1.
Watch my world <br />An album with photo’s of my family, my travels, <br />my view on nature and the beauty of things<br />

2.
Following my roots: Sweden<br />As I learned from family tales, my roots go back to approximately 1670, when a Swedish army officer married a German woman and took off to Holland. At the age of 21 I started to explore the country of my forefathers and traveled for 5 weeks through the country on my bicycle. The journey took me to wonderful places, I met many Swedes and, almost inevitable, I fell in love with Sweden and its inhabitants. Since then I’ve been to Sweden about 20 times, both for pleasure and for business. It still is one of my favorite destinations. The following five photos depict my view on this beautiful country; an impressive landscape, gorgeous capital and old traditions.<br />I started to learn Swedish after my first visit, because it turned out that many people didn’t speak foreign languages. Over the years my knowledge of the language bettered and I became acquainted with Sweden’s history. <br />Doing business with Swedish companies is, in general, very pleasant. The openness and clear, gentlemen like approach of a deal has made me appreciate their way international business is conducted. Delivering quality and keeping promises are the generally accepted standards.<br />

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Sweden; combining business and pleasure in an excellent, friendly atmosphere<br />

4.
Gustav VasaKyrkan, Gamla Stan, Stockholm<br />(The Gustav Wasachurch, The Old City, Stockholm)<br />

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Open air museum Skansen exhibits a vast amount of old buildings from all over the country, shows various traditional craftsmanshipsand is beautifully laid out in the heart of the capital Stockholm.<br />

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Do I have to say more about the beauty of Stockholm?<br />

7.
The Land Of Many Promises<br />Coming from the Low Countries, mountains are always fascinating. Crossing the Atlantic and flying over the American continent a complete new world opens up. There is so much to see, nature in all it’s vastness and raw beauty, but also man made marvels. History as we know it gets an other dimension; nature shows us how small we are. Both in stature and in life span. It makes you realize that, wherever you come from, the human kind is walking the face of the earth for only a second. <br />During my visits to California over the last few years, I’ve tried to capture the extreme differences between the human effort to change the world and what nature has given us to look at. <br />What I also discovered is that cultural differences can be eliminated quickly and easily when you are willing to look behind the façade of that particular culture. We are all human beings with the same emotions, skin, hair, eyes, ears and, above all, brains that we can put to good use. <br />During my stay at Aweta Autoline Inc., a sister company of Aweta G&P BV in Holland, I had the chance to work and live with American citizens. The Reedley based company produces grading and sorting equipment for fruit and vegetables. In the heart of the valley they serve a large number of fruit growers. My assignment was to act as liaison between the Dutch and American engineering offices. Due to a cost reduction program, the re-designs of many modules of the basic machine needed to be implemented at Autoline to establish compatibility between the designs. <br />I lived in a small, cozy cottage in the countryside near Sanger, an old railway guard house. The next 4 pages show at random both vacation and work trip photos. <br />

8.
Devils Pile Post, Mammoth Lakes area, Sierra Nevada, CA <br />

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Where nature shapes the face of the earth, leaving monumental landmarks<br />

10.
Autoline’s offices and workshops <br />My first flying lesson: Superb!<br />Some of my friends and colleagues at Autoline<br /> Steve Mike Frank Justin <br />

11.
Sierra Summit, Huntington Lake<br />My little house in the valley<br />Kings Canyon, Grand Cove cabins<br />

12.
This road, American Ave., runs east towards the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. A few miles further you swing left onto the 63, north bound . That road brings you quickly up into the hills, meandering and showing a beautiful scene at every bend and turn. At the end you either turn left onto the 180 heading for Fresno or turn right and climb up to the Sequoya National Park and Kings Canyon National Park, the deepest canyon of the US. <br />I was very lucky having the opportunity to live here for a while, enjoying the scenery, the views, an environment so different to my home town. It can’t be better, except for being there without family for such a prolonged time. Yet, I miss my friends and colleagues.<br />Still, I recommend everybody to spend a few months abroad. Deal with it, get enriched. <br />

13.
Cataluña, land of a proud people<br />This north-eastern area of Spain is economically the best performing region of the country. With old traditions, contemporary arts, flourishing trade companies, rural areas, industrial zones, castles and abbeys scattered over the landscape, sandy beaches, tourists and, above all, lots of sunshine. <br />Of all cities, one of the most compelling is Barcelona. <br />A mix of old and new architecture, narrow back alleys, broad avenues, shops with everything you can think of, though unaffordable for common people like me, and many different restaurants, bars, nightclubs and discotheques. Name it, it’s found in Barcelona.<br />If you say Barcelona, the first names that pop up are Gaudi, Picasso and Dali. These artists have made statements you can’t miss. Watch in wonder what they created or still is under construction (SacradeFamilia).<br />

14.
Driving through the countryside, numerous small villages appear. <br />It looks as if time stood still for ages.<br />The next page contains a collage of pictures taken at different places in the area.<br />

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16.
Would I forget my home country ? Of course not! It has a landscape known to many, all over the world. If they haven’t seen it with their own eyes, they surely have seen pictures of the master pieces by Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen and other famous painters. This winter has given a serene beauty to the polders around my village. Enjoy the scenery.<br />

17.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.<br /> So, keep looking at the world around us.<br />