Amsterdam (which was at the time, in 1684, the main shipping area, then still connected with the open sea). Currently, it is physically realised by a brass benchmark on a 22-meter pile below the Dam square in Amsterdam. The brass benchmark in the Amsterdam Stopera (combined city hall and opera house), which is a tourist attraction, is no longer used as a reference point.



A scale measuring the water level in a polder near Zoetermeer, Netherlands. The level is 5.53 meters below "Normaal Amsterdams Peil" which can be translated as Normal Height Datum of Amsterdam. This equals more or less (but not exactly) 5.53 meters below sea level; 
more than 18 feet.


 ________________________________________________________________________

The lowest point in the Netherlands (7 metres below NAP)



The Zuidplaspolder is a polder in the western Netherlands, located northeast of Rotterdam. It reaches a depth of 7.0 metres (23.0 ft) under the mean sea level. This makes it, along with Lammefjord in Denmark, the lowest point of Western Europe and the European Union.
________________________________________________



Flood-post at Maassluis



This flood barrier monument was unveiled on 1 February 2003 as a reminder of the flood of 1953. The artwork on top of the pole made of elm wood is called 'Stormkracht' and was made by sculptor Friedie Kloen (Wageningen 1956). 'A person peers over the water to assess the situation and sees that it is going well, the Delta Works in the distance give him peace'. NAP + 5.95 is the height of the Delftlandsedijk.  
NAP + 3.75 Storm surge 1 February 1953. 

_______________________________________________________________________


...the German Wolf...

Over the past few years there have been newspaper and televison reports of "sightings of wolves", or at least one wolf.
Last week there were three sightings (of probably the same wolf).

There have been three confirmed sightings of wolves in the Netherlands so far this year, website Nature Today said on Wednesday. On Wednesday morning, a wolf was spotted in several locations in Gelderland and was caught on video walking along the edge of fields. A wolf was seen in several places in the east of the country around the beginning of January and again in Twente in early February. ‘In general, wolves are wary animals so it is likely that the Netherlands is visited more often,’ the website said. ‘However, there is no sign yet that wolves have made the Netherlands their permanent home.’ The first confirmed sighting of a live wolf on Dutch soil since 1869 was made in 2015. A dead wolf was found in Flevoland in summer 2013 but research showed it had probably been dumped there. In March 2014, the government announced the wolf will be a protected species when it returns to live in the Netherlands. This means farmers will receive compensation from a special fund if livestock is attacked and killed.


Around the Farm...

Cold, basically. The insurance companies have advised that wood heaters (such as ours) should not be used IF you have a thatched roof (such as ours). The extreme cold is also extremely dry and being late in the season, many chimneys have a soot build-up which could cause sparks - all a bad combination! We have a spark arrestor on our chimney near the thatch...

The moles can still dig...


The oak trees are being pruned...



The kids are getting bigger! We have to buy some bigger gumboots for a couple of the kids...


We had to move Daniel's caravan inside and "pack it in" with mattresses. He has a small heater inside. We don't have any apartments free at the moment, so we had to think of something! We've had the mattresses "in storage" for 10 years, so this is not such a bad thing to be able to use them. Later this year we'll use them as proper insulation for the new work shed - where the caravan is.





A field of solar panels



I was a bit early to pick Lucas up, so I stopped for some photos...







...and the koala!




Monday, 19 February 2018

Week 7 A Local Murder

Boat Show 2019


Ha! Just looking...




Inflatable, for on the roof...?




We don't see many of these around but expect to see more...



Just playing...




