I'm a millionaire!

Since the beginning of this month I'm a millionaire. No, I did not cash in on my Facebook stock – besides the network did not go public at that moment yet. And no, I did not win the lottery. I can only thank many people around the globe. Early this month my Flickr photostream welcomed the 1,000,000th visitor since I joined in 2007. I know many of my contacts have far more visits, but it makes me feel rich.

A 1972 Ford Gran Torino Squire, seen in Etowah, Tennessee.
The overall #1 photo with 13,636 views since July 28, 2008.

A million visits in five years time from people either viewing my photos directly, or by visiting my photostream. It is a number I can only dream about for my blog, because visits here are somewhat pathetic with 500 per month at the most. And most of these visits come because they are pointed this way by Google. The “Murder” blog attracts the most visits so far, often because people are looking for Michelle Dockery, Jason Hughes or Lawrence Fox – naked if possible, according to the key words, so my stats tell me. They'll be disappointed then. The Horror Sauna blog is slowly climbing to the highest ranks too, and I wondered why that could be. Turns out there is Finnish horror movie called 'Sauna', and a photo of my blog can be found between photos of that movie in Google images. But enough of that, it is Flickr I am talking about here.

I can not recall exactly how I discovered Flickr. I think I was looking for a photo on Google Images, and found a photo that directed me to the Flickr site. I was hooked right away. Soon I found Flickr groups, and with that I found people with the same interests. Many have become good friends, and those friendships cut across social standards, ages and continents. Teachers, a pastor, a painter, musicians. Teenagers and retirees. People from several European countries, Japan, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, the USA and Canada. Flickr proved to be a great social medium for me. An exiting photographic ride with like minded people all over the world. It brought me spirited discussions, warm felt wishes when something happened, a toast at Christmas from Wawa, Ontario, a book on 1930s automobile coach builders all the way from Malibu, a visitor from the English Midlands, a museum visit with a contact from Germany, a custom made Christmas card from an illustrator from Minnesota, a model car and a car Cars toy for cousin Pieter's son Pieter. Joy, but also sadness when a good contact suddenly passed away.

Snoqualmie Falls. At #61 with 1,898 views since August 4, 2011, my best viewed nature photo.

My interest in all things around cars led me to set up the Flickr Car Memories and Guesses group, that is now growing to 1,000 members. It is not only about photos, but has the added bonus of an interesting discussion board. Needless to say that many of my photos on Flickr are centered around an automotive theme. And that is reflected in the top 10 most views photos in my stream. My collection of Opel calender plate scans is popular too – four of them show in the top 10 list, and when looking for them on the internet, I not only find them on Tumblr, but they shine on many blogs as well. But mind you, it is by far not only cars, I have uploaded quite a few photos with different subjects - photos of family and vacation, or interesting places in my country.

Do I like to be a millionair? You bet. And I love to share my photos with you. So, if this stimulates you to visit my photo stream, be my guest. Adding comments is easy when you sign up for a free Flickr account. Hope to see you there!

www.flickr.com/mazdamiata/

PS: I do have a second photostream entirely dedicated to car photos, car porn if you like – this word will trigger some visits, mark my words. I use this stream as a kind of repository, with no regards to quality: www.flickr.com/martin-automotive/


And if you want to Pinterest me? Find me on pinterest.com/martinvanduijn/

1. 1972 Ford Gran Torino Squire 13,639 views		2. Volkswagen campers 8,504 views		3. St. Gotthard Pass 7,417 views		4. Mod Squad 6,431 views		5. 1970 Opel Commodore GS Coupé 6,190 views
6. 1970 Opel Commodore 5,766 views		7. 1968 Opel Commodore Coupé 5,122 views		8 1965 Opel Kadett 4,430 views		9. 1953 Volkswagen Beetle 4,232 views		10. 1963 Lincoln Continental 4,173 views

Road Trip

Many hate it, I love it. That just 'drive along' feeling, and let the countryside and the scenery surprise you. I love road trips – provided the traffic doesn't get to your nerves of course. No definite destination, no stress to be somewhere at some moment. It is an attitude that unfortunately is lost on many of my fellow countrymen. Their trips are well planned and organized. They know what to expect, and to avoid anything that might interfere with their plans and expectations, they pack their household and travel with that ultimate statement of travel security: the caravan.
 
