tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45758005197938768522024-02-08T07:15:59.828-08:00Will WoodhillWimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-79397020357171596552009-11-22T13:52:00.001-08:002009-11-22T13:52:44.856-08:00Ik ben er nog!<p>Woepie, het is alweer een tijdje stil op deze blog. Ik ben er nog steeds, maar ik denk dat papa het een beetje te druk heeft om mijn fotootjes op tijd op deze blog te krijgen…</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Swmyqfu1eXI/AAAAAAAAAko/o_ylEIdCD7M/s1600-h/felix%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix" alt="felix" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SwmyrDLWVWI/AAAAAAAAAks/41hnyNpxDnE/felix_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-52575854258981069392009-10-13T13:10:00.001-07:002009-10-13T13:10:56.677-07:00Bumbo<p>Ik heb zonet voor de eerste keer mijn “Bumbo” stoel uitgetest. Het is geen potje (daar is het nog wat vroeg voor) maar een soort zeteltje waarin ik zonder extra steun kan zitten. Zo ongeveer:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTewTHLIYI/AAAAAAAAAkE/DLbla5fM7mw/s1600-h/felix_bumbo%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix_bumbo" alt="felix_bumbo" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTew3udZnI/AAAAAAAAAkI/B3T6Vg83tac/felix_bumbo_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="282" height="417" /></a> </p> <p>Ja, in het begin ging dat natuurlijk wat moeilijk. Maar eens ik het gewoon begon te worden, werd het wel lollig:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTexRplxOI/AAAAAAAAAkM/-dkTUEdSyf4/s1600-h/felix_bumbo-2%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix_bumbo-2" alt="felix_bumbo-2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTex68vdPI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/g_xFhhXruhk/felix_bumbo-2_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="291" height="431" /></a></p> <p>Hééél lollig zelfs…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTeyZp4MEI/AAAAAAAAAkY/vSpwgHqoC0Y/s1600-h/felix_bumbo-4%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix_bumbo-4" alt="felix_bumbo-4" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTey1OjWzI/AAAAAAAAAkc/24LqIn8EbCM/felix_bumbo-4_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>En nu kan ik zitten zoals de grote mensen!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTezaKtoXI/AAAAAAAAAkg/GNCRS-wpH3w/s1600-h/felix_bumbo-3%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix_bumbo-3" alt="felix_bumbo-3" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTez3Cx2EI/AAAAAAAAAkk/jrbEv12dwu4/felix_bumbo-3_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" height="457" /></a></p> <p>Alweer iets bijgeleerd zie…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-70635053464764578662009-10-02T14:59:00.001-07:002009-10-02T14:59:04.783-07:00Manamana!<p>De laatste tijd word ik tegen de avond wel eens vaker een beetje krikkel. En dat is zacht uitgedrukt: ik wil niet eten, niet spelen, alleen maar heel hard wenen. Dit fenomeen is blijkbaar gekend als “het huiluurtje.” Het enige wat tot hiertoe hielp is een wandelingetje met mama in de draagdoek. Papa heeft nu iets nieuws ontdekt:</p> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/73D0hX2TO3w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/73D0hX2TO3w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-48346442758426838412009-09-30T13:04:00.000-07:002009-10-13T13:05:36.732-07:00Fietskar<p>Vandaag ben ik met Mama voor de eerste keer met de fietskar een toertje gaan doen:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTdiJXKUyI/AAAAAAAAAj0/iiDUrBvKRRU/s1600-h/felix_fietskar%5B10%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix_fietskar" alt="felix_fietskar" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTdiyBAy_I/AAAAAAAAAj4/ksPHpSforUA/felix_fietskar_thumb%5B8%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="325" height="483" /></a></p> <p>Gelukkig dat ik warm aangekleed was, want het wordt wat frisjes buiten. Ik heb er in elk geval van genoten!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTdjSdCEYI/AAAAAAAAAj8/LuxuM67Pr94/s1600-h/felix_fietskar-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix_fietskar-2" alt="felix_fietskar-2" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/StTdj0oJF4I/AAAAAAAAAkA/VySSKIxQJmY/felix_fietskar-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Daag!</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-84836250725071113372009-09-08T13:26:00.001-07:002009-09-08T13:26:16.343-07:00Pas Wakker!<p>Oeps, sorry! Was efkes in slaap gevallen… Zal zo snel mogelijk nog eens nieuwe fotookes uploaden hoor!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sqa95Jbt7lI/AAAAAAAAAhI/D4OiwXtdRDU/s1600-h/paswakker%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="paswakker" alt="paswakker" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sqa955HlaxI/AAAAAAAAAhM/zOKGUW2kb94/paswakker_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-48433580371500131582009-08-14T03:51:00.000-07:002009-09-14T03:52:11.640-07:00Tuinfotoshoot<p>Daarnet heb ik met mama en papa een fotoshoot gedaan in de tuin. Dit is het resultaat:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4gVC1MVFI/AAAAAAAAAjk/kvJ296JVh9E/s1600-h/bloemekes%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="bloemekes" alt="bloemekes" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4gVt9h7pI/AAAAAAAAAjo/yM0Vd_L-_cA/bloemekes_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Wel leuk hoor, maar na een tijdje moest ik hen er toch op wijzen dat het stilletjes etenstijd was:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4gV-V9oxI/AAAAAAAAAjs/7XpfUwhSPDk/s1600-h/bloemekes-2%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="bloemekes-2" alt="bloemekes-2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4gWsknZ3I/AAAAAAAAAjw/-jAEkb0LzBE/bloemekes-2_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="445" /></a></p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-39653128978391743482009-08-10T03:46:00.000-07:002009-09-14T03:47:32.691-07:00Mijn eerste identiteitskaart<p>Eind augustus gaan we op vakantie naar Frankrijk. Daarom moet ik al meteen mijn eerste identiteitskaart aanvragen. Op zo’n kaart hoort een foto en die heeft papa vandaag proberen te nemen:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4fPUhr3nI/AAAAAAAAAjU/05_YGwCMhXM/s1600-h/pasfoto%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="pasfoto" alt="pasfoto" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4fQEqf9fI/AAAAAAAAAjY/NfE8myuthGk/pasfoto_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="315" height="466" /></a></p> <p>Eigenlijk mag mijn arm er niet mee op, maar ik vind het toch beter zo! Papa heeft nog geprobeerd om mijn arm beneden te houden, maar ik heb hem duidelijk gemaakt dat hij zijn tijd aan het verliezen was:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4fQYUG8AI/AAAAAAAAAjc/EgQPjlvOK7Q/s1600-h/pasfoto-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="pasfoto-2" alt="pasfoto-2" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/Sq4fQ29rMrI/AAAAAAAAAjg/W2gYtv-Fu6k/pasfoto-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Het zal dus de bovenste foto worden!</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-86866540988338026542009-08-08T14:06:00.000-07:002009-09-08T14:06:20.949-07:00Geef acht!<p>Ik word later soldaat!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbHSlVYGdI/AAAAAAAAAi0/CSi1FU1Ar7k/s1600-h/soldaat%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="soldaat" alt="soldaat" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbHTDNAHBI/AAAAAAAAAi4/qlZBdVlYU9Y/soldaat_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-27731458797924792752009-08-08T13:51:00.000-07:002009-09-08T13:51:34.876-07:00Ballenbad<p>Vandaag ben ik voor het eerst in mijn ballenbad geweest:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbDyQBjv1I/AAAAAAAAAic/406mpxMFDKY/s1600-h/ballenbad%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="ballenbad" alt="ballenbad" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbDzIN43MI/AAAAAAAAAig/wYZH93Z3s9Y/ballenbad_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Heel plezant, alleen weet ik nog niet juist wat ik erin moet uitrichten…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbDz9nMGxI/AAAAAAAAAik/vq9SJ9vgDUY/s1600-h/ballenbad-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="ballenbad-2" alt="ballenbad-2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbD0eXPAkI/AAAAAAAAAio/9PI0X6qoMRU/ballenbad-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Ik zal er nog eens hard over nadenken tegen volgende keer:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbD0-CiSkI/AAAAAAAAAis/t6GxrD6y8-k/s1600-h/ballenbad-3%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="ballenbad-3" alt="ballenbad-3" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbD1njWbsI/AAAAAAAAAiw/yQyGEytlD2I/ballenbad-3_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Dada!