The Hague, „City by the Sea“

You can leave on Wednesday and be back on Sunday 🚐 🏕️

The Hague, the “city by the sea,” is home to permanent masterpieces by five Dutch masters: Vermeer, Rembrandt, Mondriaan, Escher, and Mesdag. You can view these exclusive collections across its world-class museums, including the Mauritshuis, Kunstmuseum, Museum Voorlinden, Escher in the Palace, and the Prison Gate Museum.

Well, we decided to do none of the above… 😎 We traded the itineary and loved every second of the beach air, sand between our toes, salt on our skin, cycling to beach bars, viewing beach art, BBQs, sea food…

The Hague is apparently Europe’s greenest city, offering an 11km coastal stretch of wide sandy beaches and beautiful dunes – with us right in the middle of it. Looooove 🫶🏻

Cycling makes thirsty. Beach bar stopp 😎

The Hague, the International City of Peace and Justice, hosts the International Criminal Court (ICC). As the first permanent international tribunal, the ICC prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. Given current global conflicts, its role here is more relevant than ever. Peace now! 🕊️

Did I mentioned the wonderful beaches? We stayed right behind the dunes.

Our space 🫶🏻 First time using our awning 🌞

“Oh oh The Hague, beautiful city behind the dunes.“

Inspired by our last trip: freshly brewed espresso. Good morning! We don’t need much, but a good espresso is pure luxury to us ☕️

I knew the Netherlands was famous for cycling, but I didn’t expect to love it this much!

Straight, flat & endless. Good for me, cycled 20km 💪🏻 😁

Sometimes all you need is a wee blanket 🐶 or turning on a bit of heat in the van 🚐

Rainy afternoons are perfect for a nap or reading.

Followed by Spaghetti & pesto. Tonights dinner was inside the van.

Thats how 11pm looked like.
#summertime 🌞

Good Morning ☕️
The sun is back and for us it’s time to go 🌞

We loved the basic, back-to-nature activities, and the weather turned out much better than expected – lucky us!

Our travel was slow. We truly enjoyed the wee van weekend getaway in the Netherlands. The campground was again fantastic. The van & the dog are sandy, our faces slightly sunburnt, just a sign for a great weekend away. Now we are on the road with plenty of other camper vans…

May 🌼

May was all about spring. Enjoying the sun. Listening to the birds and insects in the garden. Planting salad, herbs, tomatos and paprika. Watching the flowers grow & bloom. But also recovering from my surgery. Enjoying having visitors. Celebrating my birthday.

Classic dinner in May: white asparagus. The more the better 😍

Recovering from surgery. It was pretty chilly before it became summer.

Recovery is easy with my buddy by my side 🥰
The only question: who slept more 😅

Taking those beautiful spring days easy.

It’s not only a garden, it’s a little world. For the bees, the butterflies, the birds… and us. Couldn’t imagine a better place to recover.

May started with little fires in the oven and ended with the wish to have A/C 😎

We enjoyed first summer nights at 25C degrees at 10:30pm – wonderful and quite special for Germany. To more of those nice sunny days. Hello June! ☀️

42 🥳

A day off. Surrounded by friends. Lemon tart. Strawberry cake. A lunch date. Flower gifts. Sooo many happy birthday calls & messages. Prosecco. Sunshine. Thank you all – I had a fabulous birthday (weekend).

42 and fabulous.

Traditionally, I’m waking up in the morning of my birthday and my cousin was faster wishing us/me a happy birthday – we are born on the same day, he’s a little bit older 🥰

Another tradition: our local flower shop delivering flowers to me. Sent from my mum with love.

My mum also made my absolute favorite cake: “strawberry snail cake” ❤️

Adorable weather. The sun is showing off, beautiful 23C degrees. Perfect for a small dinner party on our terrace in the garden with French delicatessen.

Thanks for thinking of me 💕 I received so many calls and greetings and gifts 🥰

BBQ in our garden: pulled pork & beef brisket 😍

THANK YOU 💕

Thanks Facebook, for the memories 10 years ago 🥳

Le Bretagne 🇫🇷

The month of May is great with all its long bank holiday weekends. We were on the road again with our van. Perfect weekend for a trip to France.

First overnight stop was in the Champagne.

