Some of you will be aware that I spent four years of my childhood in Kenya during the early 1970s – I know, for the millennial reading this, that may seem like last century. But it was these four magical years among pineapple fields, lakes, waterfalls, and national parks that endeared me to wide open
My favourite colour is blue, but looking around my home, there is clear evidence of the contrary. The strong presence of a vast frog collection and the veritable jungle have stamped green as the strongest colour around. And because I believe in colour coordination, green became the main decorative tone, including for the choice of
There is a lot to do in the Harz region, regardless of the season you choose to visit. For the winter sports fans, this is of course one of the recommended areas for traditional skiing and cross-country skiing. The Harz in summer is a haven for cyclists, runners, hikers and general outdoors fans. The beauty
For all the Ateneans reading this, I am aware this is a reference to our Alma Matter, which been very much on my mind lately. “Down from the hill, down to the world go I; rememb’ring still, how the bright Blue Eagles fly. Through joys and tears, through the laughing years, we sing our battle
The preservation and sometimes restoration of old print photographs is important to me, not just because it is a way of keeping in touch with my past, but there are some veritable treasures in those old archives. One of the first trips I took in India without my family was to the tea plantations in
I travelled from Höxter back to Berlin on Saturday, taking the bus from Hannover onwards. It was more difficult than I anticipated, having to navigate the crowded station with luggage one-handed. I usually have a sling pouch in addition to a backpack on me, and it is no problem. This time, since I am under
There is a saying I grew up with: el hombre propone y Dios dispone (man proposes, the Lord decides) and this seems to be a recurring theme in my life as of late. The weeks following Easter offer several long weekends to either travel or be visited. Since I don’t work on Fridays, this means
The fusion of samba and jazz born in the 1960s that became known as the music genre Bossa Nova is something I found very soothing to study to while I was still in college, along with smooth jazz. Later on, once the travel bug bit me, I began associating Bossa Nova with warm, sultry tropical
I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers flow in the right direction, will the earth turn as it was taught, and if not, how shall I correct it? Was I right, Was I wrong, Will I be forgiven, Can I do better? Will I ever be able to sing, Even the
Are you ready for winter? This is a question I ask anyone in North America, Latin America and Europe. Where does the expression come from? Well, in the olden days before indoor heating, plumbing and electricity, the communities would preserve the food for winter, when the ground was barren. The more industrious families cured the meat,