A road trip is not not about the destination, but about the experience. It is about flexibility, to take a different direction than what might be expected. To point the car into a road that makes no sense. And doing so, finding charming small towns that won't make it into travel books, meet friendly people that are just as surprised seeing a foreign tourist as you are to find that lovely small place at the end of what was just a backroad on the map.

Shut off that air conditioning, open your window, feel the gentle breeze through your hair and let the backroads and the countryside guide you. It brought me to Canada a few years ago, while I was actually aiming for a museum in Indiana. It gave me a visual impression that I will never forget. The endless rolling hills of Quebec's Gaspé region and New Brunswick, at 4.30 AM, soft toned in a blue haze, deserted at that time of day and seen from two lane backroads, was an experience that was impossible to capture on camera, because any image would not do justice to the tranquility of the moment. It found me nice quiet cabins to spend the night, with rocking chairs on the porch in North Carolina, on the beach of Lake Michigan, and in a forest where bears were walking around at night checking out the garbage bins. It also brought me to the Bavarian Forest in Germany, that I have to admit, did not like. But in the end, that was not a problem – we simply moved on.

I have visited the United States and Canada quite a few times. No wonder, that there is a question I have often been asked. “Where do we need to go when we go to North America?” Well, a 'western highlight tour' or whatever highlight trip you can think of, is not the thing for me. I'm sure you'll see the nicest places, but the point is, no matter how much you limit or broaden your range, you'll find nice places and spots just about everywhere – you just have to keep your eyes open, and open yourself to it. And leave that travel guide at home, because one should not be ruled by the dictatorship of Beadeker or Lonely Planet. Or the trip suggestion by some travel agency. Relax. No point in driving hundred of miles each day in order to arrive at a highlight at night, and leave the following morning to hurry to the next one.



“What kind of RV did you rent?' That is the second question. Now, this has to to do with one undeniable and often ridiculed part of Dutch culture, as defining as cheese and tulips: the caravan trailer. What goes for Europe, goes for North America. That is the only way the Dutch venturing overseas think they can survive a vacation. It is the only option that comes to their mind. Because that is how they spend their vacations in Europe. I remember when, years ago, traffic came to a halt on a Montana freeway because a vehicle on fire was blocking the road. While I was standing on the shoulder I saw a woman. I instantly knew she was Dutch. She wore an odd skirt-like jeans short so characteristic for middle aged Dutch women at the time, but even more so, she was standing next to an RV. And I was right.

The Dutch RV caravan is a trailer box on wheels, packed with Dutch groceries, a satellite dish to watch Dutch channels, laptops, x-boxes, and a library of books. In order to enjoy it to the fullest, you make reservations for campsites six months in advance, not to mention the ferryboats in case the trip will take you across water. Setting off loaded with bicycles, and preferably with a number of friends and family members in their own car and caravan combos, just to keep boredom away in case the satellite dish is not functioning. It is a parade that clogs up motorways, especially when they decide to overtake another caravan pulling family car. The Dutch and their "Wohnmobilen" are shamefully notorious with our German neigbours when they terrorize the flow of traffic on the Autobahnen. They are not on vacation, they are on a mission. Setting out to colonize a small part of a foreign campsite, their caravan as their fortress, the satellite dish as the flag. There must be a fear somewhere deep down in their subconscious minds. Fear for the unexpected, fear of not knowing how to adjust your routine to a hotel, a bed and breakfast or even a holiday home. Some take it to the extreme. I actually know people who spend a few days in Paris with their kids in their caravan. To each his own, but I prefer to remember Paris by the sounds of the street early in the morning, and walking out of the hotel almost right at the foot of the stairs of the Sacré-Cœur, and a stones throw from Montmartre.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you have a family, it is often the only affordable way to spend your vacation. But there are numerous couples and families that don't opt for a caravan because of financial reasons. It is a way of life. And they call it Freedom. Freedom having to make reservations in advance, having to drag a trailer at 90 kmh max, sleep in cramped beds in a small muggy compartment, going to the bathroom at night through damp grass, and hoping to get some sleep because the next day a travel guide dictated program is waiting. Freedom because they fear the unexpected. Freedom experienced like an escaped prisoner with a chain and a stone ball around his ankle. “I like adventure, but I don't like surprises,” someone once said to me. And that explains it all.