</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-29716894374949983462009-08-07T14:14:00.000-07:002009-09-08T14:14:34.427-07:00Tummy Tub<p>Vandaag ben ik voor het eerst in mijn Tummy Tub badje geweest:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbJL1uFM0I/AAAAAAAAAi8/PutDSYrT0g4/s1600-h/tummy_tub-2%5B6%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="tummy_tub-2" alt="tummy_tub-2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbJMX2UMsI/AAAAAAAAAjA/1hLtYPdu910/tummy_tub-2_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="292" height="429" /></a></p> <p>Het zit niet zo royaal als het badje dat we van Eve van Papa’s werk hadden gekregen:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbJM0up-AI/AAAAAAAAAjE/vkU2gmtgcmw/s1600-h/tummy_tub%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="tummy_tub" alt="tummy_tub" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbJNVJVZBI/AAAAAAAAAjI/jqPtYdwTeIg/tummy_tub_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="444" /></a></p> <p>De Tummy Tub heeft echter wel 2 belangrijke voordelen:</p> <ol> <li>Er gaat minder water in, en alle kleine beetjes helpen gezien het voor iedereen crisis is</li> <li>Er gaat minder water in, en dat is dan ook sneller ververst als ik AL mijn spieren een beetje teveel laat ontspannen…</li> </ol> <p>En dankzij Erik Gnorglgenoot kan ik ook voor de eerste keer samen met Mama en Papa op de foto:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbJN7hJY3I/AAAAAAAAAjM/xX0vC8zRXB8/s1600-h/tummy_tub-3%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="tummy_tub-3" alt="tummy_tub-3" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbJOW9ae1I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/M5IcVeYPNpY/tummy_tub-3_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Aan de achtergrond zien jullie hoe hard nog steeds gefeest wordt voor mijn geboorte…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-17588428550954008652009-07-30T13:45:00.000-07:002009-09-08T13:46:04.868-07:00Nog zoveel bezoek!<p>Tja, ik had beloofd nog te vertellen wie ons nog allemaal is komen bezoeken in het ziekenhuis. Er zijn echter zoveel lieve mensen geweest dat dat onbegonnen werk zou zijn. Een greep uit het aanbod dan maar:</p> <p>Papa zijn Bomma</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCaK1DDWI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/n4llbscZrR0/s1600-h/bomma%5B13%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="bomma" alt="bomma" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCa5reZ6I/AAAAAAAAAhU/JHjd1NhNvZc/bomma_thumb%5B11%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="446" /></a></p> <p>en zijn Bompa zijn geweest:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCbTek6TI/AAAAAAAAAhY/iCA1h0PQ0y8/s1600-h/bompa%5B7%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="bompa" alt="bompa" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCb2RExbI/AAAAAAAAAhc/9AbhpI7xiG4/bompa_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="295" height="430" /></a></p> <p>En Johan was één van de eerste vrienden van Papa die op bezoek kwamen:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCcSjlsJI/AAAAAAAAAhg/zwqsQMIrxLg/s1600-h/johan%5B6%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="johan" alt="johan" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCc-7X1xI/AAAAAAAAAhk/o4DPl1kXLss/johan_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="305" height="449" /></a></p> <p></p> <p>Ook mijn advocaat meester Lecoutre is ook al eens een kijkje komen nemen:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCdATeG6I/AAAAAAAAAho/9Hac6WyUPyg/s1600-h/filip%5B8%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="filip" alt="filip" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCd6P52sI/AAAAAAAAAhs/s2qO13ALtGY/filip_thumb%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="298" height="439" /></a></p> <p>Samen met mijn bankier Mattias die stond te trappelen om mij eens vast te houden, en dat dan ook voorbeeldig gedaan heeft:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCeRoIGAI/AAAAAAAAAhw/uR5nrgSCQzs/s1600-h/mattias%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="mattias" alt="mattias" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCe3J6fxI/AAAAAAAAAh0/6c6itvWHdpU/mattias_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="305" height="452" /></a></p> <p>En natuurlijk was er ook Shary, van wie ik al zoveel mooie kleedjes heb gekregen:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCfa4XH5I/AAAAAAAAAh4/lLJtOye0Dns/s1600-h/shary%5B7%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="shary" alt="shary" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCf5ak_7I/AAAAAAAAAh8/zK811csEa88/shary_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="290" height="423" /></a> </p> <p>Ze had die gekke Kyeno meegebracht. Daar zal ik later nog veel pret mee beleven denk ik:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCgY_wViI/AAAAAAAAAiA/vmBFlpffpaM/s1600-h/kyeno%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="kyeno" alt="kyeno" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCg1H5LsI/AAAAAAAAAiE/rBLXrNRNDbU/kyeno_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Al dat bezoek is wel prettig, maar ik word er toch wel heel erg moe van:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbChQlOvAI/AAAAAAAAAiI/blC2-UFAABg/s1600-h/hobby%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="hobby" alt="hobby" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCh114wDI/AAAAAAAAAiM/3R2RE3CTb8w/hobby_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>en daar is maar één oplossing voor:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCibQrCKI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/WbL2CJZQdIU/s1600-h/slaapwel%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="slaapwel" alt="slaapwel" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SqbCjM0tKFI/AAAAAAAAAiY/TZYPIiVA25g/slaapwel_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p></p> <p>Slaapwel, en tot de volgende keer!</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-69409451389970526782009-07-27T05:14:00.000-07:002009-08-12T05:39:20.062-07:00Hello World—Again!<p>Een nieuw thema in een nieuwe taal op deze blog! Op 26 juli 2009 werd Felix geboren, en Papa en Mama hebben besloten dat hij deze blog mag gebruiken om enkele fotootjes te verspreiden bij het bredere publiek…</p> <p>Hier ben ik, twee minuutjes na mijn geboorte:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK3ywjJWeI/AAAAAAAAAfY/KJOFBUJHokQ/s1600-h/evi%5B6%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="evi" alt="evi" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK3zck2KcI/AAAAAAAAAfc/BTlngaxZJPc/evi_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>De bevalling was relatief kort maar wel pijnlijk en vermoeiend. Voor Mama niet zo leuk dus maar ik denk wel dat ze het er voor over had. Ik heb het wel proper gehouden voor de foto en dat kon Papa wel appreciëren!</p> <p>De volgende dag mocht ik al in bad:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK3z3IPJeI/AAAAAAAAAfg/cJKEsW10Jc0/s1600-h/wim%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="wim" alt="wim" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK30TEx92I/AAAAAAAAAfk/dqsq4EkDYx0/wim_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Gewassen worden vind ik niet zo leuk, maar in het warme water rondhangen vind ik zalig. Het doet mij zo’n beetje denken aan de afgelopen 9 maanden.</p> <p>Mag ik de rest van de familie nog even voorstellen? Dit is mijn meter Tinta:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK30-tqBqI/AAAAAAAAAfo/giGHgOBcWho/s1600-h/tinta%5B8%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="tinta" alt="tinta" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK31j0ne6I/AAAAAAAAAfs/QDio_LHwThk/tinta_thumb%5B9%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="395" /></a></p> <p>en hier is mijn andere meter Ann:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK32AGK1GI/AAAAAAAAAfw/pqX6_tqQZ5U/s1600-h/ann%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="ann" alt="ann" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK32rbb_uI/AAAAAAAAAf0/khBaWV0l954/ann_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="395" /></a></p> <p>Blijkbaar kende ze Nonkel Kris al voor mijn geboorte, anders had ze mij nu vast de liefste van de hele wereld gevonden:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK33DKDY1I/AAAAAAAAAf4/coOtzeOZs2g/s1600-h/kris%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="kris" alt="kris" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK33vK45fI/AAAAAAAAAf8/W_WblVNhGbw/kris_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="395" /></a></p> <p>Een beetje raar, maar blijkbaar zijn Papa en Mama ook kindjes. Mama is een kindje van Oma en Opa:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK34KCsm9I/AAAAAAAAAgA/wnWlHWS9esA/s1600-h/omaenopa%5B6%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="omaenopa" alt="omaenopa" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK34mlR_jI/AAAAAAAAAgE/fnAt85Xzb5g/omaenopa_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a> </p> <p>en Papa is een kindje van Moeke:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK35FdptRI/AAAAAAAAAgI/B4jniFSppMs/s1600-h/moeke%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="moeke" alt="moeke" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK35hCMXqI/AAAAAAAAAgM/sGOGzX-sPDg/moeke_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="395" /></a></p> <p>en van Vake—van die naam ben ik nog niet zeker maar Papa zijn vake heette ook Vake, vandaar:</p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK36PuuzhI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/ukenWhrqzNI/s1600-h/vake%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="vake" alt="vake" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK36pFg2oI/AAAAAAAAAgU/tHf_TW-DenQ/vake_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="395" /></a></p> <p>Tenslotte zijn er natuurlijk nog mijn coole nonkels. Nonkel Tom heeft een motor maar ik weet nog niet juist wat dat betekent. Soit, hij ligt ook wel zacht:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK37K1kGEI/AAAAAAAAAgY/F_kMDKqJKXA/s1600-h/tom%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="tom" alt="tom" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK37mZ5hHI/AAAAAAAAAgc/25dkK0mr71Y/tom_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="395" /></a></p> <p>en dan is er nog nonkel Bruno:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK38CsSrhI/AAAAAAAAAgg/z8J1crgtzOY/s1600-h/bruno%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="bruno" alt="bruno" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK38qVL8RI/AAAAAAAAAgk/aEn_G05JWqk/bruno_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="395" /></a></p> <p></p> <p>Nonkel Bruno is nog een jonge nonkel maar dat is goed want dan kan hij later nog met mij spelen als de anderen allemaal al arthritis hebben!