All smiles

 

How can one not enjoy a holiday with these two happy boys?????

Off to France

 

This year I am joining my sister Melissa and her family on a holiday to Brittany, France. My nephews Luca and Matthies are of course very excited that Uncle Ben will be around to play with them, but also that I will be squeezed between their car seats in the back of the fully packed Volvo estate for the two days it takes to get to our destination.

Happy & Gay

While Amsterdam celebrates the Dutch Queen's birthday with a huge party, on the first Saturday in August queens of a different sort are celebrated on the canals when the city goes from generally happy to positively gay.

Gay groups, political parties, army & police, amongst others, celebrate gay pride on barges by dressing extravagantly and dancing to music from classic gay disco hits to Lady Gaga.

School trip with Luca

 

In my capacity as babysitting uncle I get to participate in some of the fun outings that Luca has. This time it is a school trip to a children's paradise in the middle of nowhere just outside Amsterdam. In this veritable kids Garden of Eden the young-lings have the choice of swimming, indoor climbing range or outside playground. Luca loves water, so swimming it was. After lunch, organised by Miss Anita, some hardcore playing was done outside.

Family BBQ

 

With a Chilean in the family it has not been a real Summer without a family BBQ. Luckily the weather was good when Cristian was back in Amsterdam during his yearly stint in Santiago to take care of the honours and prepare the wide range of char coaled delicacies.