Here are some nice random photos of the city of Leiden in the Netherlands, where we live. Leiden is the birthplace of Rembrandt van Rijn and has the oldest university in the country. There are lots of canals, church spires, narrow alleys, and monumental buildings. More »

Here is the first part (of two) of my favorite things to do in the beautiful state of Colorado. This article features Mesa Verde National Park, Pikes Peak, Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Four Corners NM, and Aztec Ruins NM. The photos are from our roadtrip in 2004. More »

Today is Holi, India’s festival of colors. It is a Hindu festival but is widely celebrated all across India by people of all faiths. The festival marks the beginning of spring time and usually takes place at the end of March or early April, on the full moon of Purnima, according to the Hindu calendar. More »

Rembrandt van Rijn was born in Leiden in 1606. This year the city celebrates the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt’s birth with different museum exhibits, festival events and other special expositions. In February we walked a part of the Rembrandt City Tour, and followed in the footsteps of this young artist. More »

Phase two of the outdoor exposition “Young Rembrandt Large” in the city of Leiden began on Monday, February 27. In total 25 early works of the artist will be presented on huge cloth posters hung up throughout the city. More »

Here are five random travel photos that we have taken over the last few years. They are from Greece, Italy, Egypt, Tunisia and the United States. More »

On Sunday we visited the Lakenhal, which houses the city museum of Leiden. One of several special temporary Rembrandt anniversary exhibits was taking place: Rembrandt’s Mother: Myth and Reality. More »

On Thursday the city of Leiden began placing a huge billboard near the Centraal Station. When complete, the billboard will be 1100 square meters in size. The board will promote cultural events in Leiden, with the image of a huge bookshelf holding books with titles related to themes such as the celebration of Rembrandt’s 400th birthday this year. Leiden’s museums and landmark buildings will also be featured. The billboard will be located between the train station and the center of the city, so visitors will see it as soon as they arrive in the city. More »

Yesterday we visited our friends Mike and Tina in the small town of Werne in the Münsterland area in Germany, where we had a nice tour of the historic center. More »

Today we visited the Dutch Ice Sculpture Festival here in Leiden. The theme is the artist Rembrandt van Rijn. In 2006 Leiden celebrates the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt’s birth with different museum exhibits, festival events and other special expositions. The Ice Sculpture Festival features statues and scenes made of ice and snow, taken from the painter’s works and life. More »