Going south…

We travelled from 58° north to 34° south.

The sounds of birds and insects, smell of the dusty earth, intense heat resting on your skin and taste of tender beef fillet fresh off the braai…now that’s home. That is South Arica.

Aurora Borealis

Dancing light...

Ice Hotel, Jukkasjärvi

En entire hotel built completely from snow and ice… imagine! During the winter season ice blocks are harvested from the frozen Thorne River. They are then stored at - 5° Celsius during the summer months and used in the following winter to construct the Ice Hotel. Every year the hotel is constructed in a new design with the assistance of various artists. Then, when summer comes the hotel melts and flows back into the river.

However, do not think that you’ll spend a cozy night. The temperatures inside the hotel are kept at a constant - 5° Celsius to prevent to furniture from melting. Even inside a warm sleeping bag, a bed of ice remains a cold and hard. The whole experience is worth while when you wake up to wander around a hallway sculpted out of ice.

We had to sneak a peak into the artist rooms. Each room is designed and sculpted individually by a different artist. Then the Ice Bar brings a whole new dimension and serves drinks in glasses made entirely of ice. Now that’s how you serve Vodka cocktails.

68° North, - 25° Celsius

We traveled into the Arctic Circle to visit the Ice Hotel, see the northern lights and explore unspoiled landscapes with sled dogs.

This photo was captured at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center. It is around 10am and the sky is finally light enough for photography. But, the pastel light doesn’t last. At 2pm the sky darkens and the long night begins, awakening the prospects of the Aurora Borealis.

Font Magica, Barcelona

Take water, add some light and spectacular music and mix it all up to generate an awe-inspiring show!

The life of trees

Concrete cityscape

Fabulous city images are silk screen printed on the concrete floor of the Fünf Höfe centre in Munich. The centre was designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron.

The silk screening is an interesting process. Acidic gel is applied to the concrete and reacts with the top layer of mortar. The acid is then washed off with water leaving behind a relief pattern on the concrete surface. The required image is obtained by using stencils.

Let them eat cake…

5 Euros may be a bit pricy for one little cake…but have a look at these mouthwatering delights! They are made by a deli called Dallmayr and they taste even better than they look. Your taste buds send little sparks through your body as the divine chocolate melts in your mouth.

Dancing light

Sporadic rays of light dance across the interior of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. The colours are generated by the early evening sun shining through Alfons Mucha’s stained glass windows.

U-Bahnhof Westfriedhof, Auer+Weber

These giant lamps were designed by Ingo Maurer. They really have extremely creative lighting concepts. Have a look at their website: http://www.ingo-maurer.com/

Free theater!

Ever wondered why Europeans are so cultured? Well, this is the outside of the National Opera in Vienna. They are projecting Mozart’s Magic Flute live on the building façade, complete with sound. So…if you cannot afford theater tickets you can simply watch the show from the courtyard for free. Crowds are gathered around the façade either seated or standing around casually.

If you want an authentic inside experience instead, you can buy standing tickets for the top balcony for only 3 €. Let’s skip coffee tonight and rather go to the opera. What do you think?

Graffiti art

I’ve always admired good graffiti. Even though it is vandalism 99% of the time, they get really creative.

This is a street performer painting incredibly vivid images with spray paint. He uses a piece of paper to manipulate the wet paint into multi-coloured waves.

What happened to summer?

Believe it or not, this field of poppies bloomed on a small empty building site in the middle of the city.

Squirrel café

Ok, that’s not its real name. I renamed Prince Coffee Club in Vienna due to their incredibly cute squirrel logo. It’s just a chic little place to relax on a couch with a cup of coffee. Highly recommendable for tired legs or eager people watchers.

Isolated

This little church rests snugly in the shadow of its neighbor, the Zugspitze. At an altitude of 2962m the Zugspitze is the highest point in Germany.

Pavilion 21 mini opera space, Coop Himmelb(l)au

During summer I stumbled upon this unique pavilion temporarily occupying a tiny square behind the state opera. It is an extraordinary sight. I immediately found out what is showing and discovered a free singing performance on a Tuesday morning. All eager and excited we arrived a little early, standing outside with our takeaway Cappuccinos and acting very European.

We thought it strange when only about a dozen more people showed up. Once inside, a single piano and a very animated musician greeted us. He handed out some music sheets with the notes and Italian lyrics of Verdi’s Coro di Schiavi Ebrei. It turns out this was not a performance at all but rather a music lesson. All conducted in German off course. We smiled at each other, tried our best notes and after 30 minutes snuck out and had a good laugh over coffee and croissants.

Craftsman

The colours seem to work so well together in this picture. There’s something honest about his hands and the tenderness with which he shapes the clay.

