It was a strange month. The first two weeks I had time off with the kids, which meant lots of activities. Some of the highlights were Agualand, Elder, Climbing World, Palmitos Park and Sioux City. After that, I went back to work, and the kids went on vacation with Ana to the Spanish mainland, for a month of sun, beach, and the swimming pool. During the weeks I spend working hard I was even able to find some time for enjoyment, like going for some quality meat at Don Chuleton and visiting the Soul Festival.

After a few weeks of work, I traveled to the Netherlands. The plan was to go sometime in early August, but plans changed. Grandmother Nel is getting a new knee, a major operation, so I decided to head to the Netherlands a bit earlier to lend a helping hand.

I used a simple spray of water mixed with garlic and onion to spay over the plant… and just like that, the problem was history. My coffee plant is thriving again and growing like crazy!

As for the beetle (in Dutch, the ‘wants’)? It packed its bags. Apparently, it couldn’t stand the stench anymore and the leaves didn’t taste nearly as good. Mission accomplished!

Vacation! Time for a different rhythm. No more of that boring daily routine, just a chance to relax. Sometimes you take it a step further and immerse yourself in a completely different environment. Traveling to destinations that are incomparable to your home situation.

Alan has now reached the ultimate level. No school, a new place, and it even seems like he’s diving into a completely different culture. Alan is going full tribal!

This weekend I’m heading to San Agustín in the sunny south of Gran Canaria. Every year, they build an impressive stage right on the beach: the ocean on one side, food, drinks, and restrooms on the other. On Friday and Saturday, we’ll be soaking up the warm sand and enjoying the Soul Festival.

Soul festival 2025 – San Agustin – Friday, July 18:
19:30 Monterreina
20:30 JP Bimeni and the Black Belts
22:00 The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band
22:10 Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee & Candy Fox
22:50 Carlos Strong
23:50 Junte Mayon
00:30 Gran Final

Soul festival 2025 – San Agustin – Saturday, 19 July:
19:30 Calamity Jane
20:30 Gisele Jackson and the Shu Shu’s
22:00 The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band
22:10 Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee & Candy Fox
22:50 Lil Rounds
23:50 Jerome Chism
00:30 Gran Final

I’ve been to this festival several times, always with Diego. The last time was two years ago. We always do it the same way: two days of fun, Friday and Saturday. One day I drive, the other day Diego takes the wheel. No kids because we’re home alone while both our families are off vacationing somewhere far away. We stay behind as loyal wage slaves.

But this year we’re doing things differently. No commuting back and forth. We plan on sleeping in the car near the beach. Just a mat and a sleeping bag. That saves us a lot of travel time we’d rather spend relaxing in the sand. Friday: we leave, enjoy the festival, sleep in the car; Saturday: more music, another car night, then head home on Sunday.

Two nights in the car? Should be doable. We’re just going to give it a shot.

Update: The festival was absolutely amazing, but I couldn’t handle sleeping in the car for two nights. On the second day, I stayed completely sober and drove back home at night so I could sleep comfortably in my own bed again.