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On 26 March 2020 from | comments closed

Summer is almost over, but it's finally a beach da

Summer is almost over, but it's finally a beach day. This clear blue sky looks unreal after the last 2 months. Luckily it's relatively quiet here, everyone getting ready to watch F1 cars up North.

Dwingeloo Radio Observatory was briefly the larges

Dwingeloo Radio Observatory was briefly the largest radio telescope in the world with its 25m diameter. Each wheel has 15 tons of pressure on it. Reminded me of the SETI@home project before the internet got taken over by big tech.

Blooming heather and a lost tree in the Dwingelder

Blooming heather and a lost tree in the Dwingelderveld National Park. The purple blossoming only happens for a few weeks in August. Together with the Veluwe, this is one of the best places in the country for bike rides.

House Westerbeek, part of the Society of Benevolen

House Westerbeek, part of the Society of Benevolence, the precursor to the modern welfare state. The society has become UNESCO World Heritage this year.

The closest I got to a "modern" airplane in the la

The closest I got to a "modern" airplane in the last 1,5 years. This is officially the longest flying dry-spell since 1999. At least there's a future flight booked.

Views don't get more typically Swiss than this. La

Views don't get more typically Swiss than this. Lake Silvaplana, the town and the mountains in the background. Taken during our biking trip. The area around St. Moritz is unexpectedly good for biking.

Kaiserschmarrn with a view. Südtirol is always a

Kaiserschmarrn with a view. Südtirol is always a good idea.

Sometimes you just want a few days of sun, lake an

Sometimes you just want a few days of sun, lake and pool, so you find a campsite next to Lake Garda and discover the prettiest little town right next to it. Tourist central for sure, and the first time this holiday that it felt busy. Yet having a gelateria at every corner does have its advantages too.

The last European microstate to check off my list

The last European microstate to check off my list of visited countries: San Marino. It's the oldest extant sovereign state, as well as the oldest constitutional republic, founded in 301. Cesta, one of the 3 towers, provides amazing views.

Under the Tuscan Sun it's pretty hot. Fields are a

Under the Tuscan Sun it's pretty hot. Fields are already yellow mid-June. Great place for Italian roadtrips though, with amazing towns all over the place.

The Medieval Manhattan of Tuscany was a delight to

The Medieval Manhattan of Tuscany was a delight to visit, but I can imagine this UNESCO World Heritage site gets really overrun with the 7,5 million visitors pre-Covid. Photo obviously taken from the highest (toddler-proof) tower.

I don't think I ever saw as many Ferraris as when

I don't think I ever saw as many Ferraris as when the 1000 Miglia passed through town. Right before this point, there was a sharp corner in the road with guys sitting at a bar yelling to every car to rev their engine.

Toddler's first tower climb. He wanted to do all 2

Toddler's first tower climb. He wanted to do all 230 steps on his own. And Torre Guinigi has trees growing on the top to provide shade when enjoying the view of Lucca, the city of 100 churches.

Being able to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa with

Being able to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa without advance reservation: priceless. The actual climb and view from the top: mwah. It's one of those sights better enjoyed from the outside. Still baffles me beyond believe though.

The 5 villages of Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manar

The 5 villages of Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. It's a great time to visit now due to the low tourist numbers. But keep in mind almost all the easy footpaths between the villages are closed due to landslides. Only Corniglia to Vernazza is open (and highly recommended). Between the other towns only the high paths are open, but they are less suitable when carrying a toddler in 30 degree temperatures.

Buongiorno Italia! After a SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antige

Buongiorno Italia! After a SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen test (that no one along the way asked to see) and crossing 2 countries, we made it to the land where even the motorway restaurants (where generally the worst cuisine is found) have iconic designs.

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