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For New Year's Eve 2023-2024, Laura and I spend two weeks in Juignac, Aquitaine, France. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
View from our cottage.
Laura and I spend almost all of July 2023 in Ireland. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Beach at Dugort, on Achill Island.
In December 2022 and January 2023, Laura and I spend a week in Olburgen. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Laura on the dike near Olburgen.
In September, Laura and I first spend a week in Chevenoz, near Lake Geneva in France, and then a week in Vaumery in the Morvan, where we were half a year earlier.
Mountains near Chamonix.
On 11 September, the Wim Egz Ensemble sings on a deck barge at the Weerdsingel in Utrecht. Here you'll find photos of the show.
Wim Egz Ensemble in Utrecht, 11 September.
In July, Laura and I are going for a long weekend to Kautenbach in the Luxembourg Ardennes. It's a surprise weekend on the occasion of Laura's birthday. You'll find photos of this holiday here.
View of Kautenbach.
On 21 June, Sooner Trend does a public rehearsal in allotment gardens Eigen Oogst in Den Dolder. Here you'll find photos of the show.
Sooner Trend in Den Dolder, 21 June.
In April, Laura and I first spend a week in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, in Occitanie, and then a week in Vaumery in the Morvan.
View of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.
In March, Laura and I spend a weekend in Dordrecht. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Art by Niki Murphy, part of an exposition at Teekengenootschap Pictura in Dordrecht.
In December 2021 and January 2022, Laura and I spend a few days in Deventer. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Deventer's skyline.
In July and August, Laura and I spend two weeks in Aardenburg in Zeelandic Flanders. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Laura next to a maize field.
In March and April 2021, Laura and I spend two weeks in Vijlen in South Limburg. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Laura walking in the area.
In July 2020, Laura and I spend five days in Alphen, in the South of the Netherlands. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Resting during a bike tour in the area.
Around Christmas and New Year of 2019/2020, Laura and I spend a week in Schagerbrug, in North Holland. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Laura in dune landscape near Callantsoog.
In June and July, Laura and I first spend a week with Michel in Le Vintéol, in the Massif Central in France, and following that Laura and I spend a week in Kippel in the Lötschental in Switzerland.
Lötschental.
In April and May 2019, Laura and I spend a week in the village Gondenbrett in the Eifel. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Gondenbrett, April 2019.
In September 2018, the Wim Egz Ensemble performs at a Klapstoelconcert at the Koekoeksplein in Utrecht. Here you'll find photos of the show.
Wim Egz Ensemble in Utrecht, 2 September.
In August, Laura and I spend nine days in the Harz. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Hunting fox in the Harz.
Judge Smith invites us to come and celebrate his birthday. He performs in Glastonbury on Saturday night, and treats his guests to lunch at his house on Sunday 1 July. We turn it into a long weekend away, and we meet up with many friends we get to see all too rarely. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
The Strange Planet (Judge Smith sings) in Glastonbury, 30 June.
In May, the Wim Egz Ensemble performs at the Hofjesconcerten in Leiden, in two concerts with Duo C Kwadraat in the Sint Jabobshof. Here you'll find photos of the show.
Wim Egz Ensemble in Leiden, 20 May.
In April and May, Laura and I visit Scotland and England for two weeks, one of which we spend on the isle of Mull. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Laura on Staffa.
In March and April 2018, Laura and I spend a weekend in Grandhan, near Durbuy, in the Ardennes. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
Church in Vervoz.
In August and September 2017, Laura and I spend almost two weeks in Portugal, one week in a cottage near the Spanish border and almost one week in Lisbon. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
View of the town Castelo de Vide.
At the end of April and the start of May, Laura and I spend two weeks in Slovenia, Italy and Germany. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
En route in Austria.
On 24 March 2017, Sooner Trend performs, Dolph Paulsen's band. Laura sings. The performance is at the opening of an art exhibition in the Gehoorzaal of the Willem Arntsz Hoeve in Den Dolder. Here you'll find photos of the show.
Sooner Trend in Den Dolder, 24 March.
In July and August 2016, Laura and I spend four days in England, a week in Wales and after that four more days in England. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
A walk on the coast of Wales.
On 28 May 2016, Laura and the Wim Egz Ensemble sing in the Singelkerk in Utrecht.
The Wim Egz Ensemble.
Laura and I move house on 27 November 2015.
On 26 September, I go wadlopen (mudflat hiking), from the coast near Uithuizen to the island Rottum. Here you'll find photos of a day mudflat hiking.
At the end of the day we climb onto the boat that will take us back.
