Thursday, December 26, 2013

Merry Christmas!

Happy wishes to all of you!
Hope your Christmases are all you hoped they would be!


Sunday, December 08, 2013

Seasonal happiness

Everything is a little better under a Christmas tree. Just ask Nash...


Slurp!... can't wait for the second day of Christmas...Slurp!

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Aloha!

Howdy everyone!

Bet you thought I had given up already! Pah, Bourgui might not be the most reliable poster ever, but he'll give it a better shot than that!!

So what's happened since my last visit here? Quite a bit actually. First, I took a spill on my new bike, right at the end of the season. Nothing dramatic, just a scratched knee, a torn pair of pants and jacket, and some minor damage to the bike (it was a low speed affair in my own street). I suppose it's a good excuse to get new gear :o)

Shortly after that, Natalie and I went to the magnificent island of Kauai (in Hawaii) for a week. Yeah, just a little trip to Hawaii, the usual...
That was Natalie's 30th birthday present (don't you love presents where you get as much as you give!), slightly belated because of, hu-humm, passport issues. Anyway...
The trip was nothing short of amazing, relaxing, exotic and spectacular, all at once. So good, in fact, that were it not for our doggie waiting for us back home (he himself enjoyed some holidays at my mom's mansion-like house), Natalie would probably not have come back :o)

So, what exactly did we do in Kauai? Well, pictures being worth 100 words, here is a 23000-word description (warning: I hope you like sunrises/sunsets...):


First, you get up early and enjoy the sunrise on the beach...


Then, you prepare for the day with a hearty breakfast and a surprised waitress.
Once ready, you go for a sunset sail, and admire the coast...


...the secluded beaches...

...and a different view of the coast.

Then, you make a mental note of where the sun is....


...and finally you let your inner VIP shine through. Faaaabulous, darling!

Getting up for the sunrise starts to become a ritual.

Since you're up, you might as well take pictures, knowing that you have a blog to keep alive.


Then you go on a helicopter ride.

Yes Nico, a helicopter ride - BRRRRRRRR!


From up there, you can see the coast again...

...only from a different angle.


Then you discover the north shore of the island, and you tell yourself that you indeed must come check it out.

Having spotted some  beautiful canyons from the air, you decide to go trekking...

...and feel like a million bucks getting to anywhere, really. Or maybe I just rock!


The obligatory morning photo-shoot takes place again....

...and the day goes by in complete tranquility as you try to soak it all in.


In Hawaii, I found a way to consistently get Natalie to rise early of her own accord!!! All it takes is an exotic getaway...


When you finally get to trek the north coast (that you duly remember from the helicopter ride), you're rewarded with that "explorer" feeling...


...and stunning vistas of the Na Pali coastline.


Never a completely cloudless moment in Kauai, but then again, why would you want one?


Aloha, Kauai!


We're back home now, and after a gorgeous fall, winter has arrived a little early, to my greatest delight!
We are now comfortably sitting under 20cm of snow, with more announced tomorrow :o)



So there you have it.  Until later, amigos, it's time for me to go get a Christmas tree!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Thuthump...thuthump...thuthump...

From the forgotten echoes of a distant past, a heartbeat emerges once more. Doubt quickly follows surprise.
"Who? Bourgui? Online? Pull the other one!!!"

Yet, there I am! No, my account hasn't been hacked (that I know of, anyway). "So, what... ?" I can hear you exclaim silently. Well, the truth is I've had the itch for a little while. And while I still stand as one of the last ramparts against Facebook's unstoppable invasion, if only to make myself interesting when I meet people for the first time, I felt like bringing the ancient art of "blogging" back to life.

I, of course, make no promise as to the longevity of this second coming of sorts. Let's play it by ear. And, mostly importantly, enjoy the present in this most interwebsial of forms (yes, I am a word-fashioner in my spare time).

So, what is going on in Nico's life these days? In truth, nothing particularly out of the ordinary. But then, I have a happy, comfortable little life playing out, and, as luck would have it, a new camera. Pretty cool for somebody who's wanted to pick up photography for a long time. Mix in a beautiful fall afternoon, an eager dog with an unquenchable thirst for sticks and some time to spare and you get the following snapshots. Enjoy!


Ready... Get Set... Go!
It`s a long way to shore....
Sneak attack!
Loch Ness Lake Fortune Monster


Till next time, dear friends...

Nico