Murder at our local restaurant

Surprise. Set up as though everybody was here for a buffet dinner at our place. The police came inside to say that there had been a murder and we all had to come away for questioning. As I write, I wonder if they will carry it off?
Janny had served 9 years on the Local Action group representing Wijnjewoude - so a farewell dinner was arranged, in conjunction with another Jannie who is leaving this year.
Jannie (ie) had arranged a cultural excursion:
We visited a (wood) sculptor and a Glasswork Artist. Both very creative and the older sculptor obviously makes a good living with his work. 
Their names attracted my attention and reminded me of a story which I have never verified.
The sculptor is Joop van Bergen and the glassworker is Esther van Amsterdam. I often take these things literally and so I began to think of Joop (from the mountains - bergen = mountains) and obviously Esther from Amsterdam. In our family, we have van der Velde (from the fields). We had a van Breda in one of our apartments years ago.
There is a famous family Bierenbroodspot; quite literally "beer and bread place". That one in particular always made me wonder...
So, I finally looked it up.

In 1811, the French under Napoleon occupied the Netherlands. They started having a census for the purpose of taxation and forced everyone to have a family name, which was not a common practice for the Dutch.The Dutch thought this would be a temporary measure and took on comical or offensive sounding names as a practical joke on their French occupiers. Some examples are:

Suikerbuik (Sugarbelly)
Spring in t Veld (Jump in the Field)
Uiekruier (Onion-crier)
Naaktgeboren (Born naked)
Poepjes (Little shit)
Schooier (Beggar)
Scheefnek (Crooked-neck)
Rotmensen (Rotten people)
Zeldenthuis (Rarely at home)
Zondervan (without a surname)
Borst (breast)
Piest (to urinate)

Imagine the Dutch standing in line to register and having a few laughs at the expense of the French officials, only to have the name stick to them and their descendants for centuries.

I digress. After the "Cultural Afternoon," we all gathered at our place. The idea was to let everyone think we were going to eat and party here:



 In walked the Police! to explain that there has been a murder at our local restaurant De Stripe.


And so, we headed off to De Stripe for a "Murder Dinner"!
We had to step over "the body" to get in...


and then solve the mystery... where was the crime committed, by whom, with what and why?
Despite my protests that it was too obvious, we went ahead and won the prize! I did establish that "The Butler Did It" is not a Dutch thing...



More from Ben

He visited us for one night... (yeah, it's like that).
He spent a fair bit of time preparing a scholarship request to study in China next year. All to fit in with his work in Singapore, travel to Australia and then direct to Shanghai...
ha!, I can't even plan what I'm doing next week!
Next week he is off to Malta with his University Club!
He has also had his "Loneliness in Amsterdam" report published in England, America and Canada. It was also translated into Romanian.



Ben and I also found time for a walk in the forest...with Zoey.



From the Newspaper...


No Smoking

Hospitality businesses no longer allowed to have "smoking rooms". Pubs, restaurants, hotels all affected. At Smaller inner-city pubs, it will be more noticeable that people have to stand outside to smoke.
In the so-called "coffee shops", it is legal to smoke marijuana but not tobacco...

Earthquakes and subsidence...

Gas

Gas extraction on Ameland has also caused subsidence. This is affecting brooding water birds with higher water levels. Risen by 33 to 38 cm since 1986. (ie the traditional brooding places are now under water). 

"kwelder" = salt marshes

Translation:

Salt marshes are grounds that have arisen outside the dyke by deposition of sand and silt with a spontaneously established vegetation. The plants, such as Lamsoor, samphire and sea aster, are resistant to the regular flooding by salt tidal water. Salt marshes are one of the few Dutch landscapes of very great international significance.
The Wadden Sea has salt marshes along large parts of the mainland coast and on the Wadden Sea side of the islands in the lee of drift dykes and sometimes as a green beach on the North Sea side. In the past, the salt marshes remained more or less inhabited by nature, but after many embankments in recent centuries, many salt marshes have been protected.

Salt Extraction

Has been approved in Harlingen with the proviso that there should be no subsidence or problems similar to Groningen where the gas extraction has caused extensive damage to buildings.

Birdwatchers

Building a Birdwatchers Academy at Lauwersoog. Information and Meeting place for birdwatchers. Excursions, tourism, an attraction for Germans and Belgians in particular.

