Welcome to Friesland

Let’s visit our neighbors! In Leeuwarden, the capital city of the Dutch province of Friesland which is located in the northern part of the country, we celebrated the beginning of the weekend by dining in a snugly restaurant. 

At 3 a.m. – so in the middle of the night – we woke up in order to get to the coast of the Wadden Sea for mudflat hiking. With the aid of a time table mudflat hikers use a period of low water to walk and wade on the watershed of the mudflats. It was completely dark when we started and with each slippery step in the mud of low tide we got dirtier. After a while we could watch the sunrise over the ebbed sea. People got stuck, fell down, or got completely wet while crossing some small river like currents. It was huge fun.
After a couple of hours (maybe 4) we reached Ameland, one of the West Frisian Islands that consists mostly of sand dunes. There we hiked to the other side of the island and got picked up by a tractor which brought us to the next village where we enjoyed our sweet breakfast before we started our bicycle tour. With the ferry we went back to the mainland. The rest of the weekend got filled by having a nice dinner, listening to international musicians we've invited, kayaking as well as having a picnic with barbecue at a river.
What a weekend!

it`s time for camping...

Belgium: Rendeux, Durbuy, Dinant

Welcome to the next camping destination: Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium. As usual I started the trip right after work looking forward to meet old and new friends from the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Somehow a couple of apparent destinations that are easy to reach, turn out as a real adventure.
I was so happy that my parents have lent me their navigation agent in order to arrive punctual and relaxed at my destination.
Getting to Aachen, the westernmost city of Germany which is located in the border triangle to the Netherlands and Belgium, was no problem. Right before the border I wanted to make use of the navigation and realized that the cartography hasn’t been updated, additionally to that all Benelux maps were missing. Great! So I checked google.maps that marked the way on the map extract, turned off the connection and started the GPS. My smartphone lost the connection when I really needed it and was cruising around until it got dark. With my rusty French I was asking for the direction as soon as I could see someone outside. After narrow winding and unlighted roads up and down some hills I finally reached my destination.
After that late success the next surprise was already waiting, as no one was there - except me. My phone released the connection, the spot was completely dark and quiet. So I decided to search the others early in the morning. Due to my frustration I decided to not pitch up my tent but to sleep in the back of the car.
After sunrise I was pacing up and down the trails close to the river – without effect. With the remaining battery I could find my friends phone number in one of my mails and called him before the battery was completely dead.  He told me that I mixed up the address and got to the place we met last year. Instead of Rendeux we meet in Wéris close to Durbuy. And the odyssey continued…
… in the end, after another quest in the morning (due to a wrong spelling) I was sent back and forth by the locals and reached our camping spot on time. After quick welcome hugs we went kayaking in Dinant followed by a cozy campfire…

Netherlands: Texel 

Texel is the biggest island in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland and has an excellent reputation as a popular holiday destination. Instead of reporting about this place I prefer to describe some emotions that remind me of this island.

Sometimes there is this yearning for being free and  experiencing the pleasurable feeling of being alive, while sensing the grass between my toes and the sand under my feet, breathing the salty air and getting touched by a fresh breeze that is playing with my hair. To feel the warming rays of light on my face while closing my eyes and taking a deep breath - taking a break, is a way of complete satisfaction and happiness.  

Germany: Traben-Trarbach

Dear camping lovers! A perfect summer has started and invites you for camping at Mont Royal which is close to the historical village Traben-Trarbach at the river Mosel that is surrounded by smooth hills. During that weekend friends from all over the world enjoyed a city tour to Trier, hiking in the forest and the nearby vineyards, playing stupid games, having dinner at the campfire and of course vine tasting (the actual reason for coming here). Guys, that weekend was awesome! See you again next year!

Going to work, back to reality or however you want to call it

Just because I am back in my home town it doesn't mean that travels are over. For many travelers I got back to reality - meaning the end of fun. But having a regular life doesn't have to be bad - not at all.

During my world trip one of my aims was to find a place where I would like to live for a couple of years. And only now, being back home, I finally realize and discover the beauty of that place. And what I also recognize is that each place wherever it is in the world offers advantages and disadvantages, chances and risks, happiness and disappointment.

Being back and living an ordinary life can be fascinating too if we organize it in an exciting way. That might include my everyday cycling trip to work through forests and fields, where I can be in nature smelling the blooming flowers of different kind of trees and bushes as well as watching some sleepy animals that cross my way. Many people declare me crazy cycling one hour to work and one hour back. But being in nature, taking this time for myself, satisfies me.  After work I can decide to make a detour exploring other paths to the direction of my home town. And of course I got lost not just once. But this is fun, not stress. 

On the weekends we should use the possibility to get to know the hidden treasures our region has to offer. In Australia, Brazil and Argentina we covered large distances without any complaint, back in Germany we seem to be comfortable and lazy. Let’s change it!

