Recently in Vacation Category

Normally the week just before I leave for summer vacation, I spend hours on end desperately searching for some interesting books to read. Usually I just collect another huge pile of literature to explore while sunning on the beach or reclining on the balcony of our resort hotel in some faraway exotic country. This time it'll be on the Algarve Coast in Portugal.

However, over the years I've collected so many unread books from these previous bookstore excursions, that I've decided not to look for anything new. There already here surrounding me on the bookshelves aching to be considered. Please pick me, oh I'll be such a good book to you, please.

I'll simply have a look through all of my unopened hardcovers and paperbacks. Hopefully I can come up with a good healthy selection, balancing perhaps a couple fiction titles, one computer tome and a history book also.

I've been keen on reading the new 50th year anniversary English translation of "The Tin Drum" by Gunter Grass, so I'll bring that along. Also the latest hardcover "At Home" by Bill Bryson, looks interesting. And then there's Kafka's "Metamorphosis and Other Stories" as well as "Mortal Combat" by Michael Burleigh. Just in case, I'll also bring along the latest edition of "Effective Perl Programming" just to keep my mind well oiled.

Bringing too many books along for vacation can also be a problem, as it can be hard to decide which book to start. You end up switching endlessly back and forth, getting so stressed out reading multiple lines of thought, that you end up reading nothing. Except those cheap puzzle magazines you happened to pick up at the airport, which involve minimal concentration, and they are fun and relaxing also.

Will also bring along an extra set of pencils, erasers and a good pencil sharpener.

Vouwwagen Jamet Texas 1997

• Bovag gekeurd 2008
• In prima staat, ruim en comfortabel
• Heel zuinig mee omgegaan
• Binnen en buiten schoongemaakt
• Nieuwe banden, rem gecontroleerd
• Tentdoek waterdicht
• Driepits gasfornuis
• Binnenhemel en ritsbare verduistering voor de ramen
• Ruime Disselbak met electra
• Koelkast Stoelen en tafel
• Ingebouwde kluis
• 6 slaapplaatsen (2 extra onder)
• Een echte aanrader voor de beginnende kampeerders.

Prijs: € 600, see Marktplaats.

Sold for € 500 after only one day!

We survived a wonderful two weeks in the sunny and hot climate of Costa Brava, Spain. We stayed 12 days at the fancy L'Àmfora camping and bungalow park. The time spent there was restful and gave us the opportunity to recharge our batteries and prepare ourselves for the rest of the year.

Pictures

How we traveled (1,398 km):

View Larger Map

Here are some pictures of our fun and relaxing four day weekend in Barcelona, almost a month ago.

Photo album.

Better late than never.

Surprise, surprise. It's off to Barcelona for a long weekend of fun and relaxation. Thea just surprised me with this wonderful birthday gift, and we will be leaving tomorrow which is my official birthday, later in the afternoon. I've been dreaming of traveling to this fine city for many years now, and soon it will be actually happening. Hard to believe that it is merely a two hour flight. Can't wait.

We're back from Rhodos, and we had a really great time.

Gish family touring the island (1024x768).

In only two days from now, I will be sitting in the airplane with my family on my way to the Greek island of Rhodes.

Up to now I haven't given much thought to what I want to bring with me and my suitcase lies casually open on my bedroom floor half empty.

In the past I would have had an endless checklist ready two weeks in advance for fear I might have forgotten some vital article: like a tube of toothpaste or a comb or even an extra pen in case the one I was using went empty at a critical moment. Can you imagine?

Slowly but surely my life has become a more relaxed world where trivial unplanned moments make existence more interesting rather than stressful.

When I was younger, I falsely claimed that at such an early age I had already achieved some kind of higher awareness and simply flowed with the stream.

Now I am happy to announce that in my life this is actually (almost) the case. In two days it's off to the fun and relaxing world called summer vacation and I am really looking forward to it.

I will try and remember to send you a postcard...

In a couple of hours Maarten should be coming back from his fun vacation in Croatia with his best friend Bas.

I cannot wait to see him again as he has been away now for nearly ten days. Seems like only yesterday when he left but at the same time it seems like forever since I have seen him last.

When he arrives I will give him a big hug and listen to him as he explains all of the fun things he did there.

Can't wait.

So it is now official. We will be spending the second half of August basking in the hot sun on the Greek Island of Rhodes, about eight kilometers to the west of the city of Rhodes at a place called the Terinikos Hotel.

The island is the second largest of Greece, shaped like a spearhead, and is located just off the south-western Turkish coast.

The really great thing about this vacation is that the whole family (two parents plus four kids) will be enjoying this together. Perhaps it may be the last fun summer vacation we spend together, so we will be sure to make the best of it while it lasts.

Checked out the Internet and the place scored pretty high reviews from the people who'd stayed there.

I guess Lindos is the place to see while you are there.

Although it is only the beginning of the year and it is snowing and cold outside, it is never too early to make vacation plans for a sunny and warm climate.

Everything is booked now and we have a wonderful trip to look forward to in the middle of July.

This time around we will be spending two weeks at Villa Mertiza which is on the south eastern coast of Crete.

Mirtos, Crete