Tuscany… rolling hills, sleepy small charming towns, sunsets, vineyards and orchards, Chianti wine, olives & olive oil, sunflowers, and the birth place of Leonardo da Vinci… yes! That’s Tuscany!
We stayed at an “agriturismo”** in Tuscany, means we stayed in a home in the countryside that is open to hosting guests with opportunities to connect with the land during the stay. In our case experiencing the vineyard, wine tasting included 😁 what a fabulous connection!
** Agriturismo: the word comes from agri (agriculture) and turismo (tourism), so it basically means agricultural tourism.
Chianti wine is a beloved dry red wine that goes beautifully with Tuscan cuisine.Chianti Classico 🍷Chianti wine tasting 🍷Olive treesOlives 🫒 Shopping in Italy 🇮🇹 Sunset 🌅
Temperature is much cooler compared to the Amalfi Coast, good time for drinking red wine again!
Short stop but delicious and beautiful, we have to come back to Tuscany!
Next stop: Lombardia, the very north of Italy and the border to Switzerland.
We are right in the mountains. It’s all about curves, curves and more curves. The drive ridiculous, the view amazing!
❤️ Fun fun fun 🚗 💨 On top of Italy 🇮🇹 Gracie, Mini Cooper, for driving us and bringing us safely home! 💋Ciao, Bella Italia 🇮🇹
Italy is known for its incredible places. What they end up doing is leaving you wanting to go back and explore more of Italy. This is exactly where the island of Sardinia comes in 🌞
We were already wowed by just entering Sardinia’s Port.
Sunrise. Divine.Morning traffic 🛥️
Are you ready for crystal blue water? Sometimes shades of turquoise? And dreamy white sand beaches?
Those colors. First stop after arriving 🌊Lunch at the beach 🍅 🍉 🫶It’s like a touch of Caribbean beaches in Europe. No words needed… we found paradise 🏝️O la la 😎
Besides the divine beaches, Sardinia is dry. And wild.
Cactus 🌵 Many of the roads are narrow and winding.Road tripping Red Rocks.
We apparently picked out a village in which locals become very old! Older than 100 years! Wine is one of the secrets. Let’s see how much wine we can drink in one week. For life extension. lol.
Hope Aperol Spritz works as well 😁
Our relaxing vacation life goes like this: sleeping in, cappuccinos for breakfast, reading, swimming, ice-cream, a little snooze, swimming, aperitivo, dinner, sleep 😃
Bonjorno! ☕️Dinner view from our beautiful little terrace. Italians love dogs, Charlie is allowed to join us almost anywhere. Most beaches are so remote you can only get to via hiking or boat. Amazingly beautiful. The water is an incredible hue of blue and crystal clear. Post-card shimmer… You won’t be able to resist a dip in the sea.Another remote beach. Sardinia is most famous for incredible beaches. The ridiculous crystal clear waters will have you wondering if you’ve stepped into pure paradise. White sand. A true delight for the eyes!Is there anywhere better to be? No!!! Culurgiones tradizionali ogliastrini, a specialty in Sardinia.
A boat trip to remote white sand beaches.
Daydreamer ✨The beach itself is actually quite new! It was only (naturally) formed in the 1960s when a massive landslide caused this stunning little area to explore. Another beautiful day in paradise is ending…Italian gelato ❤️Found my favorite flower 🫶
Leaving one paradise and on the way to another one: the Amalfi Coast. Now boarding our ferry.
Stopover in Switzerland. 16.5C degrees. Rain. But great little hotel nestled in the mountains (would have never found it, if our Bulli hadn’t broken down).
Rain makes green. Local meats & cheeses Swiss knife back home
Got a bit confused coming out of Gotthard tunnel and every sign in Italian, made us think we were in Italy… in fact we were in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland… hope we didn’t get flashed. lol.
We are in Italy: blue sky, 33C degrees, the smell of rosemary, listening to the crickets. Amore. And feeling super hot with quite a bit of temperature change compared to our German summer.
That view!Rosemary The farm house: staying in the mountains above Cinque Terre with fantastic views.
Adapting fast: long siestas in the big heat. Italian dinner and outdoor life starts around 8:30pm when it’s cooled down to „only“ 27C degrees.
