spring. 2nd trial.

Let’s try that again! Hello spring!

Hope that was the last snow last weekend…

Spring is in the air.

Tulips. So many beautiful tulips!

Lemon tree is back outside in the garden.

Beer storage started in the garden.

The birds are twittering.

Be aware of first insects.

The sun is getting up earlier. Every day.

Have you had your first ice cream of 2022 yet? It’s waiting…

Get your spring & colorful clothes out & on.

Winter coat gets a break.

Picknick. Outdoors.

Daily BBQs (not that would be a difference for us).

Being outdoors until the sun gets up again.

It’s the delicious season again.

Garden work started. First plants seeded.

Looking forward to spring.

The outdoor season is opened! Time to be outdoors m again. A nice chair and a good book and a deep breath!

Hello Easter weekend!

Dutch developed a new tulip named in honor of Ukraine and featuring the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag. Named the “Tulip Ukraine” (Tulipa Ukraine”).
These are gorgeous and need to be planted everywhere possible💙💛
📷: Hoven & de Mooij bv

the North

Apart from the urban area of Akureyri, Northern Iceland feels fantastically remote and desolate.

Some villages seem like the perfect setting for a murder mystery or tragic love story. Lol. You may never find the dead bodies since the snow won’t meld on top of the mountains.

North east: winter bliss.

Geothermal field of gurgling sulfur cauldrons and boiling mud pits. The smell: disgusting.

Back in civilization. Feels awkward after a week in isolation.

Traffic lights in Akureyri are heart shaped ♥️

Road trip continues north west: rain, snow, hail, fog & iced windscreen wipers for the last 4 hours drive. -7C degrees. Wow!

Lucky us the roads remained open… otherwise we must have stayed longer. Damn it.

Deserved after todays driving: Happy Hour!

the spirit of Iceland

We completed a >1330km super-scenic road trip on Iceland’s Route #1. The landscape revealed itself in a cinematic fashion. Every day. Wow!

Iceland, The Land of Fire and Ice, is about the size of Portugal and the most sparsely populated country in Europe, which leaves roads quite and makes it driving heaven.

Last stop today: Reykjavik.

Hearts shaping the way to the “Bridge between Continents”: symbol for the connection between Europe and North America ♥️

N63° 52′ 5.558″ W22° 40′ 31.588″ Bridge between Europe and North America

The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are continuously drifting apart with great forces under the gaping rifts.

9 days ago, an Icelandic podcast on the airplane inspired me. Following question was asked to locals:

What’s the spirit of Iceland?

And their answers were: the natural environment, the change of seasons, catastrophic weather, erupting volcanoes, earthquakes, the swell of the sea, Icelanders are extremely optimistic, chaos, carelessness, creativity, island fever, forget how isolated they are, sometimes they are leaving to come back to see what they have, space, peace, freedom, easygoing, it’s all about the simple things: water, lava, focus on sustainability… “Why not? Everything is possible!”

I love that mindset. It’s about the simple things. Enjoying the moment or how the locals say it: “Petta reddast” – alles wird gut!

Dear Iceland, I can’t get over you! I may have to come back… next time in summertime ☺️

PS: Iceland has more than 30 active volcanic systems. We got an earthquake warning on our phones the other day and figured out that 300 “little”, not noticeable earthquakes were happening since our stay. Ok…!

East Fjords

Fjords. Steep cliffs. Snow-capped mountains. A region surrounded by a great deal of myth. Fishing villages. One of the least populated parts of Iceland. Wonderful coastline. Abandoned roads. Waterfalls. Cute artsy towns. And on top of that, winding roads offering amazing views. Wow! Wow! Wow!

No photo shop edit! Sleeping next to the fjord in a charming, red-coloured fishing sheds of Norwegian origin.

Out of this world. No picture can capture the beauty of this landscape! Maybe my new favorite part of Iceland…

Southern Iceland

Our road trip started. Route#1 across Iceland.

The beauty of the south through my lens.

Hot springs, isolated farmhouses dwarfed by mountains, majestic Icelandic horses standing stoically in the bitter wind.

The south, home to glittering glaciers, toppling waterfalls, lagoons & volcanoes. In short: the country of fire & ice.

First impression: Iceland looks like Oreo cake.

