Fly away nicely, Kodai!

The author is currently staying in the Achterhoek region of the Netherlands with family, describing their temporary home as a farmhouse owned by Vitesse supporters. The landscape is marked by a dry riverbed, once the IJssel, now barely a trickle due to persistent drought. This has altered their usual cycling routes, forcing frequent detours through Doesburg.

Doesburg, a town with historic buildings and a mustard factory, has become a point of contention for the author's three young daughters. Repeated cycling trips to the town, which they find uninteresting beyond its old houses and a local museum, have led to them hating it. The author even avoids mentioning their destination to spare them disappointment.

The author is enjoying a period where news seems to pass by unnoticed, with conversations primarily revolving around the weather and water levels. A recent encounter in a local supermarket saw a man confront the author about the newspaper's perceived lack of coverage on the drought, linking it to the author's father's former role in provincial water management.

Reflecting on sports, the author mentions watching a match between Olympiakos Piraeus and NEC. While wishing NEC well, the author expresses sympathy for Japanese player Kodai Sano, who is finally leaving the club after two years. Sano announced his transfer to PSV on the same day his "birdcage door" was opened, prompting the author to wish him well: "Fly away nicely, Kodai!"

The author anticipates that in a few weeks, this summer's focus on heat and drought will be forgotten, hoping for a rainy autumn. The piece concludes with a nostalgic image of the author's father in a rain suit, ready for fieldwork.

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Fly away nicely, Kodai!