Gallimaufry#158

Just a gallimaufry of AI-generated photos, real photos and ramblings 📸

View from my Airbnb 😍

Quiet Repose

This tranquil columbarium, where my parents' ashes are lovingly interred, has become a haven of peace for me. Among the solemn statues and swaying palms, I always find solace—a quiet reminder of their presence and the enduring bonds of love and memory. There’s something strangely comforting being here—the quiet, the stillness, the sense of time pausing. It can feel like a place of quiet repose, where memories rest gently and love lingers in the silence.

The Seventh Step: A Fall, A Burden, and a Message for Us All

Not far from the columbarium, I found myself lingering in an unlikely spot—a quiet corner of the church carpark. It’s not where you’d expect to stop and reflect. But along the surrounding walls stood the outdoor Stations of the Cross, beautifully sculpted and deeply moving. Each one felt like a silent storyteller, etched in solemn relief. Station VII, in particular, held me still.

Jesus Falls the Second Time.

The Roman numeral VII, in striking gold, sits atop a pale, weathered tableau. Jesus, exhausted under the crushing weight of the cross, has collapsed again. Around Him, the world buzzes — soldiers, citizens, bystanders — each face frozen in time, each expression a question or an answer in itself.

This moment, this second fall, holds more than just the image of physical exhaustion. It speaks to the moments in our own lives when we fall — not just once, but again. When getting back up feels heavier than the burden we’re carrying. And yet, the journey continues.

I stood there in the shade of the church wall, cars passing by just a few steps away, and felt the strange collision of the sacred and the everyday. It reminded me that our faith isn’t confined to Sunday rituals or quiet chapels. Sometimes it’s written in plaster on a wall beside a carpark, whispering to us when we least expect it.

Because falling — even more than once — doesn’t mean we’ve failed. It means we are human. And like Christ, we rise again, not because we have to be strong all the time, but because grace meets us exactly where we fall.

DINNER - South Indian banana leaf rice

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

Volendam

Before my visit to Volendam, I watched a video of the town set to One Way Wind by The Cats, and the melody stayed with me. The Cats were a Dutch rock band formed in Volendam in 1964, and their music had been a part of my childhood. As I walked through the charming streets, past the colorful Dutch-style houses with their neatly trimmed gables, nostalgia washed over me. The song I grew up on played in my head like a perfect soundtrack to the moment. The gentle sway of the fishing boats in the harbor, the aroma of fresh stroopwafels, and the crisp breeze off the water all seemed to move in harmony with the tune. Standing by the waterfront, I felt as if I had stepped into a memory, making my experience in Volendam even more magical and surreal.