Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms and mother-figures! 

I am so lucky to have my mum in my life!

Who would have thought that Elvis was in Wildflecken 🕺🏻 

Exactly on this day 4 years ago, hubby crashed his motorbike… he doesn’t believe in deca vu, but I do. Today is again perfect weather for a nice little motorbike tour and I’m again with my mum. Well, I was hiding all motorbike keys before I left…

All you need in May: mom, Elvis, flowers, sunshine, strawberries, white asparagus & raspberries 🥰

Those colors ❤️

The flowers are blooming, the days are getting longer, and there’s this wonderful feeling of renewal in the air. 

It’s the perfect time to shake off the winter blues and dive into some fun and productive April activities like gardening – my favorite. First planting and then watching the plants grow feels super rewarding.

Every April returns like a surprise: what is growing where in the garden. 

4 days to go and that’s already April 2025 done. A busy but beautiful month for me including plenty of business travel & family visitors at Easter. 

Bye bye, April!

Looking forward to May, my favorite month of the year. Birthdays, holidays, long weekends, nice weather, more gardening, all of that and more coming up soon. Yeah! 🌷 

Choices are hard to make if you got only one weekend in the greater area of Tokyo: Penis festival (?!?!?), Formula 1, or Sakura 🌸 (cherry blossom)… 

Of course it’s Sakura 🌸 

It’s April and Sakura almost reached its peak blooming season around Tokyo. The cherry blossom season varies from year to year, I’m really lucky to be around just in time (and leaving so many jealous work colleagues back home…yes, this is actually a business trip). 

It’s the weekend and I am ready for “hanami”, the cherry blossom viewing as the locals call it. A few days ago, still back home, I had no idea about the magic of Sakura 🌸

Now I know better: It’s a celebration. It’s a feast. It’s a tradition. It’s beautiful. I started my Tokyo tour in the tree-lined canal in the trendy, yet laid-back Naka-Meguro. 

During the cherry blossom season the streets along the canal exist in an almost-constant state of celebration. The majestic cherry blossom trees sway luxuriously over the canal. I could just walk and walk and walk and watch the beauty. But there’s more to see 🌸

A few miles further on, small groups of friends or families gather to eat and drink under the sea of pink. So I found myself under the trees with all the requisite hanami supplies: drinks & snacks (the locals and neighbors on picnic blankets much more professional with BBQ, beer, snacks, guitar). 

I joined hundreds of other revelers in relaxing with friends and family on this perfect Saturday, eating and drinking under the “sakura”. 

Time to get some more steps in and get a bit of the Tokyo city flavor. 

Lunch break. Of course, enjoying another picnic under the Sakura 🌸

On top of Tokyo. Cherry blossom leaves included. Of course! 

🌸 Sunday sakura in Yokohama 🌸

Wow! What a weekend! 

Besides celebrating Sakura, I created my own ramen 🍜 in a ramen lab. I’m excited to eat it back home because it was all in Japanese and I have no idea what I put together. Lol. But what can go wrong with ramen. Unlimited ramen recipes with the combination of 5 elements: broth, seasoning, noodles, toppings, oil. Voila – always delicious! 

Japan is all about its delicious food, and that’s not surprising with the level of love and respect that goes into food preparation in Japan. 

I also worked. Worked long hours like the local colleagues. Customer visit and many workshops inclusive. Working for a German company means pretzels & German beer in our famous Bosch cafe. Not for me. I stick with sakura, the flavor of the season. 

I unfortunately caught a bit of a cold and remembered how great German tissues are… lol. Thanks to the colleagues providing me “grilled ginger with honey” – tasted awful but eventually helped (next to my daily dose of ramen). 

Got several times “almost” lost along the way but thanks to the locals was always helped to catch the right train or buy the correct bus ticket and even more important enter the right bus… haja, it’s not so easy 🤣 

Japan, you treated me great. I loved being back, surrounded by super friendly people, super delicious food 🍱 and of course Sakura 🌸 maybe a once in a lifetime experience 💖

After being “in the air & on the road” for almost 4 weeks, looking forward to be back in Germany for some time 🙂

Spring has arrived in Germany. In Stuttgart & area. Beautiful! Winter is succeeded and preceding summer. Maybe spring is the most positive season. Daytime length increase. Nighttime length decreasing. Regrowth. More sunlight and more Vitamin D. Flowers start blooming. Grass turns green again. Fruits and veggies sprout. Peoples moods improve. Yeah! Enjoy spring 🌸

Enjoy! 🌸

Istanbul with friends. Rain & snow. Delicious food. Mosques. Bazars. Belly dancing. Holly cats & seagulls. We had a blast and very adventures days! 

