Quote of the day
This had me chuckle when I when I saw it it pop up in my feed reader:
Sir, I find it intensely humiliating to be asked by airport security staff if I have packed my own bag. This forces one to admit, usually within earshot of others, that I no longer have a manservant to do the chore for me. Gentlemen should be able to answer such questions with a disdainful: “Of course not! Do I look like that sort of person?”
(via)
Santiago de Compostela here I come!
A couple of years ago, in 2004 to be exact, we went on holiday to the North of Spain. We started in Bilbao and followed the coast until we arrived in Santiago de Compostela. While travelling towards Santiago we were surprised by the amount of people en route on foot. As we neared the city the number of pilgrims became more and more dense, because that what they were.
An update on my second weekend trip
Unfortunately the opening of the hotel we booked in London has been delayed, so they offered to have us put up at The Royal Horse Guards hotel instead. It’s somewhat disappointing to have to stay at a different hotel from what you have originally booked, but judging from the website it should be alright (although it’s not quite the size we usually stay in – we prefer smaller hotels). They were, however, very apologetic and offered to give us a VIP next time we book a room with them. We’ll certainly take them up on their offer!
Apart from going to Moro we managed to squeeze in a reservation at Tom Aikens. We’d contemplated going to the Fat Duck, but they were temporarily closed at at that time. Should be a nice experience, I’ll be sure to let you know.
Weekend trip number two of 2009
Weekend trip number two of this year is coming up next week. I booked flights to London a while back, a room in a new (it hasn’t even opened yet) design hotel in Soho for the duration of our stay and lunch in the restaurant of the authors of some of my favourite cookbooks.
Apart from that I haven’t made any plans yet. Perhaps we’ll go see a show, do some shopping, visit a museum, hopefully go to some other great restaurants and of course drink a couple of pints (possibly with some old friends).
Weekend trip number one of 2009
Me and my friend Rogier went on a weekend trip to Belgrade, Serbia a couple of weeks ago. Which means I get to update my Capitals visited in Europe map. 
We had an excellent time, by that’s another story.
My b’day this year
Being a foodie, my birthday present the last couple of years has been dinner at a Michelin star restaurant. Last year we went to Oud Sluis, the year before to Beluga and this year we’re going to l’Auberge de l’Ill. I can hardly wait! 
Missing Andalusia
Today, when I came home from work, there was a surprise waiting for me: Chambao’s latest album Con Otro Aire.
Listening to it makes me want to go back to Spain: drink unas cañas con los amigos and eat some tapitas. Aaah, the good life.
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Nice manhole covers
My friend Gijs is currently on tour in Japan, promoting the new Wouter Hamel album Nobody’s Tune.
I’m sure he’s having a good time (they went there last year as well and had a blast). I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, I find it such a fascinating country. Even their manhole covers are much funkier than anywhere else I’ve seen. My friend Martijn once took a bunch of photos of different manhole covers in NYC (but I cannot seem to find his blog post) and they were not even half as funky. Nor are they here in Leiden I might add (via).
Disney
We – my friends Giorgos and Gijs, plus his brother-in-law Ivo – recently went to Disney for a good old day of coaster riding. It was kind of a crazy trip, because the four of us set upon our journey around five o’clock in the morning, driving approximately five hundred kilometers and arriving just in time for the park to open at ten.
Not feeling too well
I thought I’d let you know that I’ve got quite a few, long overdue, blog posts one my notebook. The things is, I’ve not been feeling very well for, well, quite some time now. It turns out that most of my complaints are due to RSI, which is why I’ve been trying to stay away from my computer as much as possible. With the aid of a physiotherapist and shifting into a lower gear I am slowly recovering, albeit not at the pace I would like it to go.
Anyway, I thought I’d kick off with a trip I made at the end of March/beginning of April to New York, with some pictures from the trip. We arrived on Friday and were picked up by my friend Martijn. That evening we had sushi in one of the best sushi restaurants in the area where he lives (Montclair, NJ).
