the pictures are not very clear.. my hands shivered… not because of drinking or smoking… I was freezing the whole time!!! did I tell that I hate freezing? well, I very much do!!!
it was interesting to see how “young” amsterdam is…so many young people (well) were running around. vienna is less alive than this… even in summer.
Ade is my oldest friend. I know her since ever. We went to school together and used to be our mothers pain. However, we all survived, even the knife-story 
Ade lives in Amsterdam and has 2 wonderful kids: Viktor and Alexandra. Both sweet and very alive. It was strange to realize that my dear friend of 100 years is an adult and has a family of her own… and she is as beautiful and relaxed as ever
not as colourful as the italian or spanish details but not less charming…
please open links below to read on van Gogh’s and Millais’ lifes …
vG’s work is so impressive… the museum contains the largest collection of paintings in the world and it is an amazing feeling to just stand among them… a happy feeling, indeed.
while knowing a bit about vG’s life, about how sick, unhappy and depressive he was, the paintings “change” and give other perspectives. how can endless pain create such beauty? give such insights? I wonder… but I remember Čajkovski… however, I was fascinated to see the real colours and the brushstrokes…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh
please note, the last 2 paintings are done by Millais. there was a Millais exhibition at the vGM and I was very fortunate to be able to see the real Ophelia. No print can do her justice… amazingly realistic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Everett_Millais
I have to tell how happy I am that Alex is enjoying these things. It would be a pain to have to drag him to see this and that… and past experiences showed that draging equals to zero pleasure.
… as I am waiting for Alex (God knows how long) I have the time to inform you about the wonderful dutch weather. I just don’t know where to start? let’s see… well, it is raining, it was raining and it will be raining. very constant indeed… the best and only sensible thing to do is to see some of the many museums they have here… I am looking forward to seeing van Gogh’s works… never saw so many in one place…
häh!!! my second over 2000m this year! who says now I am no sportsman? häh???
the weather wasn’t really nice… but the view and the air…
please note, the burberry mouse was also there, as usual…
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next post: after Amsterdam… I am looking forward to seeing Ade.
I took most of the pictures above in Torri. Wonderful little place.
for details on torri, if you are interested
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torri_del_Benaco
There is not much to read anyway. However, I liked Torri most… everyplace nice, old buildings, flowers.. warm colours… and the wonderful lago visible from every side… more or less
Marlies on Torri: “I did not see much, but I felt at home. ” (explanation: my wife’s parents have a nice little house just next to Attersee, which my wife considers to be 22km long. no one really agreed with her, but we also could not correct her.. I shall google it, but the home feeling is understandable.. a see is a sea.. or not? )
Alex on Torri: incredibile!!!
Sirmione is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It has a historical centre which is located on a small peninsula that separates the lower part of Lago di Garda. It was a possession of the Republic of Venice from 1405 until 1797, when it was acquired by Austria. It became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
We came here to see the Scaliger Castle (13th century) and its medieval port fortification, which was used by the Scaliger fleet.
… very old monastery blabla…
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next post: after our trip to Italia bella!!! my wife is going to join. will be fun, as we go to visit Alex’ best friend, Ogl (a fine guy who due to a series of coincidences lives in a teeeeeerrible place, with nothing but nature around his villa/pool and with a tasteless view on the Lago, poor soul… I can hardly imagine his suffering… ok, enough!!!) and out of my borderless wisdom and experience, I know that Alex will not be useable/visible these days, so I will spend some nice and quiet time with my wife,overlooking Lago di Garda and maybe making a short trip to Verona… well, might be not so quiet after all… however, some nice time.
