The Mainland

Most of Frisia is farmland. There are exceptions, such as the lakes in southwest Friesland, and the forests in the east. But the typical Frisian scene is a broad green plain, rolling slightly, checker-boarded by canals. Although clusters of trees sporadically dot the horizon, the only major mark on the grey misting sky is a farmhouse, and maybe a far-off church steeple. Dotting the meadows are cow herds brinded black and white, their udders bloated with milk. A horse and buggy clop down the dirt road. The horse is tall and muscled, with a shimmering black coat, feathery mane, and hooves flung off the ground in a high-step trot. The the buggy is loaded with hay, and the farmer smokes his pipe and hums a folk song about a king and a giant. Halbertsma would love it.

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