Beer

Enjoyed a beer and the company that came with it.

Mork & Mindy

Had a relaxed weekend with my son; re-arranged the bedroom, placed a reading-light above the couch and watched Mork & Mindy.

Skywatch Friday

Note: Every SWF-picture published here is shot with my trusty Nokia N93 mobile phone and is unedited. For more Skywatch Friday photo's from around the globe, please check http://skyley.blogspot.com/

A few day ago I took two of my kids to the fair:

The three pictures below were taken earlier that day when we went shopping
in the area where we live. Well, About ten minutes walk from it.

Economical crisis

The real economical crisis started when the media told us there was one. Hence it became a self-fulfulling prophecy so let's stop talking, thinking and writing about the topic and it might just cease to exist.

Pictures

Looking at the pictures from some of the moments in my life I can't help but to think happy thoughts...See the slideshow to your right on this screen.

Children's laughter

This morning I woke up to the sound of children's laughter. What better way to start a day!?

Skywatch Friday

Going through my archives I found these pictures of our stay in Copenhagen, Denmark in the summer of 2007:

A double rainbow over the entrance of amusementpark Tivoli:



















Thunderclouds above the local cinema:


















Different clouds and great architecture, standing at a square in the centre of Copenhagen:























The sky over a canal on the way back from "freehaven" Christiana:























Note: Every SWF-picture published here is shot with my trusty Nokia N93 mobile phone and is unedited. For more Skywatch Friday photo's from around the globe, please check http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Guiness

Had a meeting for some entertainment-work this afternoon and the preferred beer was Guinness. When the last glas was still half full (not half empty, mind you!) we managed to close the deal, shook hands vividly and parted.

Feel good

Sometimes all you need to feel good is to play guitar and chat with your neighbour.

Clothes

Today a neighbour and we exchanged old clothes. She got us some dresses and skirts whilst we got her some clothes for her son to wear. 

Dream

Once again I had this really weird dream last night: http://www.terrebel.nl/Dreams.html

Has anyone got any idea what it could mean?

Voice

My throat still hurts but at least I can speak again, although people don't recognize my voice over the phone.

Skywatch Friday

The sky looked so weird that day, a few days ago and some half an hour before sunset so I just had to take these. They are from a small shopping street, less than five minutes away from my home in downtown Amsterdam and from the street that connects that street and my own.







Note: Every SWF-picture published here is shot with my trusty Nokia N93 mobile phone and is unedited. For more Skywatch Friday photo's from around the globe, please check http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Flu

Went out again to see my guitarteacher. Because the flu gave me a sore throat I sang Hotel California in the style of Tom Waits.

Well

Had to cancel most of my appointments this week 'cause I'm still not feeling well.

Skitrip

(Entering this in Zapreader makes reading faster):

 

Day 1:

It is still so early that we see the baker opening his shop. My mom is waiting for us with sandwiches and a hug. Joy over the reunion with old acquaintances from previous editions of the Leo-Czech travel is somewhat tempered by general sleep deprivation.

With 46 passengers and one driver we hit the road neatly on time (06.00hours) . There is much to see of the beautiful landscape and the mini-gamesset is a great success; Fer and his mates (w/v) concentrated play "Tc Tac Toe", "Snakes and Ladders" and of course "Chess." Because he was at the gangway my son can get his father a cup of coffee.

 

The film "Radeloos" leads me temporarily away from the fact that today a friend was buried after yesterday a neighbor was entrusted to the earth. The children amuse themselves with, among the whispering game and the dance of a polonaise, despite the presence of mini-gamecomputers, and a child asks my son: "Why are you so sweet?" Indeed my son knows to entertain children of all ages and sexes. That's quite good for a 13-year-old.

Half past ten in the evening our company arrives at Hotel Spindlerova  Bouda, in the Giant Mountains in the Czech Republic where a warm buffet awaits us. The rooms are nice and just after midnight I  the bar open because of the birthday of a bartender. As the only non-Czech I mix in my best "steenkolen"-Tsjechisch/Pools/Duits/Engels in discussions about politics, economics and topics such as further discussed when drunken men talk. If I tell that I'm not only fan of skater Martina Sablikova but also am reading a book by Bohumil Hrabal, the conversation turns to literature, and I tell that Zdenek Miller (the creator of Krtek, or "Molletje" in Dutch) ismy favorite Czech writer, I get yet another free drink.

Day 2:

Fer and I are fourth and fifth at the great breakfast buffet. One of the people of service is the young man whose birthday was celebrated only a few hours earlier. He looks a bit like I feel. Chauffeur Roel takesus with the tour bus to the slopes and on the edge of the village. Traditionally there is a lot of haggling and stuff going on but the white fairytale-like landscape reimburses much. Add to this that the use of swimming pool and sauna in the hotel isfree of charge and the suffering is easily forgotten.

