The cow parade is on

Animals are just part of the picture here: herons, cats, ducks (Egyptian and not), hawks, magpies, eels, crabs, geese and so on… Pretty much a nice and friendly zoo behind every green corner, in summer and winter alike. Lovely company, if you ask me, especially if you like taking pictures of all living creatures. Ok, I would never take a picture of a spider, no matter how big, colorful, unusual and…disgusting! You get my drift.

Cows are among the most common farm animals around: black and white, brown, big and small. They are familiar faces that will watch you run along the path with lethargic big eyes. “Why are you running? What’s the hurry?” The latest model of cow just landed in our country-style life and apartment to put on a very private cow parade: meet Klarabella! For those of you used to comics in Italian, she will obviously remind you of the funky daisy-in-her-head Disney Clarabella. Our Klarabella is the Dutch version, as the initial letter K (totally un-latin) tends to prove.

Brought to us in a lovely package by our neighbors, she had a clear message painted all over: I am a typical character of the Dutch landscape, don’t you forget me! Oh, we won’t: she already enthralled us with her bright blue hide enhanced by larger-than-life tulips of all colors. She struggled a bit to step out of all the crumpled wrapping paper, but she happily made it and found a natural spot on the bar counter, among Friday evening dinner celebration tokens: a bottle of Beaumes de Venise, a bowl full of garlicky green olives…

If you first look at her, you would think that it is difficult to find the right accommodation, but actually she is pretty easy going among trad wood, blown glass and crystal glasses. In the future, I would love to find a more high tech space where all her beauty would shine on like a crazy diamond among computers on a glass desk… With squinting eyes I am trying to picture the scene in full daydreaming mode. She epitomizes the unusual souvenir while screaming for kitsch, but also for funky design and –above all else - for lovely friendship and souvenirs to cherish.

All reasons enough to deserve a spot in the sun.