Taking it easy: a pool to ourselvesPesto: Did you know that real pesto comes from Liguria, the region of Cinque Terre? Pesto is commonly used on pasta, traditionally with trofie (on plate) or trenette. Potatoes and string beans are also traditionally added to the dish, boiled in the same pot in which the pasta has been cooked.Burata with tomatoes & anchovies. Wow! Sooooo delicious!
First gelato, OMG, soooo good!
Italy so far….
Summer 🍊 8pm and time for apero 🥂Charlie is with us 💕Wow 🤩
Ready for the night: taking the ferry to the island of Sardines. Bye bye Genova!
The Amalfi Coast is a 50km stretch of luscious coastline, and simply stunning and the craziest part of Italy I have seen so far. 13 charming towns that cling to the dramatic cliffside. And lots of traffic on the tiny winding cliff roads.
AmalfiBest T-junction ever 💙 Coffee stop ☕️ 🍋🍸🍋Amalfi cost where the sun shines from sunrise to sunset 🌞Shades of blue 🩵 Positano, Citta Romantica 🥰Daily morning view 💙🩵Cappuccinos married with the sea breeze and amazing view, created memories to be framed.Daily morning routine 🩵That view 💙
It’s all about Amalfi lemons…
Amalfi lemons 🍋 🍋 🍋 Lemon 🍋 risotto with shrimps 🦐 This lemony Italian summer treat 🍋Lemon 🍋 sorbet Lemon 🍋 juice (very sour 😆)Fiat 500, the only car which fits through the tiny roads… 💛 Sitting under the lemon trees… 🌞The colors of Italy 🇮🇹 The Amalfi Coast has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1977! For good reason. Steep little roads, hundreds of steps Dinner views 🩵🩵💙🩵💙
The Amalfi Coast road offers some of the best views of the Amalfi Coast. However, it certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted! With narrow lanes, wild Italian drivers, tourist drivers, and steep cliffs, there are definitely some hair-raising moments. Hubby almost having a nervous breakdown driving those tiny busy little roads… we parked the car for the rest of the time here… but even going by public bus made me nervous…
…driving along the Amalfi Coast…The most stressful 25km of hubby’s life. Good we came in the mini cooper.Nice sign, no Italian cares about 😎 Of course not!„Amalfi Dream“ 🤩Capri on low budget 😆Sunset 🌅 Charlie knows how to chill out 🐶Our garden 🌴 Beach in Amalfi Amalfi 🍉🍋🍊🍒Traffic on the Tyrrhenian SeaBreathtaking views on Amalfi Coast. Dinner view 🩵Anchovis for starter A hotel on a cliff The perfume of the sea united with the fragrance of the wild flowers and citrus fruits. Get lost in that blue…Everything is narrow and tight here…Dinner time Soooooooo good ☺️Pizza Margarita with Parma ham Good night 😘 Bye bye, Amalfi Coast 👋 We’ll miss that view ☕️
Amalfi Coast, beautiful, delicious and we found another little paradise. Bella Italia 🫶
Next stop: Tuscany. Slowly making our way back north.
Stopover in Switzerland🇨🇭16.5C degrees. Rain. But great little hotel nestled in the mountains (would have never found it, if our Bulli hadn’t broken down).
Rain keeps grass green 💚 Local meats & cheeses.Swiss knife back home. That view 🏔️ Got a bit confused coming out of Gotthard tunnel and all signs in Italian, made us think we were in Italy already… in fact we were in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland… hope we didn’t get flashed. lol.
We are in Italy 🇮🇹 : blue sky, 37C degrees, the smell of rosemary, listening to the crickets. Amore. Feeling super hot with quite a bit of temperature change compared to our German summer.
The farm house: staying in the mountains above Cinque Terre with fantastic views, far away from tourists.That view 💚Rosemary
Adapting fast: long siestas in the big heat. Italian dinner and outdoor life starts around 8:30pm when it’s cooled down to „only“ 27C degrees.
Bonjorno! ☕️ Vacation started 🏊♀️ 🌞 🫶Pesto: Did you know that real pesto comes from Liguria, the region of Cinque Terre? Pesto is commonly used on pasta, traditionally with trofie (on plate) or trenette. Potatoes and string beans are also traditionally added to the dish, boiled in the same pot in which the pasta has been cooked.Burata with tomatoes & anchovies. Sooo good!