Day 3:

My ski instructor is called Eva (pronounced: "Eda" with short "e") is 67. Before lunch, our group consists of 6 students. After the lunch just me and Nadine from a town in the former GDR are left. Thus we almost have a private lesson! Eva taught me to ski without using excessive force. It also helps when cornering on the toes to stand in the shoes, a trick I never knew. Nadine goes nicely under the watchful eye of her "Schwiegermutter, die  Bose." Although I am fan of the old local drink vodka, liqueur Becherovka does also well at the après-ski.

Day 4:

Everything is white. A photograph of the cloth is almost identical to a photograph of the environment. Roel does not consider it justified to drive with a visibility less than five meters. The city bus driver knows, however blindly and with a cigarette in the mouth the way down (we are high in the Giant Mountains) and thus I am reunited with the ski instructor and Nadine, the other half of our group. Unfortunately, before the afternoon I am forced to quit after a co-user of the slope uses my left knee for a brake. Co-traveller Astrid accompanies me to first aid where I get treatment and a brace. After leaving behind 31,000 Czech crowns bump  I happily go hopping around with a beautiful black/purple brace around my leg. The rest of the afternoon I am in the group of people at the bottom of the beginners hill where we encourage peers and complete strangers. Cameras get overheated when by order of Soemaya ridiculously many photos of ski instructor Tomaaaasz are taken.

Day 5:

From our tower room Fer and I have a phenomenal view that can easily go into a fairytale-book. There is no picture postcard that can surpass the sight. Slept well in the warm rooms and only when turning got briefly awakened by a very present knee. Thanks to a couple of skisticks I get groceries like a real Nordic Walker. We also purchase a sled to transport all the bottles of liquor souvenirs easier. For some, the infamous "wednesday-downer" has struck but a few well placed words and a Ferdinand who voluntarily tutors and motivation is again at the required level. Skiing continues and the encouragment-team has little to do. It is mainly there to motivate each other. And to keep warm. With drinks.

The evening was for Carlos Kaspar, the magician and his magic show Adrenalin. Who had expected a simple hotel magician with caps, rings, cloths and balloons was disappointed. Carlos Kaspar was a real illusionist whose many acts were mouthdropping. Our Jill could join in the act and Bibi handed small gifts to everyone. (The little penguin is on my mobile-pouch, Bib!)

Day 6:

The landscape is probably quite beautiful but sight is limited due to fog. Lower on the mountain it is clearer, the large group that decides to take the sled downhill finds out. I am not recommended to go because it is recommended to brake with both legs and I can only use one... In the village I happened to come across Nadine. Robert-Jan witnesse how she spontaneously gives me kiss on the cheek. In the evening we sing for  birthday-girl Jeanette and driver Roel gets a small present. Waitress Christina represents her colleagus when she accepts our thanks.

Day 7:

It is the last day and some go into the village for souvenirs while others still take snowboard lesson or simply enjoy going skiing or sled-riding. I entertain myself with a cup of coffee and later some shots of Becherovka as I read in "I served the King of England" by Bohumil Hrabal, make notes in my diary and study on the sentence "hezký Mots smĕješ se", which means "I think you have a sweet smile." Or something.

Day 8:

Everyone is on the bus on time and we can drive back to Amsterdam. Barman Rene and his girlfriend lift along for a few miles and despite the fact that Der Polizei pulls us over we are still on schedule when driver Roel is releived for the last stretch. Some doze off occasionally maybe some more than others are suffering from the Last Night-ritual. It was very nice to have played some pool with Sjaak, Robert-Jan and "I can not play pool"-Bert but managed more than fine. Just after midnight Christina comes to say goodbye. Quarter past ten we are back in Amsterdam at the place where the journey began and tired but satisfied everyone returns home.

Take the mouse pointer over a picture and you will read a short description:

Dreams

Had a few bizarre dreams the past week: the top two on this page.

Skywatch Friday

On our way back from the Czech Republic we drove through Poland. From the moving bus I took this shot of a church and a tree. Later I discovered my camera can be seen in the window-reflection:


















From the bus from hotel to village we had this view:

This is what the surroundings of our hotel in the Giant mountains looked like:



















From our hotelroom-window:


















Through the hotelroom-window:


















A bit of sun and a snowboarder at the ski-area


















From the parkinglot at the ski-area:

Since I wasn't here last week, I figured I owed you a picture.
This is the view from the kitchen window of a friend's place where we practice Pilates twice a week:

Note: Every SWF-picture published here is shot with my trusty Nokia N93 mobile phone and is unedited. For more Skywatch Friday photo's from around the globe: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Flu

Looks like I've got the flu.

Skitrip

We have returned from our skitrip. Pictures soon.