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8 Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts (7)
Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly blogging event hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. It allows book bloggers (and non-book bloggers) to write about pretty much anything, bookish or otherwise (i.e. sharing exciting plans for the weekend, rants on things they've encountered during the week etc.)
Hello everyone *waves*, here are a few things which have been keeping me busy for the last few weeks. Apart from work ofcourse, ugh (last half-year of my PhD, let's-not-talk-about-it)
1. Don't you just love this part of the year? Well, it depends on where you live ofcourse, but here in The Netherlands, May and June are the best. So many trees and flowers are blossoming, baby birds can be seen everywhere. There are lot's of great events to be visited and you can sleep with your windows open (I love that!). But the thing I look forward to every year is the fresh food: spinach fresh from the land, the first new potatoes, strawberries and peaches, yummy! What's your favourite thing to eat this time of the year (apart from ice cream, that's self-evident ;-) )
1. Don't you just love this part of the year? Well, it depends on where you live ofcourse, but here in The Netherlands, May and June are the best. So many trees and flowers are blossoming, baby birds can be seen everywhere. There are lot's of great events to be visited and you can sleep with your windows open (I love that!). But the thing I look forward to every year is the fresh food: spinach fresh from the land, the first new potatoes, strawberries and peaches, yummy! What's your favourite thing to eat this time of the year (apart from ice cream, that's self-evident ;-) )
2. I did something unusual for me, reading wise. I picked up a Top 10 book and I loved it! I don't often read the 'it'-books of the moment. But I was immediately interested in Gouden Jaren when I saw it. This Dutch non-fiction book tells about the major changes in our everyday life since the end of WWII. Food, work, free time, housing: everything has changed so much in those 70 years. Reading this book I really appreciated how some things which are so normal for me are not self-evident at all. In the '60s and '70s vegetables like brocolli and peppers were rare and new in The Netherlands. There was less than 50 hours of television a week until the mid-80s. Etc, etc. I'm sort of sorry you can't read this book as it's in Dutch...
3. I seem to have lost my ability to read thick classic novels. I have been trying to get through The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope for almost three months now. I stubbornly refused to give it up, as I was already over half, but I could hardly ever find the time or the energy to really dive into it. Then, last week, I decided maybe I should try listening to the audiobook version instead. Whát a discovery! I've almost finished the book now and found much more to like about it than when I was reading it for myself. It's as if the characters started to come alive for me more while listening. So maybe I will try and 'read' more classics this way, at least until I have more room to dig into them again (aka, after I finish my PhD)
3. I seem to have lost my ability to read thick classic novels. I have been trying to get through The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope for almost three months now. I stubbornly refused to give it up, as I was already over half, but I could hardly ever find the time or the energy to really dive into it. Then, last week, I decided maybe I should try listening to the audiobook version instead. Whát a discovery! I've almost finished the book now and found much more to like about it than when I was reading it for myself. It's as if the characters started to come alive for me more while listening. So maybe I will try and 'read' more classics this way, at least until I have more room to dig into them again (aka, after I finish my PhD)
4. Two weeks ago I went to a really nice event; WWI Living History weekend. There were re-enactment groups from all over Europe showing the life of soldiers, medical personell and civilians during WWI. All the re-enactors were really enthusiastic and could tell a lot about the personages they were portraying.
Among others there was this really great British field kitchen in which they were really cooking for all the re-enactors! Also great was the small hospital they set up and the very knowledable nurses!
5. Talking about re-enactment, I owe you a picture of the Medieval/Fantasy event I went to a little over a month ago. So here it is: me in my costume with my sword fighting teacher in costume (we were the only two people in our group in costume). It was a really nice day: relaxed atmosphere, lots of people with great costumes, interesting vendors (we bought a new sword for the class!) and great shows and demonstrations. It was quite cold, despite the mantle I could borrow from my teacher, I was totally frozen! And we have plans to go to another festival in two weeks, so yay!
6. Did you guys know the Tour de France starts in The Netherlands this year? And not just anywhere, but in the lovely city of Utrecht where I studied, now work and live very near. Now, I'm not really a fan of cycling, but I love this, because for two days the whole world will get to see the city that I love. So don't forget to take a peek, I'll wave at you if I'm caught on camera ;-)
That's it from me for today! Hope you're all doing well and enjoying these lovely early summer days.
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WWI Living History weekend sounds fun.
Looks like you had a fun time. Your costume looks great :)
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I also love Tour de France so I will certainly be watching and now pay extra much attention! :D
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It sounds so lovely where you live right now! It has been unfortunately very hot here already - but we have had a lot of nice thunderstorms and showers which I love! :) I have been eating soo much gelato lately it's ridiculous! I really need to cut down on my sugar this summer haha.
That sounds like a really fascinating book! That is a really interesting facet of history - seeing how fast things have transformed or been forgotten! I don't blame you for struggling with long books while you're doing such hard work! I prescribe some fluff reading! ;P
You look so awesome!!! Ready to walk right into a medieval novel! ^_^
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