12 April 2007
Today one of my favourite authors has died, Kurt Vonnegut. I have very much enjoyed the humour and above all his view on the futility of existence. May he rest in peace.
08 April 2007
A huge threat to the environment that must be combatted by all means or environmentalist fundamentalism without any solid foundation?
American modern-era imperialism or pre-emptive strikes to protect democracy and freedom?
Freedom of speech that must be protected or scary far-right extremism that must be opposed or forbidden?
You tell me, I'm more and more confused. Gone are the days of ideology when right and wrong was still very much a given.
01 October 2006
Yesterday we visited the local Slow Food fair in Rotterdam. I already made an effort to buy my cheeses, meats and vegetables from specialist shops in stead of the supermarket, to do my part in stopping the quality loss that supermarkets impose on society. But yesterday we learned there is still much to explore when it comes to regional quality products. I never knew cheese could have so much more taste. I'll have to schedule a regular trip around local farmers now and then!
31 July 2006
Today we are enjoying the last day of our stay in Sweden. While last week we enjoyed staying in a small cottage in the middle of nowhere, the last couple of days we spent in beautiful and relaxed Stockholm. If people tell you that Sweden is a cold country full of annoying mosquitos: don´t believe them! The weather has been wonderful and mosquitos were not to be found. So now we will be enjoying our last evening here before we move on to the just as beautiful city of Copenhagen.
27 May 2006
We went on a small trip to the Champagne region the last couple of days. We stayed in a nice hotel in Reims, the capital of Champagne. We came to the region to buy us a small supply of Champagne. Alongside the large brands there are a number of small growers that bottle small supplies of their own Champagne. It is hard to buy outside of the region, a lot cheaper than the stuff from the large houses and sometimes a lot better. A good deal. We spent a day visiting some local growers, which was great fun as well. Our French is not all it used to be, which limited conversation a bit, but the enthousiasm the growers showed for their own produce was great to see.
And how much fun to be able to choose from 15 different types of Champagne at your average snackbar.
