Daily life in the French Alps
This winter I spent 6 weeks in a tiny village in France. When I was looking for a place to do some remote work, while enjoying skiing on my days off, I literally looked at the best prices for accommodation. Not an easy thing… but I found something reasonable in…
Beelitzer Heilstätten – part 2
My parents were in Berlin and since we’ve seen a lot inside the city already, we decided to take a day trip to the Beelitzer Heilstätten. It had been a while since I’d gone there to take a tour of the old surgical ward. This time we drove out without…
The waterfalls at the end of the world
The long Easter weekend was pretty windy in the Alps. Some days I got warned when taking the lift over to the other side of the resort: the connection might close later on if the wind picks up. From the other side of the mountain it would be a long…
And that’s a wrap
Here I am, sitting on my balcony, pondering life. It’s my last day after four weeks in Morillon. It’s 26 degrees today. I feel the sun warming my skin, feeding me new energy. I look out at the mountains where some paragliders play in the sky. From this vantage point…
Aix-en-Provence
While I’m looking forward to spending a full month in the French Alps in a few weeks, I’m reminiscing about my ski trips last year. Whereas I’m staying on the Northern edge of the Alps this year, in 2023 I approached the Alps from the South. In the mountains I…
A lesson in positive thinking
I love the serenity when I’m on my own in the chairlift. The humming of the liftThe sounds of the church bells coming up from the valleyThe birds chirpingThe quick disruption when passing a towerThe ticking of the rain on my jacket… It rained all day today, but I decided…
Breaking through the clouds
Life at work has been interesting and not in a good way. With big layoffs in December, affecting my team more than others, I’m left feeling confused, angry and frustrated. Sure, I’ve still got a job, but is it where I should be? Yet I have no time for doubts.…
A Dam good race
The Dam tot Damloop is a 10 mile, or 16,1 km run that goes from the center of Amsterdam to the center of Zaandam. I’d signed up for it months ago, so last weekend I made my way to Amsterdam. The train had a 1,5 hour delay, so I ended…
Following the Havel river
On a hot Sunday I invited the hiking group from work to explore the Havelhöhenweg. I had some vague information about the route and had estimated we’d walk for 10 to 12 km. I figured we’d walk along the Havel river, so you couldn’t really get lost. We gathered at…
A hike through hell?
Summer is here and that means perfect weather to head out into nature. But summer isn’t the only great season. Last autumn I joined our workplace hiking group for a day trip to Saxon Switzerland. It was a long, long day, but also very rewarding. On this hike we explored…