The situationalists strike back

Cycling through the Vondelpark this morning, we saw a couple of green plastic chairs -- expensive ones -- in the middle of the path. Unsurprisingly, a thrifty Dutch woman was standing by them, clearly trying to figure out how she could carry them on her bike. Free chairs are too good an opportunity to pass up! Cycling on, we saw several more chairs, only this time they were positioned in the middle of a field and had a table. "Bet you it's wacky art school students," said PJ. "Bet you they got a hefty grant from the government to do it," I replied. We then went on our way, chortling to ourselves about the lunacy of a tax-and-spend-on-layabout government that lavishes money on public art installations. And then, as Thatcher's children, felt rather envious and just a little bit sad.