First gelato, OMG, soooo good!
Italy so far….
🍊🍊🍊😍🥰😍🥰The Colors of Summer 🍉🍒🍒🍉Guess, who was sitting here 😁Life at 8pm: time for aperitivo 🍸 Beautiful winding roads around the coast ☀️
We arrived in Genova, capital city of Liguria, birthplace of Christopher Columbus and the city with the biggest port of Italy: good night! We are taking the ferry from here to Sardegna ⛴️
Wow! One week Olympic Games and so many fantastic athletes, games and impressions! I put my favorite ones together. Enjoy!
51 verschiedene Disziplinen gibt es bei den Olympischen Spielen in Paris – neu dabei sind unter anderem Breaking, Skateboarding, Sportklettern und Surfen.
Kevin Piette, paraplegic since an accident 11 years ago, made history by carrying the Olympic flame with his exoskeleton! 🔥Opening with Lady Gaga. In general plenty of different opinions about the opening show: It was too much and over the top. Of course, it’s Paris 💕💕💕Good job, Paris! 💸 America not winning a medal in this category is crazy 🔫 Wow! Fencing 🤺 Dutch Olympic swimmer’s extremely revealing swimsuit crosses the line, making Olympics viewers feel uncomfortable or increasing the numbers in front of the TVs. lol.Ein gemeinsames Selfie der olympischen Tischtennis-Mixed-Teams aus Nordkorea und Südkorea geht um die Welt – und wird als seltenes Zeichen grenzüberschreitender Einigkeit der beiden verfeindeten Länder gefeiert. Nachdem Südkorea im gemischten Doppel in Paris Bronze hinter Nordkorea und Olympiasieger China gewonnen hatte, stellten sich alle drei Teams auf dem Medaillenpodium zum Gruppenfoto auf. Südkoreas Lim Jonghoon drückte ab – ein Bild für die Ewigkeit entstand ☮️ ✌🏻 Super exciting 🏊 Competing at seven months PREGNANT! Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez made it to the last 16 in women’s individual sabre and then shared her special news on Instagram 🤰🇮🇹 Congratulations 🏆 She broke the women’s 1500 freestyle #Olympic record! And with this gold medal, she has tied Jenny Thompson for the most Olympic gold medals by an American woman in any sport history. It’s been an epic #Olympics for women athletes and we’re only getting started!Sieht aus wie ein Fake, ist aber echt! Mit dieser jetzt schon legendären Jubelpose sorgt der brasilianische Surfer Gabriel Medina für eines der spektakulärsten Bilder der Olympia-Geschichte. Kurz zuvor stellte er mit einer nahezu perfekten Bewertung von 9,90 Punkten einen neuen olympischen Rekord auf. 🏄♂️Born in 1963! Luxembourg’s Xia Lian Ni is 61 years old 🇱🇺 She’s still winning matches at the Paris 2024 Olympics ❤️👏Congratulations on the first gold ever for Ireland in swimming! ☘️ The tallest (Wemby 7’3″) vs the shortest (Togashi 5’6″) player at the 2024 Paris Olympics She’s the one of the stars of Olympia in Paris! You rock! And todays best news: Simone announced her pregnancy 🤰 congratulations! 🤸🏻♀️ Also part of Olympia: skateboarding 🛹 Mit ihrem stylishen, dezente Sci-Fi-Vibes ausstrahlenden Auftreten war die südkoreanische Sportschützin Yeji Kim nach dem Gewinn ihrer Silbermedaille im 10-Meter-Luftpistolen-Schießen der Frauen einer der Internet-Hypes dieser Olympischen Spiele. Bis… ja bis der 51-jährige türkische Luftpistolen-Schütze Yusuf Dikec mit seinem unprätentiösen Dad-Style im Mixed ebenfalls Silber holte! Wir meinen: die Luftpistolen-Welt ist groß genug für zwei absolute Badasses!Schade, dass die ganze Welt nur über denn Mann mit der Hand in der Hosentasche 👖 redet. Sevval Ilayda Tarhan und Yusuf Dikec haben gemeinsam bei den Olympischen Spielen in Paris für die Türkei die Silbermedaille im Schießen gewonnen. Die treffsichere Dame ist mindestens genau so cool 😎 wie der türkische “John Wick” Tarhan Yusuf Dikec! Herzliche Glückwünsche an die Beiden! 