Is that blue water Photoshopped?
‘It’s unbelievable! Nobody believes their eyes, it’s that blue. But that’s how it really is. It is about 30 degrees here all year round, that is the attraction of the Caribbean. Sometimes it wants to cool down to 26 degrees, haha, craziness of course. But you have that trade wind here, from the east, so there is always a nice breeze. And everything moves a little slower here. Taxi drivers don’t work when it rains, nobody is stressed. Compared to Curaçao and Aruba, Bonaire is very quiet and relaxed. I always call it the Texel of the tropics.
We built a house here. We’ve been coming to Bonaire for about 25 years, in the beginning sometimes in hotels, but I still like to have a place where my own scent hangs. My daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren came over for two and a half weeks yesterday. My wife and I are staying for four weeks this time.’
What do you do for a whole month?
‘We continue to live our Dutch life here. Well, what do you do for a month like that? Messing around, taking out garbage, shopping. In the Netherlands I never go to a supermarket, there everyone is so rushed and grumpy, but here it is very cozy. On Wednesday they are happy that fresh tomatoes have been delivered again, that is the news of the day.
It’s not all the time vacation in the sense of lounging and sunbathing, mind you. We do have a pool, though, so don’t feel sorry for me.’
And in between the household, I also enjoy sailing, I see. Who is sailing with you?
‘These are Geerlof and Anita, Dutch people who have also lived here for thirty years. That really is a dying breed, they are such sweet and caring friends. They maintain my boat and sail in it more often than I do. My wife and I christened the boat Duo Penotti, inspired by my oldest granddaughter, who was adopted from Suriname.
A few months ago, together with Geerlof and Anita, we said goodbye to a mutual friend of ours, Angelique from Switzerland, who we also knew from the island. Her greatest wish was to be scattered here, so we did. Her partner Barbara was there, bringing drinks and snacks, and then we all sailed out to sea and well, that ash, that blue water, it was amazing. I gave a speech, Angelique wanted that, and when we scattered her, suddenly a terrible rainstorm passed by. Well, then I burst into tears. All of us. That’s what I mean by living on here: on Bonaire everything goes on for me, the beautiful, the normal and the sad moments. This is my second home.’
I heard you drive around in a car with flamingos and palm trees on it. Is life on Bonaire more extravagant than at home?
‘Yes, I would never ever imagine such a car in the Netherlands. People are much more exuberant here, so a car like this is also possible here. I’ve had it for twenty years, I once had it airbrushed and now it stays good for a long time because of all that paint, the varnish and this climate. When the Dutch are on holiday here, I am a real attraction with that car. That’s nice.’
Isn’t it boring to always go to the same place on vacation?
“I’ve traveled enough in my life. I have been to Indonesia and Canada and New Guinea for my work and I know a lot of places. I’ve seen a lot. Bonaire is the best place for me. And a lot has happened and changed here in those 25 years, you know. Recently a new roundabout was festively opened, with those plastic white chairs in a circle around it, and a performance by a drum band, haha.’
That does sound festive. Something else: do you like ice creams?
‘Naturally! Italian ice cream with coffee flavor and a dollop of whipped cream on top, that’s my favorite flavour.’
How do you maintain that island feeling when you are back in the Netherlands?
‘That will never work. Somehow, such a feeling always quickly dissipates when I go to work. When I’m back in the Netherlands in September I’ll go back into the theater with a performance full of anecdotes about showbiz and about my encounters with Gorbachev and Whitney Houston and you name them all. But although the holiday feeling quickly disappears at home, it always returns quickly as soon as I land on Bonaire. Then I’ll be acclimatized and zen again within half a day.’