</p> <p>Ziezo, dat was een korte voorstelling van mijn familie! Nu ga ik een dutje doen, en volgende keer vertel ik wat meer over wie er in het ziekenhuis nog allemaal op bezoek is gekomen.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK39L3a0II/AAAAAAAAAgo/_KHM3XmDFXQ/s1600-h/felix%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="felix" alt="felix" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SoK39k0Y3nI/AAAAAAAAAgs/M4tOKE5Vg20/felix_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Slaapwel!</p> <p>   Felix</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-33020785198834421132009-01-19T13:38:00.001-08:002009-01-19T13:38:04.067-08:00The Clement Peerens Explosition does China!<p>Has it ever occurred to you that 1.2 billion people on this planet have never had the opportunity to enjoy the Works of Art of Antwerp’s main artist? Oh yes, it is true that the Chinese can enjoy Rubens, but let’s be honest: who cares?</p> <p>After all, the Chinese are very well aware that they will forever be starved of the quintessence of Antwerp Culture. That is, because they don’t all master <em>Aantwaarps</em> very well—seriously, they don’t –they will never be able to fully enjoy the timeless rock music of the <em><a href="http://www.cpex.be/live">Clement Peerens Explosition</a></em>, aka <em>CPeX</em>…</p> <p>So here is the deal we made with Bill Gates: while he will <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx">tackle the world’s malaria problem</a>, my brothers and I will teach the Chinese what real subtle rock music is all about. Meet <em>CPeX</em> in Chinese:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SXTyuaWmm0I/AAAAAAAAAdU/BgASBwOuqrY/s1600-h/CPeX_China%20%281%20of%201%29%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="CPeX_China (1 of 1)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="CPeX_China (1 of 1)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SXTyu8UEJpI/AAAAAAAAAdY/BDTvFN2t2_s/CPeX_China%20%281%20of%201%29_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="360" /></a> </p> <p>Oh yes! Let’s cut to the chase here—introducing our first song “Vinde gij mijn gat”:</p> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HDihOn2ML24&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HDihOn2ML24&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <p>For those interested, this is the introduction to the movie clip, in Chinese, of course…</p> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BaiJXSJf8Us&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BaiJXSJf8Us&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <p>And finally, the original can be found here:</p> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OsLevxGguGs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OsLevxGguGs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <p><font size="4">为安特卫普文化服务!CPeX万岁!</font></p> <p>Needless to say, all praise is of course welcome in the comments…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-29778487632496810342008-12-14T12:24:00.001-08:002008-12-14T12:24:56.793-08:00Road Trip from New Orleans to Chicago<p>Kristof and I are back in Belgium after a very pleasant road trip from New Orleans all the way up to Chicago. I don’t have much time for writing, so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…</p> <p>Here we are still in New Orleans, more specifically in a bar in Bourbon Street were a blues band was playing:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrSg0CD4I/AAAAAAAAAbw/U4h_rdWqTKo/s1600-h/roadtrip2of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (2 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (2 of 17)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrTgjL-TI/AAAAAAAAAb0/4204kaQi2BQ/roadtrip2of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>On Thursday, Michaël, Kristof and I went to visit a sugar cane plantation close to New Orleans. Here we are next to the Mississippi River:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrUZMUSDI/AAAAAAAAAb4/B1yxRGmT69w/s1600-h/roadtrip3of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (3 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (3 of 17)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrU5xdOLI/AAAAAAAAAb8/NG_92qMFdO0/roadtrip3of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>while this is the nearby “Oak Alley Plantation”:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrVVPgQFI/AAAAAAAAAcA/-24VNeDuBg8/s1600-h/roadtrip4of176.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (4 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (4 of 17)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrWSQqJxI/AAAAAAAAAcE/bApj2L_0FcU/roadtrip4of17_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>The plantation’s<a href="http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/"> site</a> says that “The quarter-mile canopy of giant live oak trees, believed to be nearly 300 years old, forms an impressive avenue leading to the classic Greek-revival style antebellum home.” Impressive? For sure!</p> <p>On Friday morning, we hit the road for Chicago. This shot was taken from the window between New Orleans and Birmingham:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrXHXpZxI/AAAAAAAAAcI/Abs5WnjbGZA/s1600-h/roadtrip5of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (5 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (5 of 17)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrYAIj1kI/AAAAAAAAAcM/JBUgSf8mulY/roadtrip5of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>We stopped briefly in Birmingham, Alabama to visit the Civil Rights Centre. This is of course the ideal spot for a statue of Martin Luther King:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrZKrsPgI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/8jAH1G9Q_os/s1600-h/roadtrip7of176.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (7 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (7 of 17)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrZxGDReI/AAAAAAAAAcU/05cRf6k3TC8/roadtrip7of17_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>After the visit we hopped back into the car and off we went. Another typical view—note the Greyhound bus—through the rear window:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVra_E-3GI/AAAAAAAAAcY/7rbIlkxQ7Ts/s1600-h/roadtrip8of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (8 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (8 of 17)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrbvarR8I/AAAAAAAAAcc/2vfOlOQYJUc/roadtrip8of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p></p> <p>and one through the front window:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrcXgEh6I/AAAAAAAAAcg/ivuWfGrvFQ8/s1600-h/roadtrip9of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (9 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (9 of 17)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrdIC5bhI/AAAAAAAAAck/n2pNNHXvbi0/roadtrip9of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>We spent Friday night in Nashville, Tennessee. Because of lack of space: pictures only on request… On Saturday we continued from Nashville to St Louis, Missouri. There, I defied the bitter cold and the shrieking gale to bring you this picture of St Louis by night:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrdhDIgPI/AAAAAAAAAco/geMAQK4iLdA/s1600-h/roadtrip10of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (10 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (10 of 17)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVreWZVf-I/AAAAAAAAAcs/cskHV_ZGrC0/roadtrip10of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>And on we went to Chicago…</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrfbaWSBI/AAAAAAAAAcw/JMJpqrLVdWQ/s1600-h/roadtrip12of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (12 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (12 of 17)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrgCFRumI/AAAAAAAAAc0/VINoLco7Zh0/roadtrip12of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>The first snow started showing up and it was getting bitter cold:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrgwS04MI/AAAAAAAAAc4/vXWb-aroFRY/s1600-h/roadtrip13of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (13 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (13 of 17)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrhtsV4UI/AAAAAAAAAc8/1zExpPerJtk/roadtrip13of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>However, freezing cold or not, this picture was certainly worth while the stop:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVriRplHYI/AAAAAAAAAdA/HYe5AKxEGJA/s1600-h/roadtrip14of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (14 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (14 of 17)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrjM5KWmI/AAAAAAAAAdE/3_48MIzIO5s/roadtrip14of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>And then, finally, Chicago! This picture was taken on Sunday morning on top of the John Hancock building. In the far right you can see the Sears Tower, the highest building in the USA:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrkB9yXiI/AAAAAAAAAdI/f7F7hVypNkY/s1600-h/roadtrip15of174.jpg"><img title="roadtrip (15 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (15 of 17)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrk8udyVI/AAAAAAAAAdM/iLOjOLGnlWE/roadtrip15of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>Then we went on to Grant Park and Millennium Park, where the famous <em>Cloud Gate</em>—more commonly known as <em>The Bean</em>—is situated:</p> <p><img title="roadtrip (16 of 17)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="roadtrip (16 of 17)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SUVrllQxn-I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/rGbd8eRqlCY/roadtrip16of17_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /> </p> <p>We spent a very pleasant last evening in company of Filip—who happened to be in Chicago at the same moment as we were—and some of his very congenial American friends.