Has just returned from a day in town.In one of those rare cases were the old body was ready early. Itook the chance,got a haircut(could be better,but wanted to support the syrian refugee) and schrolled through the cemetery of an old friend to say hello again.(Well it was not his cemetary,but you know what I mean;)then furhter to an atelier were I lived from 77-83.Almost nothing had changed.Then to the irish favourite pub and the last pint on "Kleine Bierstube".Sun was here and it was a good time.Tried to do some work on the book I would like to write,but as long as there is this lasting dizzyness....it supposedly wont happen.JWH is in Poland and the pints tastes better in his company !:) Now kitchen work,while wife is having her beaty sleep on the couch...And no to forget the CHL clash tonight:Real-Atletico.A local derby,but much much more than that...

Yeah it was nice to witness the Aserbadjan flag on the podium.And I suppose the Shark was very happy.Often he has be so close. Let us not forget the beauty by Kramnik were he satisfied his rook!

And a deligh to read about your weekend.It definately sounds like a place you will go to again.And I think I know the feeling(s) you describe so well !

The remains of the chicken are waiting for a makeover :)

Here it is spring.Fine,but in my elderly days I prefer autumn and winter.Dont tell my friends-they dont understand.

Take care and see you around !

Weather's great here since yesterday, and so after some hic-ups spring is without a doubt taking hold of our surroundings. It's so refreshing to feel its warmth and enjoying together with the nature around. I know you prefer autumn/winter time, but then people are different and they have different Tastes :) And that's great, after all!

For example, concerning the alcohol, most of the times I got headaches after drinking, that's why I tend to avoid it - although I would like a few drinks from time to time. It's probably due to a complex of factors related to body functioning.

Well,I have had the dizzi stuff for 11½ years and headaches are only around the third week or so.

And it is a pitty (but good you are aware of it !) your headache is caused by alcohol.I suppose you have checked the qualite and the origin of the alcohol !? Have you tried to mix water with wine ? (I dont drink wine anymore,just a few pints now and then).But way back it was better to dilute the wine and make it milder.

And I am glad on your behalf and billions more,that you prefer this kind of weather and then the sun and everything blooms !

Tonight CHL ,Monaco-Juventus and after that there are only 3 games left and then another leg is over.Seems like Juve and Real will be the two finalists.

Thanks for speculating,but no it wont be about the sea,as far as I can sea;).For now it is only in fantasyland.But sometimes JWH and I enter the fantasy when we met.But usually end up with 2 completely different stories ;Very charming,learningfull and funny,but nothing for an eventual publisher.

That was all.Take care and may the sun shine on your path.

Alcohol does give me headaches, but those are not caused only by alcohol :) I have them all the time, on a daily basis, and I rarely drink alcohol and very little. The quality of the wine is good and I seldom dillute it with water.

My 2 novels also happen in fantasy land - although in the reality of Iasi - as I invented it all. Right now I'm a bit disconcerted though, as more than a month ago I've sent to my sister in law a (good) review for my first novel, only to find out she didn't even read it.

Thanks for your concern re. my dizzyness.Actually,as I told you, it is not dizzyness in the classical sense,a professor,checking my ears,told me.But it is the term I use in lack of a better one.I (try)to live with it and guess I am managing well.

Have tried (almost) everything:Be it classical and alternative.Got the dear old head scanned twice,and nothing found .Haven´t giving up,but it is too hard to live in a hope,that may not be fullfilled.So a break from doctors,for the moment.

Wife and I were at "our place" at the sea to have breakfast this morning.A very nice experience and the first of the season.And a good start...Kayjaks,families schrolling around,many kind of birds and a lovely weather with a lot of sunshine and clear water.Not to forget the freshbaked bread from the local baker ! The season has started....

Hope your sister in law will fullfill her promise ! She should.In my book. At least this a kind of (non) reaction which I find it very hard to coope with,if/when it happens to mee ):....You could tell me about the plot of the book,if you like !? And on another sunny day ,I may tell you about mine :)(If it doesnt disturb the magic).

