Christmas 2024

MEIR, Antwerp

 I just had a Christmas event without an event because the event was the Christmas days itself in Western Europe. 

During a week I visited Christmas Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Luxembourg city and Strasbourg. So I saw all the Western Europe countries during a Christmas days 2024. 

It’s pretty difficult to say the best Christmas city from the Western Europe cities which I visited. I think that a first place could Luxembourg city take. But how I said it’s difficult to say what was the best Christmas city which I visited during Christmas 2024. 

Ville Haute - Luxembourg 

In the Luxembourg city Christmas night Christmas decorations and lights were an heartbreaking. Especially streets around Ville Haute had an incredible vibes of all the Christmas lights. I had pretty beautiful feeling in my body when I saw how Ville Haute look during a Christmas. I visited a mensa friend in Luxembourg during a spring 2019 and the friend explained me everything about Luxembourg - history, culture - and I saw every the very well know places in Luxembourg from Vianden to Breidweiler. And now when I saw Luxembourg city in a Christmas night and I had the feeling for why Luxembourg is a nation which a man need to love. This is a very cultural nation of a luxury heritage. Luxembourg city is very beautiful city of a heritage and a modern world together. Luxembourg city belong among the best cities in Europe, for me. 

And with my person loved Rotterdam, Rotterdam is a different vibes than is Luxembourg city, Rotterdam is more modern city. In Rotterdam were beautiful decorations on Erasmusbrug or also around Rotterdam center. Erasmusbrug, Wilheminakade and Maasshaven is very majestic and iconic place. I think ‘majestic’ is the right word for an incredible atmosphere when a man is on Erasmusbrug and during a night this feeling is maybe more deep and the man see the world of a big majestic buildings around. Maybe if I visited no place as is Ossuaire de Douaumont in France for example, I could feel that Erasmusbrug and view from the big bridge to Wilheminakade that this is a most majestic place in Western Europe; because the builds are pretty high-tech strong modern architecture for an often strong weather itself of North see. I think Rotterdam is builded on a place where is still North see. I think Nieuwe Maas itself is a North see in a corridor and not a common river. And majestic is also because during strong winter weather, a strong wind and winter times on Erasmusbrug seems to be as climbing on a mountain. For everytime I can enjoy the majestic atmosphere of a human world. And now during Christmas I had again the feeling about that Rotterdam is a majestic place. 

Strasbourg - Grande Île

Exist some public stats that Netherlands people says that they more like Rotterdam more than Amsterdam. As a one the best place in Netherlands they see Utrecht. Probably I also like Rotterdam more like Amsterdam. But I don’t say that Amsterdam is not a beautiful city. During a my Christmas trip I saw many beautiful Christmas vibes in Amsterdam. Although in Amsterdam is also many modern high-tech buildings, Amsterdam is a historic city more like Rotterdam, for example. And I enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere on the historic places in Amsterdam. Especially center of Amsterdam lived Christmas atmosphere, many people who wanted to see the atmosphere. Amsterdam is also a city to a love. 

Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam

Antwerp was also with an incredible Christmas atmosphere. I see Antwerp as a most beautiful city in Belgium and Christmas atmosphere this also said. A people in Christmas Antwerp was everywhere and together with a glamor shopping they did a right Western Europe. I could to say that also Antwerp could be on the first place of a Western Europe Christmas cites but I can’t to say this because another Western Europe cities looked similarly beautiful. The shopping during Christmas days in Antwerp is an amazing atmosphere. Especially the shops in Antwerpen center. A people there make a great atmosphere. 

 

In Eindhoven atmosphere a Christmas shopping was also amazing. And also people in the Christmas streets were peaceful. Although seems to be that Eindhoven is not a bigger Christmas place, the atmosphere of a trading in Eindhoven was amazing. 

And Strasbourg. I think that Strasbourg could be also on a first place among the best of Western Europe Christmas city. In Strasbourg is possible everywhere to see a heritage atmosphere and with a Christmas decorations Strasbourg also seems to be an incredible Western Europe city of many beautiful streets. I like the city and I think Strasbourg is a very good France city for a life. A Strasbourg buildings and streets and the heritage is amazing. And also because Strasbourg is near of Germany, a man can feel a piece from Germany in Strasbourg. Strasbourg was also beautiful.

