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Our Mobility Defines our Quality of Life Substantially

February 8, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

The importance of mobility is demonstrated by the enormous leap in the quality of life of older people took over the last 20 years.

This improvement is predominantly attributed to denser public transport, cheaper cars, scoot mobiles, rollators, improved electric wheelchairs, taxis-to-share and the like.

Our quality of life is defined by our mobility. That sounds a bit odd from someone who spent a substantial part of his life in traffic jams and overcrowded trains. But there is another side of the coin. Another type of mobility that is even more important.

2018.12.02 Classic cars exhibition

November 11, 2021December 2, 2018 by Hannie Mommers

During our daily walk, we bumped into some kind of exhibition of old cars. They were standing in a parking lot, so we were not sure it was meant as an exhibition, but it was great to see all these classic models anyway. We even saw a car with a Dutch sign on it! It … Read more

2018.10.10 Un ordenador sobre ruedas

November 13, 2021October 10, 2018 by Tom van Oosterhout

Un coche moderno es un ordenador sobre ruedas was the first thing car salesman Pepe told us when four months ago we signed a contract to buy a new Volvo xc 40. A modern car is a computer on wheels. And today he tried to explain to me how this ordenador works. Fortunately, the car … Read more

2018.09.21 Lavado de coches

November 13, 2021September 21, 2018 by Tom van Oosterhout

Carwash. Lavado de coches. It has been ages that a wash had hit it off with the car. This one was easy. You buy a plastic chip at the counter of the petrol station. A well-informed help explains that at first, the car has to be parked exactly on the metal plate. After this, the … Read more

2018.06.15 Car

June 12, 2022June 15, 2018 by Tom van Oosterhout

Notwithstanding the fact that our current car, a Volvo V70, is still in fairly good shape, it’s about time to consider another one. Our car is from 2001 and has over 520.000 kilometers on the clock. The other car shouldn’t be too big and not too small. It has to be able to drive comfortably … Read more

2018.04.05 Car friendly Madrid

November 20, 2021April 5, 2018 by Tom van Oosterhout

There is no greater pleasure than leisurely walking through a big city. In the case of the picture, the big city is Madrid. The only downturn is that everywhere there are cars. They do not only pollute the already heavy air, but they also need a lot of space and these spaces constantly interrupt walkways. … Read more

2018.02.12 Bureaucratic despair

November 21, 2021February 12, 2018 by Tom van Oosterhout

They did warn us [10] We are very persistent. To be able to buy a subscription for a mobile phone, or a car, or a house, or to be able to open a bank account, as a foreigner you need a NIE number. NIE means: Numéro de Identidad Extranjero. After numerous attempts (see They did … Read more

2018.01.12 Designed for donkeys

November 21, 2021January 12, 2018 by Tom van Oosterhout

Much of the former rather rough and green Spanish coast has by now turned into tourist accommodations. Of the old inner-cities, some have been preserved. This is a picture taken in Almuñecar. A city on the Costa Tropical. As in most pictures, the secret is what is not to be seen here. We had to … Read more