A love letter to culture and slow travel
“You’re going to spend 2 weeks in Iceland!? What will you do there?” a colleague of mine asked. Still considered a cold and tiny island “somewhere in the sea”, few people are aware of its sheer size. But Iceland is not like any other country, where the main cities are Continue Reading
There are only a few places in Europe that have managed to stay off the tourist radar. While its more famous neighbours Greece and Montenegro are already well established on the Central European tourist-trail, Albania somehow seems to have been largely forgotten. Is it Liam Neeson’s fault for trying to Continue Reading
Halfway between Europe and North America lie the 9 islands of the Azores. No mass tourism here, instead the Azores are one of the best well-kept ecotourism destinations in the world! Up to now that is… Low-cost carriers like Ryanair have discovered the charms of the archipelago too, so it Continue Reading
I am reading Jo Nesbø’s crime novel “The Snowman” as the bus pulls out of Rygge Airport. I wonder what secrets lie behind the deep dark Norwegian woods we’re passing … It’s something I will have to discover some other time; the next few days I will spend the weekend Continue Reading
“Mëngjes?” I stutter. The old man at “Freddy’s hostel” looks at me, surprised. “Breakfast? No, we don’t do that here, but you can get a cup of coffee if you want…” At least that’s what I think he says. Between my pretty non-existent Albanian and his non-existent English skills, it’s Continue Reading
“Hello my princess, I’m glad we meet again!” I turn around and stare right into the eyes of the man I have been trying to avoid all day… I met Abderrahmid the day before and as helpful and friendly as he may be, there was something too eager and slightly Continue Reading
Did you know that there are over 20 Mayan sites in Mexico? That’s right, one of the world’s biggest civilizations ever has left a huge mark on Mexico’s heritage sites! After exploring Mexico City, make sure to visit the states of Yucatán and Chiapas, where the majority of the Mayan Continue Reading
I have a thing for big cities; a thing for organised chaos and for places that might seem daunting at first. “Cairo? Loved it! Los Angeles? Much better than San Francisco! Staying in the hipster district of Johannesburg? Hell yeah!!” No wonder that the huge metropolis of Mexico City and Continue Reading
Tears are welling up behind my dark sunglasses. Around me people are waving white handkerchiefs and the encouraging “olés” can be heard all over La Glorieta. I knew I shouldn’t have come… What was I thinking? It all started the day before, when travelling from León to Salamanca. In the Continue Reading
“Tenerife? Isn’t that the place where thousands of British pensioners flock together to bake in the sun?” I am not going to spend one week in Tenerife eating fish and chips and listening to Brits moaning about the heat!” That was my first, not so enthusiastic reaction, when my travel partner Continue Reading