Sorry to hear about your headache,continuosly going on.There must be a cure or something a like,out there.I´ll google an irish alternative doctor,Stanley Rosenberg,who lives in Denmark, who has a fine score against headaches,as far as I know.

Till then:Take care and all the best and see you around !

His website is in English and you may get a tip,or two.

I've googled a bit Mr. Rosenberg but didn't have the time to read more thoroughly about him, I will probably do it later on, thank you.

Colder again these days here, with lots of clouds and some rain here and there. It doesn't look like May. They say it's gonna change soon, but then again it gets morose, and so forth. Looks like we are doomed for these unseasonably changes in weather.

It is raining and I like it ;)(sorry)And has just returned after a nice time with KJ whom I haven´t seen for a fortnight.Wife is going to make something we never had had before,and I send her all of best luck ;)

Well,my story

It is in the happy days in Paris just a few hours after the liberation,May 1945.A young American soldier leaves his platoon to look and experience for himself and finds himself in a bar,some streets/alleys away from the main boulevards."Chez Claire" it is called and it is a combination of an ordinary and large Café and a whorehouse.The atmosphere is extremely lighthearted and joyful and here he meets Claire who happens to be the owner of the place.They fall deeply in love and have a wonderfull time for 5 days.Untill he has to go back with his platoon.Back to USA were he has a girl he promised to marry,before the war and so he duly does.

Time goes by and after many years(25)he is in Paris because of his job. He can´t resist to revisit "Chez Claire",but to his sadness he realizes the place still exists,but no Claire. But some people in the neigbourhood remembers her and tell she has been living in an asylum for the last 3 years.He rents a car and drives all the way to the place to see her again. Perhaps he can help her.He has never forgotten their meeting and the bound they made during these times.

And this is somehow were the last part of the story takes place.Almost clueless about how it will end.

Hopefully you will sort it out with your sister-in-law.Often it is a big advantage to be head to head.

I saw Iasi win 3-0 the other day,nést pas!? And if Atletico could do the same tonight,the other part of Madrid would be happy :)

Will wake the chef.

Sunny, windy and cool today, but it's all right. Three halves of Panadol, which is getting rather usual. In the past 10 days I needed the painkillers on a daily basis, then again - who cares? It's fun. The feeling of a dissappearing pain is so cool - smooth and reassuring.

Lots of chess games over the net lately, some 2/3 of them lost but hey, can't win 'em all, can we? ;) Haven't followed closely any tournament though. I did finish reading that last Murakami novel and all I have to say is that it was not a bad one, meaning I've had worse endings from him, and also that it's the first where fantasy stuff is missing, almost entirely.

Off to town on a date with JWH,who has been on a trip to Poland.And it is sunny with cold wind,just the perfect circumstances for a pint or two ;)

Today they start on the grandprix in Moscow and as I have understand it is about gathering points for the candidates ,or not ?

Iasi 3-0 was football,3-5 days ago.

Glad you liked my setup.And if you have the time and energy you could have a (just roughly) go at how the ending should be !? Only if you like the exercise.

Bus is waiting and I (once again;)send you both the best wishes for the weekend !

As about the ending for your story, I donțt know, maybe, after she recognises him, they settle for a talk, remembering those 5 days, I donțt know, she tells her story so far which, as it happens, was not so bright as his, but such is life, and of course after some 2 hours of rememberings, a sort of melancholy envelops both of them, as the innevitable question „What would have been our lifes if we were to remain together?” lingers but is never told by any of the two. And then he leaves the asylum, not knowing exactly how he feels about it all and, for some reason, he prefers not to look back at her while walking out. What do you think?

Weathers still sort of undecided, I dont know...a total mixture of rain, sun, clouds and some wind.