Istanbul is the only city in the world that sits on two continents: Europe & Asia. It makes it a true melting pot of cultures traditions & architecture. 

Istanbul is also the only place that’s been the capital of three empires, it is this bridge between east-west, it’s spectacularly beautiful. Nobody knows so exactly how many people live here, something between 16-30 millions… 

The majority of the population is Muslim. Members of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and other religions live peacefully in Istanbul. Istanbul has >3000 mosques – we visited 2 of them. 

The Blue Mosque 🕌

We stayed for hours in the Egyptian Market, the Spice Market: spices, tea, Turkish delights, dried fruits, nuts… you name it. The colors. The smell. Wonderful. Delicious.

Turkish cuisine: kebabs, baklava, Turkish tea & coffee, and delights – we had it all and loved the rice the most. Sooo good. 

So before you enter the Grand Bazaar, make sure you’ve polished your bargaining skills and you’re ready to haggle – perfect for people like me, working in sales. 

Our America friend learnt it the hard way:  being bold enough to say NO when you don’t want something, like carpets… or apple tea… 🤣

We kept wondering why the trip was so low prices… a bargain? It’s Ramadan! 

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and smoking from sunrise to sunset. However, non-Muslims and those exempt from fasting can still find many places to eat. Lucky us 🍀

Due to latest incident earlier this week, Social Media and protests were banned for 4 days: very limited What’s Up, Insta, FB, etc. and nights of protest broke out despite ban. It’s good to hear & see you locals protesting for democratic rights! We saw you, we heard you. Keep fighting! ☮️ 

Istanbul, straddling the boundary between Europe and Asia, you are a city where diverse cultures, rich history, and modernity intertwine. Your unique position as a bridge between continents makes it one of the most fascinating cities in the world. We had a fantastic time! 🇹🇷

Did you know this?

Saint Patrick was in Ireland in the 400s! Long time ago right? St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was originally named Maewyn Succat at birth. It wasn’t until he became a priest that he adopted the name Patricius, derived from Latin, signifying his new identity and mission.

This renaming was a common practice among early Christian missionaries and members of the clergy, symbolizing a spiritual rebirth and dedication to their divine calling.

The transition to the name Patrick, as he is now universally known, marked the beginning of his pivotal mission in the 5th century to convert the Irish populace to Christianity. His transformation from Maewyn Succat to St. Patrick encapsulates the journey of a young boy taken into slavery who rose to become one of the most venerated figures in Christian history, illustrating a profound evolution of character and purpose driven by faith and commitment to spreading Christian teachings across Ireland!

St Patrick’s day is a religious holiday, it was originally a dry holiday! Yes! No drinking! The pubs were actually closed on that day and this only changed in 1970! 🍻 

So, if this was a religious holiday, then where do the parades come in? AMERICA!  🗽🇺🇸 The very first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in NYC in 1762. 

… and Hemmingen:

An Irish toast to life, laughter, and a pint (or two)! Sláinte! ☘️

What are your plans for Monday?

Frauen haben Krankheiten geheilt, Sterne entdeckt und bahnbrechende Erfindungen gemacht. Hier sind einige der Spitzenforscherinnen:

And more extraordinary women whose courage, strength and determination have defined the past year 💃 💃 💃

Well, there’s female role models out there, there is films out there… a lot is happening and it still feels far away from equality. Let’s keep fighting, ladies!

And then there’s my male colleague:

“Dear All,

Tomorrow marks International Women’s Day, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate not only for one day but every day of the year! Each of you plays a pivotal role as leaders—big and small—driving business decisions and making a difference in our workplace.

We rely on your engagement and perspective to foster a more balanced and inclusive work environment, one that leads to better results in the long term and comfortable /inclusive work atmosphere for all.

I encourage you to speak up, challenge the status quo, and be bold in questioning anything that doesn’t feel right. Work alongside your leadership teams to drive change where needed. Your voices and your leadership are crucial in shaping our better tomorrow.

