Waaaaay back when we reached 100 posts, we decided to change the layout of our blog and freshen things up a bit.
Now that we have passed 200 (this post is number 215) – and more than a year later – we figured it is that time again. So we switched the layout yet again, and will also be updating our logo and picture overlays.
What do you think?
If you get the opportunity to go and watch a world cup game, why not take it?
After the summer holidays, school has started again this week. Yesterday Kai came home with eight official looking tickets in his hands for this weekend. I thought it would be for a random game, but it said Davis Cup. Even for a tennis new-bee (that is me) that sounded familiar.
For my 40-some birthday I received a package from my friends Karin, Susan and Suzan. Along with cards and great knutsels* they also send me a book with the title “Chickslovefood” and the subtitle “cook with five ingredients or less”. These friends I have known for the greater portion of my life, so they know what I like!
I was immediately inspired for this years birthday cake as I love chocolate and like to cook from scratch. After last years chocolate explosion (a definite must try as well) of course my cake will have to include chocolate and preferably not be too complicated, so a snickers cake with five ingredients sounds like the perfect cake to me. Continue reading “Snickers cake”
During our Carnival Christmas Cruise on the Pacific, after visiting New Caledonia, the second country we visited was Vanuatu. We anchored near Mystery Island, a small tropical Island that does not have any residents. What sounded very idyllic in the description, I was a bit skeptic to visit this island while on a cruise. Why?
Can you imagine a small tropical paradise that gets invaded by 2.000 people at once? No wonder the comedian on the ship left out the ‘t’ and called it Mysery Island.
Continue reading “Solving mysteries on Mystery Island, Vanuatu”
If you are at least a little bit interested in tennis (or if you live in Australia and are trying to watch TV on channel 7), you will know that the Australian Open are on at the moment. And since this Grand Slam is happening in our own back yard, we decided that it was definitely worth a visit. Which we did last week Wednesday, during the second round matches.
Despite the fact that the media hype only starts with the first round of the men’s and women’s singles tournament on Monday, the grounds are actually home to a qualification tournament to fill the last few spaces in the tournament roster. This happens in the four days leading up to the big event, and is open to the public.
Being half Dutch, it goes against the grain to not take advantage of something for free, so Kai and me went there as well. Some of the pictures in this blog reflect that initial visit.
Don’t be surprised if you see a big crowd of people gathering in front of a house. You see this a lot when you drive around on the weekend. This is not a gathering after a flashmob or an accident, this is the auction of a house. And everyone is invited! So, join me.
Eat-Sleep-Cruise-Repeat. That’s the motto on one of the T-shirts they sell in the gift shop on board and which a couple of people on board are wearing. And that’s pretty much what we are doing on any of the five days at sea we have on this cruise.
Our usual wake-up time for us is around 8am, which is pretty early by ship standards. – I actually managed a 7am once to go running around the promenade on deck 3, but that, I have to admit, was the exception rather than the rule. Another one for the “do better in 2017”-list.
After two days at sea with lots of food, a bit of rest and pretty good weather, we made our first landfall in Noumea, the main city of biggest island of New Caledonia. This was the first landfall of the cruise and also the only one without tendering (i.e. anchoring the ship out at sea and shuttling the guests in on some of the lifeboats).
But if we expected a big cruise terminal, we were mistaken. Instead, we got a piece of the quay wall in the container terminal. Continue reading “Noumea – first Landfall”
We wish you all a happy and healthy 2017. All the best from Down Under!
When I grew up, Christmas always followed the same rituals and traditions. The Adventskalender, the food on the 23rd, setting up the tree, the Christmas room being locked on the 24th, fondue and presents, everything was following the same script every year. And, since I really liked it that way, I was determined to follow the same path when I had kids.
Well, apart from the Adventskalendar, that didn’t really work out. Out of the last 5 years, I think we’ve had “the same” Christmas maybe twice. Instead we’ve been at my mothers place, been skiing and spent the day at the beach. And this year we’re doing something else again: we’re out on a cruise. Continue reading “Christmas vacation 2016”
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