</p> <p>And then, back to Belgium on Tuesday morning! Another unique experience in the USA had come to an end…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-45236662297500871282008-12-06T08:46:00.001-08:002008-12-06T08:46:12.117-08:00Back in the US of A<p>Here we are again in the USA for the Globecom 2008 conference in New Orleans. A city still heavily marked by the devastating passage of Katrina 3 years and 3 months ago: only about half of the inhabitants have returned, complete neighborhoods are still in tatters and the rebuilding of infrastructure such as bridges and roads is not yet finished. All in all the city gives a sad impression. The blues, you know…</p> <p>One area that has fully recovered however, is the <em>French Quarter</em>. This is the place where the colonial presence of the French remains very visible. It’s like walking through a small French town, with as only difference the rectangular street pattern. The oldest pub in town, which belonged to the pirate Lafitte if I got it right, is situated here:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsQAjPe1I/AAAAAAAAAao/-mpn7Gzx4o4/s1600-h/DSC_00563.jpg"><img title="DSC_0056" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0056" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsQRHXJ5I/AAAAAAAAAas/ep69VGiKWM4/DSC_0056_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>We went for a drink here with Peter and Michael, two colleagues from IMEC:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsQuU5i-I/AAAAAAAAAaw/2-xPmnXQAHI/s1600-h/DSC_00793.jpg"><img title="DSC_0079" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0079" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsQ6jPNEI/AAAAAAAAAa0/o1QGP48_I5A/DSC_0079_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>Afterwards, we went for a local beer:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsQ63w9jI/AAAAAAAAAa4/Nu_iWunzVVw/s1600-h/DSC_01086.jpg"><img title="DSC_0108" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0108" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsRI4uTjI/AAAAAAAAAa8/yTTITYmsmFQ/DSC_0108_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>in the good company of Kristof:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsRcdX2TI/AAAAAAAAAbA/jxbHoXqn1nc/DSC_01093.jpg?imgmax=800"><img title="DSC_0109" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0109" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsRe5wF4I/AAAAAAAAAbE/kr-2pKvotjU/DSC_0109_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>Kristof is a PhD student from the KU Leuven and like Michael also a friend from at university. After the conference, Kristof and I will rent a car and make a road trip all the way to Chicago. More about that later…</p> <p>At about noon, we left for a “swamp tour”: a boat visit of one of the many swamps in the surroundings of New Orleans. We were not sure whether we were going to <em>see</em> alligators, so I <em>ate</em> them instead:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsRk8oQ_I/AAAAAAAAAbI/tYngwSVNiPA/s1600-h/DSC_01204.jpg"><img title="DSC_0120" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0120" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsR2ByI2I/AAAAAAAAAbM/BN26mNEfMmQ/DSC_0120_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>Indeed, a combination of two “local” specialties: American beef jerky with Louisiana alligator meat! For dinner I also had an alligator appetizer. Tastes and looks somewhat like chicken…</p> <p>In the swamps, we saw this house that was lifted from its foundations by Hurricane Katrina, was carried a couple of hundreds of meters by the water and smacked down in the middle of the swamp:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsSTTwRAI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/XYCQOjKiJRI/s1600-h/DSC_01334.jpg"><img title="DSC_0133" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0133" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsS-WHPlI/AAAAAAAAAbU/FWULvYAXsL4/DSC_0133_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>It’s a sturdy thing: it remained pretty much intact after the hurricane. However, it was impossible to move it back to its original place so the inhabitant had to find another residence…</p> <p>We also saw a couple of cool birds:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsTL-qIGI/AAAAAAAAAbY/KOsfnPg4rg0/s1600-h/DSC_01853.jpg"><img title="DSC_0185" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0185" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsTmEZ-xI/AAAAAAAAAbc/dO0it2klANM/DSC_0185_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="392" /></a> </p> <p>and I even held a small alligator:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsT9xjguI/AAAAAAAAAbg/z9tMigGAink/s1600-h/DSC_01964.jpg"><img title="DSC_0196" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0196" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsUaYDuhI/AAAAAAAAAbk/uHiguNgIwh4/DSC_0196_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>I’m not kidding here, it really was a live animal! It had been abandoned by its mom and the rangers picked it up. Now it is raised by them, and it will be set free once it is big enough to survive on its own. Unlike other animals, alligators don’t lose their instinct while held in custody, so they can be released afterwards without re-training them to catch their own food.</p> <p>Now this picture allows me to end with a little joke:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsUkasQwI/AAAAAAAAAbo/HL_aUGSmU18/s1600-h/DSC_01986.jpg"><img title="DSC_0198" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="DSC_0198" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/STqsUnsz0EI/AAAAAAAAAbs/ySCUWCkAWj8/DSC_0198_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a> </p> <p>Michael walked into a doctor’s office with an alligator on his head. The doctor asked “What’s the problem?” and the alligator answered “Well it all started with a wart on my left foot…”</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-32842760010493823042008-11-23T10:13:00.001-08:002008-11-23T10:13:33.192-08:00First Snow!<p>Belgium just had its first snow of this Winter. Bad for drivers, good for photographers. This is what our garden looks like now:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SSmdRx90D4I/AAAAAAAAAag/ygWA4527UO0/s1600-h/Snow%20%281%20of%201%29%5B10%5D.jpg"><img title="Snow (1 of 1)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="569" alt="Snow (1 of 1)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SSmdS2VzWqI/AAAAAAAAAak/cV7r4LV_yPw/Snow%20%281%20of%201%29_thumb%5B9%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="380" /></a></p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-17667717887223685242008-11-10T08:44:00.001-08:002008-11-10T08:44:40.786-08:00Back to Secondary School!<p>A couple of weeks ago, I ran into my former secondary school teacher of Latin and Greek, Jan Defauw. In his spare time, Jan is a city guide in Antwerp. One of his favorite exhibitions at this moment is the one in <em>Het Steen</em> in Antwerp about the <em>Red Star Line</em>:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk3LzFVGI/AAAAAAAAAZs/LwCWmN64W8E/s1600-h/3018757011_e4a260bfb7%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="3018757011_e4a260bfb7" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="262" alt="3018757011_e4a260bfb7" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk3gqTBiI/AAAAAAAAAZw/hIn7Nt-pxto/3018757011_e4a260bfb7_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>So when Jan and I met these couple of weeks ago, we soon hit upon the idea of organizing a guided visit to this exhibition with our former class of Latin and Greek. Last weekend, that moment had come:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk39Ep-JI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/QEfK-D6rpsY/s1600-h/EllisIslandDefauw%20%281%20of%208%29%5B13%5D.jpg"><img title="EllisIslandDefauw (1 of 8)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="EllisIslandDefauw (1 of 8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk4lFj0VI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/UMRtCfe-kSY/EllisIslandDefauw%20%281%20of%208%29_thumb%5B12%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>The <em>Red Star Line</em> was a shipping company that was active from about 1870 until 1930. Its main activity was the immigration from Europe to the USA. Apart from some ship models and utensils, the exhibition was mainly focused on photographs. The vivid and passionate arguments of Jan however, made every picture come alive so that we all hung on his lips for the whole time:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk5Ba0XdI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/up78K2dUy6A/s1600-h/EllisIslandDefauw%20%282%20of%208%29%5B25%5D.jpg"><img title="EllisIslandDefauw (2 of 8)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="EllisIslandDefauw (2 of 8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk5zVC7MI/AAAAAAAAAaA/dhGKJb33aLM/EllisIslandDefauw%20%282%20of%208%29_thumb%5B20%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>After the exhibition, we went to a nearby cozy bar to catch up on the evolution of our former school, what everyone had been doing since we left there, and the plans for the future:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk6XHPd-I/AAAAAAAAAaE/-5yelrGe9D0/s1600-h/3019588764_822ca9e055%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="3019588764_822ca9e055" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="262" alt="3019588764_822ca9e055" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk68SSlfI/AAAAAAAAAaI/FK6B0qtwidg/3019588764_822ca9e055_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p>We promised ourselves not to wait another eight years to organize the next meeting… After the drink, Jan and some of us left. The others continued to the restaurant <em>De Negen Vaten</em> for dinner:</p> <p><img title="EllisIslandDefauw (4 of 8)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="EllisIslandDefauw (4 of 8)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk7h7pBtI/AAAAAAAAAaM/0d2tL-9Yc_0/EllisIslandDefauw%20%284%20of%208%29_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="394" /> </p> <p>Underway, I had a nice chance to take this picture of <em>Het Steen </em>by night:</p> <p><img title="EllisIslandDefauw (3 of 8)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="EllisIslandDefauw (3 of 8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk78HaGRI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/ydUxB_BIPh4/EllisIslandDefauw%20%283%20of%208%29_thumb%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></p> <p>By the way, the good pictures in this post—that is, the first and the fourth ones—were taken by <a href="www.flickr.com/photos/flamingphilip">Philip</a>… In the restaurant, Evi and Elke joined us for dinner. The food was nice, the atmosphere even better:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk819u9LI/AAAAAAAAAaU/VkLtIHHdcKE/s1600-h/EllisIslandDefauw%20%287%20of%208%29%5B9%5D.jpg"><img title="EllisIslandDefauw (7 of 8)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="EllisIslandDefauw (7 of 8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk9kmHzOI/AAAAAAAAAaY/UXj28J-lTwA/EllisIslandDefauw%20%287%20of%208%29_thumb%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /></a></p> <p></p> <p>I forgot to take a picture of my plate before starting to eat. However, this one was taken afterwards:</p> <p><img title="EllisIslandDefauw (8 of 8)" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="263" alt="EllisIslandDefauw (8 of 8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SRhk-P3F7mI/AAAAAAAAAac/ZCdbAoL_5mY/EllisIslandDefauw%20%288%20of%208%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="395" /> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>You have to admit that, even eaten, it still looks delicious, doesn’t it?</p> <p>Jan, thanks again for sharing the catching and vivid stories behind the pictures of the exhibition with us! We all agreed that you still haven’t lost any of your teaching vigor and enthusiasm. We will certainly contact you again soon to show us more hidden gems of our gorgeous home town…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-24077701062043098902008-11-01T13:38:00.001-07:002008-11-01T13:38:53.545-07:00Bike Trip to the Ardennes<p>Last weekend we went on a trip to the Ardennes by motorbike. We, that would be Maarten, who is a former fellow university student and now a good friend, his cousin Ben, Lynn, a colleague PhD student from IMEC, and her boyfriend Dries. Or, from left to right: Ben, Wim, Maarten, Dries and Lynn:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-Maw1NWI/AAAAAAAAAY0/SeRCPACvBVg/s1600-h/Motoweekendje%20%283%20of%208%29%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Motoweekendje (3 of 8)" height="263" alt="Motoweekendje (3 of 8)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-NaDVr_I/AAAAAAAAAY4/i1WQMfv6MDM/Motoweekendje%20%283%20of%208%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p align="justify">Why on Earth would we take a girl on a motorbike trip, I can hear those who own a bike think. Well, for cooking, obviously! However, as you can see from the black spaghetti pot, that was not such a good idea: </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-OW1fvaI/AAAAAAAAAY8/BZSVcGkFilQ/s1600-h/DSC_00607.jpg"><img title="DSC_0060" height="263" alt="DSC_0060" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-Pq5GfSI/AAAAAAAAAZA/PJO5OAr5FP0/DSC_0060_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a></p> <p>But we have to admit that Lynn did a good job saving our lives by keeping us away from the tempting abbey ales. Oh yes, those are all hot chocolates there:</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-QquZQoI/AAAAAAAAAZE/aahx4XVwPpc/s1600-h/Motoweekendje%20%281%20of%208%29%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Motoweekendje (1 of 8)" height="263" alt="Motoweekendje (1 of 8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-RY9ownI/AAAAAAAAAZI/Pmoll2LxSKI/Motoweekendje%20%281%20of%208%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Lynn must have known that I would put the spaghetti-disaster story on my blog: afterwards, she did not want to be recognized in the pictures anymore:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-SYWKu5I/AAAAAAAAAZM/OYo8Xsuvb4E/s1600-h/Motoweekendje%20%284%20of%208%29%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Motoweekendje (4 of 8)" height="263" alt="Motoweekendje (4 of 8)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-TLyaZaI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/3xjErASW8QE/Motoweekendje%20%284%20of%208%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Obviously, another way not to be recognized was taking the pictures herself. Here, we are in the abbey of Orval. Next year, we’ll just leave the bikes at home so that we can pay a “decent” visit to the brewery!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-Tq9LwxI/AAAAAAAAAZU/Zs5krMLurtU/s1600-h/Motoweekendje%20%285%20of%208%29%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Motoweekendje (5 of 8)" height="263" alt="Motoweekendje (5 of 8)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-Uftjt3I/AAAAAAAAAZY/2v3xiqMKsh0/Motoweekendje%20%285%20of%208%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Dries and Lynn went home on Sunday evening. Maarten, Ben and I stayed until Monday evening. By then, we were getting a little fed up of each other, so Maarten started to talk to the ducks rather than to us:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-VUdowYI/AAAAAAAAAZc/IX5QS_q2fT4/s1600-h/DSC_02787.jpg"><img title="DSC_0278" height="480" alt="DSC_0278" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-WF5UFUI/AAAAAAAAAZg/7hNwGtULMqQ/DSC_0278_thumb10.jpg?imgmax=800" width="322" /></a> </p> <p>The Castle of Horst, home of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Rode_Ridder">Johan the Red Knight</a>, was our last stop together:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-WsH2jYI/AAAAAAAAAZk/-zizGH3MkCA/s1600-h/Motoweekendje%20%288%20of%208%29%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Motoweekendje (8 of 8)" height="263" alt="Motoweekendje (8 of 8)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_l8roWLSHxl8/SQy-XKUkUlI/AAAAAAAAAZo/muIcDDqbNPw/Motoweekendje%20%288%20of%208%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Here, our roads split. An amazing weekend, without accidents or bad weather, with an excellent atmosphere and beautiful rides had come to an end.</p> <p>Last year, we were three. This year, Dries and Lynn joined us and assured us afterwards that they would very probably come again next year. Any other volunteers will of course be very welcome too…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-67747419705597543452008-10-03T06:40:00.001-07:002008-10-03T06:40:11.620-07:00A Writer-Engineer’s Dilemma<p></p> <p></p> <p>I haven’t had much time to write lately, but here we are again. This post is not about any topical event. Rather, it is about the  musing of an engineer trying to write correctly. More specifically, about quotation marks and how they relate to other punctuation like periods and commas. So, Ellen, stop wasting your time here…</p> <p>For the engineer’s viewpoint, let’s start with the mathematics. In mathematics, parentheses serve as “delimiters” of a part of an expression. Therefore, regardless of the context, the following mathematical expression can never be correct: x = [a + (3.b - c]). Ouch, it even hurts to commit this to paper. (Never mind that the parentheses are not even needed at all in this expression.)  Indeed, the matching pairs of parentheses should be closed accordingly: you first have to close the parentheses ( ), and only then the brackets [ ]. Therefore, the correct expression is x = [a + (3.b – c)].</p> <p>Now for the language, that is, the writer’s domain. If you think of a sentence as being “delimited” by its starting capital and its period at the end, this capital and period are the equivalent of mathematical parentheses. The same applies to quotation marks: the first pair (“) opens the quotation, the second pair (”) closes it. So far so good…</p> <p>Now what happens if an engineer/mathematician tries to correctly combine quotation marks and punctuation? Upon asking the engineer, he stated, “I really prefer this form”. That is, you open the sentence with a capital (Upon), then you open and close the quotation with quotation marks, and finally you close the sentence with a period. Logically, the closing quotation marks should precede the period.</p> <p>Afterwards, the engineer added, “However, I am aware that this is the correct form.” In other words, you first open the sentence, then the quotation, <em>then you close the sentence and only afterwards you close the quotation</em>. That would be the mathematical equivalent of stating x = [a + (3.b - c])—plainly  wrong! Nevertheless, in language—at least in English—this seems to be the correct way to construct your sentence.