Normal Holland and the Achterhoek

I remember coming to Vibeke’s native Holland after we left Mozambique... and I remember feeling that everything was so nice and organized that it was “not normal”, I find Holland (the Nederlands, as they like to call it here) a wonderfully abnormal country... just because they take a very wide view of normality....

The chaos we normally experience in the developing world seems “more normal” to me... that a place where all looks like some omnipotent grandma has been cleaning and making order overnight... where bicycles rule and everything has a legal framework around it, discussing issues rationally is the national occupation, where people complain that 25 % of the population can't afford to go in holidays, where you can go and buy a spliff legally, get your self a professional prostitute from a window shop in a normal house, marry you same sex partner or chose euthanasia as way to die...

And here we are again, in what is now pretty much an anual summer migration out of NZ

But anyway... Vibeke’s original Holland, where her parents and family live is deep rural Holland... no the one that tourist get to see... she lives in the East... in the Achterhoek... and spent most our time in the near Barchem... her parents and family are still close related to farming, either as ex, hobby, or actual farmers...

Seeing where she comes from was eye-opening for me, after all, what we knew from each other was only what we told each other and our “history” in our adopted NZ... seeing her history of cycling 20 km to go to school in a rural town, seeing her pictures wining prices as show jumping rider, seeing how “normal” and somehow privileged life she had... made me value even more her adaptability, understanding, and overall coolness during some of the situations and experiences we have as a “nomad” family...

We spend time in the house you see next, there Margreet (vib’s mum)(parents divorced a while ago) lives with Barthold (who owns the farm), they don’t farm it anymore as they took a government offer to keep most of the farm as an “scenic reserve”, meaning keeping it nice (and getting paid by the government to do it), while some other parts are leased to farmers and tree planting... the cows at the top are the front neighbours... the closest house is Barthold’s cousin (Gert) farm, at least 150 m away... and then nothing at less than 400mt... Barchem it self is not much... 1000 people? A pub café, the best bakery in the region, a mini supermarket and a farm shop... end of story

But then... they rent a shed to a local Bloke that makes didgeridoos! And winter-horns like a traditional old instrument from the region that looks and sound like a didgeridoo... reality is way more strange than fiction....

Vib’s dad (retired vet) lives a good 30 minutes away by car in the near of Winterswijk, but even in more remote location (and there is where Vib grow up).

Vib’s cousin Erik (34) is a full time farmer and has a relatively hi-tech milk farm of 60 hectares and over 200 cows... extremely intensive farming compared to the ones I see in the parts we hang out... I really like him... we always have good chats... he has good vision of the world... we like to spent time with him because he and his wife (Berendien) they are similar minded and aged and have 3 children... Felix just loves it there...
It could be a cliche for me to start criticising the subsidies and the environmental cost of intensive farming, but I realize that I would be missing the point... starting with the fact that his farm was just water 30 years ago (as big part of Holland)... If I could find a way to measure the effort that people put into farming vs. the rewards out of it, and scaled to the cost of living in that country... then I guess I could compare and if necessary draw an argument... but until then...

I just keep enjoying the Achterhoek...