TigerLillyQuinn

People that think of the Netherlands think first of the drugs. Then the sex. Then the drug-induced sex. They don’t seem to think much about the creepy (yet ever so sweet) theme parks.

Let me get this straight – it’s not Kerfelteling. It’s Efteling.

I read it once as Kerfelteling when I was researching other stuff to do in and around Amsterdam (we're headed to Europe in September 2017). Since then, I have not been able to get that weird made-up word out of my head. Efteling is the fairytale-themed, fantastical theme park somewhere South East of Rotterdam (across two rivers) in the Netherlands. I’ll give you more details as I please to do so. If you’re looking for manners and structure, sorry to disappoint!

Having read all of my previous work, you’ll know that fantastical, strange lands inhabited by witches, magical elves and faeries very much define a large part of my writing.

I love anything fantasy related that allows me to escape to a parallel universe where mages like ‘Grinhelper the Malevolent’ seek to imbue gingerbread men with demonic presences to steal the souls of children who are tempted to eat them. I do enjoy a good demon hunt! And there’s a certain satisfaction in writing about a hero disembowelling an evil sorcerer after they’ve just razed a poor village. As a result, having learned of this magical theme park, and being a huge fan of theme parks in general (Disney fan, here), the temptation to visit is as alluring as a chest spilling with golden coins and sparkling amulets.

Where the heck did all these ghouls and goblins come from?

Anyone who was born in the 90’s or later was more or less born a Harry Potter native. So where do you think JK received inspiration for her Wizarding World? Despite claiming it came from a forest she lived near (Forest of Dean), I’d hazard a guess that she obtained a collection of ideas from the same books and popular culture we all immersed ourselves in one way or another; Grimm’s fairy tales and some serious pizza and coke-fuelled afternoons playing Dungeons and Dragons. Ok, so I’ve got absolutely no proof that JK played D&D, but fairy tales have been around for a very long time, permeating and gelling themselves within the fabric of human culture. A researcher, by the name of Jamshid J. Tehrani looks at the cross-cultural relationships among folktales and highlights an obvious, but pertinent point in the introduction of a paper written in 2013. The Brothers Grimm had disseminated tales of talking wolves and foul and wicked witches capturing children to consume since the early 19th century- and this is just the modern stuff.

When I stumbled upon this little place called Efteling (read Kerfelteling), my eyes lit up as I scrolled through the pictures and scrawled though traveller’s blogs of what Efteling has to dazzle (and potentially frighten the beejeezus out of you) with. A big advanced thank you to Tigerlillyquinn for the unapproved, but faithfully acknowledged use of your photographs. When we visit, I’ll have my own photographs to use in a subsequent article of which you may pilfer for your own use (with a link back here!).

Mmmm! Gingerbread. Remember what happened to those kids? Lesson be learned. Sugar is for the dead. TigerLillyQuinn

Don't partake in the 'shrooms on the way in. You'll DEFINITELY meet some evil fairies. Thanks go to Hive Miner.

When we’re visiting, it will be Autumn. In the Fey realm, Autumn is a time where giving in to a little complacency can lead you into a sudden cold snap leaving you outside, away from safety and frighteningly close to those presences who seek to harm you..

Here’s what we hope Autumn will bring us..

Source The crunch of brittle leaves underfoot and the distant cackling of a wicked, plotting wench residing in a carbohydrate-overloaded abode.

This is what I can't wait to see about Europe. Freaking history. Tales told and written in old leather bound books with a jacket of thick dust protecting itself from even more dust. Tales of creatures so malevolent that returning home before dark is the only way to ensure you'll wake to see another day. Some might call that child abuse. I think the Grimm's labelled it as entertainment (not really - they censored their own work for fear it might scare the holy hell out of little tikes).

Sleep tight, my little Kerfeltelings!

All the best,
Nick

Acknowledgements

Efteling Website

Inside the Magical World of ‘Harry Potter’ Author

The Phylogeny of Little Red Riding Hood

TigerLillyQuinn: A Truly Magical Christmas in Efteling

Autumn Photo in Efteling