Quarrel in Bolsward

While sitting on the boat and having dinner this evening, we witnessed an incident that was kind of unsettling. Across the canal from where our boats were moored, there was an older German couple whose dog had apparently gotten into a tussle with another dog, owned by a young local guy. Instead of just apologizing to each other and going on their way, the dog owners ended up in a long and protracted shouting match that nearly came to blows. Unfortunately, the whole thing escalated into a German-versus-Dutch conflict, and my uncle Arjen (who speaks Dutch and Frisian) and cousin Peter (who speaks some German) went over to try defuse the situation. That helped a bit, and things quieted down.

dogs quarrel and their

owners clash, raising ghosts of

unforgotten wars