Travel the World - A few most beautiful bookshops

Book Vibes Only. If you like to travel and if you like reading, check out what comes now. Books are like friends. I find non-readers highly suspicious. Why would one want to miss out on all these stories?

Travel Italy - A Guide to the Island of Elba

Elba, the biggest island in the Tuscan archipelago has the shape of a fish and is roughly 220 kilometres to the south (-west) from Florence. There are mountains, the water is clear and of a lovely blue colour; towns are cute with many pastel-coloured houses. The island is inhabited by only 30,000 residents, of who most live in the capital. The capital is Portoferraio, and it is the place you see first when arriving by ferry from the mainland. The season starts in early spring and one can still swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea and drink Prosecco on alfresco terraces well into October. Autumn in this part of Italy can still feel like summer compared to other parts of Europe.

Go Hiking in the Dolomites and Eat Kaiserschmarrn

I love hiking and taking photos in the Dolomites and all that but what I also like is to sit down and eat. Stopping for lunch at one of these alpine huts I recommend you eat Kaiserschmarrn.

-Kaiser = Emperor.

-Schmarrn = A Schmarrn in Bavarian and Austrian cooking is a dish in which during the preparation the initial mass of the dish is roughly divided into small pieces. In Bavarian, everything that appears to be meaningless is described as schmarrn (nonsense).

There are a few stories of how Kaiserschmarrn came into this world, and I like this version a waiter told me, it goes well with hiking and being in the mountains.

The Unfair Traveller - Symptoms and Treatment - Travel Etiquette

Travelling is what I love to do, in recent months alone I visited seven different countries, and you can well imagine that I spend a lot of time in, on and around public transport, like train stations, bus stops, airports, planes, boats and trains. I always expect the very worst things that can happen to me on my travels. I’m fully aware that I’m at risk of experiencing profoundly disturbing or utterly bothersome things, as soon as I leave my home. I love that with my expectation comes a feeling of being prepared (up to a certain extent).

The Unfair Traveller - Symptoms

Looking at the state of things when travelling I have serious doubts that we will ever achieve world peace.

Travel Italy. Hiking at Lago di Braies in the UNESCO nature heritage listed Prags Dolomites

If you love to travel to see hidden gems in off the beaten path locations along the road less travelled please do not visit Lago Braies in Italy. I will be brutally honest (autsch), Lago die Braies is the complete opposite. It is a place for the masses, travelling on well-trodden paths, that came here on roads that are at times utterly clogged by traffic. There are coach loads of humans, and if that isn’t enough stress for slow travellers already, they are all dressed either in neon or beige outdoor gear. 

How to Spot a Fantastic Restaurant: Look at these Three Things

To let the cat out of the bag, I am not into fast food at all. I love restaurants where I can feel the passion for a product, places where waiters understand how to excite diners, where waiters know how to take diners on a journey. They can take me on a tiny journey, really I don’t mind, I don’t expect fireworks every time I eat out, I just want to be on fire .. a bit. I love to observe other diners (and especially friends and family I go out with). I also read lots of restaurant ratings on several websites. Over the years and (I reckon) hundreds of restaurant visits later I came to the conclusion that most diners really have to be more honest, yes I might even say more realistic.

You get what you pay for. People often love places because they are so cheap. That is what I really hear too often. Isn’t it obvious that cheap and amazing experiences at restaurants don’t very often come together? Quality products and professional staff that in the end lead to a special experience cost money. Easy.

Cheap and cheerful is terrific too, all in good time. Expecting excellence at a cheap and cheerful place is not so cool really. That is what I mean when I talk about realistic expectations. Again, you get what you pay for, and I believe in fair play. Don’t go to a cheap and cheerful place and behave like having dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant.

Travel Inspiration Europe: April to June

We are well into the New Year, and it is time to plan further ahead. Look what I discovered in 2015. I had the most magnificent travel year and so many outstanding experiences. I highly recommend every single one to you. See where I went in 2015 (and read all about it on my Instagram account) to get inspired for the year ahead. It is all about planning at the right time. I already introduced January to March, and now we will go on with April to June … Have fun.

