If there’s any benefit to this lockdown, it’s discovering towns and villages that would have otherwise gone unnoticed, though as I’ve been finding out more and more, definitely not for lack of character.
On the first day of 2021, on a sunny Friday’s winter day, Teko and I decided to stop in Buren, a promising location in Gelderland, looking to gain some inspiration and mild exercise as a way to start off the year. Getting there without incident was a blessing – not much traffic on the highways and most people behaving responsibly – followed by quick parking just outside the old part of town, we were soon wandering aimlessly along with a handful of others, locals I imagine. I was the only Asian in sight and the only one taking photos (like any normal tourist). In other words I stood out like a sore, brown thumb.

Almost quickly Teko and I found the town to be the ideal of where we’d like to move to, attracted by the cobblestoned streets, rows of historic houses, and the chiming of the church bells as we hit noon. Technically a city, it had its share of quaint neighborhood stores and eateries – and for a very small city even a business school – that were all within walking distance. Yet another town that’s after my own heart.
As was usually the case lately there were no restaurants open, and after a walk around the quiet streets admiring the town’s many quirks and crannies we left for other parts unknown, with a stop at the Golden Arches in between. Buren is an hour’s drive from Amsterdam so a lot of stars will have to align before we can actually consider any move, topmost of which is my job situation. Short of a genie that can give us three wishes, a dream of possibilities is all we can ask for right now.