🥇A couple of days later: Japanese social media has already made an anime version of the currently trending Turkish Olympics athlete 🇯🇵 The Turkey’s Olympics shooter, Yusuf Dikec, without any specialized gear and with his hand in pocket, won the silver medal 🇹🇷 He’s already become a viral sensation with his “casual” style.Dieses Bild geht wohl in die Geschichte ein! 🥰 Bei den Olympischen Spiele 2024 sind schon einige unvergessliche Momente passiert und dieser ist einer davon. Als Fechterin Manon Apithy-Brunet Gold holt, stürmt ihr Ehemann die Bühne, um mit ihr zu feiern! 🏅Italian gymnast and Olympic silver medalist Giorgia Villa is sponsored by Parmigiano Reggiano, resulting in her taking photos with huge wheels of cheese 🧀 KATIE LEDECKY MAKES HISTORY 🏆 The first female swimmer EVER to win gold medals at FOUR different Olympic Games 🥇🥇🥇🥇Was? Ach, nichts. Nur ein Bild von Snoop Dogg und Martha Stewart im Reiteroutfit! Surfing 🏄♂️ 🏄🏻 🏄♀️ Frankreich lässt den Wettbewerb auf der Südseeinsel Tahiti austragen, Teil von Französisch-Polynesien.
One thing I am continuously struck by is that the power of the Olympics is in their humanity. In the way that the full spectrum of human emotion is on display in every single sport, in every single event, in every single athlete.
It is in the triumph, the disappointment, the humility, the camaraderie, the determination . . . not just on the track or the field or the mat or the pool, but on the sidelines as well. If you look closely, you can see it everywhere.
Jordan Chiles and her parents overcome with raw emotion after she nailed her floor routine, the last of the four events she competed in to help Team USA reclaim the gold in the women’s gymnastics team all-around finals.
Ilona Maher’s sisters cheering wildly in identical shirts as she led her sevens team to a first medal, and the rugby player’s even more important message to the world that “all body types can be Olympians.”
The ear tug that Stephen Nedoroscik uses to signal “Hey” to his loved ones, which started through the TV for his Polish grandfather, a WWII vet who died last year.
The sign reading “Ryan, it’s a girl!” that Ryan Murphy’s wife held up after he won bronze in the 100-meter backstroke.
The knitting that settles British Olympic diver and anti-bullying advocate Tom Daley while he cheers on his teammates.
The revelation that Egyptian fencer Nada Hefez competed at seven months pregnant.
These are only a few.
We admire these athletes not only because they humble and amaze us, but because in each of their stories we can see glimpses of ourselves – we can see our own struggles and victories and comebacks and experiences and joy.
We love the Olympics because they reveal the depth and beauty and strength of the human spirit.
And when we allow ourselves to see it, not only in the most elite athletes and competitors, but in ourselves, we can restore our connection to each other in the world.
I cannot think of anything more powerful than that.
I’m ready for the rest of this summer! I have my umbrella, my flip flops, my mittens, my suntan lotion, my winter coat, my sunglasses, my thermals, my iced tea and my hot chocolate! Hello summer 2024! (Fair enough it’s quite a summer since 2 weeks… fingers crossed.)
The good news: skin cancer risk is very limited. Veggies, plants & fruits love the weather conditions and are happily growing. At least there’s (so far) no drinking water necessary to keep garden & fields wet. The weather was perfect for those, who are working all day. It’s great for sleeping under the roof without A/C.
Our beautiful garden Greatest birthday gifts 😁It’s Aperol time!Proud 🌺 🍸Black berries Hail killing our terrace roof 😢Huge hail stones A little bit of Paris at home Bees loving it Spinach-strawberry-salad 🤤Poppies Cheers! Rare color this summer: blue sky Is there anything better than ice-cold coke with lemon? 🤤
We are off to Italy 🇮🇹 Crossing fingers for sunshine & blue sky 👋
Olympic Games in Paris & a new US president candidate. Exciting! Enjoy the week!
💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻Im Berliner Norden war einmalig die neue Express-Buslinie X26 unterwegs. Das Besondere daran: Die Linie samt Strecke und Fahrplänen wurde von dem 16-Jährigen Ben Hennig aus Berlin-Frohnau entwickelt. Dem Schüler und seinen Freunden fehlte eine Verbindung in die Stadt, weshalb er kurzerhand seine eigene entwarf. Die Probefahrt im Doppeldeckerbus wurde von der Gemeinde Glienicke/Nordbahn finanziert und zeigte sich als voller Erfolg: Der Bus war bereits ab der ersten Haltestelle vollbesetzt und konnte daher nicht alle Fahrgäste mitnehmen. Als nächstes muss die Idee von den zuständigen Verkehrsgesellschaften, der OVG und BVG geprüft werden, mit denen Ben Hennig bereits ein Treffen für diesen Herbst vereinbart hat. History is being made in Paris summer Olympic Games 2024 by ACHIEVING Gender equality for the first time in history the gender split is 50/50 showing the progress within the Olympic family of sports leading in this area with real progression.Ein Lebensmittelgeschäft in Montreal, Kanada, hat ein einzigartiges Projekt ins Leben gerufen: einen 25.000 Quadratfuß großen Dachgarten, der rund 35 verschiedene Gemüsesorten produziert. Der IGA Extra Famille Duchemin Supermarkt erntet und verkauft diese Produkte direkt in seinem Geschäft. Seit der Eröffnung im Jahr 2017 wachsen dort unter anderem Grünkohl, Salat, Karotten, grüne Bohnen, Auberginen und Tomaten. Zusätzlich wurden acht Bienenstocke installiert, die jährlich etwa 600 Gläser Honig produzieren. Das innovative Projekt fördert nicht nur den Verkauf von lokal angebautem, frischem Gemüse, sondern trägt auch zur Reduzierung der ökologischen und wirtschaftlichen Kosten des Ferntransports bei. Der Dachgarten hilft zudem, die Temperatur des darunterliegenden Gebäudes zu regulieren und spart so Energie. Die nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung erfolgt teilweise durch ein Bewässerungssystem, das Wasser aus der Luftentfeuchtung des Gebäudes nutzt. Diese Bemühungen zeigen, wie urbane Landwirtschaft und grüne Infrastruktur erfolgreich kombiniert werden können.Getting there 💪🏻 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻Some were lucky enough to have watched the #OlympicGames opening ceremony from their balconies, dressing the facades of the buildings with different flags celebrating each nation, all along the Seine. Rise and shine flag! A symbol of peace and prosperity, a journey 67 years long defined by cooperation and unshakable solidarity. And tonight, our boat is sailing through the Seine to highlight proudly those values at the #Paris2024 Olympic Games! The freedom to move and live in 27 countries creates countless opportunities for young people to practice sports, study and work within our Union. Erasmus+ has already changed the lives of millions of Europeans, sustaining their study or work experience abroad. Diversity and inclusion are our strengths. Let’s go Athletes!
We started with our Bulli breaking down. Followed by a bee sting in the foot, and a migraine the next day. From day#3 on, everything worked out. lol. We all survived.
One sister operating the bee sting from the other sister, with success 🐝
Spending holidays in Stuttgart means a visit to the Porsche museum. Of course!
Very impressive!🐷 The only Porsche we could afford: made out of chocolate 🍫 we got 3!!! 😁💕
A delicious BBQ on a donut boat on the river Neckar.
🍖 🌽 🥩 Chilling🦄 passing our boat. Detectives 🕵️🕵️Lunch time ❤️Summer Summer vibes Preparing decorations for the cupcakes Wow 💕That’s art! Outdoor cinema in our garden! So much fun!
Popcorn included, of course!
Garden harvest 💪🏻
A day in Tripsdrill 😁
Uncle Scotty’s turn! 🎢My turn 😁All in. All wet. Fun!
I’d call this a win-win-win.
We were kept busy & entertained. The kids had a blast. The parents had a relaxing (work) week!
Stuttgart547 