With travel restrictions still in place, the most far distance I travel from Amsterdam is the Dutch region Achterhoek where they speak West Low German instead of Dutch.

In February we had an unexpected cold snap of a week because of an unstable polar vortex. The hour before sunset and the first hour after sunrise are spectacularly beautiful. The song lyrics of Normaal singing in ‘Achterhooks’, being part of Low Saxonian, captures the mood. This is my childhood between 3 - 18 years.

D’n onbewolkten winterloch, die liek meer peers dan blauw
A-j buuten iets te doene hebt, dan doe je ‘t bliksemsgauw
De kniens en de fazanten die scharrelt deur ‘t kruppelholt
De streupers die blieft binnen, ‘t is eur völs te kold.

't holt dat knetterd in de heerd, 't is der lekker heit
na de koffie kump de foezel, i-j krupt dichter bi-j ow meid
en as der goed gezoppen wurt, de verhalen die goat in het rond
is er niemand die nog dich an d'n armen, armen hond.

- D'n huulende waakhond (1978)