Sutonym 2017

Photos and comments about our year in Europe

Ann in Amsterdam

March 24, 2018
We have a friend from the Dutch language class that we took in Boston before our trip here. Her family had come from Netherlands but they did not teach her to speak Dutch...
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What I Said When I Retired from Smith Duggan

January 12, 2018
I worked at the law firm Smith Duggan for 22 years. I retired on October 31, 2016, when I had just turned 66 years old. Ever since I started working at age 16 I had dream...
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Nieuwjaar Dag 2018: Gek Vuurwerks

January 02, 2018
On New Year's Eve night, Izzy was very unhappy. She does not like loud noises. The fireworks have been going off in our neighborhood for hours (it’s about 1 am now). They...
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Amsterdam Motif

December 29, 2017
By looking around, you can see the enormous number of cameras and photographers in Amsterdam, especially in the center city. I was lured there by the architecture, lights...
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Hortus Botanicus Leiden

December 25, 2017
Hortus Botanicus in Leiden is right in the middle of Leiden University, an old and prestigious institution here, founded in 1575. That was even before Wayland was founded...
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Amsterdam Winter Solstice

December 25, 2017
Instead of any thoughtful commentary following astute observation of Dutch society, I can offer comments on the weather. Of course, this is of paramount importance to me...
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Dark, Rainy, and Windy

October 03, 2017
Before we came, I expected Amsterdam to be dark, rainy, and windy. So far, however, the weather has been fantastic, the days long, and a moderate amount of rainfall. That...
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Texel vs. Cape Cod

September 08, 2017
We took simultaneous photos of each other. Susan and were on Texel, and island on the north end of the Netherlands. You can get there from Amsterdam by taking the train f...
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Dissemination of Knowledge

September 02, 2017
The City of Amsterdam maintains 270,000 trees. You can find the location of each one of them, along with their size, stage of life, and age on a website that the city mai...
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Strange Fruits and the Virtue of Laziness in Moderation

August 31, 2017
In Nederland, there are many things that I cannot explain. Does the football season ever end? Will elected members of Parliament ever form a government and why does it ma...
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Irony and Crime 20 August

August 19, 2017
One member of our family has consistently warned the other about the risk from zakkenrollers, i.e., pickpockets. Amsterdam has a reputation for an active community of the...
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Evolution of the Eye and Human Knowledge 10 August

August 10, 2017
I have heard people argue that evolution cannot explain the human body because some parts, such as the eye, are so complex that there is no series of evolutionary steps t...
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Burgundy Friends 22 July

August 04, 2017
Paul turned 80, but does the daily NYT crossword puzzles in a few minutes, except Saturday, which stumped him this week**. He speaks multiple languages, is an expert wood...
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Amsterdam Flowers 17 July

July 17, 2017
I couldn't bring everything I would need for a year. One thing I left behind was my tripod. The casual photographer may not realize how key a tripod is for macrophotograp...
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Sex in the City 16 July

July 15, 2017
Amsterdam is known for pot and prostitution, among other things. Having lived here for 3 ½ months, I can say with confidence that that is ridiculous. They form a small an...
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