So far we`ve visited Amsterdam, Frankfurt for the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge, Traben-Trabach with its vineyards, Trier for a city tour, the Vulcan Eifel region, Paris, Texel an island in the Netherlands, Hamburg, …

Pictures will be posted soon.

looking back: round-the-world

A brave explorers dream was to see the entire world with its stunning, unique, gorgeous and poor sides. The huge curiosity and eagerness for knowledge about “the others” fired the dreamer’s imagination and the desire to witness the difference with one’s own eyes. 

But even a whiff of these euphoric ideas was alien to the dreamer’s family. Not only the chain of thoughts encountered resistance and fell on deaf ears but also the openness to experience as well as the wish to learn as many languages as possible. Already back then the little explorer knew that with knowing a language you will get access to society and to people’s hearts. 

Many years have elapsed and the little dreamer thought: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” And when the time was ripe, he plucked up courage and went on his way. 

She was more than ready taking the step beyond our secure “normal” life to face reality. Life has a lot more to offer than personal gain and the run for luxury. Life outside our protected world opens your eyes if you try to see and understand different cultures and getting access by respect learning more about and from them. After getting in touch with reality it won’t let you forget it. 

The experiences I made with local people in Third World and developing countries give me more than anything I can ever buy. The memories and the intensive afterglow give me gratefulness and happiness. All our problems and issues seem to be nothing compared to the life of the majority of the population. I gave up all my material things to keep the young explorers dream alive. Without regrets! Because this is the most valuable treasure I’ve ever dreamt of. 

written by Heike Molatta

Die Grillsaison ist eröffnet!

Gedränge an der Fleischtheke. Ausverkaufte Würstchen. Ansturm auf Grillkohle. Aus den Gärten steigen Rauchschwaden auf und der verlockende Duft des BBQ  lässt einem das Wasser im Mund zusammen laufen. Es wird gegrillt und zwar, wo man nur hinschaut.

Wir brauchen nicht weit zu reisen, da sich die Sonne von ihrer schönsten Seite zeigt (bzw. versperren uns die mittlerweile nervigen Wolken nicht die Sicht auf den strahlend blauen Himmel).

Doch Moment mal… haben wir nicht eine Jahreszeit übergangen? Der Frühling kam zwar spät, aber dafür mit voller Wucht. Bunte  Schmetterlinge, wie Zitronenfalter und Tagpfauenaugen flattern fröhlich umher. Die bereits zahmen Blaumeisen und Rotkehlchen zwitschern was das Zeug hält und die zarten Knospen der Bäume und Blümchen sprießen der Sonne entgegen. Der erste Spargel landete mit etwas Verspätung letzten Endes auch auf dem Teller!

Endlich! Das hat aber auch ganz schön lange gedauert!
 

 

 

Winter 2013 bzw. Mini-Eiszeit

Seit Beginn der flächendeckenden Wetteraufzeichnungen im Jahr 1951 war dieser Winter mit nur 96 Sonnenstunden der sonnenscheinärmste.
Der März erhielt die Auszeichnung "5. kältester März seit Beginn der Wetteraufzeichnungen 1881".
Klimatologen in Österreich behaupten, dass dies einer der trübsten Winter der letzten 130 Jahre war.
Also, ganz ehrlich, auf derartige Rekorde ich ich gut und gerne verzichten.
Ich habe mich ja so sehr auf die Spargelsaison gefreut, doch auf den schneebedeckten Feldern herrscht Friedhofsstimmung.
Nachdem wir am Osterwochenende kollektiv dem bundesweiten Aufruf Frau Holle zu verkloppen gefolgt sind, ist unsere Hoffnung auf besseres Wetter groß.
 



"Schneeflöckchen Weißröckchen woher kommst du geschneit? ..."
 

Ich kenne dieses Lied sehr gut und errinnere mich dabei immer wieder an meine Kindheit, in der ich sehnsüchtig in den Himmel geschaut und auf Schnee gehofft habe, um zu rodeln, einen Schneemann zu bauen oder eine Schneeballschlacht zu machen... damals vergebens. Jetzt als pflichtbewußter Erwachsener, Autofahrer und Pendler sowie verantwortungsvoller Bürger des Ruhrgebiets ist der Schnee nur eine lästige Naturerscheinung, die man auf dem Weg zur Arbeit nicht genießen kann. Schnee gehört in die Berge. Dort wird er gebaucht!
Obwohl ich zugeben muss, dass die weiße Pracht insbesondere bei Sonnenschein wunderschön aussieht. Am Wochenende gibt es kaum etwas schöneres, als sich warm einzupacken und eine Radtour oder einen ausgedehnten Spaziergang durch die weiße Landschaft zu machen.