3x3..x3x3..x3x3..

Now I find 3x3 patterns everywhere. In the streets, on buildings, in our house, everywhere. 3x3 tiles, 3x3 windows, 3x3 cubes, 3x3 iron bars and sometimes the pattern gets disturbed by a jealous cat, who wants to be in every picture I take :-)

Koers

Living in the Flemish Ardennes means that life gets blocked by cyclists now and again as all of the spring classics pass here. This means that some days a few professional cyclists and umpteen fans take over the roads and on other days heaps of amateur cyclists swarm around, trying to conquer the cobble stones like the professionals did. Even though I am not a huge cycle fan myself, I enjoy watching the races as a spectator, being part of the crowd. My favorites are the 'Omloop Het Nieuwsblad' and of course the 'Ronde van Vlaanderen'. It's such a spectacle to be there when the cyclists try to climb the steep hills, such a special atmosphere which you have to experience to appreciate it, watching it on television is so not the same.

Colorful houses

Burano

Close to Venice lies Burano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon. It is known for its brightly-colored fishermen's houses. It looks especially cheerful when the sun is shining. Clearly this daytrip made an impression! Burano is a lovely place and new photo opportunities present themselves around every corner.

Red Fruit Harvest

Our garden is filled with fruit, this is only some of our harvest this year: plumbs, red currants, cherries, blackberries, peaches, strawberries, more cherries, tayberries and gooseberries. Most of it has disappeared in home-made jam by now. But still there is more. Too bad my mom lives so far away; she is a true fruit lover and would love to help us eat it all. It is such a pity; in the Dutch stores soft fruit is horribly expensive and here we have it all up for grabs..

Brick-a-Brack

Assorted brick-a-brack. Sometimes beauty is in the details. Brick walls, cobble stones, a mill stone, sand dune ripples, chopped wood or a sudden butterfly.

Tulips, Tulips, Tulips

Home for Easter

We went back to the Netherlands for Easter. Tulips galore! We were surrounded by more and more bulb fields, the further north we went. It seems most of the fields are now located near Den Helder. The weather was lovely and the fields ever so colorful. This is what spring should look like! What more could you ask for? My hometown is located amidst tulip fields. When I still lived there, working at the bulb farms was just a way to earn money during the summer holidays. We did not appreciate the sheer beauty of the fields. But when I go back now I do! This time it's a 3x3 +1; just because I could not choose :-)

Carnevale di Venezia 2011

We had been wanting to go to the carnival in Venice for years. This year we did and we were not disappointed; it was wonderful. There were people wearing amazing costumes and masks everywhere. And we were so lucky with the weather; sunny and blue skies. What more does a photographer want? I also liked that everyone posed as patiently for photographers with simple cameras as for more professional looking photographers. What a fun time! Didn't even notice the crowds much.