</p> <p>You could argue that the closing period matches the capital at the start of the quotation (However), and that that is why the period should be placed before the closing quotation marks. But then the only correct form would be “However, I am aware that this is the correct form.”. And that looks even more awkward, doesn’t it?</p> <p>More of this? Try <a href="http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors">this site</a> (or <a href="http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/quotation_marks.html">more specifically</a> for this post) or the matching book—an excellent reference for writers in English:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SOYguabnRzI/AAAAAAAAAYs/wyDaiMp4pHE/s1600-h/cover5.jpg"><img title="cover" height="480" alt="cover" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SOYgu_L7WfI/AAAAAAAAAYw/0P3iC2tKabU/cover_thumb8.jpg?imgmax=800" width="321" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Don’t buy it for my birthday though—I already own it. As you would have guessed…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-86215709486661693882008-09-15T02:24:00.001-07:002008-09-15T02:24:32.085-07:00Meatless Meatballs!<p>1824 pictures, 1756 miles, 345 redwood trees, 71.23 gallons of gas, 53 sequoias, 23 curses for left-driving Americans, 12 drive-in Starbucks americanos, 7 bagels with cream cheese, 2 major cities and 1 bear later, we are back in Belgium.</p> <p>That is, not to forget 6265.13 air miles  and 1 extraordinary surprise party of course! Thanks Papa, Ann, Tom, Evi, Kris and all those present for making it such a success!</p> <p>I’ve had quite some positive feedback about this blog. Some of you even asked me to keep on writing, or at least post an epilogue. I think I’ll try to do the former. However, as I prefer quality to quantity, let’s aim at one post per week.</p> <p>For this week, I've been rummaging around a little in my 1800-plus pictures. Maybe soon to hit the market in Belgium: MEATLESS MEATBALLS!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SM4pzZgBiDI/AAAAAAAAAYk/G0n6heWLwf4/s1600-h/IMG_31334.jpg"><img title="IMG_3133" height="297" alt="IMG_3133" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SM4pz-JsDVI/AAAAAAAAAYo/KNIAeVtSGYE/IMG_3133_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a></p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-46923338899227941802008-09-05T06:23:00.001-07:002008-09-05T06:23:32.447-07:00Back to San Francisco along the West Coast<p>Thursday morning, August 28. Filip has left for Belgium, Evi and I are starting the last three-day episode of our trip, returning from LA to SF along the Pacific Coast. We will cover most of the distance on Highway 1, which is supposed to be one of America’s most scenic routes…</p> <p>Our first stop is Santa Barbara: another cute coastal town with the inevitable pier. On this latter, we shared a very fine “Maine lobster”. Afterwards, we played a little with the digital camera, photographing the pelicans on the pier:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEypuVu3zI/AAAAAAAAAWg/MQSLxcsRlk8/s1600-h/DSC_07213.jpg"><img title="DSC_0721" height="264" alt="DSC_0721" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyqYWE1tI/AAAAAAAAAWk/FTsZ93nUwrg/DSC_0721_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Yes, I know that these animals can carry nasty diseases and no, I am actually not even touching the bird! Take a closer look and convince yourself…</p> <p>In the afternoon, we continued toward San Luis Obispo. This city has a vibrant college life, as it is home to “Cal Poly,” another one of University of California’s campuses. In the evening, we strolled a little on the local farmers’ market, had dinner there, and then returned to the hotel for a good night’s sleep:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyqvHV2BI/AAAAAAAAAWo/o6E1TjNkOII/s1600-h/DSC_09353.jpg"><img title="DSC_0935" height="263" alt="DSC_0935" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyrPctxlI/AAAAAAAAAWs/tDtZU_izM3c/DSC_0935_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>The next day, we had our breakfast in Morro Bay, named after the “Morro Rock”. Or maybe the rock is named after the bay, whatever. Anyhow, Morro rock is an impressive block of granite smack in the middle of the bay:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyrmfcXFI/AAAAAAAAAWw/mqarKuJSJBo/s1600-h/DSC_10333.jpg"><img title="DSC_1033" height="263" alt="DSC_1033" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEysKTPlAI/AAAAAAAAAW0/FJ58uYDvhoM/DSC_1033_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>After a good American breakfast—omelettes and bacon, French toast and free-refill coffee—we continued toward “Hearst Castle”. William Randolph Hearst was a media tycoon and must have been one of the richest men in the World around the end of the 19th century-beginning of the 20th century. He really lived the American Dream: his father came to California, discovered silver, invested the proceeds in huge amounts of land along the Pacific coast—where huge means HUGE: they own more than 100km of coast line, pretty much all you could see from up the hill is their property. Anyhow, son Hearst became a very successful media tycoon and set about building his mansion on the family grounds. This is the outdoor swimming pool…</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEysgBDOII/AAAAAAAAAW8/INadLpqcbLw/s1600-h/DSC_10593.jpg"><img title="DSC_1059" height="263" alt="DSC_1059" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEytBJfm2I/AAAAAAAAAXA/PgVsAkvM5gM/DSC_1059_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>while this is the castle’s main entrance:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEytgqDc4I/AAAAAAAAAXE/Rf_z3jiGtVw/s1600-h/DSC_10743.jpg"><img title="DSC_1074" height="480" alt="DSC_1074" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEytzEjtcI/AAAAAAAAAXI/6dRrXA4UpBc/DSC_1074_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="319" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p>I must admit that I was a bit skeptical at first about the whole “castle” thing. But we were very happy we made the visit in the end. It is an amazing piece of architecture, exaggerated in size but pretty elegant, completely designed by one of America’s most important architects of those days, surrounded by gorgeous gardens:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyudaceaI/AAAAAAAAAXM/As4XYe4uqWk/s1600-h/DSC_10763.jpg"><img title="DSC_1076" height="263" alt="DSC_1076" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyuxt0i3I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/iTN8egxnZuQ/DSC_1076_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>After our visit, we headed for the “Big Sur” region, which stretches along the coast and encompasses many state parks with redwood groves. Along the way, we encountered a couple of seals basking in the sun on the beach:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyvdGwE3I/AAAAAAAAAXU/YD70rEpXS80/s1600-h/DSC_11223.jpg"><img title="DSC_1122" height="263" alt="DSC_1122" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyvwd1JyI/AAAAAAAAAXY/hPKGZzmSiik/DSC_1122_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>and we visited this beautiful bay with a waterfall falling right into the ocean—it is in the picture, but you have to look closely:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEywFEN5bI/AAAAAAAAAXc/YmmbuRvt3Xw/s1600-h/DSC_00013.jpg"><img title="DSC_0001" height="263" alt="DSC_0001" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEywiNNrdI/AAAAAAAAAXg/denVktWnZ40/DSC_0001_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>We then continued to Monterey, where we spent the night in the century-old “Monterey Hotel,” but only after Evi enjoyed another Maine lobster—making the most of the cheap dollar, you know… I settled for crab this time, because even with a cheap dollar, this kind of trips and all the shopping were starting to weigh heavily on my credit cards ;-).</p> <p>The next day, we visited  the Monterey Aquarium. It features a three-storey high tank with, among others, huge tuna fishes and a small white shark. We couldn’t use the flash for photographing this tank though, so you get some jellyfish instead—they seemingly don’t mind being in the spotlights:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyww9AneI/AAAAAAAAAXk/ACRGrQ9-udE/s1600-h/DSC_00973.jpg"><img title="DSC_0097" height="263" alt="DSC_0097" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyxbM070I/AAAAAAAAAXo/9v5IUynLyjw/DSC_0097_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>And I was allowed to use my flash on this creature, too:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyxiGjC9I/AAAAAAAAAXs/73AaRzOcqHM/s1600-h/DSC_01323.jpg"><img title="DSC_0132" height="263" alt="DSC_0132" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyyG3M9JI/AAAAAAAAAXw/oDitvJTzgMA/DSC_0132_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p>At noon, we left Monterey for Santa Cruz . This is a surfer’s town with a less upscale, more laid-back  attitude than Monterey. It features a classical “boardwalk”: a collection of luna parks, a roller coaster, and some other attractions:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyyvrN0eI/AAAAAAAAAX0/XHG6-B_UMWc/s1600-h/DSC_01873.jpg"><img title="DSC_0187" height="263" alt="DSC_0187" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyzK7WFcI/AAAAAAAAAX4/jTUgYZtL4So/DSC_0187_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>We then continued toward San José, more or less the capital of Silicon Valley. This is its oldest house, an adobe structure from in the early days of Spanish settlement:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEyzmJ8RpI/AAAAAAAAAX8/6ye5p4AZJaQ/s1600-h/DSC_02233.jpg"><img title="DSC_0223" height="263" alt="DSC_0223" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEy0Dks2GI/AAAAAAAAAYA/0LoVMZVGIWc/DSC_0223_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>and this is one of its newer buildings:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEy0UGfSrI/AAAAAAAAAYE/rZeUO-AFYFk/s1600-h/DSC_02093.jpg"><img title="DSC_0209" height="263" alt="DSC_0209" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SMEy010Kw2I/AAAAAAAAAYI/oeQ9aLnxbmI/DSC_0209_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p>I think these might be the headquarters of Adobe, a giant computer firm, probably named after the type of house in the previous picture. These modern buildings now dominate the city’s streets. You immediately notice that this is a place where a lot of money is made. The streets are very clean and pleasant with cozy restaurants, and most remarkably: there are hardly any fast food chains present here!