September 13, 2025

 Saturday. Left around 9:15. Nikor. Cool, so long sleeves, but when the sun came out that was on the warm side. Partly cloudy, breezes out of the southwest. People out, doing Saturday morning things. Gele brug to 't Zand and Alendorp. On the early part of the Rivierpad beautiful borders with grass, brownish weeds, and reeds, and behind two fields with sunflowers still up. Breudijk to Gerverscop (one car). It all felt more like late summer than early fall. Hollandse Kade for a change (hardly anyone), then Spengen, Geerkade, Portengensebrug (also quite peaceful). The view north from Galgerwaard, the bow of a big barge on the canal. Breukelen to Scheendijk (south), Veenkade and Bethuneweg. Lush grass or reeds in many places with red-brownish plumes. It was the nationwide open day at architectural monuments, which may have been why both windmills outside of Oud Zuilen were spinning, the small one quite fast. Just beyond, several storks in a field (and a woman trying to photograph the scene). Vecht back to Mos. Saturday paper looking back on the week in Eastern Europe (Russian drone provocation in Poland). By now, no one is waiting any more for a response from the White House. The best we can hope for is that U.S. representatives at NATO can continue (as they currently are) their constructive participation in the alliance's response (enhanced and coordinated air defense in the region). As far as more direct pressure on Moscow is concerned, that's just not going to happen. The decisive struggles in the interest of Ukraine's survival and a credible European deterrent vis-a-vis Moscow increasingly take place, first (of course) in Ukraine itself, and, second, domestically in the major European states (those whose governments are "willing" to step up). Ukraine increasingly is able to take care of its own needs; whether willing European leaders can continue to bring their constituents along, or whether too many will get suckered by one Moscow-friendly populist or another, remains an open question. 

September 6, 2025

 Saturday. Left around 10:30. Blacksmith. Mild, light winds out of the southeast, some vague white clouds here and there, but mostly sunny. West side of the Vecht all the way to the end of the Daalseweg (suspicious look out of a car window departing from those exclusive homes). Then Oostwaard to Zuylensebrug and through Maarssenbroek. At the other side of the freeway some new access road construction going on--the beast that is the city/suburb automobile remains hungry for yet more space. Through the fields around Haarzuilens to Laag Nieuwkoop and Gerverscop. The latter busier with bikes, tractors, and cars than on weekdays, but still pleasant. To Woerden and Cattenbroek. A mostly quiet, sunny Saturday morning; people, but no one in the way, little motorized interference. Bridge open in Montfoort, so left through Achthoven. Highlight was the green, peaceful IJsseldijk toward the Meerlobrug. On the bike path beyond, the one obnoxious, loud light motorcycle of the day, ruining things for a moment. Nedereindseweg and Ringkade to de Meern, and back into the city and Mos. In the paper a piece on how the interference with Von der Leyen's airplane's communications system may be a more complicated story than an unambiguous one of targeted Russian intimidation, although that last option cannot be ruled out. Just because of this weekend's drone attacks on Ukraine Moscow does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Meanwhile, the American president, once more, talks about how he may impose new sanctions on Russia. Let's have some walking of the walk, finally.

September 5, 2025

 Friday. Left a little before 9:30. Blacksmith. Shower in the area, pulling away toward the east; no one drop from above, but wet roads all the way to the Goyerbrug. On the cool side at the start. Southwesterly winds, and excellent clearing skies full of white and gray clouds. Wayen to Langeweg and 't-Goy (Groenedijkje), and across the Goyerbrug. Beusichemseweg just a few cars, same for the Lekdijk toward Tull en 't Waal. First the fine and shifting views of Culemborg. Riverbanks as lovely as ever, with or without summer-levee. Strijpweg to Beatrix- and Plofsluis; Jutphase brug and Merwedekanaal back into town. Leaving from CW a big downpour that continued for fifteen or twenty minutes, so bikewash in the backyard. In the news reports that the administration will end security assistance programs to bolster NATO's eastern flank, the one facing Russia. Not only will this president not take direct steps against the thug in the Kremlin, apparently he is working to make life easier for him, undercutting what are supposed to be allied countries. Par for the course and yet another argument for redoubling European investments in its defense.

September 1, 2025

Monday. Left a little after 10:30. Blacksmith. On the cool side and overcast, but gradually the sun and southwesterly winds started pulling things apart, making for good-looking skies. Back in the home territory: gele brug, 't-Zand, then right at the Lint as far as the Smalle Themaat. Then the bike path to the Rijneveldse Bospad, right at Haarzuilens, toward Kortrijk. Some weeds by the side of the roads and bike paths either brown, or mowed down. The smell of cut grass; good views of Kockengen from Kortrijk. Through Breukelen and Scheendijk south, then the Strook to Griendweg and Middenweg, Heuvellaan, Nedereindse Vaart and Molenpolder to Kooijdijk. Paper from Van der Neut (not appreciated, basically a failed experiment) and back into town. The news of the jamming, most likely by Russia, of Von der Leyen's plane, forcing the pilots to navigate to the ground using paper maps. Sending the head of the organization most engaged in supporting Ukraine--or opposing Russia's goals on the continent--an unsubtle signal: we'll mess with you to the point of endangering your life, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's up to the EU, or at least willing European governments, to prove the thugs in the Kremlin wrong. The American president remains missing in action when it comes to measures that make life difficult for Moscow, and there's no indication that this will change any time soon.

