weekend links

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. I hope you enjoy them as well!

1. Moonrise Kingdom! I was lucky enough to see this on Friday before it opened most places. Have you seen it and loved it as much as I did? (pictured above) 2. How Wes Anderson creates a musical identity for his films (via @lilywanderlust) 3. Ana Tijoux was a guest DJ on the NPR music show Alt.Latino 4. An interview with Piero Tosi, the last survivor of Italian Neorealism, on the beauty of Rome (pictured below) 5. Marie Claire has announced a photography award for photo reports on women (via @djclark)

weekend links

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. I hope you enjoy them as well!

1. Tasting the pastries at De Laatse Kruimel on an early Saturday morning (pictured above, via) 2. Planning to make these roasted strawberry and coconut milk popsicles when the weather turns warmer 3. Reading about photographer Elizabeth D. Herman's project to trace the memories of women who have experienced war 4. Watching a Vice feature of Donald Weber's work on Chernobyl and Fukushima 5. Adding 'staying in a treehouse' to my list of things to do on my next visit to the Pacific Northwest (pictured below, via) 6. Laughing at these videos of adorable kids and elderly men

Brugge and Lille

Last week, I went to Belgium for a five-day work trip with two colleagues. My days were spent curating a photo exhibition, holding a press conference, and delivering a speech at the exhibition opening. All things that I don't usually do, but which I really enjoyed. In our free moments, my colleagues and I explored the seaside town of Knokke-Heist, where we were staying, and beyond.

One of the highlights was spending an evening in Brugge. I have been to Belgium numerous times and visited almost every major city, with the exception of Brugge. Our first stop was a waffle house and then a chocolate shop.

Not long after we headed into the side streets in search of a place with music for the evening. We ended up instead at Café De Republiek to sample a few Belgian beers as we talked about our favorite literature. After a further wander, we headed for a delicious dinner at Bistro Refter.

The day before the official exhibition opening, we had some extra time. I grabbed my speech to practice and we hopped in the car for a drive along the Belgian coastline, a late lunch in Dunkerque, and an evening in Lille. Just across the Belgian border, Lille is the fourth largest city in France.

We browsed through an open air book market, which had a fascinating collection of caricatures and advertisements from the '60s.

After a further walk through the city and a sampling of macarons, we went to a simple, rustic restaurant for dinner. Throughout the week, we had great conversations over the dinner table, from hilarious accounts of awkward travel moments to serious questions about life and death. On our way back to Knokke-Heist, we told ghost stories as we drove across the darkened Belgian countryside.

read lately

It has been a while since I wrote about books. In the last few months, I haven't read as much as usual, rather focusing on the wedding, visiting family, and work events. Summer is slowly arriving and I have a pile of books waiting for me. What will you be reading this summer?

Books and audiobooks from January - May Elizabeth I by Margaret George. An epic work of historical fiction that centers around the life of the Virgin Queen of England. I listened to this audiobook over the span of many weeks and was enthralled with the conniving courtiers, the battles against the Spanish Armada, and the struggles and joys of reigning a kingdom.

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. An inspiring story of four English women who decide, in defiance of social propriety, to escape the rain and drear of England for a springtime in Italy. I listened to this audiobook while riding my bike through rainy Amsterdam with the promise of a honeymoon in Italy ahead of me.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. While I wasn't a huge fan of The Corrections (gasp!), I really enjoyed Freedom. Even in their absurdity, I could identify with the characters who must face 'the temptations and burdens of liberty'.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. This classic follows the life of Billy Pilgrim and, most poignantly, when he witnesses the bombing of Dresden during World War II.

Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz. Cognitive scientist and dog lover Alexandra Horowitz investigates the ways dogs experience and understand the world.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. I listened to the audiobook while traveling the Amalfi Coast. A short, sweet autobiography about the comedy writer and her reflections on her childhood, youth, and coming into her profession.

Yeah. No. Totally. by Lisa Wells. Written from the heart of Portland, Oregon. A tale of a floundering generation set against a backdrop of music and booze, the expanse of nature and the harshest realities.