Travelling? It makes you thirsty for more of this thing called life

Travelling does the craziest things to you. It goes like this. At the beginning of this year, as I was in Botswana, when I saw the wildlife I was convinced that I will do more birdwatching when back home. Easy, go to any lookout point and start. In Zimbabwe I wanted to become a freedom fighter, whereas soon after in Cape Town, South Africa I knew I need to buy a farm in the Karoo and live happily ever after. I mean, thinking of it, an apartment in Clifton with a view of the ocean would equally do the trick.

Is travelling all about the food?

If you ask me which country in the world has got the best food I would say Cambodia. The food I had there was simple, lots of vegetables and rice and all these exciting flavours. But again, how can I pick just one country? 

What about those perfectly cooked Paccheri Pasta in cream of Provolone del Monaco cheese garnished with black truffle slivers I ate in Italy? Once I tried Avocado Toast in Australia I was lost forever, it is now a breakfast staple of mine. My olive addiction started in Spain ... And then there are Koeksisters in South Africa, grilled vegetables, halloumi cheese and balsamic glaze in Athens, Greece, homemade bread in Botswana … and the list goes on. 

In Australia, breakfast is only complete with Avocado toast

Foodie moments enhance the experience of travelling

All these foodie moments surely enhance the experience of travelling, since most dishes were created over a period of time, most often centuries, and are deeply rooted in each countries culture. 

If you travel you often find food you have never seen before. That is what happened when I went to Cambodia, where I saw they sold fried Tarantulas at the roadside and on markets. A Cambodian lady at a market in Phnom Penh told me the country’s population started eating spiders during the Khmer Rouge regime when food was scarce to most people. Whenever I tell this, people get all disgusted and say they would never eat things like that. I always answer, don’t be a hypocrite, it is just the same as eating a cow, a rabbit or a pig. To me, there is no difference at all. It is funny how people’s perception of things gets blurred easily out of, let’s call it, ignorance.

Visit local food markets

When you visit local food markets you can be sure to learn most about the country you visit. This is where people do their grocery shopping, no matter their income or their age or gender. You will surely meet a wide variety or to be more precise representative sample of the local population. Some of my favourite markets are the Farmers Market in San Francisco, USA, the Mercate del Rialto in Venice, Italy, the Churchill Island Farmers’ Market in Victoria, Australia, the Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) in Cambodia, the Neighbourgoods Market in Cape Town, Torvehallerne in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the ever so popular Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Germany.

Recently I travelled to Positano in Italy for no other reason than to visit restaurants, and I had the best foodie time ever. Now I know where to eat in one of Italy's prettiest villages. It takes a lot of effort, true, to visit a place for its food alone, but try it, there is nothing to lose.

Where is your favourite foodie place? 

From Berlin with love

Positano. Where to Eat in one of Italy’s Prettiest Villages

Imagine yourself to be in a picture perfect kind of place. A tiny village, massive mountains in the background, full of little lanes with colourful buildings, Fiat 500s parked at the roadside, and a fantastic view of the Mediterranean. There is the smell of lemons and freshly baked bread everywhere. Cats strolling aimlessly, people are browsing small stores …. Get it? I bet you are. 

There is one tiny problem, the place is packed with tourists, but understandably so. Positano on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy is beautiful indeed and that is why thousands of people love to visit this place. If you are a hard-core off the beaten track traveller this place is most certainly not the place for you. If you love all of the aforementioned and can handle big crowds, if you don’t mind to share the place with a few others you better visit now. 

It is packed with visitors from all over the world, but I love that the people living here managed to keep its charm and not turn it into Disneyworld. How can you keep away the crowds from a place as picturesque as this one? If I wouldn’t have known this is real I would have thought it is a staged film set.

When I visit I am astounded and for the first time in my life I realise how strong the power of social media and especially Instagram is, I had seen so many pics of Positano, and to stand there on that beach felt so unreal, this never happened before. Also a clear sign that pretty much anyone in this world must have visited before me ... and took a few photographs.

