Yearning for travel
Never too many baguettes I must start with a confession. France was never among the top destinations on our bucket list. We have been to Paris a couple of times because that’s kind of a must-do but we never felt attracted by any other regions. Which, both of us being wine and cheese aficionados, is…
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Trains are not the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of Switzerland. Chocolate, cheese, army knives, and cows with huge bells, those I can name off the top of my head. But trains? In a mountainous country like Switzerland? Not really. As it turns out, I couldn’t be more wrong. This Alpine…
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A couple of images of old rustic stables scattered on steep pastures were enough. I fell in love with Vals as soon as it came up in my pre-travel research of Switzerland. “This is where we’re going!” I announced to my husband. He just rolled his eyes, frustrated over my fixation with a place I…
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…besides visiting the Atomic Bomb Memorial Park and Museum, that is. But let’s skip the obvious and focus on a couple of less familiar sights and experiences that Hiroshima offers. See Mazda cars roll off the production line Even if you are not a huge car buff the Mazda museum is worth a visit. It…
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I love traditional Japanese guesthouses. They are the perfect combination of rustic, simple and unusual to appear exotic. Combined with genuine hospitality of their owners, fabulous home-cooked meals and ubiquitous hot baths they make for a most enjoyable stay. So, it comes a no surprise that a stay at one of the thatched roof houses…
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Japan surprised me in many ways. But the most unexpected was the part of the Nakasendo trail between Magome and Tsumago. It is the place to experience rural Japan that seems to be worlds apart from its sprawling cities. The 8 km hike up in the hills of Kiso Valley balanced my image of this…
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New Orleans Jazz Fest is the equivalent of Mardi Gras for music lovers. To avoid some of the common faux pas of a first-time visitor, here are some basic do’s and don’ts to observe.
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All it took was a job vacancy offer for a “Social Media / Digital Expert” that I found on Facebook to send my mind wandering. It wasn’t just any job, mind you, it was an open position at Euro Campers, a New Zealand camper rental company based close to Christchurch. I started imagining myself joining the…
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Facebook keeps reminding me how great my 2017 was: According to Zuckerberg’s algorithms I made X new friends, earned Y likes, wows and hahas and gained a couple of “biggest fans”. But what does this really say about the last twelve months? Not much, as it turns out. Apart from the fact that I posted…
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The train is seven minutes late. Halfway through a 70 km distance, that is. In Japan something like this only happens after a typhoon wreaked havoc across half a country. Back home it’s a normal part of my morning commute that throws me into an unexpected state of reverse cultural shock right on the first…
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Travel-Sehnsucht 