Saw a cartoon the other day:A guy in orange suit was going to be executed,but he had already surpassed the final date with 2 months.As his last meal, he had ordered a buffet and was still eating !...;);)

And thanks for participating in my little story.And one of my best friends has an ending simular to yours !? But I tend to go the opposite way,if possible.But it may be very difficult to give "a positive ending",where he succeeds in giving her some of her life back...

Kind of summer is approaching and in general people like it and I lay low in telling about my preference for cooler times :)

JWH didn´t see so much of Poland as he caught a flu the first day ):,but was in general satisfied with the people he met,his hostesses included.But also happy to return to DK with a wish to some day come back,looking for more.

Today our team,AGF,almost saved the existence in the highest league,so the whole town was cheering as wife meanwhile came back from a seminar tonight.

Time to reach the bed with open windows and send you all the best wishes et

Sorry about your friend's flu, I can imagine this stuff was able to spoil most of the travelling pleasure - bad luck, not much one can do about it I guess. Congratulations for your team AGF! Iasi football team also used to fight toward the end of season for the right to remain in the main league, only this and last year we were spared the worries and managed to get a better place.

Do you sleep at night with open windows? That's healthy, I agree, but I only do it in warmer summer nights.

Not much chess related here lately, managed to finish writing a paper for a conference and then I think I'll gratuate myself with another dose of Murakami :)

Well,can not figure this Duckchess out,bout it sounds funny.And why not? All that makes the game broader goes.In DK wwe have a movement which is the most succesfull in growing rate.It is called @#$%* Chess !:)(NO,it is not a mixed double thing ):. It is something like an event which is annouced beforehand and people come and drink beer and listen to rock music or the like.And play chess,with no rating at stake and it is litterally all kind of people,especially those who are not that deep into the game,but like to just play the game and gather with other people/players.A tremedous idea IMO.One of the things I advocated back in the days was pair blitz which I find very amusing and very good for socializing.

And yes I (have to) sleep with open window.And on the hot summer nights it is one of the most fascinating feelings when the wind is cooling the body and matching the remaining heat from the day.A little piece of heaven !

I do follow the Moscov grand prix,but not that closely.It is a bit like a flower that doesn´t unfold completely as some of the players more speculate in qualifiing that winning the tournament...

That was it for today,but as usual:
I wish all the best for your weekend and that the sunshine will be on your side !

Some issues with my thyroid gland since yesterday, at the moment I'm waiting for them to go away, I will call my doctor in the afternoon - should have been to a scheduled appointment 3 days ago but forgot about it, and now I have to reschedule it.

Again, lots of lost chess games on the internet. Also, I cannot save the games I play lately as I've changed laptop (due to cooler issues, and I postpone its replacement) and on this one I don't have Fritz installed and so I discovered that Playchess server, by itself, does not automatically save the played games (not to mention I can't replay the games with evaluation of moves).

Big storms forecast for today and tomorrow here, so far peaceful though outside.

Headaches each day since 2 weeks, for some unknown reason - never happened.

On this sunny Friday which feels like saturday/sunday as it is the second day of a small 4 days vacation for the whole country.A bit windy,but summer has taken its first step and we were at the seaside having coffee,water and cookies.Kind of celebration in addition to yours truly having conquered a half headache and you are the first one to understand this !..But sorry to hear how often you have had it lately ): Wish there was something I could do.I´ll visit Stanleys homeside and see if something shows up. And I hope you will find a way to save your games ! The bare thought that a masterpiece just vanishes puuuff,into thin invisible cyberspace is not nice to confront.

Did you pick up contact to your old friend or was it "just the fact" that you realizes were he lives today(in Spain)?.Which reminds me it is about time to see JWH again and tomorrow would be most appropriate if the old body allows it.But he dosn´t know it yet !;)

It is almost 4 years ago i last time played a game.But when I am in the zone,I am still able to find many of the moves when the big guns play,which is indeed very satisfying and a heavy consolation.

