Laredo/Santoña/Rioja April 2009

Marisol and I were back at Laredo for a quick break last week at Easter 2009.
Here we met with many of the friends who had kept our appointment in India in November 2008, and some who could not make it.
Weather was kind and we recharged.



More Photos from Laredo/Santoña/La Rioja

Montse had arranged a trip to the Rioja and in particular to a tour of the Marquez de Riscal winery, where we got our first look at the new Frank Gehry building. And everyone agreed that the 2004 Reserva is a very fine wine indeed!

A short walking trip to Santona proved to be a real cosmic energy builder, and unmissable.
Real thanks to everyone, too numerous to name, who made the trip unforgettable as usual.



Mas Fotos de Laredo/Santoña/La Rioja

Spanish
Marisol y yo volvimos a Laredo para el fin de semana de Semana Santa.
Nos encontramos con muchos de nuestros amigos que acudieron a la India por el motivo de mi cumpleaños en Noviembre 2008, y muchos mas los que no pudieron.
Y el tiempo tenia un poco de todo, lluvia, sol y nubes.
Montse habia arreglado un viaje de muchos de nuestros amigos a la Rioja, donde vimos uno de los procesiones de Semana Santa mas conocido en el norte, despues visitamos las bodegas de Marquez de Riscal, donde vimos por primera vez este edificio maravilloso que el famoso architecto Frank Gehri ha hecho para esta bodega. Y todos estuvimos de acuerdo que el tinto reserva de 2004 es muy bueno!
Finalmente una caminata por la playa de Laredo, despues Santoña y el fuerte en la peña de Santoña fue fantastico, y nos cargamos de nuevo con la energia cosmica, para aguantar un poco mas en Londres!

Regards,
Arvinder.

Pammi and Spring 2009

Pammi and spring sunshine here in England
Pammi's quote about his trip
"You are all right, Paddy...two pints of Guinness please!"
He had been to Dublin and Belfast!

Mike and Celie celebrate!

More photos from the Prested Hall party - click here


March 2009 saw Mike and Celie celebrate several birthdays and relationship anniversaries.
We attended the party at Prested Hall, where many friends from the past assembled for the festivities and to catch up with old friendships.
Really nice to see all these friends and to make new ones!
Prested Hall is shaping up to be a great venue, hotel, spa, tennis etc etc.
Look up the website at prested.co.uk

And below see Celie enjoying the event!

Madrid in February 09

more photos from Arco

Marisol & I spent the week of 7th to 15th of February in Madrid, staying with Manjeet and Almu in their lovely apartment. Montse came over from Laredo and we had a fantastic week of much activity..
First there was the Arco 2009 - the great Madrid art fair..They had extended their hospitality as in previous years by giving us at least one pass..although due to changes to their systems we did not have the multiple passes as in previous years.
However our artist friend Gayatri, was helping her family's Kashi Gallery at the fair and she arranged for all the passes we were ever going to need!
India was the invited country this year, and we happened to know the owners of two of about ten galleries who were exhibitting from India. Peter Nagy of the Nature Morte gallery which we happened to visit about a year ago in Delhi in the company of Trolley (otherwise known as Brian Mulvihill from Vancouver), and of course Gayatri's friends of the Kashi Gallery from Kerala in South India.
Picture from El Correo newspaper!

Icing on the cake, during the exhibition the Basque El Correo newspaper ran daily stories on Arco and a photo of me and Marisol appeared on at least two days. See the links to the articles below..
El Correo newspaper from 12th Feb (third photo)
El Correo newspaper from 14th Feb


Madrid.......................Real/Racing/Bernabeu

Montse ......................Manjeet/Almu
More photos from Madrid
Then there was the family/friends/shopping/dining/St Valentines
We caught up with our friends Leandro/Natalia (who made us a wonderful Peruvian meal including Pizco with dates!), Puri/Pedro (accompanied us on two shows), Alfonso/Paz (more dinner and visit to studio), Valentin and Lurdes ( invite to a very nice lunch at their home), Octavio (Lunch at a nice restaurant), and even by a strange coincidence Pelayo from Switzerland was over doing a music concert which Marisol managed to see while I accompanied Manjeet to Real Madrid v Racing Santander football match!
Specially should mention the time with Manjeet and Almu (who arranged a long overdue get together with her large family!) plus Pablo and Montse. We also met with Tio Carlos and Tia Consu, still enthused from her trip to India in November! at my birthday - see stories elsewhere on my blogs.


And Madrid was really sunny and wonderful!
Regards
Arvinder.

Later - on a walkabout around Epsom

Chalk Lane

Click here to see all the photos from my 'Walkabout'

Later in the afternoon, I ventured out to walk around Epsom and took these photos of the Snowscape!!
Chalk Lane, GrandStand, Rosebery Park, The Centre of Epsom, Dorking Road and back home!

We are SNOWBOUND!!!

Click Here for More Photos!!

You can not believe how much snow has fallen on us (Surrey and England) in the last 12 hours!!
About 18 Inches!!
We are stuck at home for now..

Click Here for More Photos!!

After the Party - SIX-O!!

Yes Indeed - The party is over..and all is revealed on the Party Blog!
Click below!
Arvinder at 60