Spring is here which means I’ve survived yet another damp, gloomy winter. Fourteenth now and counting.
Blessed with a beautifully sunny weekend, a Sunday out in nearby Zwolle sounded respectable, practical even with gas prices going up daily, and after a personal victory of choosing a lunch venue that wouldn’t usually pass muster with Teko, it was an outing I looked forward to. With Covid restrictions nearly gone the idea of venturing out felt much more relaxed and lively, less looking over my shoulder for anyone breathing in my direction. The drive into Zwolle was painless though parking was slightly more challenging compared to most other places. Once we arrived and began to walk around it felt like 2019 – no one wore masks, shops were open, and restaurants bustling with customers, many sitting outdoors. It was refreshing.

We sat down to an attractive, empty restaurant as the first customers of the day. It’s in a converted church in the heart of lovely, old town, almost inappropriate to be the setting for an eat-all-you-can Japanese sushi chain, but I was quickly proven wrong on many fronts. The service was quick and attentive, the atmosphere quiet and inviting, and the food from start to finish was too good I couldn’t help but feel bloated afterwards. The grilled steak was memorable and the double serving of shrimp tempura was nostalgia on a plate.

After such a successful lunch, it was necessary to burn off calories by walking off our meal as much as possible. Luckily as we passed by, the can’t-miss 15th century Sassenpoort was open for visitors, which meant a good amount of stairs to climb, and which in the end was completely worth it.

It’s been a while since I last wrote anything, which I’m afraid smells of resignation and ennui, confounded by a lack of inspiration, not to mention the horrid violence happening in the east of this continent that’s enough to dampen the most hopeful of spirits. If there’s truly a higher being, please spare us the threat, much more the reality of unspeakable suffering, and from the naked ambitions of a small group of men who if they knew any better, shouldn’t look too far in the past to know how it will all end.