Could there be anything more beautiful than waking up in the vineyards of the Champagne? I don’t think so!

Charlie enjoyed her morning walk, despite the rainy weather. And who cares anyway, we were in the champagne ☺️

Moving on, all the way to the French west coast. Le Bretagne or Brittany which is tucked away in the northwest corner of the country. Far far away from anything.

Rain or shine – we loved having out at the coast.

We arrived, parked and literally stayed with our feet in the water. Well, only literally. The water was bloody cold. lol.

Best park for night spot 🥰
Falling asleep & waking up to the sound of the waves 🌊

Brittany in May: hail, rain showers, sun, wind – we had it all. There’s only wrong clothes, right? We never moved camping chairs, tables & food faster than this weekend ☔️

Good that our friend had rented a mobile home including heat and a terrace with a roof, almost rain proof. We escaped with our BBQ to her place 😎

We tried… set up the table by the sea… and moved it again ☔️

It’s the season 🥰 fresh shrimps from the sea 🌊

Siesta in Brittany means wrapped in blankets.

We had also blue sky & sunshine moments, as we escaped to a world of charm!

This trip kind of turned into a lighthouse trip.

We walked along the coastal paths of the Côte de Granit Rose (pink Granite Coast). Sooooo pink & beautiful.

Spring time.

Brittany’s coastline is dramatic, with cliffs, dunes, lighthouses, and endless ocean views.

Exploring the coast makes hungry. It’s BBQ time.

The French way: first aperitif. Always 🥰

I had to share the plate with the others 😎

Sunset beach walk (walking off those calories).

Sleeping. Snoring. Happy. Finally starting to like van life 🐶

Bonjour!

Dinner shopping at a local market.

More coastal walks.

It’s not a French little vacation without our absolute favorite “tart de citron” 🍋

We loved our coastal camping weekend in Brittany. It’s a pity it is soooo far away from almost everything.

And so it became May 🍓

May, one of my favorite months, not only for the asparagus and the strawberries season.

A long weekend ahead. Perfect spring weather in the forecast.

The shopping in a beautiful farmer store was pure joy. The fridge is filled with delicious veggies and other groceries.

Spring time or the season of white asparagus. And green asparagus.

Asparagus peeling machine 😊

Shades of radishes 🫜 Too cute to be eaten.

Our weekend plan: relaxing & recovering from my surgery ❤️‍🩹

Fuerteventura 🌴

From the beautiful Irish green to the moon, I mean volcanic landscape.

Arriving at cloudy but beautiful 25C degrees. Ready for vacation part II with a friend 🩵

First impression 🌕 and not yet discovered the beauty of the island.

Hola, Fuerteventura! 🇪🇸

It’s windy. It’s sunny. It’s gorgeous.

Fuerteventura, the island of palm trees 🌴

Arrived and first steps on the nice and warm black sand beach. Felt amazing.

Starting the day (sometimes and only some of us… others preferred to sleep in 😇) with sunrise yoga, followed by a beautiful breakfast. 10am and time for a Latin pop dance class – wow, a bit of music, palm trees and the beach view can make a fantastic start into a day. And a swim in the Olympic pool or aqua fitness in the afternoon. The choices are huge. All can be, nothing is a must.

For those who like getting up early:
sunrise yoga 🧘‍♀️

We chose a sport hotel in Fuerteventura. We are first timers and loved it. Great people & vibe here.

Fuerteventura is perfect for dry robes 😍
I treated myself to another one 🩷

Very impressed by Fuerteventura: solar panels everywhere, even Wi-Fi and USB charging directly at the beach!!!

We are no sport fanatics after all and had a rental car to explore the beautiful island.

A trip to the very South. Stunning beaches!

Unpaved dramatic road for 19 kilometers (let’s see what the rental car company thinks of this… but it was worth it). Sometimes not enough space for 2 cars passing by… no risk, no fun ✌🏻

The car as dirty as us, and we didn’t end up in the sea, a very successful day!

Wow! That view! Hard to focus on driving… it was that windy, we couldn’t even open the car doors 😳

Arrived. Loved watching the crashing waves 🌊

A wild, isolated 12-kilometer stretch of sand backed by the dramatic Jandia mountains.

Moving on…

Spring in the dessert 🌼 or dinner for the goats.

