Dijkfest

Ten to seven on a Sunday evening.

We should be enjoying the relaxation and quiet of sleepy Eemnes on a Sunday. This is the place where the only thing that is open is the church (at the end of our street). But no. It is Dijkfest here, which is (I think) an event that is unique to Eemnes. Inmates of Eemnes have been encouraged to put up artwork in their front gardens. There are several themes - Dutch flags, orange things, clogs, lots and lots of dairy cows. A welcome delight is the naked (male) garden gnome.
Another part of Dijkfest is musical. This unfortunately occurs in a huge pavilion that has been set up one block from our house, and in the Eemnes Jazz Night Club, which is less than 50 metres away from our house on the same block.

Hence our house is currently being bombarded with the sounds of an atrocious brass band, interspersed with a man bellowing something (in Dutch) on a microphone. This is due to some event being held in the pavilion.

I think this is slightly worse than the "Kinderfest" which was held last Wednesday, starting at 12.30, just when Edward fell asleep for his afternoon nap. Kinderfest consisted of Yelling Microphone Man for 20 seconds or so, followed by the sounds of dozens of screaming, cheering Dutch children, followed by Yelling Microphone Man... and so on for an hour or so. Thankfully once Edward is asleep, he is asleep.

The last two nights we have been subjected to Free Jazz Concerts (starting at 9pm and continuing with no break at all until the early hours of the morning). These are so loud that it sounds like we have the radio on too loudly inside our double glazed house. I am hoping that we don't have a third night of Jazz because my temper is wearing extremely thin. I've spent too many hours in the last 48 hours lying in bed, desparately tired, being subjected to some idiot singing their lungs out, and wondering if it would be possible to take matters into my own hands and cut the electricity supply to the Eemnes Jazz Night Club.