Dutch Treat

My friend, Christi Janus, is an archivist in the Netherlands who does many things in Second Life. He's the one who created the Dutch language and culture area on Info Island International, where we're going today.


Dutch is spoken in many places around the world, but mostly in the Netherlands and Belgium. When Christi made this area, therefore, he designed it like a town square that you might find in one of those countries. Those are the national flags of Holland and Belgium in the background.

Too bad that we can't smell things in SL. These tulips and irises are beautiful.





In a square like this in RL, you would expect to find street vendors selling regional foods. The Belgians are fond of fried potatoes -- what we call "French Fries" in North America -- and the Dutch enjoy pickled herring. Hmmmmm .... I think I'll wait, thank you.







Instead, I'll stand here and feed the ducks and the swans. The swans are peaceful enough, but ducks look really hungry. There's duck food in the box next to me (or maybe I could throw them a herring?).


Not long ago, this pond was frozen over, so Christi used the ice for a special art exhibit. You could rent ice skates and glide around, enjoying each painting and learning a little about it.





There are many Dutch-speaking communities in Second Life, and there are some amazing art museums as well. You probably recognize Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and Vermeer's "Girl With a Pearl Earring." Christi has thoughtfully provided reproductions here, and landmarks to places in SL where you can see more of the Dutch masters' paintings.









The centerpiece of the area, I think, is this gigantic oak tree. There's a blackbird nesting here somewhere, and a bluebird that flies over from the park around the pond. This would be a fine place to sit with a friend and watch the world go by.




My dress today, by the way, is a new one I just put in the shop on Elysian Isle. I'm calling it simply "Spring Flowers." I designed it for you to wear to an outdoor lunch or if you decided to stroll through any of the beautiful park areas in SL, but it could just be a "relax on the patio" dress. Maybe with a margarita? Here it is, close up.




I think I'll stay for a while. You go on ahead. I'll catch up.