This time I didn’t drive here to visit museums or to go hiking or snorkelling, not at all. My main aim was to eat. Let me show you some of the restaurants I visited while in Positano. When I visit restaurants I look for a good time, my life doesn’t depend on one evening, I wouldn’t get upset by mishaps, we are all human, remember?

Some people might call the places I went to tourist traps, but come on, aren’t we all tourists, don’t we all have to eat at one point on our vacation? Positano is so packed with visitors that one might say the whole town is a tourist trap, since tourists are literally just about everywhere. I visited and kept calm, no matter how busy it was. Every visitor in this place makes it this busy, and no one is better than the next.

And oh boy, how did I eat. Eating great vegetarian food has its downsides too, once you tasted the real deal, it is so very hard to go back to mediocre after that. Like reading that perfect book and trying to read a lukewarm after. Right? From that perspective I wish I would have never visited Positano. I am spoiled for life ...

Why dressing like a local doesn’t make sense

You know there are lots of people who believe to be the best thing since sliced bread, smarter than Albert Einstein, better dressed than James Bond or I don’t know what else they think of themselves. Just throw all of this overboard, the most important thing is to feel comfortable with who you are, I know it sounds too easy, and it is true. 

I didn't dress like this local in Cambodia but we had a friendly chat

There is big advice everywhere where others tell you what best to wear, when and how to wear it and it doesn’t make any sense to me at all. There are people who truly believe it might be the very best to wear a cork hat when in Australia but that is their opinion. There might be others who tell you it might be awesome to wear a money belt, yes, let them do it. And there are the ones who tell you to best wear trainers on city trips, but no, no, no, ... How can someone else know what is best for me or you?

How to dress when travelling

Trust me, packing clothes for vacation really depends on

Eyewitness Rome: Loredana Cardinale from Walks

Loredana Cardinale lives in Rome, the capital city of Italy. Isn’t that what most people dream of? Living the life in the eternal city? She loves travelling and that is certainly the reason she understands what visitors would love to experience when they visit her home town. She made her passion her job and works at Walks. I asked her about Rome and she tells us where to best buy fresh produce, go for drinks at night and which hidden secret you better put on your Rome to-do list …

Chic Numa Florence Rodo Hotel

You have heard of the Piazza del Duomo in Florence, right? When I travel I love to stay right in the middle of town. I love to be where it all happens. I look for places where I can pop into a Café when I feel like I need to have a quick Espresso, or into a Restaurant for dinner and not to have to walk so far back home after the feast. I feel that stepping out of the front door to visit galleries, museums, browse delicacy-stores, buy shoes or a handbag without having to swing long distances is pure bliss.

In Florence the best option would be to camp in the hall of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower on Piazza del Duomo, but this is obviously not going to happen any time soon (I haven't heard of any plans turning that place into a hotel). The other option is to stay at

Travel Italy - Guided walking tour through Florence

I don’t know about your experience at school. My history teacher wasn't the most entertaining or engaging person. She didn’t manage to interest me in history at all. I had to drag myself to class, rather than to feel I couldn’t wait for the next sitting. As I follow Charles around the historical centre of Florence I think how easy it is to interest people in history, if you are the right person for the job. Charles walks me through four centuries of action-packed history with ease. He would make the perfect history teacher: a great entertainer and knowledgeable at the same time. Within moments I am hooked. Often it feels like he can read my mind. When I am about to ask a question he already answers it. You are dying to know who Charles is, right? I better start right at the beginning.

After driving through big parts of Italy, from the south all the way up north, with many Espresso (plus chocolate) stops at several different roadhouses, I eventually arrive in Florence shortly before

10 of the most vibrant food markets in the world

Farmers' and also food markets are places where traders are passionate about their wares. I try to explain this with a mushroom. These markets are places where someone not only sells you any mushroom but the mushroom that person truly believes is the best mushroom out there. Farmers know the story behind the mushroom, they might even remember the day they started mixing the right ingredients for the compost before they put them in their dark rooms. Or they can recall the very day they went out to gather mushrooms in the forest. They know how much effort it takes to get the perfect product, they respect their food naturally. It is so very lovely to see this pure affection for a product. My secret tip for a great experience at farmers markets is, to start chatting to the farmers. You will most certainly hear the most amazing stories about the food. A visit at a market is about connecting growers and consumers. Do you get that at your local supermarket?