So, when I'm asked what kind or RV I rent, I simply answer that the perfect way to enjoy your North American vacation is to rent an all wheel drive vehicle, and look for cabins, bed and breakfasts or small family owned motels. And take it easy and relax. Because that camper will not take you up narrow mountain dirt roads like Washington's Heart Pass, Glacier Park's Going to the Sun Road or the Mount Washington Road in New Hampshire. Many times it won't let you park on Main Street of Small Town USA. It confines you to often crowded campsites. But when I say so, I get blank looks. They simply will not take my word for it.

The dictatorship of the ignorant and mediocre

A Facebook contact recently showed a link to a Youtube video of a speech by Sir Ken Robinson. It was a fascinating view on the state of the US educational system, that might very well be valid to many other countries – in any case, to The Netherlands. Essentially, Sir Kenneth says that the educational system is failing because its structure is still the same as when it was drawn up in the 19th century. And now it is out of touch with the way young people are open to absorb information and knowledge in our media dominated society. I will not go into a discussion about our educational system, because that is not the scope of this blog. But this video was eye opening in some other aspects too.



Very early in my study Political Sciences at the Leiden University, a lecturer asked my class to write an essay on the origins of the Northern Ireland conflict. As might be expected, we all wrote that the catholic population being a minority feels suppressed by the protestant population and the British authorities. Wrong, our lecturer said. The roots of the Ulster conflict are not religion based, but have economic roots, so he claimed. The Roman Catholic population was poor, while the protestants had better jobs and higher incomes. If this would have been the other way round, it might have been very likely that we would not have seen a conflict at all in Northern Ireland. So, what does this tell us? Our teacher wanted us to learn to think about issues from a different angle. To be investigative and to learn to draw our own conclusions. Frankly, it took years before I understood what he was trying to do here.

These are visions that do not follow established patterns, not go by the book, but that are the result of original thinking. Looking at a situation from new angles, that most of us would not be able to do. Out of the box thinking, and drawing up conclusions based on one's own creative intelligence, instead of pointing to what others have said and written before. That is the essence of academic thinking. That kind of problem assessment is what we need in our societies. Too long have we lived in a world where decisions at both on the political and the administrative level are made on sub par intelligent level.

This is very apparent when you look at the political and administrative processes on the local community level. Decision makers and politicians are not capable of original thoughts, but mimic the conventions they know, rely on what they hear from others, or what they can easily adopt from media sources. That is because their education in The Netherlands is at often at so called higher professional level (HBO) here, a more on practices focusing eduction system one step below the academic world. In itself that would not be wrong, although we miss the academic way of assessing situations. If not for the fact the quality of HBO education has gradually slipped to middle professional education (MBO). And that failing level of insight and intelligence is spreading to all levels in our society. The reason is obvious. When you are a brilliant student or an excellent professional, you do not settle for a position at an average local community. Your ambitions are higher. And rightly so.

There is little we can do with the quality of civil servants, and with managers in subsidized organisations too, on short notice. But we can have a fresh look at our political representatives. Now, what I am going to propose here takes courage and it requires to look at our political system in the western world from a different angle. Like our educational system, most western political systems are formed in the 19th and early 20th century. During those years the level democratic participation expanded from a selected group of nobility and well to do citizens to all men and women above a certain age. We choose our representatives, because for practical reasons, we could not all directly participate in the democratic process, like in the old Greek democratic society. Parliament, senate, house of commons, whatever you call it, were too far away, and we were with too many to start with too. So, we trusted by vote those people we valued most. And there were university educated, brilliant and dedicated politicians who's entirely lives were focused to serve their voters and their societies. The same can be said for civil servants. But now, 100 years later, we still rely on that system. No matter that our democracies are not forming or growing anymore. The perspectives and challenges are gone. The system has slowed down to a stop. Many citizens do not believe in it anymore, or simply just don't care. The ambitions of the people we were used to trust and rely on are now only a shade of the qualities of the men and woman we trusted for decades. And society suffered. Decisions are made and executed on a mediocre level.

