April 11, 2025

Left just before 11 (recovery day). Blacksmith. Sunny, warming up quickly, winds out of the southwest. Merwedekanaal to Plofsluis to Lekdijk. Cargo ships up close along the Sluispad--the romantic imagination (it is very persistent, stretching back to the early days in Weesp, mid-1960s) always gets brought down to earth by the diesel fumes. In the end, they're just the trucks of the waterways. Korte Uitweg, Achterdijk. Views of Schalkwijk, and of the Werkhoven water tower. Lambs in lots of places. Zuwe, Nachtdijk, Leemkolkweg, through old Werkhoven and the tunnel. Past Odijk, through Bunnik and past Science Park to de Bilt and home, or Mos. In the paper a report on Russia's planned new offensive in Ukraine's northeast; and a report on how our migration minister will need a normal budget after all. Populists in power are being mugged by reality all over the place. At some point enough of their followers will see them for what they are; reality-based politicians and the rest of us will have to have a better story then.