I hitchhiked from Arnhem back to Zeist, where I am just for one night.   It took me a lot longer than I thought, which is something I am saying a lot lately, but I blame it on my orangish apricoty pants, seven day beard and tired eyes.   The guy who did take me the 50km drove me straight to my friends’ farmhouse.   He knew where it was because he was at their neighbor’s BBQ last weekend.   Small world.

In those 50km I told my life story to the curious driver, which I always gladly do.   Most people can’t imagine tolerating the endless repetiton of answering the same ten questions from every driver, all day, but I don’t mind at all.   It’s a very small price to pay to someone giving you a free ride.

I learned a great Dutch expression today:   “Ikzie erwel brood in”, which literally means “I see bread in it” but effectively means, “I see a future in it.”   I hope  I can remember that.

Denmark is playing Cameroon today in a big World Cup match, loser very likely goes home.   By the way, if you ever meet a Dane, ask them to pronounce the words “Bo” (a name), “bog” (book) and “Bov” (a town, but also something to do with a landscape, I think) and watch their consternation when you claim they are repeating themselves thrice.

As a further aside, let me say that you can’t go wrong marrying a Danish girl.