The political systems has gone bankrupt,and it is very apparent here in The Netherlands, where equal representation in parliament and too many political parties fail to provide a working majority that can form a government. And too many politicians see their seat in parliament as a step in their career, and move away as soon as something nice comes along. But it is not unique to my country. Take a look at the USA, and there too we witness a system falling apart. Huge amounts of money are wasted every four years to get people elected, only half of those who are allowed to vote will make the trip to the polling station, and in the end, half of the population does not accept the outcome of the elections. Something needs the be done.

I argue that our political system has evolved into a virtual democracy, that is in fact nothing more than the dictatorship of the ignorant and mediocre. Shouldn't it be better to trust our administrative an political processes to highly intelligent and capable people who are appointed to do so instead of getting a mandate by election? After all, in our information based society we have access to different media and possibilities that guarantee our basic political rights. And I'm sure we can come up with all kinds of new tools we can use to control these appointed technocrats. Just think of how inspiring I can be when we, the citizens, could use the internet as a tool to express our demands to the technocrat representatives. It may look like an ongoing referendum, but it can combine an modern way of political participation with the quality and intelligence we desperately need. The events in Northern Africa have shown us the power of new media. So, do we have the courage to try something new here? But I fear that it will never happen. Because in order to achieve this, to make huge and fundamental steps that will affect our society, lives and the way we look at established systems, we need the cooperation of all who are in power now. And I know where that will end. They lack the will to sacrifice their own positions, and will not understand that it would be in the best interest of all to give up their old fashioned structures. And we, we will just stay where we are.

I dreamed an Opel world

Where do you get these photos from? A question that is asked me quite a few times. Subject: the meanwhile famous 1960s Opel calender photos. Easily the most popular of my photos on Flickr, often re-blogged, and they keep gathering interest. And the collection keeps growing. Time to tell a bit more about this not so common hobby.



My father was most of his professional life employed as the bookkeeper of an automobile dealership, that during the 1950s and 1960s sold Opels and Chevrolets. Towards the end of the year my father used to bring various calenders home that arrived at his office from banks, insurance companies, and of course, Opel. When my Dad found a real nice calender, he would put it under the Christmas tree for me. The Opel calenders were among the best, two plates per month plus a large cover photo, so 25 full colour photos for me to enjoy. The 1965 Opel calender was the first one he managed to secure, and I still remember how in love I was with all the great photos, depicting Opels in several countries. I had to wait until Christmas 1967 for the next Opel calender, and the 1970 edition was the last one my father took home, because by then the Opel years were history for the car business that employed him. Opel went out, Toyota moved in. It was not a bad move for sales, but it was for calenders. I don't know if Toyota calendars were either scarce or snapped away by others. I think I only ever had one, and it was a pathetic substitute for the lavish Opel calenders, since they only showed nice touristy images of Japan, with a tiny Toyota photo on the bottom end of the pages. So, what was so special about these Opel calenders, you might ask? Were it the cars? Maybe. But I grew up with Opels and they were often the subject of conversation, so the cars of the German company from Rüsselsheim were the ones to have in my young eyes.