These markets are places where locals and visitors have been buying their wares for decades if not centuries (at least that is the case in some parts of the world). If you are on vacation and visit a market you will be part of that community, if only for a short time. You sure will be able to try food staples you can only get at this particular place, and you will most certainly be longing for these things forever. It is almost as if you tasted the place, literally. A market tells you a lot about a town, you will find out about the relation people have with their food. Why do people eat? What do they want to express? Do they want to express anything at all?

How to best describe food markets? Take passionate farmers and regional food and scatter them around a beautiful landmark. Add the excitement and hunger of locals and visitors, and finish off with the scent of herbs, spices, bbqs and freshly brewed coffee. If that isn’t a recipe for a feast, I don’t know what is.

Come with me on a tour around the world, and see the most vibrant food markets ...

Travel Italy - 17 close looks at Venice

Everyone who has ever been to Venice knows it is packed with visitors. It can get sort of insane. Interestingly enough, if you simply walk away from the main alleys, it feels like being all alone in the city. I don't know why, but people seem to be too lazy (hopefully not too scared) to make the effort of walking the extra 20 or so meters. 

It is no secret, everyone knows it pays off to walk the extra mile... I love to look at places and dream of what might have happened there in the past. I just walked this bit further, lingered a little bit longer and often looked a tiny bit closer and this is what I found.

Travel Etiquette. Hot or not? Taking pictures with your iPad

Every traveller must have met at least one person like the one in the image below by now. I still don’t know what to make of it really. What do you think? I mean the iPad has been designed to take photos, so why not use the feature? Does it rock to take pictures with your iPad when travelling, or is it plain silly to do so?

Do you know this lady taking the pic of a lifetime?

Ever since people started schlepping the iPad to just about everywhere, I feel they take more pictures at museums. The no photography-signs are well ignored by most travellers. Rather than to enjoy the exhibition, people choose to take billions of images of paintings, sculptures etc. with their iPad. Like addicts, the urge to take a picture is too hard to resist. It takes away the magic for me, having to look at all the iPads in front of the paintings. If these guys are after images, why can't they buy the catalogue at the museum store? Many museums are sharing their whole collection online anyway, so why not have a browse there after the visit? But maybe they can't, being compulsive photographers. On the other hand, it is actually great free advertising for museums, if people tweet about their visit and also put up their images on Instagram.

What do you think? Do you love to take pictures at museums to take an active role and create something new from it or do you prefer to simply enjoy the art?

Looking forward to hear from you.

From Berlin with love

Travel Italy - Self-Guided Cicchetti and Prosecco Tour through Venice

Assuming you had a great weekend trip to Venice only a few months back and it would only take you a short flight of an hour and a half to go there … Would you go again? Exactly. I would be mad not to visit again. Last time I had admired all the sights which make Venice what it is. Grand Canal, Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs, San Marco Square, Basilica de San Marco. This time around I felt free to do other stuff. You surely know that feeling when you go somewhere for the second time.

Have you been to the buzzing Rialto Market in the San Polo district yet? It is Saturday morning. Locals and tourists are shopping for fresh food; punters relax while chatting and drinking Prosecco and having a bite to eat. There I was, standing on sunny Campo Cesare Battisti. I am at a bar near the market and have a marvellous idea. The square is lined by delicacy stores filled to the rafters with cheese, olive oil and crusty bread. I am enjoying myself thoroughly and simply decide to go on a Prosecco-Bar-Crawl for the day. Why not? It is the weekend, enough reason to celebrate. I try to make every day of my life a celebration though …

I go to a few bars near Rialto Bridge in San Polo and after that to bars in Dorsoduro. The district is easy to reach over the Ponte dell'Accademia, with its Campo Santa Margherita and the Peggy Guggenheim collection. There are amazing views over the water along the way.

