Los días en Bélgica!

Last friday after school I left Madrid, again, but this time I didn't go to the snow. I went to my own country, Belgium, to see my family and friends. I arrived at Brussels South, from there I took a way to expensive bus to Brussels city. After this I took the train to Mechelen, where my sister was waiting for me! A little later I was eating the best food in 3 months, Steak with fries and a salad... tapas aren't always that great!

In the evening I went the Vince's place, first we had some wine... later on this degustation changed into a cantus. Vince's father was happy to explain us everything about the economic market and its problems. At 3.00 we left the house and went to some regional bars. The 'oude withoef' and the 'vreemde vogel'. For the first time in some years I played 'shotter' again. Dré, I'll never play with you again! Jeff, still a perfect team! The evening ended in a pitabar, I must say... long time ago I had such a hard night.

Saturday I was invited to Laure-Anne's Birthday-party! It started at 19.30. At the party I saw my friends again, Always a nice feeling... first we had dinner, later on everybody started dancing! As it was warm inside, wine changed into water! At least, that's what I thaught... So after the party I was obliged to go to the nearest bar 'Kali', to go drink a gallon of water and sober up completely because there was alcohol control nearby. Lucky me, Valérie had the same problem, it gave me some company in the bar...

Sunday I woke up quite late, I went to visit my grandmother and after we had the family over. My parents prepared a great 5 course dinner, together with the adjusted wines it made the end of my belgian weekend just perfect! Thanks!

Monday around noon my mom brought me back to the airport, some hours later I arrived in Madrid again! Next weekend my good snoring friend Michel comes to Madrid, I already bought earcaps...

Los días magníficos...

Last thursday after school I me Sandrine, Loes, Marret and Birgitta in the park. We enjoyed the nice weather the whole afternoon! In the evening we were invited at Loes'place to have dinner... Loes isn't that much of a cook ( she says) so I was the one who had to prepare food. No problem, I like it and then I don't have to wash any dishes afterwards! later on we went to the Hora Bruja, always fun, but this time a lot of fun! Sandrine and Katie really were in the mood, they danced like crazy people... it gave me a great laugh!

Saturday and sunday we (Peter, Sharon, Birgitta, Quentin and me) went to the park! It was so warm, so sunny... summertime! Saturday we played some soccer, sunday we rented the small boats, both days we chilled and both days we remembered why we came to Madrid! Saturdayevening we had a party in Quentin's apartment. First we ate some selfmade tapa's, later on more people came, 1 of them a bit agressive, but we had a first class party!

I must say, great weekend!

Pic1: Parque de Retiro.

Pic2: La Hora Bruja, Loes,Sandrine, Thomas and Katie.

Pic3: Soccer @ Retiro, Quentin and Thomas.

Pic4: Fiesta @ Quentin's, Marissa, Noa, Maya, Thomas, Sharon, Peter, Birgitta, Katie and Quentin.

Pic5: Fiesta @ Quentin's, Quentin and Thomas.

Pic6: Retiro by boat, Birgitta and Sharon.

Snowboarding en Suissa!

Last thursday I left Madrid and went to Verbier in Switzerland for a shortski! I arrived at Geneva airport at 2PM where I met Jef and Kristof. They took me to Les Colonnes, where the Geerts'chalet is located. Mick, Marnik, Filip, Jef, kristof and me arrived in the afternoon... so we decided to prepare pizza's and have a long welcome drink! We played some games of poker and afterwards we went 'boenking' in the snow... this means climbing up the pistes in any direction until you can't walk anymore and then roll down! Strange, yes... Fun, definitly! Around 2AM Steve, Jeff and Nick arrived in snowland... we did another welcome drink for them and went to bed a little later.

Friday the 9th of march we all stood up early and left for a first skitrip! The sky was blue, the snow very good... Great feeling! In the afternoon we went back to the chalet because the 10th and most important person was arriving, The owner, El Padre or just Papamickske! After his arrival we all went skiing again until the pistes closed and after we chilled a bit... Sauna, diner, etc.

Saturday the 10th of march we did an enormous trip from Les Colonnes to Verbier, passing the whole '4 Vallées'. It was exhausting but rewarding, we did around 60 km of pistes I think... again with great weather and great snow! However in Verbier it was clouded for a moment... At 4.30PM we decided to go to Tippy-bar to start 'Après-skiing'... and later on we went to Marion to prolonge the 'Après-skiing'... you probably know what happens next?! Funny pictures, Phonecalls to the fathers to ask for a round on their expense, friendly being asked to leave the bar and some bad skiing afterwards... the moment we got home we all had something in common, a red nose and an empty stomach! So we started preparing 'Stoofvlees met frieten', after this great meal my lights went out...

Sunday. The last day already! Again we had great weather and good snow ( I Like! ), 2 reasons why we had another terrific day! The evening started quietly, but after the raclette some people thaught it was necessary to finish the bottles of wine we bought before... the most comical scene I must say!