Opel was big in those years, but still played second fiddle to Volkswagen in the sales charts in the 1960s in my country. That only changed in 1969, when the aging Volkswagen Beetle could not longer withstand the massive success of the Kadett B-model – and Opel would lead the charts here for at least 25 years. The Kadett was everything an Opel always was: roomy, a cavernous boot, reliable, and a decent price tag. Everything a family was looking for. The ultimate John Doe car, except the bigger and more expensive Kapitän, Admiral and V8 Diplomat of course, that catered for the executive market. But the Kadetts and Rekord were the money makers, and being the sensible choice was both Opel’s unique selling points and image problem alike. Opels were not special, and their handling left a lot to be desired for. An image problem the marketing people addressed by adding coupes to the program. The 1962 Rekord P2 was the first Opel to offer this flashy body style, basicly a low roof, no rear head room and higher price tag. Oh, and a lot of brightwork, optional whitewalls and a cigarette lighter of course. But ultimately, that was not enough. Because times were changing.



When GM introduced the Corvair Monza, it spawned the Mustang at its rival in Dearborn. And the Mustang led to the Camaro and Firebird at Chevrolet and Pontiac. And then the entire automotive industry had to tap into that fountain of eternal youth visualized by images of speed and power. The result was tsunami of pony and muscle cars from almost any manufacturer. In Europe this led to the birth of the Capri at Ford, and Opel answer was the Manta, and it's best looking automobile of all times, the GT sportscar that follwoed the lines of its bigger cousin, the Corvette. But before the GT and the Manta were ready for the showroom and the road, Opel had to rely on cosmetic measures. GT packages, striping, extra lights on the front bumpers – red, yellow and orange coupes promising speed and sportscar handling, while maybe only adding a few horses to the power and a few kilometers to the top speed. And if you were not into the faux pony and muscle cars wannabees, elegant coupes, even pillarless hardtops for the Rekord and Commodore, were yours to choose from. All this was of course proudly shown in full colour calender plates. Two per month, nonetheless. And a young boy dreamed when he looked at the photos. And not only because of the cars triggered his imagination, but the exotic photo locations could not be overlooked either. Think about it: places as far as Paris, Switzerland and Greece. These were the Wirschaftswunder years. People bought cars, and discovered Europe! And there I was, dreaming to be there too in my Opel Commodore GS Coupé.



Reality was a bit more down to earth for our family. We were always lucky to have a car, usually with an Opel badge, save for two front wheel drive Ford Taunus'. The cars were not brandnew, sometimes it was a six year old Kapitäns, sometimes a one year old Kadett. But whatever car we had, we traveled in summer to our own exotic destination, being it the Dutch province of Limburg, or the mluntains in Switzerland. I lived in an Opel country, and I dreamed an Opel world. Who can blame a young boy, at an age and at times that everything looked so promising? So, it will not come as a surprise to you, that I always kept these plates, as a physical proof of my Opel coloured imagination of times gone by. The calenders were no flip overs, but of the tear off kind, so they could not survive in original comdition. But all the plates were kept in big sturdy cardbox envelop, and later moved to large albums whit plastic envelop pages to protect them. That's how the 1965, 1968 and 1979 calenders plates were preserved over decades. Some years ago, when I added my photos to Flickr, I decided to scan the calender plates. And it felt good that so many people liked them. I also added a collection of digital vintage Opel publicity photos, but there's nothing like the calender plates you have at home. That's why I, thanks to the internet, started collecting Opel calenders. 1963, 1964 and 1967 are meanwhile added to the collection, and I'm scanning the photos of these treasures now. Maybe, just maybe, one day I'll have all the 1960-1970 calenders. Not sure if I will be that lucky. But as I write this, a 1960 calender is on its way to my mailbox. I just can't wait.

My Opel calender photos set here
My Opel publicity photos set here

The perversion of democracy

Watching the Republican candidates for the American 2012 presidential elections is not something to boost your mood. I can't say much about mr. Romney, although his 13% tax and Swiss bank account do not do much to give him any credit. But with Santorum, the catholic Taliban, Gingrich with his debatable ethics and gynecologist Paul who thinks you can run the country like you did it in 1900, you might wonder if you are looking at political satire, or a watching political cartoon that came to life.

The people of a small village in Massachusetts could see the humerous sides of
the Democratic vs. Republican debate,as seen on this 1999 photo. I wonder if they still do now?