Prosecco hails from the Veneto region

Soon it becomes clear that Prosecco runs as freely as all the water surrounding the city. Prosecco hails from the Veneto region, in the northeast of Italy. Valdobbiadene and Conegliano are only a one hour drive from Venice and are the areas known for producing the finest Prosecco. Prosecco is light, (most commonly) bubbly and dry. With every Prosecco I drink, I eat a few Cicchetti or Tramezzini and I am in heaven ...

Self-Guided Cicchetti and Prosecco Tour through Venice

Bar 1. Al Merca. Rialto 213. San Polo. The extensive choice of yummy cicchetti and the Prosecco served at just the right temperature puts the crowd in a perfect mood, the atmosphere is cheerful.

Bar 2. Bancogiro. Campo San Giacometto, 122, San Polo. You can sit down and marvel at the Canal Grande while drinking a nicely cooled glass of Prosecco. There are fewer people around and you are only a stone throw from Rialto bridge, life couldn't be better.

Bar 3. I have been at this tiny place several times already but cannot remember the name. Try to find it, it is worth it really. Turn left at Max Mara in Rialto on Merceria San Salvador and keep walking, the bar is right on that next corner. Outside there are thousands of tourists. Go inside and stay at the counter. The spinach tramezzini are mouth-watering. Peace.

Bar 4. Bar at Campo Della Carita, opposite the Galleria dell’Accademia, Dorsoduro. Sit down under one of the umbrellas and look at all the tourists searching for the sights in this area.

Bar 5. Café at Guggenheim Collection in Dorsoduro. Also do not forget to browse the collection.

Bar 6. The bar is exactly at Ponte del Formager in Dorsoduro. It is only a short walk from the Guggenheim collection and the Gallerie dell’Accademia. No crowds will make their way here; it is very likely that there are no other tourists at all.

Bar 7. Cantinone Gia' Schiavi. Fondamenta Nani in Dorsoduro. The area the bar is in is just as lovely as all the waiters. The Prosecco is cold and the choice of cicchetti is not too bad … but it is packed. You can stay outside with all the other Prosecco fans, it is fun.

Bar 8. Dorsoduro, Fondamenta Nani, walk a few steps towards the lagoon from Cantinone Gia' Schiavi to the next bar. The Prosecco is cooled nicely and the cicchetti are delicious. They must do everything right, otherwise, this place would not be packed with people carrying rucksacks. If you can’t be around other tourists, don’t go. If you are more open-minded, you will surely love this place.

Bar 9. Bar Do Draghi. Calle di Chiesa at the corner of Campo Santa Margherita. This bar is like a proper local as you would imagine it. The Prosecco is cold and there is a great choice of cicchetti. This really makes a fantastic stop for late at night. Oh, and there is music. This bar is one of these places where you start thinking I can see myself living here … (There is nothing wrong with daydreaming).

Did you know ...?

Did you know that you can’t label Italian sparkling wine Prosecco unless the grapes are grown in the Veneto or the Friuli regions? Have you tried Prosecco in Venice? Where is your favourite place? Looking forward to hear from you.

From Berlin with love

Travel etiquette. When did you last steal a clothes hanger from your hotel room?

Again: anti-theft hangers

I know, I know, I know it is likely that you never ever did steal a hanger from a hotel room. But most of the times I am about to put my clothes into the wardrobe of a hotel room I have to fight with these silly hangers.

If none of us would never even plan to steal a hanger why do we have to deal with the theft proved ones? Would the world not be a better place if none of us would have to struggle with these hangers anymore? One step at a time, right? Next time you are about to take a souvenir hanger from a room, think of your fellow travellers first. And maybe, hotels will soon start to use normal hangers. Never stop dreaming ...

Where do you draw the line, have you ever stolen from a hotel room? Looking forward to hear from you.

From Berlin with love