Haarlem at night–

MMM!  So ‘gezellig’ (cozy) to walk the streets of Haarlem, The Netherlands at night. . .the low-lying clouds move quickly overhead dropping rain one second, hail the next, and then nothing the third–the weather here is DYNAMIC, baby…just a few miles inland from the North Sea.  The wet streets glimmer and shimmer and remind me that I am not a good swimmer–I hope the canals keep the flood waters away for yet another evening.

The steeple of the Great Church in the center of town shines shinily. . .pointing upward to the heavens to let the sheep know that all is well…someone is watching over them, at least they hope this is the case.  And in the cold dampness of the Great Market Square there is greenery urging us to forge on for another day, another night. . .we agree to do so.  We have no other choice. . .we do, but we forge on anyway.

Wandering the streets of thousand-year-old cities and towns is magical. . .scintillating. . .captivating. . .soothing.  So many have come here before us, so many will come after us. . .all we have to do is enjoy this moment NOW. . .the universe will take care of the rest.

I send you contemplative vibes from nighttime Haarlem here in The Netherlands. . .feel them. . .they are good for your appetite.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Galactic Gypsy–

POW!  The sky opens up in Amsterdam allowing us to fly away. . .the lights twinkle in the main Schipol Airport terminal reminding us that the darker it gets, the easier it is to see the stars. . .constellations are depicted in the ceiling of our ‘gezellig’ hotel in the heart of Haarlem keeping us in our place as the small and puny humans who think we are doing “important” things here, there, and everywhere. . .and the moon, super or otherwise, watches over us on each and every journey–keeping the oceans balanced and in some sort of cosmic-based rhythm, providing a target for our love (to the moon and back, Alice), and smiling its wan smile full of secrets that we will never know.

I send you lustily wandering vibes from the airports and skies of Europe and America. . .feel them. . .they will help you dream deeply tonight and every night.

To see more fabulous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you deserve a magical virtual trip this holiday season.

It’s lovely out there.

Europeans welcome us, post-election–

JAAAA!!  The Europeans welcomed us with open arms just days after the U.S. election. . .phew, thought they might send us away. . .no, come to us, we sympathize with you having endured so much of our own kookiness throughout history. . .welcome to the pack…exceptionalism is on hold for the moment…evolving…maybe never to return.  A new normal is on the horizon. . .or maybe it is the same normal that has always existed…maybe we couldn’t see it because of the veils blocking our eyes. . .maybe it was all an illusion…is an illusion…the same as it ever was.

The Europeans listen attentively to us here at our gathering point in Haarlem, The Netherlands…learning from us…us learning from them.  Italians, French, Dutch, Germans, Spaniards, Belgians, Swiss, Fins, English, Irish, Hungarians, and Russians. . .so many who have experienced so much worse than we have. . .so many with lessons to teach us.  We wisely listen. . .they wisely listen. . .we connect and move upward and onward together. . .mmmm, aaaahh!  If only it could always be like this.  Europe ROCKS!

Let us all listen, connect, and evolve together. . .I send you wildly hopeful vibes from a cozy meeting room in Haarlem. . .feel them. . .they are good and magical and mysterious and human.

To see more stupendous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 seafood…Haarlem, The Netherlands–

BAM!  This place ROCKS!!

Here I am gobbling away at Koren-Beurs…a lovely dining spot owned by a dude called, Hans–who you see with me above–and his lovely wife…can’t remember her name, sorry.

Hans and his wife ran a B & B on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily for a year.  The wife told me that she learned a lot about food preparation and cooking from the Sicilians. . .so, they returned to their home here in Haarlem and are now showing off their new culinary talents in this wonderful restaurant. . .mmm, aaaahh. . .and I am a lucky boy for having found this place and these folks.

I have been here working for a full week, and I have been gobbling their daily fish board each and every evening–it is freakin’ delicious–jaaa!!  The wife does all of the cooking, and Hans runs the front-of-house and the bar.

The fish board is a daily selection of sole, salmon, tuna, shrimp, mussels, calamari, and razor clams prepared with delectable seasonings and dipping sauces–a wonderful mixture of Dutch and Sicilian styles melded together into something totally gobble-worthy. . .I love it all!  Plus, everything is served with fresh greens, beans, tomatoes, and roasted potatoes all topped off with a nicely cooked boiled egg.  And the whole thing is washed down with crisp Etna white wine. . .thank-you-veddy-much. . .one of the world’s truly finest whites, in my humble, know-nothing opinion.

Koren-Beurs is Dutch for “grain market”. . .this building used to be a grain market here on the bank of one of the main canals in town and just a five-minute walk from the St. Bove Cathedral in the center of Haarlem…good work converting this building into a dining haven.  Delightful location, friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, and DELICIOSO FOOD make this a wonderful place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner…yes, they serve all three as they are open from morning to late at night.

So, if you ever find yerself wanderin’ around in Haarlem over here in The Netherlands lookin’ for somethin’ good to eat, then head on into Koren Beurs. . .you will find dining satisfaction here–I gar-ron-taaaaayy!!

To see more fabulous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely and tasty out there.

Street scenes…Haarlem, The Netherlands–

BAM!  Strolling through ‘istoric towns like Haarlem in the Netherlands is a joyous experience.  The imagination runs wild with images of past figures doing their various things here, there, and everywhere. . .Frans Hals worked on a cathedral painting from the corner of that square…Spinoza may have flittered about over in that building or on this street…Rembrandt may have eaten a meal in that old basement over there…etc. and so on. . .the vibes of these large figures are palpable and somewhat knowable. . .here for the taking for us in the present to do with what we will. . .mmm, aaaahh!

Plus, this place is the namesake for the famous neighborhood in New York City called ‘Harlem’…one ‘a’ has been left out for “amazing!”  Harlem…Haarlem. . .both places are magical and most worthy of visits. . .visiting both places reminds us that we are really all the same–different, but the same–seeking moments of joy and ecstasy amidst the noise, confusion, and mystery of everything around us.  So, get out and about, if you can. . .there is soooo much to see and sooooo little time.

I send you namesake vibes from Haarlem here in the Netherlands. . .feel them. . .they are good for improving your global perspective on things.

It’s lovely out there.

Makin’ the donuts in Haarlem–

BOOM!  Here we are kickin’ it in Haarlem, The Netherlands. . .got to do some work occasionally, and it is wonderful when it happens in thousand-year-old towns like this one.

Frans Hals used to live and paint here. . .plus so many other Dutch Masters of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. . .mmm, aaaahh!  So fun to walk where they walked, breathe the air they breathed, sip the brews that they sipped, and spread good vibes similar to ones that they surely spread through these streets and in these buildings.

Haarlem is about a 25-minute drive from Schipol Airport just outside of Amsterdam. . .if you ever find yourself on a long layover in this fine airport, then I strongly recommend that you consider a quick trip out to Haarlem–the grand cathedral in the heart of town is totally worth a visit…plus, you can grab a bite to eat or sip a coffee in an outdoor cafe and gaze at this big old thing and contemplate all of the people who have come here before you and all of the folks who come here long after we are gone. . .jaaaa!…feel the good vibes of all our fellow humans doing their best to enjoy the passage of time.

I send you Dutch-masterly vibes from Haarlem. . .feel them. . .they will help you walk a little taller today.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.