A Very Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! A very happy Easter, in fact: lots of good news recently... I had a job inteview (by phone) for a fellowship program for this Summer, and I will hear the result from that in about a week... I was absolutely dead nervous, obviously, for the interview, but it seemed to have gone quite well!
Additionally, I had my paper accepted at 2 conferences (in Zurich and Amsterdam), although I am not sure yet I am actually going to make it to either of them, but it's always nice to hear that someone is interested, isn't it? Finally, as mentioned before, in 3 weeks, I will be in Izmir again for the weekend for a conference...

So, that was all the good news. For the rest it's been work, work, work (yesss, finally some results for my latest paper: a cooperative effort) and some R&R in between. Fedor's father and his father's girlfriend were in Milano last week. It was quite relaxing for me, because I had a very good excuse not to participate in the Day Entertainment Program... Instead I relaxed and cycled! With Fedors new bycicle, I went on a real trip to investigate the end-of-Milan! That is, I cycled down the Naviglio Grande until I was in the fields.... About 45 minutes of cycling, but it totally felt like I was back in the Netherlands. Look at this picture:


This week-end is, if possible, even more relaxed. On Saturday it was a bit stressfull, because Jorge and Diana (Costa Rican friends of ours) came for dinner and of course I had to match their excellent Costa Rican meal they made for us last month. So I spent the whole day making an entire Japanese meal. And it was a great success!!! So I was very happy about that. Fedor was not as happy, the next morning, because he had to get up early to fly to the Netherlands to see La Famiglia. But I am sure that all the festitivies in the Netherlands will cheer him up, despite his little hang-over... Anyways, I am having 2 very relaxed days, without Fedor here and the University doors locked for Easter! I watched three movies yesterday, while stuffing myself with sushi left-overs: it was lovely! Today, I may make another bycicle tour again, because the weather is gorgeous...

Now, those were my happy thoughts for the day. I will finish with a buckload of pictures of all the things that I hadn't posted pictures of yet.

downtown Porto


View from Cathedral over the river in Porto


Old City in Porto


Fedor, Nuno and Marta in the Museum Gardens


My brothers by Lake Como


Kim and Joost at the Cimitero Monumentale

Ciao,
OJ

PS I wil try and do something about this horrible colour scheme. But I'm not making any promises......