So, what’s it to you, you might ask. Well, more than you think, I fear. The United States regards itself as the leader of the western world, and indeed it is. Not by ethics or moral, but by sheer power and the size of its economy. So, whoever is a president, his actions affect all of us. Am I exaggerating here? Not really. When Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, the US could have stepped in to bail it out. But the Bush administration decided it was best for all of us to let the markets deal with it, because a true conservative believes in the forces of free enterprise without government interference. And how right he was of course. The global economy nosedived because of that, but we all know we would be far worse off if this bank would have been nationalized, apparently. Just like Obama's horrible decision to help General Motors and Chrysler. Saving jobs, disposable income and hence spending power of over 500,000 families and keeping away all those people from welfare was a mistake of an unheard magnitude. Well, at least in Republican eyes.

Republicans firmly believe in simple solutions. So simple, that the entire complex macro economic world is reduced to a vending machine where you can pick the solutions of your choice. What global economy? Environmental issues? Foreign relations? Cut tax, create jobs. Ignore environment, create jobs. The ultimate simplification of politics. Which is easy and convenient, because you only have to shout some one liners and you can attract voters who do not question anything. Because they vote for their wallet. Short term individual advantages prevail over the collective well being of a nation. The perversion of capitalism.

Let's start with the basic Republican universal claim that less tax means more jobs. Maybe for businesses, but less income tax resulting in more jobs? Who says so? You can safely assume that extra disposable income will for a great deal be spent on consumer goods produced in Asia – maybe it could create some more jobs with the railroads and at Wal-mart, but that's about it. Or it may be put in a savings account or investment fund. Those don't create jobs either.
The western world is not competing with less tax in production countries. We are competing with a Third World level of income, lifestyle and social standards. Sure, if you want your American workers to earn $100 per month, work 14 hours per day and if possible have 14 year olds to do so, by all means – go ahead and lower yourself to a Third World level of wealth.

There are still too much Eastern European style living conditions for many. A primitive home in rural Georgia.
Not Washington's responsibility, according the conservatives.

The rants against Washington, because government is too big and consumes too much of tax money, overlook something. The money does not simply disappear, it is also used for wages, that translate into the purchase of consumer goods, cars, homes. But more important, it translates into services that are purchased by the government, like road construction, ICT consultancy, teachers... People who earn money and in turn, spend it too. And it denies the fact that when things get rough economically, you are happy that there is a level of autonomous spending that keeps the economy going. Because the businesses politicians so fondly speak off, are the first ones to keep their money in their pockets when difficult times are ahead. Not much help from that corner then.

What is always odd to me, is that people who are on a crusade for 'lower taxes' and less government interference, do not look at countries where higher taxes are proven to have been beneficial for the welfare of all, like the Scandinavian countries, Danmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. No, instead they look the other way, for a direction that is proven... well, actually, nowhere. Sure, it has been tried. Chili and Argentina welcomed Milton Friedman's thinking in the 1980s. And it resulted in a bankrupt Argentina. At least the social disruptance following that economic adventure forced almost all right wing regimes to pack their bags. And we could also look at Russia in the 1990s – on second thought, better not.

But what annoys me too, is that many of these conservative people who are so opposed to 'Washington' and any tax, call themselves Christians. Now, the odd thing is that Christianity is all about solidarity and compassion with the less privileged, and absolutely not with one's own self interest and prosperity. Something that somehow is mysteriously overlooked by right wing America, who goes to Sunday services, but calls a president who comes with a program to provide everyone with health care a 'socialist' or even a 'marxist'. Obviously, when you say that, you don't know what socialism or marxism is. But when religion is only about conservative ethical standards to you, it is not difficult to ignore your social responsibilities.

It is so sad to witness that democracy in the USA means that half of the population hates the person who won the presidential election. These people turn the election process into a travesty of democracy. The country that regards itself as the leader of the free world, God's own country and the best country to you can live in, has lost its moral and ethical rights towards these claims. I remember a sign if front of an old impoverished farmhouse is Washington, telling the world that “God bless America”. Was a this a testimony, or a prayer?

Small town America, as I love to see it.

