One of the first things I did after arriving in this house was an exploration of the bookshelves. Outdoor life is very beautiful, but not complete without a book. To my satisfaction I found a decent collection of books in English. My favorite so far is The complete book of self-sufficiency by John Seymour. This …
Farm life
I am sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of fresh mint tea. Through the window I see the clouds fly by; the wind is often very strong. I look out over the valley, with the city of Coyhaique down below. In the distance you can see the snowy mountains of Patagonia. On the …
Back to the Earth
Our backpacks are packed and our family members are blinking back their last tears: It’s time to say goodbye to the Netherlands again. We will spend the next five months in Chile, where we will work on several farms through WWOOF. It may not seem the most logical step after obtaining a PhD degree (Freddy) …
God with us
This Sunday will be the start of Advent, which probably also means the start of Christmas stress for all mothers in the UK who have to get their families through the festivities with enough food, presents and decorations. No Christmas Carols and High Street shopping for us this year, because we celebrate Christmas in Chile. The …
A different view
History is written by the victors. This applies to what we humans do to each other as well as to our treatment of other species. As humans, we see ourselves as the measure of all things. However, I think the world is more beautiful if we broaden our mind. In an interview with NRC, Frans …
Colourful world
I was cycling home this afternoon when I suddenly saw a huge rainbow, shining over the houses. After I had been watching for a while, it started raining and I quickly got on my bike again. The trees along the street had adorned the gray tarmac with bright yellow leaves. The sun shone on it, …