Kees' photos

Landshut, another old Bavarian town. We had been there before; I still have a vivid memory of a visit we made around 1989 with our first dog, shortly before he suddenly died: images of that trip long haunted me in my dreams. We were tired from sight-seeing, and had to rest a while before driving home (yes, we’re getting old...). Chencho needed a little patting from my wife –just to confirm that everything’s OK.

St. Benedict at Sandau, near Landsberg, is an old church, parts of which date back to the Carolingian age. Its churchyard is abandoned, but one can still recognize some of the graves.

37 Herensteeg, in Leiden, where my wife and I used to live when we were students, and where our daughter is living now. We have purchased another picture, taken, in the 1920ies, from about the same position, and it’s remarkable how little has changed since then. The Pieterskerk , in the background, isn’t a church anymore, but still contributes greatly to the atmosphere.

Last Summer, when we made a tour through the Netherlands, we stayed a few days in the charming town of Deventer. The weather was fine, and after dinner we enjoyed the luxury of a drink at a street café. The right one is mine, a generous shot of Amaretto di Saronno. This picture could be used for advertizing, I think –but it wouldn’t come cheap! ;-)

He could make himself comfortable on the seat, but for some reason (probably because he isn’t fond of traveling), Chencho keeps a low profile when we make trips. He does appreciate the leg room, though.

Landsberg is an old town notable for large portions of its walls still existing (and for the ex-president of the FC Bayern having to spend jail time there). We had been in Landsberg before, but strangely I couldn’t remember much of our former visit. It may depend on my company; it consisted entirely of art historians, this time.

While I sat waiting outside a chapel (Sankt Anton, to be precise), Chencho preferred a somewhat elevated position which offered a nicer view on the mountains (and approaching humans). The thing in the corner of his right eye isn’t a tear –it’s a tick we removed when we were back home.

In March, the winter seems to be over. One can’t be sure, though: snow in April isn’t rare.

No, I can’t throw the ball: I’m taking pictures from the second floor.

The tennis ball, with which Chencho was playing, soon turned into a snow ball.

In January, there was some snow –less than in other years, but more than in Spain. And it’s fun!

Don’t they make a beautiful couple? The hand on the left belongs to a Star Wars Trooper.

A heavy sky, a lonely farm house surrounded by storm-bent trees, canals protecting the lowlands from the flood, a struggling cyclist –epitome of my home country as I like to remember it.

This year’s Christmas card strangely didn’t feature Chencho –or did it?

Waiting at an airport is frightening, with the kerosine smell in your nose and the possibility you’d have to fly. It came as a relief that we only passed by to pick up our daughter...

Chencho doesn’t see our daughter very often, but he knows he can trust her, and shows that he does. Clean socks would be nice, though...