You could move to South Limburg for the hills. And wherever you live in the Netherlands, you're never too far from A'dam. Having said that, we all love your tales of English hills, haunted cottages, and country paths, you're the Genius loci of good old Albion.
I loved reading about your trip to Amsterdam. One of my favourite cities. It is so true that their apartments/houses are the opposite of minimalist. They are big on houseplants, books, records, pictures etc and the most stylish net curtains ever!!
I just bought Villager on Amazon Kindle after laughing outloud reading your excerpt of the hilarious cast of characters. I don’t know how I found you on Substack, but I am glad I did. Still new on Substack, after following a few Brit Instagram friends over here. Just watched the delightful Cracks UTube and your Mother was right about the ceiling stain.
“Most people in the Netherlands were startlingly tall then, just as they are now, and I remember my dad telling me it was because when the dykes flooded hundreds of years ago none of the short people survived because they couldn’t keep their heads above the water.” Laughed out loud.
"I want to change down a gear, dispense with the clutter, scale down, survive, but also broaden my mind and my experiences and make my life something I am more easily able to realistically measure and hold in my hand." tom-i luv this sentiment, this want. it's how i try and live. keep going! ur fan, j.
I read this post on the sofa at 7 am, still dark outside, just a table lamp spreading a soft glow, me warming up for the day, a gradual soft glow from the sky, and now a soft glow from your post, the meanderings of it, through Amsterdam (which I don't get on with, if I'm allowed to say - it's the women in the windows...) to the phallic stain on your mother's ceiling, to all the short people having drowned (phew, I'm Scandinavian-sized), to the assurance (because it was explicit, I'm sure) that the next book I buy will change my life.
Love today's post, and happy to hear you enjoyed Amsterdam and its vibe. I lived right in the centre from 2016 to 2018, and miss it still. Such a liveable, walkable, cat-friendly, interesting place.
To be fair though, we became desperate for hills/more rugged landscape whilst there & take breaks to places a bit less landscaped.
On a record-related note, my local auction house has a lot of punk on this weekend's sale, if it is of interest: https://www.johnrolfeauctions.com
btw, on amsterdam and your allusion to school of fish that is the everywhere bicyclists, i think of the pretty girls i would so often see gliding along in those schools. when i think of amsterdam, i think of those creamy skinned ( dutch tall) nature-girls peddling along. but i also think of my visit to the anne frank house, realizing how dangerous our world remains.
Every post of yours contains potentially 10 novels, Tom. I'm happy you had fun in Amsterdam, it's such a wonderfully livable city.
Thanks Portia. It really is! I could move there tomorrow, if they’d just place six or seven hills next to it.
You could move to South Limburg for the hills. And wherever you live in the Netherlands, you're never too far from A'dam. Having said that, we all love your tales of English hills, haunted cottages, and country paths, you're the Genius loci of good old Albion.
This was a delight to read, Tom! Especially your impressions of Amsterdam 😃
Thanks Camilla!
I loved reading about your trip to Amsterdam. One of my favourite cities. It is so true that their apartments/houses are the opposite of minimalist. They are big on houseplants, books, records, pictures etc and the most stylish net curtains ever!!
I just bought Villager on Amazon Kindle after laughing outloud reading your excerpt of the hilarious cast of characters. I don’t know how I found you on Substack, but I am glad I did. Still new on Substack, after following a few Brit Instagram friends over here. Just watched the delightful Cracks UTube and your Mother was right about the ceiling stain.
“Most people in the Netherlands were startlingly tall then, just as they are now, and I remember my dad telling me it was because when the dykes flooded hundreds of years ago none of the short people survived because they couldn’t keep their heads above the water.” Laughed out loud.
Thanks Maria! Loved your last piece.
As someone from Amsterdam, I love this explanation 😂
Your writing consistently charms me into taking a breath
Thank you, really appreciate you being on the planet
Thank you! So nice of you to say so.
"I want to change down a gear, dispense with the clutter, scale down, survive, but also broaden my mind and my experiences and make my life something I am more easily able to realistically measure and hold in my hand." tom-i luv this sentiment, this want. it's how i try and live. keep going! ur fan, j.
I enjoyed the record hunting bit. I could certainly read another 40 or 50 articles in that vein.
That’s good to know! I plan to write about music more often here in the future…
I read this post on the sofa at 7 am, still dark outside, just a table lamp spreading a soft glow, me warming up for the day, a gradual soft glow from the sky, and now a soft glow from your post, the meanderings of it, through Amsterdam (which I don't get on with, if I'm allowed to say - it's the women in the windows...) to the phallic stain on your mother's ceiling, to all the short people having drowned (phew, I'm Scandinavian-sized), to the assurance (because it was explicit, I'm sure) that the next book I buy will change my life.
Thanks Tom for the post. Exactly the amount of creativity and intelligent humor I needed to start my day.
Thank you!
Hi Tom,
Love today's post, and happy to hear you enjoyed Amsterdam and its vibe. I lived right in the centre from 2016 to 2018, and miss it still. Such a liveable, walkable, cat-friendly, interesting place.
To be fair though, we became desperate for hills/more rugged landscape whilst there & take breaks to places a bit less landscaped.
On a record-related note, my local auction house has a lot of punk on this weekend's sale, if it is of interest: https://www.johnrolfeauctions.com
Cheers,
Sonya
How cool! My husband is Dutch and I love, love, love the Netherlands. We'd like to live there someday.
I sometimes think I would too!
BR020 - Great Vinyl Bar in Marnixstraat Amsterdam!
I think you might enjoy this video on Amsterdam being built.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvsHvfs3G1M&t=6s&pp=2AEGkAIB
Have you ever noticed how many songs called “Amsterdam” there are? There’s a whole Wikipedia article
The one by Tax Free (1970) is particularly fantastic.
I’ll look it up!
tom! did you see the mention you got in this recent brian krass piece, on writing and creativity? so kool! i admire both of you. here's brian's piece:
https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/how-i-write?r=2ddgec&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
btw, on amsterdam and your allusion to school of fish that is the everywhere bicyclists, i think of the pretty girls i would so often see gliding along in those schools. when i think of amsterdam, i think of those creamy skinned ( dutch tall) nature-girls peddling along. but i also think of my visit to the anne frank house, realizing how dangerous our world remains.