In the first half of August, Laura and I spend a couple of nights in the south of Switzerland and after that a week in Tuscany. Here you'll find some photos of this holiday.
Our view in Switzerland.
In March, Laura and I visit Ghent for four nights. Vriwijs! Here you'll find some photos of this holiday.
Laura.
On 8 March 2015, Laura and the Wim Egz Ensemble sing in Moira in Utrecht.
Wim Egz Ensemble sing in Moira in Utrecht.
Op 20 October 2014, I photograph the China Light Festival in the Botanic Gardens in the Uithof in Utrecht for an article in DUB, the magazine of Utrecht University.
China Light Festival in the Botanic Gardens in Utrecht.
On World Animal Day, 4 October, Laura and Astrid have a party at Spanish tapas-restaurant eLe to celebrate both their birthdays and the twentieth anniversary of their friendship.
At the end of the party (photo by Kees de Vries).
From Thursday 24 July until Thursday 7 August, Laura and I have a summer holiday, one week in Saint-Germain l'Herm in the Auvergne and one week in Hofstetten in the Black Forest. Here you'll find some photos of this holiday.
Our house in the Auvergne.
On Sunday 29 June, I go and see Alamaailman Vasarat perform live at the Festival Mundial in Tilburg.
In Spring, Laura is a member of a second choir, Multiple Voice. She participates in the project "Noorderlicht" ("Aurora"), singing music by Scandinavian composers from the beginning of the twentieth century. They perform three times, among which are 14 June in the Pieterskerk in Utrecht and 22 June in the Abdijkerk in Loosduinen.
Laura prior to the concert in the Pieterskerk in Utrecht.
Laura and I spend the end of April and the beginning of May in Friesland. We rented a house in Gaast, near the dike of the IJsselmeer and near the Afsluitdijk. Here you'll find photos of our holiday in Friesland.
Laura is lying on the dike in Gaast.
On 30 March, Laura and I experience impressive concerts by Zea, Oscar-Jan Hoogland and King Ayisoba in Worm, Rotterdam.
On 21 February 2014, Laura performs in a solo-concert in gallery Kampwegkerk in Doorn, accompanied by Jeroen Liedorp on keyboard. My photos of this evening aren't of great quality, but the concert is beautiful.
Laura performs in gallery Kampwegkerk in Doorn.
The Wim Egz Ensemble sings the Indian Requiem on 10 November 2013 in Amersfoort at a double concert with the Klein Amersfoorts Koor, titled Orfeus is een Indiaan. Here you'll find photos of the double concert.
The Wim Egz Ensemble sings the Indian Requiem.
Laura's choir, the Wim Egz Ensemble, find success with their concert in the Utrechts Centrum voor de Kunsten UCK at the Dom Square in Utrecht on 12 October. The choir sings seven motets by Palestrina and the premiere of the Indian Requiem by conductor Martin Rudolph. Here you'll find photos of that day.
The Wim Egz Ensemble sings the Indian Requiem.
In August, Laura and I spend almost a fortnight in a tent in the Dordogne in France. Next we spend a few days at the Moselle, and Laura does a singing course of a week, led by Wiebke Göetjes in the Carmelite monastery Springiersbach in Germany. She performs on 23 August. Here you'll find the photos of our holiday in Summer 2013. In Google Photos you'll also find photos of a visit to the Musée des 24 Heures in Le Mans, and to the Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse. Lastly, on 31 August Laura sang in the same monastery in Springiersbach in the opera Dialogues des Carmélites.
Laura near the tent.
Laura and I visit England with Michel at the end of April and the beginning of May. We spend six days in the New Forest and five days in London. Here you'll find a photo page as an overview of our holiday, and here you'll find some more photos. Here are also some photos of the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu in Google Photos.
In the New Forest on Hawk, Coyote en Chiquito (photo by our hostess Charlie).
Laura sings with Zangstudio Hojotoho (Singing Studio Hojotoho) in the highlights of the opera "Dialogues of the Carmelites" by Poulenc, on 18 May in the Synagogue in Delft. Here you'll find photos of the two concerts.
Laura in "Dialogues of the Carmelites".
On 10 May, we have a new garden, following the design of and with help from De Tuinmaker (garden maker) Lilian Verhaak. We are happy with the result. Here you'll find more photos of our garden.
Our new garden.
On 24 April, Laura and her piano reunite.
Laura's piano.
Laura's choir, the Wim Egz Ensemble, performs in the early morning of 24 February 2013 during a church service in the Grote Kerk in Harlingen. Here you'll find photos of the performance.
