LJ HOLMES PRESENTS MORE STATELY MANSIONS

Forty years. That's a long time but that's how long I have been with the Merchants Guild.

This is the Merchants Guild. Pretty impressive wouldn't you say?

I was nineteen when I first signed up with the Merchants Guild. And in that time I pretty much dedicated everything I am to the Guild. Funny how that happens. You don't start out deciding to shove everything else aside, but one day you just wake up and realize, life has passed you by and except for the bars on your shoulder, or the citations framed on your walls, you really have nothing much to show for all the years you've been sucking in air. I'm fifty-nine...middle age and have no family of my own, and truth be told, gave up my one and only real dream long ago to become what I am today...a mediocre company man. Looking back down the corridors of time, I can't help ache for the dream I once held close to my boyish heart. Too late, it was just too late to lament what could never be now...time was catching up...besides I'm where I was always meant to be, where I'd worked my forty-nine year old ass to be...Captain Temple about to lead another mission...

...with a dedicated crew of twelve young, explorers on the expedition to K22 an exotic tropical planet, hoping to create a great new market for the Guild.

The planet is incredibly beautiful...but why are the beautiful cities empty? That is my mystery, and this is how we all got here.

Part of Temple's crew is the xenobiologist, Jerry Caldwell, an expert on alien lifeforms. He's young, enthusiastic, and reminds Temple of all that he once was, and somehow lost along the way.

Also among the crew, the gorgeous Diana. At twenty-two, Temple finds he desires her in ways he has not desired anyone in a very long time. Does she only represent his lost youth, or more? Was he envious because she was obviously Caldwell's lover, while he was still alone, being the good company man he had not questioned until now?
He really had no time to contemplate the vagaries of the choices he'd made, or ones he might still make because the planet's secrets had to be solved. Why were the cities empty? He had to solve this mystery if this planet was ever going to turn a profit for the Guild and that had to come first, didn't it?

More Stately Mansions, by John B. Rosenman, with a subtly descriptive cover (look for the clues cleverly blended into the scenery) by Muse It Up Publishing's Cover Art Goddess Delilah K. Stephans, will be released with the spine tingling secrets alive and waiting for Captain Temple and his crew on March 1, 2011.

Until then you can follow JOHN'S WEBSITE.

Muse It Up Publishing has many wonderful things coming up for readers and authors alike beginning with Lea Schizas'...

...award winning...care for all things connected with the literary world...

...like the OCTOBER 1ST LAUNCH of MUSE IT UP PUBLISHING, her premier e-publishing company. There will be surprises and all kinds of special things in store for the readers...so please, please please, do not miss out...check the MUSE IT UP WEBSITE often!. But Lea is not a sit-on-her-laurels, kind of person. Most people would have their hands so busy with launching a new e-publishing house, they would would not also be hosting the yearly event that has won her awards and accolades at the very same time, but Lea is unlike MOST other publishers because she is amazingly DEDICATED....

...and still hosting her FREE MUSE ONLINE WRITERS CONFERENCE ALSO in October, October 11-17, 2010

October will give way to the equally spectacular NOVEMBER early release. Why am I saying early? Well, here's a hint to what at dynamo Lea and her partner, Litsa Kamateros are...the ORIGINAL launch date was supposed to have been DECEMBER 1ST, 2010, but these two women are so dedicated and work so hard to make the e-world a spirited place for readers and authors, they worked round the clock to bring the excitement forward not just one, but TWO whole months forward. SO come along and join in the revolution.

http://www.museituppublishing.com/

http://www.museithotpublishing.com/

Nostalgia for the Invader

Brazil was "discovered" by the Portuguese in 1500. The colonization lasted 322 years. In 1630 the Dutch invaded Brazil. They wanted to develop sugar cane plantages on the Northen coast. In 1647, the Dutch reach Itaparica. After many conflicts and heavy attacks from the Portuguese, the Dutch West India Company had to rush to Recife and therefore abandoned many of its members behind. The contact between foreigners and locals led to many consequences. For Capiroba, a local mestizo, for example, the taste for canibalism.
_________
Viva o Povo Brasileiro: romance (in Dutch the title is: Brazilie, Brazilie)
by Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro, 1984, 673 pages.
One of my favorite books ever, this is an extraordinary fiction that covers over three centuries of Brazilian history. Along the years, I keep re-reading some passages and having a good time. You find here a Brazil that is mythological, terrifying, confusing, vibrant, corrupt. So familiar to all - and at the same time so far away and misterious.