Tobacco

Taking on the tobacco industry. 25 % of Nederlanders smoke. Approx 400 per local doctor! Many organisations (including doctors) have joined a legal battle against the Tobacco Industry.

Whitewashing

76 yo man gets 3 years gaol for whitewashing money (6m euros)... Packed in rolled pork roasts and smuggled to the Antilles.

Medicine prices

Ireland has joined NL, Belgium, Luxembourg in a group advocating lower pharmaceutical prices. They hope for more to join. Currently representing 40 million people.

IKEA coming to Sneek.

Janny tells me they are forming a partnership to sell "tiny houses". When the time is right" we are going to sell up, live on the boat and in the tiny house AND spend more time in Australia..." Oh well...dream on...that I should live so long...
(Edit: this one turned out to be Fakebook News - someone had hacked the Sneek website and announced that a new IKEA would be coming to Sneek!)

Wind Power

2100 wind turbines... Would theoretically be enough to meet Friesland's current electricity needs. So says a report looking to future needs. 300 turbines at present. The report also looks at solar panels - theoretically, 18000 hectares needed. At present 15 hectares with 40 hectares in development. Geothermal energy also under consideration.

Norwegian Prison

There is a Norwegian prison in Veenhuizen. (about 15 minutes drive from us). 250 Netherlanders employed. 10. Norwegian personnel including Director. English is spoken. All the guards have to take classes to learn Norwegian and English. Not all of the prisoners have Norwegian nationality. They have minimum 3-year sentences and are flown into the airport at Groningen.


Sunday, 11 February 2018

Week 6 Long Service Leave - Netherlands Style

The days are slowly getting longer, and so my 0815hrs photos begin...


The same photo with a bit cut out to show the cyclists. A group of schoolkids usually cycle past at 0745hrs - in the dark. These two were a bit later...




...but no skating!

A great photo of Ben 

We hardly know where he is going to pop up - this one from Antwerpen...




Long Service Leave makes it's way to the Netherlands...


(I heard something as a young firefighter but never thought of it and never used it - so it became part of the "retirement" package. I do remember hearing that it was something to do with our colonial past - but never thought to find out more until a few weeks ago).


Long service leave is a benefit peculiar to Australia and New Zealand (and possibly some public servants in India) and relates to their colonial heritage. There is a similar system of sabbatical leave also in Finland. Long Service Leave developed from the concept of furlough, which stems from the Dutch word verlof (meaning leave) and its usage originates in leave granted from military service.

Long service leave was introduced in Australia in the 1860s. The idea was to allow civil servants the opportunity to sail home to England after 10 years’ service in ‘the colonies’. It was 13 weeks for every ten years of service, composed of five weeks to sail back to England, three weeks of leave and five weeks to sail back.

In the 19th century, furlough as a benefit as it is now known, was a privilege granted by legislation to the colonial and Indian Services. In Australia, the benefits were first granted to Victorian and South Australian civil servants. The nature of the leave allowed civil servants to sail 'home' to England, safe in the knowledge that they were able to return to their positions upon their return to Australia.

The concept spread beyond the public service over the period 1950 to 1975, mainly as a result of pressure from employees seeking comparability with the public service.


Janny has granted me up to 6 weeks Long Service Leave to go away on the boat - this after "25 years service in a foreign country".

It will be "Three Old Blokes In a Boat". Friend Robin from the Northern Territory and Lyall, a friend of his from Canada.

So, the proposal is to head down to Maastricht some time in April. Good friends Andrew & Terry gave me their log details from when they did it in 2011. They went on into France and returned to Friesland in 2013 - doing it all in stages, 3 months at a time.

Using this information as a guide, I was able to use an online program to get an idea of the route and the charts that I will need to update:

We know how to get to Ossenzijl (25 km) and then on to Blokzijl

In a lot of places the maximum speed is 6 km/hr, but even where it is faster we can only manage about 10 - but I am more than happy to potter along at 6-8, without having the motor working too hard. Some days will be longer than others...