The Wim Egz Ensemble performs in the Grote Kerk in Harlingen.
Starting 1 November 2012, all gardens in the block get torn down and removed, because they are on the roof of the parking garage, which is leaking. In February everything should be ready, leaving us with a concrete container with soil to start a new garden in. Unless there will be frost or rain, because that will postpone the date of February. Here you'll find some photos of the progress of the work.
The photo on the left is our garden in Summer 2010. The photo on the right was taken 24 November 2012.
In July, Laura and I spend a week in Italy. Together with seven others Laura takes singing lessons, resulting in a performance. In the daytime I travel around. Here you'll find photos of this holiday.
The reservoir Lago di Morasco.
On 22 and 23 June, Laura performs with the Klein OperaKoor Wilhelminapark in the Stadsschouwburg (City Theatre) in Utrecht, singing and playing parts in Les Brigands by Jacques Offenbach. I take photos of the rehearsal and the performance.
Laura as one of the carabinieri during the performance of Les Brigands.
On 26 May, Laura's new choir makes its debut, the Wim Egz Ensemble, in the Lutheran Church in Utrecht, singing Cherubini's Requiem and the premiere of Pater Noster by conductor Martin Rudolph. Here you'll find photos of that day.
The Wim Egz Ensemble takes a bow.
In April and May, Laura and I spend two and a half weeks in Scotland. We are on Skye for a little over a week. It is wonderful. Here you'll find a page with photos and captions, and here a page with even more photos.
Sheep and a ruin in Scotland.
In the last days of March 2012, Laura and I visit Zeeland, one day in Middelburg and one day in other places. It is a sunny weekend. Here you'll find photos of this weekend.
A girl on the dike in Westkapelle.
In early November, Laura and I visit Como, Italy, for three days. On 6 November in the Aula Magna Politecnico we watch a concert by David Jackson and Judge Smith and a choir and brass band and a rock band and soundbeam musicians, The House That Cried. It rains a lot but it doesn't spoil the fun we have. Here you'll find photos of this weekend.
David Jackson in Como, 6 November (The House That Cried).
Laura and I have a holiday in Italy for three weeks in July and August. We visit Venice, Petriano, Siena and Turin. For two weeks we rent an apartment in Petriano. Here you'll find a story with photos about that holiday, and here you'll find even more photos. There's also a collection of photos of the Lingotto building in Turin, the former Fiat factory, and a collection of photos of cars in the Automobile Museum of Turin.
A Delage from 1913 in the Museo dell'Automobile in Turin.
On Saturday 9 July, Michel, Laura and I visit Orfest, a friendly and small festival with balfolk music in the backyard of the band Orfeo in Noordeloos. Here you'll find photos of Orfest 2011.
Laura at Orfest.
Laura sings two songs solo and one in a duet at a performance by the students of singing teacher Mirella Reiche on Sunday 20 March. Here you'll find photos from the event.
Laura zingt.
Laura and I spend Christmas and New Year's Day 2011 with three of our friends in a rented house in the Algarve, Portugal. For two weeks we escape from the snow. We walk and bike a lot. There's some rain, but we also get to enjoy the sunshine at the pool side. Here you'll find holiday photos, and here more photos from that forthnight.
Our house in the Algarve.
In July and August 2010, Laura and I are on holiday in Italy and France. We rest for a week in a hotel at Lake Garda, and during the second week we travel through France in the direction of home. Here you'll find a story with pictures about this holiday.
Laura and I in a mirror along the road.
At the end of July and the beginning of August 2009, Laura and I travel to France, Andorra and Spain. We're impressed by the Pyrenees, and we enjoy Zaragoza. Here you'll find a story with pictures about this holiday.
Laura high up in the mountains in Andorra.
Laura and I visit Bergen, Norway, in May. We see the premiere of the songstory The Climber by Judge Smith, we're present at the recording of the CD en we have a holiday. Here you'll find photos with captions about our week in Bergen.
Land ho!
Michel, Laura, Bas and I visit Ireland at the end of March and the beginning of April 2009. We celebrate the coming of Spring and the two hundred and fiftiest birthday of Guinness. For a week we stay in a house in the West of the country. Here you'll find a story with pictures about our week in Ireland.
Four Guinness in the brewery, pulled only seconds earlier.
The first half of July, we're on a holiday in England. Judge Smith invited us to his birthday-party, and we also go and see The New Forest, a large National Park in Hampshire where horses and donkeys and cows graze about freely, and Ashdown Forest, where among other things we visit a llama-park. Here you'll find an account of our holiday in England in 2008.