Above: Nassau Bridge, Recife, Brazil. photo by wikipedia.

My second cultural tip is the documentary Doce Brasil Holandes, from Monica Schmiedt.
Two historians, Brazilian Kalina Vanderlei and German Sabrina van de Ley, investigate the "Golden Age" of a Dutch Recife. Johannes Mauritius van Nassau stablished Mauritia or Maurisstad, actual Recife, in the XVII century. He plannified the city according to Dutch architectural standards, stablished an astronomical abservatorium, allowed the construction of a synagogue and ordered the construction of the largest bridge in the New World. Soon, Mauritisstad became one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. But Mauritius van Nassau was an invader: he was interested, above all, in making Holland the main distributor of Brazilian sugar in Europe. So why do the actual locals of Recife still consider him to be a humanist and the "best mayor ever" ?
Doce Brasil Holandes
17th September 2010 at 20:30
Tropentheater, Linnaeusstraat 2, Amsterdam.


(If you are having problems to watch this video, here is a trick:
double click on it and you will go to the Youtube page.)

Holland's Got Talent 2010 - Erik en Lera

Erik en Lera are 10 and 11 years old and extremely talented dancers.
On this video their performance has some South American movements and steps.
Cute !

Shipping Container Houses, Amsterdam Noord

There is an area in Amsterdam North where you can enjoy free parking and free transportation over the IJ river ("De Pont"). It is such a practical thing - cause parking in the historical center of Amsterdam can cost you a lot per hour. A couple of times while driving around in Amsterdam North I have noticed such residence complex of piled containers. My husband would inform me: "Temporary, and only for students". I have taken several pics with cars and persons on them in order to give you readers a sense of depth and proportion.

 Keetwonen Complex was developed by Tempo Housing and  is considered to be the largest container city in the world. Each container has one large window, and residents enjoy central heating, high speed internet and a bike parking.

More amazing container houses around the world you can find here - go quick, while the link lasts !
Update: below, container houses in Zwolle, Overijssel, the Netherlands. Photo taken during a storm, by blogger - and a very special person -  Aledys Ver.

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Lack of Space # 3

The Dutch are really creative when coping with the absence of enough space for gardening.

Restaurant De Linde, Brugge, Belgium

I haven't written anything about restaurants for a while on this blog so I have been checking my last photos from my vacation and I will review some places. Our first vacation day was spent in Brugge, Belgium, one of the most beautiful medium size cities in the world and a short distance from Amsterdam. I never get tired of visiting it. As always we stayed at the Crowne Plaza, which has the best location in town. This time we decided for the first time to have dinner there as well - it would be more comfortable with kids and less touristic - real Belgians were dining there. There is a Spare Ribs Festival going on there this summer at De Linde, with a very large buffet. Ummm, my kids love spare ribs paired with jacked potatoes.

While I was helping my little girl with her warm meal, hubby arrived holding such lab tubes for us (above).

"I have already had one of these, it is l-ov-e-l-y !", he added. What is it ? Fruit Juice ? Carrots ? Pumpkins ? A sauce ? Does it take paprika ? Is it liquid iced cream ? "None of them. You will have to discover it yourself", he replied.

Yep. I am married to a misterious man.
Always pushing me to my own conclusions.

Where can I purchase such tubes ?

Tapas de saumon fume, capres et tomates sechees

Hapje van gerookte zalm met appelkappertjes en zongredroogde tomaatjes

Smoked salmon with apple capers and sun dried tomatoes

(Note: it is difficult to find such giant capers in Holland. It is NOT available at Dutch supermarkets, but I have found them at "Xenos" nearby Asiatic and Italian groceries.).

I found the presentation and quality of the cold buffet perfect. Everything was delicate and balanced, presented in small dishes and trays, in a very Belgian style served by real professionals with a smile- I miss that a lot when back in Holland. The tapas of chorizo didn't belong in the summer buffet of salads/fruits/sea food - but that is my opinion and a minor thing. There were two options of warm dishes: cod fillet with seafood sauce and tomatoes (superb) and the spare ribs - which I found a bit dry and over baked. The tiramisu and the claufoutis were my faves for dessert. Hubby and son licked their lips with the chocolate mousse (they had a couple of them - good chocolate is addictive). Soft silky mousse of Belgian chocolate and crunchy flakes of chocolate...