Pasta with tomatosalad and shrimps in garlic.How does that sound ? Anyway I am the chef so I´ll beg you farewell for now.Or rather : Au revoir ! With the best wishes for your weekend.

Yes, I did make contact with my old friend, he's married too and he has two daughters, lives somewhere near Barcelona since 20 years. We were doing endless trips biking around and outside town, and we were only 7-9 years old and already our parents gave us freedom to roam where we wish, unattended. Well, I guess if my folks knew how far away we sometimes reached tey wouldn't have agreed. It's possible this need to explore wider spaces was instilled ever since, the need for freedom&adventure...

Actually I discovered that I can save games on Playchess but only if I do it manually after each finished game, before closing it and only on PGN format. I did save the last one played yesterday just to check, it's a win but no big deal. Only to discover that the downloaded PGN file had 0 kb so an error. Maybe next time better luck. Or simply decide to change that &%$# cooler and so return to my trusty old laptop with Fritz installed...

Just a short notice before dinner:Rösti with chickennuggets which I haven´t tried before,but hopefully it eorks out !

The temperatueshave fortunetely lowered,which makes(my) lfe easier and better.E.g. the chances for a good nights sleep(which is mandatory due to the dizzyness) are increased.Hurrah !But I saw in todays newspaper the Bucarest was 27 !?..So I suppose you are satisfied too ;)

No I can not do much about your headache,but I visited the Rosenberg site,were he e,g, demonstrates some breathing techniques,which I tried myself.They are hereby recommended and they are in English !

<It's possible this need to explore wider spaces was instilled ever since, the need for freedom&adventure...> Sounds like a very healthy approach to life !?...

Enjoyed very much the broadcast from "Elittlopet" in Stockholm,Sweden which is Europes greatest annual meeting for trotters.One long weeekend,friday,saturday and the final on sunday.Always spiced with a fantastic atmosphere were many jockeys have been heavily surprised when the early in the morning go for a quite little jogging with their horse and 10-20.000 spectators and fans give them full applaud !....In almost 25 years I came every week to the local racetrack.And those were the times.Like Christmas eve or better.Everytime !!

Sorry,forgot your birthday,but better late than never :

Happy Birthday ! With hopefully many,many more to come.With good health and wind in your sails !

European Individual chess championship started in Minsk and we have two GM with some chances so far, Lupulescu who is 2.5/3 and Deac who's 1.5/2 so far and he plays Leko (yesterday he played another 2700+(Kryvoruchko) and managed a draw). And of course I saw the latest Fide ratings with "majestic Mamedyarov" (as Chessbase puts it) at 2800. I don't know how many players have already had attained 2800 level (even live), I think they should be about ten?

Just a couple of hours away from the CL final,which I am really looking forward to:After several months of play,it all comes down to these two teams in Cardiff,Wales.Wife is filled with expectations too and I am one of these relative few,very privelledged males with a partner deeply interested in football !;)

Good to hear your headache was absent yesterday and from here : fingers crossed that it continues.

Saw JWH yesterday and it was again some kind of magic and today shopping with wify.Old(erly) man in new shirt ;). Like the look in the mirror.4 years younger for the price of 50 euros ;) and 60 euros on a draw in Cardiff.

South of France sounds very nice !! Please let me know more...

Comme sa ,Je vais dire,au revoir et bientot !

Et:Bonne vacance,quand le temps arrives.

We'll be going to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, a village perched on the hills above the sea, near Monaco. Changed mind a couple of times about renting a car there, dropped the idea in the end, we're gonna move around by bus. Never been in the area, planning to visit quite a few spots and, of course, hope for the right weather.

With 3.5/5 points, our two hopes in Minsk don't have realistic chances to finish in the first 10, but maybe they'll qualify for the World Cup (I believe first 25 or something). And let's not forget Altibox starting tomorrow, I should be able to follow some of the action from the French Riviera too. Nice action ahead.