Monday early in the morning Mick drove me to Sion where I took the train in the direction of Geneva... driving along the lake, which is lovely by the way, I recollected my memories of the shortski and decided it was a vacation to remember (thanks Mick & Family) !

Pic 1: View from the terrace of the chalet

Pic 2: Marnik, Nick, Kristof, Steve, Papamick, Jeff & Thomas

Pic 3: Filip, Jef & kristof

Pic 4: Après-ski Thomas, Marnik, Jef, Filip & Jeff

Pic 5: Jeff & Thomas ( Programmamakers Sneeuwvis)

Pic 6: Steve, Kris, Mick, Jef, Kristof, Filip, Jeff, Nick & Marnik

Pic 7: Thomas, Steve & Marnik

Pic 8: The Chalet @ Les Colonnes

El Lunes Cómico

Monday the 5th of March, after saying goodbye to Marnik, Klara and Julie at the airport, Mick, Tiffeck and I went to 'Estadio Santiago Bernabeu'. Like most of you know it's the stadium of Soccerteam Real Madrid! We took a perfect day to visit this place, again a warm day and a blue sky! The feeling you get when you're inside such a stadium is gigantic! I felt like staying there, just lay myself down on the field in the sun with a nice cocktail... it would have been great, but impossible! Like normal people we just took the tour, saw the field, the museum, the press-room,etc.

After this visit we decided to walk in the direction of Plaza de Castilla, where we saw the 2 famous slanting towers. Later on we walked from Plaza del Sol via Sevilla and banco de España to Retiro. We enjoyed the good weather at a terrace in the park!

In the evening we all had dinner together at Sandrine's place, and because her roommate ' Juan Piano' wasn't there everybody was kind of happy! It ended in a party... with a lot of jokes, mostly inders between Tarif, Mitch & Thitch!

Now I'm preparing myself for the 'FantasticMicksBDayShortSki'! More news in about a week... and for once it will be news from abroad...

Pic 1 & 2: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

Pic 3: Parque del Retiro

Pic 4: Parque del Retiro, Mick & Sandrine

Pic 5: Parque del Retiro, Mick, Thomas & Tiffeck

pic 6: Fiesta de Piso @ Sandrid's

Amigos @ Madrid

Last friday in the evening Sandrine and I went to the airport to pick up Mick, Marnik, Klara and Julie. Later that evening we went to a nice tapasbar, Marret and Tiffeck 'aka Tarif' also joined us. Later on we went to the Ora Broucha, Madrid's cheapest bar! I Like!

Saturday we stood up early in the morning and had breakfast at sandrine's place, after which we started a citywalk. Later on we went for a little shopping, and to be really honest... that sunny bar at the Plaza Mayor made us drink a little too much Vino Rosado. We stayed there until it got dark and then we left for a nice restaurant, named Pizzaioli! Definitly the best meal I have had since I arrived in Madrid..

Sunday I woke up with the sunshine in my eye... blue sky, 21 degrees... I like to call it positive energy! We took the metro in the direction of Atocha Renfe where we all met to leave for Aranjuez, a village 50km out of Madrid. The palace of Aranjuez and its gardens where built around the 2 rivers, Taag and Jarama. The actual palace was built by Carlos III in the 18th century and is a restauration of the original palace of Filips II. The gardens around the palace are definitly worth a visit! We where really lucky, Marie-José and Pépé invited us all to come and have lunch at their house... so around noon we went to there house, located on a hill with a great view on the the gardens and the Palace.

You can't imagine how friendly those people are... they only know Sandrine and me ( a little bit) and they invite us and 6 other people to come over and have lunch (great food!) with them... After lunch the drove us to the parc where we did the long walk!

In the evening we went to a typical tapasbar at La Latina, we resumed a bit the weekend and went home for "a great night sleep"!

Pic 1: Marnik, Camarero, Thomas & Mick @ Plaza Mayor

Pic 2: Gardens of Aranjuez, romantic hill

Pic 3: Palacio Real de Aranjuez

Pic 4: Lunch @ Marie-José y Pépé.

Mi cumpleaños!

Yesterday, the 28th of February, it was my birthday. I couldn't do a big party in my apartment because that's forbidden, so I decided to invite some people for a diner(party)! I made my very first paella, maybe my guests were lying, but they all told me it was a good one! Sandrid prepared great brownies as dessert ( thanks!) ... All of that plus some nice Cava and wine made it really Fun!

After the diner we decided to go to C/ las Huertas, free chupito's, cheap drinks and nice people... the perfect way to celebrate your 22nd birthday, don't you think?

Waking up this morning was a bit less fun... for everyone, but okay, we'll survive!

So, that's it for now, but after the weekend I'll write again because then Julie, Mick, MARNIK and Klara will have visited us!