North Sea Jazz

After visiting both Timo's and Morten's exam this weekend, Robbert and I went to the NSJ festival this Saturday.

It was great.
Robbert had had surgery this week twice (no kidding, he has a hole in his left leg about the size of 2 euro coin and about 5 cm deep) because the steenpuist that started right after he came back from Italy had developed into something horrid.
Meaning, he sort of limped thru the crowd and had to sit down regularly.
The doctor offered to put a plaster on his leg so he could have an excuse and go to the front at every concert, but that was a bit too far even for us.

Anyway, we first visited Steely Dan with Donald Fagan. Great show full 60-something old guys and all sorts of grey haired 45 yr olds swinging on the beats of back then.

Then we went to see Trijntje Oosterhuis who just recorded a CD full of Burt Bacharach oldies.

After we saw the last part of Boris we had something to eat.
The festival lasted 3 days and was visited by some 70,000 visitors so getting something to eat is one thing, finding a place to sit down and eat it, another.

Anyway, on to Reunion, a band formed around guitar player Chuck Loeb and trumpet player Till Brönner and by then we were around midnight and as Robbert was off the whole Sunday to celebrate one of our friends turning 40, we called it a day.

Funny thing is 2 of my colleagues were there, with their partners, whom i know too and did i see them?
Course not.
I did see the mayor though.

Every one who is here around mid July next year: go!!

Dunya

Today was the start of the season of the summerfestivals and traditionally it was opened with the Dunya festival in the park near the Euromast.
Speaking of which, when we passed it someone was (legally) 'sailing' down from it.
I think i would be fine once hanging on this rope, but the very thought of stepping over the railing.

We listened to some African singers and went on our way, only to see this huge air blown-balloon like-castle. Apparently the Dutch military were recruiting the very young because children could go up there. You were strapped into some device, had to climb a rope ladder and then walk this pole that was about 10 mtrs above the ground.

Seriously, what is it with all these heights?

Of course Timo and Morten wanted to queue.
Seeing that it would take them some time, Rachel, Claire (her mum who is over visiting), Caroline and i walked around a bit, had some chips with mayo (actually the mayo got spilled all over Rachel) and then when we came back they were still half way and Morten had gone.
Where's Morten i asked Timo, trying to control the anguish in my voice.
O, he just wandered of he said.

What!!!???
At a festival with about 1000's of people walking around?

The funny thing is I didn't hear him crying (or did that mean they had already taken him far away?).
For Morten is the one to tell me; you know i panic easily, whenever i run to do an errand and ask, are you all ok if i run of to the bakery for a moment?

Then i saw him trying to find us and swallowed my fears.

After another half hour Timo was ready to go up. He waved bravely at Morten and then was hauled up by another big military man.
But then... it was time to walk the pole.
Look at his eyes.

He didn't dare and went down by the rope.
Still, a big hand for this small boy people!

Then... Morten thought the time had come to get a (henna) tattoo. A dragon of course.
So.
His mom paid 12 euro for something that will probably last till tomorrow.


Everyone admiring the process:

See, we got the advice to leave it to dry for 30 minutes, went our way and then ofcourse Caroline bumped into Morten, smearing her sleeve against his arm thus ruining both her sleeve AND the tattoo.

SIGH.

Anyway, when we came back (after having the artist repare it as much as possible) Robbert was almost done with sawing the woods for the cupboards in the cellar, the kids went into a bath and that is what really did the tattoo in.