</p> <p>Afterwards, we briefly passed by Palo Alto. The atmosphere is pretty similar to San José but the city seems somewhat smaller. After a quick visit to Stanford University’s campus—huge, expensive an pretty nice—we continued to Half Moon Bay where we had the best dinner of our holiday in the Mediterranean restaurant  “Café Gibraltar”.</p> <p>Then we drove to the airport, slept in the car at the drop-off point until 5AM, and got our flight back to Belgium. All nice stories must come to an end…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-43435722453663659982008-09-01T01:15:00.001-07:002008-09-01T01:15:34.539-07:00Los Angeles<p>On Monday, August 25, we left Sequoia National Park after a refreshing swim in the hotel pool and headed for LA. We arrived there at about 5PM and immediately set off for Venice Beach. This beach is known for its many weirdos and quirks hanging around. One of them gave me the opportunity to feel what it’s like to have 2 pythons hanging around your neck—live pythons, that is:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukhwYvzDI/AAAAAAAAAVY/ceWZ-AeZK4M/s1600-h/DSC_03413.jpg"><img title="DSC_0341" height="263" alt="DSC_0341" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukiScdj0I/AAAAAAAAAVc/tEcUsx_IOTc/DSC_0341_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Why “Venice Beach”? Because back in the days, someone got the idea of creating an American Venice here, complete with canals and all:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLuki_ur09I/AAAAAAAAAVg/3heo9qD9bVc/s1600-h/DSC_03543.jpg"><img title="DSC_0354" height="263" alt="DSC_0354" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukjOqCSkI/AAAAAAAAAVk/tBKhEYUNewM/DSC_0354_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>In the evening, we went to Santa Monica. This town is pretty cozy and an ideal place for some shopping, strolling around and easy dining. Which is exactly what we did…</p> <p>On Tuesday, we first spent a couple of hours on the beach in Malibu. Where San Franciscans would hang around in the park on a lazy Sunday afternoon, the Angelinos flock to their beaches en masse. Understandable, as the city itself is a vast and amorphous grid of freeways without much charm. It is even strongly discouraged to loiter in downtown after dark, as it is not safe. Therefore, downtown was not on our to-do list…</p> <p>Instead, we headed for the Getty Museum in the afternoon. This beautiful museum is a little over 10 years old. It presents a well-balanced collection of paintings, sculptures, photography and other arts in an amazing setting. The buildings itself are neat pieces of modern architecture:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukj43rTyI/AAAAAAAAAVo/7U81HuhdmVY/s1600-h/DSC_04416.jpg"><img title="DSC_0441" height="263" alt="DSC_0441" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukkae7fQI/AAAAAAAAAVs/CNZLKlbRanQ/DSC_0441_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>surrounded by lively and colorful gardens:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukk3YWfiI/AAAAAAAAAVw/8HvVvq0_lqE/s1600-h/DSC_04965.jpg"><img title="DSC_0496" height="263" alt="DSC_0496" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLuklWBeqvI/AAAAAAAAAV0/mBXcr7bCFxI/DSC_0496_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>The Getty Museum has a pretty impressive art collection. Evi had a ball imitating some of the more peculiar pieces…</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLuklpcdL0I/AAAAAAAAAV4/hmfTL4MvS7M/s1600-h/DSC_04473.jpg"><img title="DSC_0447" height="263" alt="DSC_0447" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukmHu_ByI/AAAAAAAAAV8/oVqDl2BKoKY/DSC_0447_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>After visiting the museum, we set off for Beverly Hills. A short ride through posh neighborhoods such as Bel Air proved a little disappointing: you can only guess what the impressive villas of the World’s most famous movie stars look like, as they are all quite keen on their privacy and shelter their properties well from any nosey tourists.</p> <p>On Wednesday, we witnessed a horrible scene smack in the middle of LA:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukmnFlwBI/AAAAAAAAAWA/YQcttgjwIGc/s1600-h/IMG_37222.jpg"><img title="IMG_3722" height="297" alt="IMG_3722" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLuknAsvTOI/AAAAAAAAAWE/OKF5ChVx99s/IMG_3722_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>No, seriously, this is the decor of the film “War of the Worlds,” which can still be seen in Universal Studios Hollywood, the so-called “LA’s Entertainment Capital.” Seeing the studios where some major Hollywood productions were/are being shot was impressive, but far more importantly: Evi and I got to meet Shrek in person!!!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLuknplxHGI/AAAAAAAAAWI/IVW4YxZwzWU/s1600-h/IMG_37292.jpg"><img title="IMG_3729" height="297" alt="IMG_3729" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukn2s_hiI/AAAAAAAAAWM/uivld6MXtx0/IMG_3729_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Even Filip could not resist having a picture taken with one of Woody Woodpecker’s friends, though I had to insist a little…</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukoTL233I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/Ojk9PStk7-k/s1600-h/IMG_37573.jpg"><img title="IMG_3757" height="297" alt="IMG_3757" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLuko4c-W2I/AAAAAAAAAWU/_j9O0hfeMoI/IMG_3757_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>It was already getting dark when we left Universal Studios. Anyhow, we couldn’t return to the hotel for dinner before making this last quick picture…</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukpLbdvUI/AAAAAAAAAWY/R-Zw9fzg0AA/s1600-h/DSC_062918.jpg"><img title="DSC_0629" height="263" alt="DSC_0629" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLukpSv83ZI/AAAAAAAAAWc/GotwSkiNF4g/DSC_0629_thumb21.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>On Thursday morning I dropped Filip off at the airport for his return to Belgium. Evi and I set off for our last three days, returning from LA to San Francisco. As usual by now, you will get that part with a little delay…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-39230122843297550542008-08-28T10:54:00.001-07:002008-08-28T19:16:31.785-07:00Sequoia National Park<p>No time for writing…</p> <p>When: August 24, 2008 <br />Where: Sequoia National Park, CA, USA <br />What: huge trees, stunning views, amazing nature (continued)</p> <p>Filip and me driving <em>through </em>a sequoia: the “tunnel log”:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmFJlcMXI/AAAAAAAAAU4/4rYNNNqIMuY/s1600-h/DSC_0105%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0105" alt="DSC_0105" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmFmOZDnI/AAAAAAAAAU8/Lni8m5guSOY/DSC_0105_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" height="263" /></a> </p> Evi and me sitting in the roots of another dead sequoia: <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmHFEOnmI/AAAAAAAAAVA/LeDg72GQeJY/s1600-h/DSC_0112%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0112" alt="DSC_0112" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmH39ZiLI/AAAAAAAAAVE/0SDA-B4r7WE/DSC_0112_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" height="263" /></a> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">By the way, these giants don’t die from disease or age, but they topple over after a while—although this <em>while</em> might be more than 2000 years….</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">And this boy is the biggest tree in the World (in volume, not in height):</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmSaNqMdI/AAAAAAAAAVI/vmcqdG5Q_Sk/s1600-h/DSC_0163%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0163" alt="DSC_0163" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmTJwyMQI/AAAAAAAAAVM/tVg1VY-Gs0Y/DSC_0163_thumb%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480" /></a> </p> <p>You basically feel like an ant in these groves…</p> <p>Not only impressive flora here, however. We spotted this bear in the wild:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmT8XdrnI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/g_HqYncAfPQ/s1600-h/DSC_0267%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0267" alt="DSC_0267" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLbmUqkMhVI/AAAAAAAAAVU/_PYnn06f0l4/DSC_0267_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" height="264" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Don’t worry, Mum, I took this picture with our new impressive 300mm tele-lens, so we kept our distance ;-)</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Okay, that’s it for Sequoia National Park. We are now leaving LA after three days here. Expect news on that later…</p>Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-12099811962454859082008-08-25T00:36:00.001-07:002008-08-25T00:36:30.045-07:00Yosemite National Park<p>Boy oh boy! On Thursday, 21st of August, Evi, Filip and I set off from Berkeley to Yosemite National Park. Briefly: [(Yosemite + Sequoia National Park)/4 days].