Guus Bosman

What a depressing weather! It's raining cats and dogs, and it's almost June. I got a bit of a cold which doesn't really make me feel better.



But here at Chess it's warm and the programming is nice. Tonight we'll probably go to the library, that's something I like. It makes me feel rich to see so many books, all of which I can just take home and read.

Joana just went to the airport, she stayed here exactly one week. Yesterday we went out to Café Fidèl; very cosy. The ladies were having Margeritas, but I just stayed with a nice Duvel.


It was very nice that Joana was here. Too bad Bulgaria is so far... We had a typical Bulgarian exchange: Joana brought us sirene (Bulgarian feta-cheese) and she left with Dutch Gouda.

Steven was here for dinner yesterday; we didn't see each other since New Year... Sasha made kjuveche, a delicious Bulgarian dish. It was a nice evening. Spoke with Daniel on the phone -- had also been a long time.


Later we went to see the Amsterdamse Poort.

We just came back from Bevrijdingspop, the Liberation Day music festival in Haarlem.



Terrence Trence D'Arby isn't the best entertainer ever, but we had a good time. There were some quite funny drunk people with rather interesting ways of approaching ladies.

This morning Joana arrived at Schiphol, after a journey out of sunny Bulgaria where it is 30 degrees now. The moment I'm writing this it's pouring with rain in Haarlem... let's hope the weekend will be better.

Interesting enough Joanna was flying on the very first flight of the new direct connection between Amsterdam and Sofia.

We spent Queensday in Haarlem -- for the first time in years that we didn't go to Amsterdam.


In the afternoon we went for a walk over the flee market. It had been raining all morning, but there were surprisingly many people still trying to sell things.

When we came back I worked on the 4th assignment.

Excellent, such a long weekend. David and Milena just left; they'll spend the day in Amsterdam and take the train to Frankfurt in the afternoon.


The weekend was basically a
holiday. Saturday evening we went out in Amsterdam, in a bar at the Grimburgwal. Although we didn't plan to, we somehow stayed in this bar all evening, trying triple-beers.


We almost missed the train home. I thought there would be one at 1:40 but the train we took at 1:20 turned out to be the very last one. Yesterday morning we woke up late and had a long Easter breakfast. Then we went to the beach at Zandvoort where the weather was surprisingly good. I felt rather overdressed with my shawl and coat.

Yesterday night we had another beer in Café Studio. This morning one of the house-boats we usually see from the window was gone! I wonder if they're moving or if they are taking a holiday with it. It's a strange sight with the mailbox still there.

We went out in Haarlem yesterday. David and Milena took us to "El Pincho", a tapas-restaurant at the Riviervischmarkt. It was the first time I had tapas; enjoyed it very much. There were many different things to eat. Even though I don't really like fish I found the octupus-dish very delicious. Not only the food was good, the place also has a very cosy atmosphere -- warm and a bit noisy.

We basically spent the whole evening in the restaurant; we left after midnight. Had another beer in In Den Uiver, it was a great evening.

It was cold -- quite remarkable to see so many people dressed in shorts and T-shirts when it was only 7 degrees outside...

It's even on the news: "Duitsers het land in, Nederlanders eruit".

Welcome David!

This morning I took a risk -- I walked to Chess without a coat.


Since last summer I don't have a summerjacket anymore. It got ruined when I fell while bicycling downhill in the Ardennen, and I tried to call somebody on the mobile. The phone was still okay, me too, but the jacket was torn. In the winter my coat is wonderful: nice and warm, but these days it feels a bit awkward to wear it when I see people walking in shorts and T-shirts.