A foal and I (I'm wearing my Judge Smith T-shirt) in The New Forest.
As a marriage-present Laura gives me a digital single-lens reflex camera, that I get to choose myself. After a few months of searching and comparing I decide to buy a Pentax K 200 D, that we buy 9 June. The first day I take a total of 250 pictures in and around the house.
My camera and I.
At the end of April, Laura and I have a week long holiday. We both are happy to leave our new house for a while and to not have to worry each day about the decoration. Which is coming along very well by the way, so we feel we've earned ourselves a holiday. We have rented a house along the river Moselle, in the village of Enkirch. Here you'll find some photos with captions about this holiday.
My wife on a bench in Enkirch.
Laura and ik marry on Wednesday 26 March. The actual, administrative part of getting married is at a desk of a registrar (is that the correct word in English?), and is over in about ten minutes. After that we have lunch with the best man Bas, the maid of honour Gina and the photographer Michel. In the afternoon we have high tea with our families and best friends at De Colonie in Utrecht. In the evening Laura and I dine together. It is a nice day, and it is a joy to get to be married to Laura. Here is a page about our wedding.
The rings.
On Saturday 1 March, Laura and I each move to our new house. The following weeks we're busy unpacking boxes, putting everything in place and throwing things away. The floor is ready and so is the carpeting, but we're still waiting for the new kitchen and the last drops of paint. Somebody told us of a saying in English: "Two moves are as good as a fire." It has to be, because it all hardly fits in. But first we need to buy some cupboards.
Moving house.
On Monday 4 February 2008, Laura and I get offered a house to rent, after having been on the waiting-list for six-and-a-half years. At last we move in together, after so many years of carrying our stuff to and fro between both our houses. Too many times important stuff wasn't in the house we were in at that moment, and too many things we have two of now. It is a beautiful house, with a large living-room with an open kitchen and three bedrooms, on a beautiful location with lots of space and lots of green. There even is a terrace with a garden. We get the keys on Friday 8. There is however a lot of work that needs to be done, like painting, flooring, kitchening... You will find more information (in Dutch, but with pictures) at Laura's blog.
Rear view of our new house (photo by Laura).
At the end of November and the beginning of December 2007, Laura and I visit Judge Smith in England, to get to know eachother better and to talk about the appearance of his website. He appears to be just as friendly a man as we had imagined, or even more. We talk a lot, and he shows us around. Afterwards Laura and I spend a day in Brighton. The weather is very rainy, and driving on the left is an exciting experience.
On 18 October, Laura and I go and see Sleepytime Gorilla Museum perform again, once again in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. It's their second European tour, and they're rapidly becoming one of my favourite bands. In November we go and see them another time, in Amstelveen, at the final concert of their European tour. It's hard to categorise their music, but here I'll stick with a cross between heavy metal, theatre and improvised music.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum in the Bimhuis, Amsterdam, 18 October 2007 (photographer unknown).
In August, Judge Smith informs the yahoo-mailinglist that he is searching for a new webmaster for his sites, Judge Smith and Curly's Airships. Laura sends him an e-mail and gets hired. As of Thursday 6 September she is Judge's webmaster. We are both happy and proud. That same day Laura works for thirteen hours in a row.
In August, Laura and I are on a two week holiday, to France and Italy. We return home via Switzerland. Here you'll find the story of our holiday 2007.
The new tent and I, at the banks of the river Loire in France.
In the first half of May, Laura and I take a week long holiday. First we are in a camping in Luxemburg for a few days, but the rain won't stop so we decide to travel further south. We arrive in the east of Switzerland and spend the rest of the week in a remote hotel, the former health spa Val Sinestra. We both very much enjoy the mountains. Here you'll find some photos with captions.
Swiss perspective (a tree near the hotel).
Laura and I see Sleepytime Gorilla Museum perform during their first European tour, on 20 April in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. You'll find a review here.
The Donkey-Headed Adversary Of Humanity Opens The Book (SGM promotional material).
On 14 April, in Paradiso in Amsterdam, Laura and I again see Van der Graaf Generator perform. Although much less filled with emotions than two years ago (when they got together again for the first time in more than a quarter of a century), musically it was much more interesting than it was back then. Because of the saxophonist's departure the band had been forced to re-arrange their music intensively, which had always been one of the best aspects of concerts by Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator.
In the beginning of January 2007, I am busy translating my website into English, which proves to be a lot of work. The number of links more than doubles, and they all need to be tested one by one. After this only the pages that now await completion need to be written (or just translated).
My website and I (13 January 2007) (photo by Laura).