1. Ossenzijl to Blokzijl 13 km
2. Blokzijl to Harderwijk 65 km
3. Harderwijk to Weesp 65 km (near Amsterdam)

4. Weesp to Utrecht 31 km




5. Utrecht to Gorinchem 34 km


6. Gorinchem to Well 53 km
7 Well to Roermond 45 km
8 Roermond to Maastricht 48 km


Doing lots of reading at the moment. The text accompanying this "Waterways of The Netherlands" chart says that there are10,000 km navigable waterways. Maybe that includes places where even our boat can't go. We are limited by depth (1m) and the height of fixed bridges (2.4/2.5 metres).


One series of booklets, describing "junction points" in each of the provinces, also includes basic safety tips at the start of each booklet.

"Keep Right" Obvious, but also important if you have to consider "who has right of way?" Keeping to the right within a canal or buoys covers just about everything!

With big shipping, they are mostly concerned with the "dood hoek" or dead corner of visibility from the bridge. Collisions in this area occur far too frequently. In recent years there has been a call for a basic licence (education) for all boat users, not just for boats over 15 metres.

And crossing over at intersections.

Making "wide" turns so that it is clear to others.


From the Newspaper

(again, not much time this week - maybe I have to get up earlier!).

House Prices

The most expensive homes in the Netherlands are once again found in the coastal town of Bloemendaal near Haarlem. The average price for a house was €776,000 in 2017, according to a new report published jointly by the national statistics office CBS and the land registry on Thursday.

This was well above the national average of €263,000 last year and far above the average €141,000 paid in the northern port city of Delfzijl, reckoned to be the cheapest in the country for housing.

The price differences last year were wider than in 2016, the CBS said. Average house prices in Bloemendaal were 5.5 times more expensive than in Delfzijl in 2017 but only just over five times higher in the previous year.

Aside from Bloemendaal, average house prices above €500,000 were also found in Wassenaar, Laren (Noord-Holland), Blaricum and Heemstede. A year earlier Heemstede failed to top the €500,000 mark with an average of €448,000, but Rozendaal did with €544,000.

Delfzijl was the only town in the Netherlands with an average house price below €150,000 in 2017.

In 80% of the towns surveyed, the average house price varied between €195,000 and €337,000. The average house price is below €195,000 in 10% of the towns; these are mostly located on the edges of the country in Groningen, Friesland and Limburg provinces.

In the highest segment, sales prices were between €337,000 and €776,000. Amsterdam falls in this category with average home prices pegged at €406,000.

Follow up on Dairy Cow Fraud

The number of dairy farms suspected of fiddling the books about the age of the cows has soared to 2,100, farm minister Carola Schouten told MPs on Thursday.

By passing older calves off as younger animals, farmers can get around strict rules on manure and phosphate reduction. Adult cows are more polluting, so farmers are claiming that their cows have given birth to twins or triplets, hiding the true ages of some calves.

The fraud first came to light last month, when ministry inspectors found fraud in the registration of calves on half the 93 farms they visited within a week.

Since then, the inspectors have been comparing different registration systems and have found possible fraud on 2,100 farms.

‘I consider the scale of the fraud extremely concerning,’ Schouten told MPs in a briefing. ‘We have to prevent farms which stick to the rules being disadvantaged by those that fiddle their books.’

The affected farms have been banned from selling or buying new cattle until their administration has been approved. Farmers found to have lied about the ages of their animals face a reduction in subsidies or criminal prosecution.

At the end of last year, the NRC revealed that farmers are also committing fraud on a wide scale when it comes to manure. Farmers are forging their accounts, illegally trading their manure or dumping more on their land than permitted by law, while transport companies are fiddling lorry weights and making unrecorded trips to dump manure at night, the paper said.

In total, the NRC found that 36 of the 56 manure processing and distribution companies in the two regions had been fined for fraud, or suspected of fraud, in what the paper calls the ‘manure conspiracy’.

(end of this week - heading off to The Boat Show in Leeuwarden)