August 21, 2025

 Thursday. Left around 9:45. Blacksmith. Cooler, moderate winds out of the north. Partly cloudy, with mostly white cumulus clouds, but also some other stuff. The smell of coffee roasting at the Gele Brug. Then ARK toward Jutphaas, quiet Schipperspad to the Beatrixsluis which just let a couple of barges onto the canal. Names since forgotten. One barge entering the locks hailing from Switzerland (name ending in ...stad--not stadt). From the Plofsluis a small barge just heading out into an otherwise empty canal toward Tiel, with another small one preparing to do the same. The small barges, those built in the 1950s and '60s, take you back in time, the time of the development of the industrial area at Weesp: from the dike, watching the workers on break swim toward, and try to climb upon, passing barges, ride them for a ways, then being chased off by a member of the crew. Wayen back to town and Mos. Vibrant, what still seemed, rapeseed by the side of the road. In the paper a report on the election platform on the supposedly reasonable populist alternative, the one founded in 2021. Elsewhere we have been able to learn this week that currently there are ten million cars in this small country, and that every year one hundred thousand get added. And yet, this party, which may gain a lot of votes this fall, opposes any measures to discourage the use of cars. 

August 19, 2025

Tuesday. Left a little after ten. Blacksmith. A bright summer day, breezes out of the northeast. Some clouds, here and there, of the stretched-out kind. Toward de Bilt and following the F28 rapid bike route through it and Bilthoven, before choosing the rhythm of the small bricks of the Julianalaan. Eventually back on the route, as far as the railroad crossing, then toward Wieksloterweg and Lage Vuursche. Nature and farms beginning to look a little dry. It has been a while since we had some real rain. Lage Vuursche back to the railroad crossing (concrete trail alongside the dunes from Wieksloterweg), then past the museum toward Zeisterspoor. Dodeweg and past Leusden, left at de Mof. Thriving sunflowers on the edge of the fields after that; split up at Scherpenzeel. Amerongse berg was nice and quiet, with just a few passing cars spewing fumes. On the levee toward Wijk bij Duurstede preparations underway for the coming reconstruction job. The views during those ten kilometers are mostly unspoiled; it will take a while before the reinforced levee will be part of it again (getting used to the bigger dike is still a work-in-progress around Jaarsveld). The first closure already in place at Wijk, so right and through town toward Wijkersloot, Dwarsdijk, Werkhoven (Hollendewagenweg). Fruit ready to be picked and for sale at many farms. Achterdijk to Koningslaan, Kromme Rijn, and into the city. The news dominated by yesterday's White House meetings, which at least weren't acrimonious. Instead, they managed to float above reality, mostly detached from it. Talk of security guarantees is great, and (currently) theoretical U.S. willingness to be part of it too, except that there is no indication that Moscow will accept, for example, Western troops in Ukraine or that the West, especially the current U.S. administration, is ready to force acceptance (if that's even possible). Putin never ceases to point out that to him Ukraine is a fake state, with no right to an independent existence. This goes back to the beginning of his presidency. Bringing the country back to within Russia's fold is the main goal behind the war. Another goal ("root cause") is reversing NATO influence in the former Soviet sphere of influence. It's also something he keeps talking about and so to get Russia to accept the opposite--NATO influence in Ukraine in all but in name--is going to require an outright defeat in the war (but how does a nuclear great power lose a war?), a coup, or perhaps the kind of outside pressure on the country that threatens a regime collapse. That last option is the most realistic, but it's still very far-fetched. It would in any case require that especially the U.S. seriously expands and intensifies its range of sanctions on Russia, its leaders, and its friends, and that military aid to Ukraine (also critically coming from the U.S.) gets stepped up. An indication of whether any of this might be in the cards would be if the people around that table yesterday could agree to use seized Russian assets in the West to aid Ukraine. It would have to be made clear to Putin that this is only the first step. Together with some of the other measures, it's possible that by the end of the year Ukraine will be a little more secure, while Putin could be getting uncomfortable. Perhaps that then the conditions would arise for serious talks. Regardless, all of it would require a major shift in the White House based on the recognition (we still don't have it) that Russia started this war, and that it is Russia that needs to be compelled to back down, give up its imperial delusions, and accept that the old sphere of influence, the old empire is gone. Back in the past century, we didn't believe we'd see the Cold War ending, the Soviet Union disappearing--and yet that's what happened. So perhaps that we can't rule out another surprise (the next stage in the same process, one could say). We won't get there, however, unless we increase the pressure on the Kremlin. And as in the Cold War, we won't get there without the U.S. playing a central part. We've heard a lot of talk the past week, not all of it useless, but without some real action, not much will change. 

August 18, 2025

 Monday. Left around 9:30. Blacksmith. Mild and overcast, with in the east some clearing; various types of mostly gray clouds, various shades of gray. Light winds out of the northeast. A Monday morning, but during summer vacation time, so quite a few people out, although not busy anywhere. Motorized nuisance in just a few places. Singel to Koningsweg to Wayen. Langeweg, then ARK to Schalkwijk bridge. An old sailboat motoring north near Houten. Tetwijksepad and the five towers of Culemborg. ARK was quiet, and so was the Lek. Light still a bit dull, but toward the northeast more lively. Corn still in the fields everywhere; large mushrooms beginning to attach themselves to the trees. Beatrixsluis and Plofsluis to Jutphase brug (the old sailboat just passing underneath) and Merwedekanaal. The news is full of the White House meeting later today. A new attempt by Europe and Ukraine to swing the administration back toward their position. It should not be necessary, but it's where we are. Theoretically, there's a way to inch forward, thanks to U.S. noises about a possible role in a security guarantee. But for real steps toward some kind of peace we first need some jolts to get Moscow to back off. Little sign of those being lined up; no sign of any Russian inclination to pull back. Even a cease-fire-in-place seems out of reach for the foreseeable future.