I still remember
how my legs pushed and pulled
my way through the forest
climbing the rugged path
cycling the hills home.
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When You’re Struggling, Remember these “Eat, Pray, Love” Words by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I can sense the restlessness that drives many of us these days. A restlessness I’m familiar with. Moving to a new place on a new island, working on new projects within a pandemic world, and moving house again, to a tiny, basic, off-grid home in development, don’t make 2020 a particularly easy ride.
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De Nuchtere Boerin, Mallorca, en Haar Wereldse, Onbevangen Zusje, Ibiza {Dutch}
Deze twee zuster-eilanden zijn als dag en nacht. Waar het ene zusje de boho-queen en de artistieke, hedonistische, zwevende vrijheidsliefhebber is, niet zelden in een witte Range Rover, is het andere zusje, back to basics, stevig met twee benen op de grond, en doet zich niet beter voor dan ze is; ze durft echt te zijn, neemt niet meer, maar zeker ook niet minder plaats in, is no-nonsense en rijdt in een oude pick-up of op een snelle racefiets.
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The Small Treats in Life, Friendship and Love.
Yesterday it was my dear old friend’s 45th birthday and I called her to hear her voice again and to congratulate her with another fabulous year. I had to send her a Patsy and Eddie picture first. These two women are still so hilarious and some bothering negative feelings you might have, will melt as…
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How Starting a New Life in the South of Europe Changed My View on Food.
In this Spanish village where I live, it wasn’t toilet paper that people were stacking away during lockdown, as people did in the Netherlands, my native country. No, it was flour. Flour to bake bread, cakes and pizza. As we all had to stay in our houses and my only weekly visit was to the…
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Eat Together without Phones on the Table and Other Lessons I Learnt from Starting an Eco Community.
‘Community living’: to live with like-minded people, share food, ideas about life and necessities, support each other, work on projects together, have somebody around to have a chat or a drink with and respect everyone’s space. It’s a way of life which can be valuable, joyful and a way to learn from one another. Experiment…
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It’s That Simple: Near the Sea we Should be Free.
“Doesn’t it seem to you,” asked Madame Bovary, “that the mind moves more freely in the presence of that boundless expanse, that the sight of it elevates the soul and gives rise to thoughts of the infinite and the ideal?” Gustave Flaubert Last Sunday I visited the sea, a dreamy small cove, enclosed by high…
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Let’s Go Home. Unbreak Our Broken Relationship with Animals.
If there’s one sentiment, one state of being, one need, that prevents us from learning and growing, it’s comfort. The modern human is addicted to comfort. That makes the fight against climate change and racial injustice so hard. Comfort, it’s the synonym for chicken soup. At the moment I’m reading ‘Eating Animals’, a book by…
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A No-Nonsense Island to Love.
These past weeks we are working on what will become our new home. Days consist of digging and shovelling rocks, but with many breaks, as the Mediterranean sun shines powerfully this time of year and it makes it all really, really sweaty. Although I don’t know the island well yet, Mallorca is a place to…
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Onrecht om van te janken. {Dutch}
“I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.” ~ Audre Lorde Nog krap een week en we komen aan bij de langste dag van het jaar. Er valt bar weinig…
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