First snow

Eyes sparkle at the first magical sight of winter forests. It feels like discovering the forest of Narnia with Lucy walking through the cupboard door. You are surrounded by snowy landscapes with scents of autumn clinging to the last bit of life.

Digital art

At Swarovski Crystal World in Innsbruck, digital motion is projected onto a crystal embedded screen generating an unbelievable glamorous effect!

Best bread in town!

Autumn

The whole world seems to transform into magnificent colours ranging from green, lemon, yellow, amber, gold, orange, cinnamon, flame, ochre, red and eventually faded brown. Blankets of leaves animate the ground and every now and then the first signs of snow appear.

Porsche Museum, Stuttgart, Delugan Meissl

Flammkuchen

Freshly baked in a wood fired oven, these flame cakes are often available at town markets. Flammkuchen are baked golden brown, topped with Crème fraîche, bacon and chives and served deliciously warm.

Szamotuły, Poland

Day 289

Homesickness appears suddenly on a Sunday morning when we want to exchange the cold lonely day for a sunny afternoon braai with family.

Instead, we walk through the cemetery, pause to smile at the squirrels, and over to Aroma…a bustling chic café. We overindulge in choc-chip cookies and other delights and entertain ourselves by observing the interesting café’ goers.

It is here that I stumbled upon this accurate postcard which I simply had to send home.

Munich Marathon

We did it!

A magnificently well organized race! Runners were entertained by waves of supporters, drums, orchestras and live rock bands deafening the sidewalks. Water and snack points revived our tired bodies every 2km.

After passing all the tourist attractions and almost everywhere else, we ran into Olympia Park and through a disco tunnel before finally entering the Olympic arena.

If you could face the “no shame” public showers afterwards, you could even embrace a free massage, without which we probably wouldn’t have made it back home.

42km is exactly as far as it sounds…

Oktoberfest

Cooking classes in Chianti

At Paneretta farm in Monsanto, Patrizia taught us how to make fresh ravioli and a dreamy Tiramisu. Try it!

Tiramisu – translated to “pick me up”

Ingredients:
• 4 eggs, at room temperature and separated
• 125g sugar
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• Finger biscuits (those you typically find in a Tiramisu)
• Pinch of salt
• 500ml leftover espresso, cooled down
• Bitter cacao

Instructions:
• Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form
• Beat egg yolks and sugar, add mascarpone cheese and mix well
• Fold egg white mixture lightly into egg yolk mixture – do not over mix!
• Dip Finger biscuits into coffee and layer the bottom of a serving dish
• Spread half of the mixture over the biscuits
• Add another layer of coffee dipped biscuits
• Spread the final layer of mixture and sprinkle with cacao
• Leave in the fridge for 5 hours to set
• Enjoy!

Only in Italy

Parma

At Le Specialita di Parma, you can buy parmesan cheese, Parma ham and Cappelletti (filled pasta). Add a bottle of Chianti Castelalo della Paneretta wine and you’ll dine on an excellent cuisine!

Monza Formula 1 Grand Prix

A rush of deafening noise and motion blur…

Gebrannte Mandeln

The overwelming smell of fresh syrup roasted almonds was the first thing to greet me when I stepped off the metro on my very first day in Munich. At markets and festivals this wonderful smell is always present, tempting you not to ignore the sweet delights.

Day 247

Please be an example for the kids and only cross the street when the light is green...

Parade

Early Saturday morning strange looking people, dressed in traditional wear or holding ancient firearms, greet the streets of Augsburg. Later, a donkey cart and an 8 horsepower carriage make their way to the square where the excitement will begin.

Given a bit of motivation, a whole town will dress up and eagerly join in the celebrations. Even on a rainy Saturday at the end of the summer thousands will show up to parade down the cobbled streets. Both sides of the street are lined with squealing children eager for the sweets thrown into the crowds from the passing parade. Marching bands create the merry ambiance and bakeries hand out giant pretzels. A farmer’s wagon, loaded with fresh vegetables, hand out carrots to the excited onlookers.

Day 241

Isn’t this Australian Shepherd simply fascinating!

Summer on the Chiemsee

Kraakvars – crackling fresh

I often go out for an early morning run. The irresistible smell of freshly baked bread and pastries follow you as you run down the sleeping streets. Munich is crowded with mouth-watering bakeries and you’ll never walk for more than 100m without meeting one.

After the run, when I’ve earned the right, I will stop and buy fresh semmeln for breakfast. The only word which could sufficiently describe the deliciousness of the white bread roll is the Afrikaans word kraakvars. As you cut the semmel open bread crumbs scatter all over the counter top.

Flowers: self-service

In the Bavarian countryside one can pull off next to the road and cut your own bouquet of flowers. You simply leave the required amount in the metal box and help yourself to striking fresh flowers. Somehow the Bavarians are able to completely trust people to be honest.