And yeah, no one border control on a Western Europe borders. Only a ID control there was on borders with Czechia and Germany. A ways on roads and with trains were good without a delays everywhere. 

A fear for the fear

 Hello with Another Message About One of the World’s Main Themes 

 I believe that every smile in a country called heart of Central Europe—which still appears on the faces of many in this region who say “the war in Ukraine is just Ukraine’s problem, and nothing else matters”—could easily disappear. Because after Ukraine, that smile might be the first thing to be erased from the map. 

No other country around Central Europe would be lost as deeply as this nation (Slovak similarly) might be. 

Yes, it gives me a bit of hope that within Central Europe I’m seeing more people starting to think about the bigger picture. There’s growing awareness of the so-called “red plans” targeting Central Europe. But I don’t think this is the end of everything yet, because the issues in Central Europe run deep. One possible solution could be a “shutdown” of a whole generation for one generation—like in the Megalopolis movie (2024). A generation that grows up disconnected from all the toxic elements of current reality might be the way to finally cleanse all this negativity. 

This is hard to say, but the truth is: there are so many deeply rooted problems that maybe only a generation without contact with them could create real change.  

Now, to the thought I’ve been having: maybe it’s not a good idea to amplify fear about the potential for war in Europe. The truth is, the COVID pandemic might have been used as a tool for economic shutdown in Europe, and perhaps even to prepare for war—not just in Europe, but globally. There were efforts to investigate the origin of the virus, but those efforts failed. 

And now we’re seeing fear being spread again—this time related to war. But the economic impact—deficits, recession, and inflation—can be just as destructive as the pandemic. Right now, I feel more afraid of the economic deficits in Europe than of the war itself. In fact, war can sometimes be used to justify or deepen these deficits. There are signs that, at the end of the pandemic and in the months that followed, there were deliberate attempts to further shut down the economy in a Central European country. This could have been part of a war strategy to weaken society, especially by taking advantage of naive or manipulated minds. 

I believe that this kind of psychological manipulation—creating deficits through fear and words about war—is also part of a broader war strategy. What I’m trying to say is: the last thing Europe needs right now is a deficit caused by fear alone. Central Europe may have started this process, but I believe Western Europe needs to focus on building and protecting the civilization it already has—without allowing fear to disrupt or destroy it. 

Like I said, I’m afraid that fear itself is being used as a strategy. And if we let fear stop the progress people are making, we risk seeing critical infrastructure fall into disrepair and people left without support. And that’s the last thing Europe needs right now.

I just like it

A Sense for Cultivation and Aesthetic

 I have many reasons why I like the Netherlands, and this is one of them. 

 Kralingen Oost 

Among all the good things in the Netherlands, one detail I really appreciate is seeing ducks in the streets of Rotterdam, calmly swimming in streams without fear of people around them. There’s a natural harmony between animals and people. The environment is clean, green, and full of life. Swans nest peacefully, unbothered by people walking nearby or stopping to watch. This shows a deep sense of culture and social awareness in Dutch society. I believe Dutch social behavior is on a very high level, partly because people in the Netherlands have a strong and respectful relationship with nature. The lush green spaces around the country reflect this intelligence and peacefulness. Their cultural and social connection to the environment contributes to overall happiness—because living in vibrant, green surroundings is a very different experience from a grey, lifeless reality. For me, the Kralingen area in Rotterdam is a perfect example. Then there’s Zuiderpark—an area full of greenery. In the summer, it often turns into a space for daily barbecues and gatherings, where people connect and build community. It’s a place where you’ll see smiles from people of all skin colors. On another side of the city, you’ll find Essenburgpark—a special nature reserve dedicated to preserving green space in Rotterdam. The level of development in the Netherlands—both in infrastructure and economy—is impressive. But just as impressive is the cultural and social approach to green environments. You can see this in how ducks and swans live freely and peacefully even in big cities like Rotterdam. All of this shows that Dutch social behavior is very advanced. And when people say that Czechs are often seen as toxic or aggressive, I wonder why it is that in no other country from Germany to proper Western Europe do we see this same deep care for the environment as we do in the Netherlands. It highlights a contrast—because in Czechia, it’s much harder to find the kind of environmental care and harmony that’s considered normal in Dutch cities