Assortiment de petits gateaux

Assortiment van mini gebakjes

Minicakes

Mousse au chocolat aux flacons de chocolats croustillants

Chocolademousse met krokante chocoladekorrels

Chocolate mousse with a crumble of chocolate

The Spare Ribs Festival at De Linde (Crowne Plaza Brugges) lasts up to Sunday 29th Aug. 2010.

Prices: 26,50 euros per person, excluding drinks, including coffee or tea. I think it is a very good price for unlimited trips to the buffet and excellent food - not to mention the gentle quick service. In Holland you can easily pay 25 euros for a regular entree-mediocre warm meal-small dessert (paired by a mediocre service as well). Children between 2 and 12 years pay 2 euros per year.

Oh yeah ! I almost forgot to tell you readers about the content of the lab tubes. It is a cold and unpretentious Spanish soup: gazpacho. Tomatoes, peppers cucumber, garlic, onion, bread, olive oil and vinegar. So refreshing in a hot day and so full of flavors. According to hubby it does match very well with the chorizo sausage (and the smoked ham and the melon). Indeed.

Mistery solved.

Love/Sick

Umm, Hugh Laurie looks freaking hot on this tacky poster.

But why does he look like a freshly ironed shirt ?

I want his wrinkles back. 

And does he have a heart ? Impossible.

This is going to be a house arrest.

"Truth begins in lies."

"Doctors lie."

"Patients lie too."

"Everybody lies."

Front Doors: Perigueux, France

We all know this blog is supposed to be about Duchie eyecandies... But from several places I have visited during my vacations in France I have never seen such beautiful front doors as those from Perigueux.

 The city is very very ancient (gallian tribes used to live in the area some centuries before our Christian era) and located on the medieval route to Saint' Jacob of Compostela, in Spain. The two museums (the gallo-romansite of Vesunna and the Art and Archeology) are superb. But let's see the doors, shall we ?

 In Holland the doors are in better shape and in different Dutch cities around the country you find the same doors (I guess they all come from "Gamma", "Karwei" or "Praxis"). In the old center of Perigueux I have never seen two similar doors: it seems they were made for specific sizes and are always of a different model.

 Something that captivated me since my first visit there in 1999 were these iron hands that are used as door knockers.

 Each one is different.

 Manicured nails and a green apple, hahaha !!

I have found one of such door knockers for my Dutch house in the shop "Bricolage" nearby the city of Bergerac. My father-in-law painted it dark green, the same shade as our front door. Charming isn't it ? Everybody can knock-knock on my door in great style now !

Sail 2010 - II Part

On my previous entry I posted some photos from the ships parade Sail 2010 - in Zaandam. Saturday we decided to check the Sail 2010 in Asmterdam - and this time visit the interior of some tall ships and replicas.

Nearby Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant we spotted Stad Amsterdam. Of course my kids decided to visit the ship - my son has a perfect miniature of it, bought in the island of Texel.

A Frisian old ship. It has made very succesful travels in the past, trading salt with Portugal, wines and cider with France and going North to Germany as well.

There were some activities for kids...

Swedish tall ship Gotheburg.

 The Pirates' Island, with theater and activities for kids...

Above and below: personel at the Swedish ship...

Cabbage being transported...

 Above: the busy butler at the Shabab Oman.

 Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian jewel. Te next visit was after 40min. - we preferred not to wait. So much walking was taking a toll on us. I barely could speak or take pics, my legs were not responding to the command of my brain and it seemed a century ago that we had had a pause for some beer and hot dogs.

 Left: a stage with shows and performances, right: a Dutch war ship.

 And to finish this long post, some ships with flower arrangements in profusion.

We were walking non stop from 9:30 in the morning to 18:00. At 18:30 we arrived exhausted at home. Did I have a nice time ? Absolutely ! Much, much more than on a regular Queen's Day. People dining with friends on their balconies in Amsterdam North while watching the ships parade, people sitting on their windows with their legs hanging outside.. and everywhere you could hear to some music. Unfortunately we could not combine the Sail 2010 with visiting a youth theather "Bichos do Brasil" (Animals from Brazil) in the Vondelpark which was scheduled to start at at 14h30.

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