This world is a better place because of YOU! You are STRONG, CAPABLE, and COURAGEOUS—each and every one of YOU!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend with some inspiring song from Katy Perry Song (YouTube)  Song (Spotify)” – we need more of those colleagues! Wow! Thank you 🙏

And here is to all women: the mums, the writers, the leaders, … to all of us. Every single one of us is beautiful inside out 🌹 

Happy International Women’s Day!

And don’t forget —> This world is a better place because of us! We are STRONG, CAPABLE, and COURAGEOUS—each and every one of YOU!

Hach, endlich wieder zurück in der “Stadt mit K”. Drei Kölsche Mädche am Start, Mamas Weihnachtsgeschenk.

Vorfreude ist die schönste Freude: Lieder hören rauf und runter, laut mitsingen, tanzen, Aussprache üben, Kostüme organisieren, und dann ist es soweit. Köln Alaaf! Kumm loss me fiere 💃💃💃

Karneval, so und keinesfalls Fasching oder Fastnacht, heißt die fünfte Jahreszeit in Köln und im Rheinland. In kölscher Mundart nennt man den Karneval auch Fastelovend. 

„Alaaf“ ist der in Köln und Umgebung gebräuchliche Karnevalsgruß. Woher das Wort kommt, weiß allerdings keiner so genau. Vermutlich geht der Begriff auf „al aaf“ zurück, was soviel bedeutet wie „alles weg“. Der Ausruf „Kölle alaaf“ bedeutet demnach „Außer Köln alles weg“. Das Wort „Helau“ ist dagegen im Kölner Karneval ausgeprochen unerwünscht – schließlich wird der Gruß in der ungeliebten Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf verwendet.

Kamelle, Strüßjer und Bützje – Bonbons 🍬 Blumen 🌺 & Küsse 😘

Viele Lieblingslieder, eins davon von den Brings: Superjeilezick

Original:

Nä, wat wor dat dann fröher
En superjeile Zick.
Mit Träne in d’r Auge
Loor ich manchmol zurück
Bin ich hück op d’r Roll
Nur noch half su doll
Doch hück Naach weiß ich nit
Wo dat enden soll.

Hochdeutsch:

Nein, was war das doch früher
Für eine supergeile Zeit.
Mit Tränen in den Augen
blicke ich manchmal zurück.
Bin ich heute mal unterwegs
Dann nur noch halb so verrückt
Doch heute Nacht weiß ich nicht,
Wo das enden soll.

Wir, auf Kölns größter Kostümsitzung, der Lachenden Kölnarena. Über 500 Mitwirkende und zwei große Orchester heizen uns Jecken ein – über sechs Stunden lang mit allen Top-Bands des Karnevals, die beliebtesten Redner, Tanzgarden und natürlich das Dreigestirn. Es war super!

Vorbereitung ist alles, denn hier werden das Vesper und die Getränke selbst mitgebracht… Butterbrezel, Kartoffelsalat, belegte Brote… alles ist erlaubt und wird mit dem Nachbarn geteilt 🍻

Am Straßenkarneval sind Kölns Jecke außer Rand und Band. Kumm, loss mer fiere en der Wetschaff op der Eck!

Day#2: Straßenkarneval

En jede jeck is Koelle zu Hus. 

Versteht ihr nur Bahnhof? Wir auch 😇 Macht nix!

Mer losse d’r Dom en Kölle, denn da gehört er hin!

Schee war’s! Uns hat es sehr gefallen, und wenns am schönsten ist, soll man gehen…

Ohrwürmer inklusive 😂 👑 🐸, klar!

In the weather forecast and still surprised of the amount of snow for this area. It’s still white. Living in a white village wonderland ⛄️

…and while we are waiting for spring 🌷

We walked the wine 🍷

Weather forecast for next weekend: +15C degrees ☀️ 👙😍

“Dear Milena,

I wish the world were ending tomorrow. Then I could take the next train, arrive at your doorstep in Vienna, and say: “Come with me, Milena. We are going to love each other without scruples or fear or restraint. Because the world is ending tomorrow.” Perhaps we don’t love unreasonably because we think we have time, or have to reckon with time. But what if we don’t have time? Or what if time, as we know it, is irrelevant? Ah, if only the world were ending tomorrow. We could help each other very much.”

Franz Kafka – Letters to Milena 💌

Tell your loved ones how much you love them! Nobody knows how much time we have!

Happy Valentine’s Day 💘

PS: if you are fed up with Valentine’s Day —> IKEA is hosting in-store dates for single Londoners this Valentine’s Day. Just saying.