Our World Tuesday,ABC Wednesday, Y for Year, and New Year's Eve

An oliebol  is a traditional Dutch and Belgian food. They are called oliebollen (literally: oil spheres) in the Netherlands.In English they are more commonly known as Dutch Doughnuts or Dutchies.(Wikipedia)

This is what we have on New Year's Eve! Many Dutch women have already started to bake "oliebollen"! I buy them, because we don't need so many. My sister, who lost her husband recently, will stay with me.

A Happy New Year! Our New Year starts with fireworks. Lots of noise, sometimes very colourful, but always risky for careless boys, who try to invent new fireworks.

Anyway we'll stay indoors and watch the spectacle from behind my windows.

 

This is my contribution for the letter Y. Thanks to Denise Nesbitt who created this meme about 7 years ago !

    Thanks to Roger who organizes these contributions every week.

Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar. Thank you Team of O. W. T.!

 

 

ABC Wednesday, X for Xylophone

From 3rd November till 10th November my sister and I stayed in a holiday park in Hoenderloo in the province of Gelderland.
Every day we walked around in this park, looking for toad-stools. Several times we passed this xylophone, which was meant for children to play on.

History

Kulintang a Kayo, a Philippine xylophone

The instrument has obscure, ancient origins. According to Nettl, it originated in southeast Asia and came to Africa c. 500 AD when a group of Malayo-Polynesian speaking peoples migrated to Africa. One piece of evidence for this is the similarity between East African xylophone orchestras and Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestras.

The earliest evidence of a true xylophone is from the 9th century in southeast Asia, while a similar hanging wood instrument--a type of harmonicon--is said to have existed in 2000 BC in what is now part of China, according to the Vienna Symphonic Library. The xylophone-like ranat was used in Hindu regions (kashta tharang). Java and Bali use xylophones (called gambang) in gamelan ensembles. They still have traditional significance in Africa, Malaysia, Melanesia, Indonesia, Thailand, and regions of the Americas. The instrument was imported to South America by Africans, where it developed into the marimba.

We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank Roger too for the weekly job to find  ten bloggers for each of the ABC Team members  to visit and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words   beginning with X!

ABC Wednesday, W for Waterfalls, Wood Nymph

Vøringfossen (2004)

 

 

 

 

This summer I was in Norway, as I told you in my previous post.

 For Dutch people Norway and other mountainous countries are very attractive . One of the main attractions is a waterfall. There were many of them in Norway.

One of the smaller falls we saw.

Kjosfossen,

There were  "Huldra" at Kjosfossen where  the train between Flåm and Myrdal halted.

 

Flåm

 

 

 When ever we stop here we can hear the strange singing of the huldra. The huldra or woodnymph has a very beautiful face and  body, but at the back she has an ugly cow's tail.

 

Sometimes her back is hollow. She sings to seduce human males. She possesses cows which are either blue or grey. One could get hold of these cows if you threw a piece of steel over them.This way you could also get silver and table cloths.

The waterfall, which is called Kjosfossen, is in spring very impressive and always makes me think of the Holberg suite by Edward Grieg. 

We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank Roger too for the weekly job to find  ten bloggers for each of the ABC Team members  to visit and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words    beginning with W.

ABC Wednesday, V for Viking Law

This last summer I was again in beautiful Norway. I read several books about the Vikings, because they were the guys who sailed all over the northern hemisphere and invaded our countries. There were at the time no human rights treaties and the actions of the Vikings were quite understandable if you read their laws, especially their first law: Be Brave and Aggressive!

I sincerely believe that they were law-abiding people! They were obedient to these rules! I, personally like the fourth law!

 They left their traces  like the jurisdiction in the UK! They also had a judge and jury in court like in Britain and the USA.

Their alphabet however is very complicated. See for your self and try to write a comment with  these letters.

 We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank Roger too for the weekly job to find  ten bloggers for each of the ABC Team members,  to visit and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words    beginning with V. 

ABC Wednesday, U for Undredal in Norway

Undredal

"The charming village of Undredal, which has a population of 80 people and 300 goats, is situated by the Aurlandsfjord.  In the heart of the village is Scandinavia’s smallest stave church, built in 1147."

Undredal is well-known for its cheese production,especially for its white and brown goat cheese.  www.visitundredal.no.

While we were sailing in the Aurlandsfjord we saw this village from a distance and I took some photos to remember this delightful place in its peaceful surroundings.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt,  who created ABC, and Roger, who took over from her. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with U.