Summer is not over!

From 2008-09-13 Carribean party

It may only be 15deg but we weren't going to let go of summer that quickly! On a Saturday evening we ventured down to the beach in our best summer gear (under our winter jackets) to get our groove on at a Carribean party at Schevingen beach. We were joined by our friends Kate and Doug, and some visiting family and friends of Kate... Michael and Anna. They were quite some characters, and after we initially got lei-ed, they went about collecting as many as they could, which was quite a colourful sight.

Lots of fun ensued, and after a few vodka-redbulls, we danced the night away on the d-floor until we could no longer.

S

Happy birthday to me

From 2008-09-05 Steve's 28th Birthday

It was time to say goodbye to another year on this earth, and add another candle to the cake. Mirjam made me a lovely birthday breakfast, with the presents from her, her parents, and my mum all laid out for me. I eagerly ripped into them and appreciated all the nice gifts.

After an easy day at work, it was time to meet up with Remco and Carolien who had travelled down from Alkmaar to celebrate the evening with us. We enjoyed a great meal at Oni Japanese restaurant, with some amazing food, awesome sake, and a lots of fun. Remco and Carolien brought me some great gifts at the restaurant, the highlight i think was the hotel shampoo. :)

After a long eating session, we headed out to Havana for a cocktail and a dance, which finished off the evening just perfectly.

The next day Mirjam had prepared for a me a lovely carrot cake, from a receipe which originates from her canton in Switzerland. I felt very well treated, and we continued to enjoy a great weekend of relaxing in Amsterdam on Saturday, and catching up on sleep on sunday.

S

A weekend in the Ardennes

Ardennes, Belgium

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Mirjam and I headed away to the Ardennes for a weekend to celebrate the end of my Sakhalin assignment and to thank her for putting up with my constant travelling and being away from home. We left on Friday and drove via Breda in the south of Netherlands, where we stopped for lunch. Breda was a very nice town, and we marked it on the list of places to visit next.

We were headed to a small town called Malmedy, in the eastern side of the Ardennes, not far from the German border. It is close to some spa resorts, such as the town of Spa, and also close to the forest Hautes Fagnes which runs from Malmedy and into Germany. It is also the location of the highest point in Belgium, a staggering 694m, which when you are from Netherlands, seems like the Alps.

Our bed and breakfast was gorgeous. It was a little apartment with its own kitchen, living area, bedroom, and bathroom which included a spa-bath. It was very well decorated and just a few kilometers out of town so was so peaceful and quiet. We arrived an hour and half later than we had told them, and the caretaker got really shirty at us, which killed the mood when we first arrived. But we put that behind us and after dropping our luggage inside we went for dinner in Malmedy and enjoyed a typical belgian meal of mixed grill and some great beer.

The next day we set of for a hike through the Hautes Fagnes forest. The weather was stunning, and we enjoyed the quiet walk in the forest. Admitedly it was not the most beautiful forest i have seen as it is a wetlands area, but still nice to be outdoors nonetheless. We had lunch at a little cafe nearby, and sat on the terrace trying to make up on the lack of tanning opportunities this summer. That afternoon we took a drive around the area, and passed some beautiful little villages and rolling green hills. We stopped at a supermarket to get some supplies for dinner that evening, and when we got home we retired to the back yard with some wine and nibblies, and enjoyed the setting sun overlooking some beautiful forest and hills. We later cooked up a nice meal and relaxed in the spa bath to finish of a great day.

On sunday, we decided to go Kayaking at the town of Coo. It was the first time for both Mirjam and I, and whilst first a bit aprehensive, it turned out to be awesome. We paddled a 9km section of the river, which was surrounded by beautiful green trees and the occassional old stone barn house along the river side. We were alone most of the time, which made it all the more special. Again, the weather was excellent and we were very pleased to be outdoors. After the kayak, we refulled at a restaurant in Coo, where i ordered some beautiful muscles. That was until later that evening when i woke up not so well - i think i may be allergic to muscles! Note for next time.
So besides the last part, the weekend was a lovely escape and we could not have asked for better weather. We'll definately go back - there is a lot to see and do in the Ardennes and we now got a taste for it.

Cheers
Steve