GreenUP Cam

Sunday, 7 July 2019

“This is ours” - greetings from the planet Oosterend

This was our third summer in Oerol Festival on the island of Terschelling. This time I enjoyed the most this one particular day at the beach of Oosterend. The longest day of the year at the beach: the 21st of June. A midsummer journey on the sand and a kilometeres long walk to Heartbreak Hotel (a 50's style beach restaurant) for a dinner. Almost no other people on the beach. The world was in our arms, hugging us and we loved playing with the sand and watching to the horizon.

During the other days we saw a few nice Theater plays and intimate monologues about the memories, how our personal histories are shaping us. One evening going back as far as the Ilias and Odyssey by watching a modern historical drama, played on top and down the high dunes. Watching that was like being part of the war scene...and witnessing some personal dramas. The nature and the theatre together are bringing the stories to the next level. A four days full of new perspectives. I could give you more details, but I feel like just showing you some pictures from the beach. These memories!

This is ours - the end

a video from the Oosterend beach

( from youtube)

Silence

Sunday, 21 April 2019

Oh Marseille

I don't know exactly why I wanted to go to Marseille. I only had read an article about this southern French City: those typical travel stories about shopping, eating and sights, written for modern cityhoppers. I did not really know anything about the place. Maybe it was just the name "Marseille", it had been echoing in my head for a while. I love to listen to french language even I do not speak it myself. There was something about the imaginary vision of this place that spoke to my soul. In February we needed a break and it was time for Marseille.

Vieux port pavilion

I was smiling and feeling relieved when we landed at the airport. The sun was shining and I could store my dutch-finnish life and identity for a weekend somewhere between the Netherlands and France, above the clouds to get some early spring light and sun. Meanwhile I could be walking and filling my lungs with the mediterranean air and my mind with surprising details of this Frech harbor town.

The first steps down the hill from the Central Railway Station, towards the hidden see. Light beige buildings everywhere, mostly in bad condition. Thick air, smelling like dust and gas, mostly urban surfaces to see. Nothing was looking green, also because the season. There are hardly any green areas in the centre of Marseille. The blue sea view is giving the feeling of space down by the harbor and in the open areas near the waterfront. It was not love at the first sight, even our first lunch experience (sea food) was everything else than fresh.

On our way from the airport to Marseille we were passing many suburban areas in bad condition. This city is a gate to Europe, there is a lot of poverty giving a contrast to the glittering surface of the sea. Trendy people having their fabulous lunch on the cool spots near the modern harbor area and at the same time the hard reality hitting the nerves just a few hundred meters away. I could not just stay in my touristic bubble, I felt the deeper tones of mediterranean blue. The best places to visit are the places that make us think and feel unexpected depths. The location of Marseille has made it a cosmopolitan melting pot of different cultures and immigration.

Old harbor, vieux port - the spot where the history of Marseille began.

Les Voyageurs (sculpture by Bruno Catalano)

Old town

Marseille Cathedral

We had only two days time to explore Marseille. It was good to watch to the horizon at the waterfront and get into more relaxed vibe after the winter and the grey months. It is possible to take a bus and visit some beaches too or take a a boat trip/tour to see the beauty of the coastline of Provence.

Maybe influenced by our short City trip we are going back to France this summer with our friends. This will be fun also for the kids and my son can practice his french. We have rented a house about 45 minutes drive from Marseille, so I think we will visit this place again. I really enjoyed my visit, even my first impression was not very good. We had two nice dinners and the night lights at the old port area with boats were beautiful.

I checked the life quality index of Marseille and as I suspected the pollution is a problem (pollution index 65.02= high). Sometimes I am disturbed of the air quality in Amsterdam (pollution index 30.28= low), but I wonder how bad the air can be in Marseille during the hot summer months. Sometimes I really miss the fresh air of Finland (Helsinki, pollution index 12.81= very low).

Check the life quality index of Marseille here. You can also find any information about other cities all over the world or compare the life quality between different places.

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp

Villa Mediterranee by Stefano Boeri

Interesting wall in front of the Musèe Regards de Provence

Harbor area of Marseille

Marseille is the second largest city of France after Paris and the main city of the historical Provence. Marseille was found circa 600 BC as the Greek colony of Massalia. Marseille is now France's largest city on the Mediterranean coastline and the largest port for commerce, freight and cruise ships.

The famous bridge to Museum of European and Mediterranen civilizations.

Visiting historical locations is giving perspective and building bridges from the past to this day. The story of humanity is continuing and making me think every story matters and we can choose meaningful paths to improve our life.

Reflection of us

Thursday, 10 January 2019

Feet in the water

roses, wood and a dog:)

I wish I would have dipped my bare feet in the cold water on the first day of January, the day I took these pictures. It is easy to be brave and spontaneous in theory, but often we need a few inspirational examples before the great ideas are landing to our consciousness.

my children are often my biggest inspiration

A wind beaten walk at the beach of Castricum was like a wake up walk after the silent christmas holiday. The Sea is a powerful force of Nature, the changing elements like the wind and the huge waves pointing out the challenge of life. It is a yearly tradition for many dutch people to go and swim in the cold water on the first day of the year. A ritual of washing the old days of previous year and starting a new fresh year like this has become a big event for many people. In 2016 over 51 000 people joined the new years dive in the beaches of Netherland. Originally a small group of people started this tradion in 1960's and somehow it grew to a big happening during the decades. Maybe the challenge and the shock of the cold water is pushing ones boundaries and makes it feel like a clear start for the next coming seasons.

A brave dutch woman having a new years swim.

The challenge is pushing the human mind further. It can be easier if you have clear goals and a directions you want to work on. The motivation and the reason for this motivation are the keys for being able to focus on the performance with a long time commitment. It can be easier to listen to what other people are saying than really start to listen to yourself - making steps and choices of your own. The reality hits of course in many ways, because we always have to think of other people as well. A good planning can make miracles and make us more happy. Making space to personal goals, connections and plans - giving time to ourselves and giving time to others in a decant balance.

We need the silence every now and then to really stand on our own feet. The noise is everywhere and so are the mysterious or direct expectations, the motives and needs from the other people. To be able to trust to one another in all human connections, we need to be honest and trust to ourselves first. In the best conditions we can trust in life and we feel there is a meaning in our existence. To be able to grow and feel this vital force of life, making ethical choices and choosing a direction are needed. The best inspiration can be having other people around and getting impulses and ideas from this interaction. We have to let that interpersonal light to reach our mind and soul, but at the same time be able to separate the unnecessary weight of the individual, personal process that someone else is going through. We can help, listen and live along the journey...but sometimes we have to let go and focus on our own path. We all have a "work called life" here to do :). With all respect, we have to focus on the good process and make better choices for ourselves, for the loved ones and for our environment. It is never too late to say something better than the last time and do a better choice than the last time.

Sometimes I feel I repeat myself with all the silent talk made loud in these written notes. Then I comfort myself: we need endless repetition on the skills to be masters of something. Being a master of our own mind could be a helpful skill, but learning to make more honest and better choices is good enough for me.