(Nikon D40 SLR) = (fun AND amazement)^3…</p> <p>On our way from SF to Yosemite National Park we made a quick stop in <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111711212499058417514.000436281ff04cd3e4431&ll=38.713376,-121.490936&spn=0.530416,1.235962&z=10">Sacramento</a>, the capital of California. Logically, the city houses the state capitol:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg17eXfvI/AAAAAAAAAT4/efVK_dYNslQ/s1600-h/California086773.jpg"><img title="California08 (677)" height="263" alt="California08 (677)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg2uIngvI/AAAAAAAAAT8/xJwFZcsXFEY/California08677_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Inside the capitol, we saw the office of Arnold Schwarzenegger, currently the governor of California. However, Arnie “The Governator” wasn’t there. Probably he already returned to LA, where he lives. I can understand why he leaves office so early: it’s a commute of roughly 620 km (he does it every day), so you’d better leave on time if you want to be in time for dinner…</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Then for our visit of <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111711212499058417514.000436281ff04cd3e4431&ll=38.052417,-119.53949&spn=1.007854,2.471924&z=9">Yosemite</a> on Friday: what’s the Chinese proverb about the 1 picture and the 1000 words again? Have a look yourself… Stunning views:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg3ComcZI/AAAAAAAAAUA/0mN61SzGQ_c/s1600-h/California087883.jpg"><img title="California08 (788)" height="263" alt="California08 (788)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg3mEhAuI/AAAAAAAAAUE/austY_DgUh4/California08788_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Amazing wildlife, both big…</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg4RYr6YI/AAAAAAAAAUI/FaOwlJhFqhw/s1600-h/California087148.jpg"><img title="California08 (714)" height="263" alt="California08 (714)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg5av_HCI/AAAAAAAAAUM/1_NfAasKMmE/California08714_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>and small:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg5q6FuMI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/MohbeqWYbYY/s1600-h/California088533.jpg"><img title="California08 (853)" height="263" alt="California08 (853)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg6ZGEq7I/AAAAAAAAAUU/LhCmzqkubAE/California08853_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>so you can really put a tele-lens to good use:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg66lqIwI/AAAAAAAAAUY/9Tpzqq-agXw/s1600-h/California087653.jpg"><img title="California08 (765)" height="263" alt="California08 (765)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg7VtH5MI/AAAAAAAAAUc/PuVHDD6xF18/California08765_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>In late Summer, all falls are reduced to a trickle—that is, compared to what they are in Spring:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg8Jq6w9I/AAAAAAAAAUg/5ktWjH1R_3M/s1600-h/California089373.jpg"><img title="California08 (937)" height="263" alt="California08 (937)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg84y2qRI/AAAAAAAAAUk/g8VJzdivFbQ/California08937_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>with special thanks to <a href="philipstruyf.be">Philip</a> for lending me his wide-angle lens:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg9bM1wyI/AAAAAAAAAUo/zwjrCtIsyUo/s1600-h/California088753.jpg"><img title="California08 (875)" height="263" alt="California08 (875)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg-Dwi_pI/AAAAAAAAAUs/OZJmkEnPWDc/California08875_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>We concluded our 6-hour hike with a refreshing swim in a unique decor to escape from the afternoon’s heat:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg-npSTFI/AAAAAAAAAUw/LGzlchoLN0c/s1600-h/California088943.jpg"><img title="California08 (894)" height="263" alt="California08 (894)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SLJg_HvtQbI/AAAAAAAAAU0/v_9oAeD-kI0/California08894_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>(The two tiny dots in the bottom right corner are Evi and me…)</p> <p>I could still put my other 10.000 pictures in this post, but you would probably exceed your Internet provider’s volume limitations in trying to view them all. Expect some news from Sequoia National Park in a couple of days…</p> Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575800519793876852.post-88614534450612233692008-08-21T00:42:00.001-07:002008-08-21T00:47:32.238-07:00Picture-post…<p></p> <p></p> <p>Last Friday evening, Evi arrived in San Francisco. We have started our very busy holiday-programme, so there won’t be much time left for me to write. I’ll let the pictures do the talking…</p> <p>On Saturday, we visited Berkeley’s Farmers’ Market together:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cMvWVwTI/AAAAAAAAASg/4EGgQP7FVJ4/s1600-h/DSC_0487%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0487" alt="DSC_0487" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cNM-L1QI/AAAAAAAAASk/wIdxoVj3CHw/DSC_0487_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="297" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>On Sunday, we visited San Francisco. This picture was taken with our new digital SLR camera, with a shutter speed of 2 seconds:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cNetBkwI/AAAAAAAAASo/JkDK_iq6u2s/s1600-h/DSC_0835%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0835" alt="DSC_0835" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cNlBaBOI/AAAAAAAAASs/z7Gbc_UkoH4/DSC_0835_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>On Monday, we went to Sonoma Valley in Wine Country. There, I reserved a horseback-riding trip for the two of us:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cNxzje2I/AAAAAAAAASw/ZkphcLKiQSQ/s1600-h/IMG_3659%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_3659" alt="IMG_3659" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cOKGQ2RI/AAAAAAAAAS0/ngsL_OKQ8ek/IMG_3659_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="297" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Oh yes, I mounted that horse voluntary! In the afternoon, we visited one of Sonoma’s wineries:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cOfqREOI/AAAAAAAAAS4/FDDZznPB0-I/s1600-h/DSC_0900%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0900" alt="DSC_0900" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cOumdWQI/AAAAAAAAAS8/m35d3pzjPv4/DSC_0900_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>and its caves:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cOyRa7iI/AAAAAAAAATA/FZJxkZOYXls/s1600-h/DSC_0943%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0943" alt="DSC_0943" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cPNfbeyI/AAAAAAAAATE/kMx0a_ZD7Y8/DSC_0943_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>On Monday evening, Filip joined us in Berkeley. He will travel with us for one week and a half. On Tuesday, we went back to SF all together. In Chinatown, we saw a “fortune-cookie factory”:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cPaycK6I/AAAAAAAAATI/vyw4SQBP1e4/s1600-h/DSC_1084%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_1084" alt="DSC_1084" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cP7leCBI/AAAAAAAAATM/8Q1w4y_napA/DSC_1084_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>In the afternoon, we visited Alcatraz, where I put Evi behind bars for a while:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cQNtT29I/AAAAAAAAATQ/VuhnipINj0E/s1600-h/DSC_0002%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0002" alt="DSC_0002" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cQSKX01I/AAAAAAAAATU/0M98Df1G3p0/DSC_0002_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>In the evening, we went to The Mission for a couple of cocktails and a fine dinner. The cocktails were good, the alternative might even have been better:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cQ3XFWBI/AAAAAAAAATY/NSoJSf6mcao/s1600-h/DSC_0208%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0208" alt="DSC_0208" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cRGtpRQI/AAAAAAAAATc/2mr565Lc20s/DSC_0208_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>On Wednesday finally, we went to Napa Valley. More vineyards:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cRFSHLDI/AAAAAAAAATg/t-IcRZv4KYw/s1600-h/DSC_0384%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0384" alt="DSC_0384" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cR9pDb_I/AAAAAAAAATk/hE7fwuwac_8/DSC_0384_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>more wine tasting:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cR0ia7YI/AAAAAAAAATo/53oRiAk-CVA/s1600-h/DSC_0444%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0444" alt="DSC_0444" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cSZ7cJSI/AAAAAAAAATs/5cTgxqXzREQ/DSC_0444_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>and finally some real Californian sunshine for Filip and Evi:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cSjVmAAI/AAAAAAAAATw/MHlqAVe8BEQ/s1600-h/DSC_0419%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0419" alt="DSC_0419" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/wim.vanthillo/SK0cTPOWrjI/AAAAAAAAAT0/pgYzK2IOwDg/DSC_0419_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="263" width="396" /></a> </p> <p>Next on the agenda are Yosemite, Sequoia National Park and LA. Expect some new pictures by next weekend…</p>Wimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953858893694911208noreply@blogger.com3