Part 4 - Colombia in a 1968 Volvo Amazon

South America Road-trip in an old-timer A summer breeze warms my face as I look out from the old fortified city wall across the skyline of the new part of town. Cartagena de Indias, can you think of a better name for the place where we were to end this fantastic trip? A great finish to a great tour, but also a confirmation of my feelings about a country that has been longing to be discovered for over four decades. I visited Colombia for the...

Ecuador to Colombia in a 1968 Volvo Amazon

South America Road-trip in an old-timerAfter leaving Ecuador at Ipiales we entered Colombia, and when the torrential rain had subsided, we continued along the road to Pasto. We were not sure how the road conditions would be, but we needn’t have worried; it was in mint condition, recently asphalted and smooth as silk. We traversed through a spectacular, green and mountainous landscape, regularly passing waterfalls and enjoying views of fertile valleys....

Part 2 - Ecuador to Colombia in a 1968 Volvo Amazon

South America Road-trip in an old-timerEcuador is a nice country to drive through in your own car. After having made it without problems to Loja and on to Cuenca, we were headed to Quito, the capital of the country. In Quito we planned to stop and take a rest, but before that we had to cross 450km along the ‘avenue of volcanoes’, a route that promised some spectacular views. We wanted to leave Cuenca on time to make sure we’d have enough time to...

I AM

Sometimes I like to use my blog to share with you inspiring things that I have seen or heard. This documentary, which many of you may already have seen, really struck a chord in me, somewhere so deeply hidden that I had forgotten it was there, and I have only seen the trailer thus far... I am now frantically looking for a place where I can see it or (legally!) download it. I leave you with the official description of the film, the trailer and the hope you will go and see it, pass it on, and that it will change your lives too. Happy trails, Bart. I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “Bruce Almighty.”...

New York City’s Greatest Restaurants For Pasta

When it comes to Italian restaurants, New York City has some pretty amazing ones. of course, it does not compete with the great cities of Italy, but it just may be the next best place. Regardless of the type of pasta you are looking for, there is somewhere to get it in New York. At the moment, the following restaurants serve up my favorite bowls of ravioli, tagliatelle, gnocchi, fussilli and others. I will start off with one of my overall...

South America Road-trip in an old-timer

Part 1 – Peru to Ecuador in a 1968 Volvo Amazon I really, really, really like driving through South America. This is one of my favorite things to do. Lately, since we have children now and my life has changed somewhat, this does not happen as much as I would like, but every now and then I get to hit the road again. Last December I got lucky, a good friend of mine, Johan van Rijswijck, asked me if I would like to come on a trip with him to scout...

Edgewater Beach Hotel Naples Florida

Edgewater Beach Hotel Naples Florida1901 Gulf Shore Boulevard North, Naples, Florida 34102 HOTEL DESCRIPTIONAn oasis bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, the newly updated Edgewater Beach Hotel delights with its air of casual luxury and coastal leisure. Relax with warm service and sunshine in this stylish, beachfront setting that puts you steps away from the Gulf, and moments away from the upscale shopping, charming cafes and intriguing art galleries...

Peru; between a rock and a hard place, or finally on course?

After a stressful and well-commented double election round played out under the eyes of the world, Mr. Ollanta Humala was elected to be Peru’s next president. Since I am a former resident (I lived in Peru from 1997-2004), and because an important part of our business still takes place there, I was and still am very interested in Peru’s political well-being. I followed the election process, initially with growing concern, but recently with a tiny...