Small but powerful

La Collegiata, Castiglione Olona (Varese)

The Hague, Holland...

...is an elegant and quiet city where Art-Nouveau has put its stamp on architecture. The central area around the Houses of Parliament is composed of small streets and little squares, full of small shops, winebars, old-established wine-shops, typical Dutch old-fashioned café's, art galleries and antique-shops, all located in small buildings with huge sun-reflecting windows. An area where one can still breathe the atmosphere of a past of only horses and carriages trotting along the stately avenue of het Lange Voorhout with its magnificent historical mansion-houses.
Today, long strolls on foot or by bike in this area, and the quiet walks through the beautiful parks around the centre and along the endless sea-shore (off-season only!), sometimes make me feel nostalgic about the times when I grew up there.

Denneweg in The Hague, Holland

Carmen

Carmen is gentle and kind. Her voice is soft and her diction in Spanish is clear and distinguished. She left her homecountry 37 years ago to give her children a more secure future in the Netherlands. She assists the elderly who need her help. She smiles with grace but her nostalgic eyes seem to look beyond any horizon... towards Chili. Thank you, Carmen, for doing what you are doing.

The Hague, Netherlands

Minimalism...

can often generate beautiful effects.

The painting was made by Dutch painter Willem Kort (my great-uncle); the ceramic sculpture on the right by ceramist Gerda Wijmans (my mother).

My family home in The Hague, Holland

Inhibited freedom

Shanghai

The entrance to wonderland

Shanghai

Gentle but firm!

Shanghai Airport

Health check on board before disembarkment

Spring...finally!

Arona

I will leave for China on saturday and will be back on the 14th May, hopefully with a series of interesting photos to post. Take good care of yourselves in the meantime!!

Waiting for a good book

View on the lake of Varese

The hunt

Arona

A veil of trees

Lago di Varese

And after Scarlatti...

a glass of chilled white wine, while basking in the warm Spring sun.

While listening to the music...

...of Domenico Scarlatti

Buona Pasqua a tutti...

...which means: Happy Easter to all of you!

Luigi Boniforti - poet

Arona

When everybody else...

...is at work.

Tears...

... for those who lost their loved ones and all their belongings in the terrible earthquake which last night has heavily hit the Province of L'Aquila in the central part of Italy.

Mr. Harley and Mr. Davidson

Arona

Spring walk

Wine country about one hour's drive from Arona

Windy Spring morning this morning

View from my alley

Lake front Arona

Sunday morning contemplation

La Madonna del Lago

(The Madonna of the Lake)

Arona