Bathing in the banya
After 11 days of hiking, I was happy to make my last day in Kyrgyzstan a relaxing one. However, I also didn’t want to waste my time at the hostel, no matter how nice its garden was. So I started walking down the streets of Bishkek, stopped at a café…
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…
3 days trekking to Ak Tor Pass
As part of my Kyrgyzstan trip I’d booked a private trip with a guide trekking through the Alay mountains. At 9am my guide Elaman picked me up from the hostel and after dropping off extra luggage and receiving a brief explanation of the trekking, we were on our way. I…
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…
Revisiting the Liepnitzsee
June has given us some amazing weather in Berlin. Last summer I spent so much time studying and deprived myself from truly enjoying the most beautiful time of year in Berlin. Although I am still serious about finishing my studies this year and need to dedicate some serious time to…
Ski in ski out workcation
Because I can’t get enough of skiing and I only have a limited amount of days off each year, I decided to try some remote work in the Alps. After finishing my holiday in Serre Chevalier, I took a bus, train and another bus to the smaller resort Les Orres.…
Skiing Serre Chevalier
For my second ski trip of the year I approached the Alps from the South of France, flying into Marseille and taking a train to Briançon. Coming up from the Mediterranean was bizarre. The coastal landscape with the typical Mediterranean pine did not fit into my skiing holiday, but slowly…
Gyumri, the surprise of my trip
Places that aren’t on the itinerary are often the most surprising. While I was in Armenia, fighting broke out on the border with Azerbaijan, which caused me to change my plans. On a recommendation from someone in the hostel I decided to go to Gyumri, Armenia’s second biggest city. I…
6 unique things in Armenia
There are always certain things that stick out when you first arrive in a new place. Some places have this more than others. In Armenia I was presented with a whole new world. Everything was so different from home, and yet other things so similar. Even the language and script…