Driving on dirt roads all the way to this beautiful lighthouse.

Cruising along the coast and finding this beautiful beach.

Sitting in a beach bar and watching the kite surfers. Wow! What a view!

It’s windy. Perfect conditions for kite surfing.

Can a day have more highlights? Yes, time for dinner! Tapas for dinner ♥️

Another favorite: shrimps 🦐 in garlic oil. Sooooo good!

Another day, another trip to the very North of Fuerteventura.

The North looks totally different compared to the South.

Insane game of colors. White sand beach & turquoise water or “the beach of the Canaries”.

Windy & sunny. High risk for getting sunburn and being cold at the same time. Water temperature: freezing 🥶

A bit of Gaudi influence on Fuerteventura.

Some are getting injured walking on those lava stones… 🦶

A trip to Fuerteventura’s West coast.

And arriving at this spectacular beach.
Just wowed by this view!

Absolutely stunning 🤩

Beautiful little village directly at the beach (with very delicious tapas…).

Ancient deep-sea sedimentary rock formations and volcanic caves located on the west coast.

For the past 3 days we had “Calima”. That’s when the air is hot, dry, and dusty. This happens when winds blow from the Sahara, bringing sand and high temperatures.

Two Girls on Fuerteventura. We had a blast. Perfect mix of chilling, sporty activity and exploring the island and the fantastic local food. The week went over fast… leaving little paradise with a little bit of muscle pain (yeah) and a sun tan.

Looooved my two weeks off. Could get used to that. Not ready for work. Lol.

Road Trip to Ireland ☘️

Wi-Fi installed on board ✅ Solar cells are fixed on the roof ✅ The van is packed ✅ Temperatures are above zero… means our bathroom is ready to be used. Wohooo!

Put solar cells up a few weeks ago (so far, they haven’t flown off 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻).

Enormous space and still haven’t used all cabinets.

Also on board & kept cool: chocolate Easter bunny.

Crossing the border to France, traveling via the Champagne to Bretagne.

Bonjour! Pain au chocolat for breakfast is the best 🥰

After around 1200km we arrived at the port in Brittany 🇫🇷

Meeting our friend for dinner in the port.

Boarding the ferry. Ready for a 12 hour stormy ride 🌊 to Cork, Ireland.

We made it.

Thanks for the reminder 😉 Usually the first 30 minutes are challenging…

Traditions: Arriving in Ireland & first traditional stop: fish & chips – hubby’s favorite ☘️

Arriving “home” in Northern Ireland.

The Irish weather in April: very windy, hail, a bit of sun, and mostly rain. Did I mention how cold it was? 😅

Perfect for a cup of tea by the cozy fire 🫖

Easter Sunday roast: 🐑
Full bellies. Happy faces.

Ever wondered how fish & chips take away for 5 persons looks like?

Unwrapped: fish & chip with mushy pies and special sauce!!!

Sticky toffee pie goes well with a pint of Guinness… soooo good 🥰

A trip to the coast: windy Newcastle.

Endless long roads… almost killed our van (hubby tried to make it fly 😳).

Looked like a summer day… well, it was freezing 🥶

The famous Irish Aga:

Good for everything: heating, cooking, making coffee, drying clothes… love the Aga and wish we had one back home.

Sausage contest: Irish (small) vs. Frankonian (long & lecker) 😉

Breakfast: pancakes & ham (of course prepared on the Aga) 🥰

I had some wonderful days in Ireland. Sleeping in. Reading books. Painting by numbers. Gardening (or being amazed by mother-in-laws skills to use the chain saw cutting wood). Enjoying the sunshine & the windy sea. Catching up with family & friends. Enjoying fantastic food. Pancakes & ham for breakfast. Lamb for Easter Sunday roast. Homemade pizza. Fish & Chips. Sticky Toffee Pie… also glad to have spent the crazy week of politics in Ireland, love their humor, the only way to be able to cope with that shxx.

It was very relaxing & simply wonderful – nothing to do, and the only truly important decision we had to make was when and what to eat with who. Thank you all for catching up with us and spoiling us rotten 💚☘️🇮🇪

Loved living on “island time”. Love the slow-paced approach to life.

