I’m coming home, I’ve done my time… After a whole month searching for a company that could bring our gear over from Kleine Spouwen, Belgium to Iraklio, I was driving my upstairs neighbour with her cat to the vet last evening. While I was explaining that the transporters in our country charged over €5000...
Read more →Today I got a reasonable explanation from someone on the seemingly random way of including VAT in the prices of some goods and not in others, as I told you yesterday. It happened in another electronics shop I went to today. The salesperson seemed a little bit more open to my questioning him on...
Read more →Maastricht is ne brede Maar Maastricht ‘t is lang Maastricht is de leukste stad Gesellig aan de zang – Maastricht Karnival Song Maastricht is not broad But, Maastricht, it is long Maastricht is the finest city Gesellig* on the song – Translation Maastricht is eene groete cafe – Maastricht Karnival Song Maastricht is one...
Read more →The programmer begins in gladness… Well, the day is done. I’ve made my money and eaten my bread dipped in olive oil, so I can begin. That day, that day in the fall of 1984, in Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands, had just begun. I had come from my flat on the Hondestraat to my...
Read more →This doesn’t look good: a fresh month without posting. I have to admit to you that I have been a little bit preoccupied lately, but that’s no reason for neglecting you of course. So please accept my apologies if you came here loyally every day and didn’t find any news. I promise I will...
Read more →After skimming through the adverts for apartments at what had become my habitual morning hangout: coffee at Carola’s, I went to see 2 more apartments and one real estate agent. Minoanland the name was. Upon entry of the offices I immediately spotted something highly unusual in this part of the world: the whole office...
Read more →I woke up because my mobile phone rang. It was Yvonne. I was beaten. The fatigue of the journey had taken its toll. After a shower I got out on the streets and bought the local newspaper which I read through the adverts while having a cup of coffee at Carola’s coffee shop on...
Read more →I got up late. Breakfast at the hotel was excellent. The view from the windows was nothing but extraordinary. You could see as far as the sea in the Gulf of Itéa. There was a group of young American students in one corner eating calmly and minding there own business. I chose a table...
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