I love America. I visited it maybe 18 times. So, I hope that sanity and intelligence will win over short term self interest. After all, we can assume that 50% of the population does not believe in the convictions and dogmas I painted above. I'm fairly convinced that, given the qualities of the current Republican candidates, Obama should have no problem winning the election in November. And he must, because even George Bush looks like a liberal compared to Romney, Gingrich, Santorum and Paul.

Downton Abbey to the rescue

Television-wise this was one poor Christmas break here this year. The more channels you have, the less seems to be offered. Or is that the TV programmers are just running out of ideas? Or has my taste changed? I so fondly remember the Charlie Brown Christmas specials of many years ago. One Charlie brown made your Christmas vacation. But help came this year from an unexpected corner: British nobility. And ITV of course.

Charlie Brown knew how to create a Christmas ambiance, although I doubt if he ever realized it himself. Not a loser, not a hero, but nobody knew more about human relations as he does. The Charles Schulz animation series was shown here decades ago, but never made it to reruns. And I regret that. I'm sure the problem is that the TV channel programmers are too young to have known the Charlie Brown. But I do miss him and his friends, even Lucy. And sadly, each year I forget to see if I can order Charlie Brown Christmas dvd's. So, I had to do with High Society on dvd, not bad, amusement without any pretensions, but hardly something for the Christmas break.

Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen), Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens)

But all was not lost. There was at least one scheduled and one surprise television highlight. We have to thank ITV for bringing us the most beautiful drama series in years. Christmas Eve Dutch public television would show the last and extended episode of the second series of that magnificent Downton Abbey series, and much to my surprise the day before New Year's Eve we were treated to another extra long Christmas special. This series was awarded with many Baftas in the UK, is nominated for four Golden Globes and was selected the best drama series of the year by my newspaper. If you know Downton Abbey, I’m sure you'll agree. There are many story lines, centered around the Crawley family, and the staff of Downton Abbey estate, but most attention goes to the relation between Lady Mary Crawley and her cousin Matthew Crawley. They are attracted to each other, drift apart, engage themselves to other partners, but keep moving to each other like magnets. There are scenes between Michelle Dockery (Mary) and Dan Stevens (Matthew) that have an erotic tension, while they are just dancing or talking to each other. Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern as the count and countess of Grantham play their characters in a magnificent way, but top honours go to Maggie Smith in maybe her best role ever as Violet, Dowager countess of Grantham.

The Christmas Special was worth more as all other offerings on television combined. I'm sorry I did not record it, but that is a great excuse to order it on dvd, when it comes available. The Christmas special functioned more or less as an interlude between series two and three, that will only be ready for airing September 2012. But what a show it was. Women and men alike were glued to the screen. Of course, being a Christmas Special, it brought what we all were hoping for regarding Mary and Matthew. We would not have accepted anything less, and ITV and director Julian Fellowes – of Gosford Park fame – understood that this was vital for their survival. Eleven million pounds per episode, and it shows. I agree, a lot of money, but you get something in return. Dutch producers have to make a movie with half of that budget, but we do not want to watch their movies during Christmas break. Charlie Brown was forgotten. For now.

The Christmas special here on Youtube, while it lasts.

And here's one for the Charlie Brown fans:

Scene from one of the several Charlie Brown/Peanuts animation series.

Horror sauna

The days between Christmas and New Year are wonderful. A full week off, time to relax, and I always try to go somewhere special. I happened to come across a website called spazuiver.nl – which you can translate into “purifying spa” – promoting a new large wellness center in Amsterdam. Now, if you know me, I love saunas. So I rejoiced by the hope that finally German style wellness made its way to The Netherlands. I convinced a friend, Mr. K., to accompany me on this epic quest to the ultimate Dutch sauna experience. Off to Amsterdam it was.

 Well, at least I have some nice slippers as a souvenir.