Towards East the scenery becomes more dramatic. Black beaches. We got almost blown away not only by the view but the wind, “I can’t feel my face” weather.

Drifting through massive moss-covered lava field.

Dining in a restaurant built into an 800-year-old lava cliff… Icelandic culinary adventure inclusive.

Diamond Beach – Broken off icebergs from Jökulsárlón float out to sea and land on this black sand beach. We also saw 2 seals enjoying a swim.

The best: fish & chip in the middle of nowhere.

The tables painted in Ukrainian colors ❤️

Icelandic mornings are best

Sleeping in.

Salmon and other delicious fresh things for breakfast.

A dip in the hot water lagoon.

It started snowing while bathing in almost 40C degree geothermal water.

In-water massage.

Slathering in skin-boosting silica mud.

Swimming in the milky blue.

Enjoying the gorgeous views.

Another cup of coffee.

Another nap surrounded by moonscape and lagoon water.

Happy Monday morning!

PS: we did the same yesterday. Lol.

That’s Iceland. A different version of paradise.

Flying

A luxurious problem these days. Clearly. Boarding an airplane again. First one in 2 years (Covid, hello!).

And here I am. 2 years later back at the same airport on the way to the same destination: Iceland. I have been constantly checking my emails in the past days for flight cancellations, delays, Covid rule changes…

Nothing came through. Instead: We are checked-in. I cannot believe it!

For everyone who forgot how traveling by airplane goes:

New: check Covid rules for destination country as well as home country. And remember, rules can change! Hourly!

Arrive at the airport (considering the good old problems which may still exist: Deutsche Bahn noticed it’s winter time and canceled YOUR train, traffic jam because some drivers crash while they were fascinated by airplanes in the air…).

Check-in & luggage drop is 2 hours before departure!

Security check (hubby’s metals don’t beep. Not exactly sure what the doctors used to put the bones back together… ).

Time for a quick coffee & people watching! My favorite part at the airport.

Boarding!

Entering the airplane. OMG it’s really happening. So excited. Lol.

Find your seat.

Store your luggage.

Buckle up.

Get yourself comfortable.

Listen carefully to the safety instructions (“…in the unlikely event of…”)!

Happy welcome on board from the pilot(s).

Ready for take off.

Rolling wheels.

Taking off.

We are flying!

Above the clouds.

Drinks being served by the stewards (did you know that Coke 0 is the most bubbling drink and takes the longest?).

“Welcome to Reykjavik!”

Landing.

Arriving at travel destination.

Lucky us. Traveling w/o Covid rules?
We’ll find out how well that goes. Lol.

Some things never change… the tomato juice above the clouds…

The airplane – a technical fascination and our most frequently used transportation method for many business trips and holidays in the past.

Bon voyage!

Try to travel

“Try to travel, otherwise…

…you may become racist,

and you may end up believing

that your skin is the only one

to be right,

that your language

is the most romantic

and that you were the first

to be the first.

Travel,

because if you don’t travel then

your thoughts won’t be strengthened,

won’t get filled with ideas.

Your dreams will be born with fragile legs and then you end up believing in tv-shows, and in those who invent enemies

that fit perfectly with your nightmares

to make you live in terror.

Travel,

because travel teaches

to say good morning to everyone

regardless of which sun we come from.

Travel,

because travel teaches

to say goodnight to everyone

regardless of the darkness

that we carry inside.

Travel,

because traveling teaches to resist,

not to depend,

to accept others, not just for who they are

but also for what they can never be.

To know what we are capable of,

to feel part of a family

beyond borders,

beyond traditions and culture.

Traveling teaches us to be beyond.

Sahara dust in the past days… and a nice warm spring breathe… Nature is full of wonders!

Travel,

otherwise you end up believing

that you are made only for a panorama

and instead inside you

there are wonderful landscapes

still to visit.”

– Gio Evan, poet and songwriter.

Translated from Italian.

And that’s what we do. We are off to Iceland soon… 🇮🇸

Hate week & good news

It’s hate week. It’s frightening. Nuclear war possible. New kind of war including internet & social media. It’s been a hate week. It’s been a week full of love & support! I’m sharing all the good Tweets and news of the past week. Make love not war!