I want the world to stop...

I've slowly but surely started running regularly again. With Vondelpark on my doorstep and the weather very slowly becoming mild I have no excuses and nor do I want any. I'd forgotten how good running is for the mind and soul as well as my body. For twenty, thirty minutes or more I down tools and Macbook lid, pound the pavement and let my thoughts run a little wild.  Or preferably they stop completely and I just focus on getting my now embarrassingly unfit self around a short distance.

Of course, it also helps that I listen to some great music while I do this and this is one of those songs that does just that as well as capturing the way I feel before I go for a run. This is an unofficial video for the song but I quite like what's going on here.I hope that the world can stop a bit for you all back in the UK and that you have a great bank holiday and for the rest of us not enjoying a national holiday I hope your Monday is kind.

If you hadn't seen on Twitter or Instagram, I did some real-time blogging over on TravMonkey in Amsterdam which involved taking a lot of photos and checking in on foursquare. In the space of three days I lost my foursquare virginity, gained no less than four badges (including the Overshare badge - ok, got the hint!) and I started to question if I wanted to maybe continue this relationship. I'm not convinced either way so we shall see. However, here are some of the photos I took as well as some from Queen's Day last Monday. I'm happy to report the orange 'tache has since been shaved off...As the Bird flies is now on Bloglovin - follow my little blog over there. And if you'd like to make friends on Facebook I'd love that and here's the page I'd like you to like.