Google Maps' directions were pretty straightforward – no need to take the Tom-tom. Of course, Google's suggestions might have been the shortest route, but were by no means the most efficient to get to the Zuiver wellness center. So, after leaving the motorway we soon go stuck in traffic, and following the Zuiver signs on streetlamps it was clear that Google Maps also overlooked a couple of streets that meant a shortcut to our destination. Arriving there, in the Amsterdam Forest, the car park was full with hundreds, if not thousands of cars. “Surely these people are not all visiting the spa,” Mr. K. said. “There are many sports activities possible here.” But once inside, after walking through a corridor past an indoor tennis hall that welcomed us with that unmistakable smell of indoor activity sweat, we soon concluded that most of the car owners indeed were at the spa.

But where to start describing my impressions of this wellness center? In the locker room, that's only logical. That's where I was confronted with a broken strap of the wrist watch-like electronic coin, that will register whatever you buy for refreshments or special beauty treatments and massages if so desired, or necessary. It had to be fixed by a staffer, but it was not a good start. What should I mention next? The depressing tomb-like ambiance in the center atrium with pool, like a mausoleum without a coffin, but with people swimming in the nude? Black and grey granite everywhere, and the dreary December light did not help here either. Neither did the lack of illumination. The steam bath, where temperature was just too low? The hamman, that was only available to you if you made a reservation for a Turkish massage? The annoying music in the sauna, that to everybody’s relief was switched off soon. Maybe the lack of cold cooling off dip baths, essential to the sauna experience? Most sauna amenities were located outside by the way, which required a walk through the cold late December air. But still, at this point we kept our hopes on some kind of relaxation – because isn't that what the website says? “Get away from it all, find relief for stress in an environment that offers you peace and quiet?” But in the relaxation room every single ugly white lounge chair was occupied with that special kind of people who looked like they regard Nespresso as the optimum in coffee experience and are snobbish enough to transport their kids in an expensive cargo bike through the streets of Amsterdam. This provided us with serious problem. There was no way we could have any refreshment here. And you surely need that after a sauna session. Snacks were off limits any way, due to the exorbitant pricing for even the smallest and most modest sushi dish. Sushi, what else, I would almost add. Mr. K. was longing for some soup, so maybe the restaurant could help us out then? Only by reservation, but there were tables free despite the number of visitor at the spa. One glance at the menu explained why though. Ordering something to eat here would result in a negative credit rating by Standard & Poor.

The website makes it all look so beautiful - with perfect lighting and no other visitors...

So, there was nothing left for us than to sit on a small bench that provided a view to the center pool. It also gave us a view to hundreds of buttocks, breasts and penises belonging to all kind of people between the age of 18 and 80. The concept that humans are the pinnacle of creation soon bewildered me. After seeing two anorexic ladies in their late sixties wearing nothing but towels on their heads, a very well endowed guy who obviously spends way too much time in the gym than is good for him and an older fat man accompanied by a beautiful slim girl in her early twenties, I was convinced that it was time to leave. If I want to visit a nudist resort, I'll go to a nudist resort. Mr. K. desperately needed his soup by now anyway. So, we headed to the locker room for a premature exit. Of course, there were no mirrors in the locker room, making it impossible to even address my coiffure.

“Was everything to your wishes, gentlemen?” asked the reception girl where we had to pay our debts to Zuiver. “No,” I replied. “This was a horror sauna experience.” This obviously shocked her. “But you visited us on the busiest day of the year,” she said. “Are you sure you would not want to come back on a quieter day?” Yes, we were sure about that. In her defense, she did subtract one hour admittance of the two were were supposed to pay. So we left, convinced that Aachen's Carolus Thermen, Baden Baden's Caracalla Thermen and Bad Kreuznach's Baederhaus did not find their equal in The Netherlands. The next unknown wellness center to explore would certainly be in Germany again, so much was clear. Spa7 in Bad Bentheim maybe. The irony will be however,that we will promote the Zuiver spa for times to come – the pool slippers we had to purchase proudly wear a Zuiver logo. That will trigger interesting conversations when visiting other saunas.

Once outside we spotted a Grand Café overlooking the 1928 Olympic rowing rink in the Amsterdam Forest. Inside, enjoying a good Latte Machiato and a great apple pie, while Mr. K. enjoyed a tasty chicken soup, we finally found our wellness.