prolific.org » black velvet band http://prolific.org ISSN 1568-2218 | Established 1999 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:08:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Take in the salt air http://prolific.org/2006/05/08/take-in-the-salt-air/ http://prolific.org/2006/05/08/take-in-the-salt-air/#comments Tue, 09 May 2006 03:17:50 +0000 Caroline http://vonbpress.com/2006/05/08/take-in-the-salt-air/ Continue reading →]]> Took a ferry from Amsterdam CS to Velsen, and a bus to IJmuiden, in search of photographs and fresh fish.

Ended up on IJmuiden beach and at a fair on the promenade, awash with other day trippers.

Everything was ugly. Cheap ware on sale. Burger joints and football jerseys. People.

A seamen’s choir was murdering Irish traditionals (Fiddler’s Green, Black Velvet Band, translated in Dutch.). Hoompapa, hoompapa.

Seamen's choir and band

I picked a restaurant, ordered Redfish, ate and watched the other, mainly elderly, people there.

At the table behind me, a man was telling a story about a woman who had lost control and had let everything go. Couldn’t cope with anything. Hadn’t opened her mail, hadn’t paid any bills, or taxes until she was declared bankrupt.

A nasty scale stuck at the back of my throat. I ran for the bus, but the driver wouldn’t stop.

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