A week off was not enough. Lol. Lucky me, my vacation continuous. I’m moving on to a sunny(er) place and more of that island time… leaving hubby behind for a bit longer with his family…

There is a huge fuel price protest going on in the southern part of Ireland… hoping they go to the pub tonight, so I can make it to the airport… (luxury problems, I know)

…speaking of which. Diesel prices along our way, because it’s the topic these days and we have a big 70 liter tank to fill…

Germany (our home town): 2.40€/liter

France (Champagne): 2.30€/liter —> hot tip: “Total” selling diesel for 2.09€/liter !!!! Unfortunately most gas stations were sold out 😳

Ireland: 2.14€/liter

Northern Ireland: 1.81pound/liter

Giant’s Causeway 🇮🇪

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Ireland, you are beautiful!

Today is my third time at the Giant’s Causeway. And always at Easter. 2010 when I was introduced to hubby’s family. 2014 when we got engaged and introduced our parents. And Easter 2026 💚

Stormy & beautiful 🌊

What is the Giant’s Causeway besides being stunning?

It’s an area of interlocking basalt columns. More than 40.000 to be exact. It’s the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption, and on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

Most of the columns are hexagonal, the tallest are approximately 12 metres high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places.

The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea.

Spring in Ireland.

That yellow looks so good. Probably the only hedge which can survive that wind 💨

No words needed…

Cruising along the scenic route…

A million thanks to hubby and his patience, so I can take photos 📸

Stunning…

Jackpot if you get to live in that house…

The nature – outstanding!

Ireland, you are stunning!

The Villa

What a fantastic experience! After >17 years working for this company, I finally walked through the doors of the “Villa Bosch”.

I got to spend 2 amazing days of training here last week: excellent trainer, beautiful location, best peer group to work with.

The garden, I mean the park, is just absolutely adorable. The weather was perfect, too.

The house was built in the early 20th century. Following World War II, it was used as a guesthouse by the Americans and later as a consulate by the French, before Robert Bosch moved back in.

Since 1986, the villa has been the home of the Robert Bosch Stiftung.

Most trees are original and were the reason he chose the spot.

View over Stuttgart. I can see were all those pioneer thoughts came from 🩵

We got a house tour and refreshed our knowledge of the founder of Bosch (no public photo sharing allowed but feel free to check out the virtual tour).

About the man himself: Robert Bosch (1861–1942) was the eleventh of twelve (!!!) children, born in Albeck, near Ulm.

While he is globally famous as the industrialist who founded Robert Bosch GmbH, he was much more than just a “boss.” He was a social pioneer who viewed his employees as partners rather than just labor. By introducing the eight-hour workday in 1906 – long before it was standard – and focusing on “quality over quick profit,” he built his own company culture.

He famously said, “I would rather lose money than trust,” a philosophy that led him to establish the Robert Bosch Stiftung (the Foundation) to ensure his wealth would continue to support social, health, and educational causes long after he was gone.

He was everything we need more than ever today: a liberal democrat, promoted educational opportunities for the general public, against anti-Semitism, focusing on improving the working and living conditions of his workforce, knew the needs, wishes, and concerns of his employees and stood up for them, Robert Bosch enabled and paved the way for exceptional career paths for many of his employees… great! That’s probably the reason most employees are loyally working here today.

Things are changing, though. Let’s hope that today’s leaders and employees will never forget his values and life them up! Hope we are capable to meet his expectations ☘️

Kintsugi

It’s Sunday. We have stable 20C degrees in our dining room, collected plenty of cracked ceramics. And most importantly, we have time. Time for Kintsugi.

Collected all cracked bowls, cups, plates, vases…

Kintsugi (gold repair): The Japanese art of mending broken ceramics with gold. It symbolizes that breaks and scars do not weaken a person (or bowl, cup, etc.), but rather make them more valuable and unique.

Isn’t it beautiful, instead of disguising a crack, Kintsugi highlights it with gold, silver, or platinum. It treats the breakage and repair as an essential part of the object’s history, rather than something to disguise.

The process doesn’t just fix the item; it transforms it into something stronger and more valuable than the original “perfect” piece 💪🏻

It is rooted in Wabi-Sabi, the Japanese worldview that finds beauty in the flawed and the aged 🥰

It’s not the first time we have been doing this. Things crack all the time being used often. Instead of buying new, we love to fix it by putting gold on it 💛