Just as last time we went to a musical, the show was very spectacular, with beautiful costumes and decors and of course the music by Phil Collins. And just as last time, I would advise you to go and see for yourself, but be quick, because you’ve got about four weeks left.

For more information, do not try the obvious tarzan.nl, you’ll find a different type of info there. Instead, check out wikipedia, for example. Tarzan.com seems to be related to the author of the book Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and will also provide you with some more information.

So, we too wanted to go ice skating, but I too had to buy new skates first. We finally went this Saturday.

Apart from the fun of ice skating, the cold weather also provides some beautiful natural winter scenes, and the opportunity to try to make a few nice photos.

This time, we went by car and ferry: we drove to Dunkerque, took the ferry to Dover, and drove the last part, to their new house in Newbury. “What? Where? Didn’t they live in Bristol?” Yes, they did, but not anymore. They moved earlier this year. We hadn’t been there yet. In fact, we hadn’t seen them since December! Back then, Willem was 7 months and Marijn only 2 months old! So, it was very nice seeing each other again.

This is the result:

Why are holidays always too short?

Champoussin is a little village near Val-d’Illiez within the skiing area of Portes du Soleil.

We didn’t do any skiing of course, but for walking the area is very nice as well. We made some beautiful tours of three to four hours, almost every day. The weather was perfect, except for the first two days, and sometimes even a bit too warm.

The two (and-a-half) of us stayed in a luxurious 6-person appartment with two bathrooms, three toilets and three bedrooms! We had a magnificent view on the Dents du Midi, which we enjoyed from our balcony during breakfast and dinner (and in-between):

Well, anyway, because I haven’t been using my weblog very much in the past year, I decided that I would start a photoblog. So, the first picture is coming up right now, and hopefully, I can give you regular updates with new (or old) pictures.

All pictures made by me, of course, and with my Canon Powershot A620 digital camera, unless otherwise stated.

In the last week of our holiday we moved even further south and east, to the other side of the Cevennes. We stayed there with Irene’s French “parents”, in a very large house, in a very small and very old village. We did one easy walk here, but it was just too hot! The rest of the week we just enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, the nice old villages and the great weather.
And, unfortunately, all good things come to an end, so yesterday was our last day. We left around 9 in the morning and arrived home at about 10.30 in the evening! Tomorrow, it’s back to work!

Viaduc de Millau

Gorges du Tarn

Le Vase de Sèvres, in the Gorges du Tarn

P.S. These are some of the pictures we took with our new camera. After three weeks of intensive use, we can say we are very pleased with it. The camera is easy to use, yet versatile. And the photos are of very high quality.

The weather was great, and the races were nice, with a spectacular ending of the MotoGP.

After the finish of the MotoGP, even before the last of the races, most people left, resulting in thousands and thousands of motorcyclists trying to leave at the same time. It took us about an hour – in the burning sun – just to get off the parking lot and onto the highway!

And then the thousands of people who stand along the highway. Some of them have even taken chairs with them, some barbecues, and even 100 kilometers from Assen, the highway overpasses are still filled with people watching and waving at the bikers – you’d almost feel like an Olympic champion!

Update: The official sponsor of the TT is A-Style, as can naturally be seen everywhere along the track, on the tickets, or on the poster, for example. Check out their logo! Who, in his right mind, would ever want to come up with a logo like that?!?

Wow, what a spectacular show that is! It already starts with a fantastic opening scene. But also the live music is overwhelming, the costumes are amazing, and the decors are beautiful.

Well, I could tell you more, but you should really just go and see it. But you’ve got to be quick, because the show stops August 27.

I don’t know if you know them, or have heard about them, but they are (obviously) a theater group. They do improvisation theater. We had seen them once before, a year or two ago, so we knew what to expect. If you don’t, maybe you have seen De Lama’s on Dutch television…? That’s more or less similiar to Boom Chicago.

The group consists of a couple of Americans who live in the Netherlands; it’s very funny to hear “foreigners” characterising “us”, the Dutch people, our habits, et cetera. But they’re very good at it!

Some improvisation examples from the show: people in the audience yell out some professions and the names of some famous people, and they make a sketch of “Sean Connery as a flying doctor”, or “ET as a bank robber”.
Or they ask the audience for a couple of one-liners from movies. Two of the actors, who were back stage during that time, then have to do a scene in which they randomly get these lines and have to integrate these into the scene.
And yes, on stage it is much more funny than if you read it here…

Anyway, if you want to know more about them, or see some example videos, have a look at boomchicago.nl.
Have fun! And go and see them some time, if you can.