Down, up and in-between…

Josef Cabachete
Dec 15, 2019
2 min read

It has been a very mixed week. Both emotionally and in terms of events.

I will start with the hardest part. I visited Kamp Westerbork with Wynand. For those unaware, this was an internment camp where they placed Dutch Jews, before sending them to the death camps. It also has a museum. In the museum is a book with the names of the 60 000 people who were brought to the camp, and where they were sent to die. I found the part with my family (surname Behr). Quite a confronting experience, but an important one.

I continue to travel around as much as I can. I believe I have explored most areas of Utrecht by now, and peed behind a few monuments (the lack of public toilets in this country is astounding). I spend a whole day in The Hague – the royal city of Holland. I took a lot of photos (around 100) and published a few of my favorites under “Current Photos”. I walked 30kms that day – including a 4k walk, and a longer one back, to/from the beach. By “beach”, remember, it is cold, wet and windy here. While it was quite pretty, it was definitely not for tanning.

I decided to follow my pattern of seeing drag shows in every country I visit (that has them). As the clubs in Utrecht say they are “too busy” on a Friday and Saturday night to have drag shows, I met a friend in Amsterdam. While I made a friend I think I will have for life, I missed out of the bloody drag shows! Oh well, still have a few more weeks in Holland. A great night, though.

I got to spend some more time with my aunty. I lost at cards this time. Mirjam was the victor and the winner of 3 Euros. Very happy, she was. After that I got to meet both my cousins from this side of the family (Mirjams brothers), and their partners, for dinner. It was strange sitting at the table with one of them – as I was 16 when I went to his first wedding in a castle. I think both of us have changed significantly.