Getting ready to travel to Thailand

Today I start my holidays. The clock is ticking. In 48 hours I will be on the plane to Thailand. I am really excited. This is my first trip to Asia. I have read extensively on my destination but nothing will beat physically visiting the country and the islands. Below you see my starting point. I will be back here in 3 weeks, with eyes full of memories.

3 op Reis: Go fishing in Finland | Learn how the Portuguese work cork oak

It ain't bad this '3 op Reis' Dutch TV program they do. They have an episode about Portugal and Finland that I thought was really interesting.

http://www.npo.nl/3-op-reis/21-06-2015/BNN_101374531

It also shows that the Dutch love doing stuff even whilst they are on holiday. The average Italian going on the average vacation in the country do a maximum of 4 trips of no more than 2 km in total in one day.

1. From the house to the beach
2. From the beach to the kitchen 
3. From the kitchen to the beach with a dip after strictly 2 hours 
4. Back from the beach to the dinner table and an after dinner stroll to the same street where everybody goes.*

*The so-called 'la vasca'

Babel by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Back from over a month of Europe trotting Babel was the right film to end my holidays with. My final and simple conclusion is that no matter where you go you will find people dealing with pain and tragedy. Certainly lack of communication, as the title suggests, is the film's culprit. I'd take Richard's (Brad Pitt) advice for a start when, speaking to his wife Susan (Cate Blanchett) he tells her to relax although this isn't the approach that we normally have when dealing with human tragedy, from the private sphere to international politics. Beautiful shoots and scenery of Morocco, the Mexican border and Tokyo does give the film a road movie aesthetic and a thoughful cultural insight.

The Lavagnina Lakes

The Lavagnina Lakes are inside the natural park of Capanne di Marcarolo and are a perfect location for a break. From Alessandria take the road (statale) that goes to Ovada. Before you get to Ovada, right after Silvano D’Orba follow the indications for Lerma, keep going until you get to another village called Casaleggio Boiro, that’s where you should turn right following the indications for the Lakes. Drive through wherever possible, but be careful as the road does not have any guardrails. Park your car wherever possible and keep walking or cycling. This is ideal for mountain bikes. Itineraries start from here. One goes on the bridge, the other one goes round the first lake, which is called Inferiore. There is about one hour walk which is quite pleasant to do if it’s not too hot. You can then choose a spot and point the river for a nice swim. The water is really clean but quite chilled so be careful when you dip. The local guardie forestali often walk around the park and they can help if anything happens. Enjoy the locations and remember to leave the place as you found it.

On your way back you could stop in Lerma. On the road that crosses the village there is a nice bar called Lermart, with tables outside. The atmosphere inside is quite warm with cool relaxing music and books on the shelves if you have time for a read. Try the beer Menabrea, brewed in Piedmont.

Barcelona

I was in Barcelona for the Easter Break and I had a wicked time there visiting the usual touristy stuff.

I had an excellent guide there and got a chance to see things from a different perspective.
For instance, there is great speculation when you need to rent a room, the house market is really pricey and unless you know your way round you might end up living in pretty crappy places. The Spanish Apartment, as they call it. They also made a film about being an Erasmus student, meeting loads of people from different places and having a good time. Check it out here L'Auberge Espagnole if you like, but reality is much harscher than the film. If you are hunting for a place to live in Barcelona, you won't get anything like the house in the picture.