midst stormy winds, rain and freezing temperature, we did our last long run for the 60 van Texel ultramarathon. On a Saturday afternoon while everyone in Holland would rather stay home with a warm cup of coffee, we spent five long hours on our foot, fighting the elements and learning so much.

on’t you sometimes get that feeling that your life is just one big to-do list? February felt that way for me, like I was waking up with only one purpose – to tick off tasks from a never-ending list of musts.

Y es, I gave in to the trend. As much as possible I can afford, I am now buying products that are certified eco-friendly, organic, sustainable, fair trade, you name it. What can I say? I have a soft spot for labels doing green marketing.

In the summer 2010 I went to Italy for my birthday sojourn, a tradition I’ve started when I moved to the Netherlands. Wanting to escape crowded Venice, I stayed at Lido Island, about 15 minutes away by vaporetto (water bus). Much as I wanted to stay at the Grand Hotel de Bains, the famous setting of Death in Venice, my budget settled me instead in a rather dingy hotel called Vime Byron, located few meters away from the beach.