The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel García Márquez. A story of the last travels of General Simon Bolivar as he takes a journey down the Magdalena River, revisiting cities and memories.

The Newlywed Cookbook by Sarah Copeland. A cookbook that has been a new source of inspiration in the kitchen since 7 April. The photography by Sara Remington is fantastic and the recipes are divine.

You Look at Me Like An Emergency by Cig Harvey. An autobiography in photographs and words.

weekend links

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. I hope you enjoy them as well!

1. Finally watching the film Submarine by Richard Ayoada - just fantastic (pictured above) 2. Booking tickets to see CocoRosie in July 3. Baking a rhubarb pie with a homemade crust 4. Trying out a new brunch spot in Amsterdam and looking forward to another 5. Looking forward to trying this blackberry sage cooler with a bit of rum (via creature comforts)

Italy part III: the Amalfi Coast

After Rome, we drove to the beautiful, dramatic Amalfi Coast for the remainder of our honeymoon. It's a bit touristy and requires taking a downright terrifying road to get there, but it's difficult not to love any place with views like this.

We were lucky to have a room with a balcony overlooking the sea in the not-so-touristy town of Praiano. Situated between the towns of Amalfi and Positano, it was calm and quiet with a gelateria, a café, and a handful of restaurants.

We spent our days here hiking through the hills, wandering down to the beach, drinking copious amounts of limoncello, and eating, eating, eating. It's an incredibly beautiful area, with lemon groves tucked into the hillsides.

Our second day in Praiano was a bit cloudy, but we spent most of the day outside and even wandered down to the seaside where Marcus put his feet in the water. It took about 30 minutes to climb down the thousand small steps to get there, but we were the only ones on the path. We smelled the flowers, watched millipedes crawl past, and touched the numerous lemons hanging from the trees.

After we hiked back up from the seaside, we treated ourselves to an espresso and limoncello at the local café.

On our third day, we went to the town of Amalfi and toured the Cathedral and an old paper mill. We meandered through the backstreets and found a café in a cave, but left soon afterwards to see what Positano had to offer.

Gelato, clear skies, and blue water in Positano. Just down the coast from Amalfi, but somehow the skies parted during the 30-minute drive. We walked through the town, enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch on a terrace overlooking the sea, soaked up the sun's warmth, and walked to the waterside with gelato in hand. We left the next day, driving the rest of the coast towards Sorrento and through Naples, back to Rome for one last meal of cacio e pepe.

weekend links

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. I hope you enjoy them as well!

1. I love seeing Amsterdam and Portland converge. Summer Goals meets Foam magazine (pictured above) 2. How beautiful does Elizabeth Messina's newly-released The Luminous Portrait look? 3. More inspiration to continue learning the German language 4. Reading Miss Lora by Junot Díaz in The New Yorker 5. A cookbook I'd like to get my hands on: Sugar Cube: 50 Deliciously Twisted Treats from the Sweetest Little Food Cart on the Planet 6. These playgrounds Monstrum in Denmark make me want to be a kid again (pictured below)

Italy part II: when in Rome

Rome is just fantastic. We arrived on the evening after the wedding, whipped past the ruins in a taxi en route to the hotel, and promptly called it a night. We woke fresh in the morning and headed to the first sight of the day: the Vatican. Standing in Piazza San Pietro is a beautiful experience, but the long lines deterred us from visiting the basilica or museum. Instead, we set out on a meandering walk to Trastevere, where we spent the rest of the morning.

The early afternoon was dedicated to the ruins: the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and numerous other sights that one simply stumbles upon when you round a corner.

After getting far enough away from the tourist spots, we turned down an alleyway and headed for the first restaurant that served cacio e pepe and carciofi (roasted artichokes). Cacio e pepe is basically fresh pasta with sheep's cheese and pepper. Simple and delicious. Throw in some wine, bread, and sparkling water, and we had one amazing meal.

We returned to the hotel for an afternoon siesta, before setting out for the evening. First to the Pantheon and then to Piazza Navona. We headed into the side streets again for dinner, stopping first by a fantastic café for an aperitivo.

