About a month ago Harold had a DJ gig in Groningen and because I once lived there for a short time, I thought it would be interesting to go with him. We stayed in a small design hotel near the Noorderplantsoen.

As it turned out we were in luck, because that weekend the Noorderzon theater and music festival was taking place in the park. So that’s where we spent Friday night!

Before we hit the park, I wanted to take a little trip down memory lane… I’ve been back to Groningen a couple of times, but I had never revisited the places where I lived (exactly) twenty years ago.

This was the first, happy place:

I occupied a teeny tiny room here. Actually it was more like a big closet… And I shared the house with three guys. They were funny and we had good times, but really… I just had to find somewhere else to stay.

This was it:

The not so happy, second place where I lived.

I think it looks kind of shabby now, but I actually had a really nice two-part room here. It was on the other side of the house, not visible from the road. I was lonely and miserable though… and I figured out that the study that I had chosen wasn’t right for me. So I left after a couple of months. Case Groningen closed.

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On Saturday morning Harold and I went our own ways. Harold went to the store opening where he had to work and I tried to find a couple more of the places I remembered.

You know, you remember the weirdest things when you step back in time… Like the time my (black) flared (G-star) jeans got caught between one of the pedals of my bike. Right here, in front of the Academy Building!

Of course I had to sneak in some shopping and eating too! I love the Folkingestraat. Lots of interesting independent shops there!

After I had lunch at the Schimmelpenninck Huys I went to the Groninger Museum. I love this museum and getting the chance to see the exhibitions of Yin Xiuzhen and Iris van Herpen made me very, very happy.

It had started to rain a little while I was having lunch, but by the time I was ready to leave the museum, it was pouring…

And that’s it… No more photos after that! After the rain (sort of) stopped I walked around for a bit until it was time for Harold to fetch me from the train station. And then we drove home…

It was short and (bitter)sweet!