Saturday, May 19, 2012

European history on my mind


This is William I or William the Silent who saved the city of Leiden from a three plus month Spanish siege by opening up the dikes, so his fleet of flat-bottomed ships could enter the city.
"Saved" after thousands of citizens starved to death, but if he hadn't gotten there, the Spanish would certainly have killed every last man, woman and child.

What I really want to say is, isn't he a handsome devil?  Black and gold armor is so sexy.  I like a man who dresses well.

My reading began with Henry VIII and then to Elizabeth I and then to my present read about the Dutch golden age.  This reading has been combined with watching all things renaissance on Netflix such as David Starkey's documentary on the English kings, Glenda Jackson as Elizatbeth the I and cable tv's the Tudors which I have decided not to finish because it is salacious to a fault.  I can stand only so many royal orgasams.  Plus I check back and forth with Wikepedia on all the characters and it is inaccurate so much of the time that I have become disgusted.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a young King Henry might work, but as an aging King Henry, he never gets fatter or uglier, although he's good with the tyrannic behavior.  It's pure junk TV with a big budget.

Anyway, I'm onto the Netherlands now where Mr. Handsome has just saved Leiden from total destruction and am wondering what it means to be Dutch and how much place and history have to do with character.  Am I still Dutch?

I know I'm not a Mormon pioneer.  Not even close.






4 comments:

  1. Believe me, baby, you are still Dutch. No one knows better than I.

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  2. What exactly does it mean to be Dutch? Double dutch? Dutch treat? You're in Dutch with Tom? You get your Dutch up?

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  3. I, too, am Dutch. But my Dutchessness is watered down by ~350 years. You are the Real Deal!

    And reading your post makes me want to study up on Dutch history, and for that, I thank you. Dutch/European history will probably beat the titles my book club picks this summer, I am confident...

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  4. I love Dutch people. I knew this even before I met you. Ken and I spent six weeks camping in Europe with two little kids, and the Dutch just opened up their arms to us. Such a relief after the French!

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