The night ended with a stroll by the Trevi Fountain, a magnificent sight day or night. For me, it was a great return to Rome and I was able to show Marcus most of the major sights in just one day. He loved the city and we could have happily spent more time there, but we had a date with the Amalfi Coast.

Italy part I: a return to Trastevere

The first highlight of our honeymoon to Italy has to be our stroll through the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere, where I lived and studied the summer of 2004. I couldn't wait to show Marcus the streets I traversed, in the area I loved so much. We walked to Trastevere on a quiet Monday morning, enjoying the view of the city and then walking down into the neighborhood. There is something about the colorful buildings, the laundry hanging to dry, and the windowsills covered in flowers that just seems so Italian. We made our way to Piazza Santa Maria, where we had the obligatory cappuccino and glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. The church was more beautiful than I remembered and a quite decent band filled the square with music.

weekend links

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. I hope you enjoy them as well.

1. Photography, photography, photography (pictured above, my cameraman shooting Pedro Meyer after what might be one of my favorite interviews ever) 2. Finding more tips for how to ride a bike in style 3. Comparing US and UK book covers 4. Planning to use more edible flowers this spring 5. Reading issue three of Contents magazine 6. Admiring the Issey Miyake 132 5. collection (via papertastebuds) 7. Listening to the so lovely Billie Jean cover by The Civil Wars (embedded below)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=441mR2zsQbg&w=560&h=315]

married!

On the seventh of April, Marcus and I said I do! Well, actually, we said 'Ja, ich will', the German equivalent. The day was amazing, so much more than I even expected. We felt so loved by our family and friends.

While we eagerly anticipate the images from our amazing photographer, here is a snapshot taken by my sister.

visitors in Amsterdam

The last three weeks have been some of the best of my life. My older sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces arrived from Oregon at the end of March and the days flew by. I took my nieces to Nemo while their parents enjoy Spa Zuiver. We celebrated my youngest niece's third birthday with a boat ride through the canals and pink cupcakes. My sister and I had a girls night out and saw The Hunger Games. My parents arrived, then my cousin, friends and my little sister. We ate together, played games, baked cakes, filled jars of honey, and drank a fantastic bottle of Willamette Valley pinot noir.

And then a wedding! But, more on that later. Today, it's back to reality. I bid my parents farewell this morning. They headed for a Portland-bound plane and I hopped on my bike for a ride to the office. I just want a few more days to linger in the warm memories of family.

here and there

Dutch people often ask me what the weather is like in Oregon and my response is that it is quite similar to Amsterdam. Four distinct seasons with a good dose of rain. Spring in Oregon tends to be unpredictable, while usually very pleasant in the Netherlands. Our weather here turns chaotic, cool, and rainy in the summer, while Oregon is more consistently warm and summery.

The difference between an Oregon spring and a Dutch spring were at there extremes yesterday. At my parents home in the valley, they had a blanket of snow. My mother sent me photos of the white landscape and I rode around Amsterdam with a light coat and sunglasses. I'll take one Dutch spring and one Oregon summer please.

Snowy photo by my cute mother. Spring photos by me.

counting days

We have entered that phase of talking about days until the wedding. Five days until my dress is finished. Seven days until the first guests arrive. Sixteen days until we say I do! Our excitement is high and there is relatively little stress. Our aim the whole time has been to keep things simple and we can only hope that things continue smoothly through the big day.

Any tips on making it through the final days before a big event?

Sunset timelapse photo via

weekend links

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.

A few things I enjoyed over the last week: 1. Spotting the striped Ana Candles by Schoolhouse Electric (pictured above) 2. Watching a timelapse of the dyeing of the Chicago River 3. Reading the spring issue of Sweet Paul magazine 4. Watching the World Press Photo winning multimedia productions Afrikaner Blood, Half-Lives, and America's Dead Sea 5. Admiring the design of Dutch Mountain by DeNieuweGeneratie (pictured below, images by John Lewis Marshall) 6. Learning about the health benefits of having a dog (it's about time) 7. Adding another book, An Everlasting Meal, to my reading list