Weekly Photo Challenge: Symmetry

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple – Hampi, India

Lakshmi

Beautiful Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, love and fortune.

Narasimha

Half man, half lion, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Bangalore for the fussy classy

We are traveling from A to B to C to D and then back to A again. In our hectic schedule though we want no rush sometimes. Even if we were traveling across half the globe to see it all, THE destination has to offer. So there are these let’s call lazier days but we don’t want to laze around too much. Time is ticking, tick-tock. Quite fast. So why not carve out a day when we can deepen in our thoughts while we somehow deepen in the culture surrounding us? Exactly a day like this called my slow(er) paced itinerary forward in Bangalore, but on a second thought a similar agenda can be implemented in nearly all big cities in the world. Let’s just get into it right away in a bit more detail.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Refraction (of a towel)

Simple towel through a handmade teleidoscope (Hungary)

The tradition is NOW

When you think of Hungary do you look beyond buzzing Budapest and chilling Balaton? Well, you certainly should push a bit more to the west and just before you cross to the other side and find yourself in Slovenia or Austria there comes this region where every corner speaks a tradition dating back to hundreds of years and where tradition means not only past but real time. 3 hours drive from Budapest, Orseg is quite a hidden gem in the country and does not see flocks of tourists, which makes this ethnographic treasure not only one of the most welcoming district in Hungary but also affordable and livable. So here’s what you should be up to when you are around for a short while.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Summer Lovin’

Apartment decoration in the Mediterranean…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Between (tunnel vision)

La Triennale di Milano (January 2014)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Work of Art (and something more)

Henna artist – Bangalore, India

So many things can be considered as art. Just pop into a contemporary gallery in New York, London or Milan and you will be jaw-droppingly wondering how on earth the artist visualized that piece of art standing in front of you made out of toilet rolls. I could do that! – you think and wanna shout it out loud. Yeah, sure but you did not… The most unsettling exhibitions I’ve seen so far were in some of the contemporary galleries of Nürnberg where I came across all kinds of components used from a girl’s hair to tampons and to a bulimia Barbie doll boxed in along with a plastic toilet. Well, they created something original for sure.

Vienna is cool on foot (part 2.)

Started with a filling breakfast, then visited a number of upcoming hot spots in Vienna. After a short break I hit the streets of the buzzing Austrian capital again.

14.00 PM

Due to the hearty breakfast just a few hours back, some quick bites were more than enough to get back on track for the afternoon. The good thing is that you can always grab something fast and healthy in Vienna. You can pick up a whole-grain sandwich in one of the bakeries, if opting for something light you can find a number of vegetarian restaurants around the seventh district. Pop in for the daily vegetarian and vegan lunch menu to Govinda (Lindengasse 2).

One of the guest rooms at Hotel Daniel

Vienna is cool on foot (part 1.)

Conventional yet innovative, bustling yet livable, Vienna is very different from other capital cities around Europe. Loyal to it’s traditions but open for the new this fantastic city can always surprise. Travelers who venture beyond the obvious will be left with colorful memories and a good dose of inspiration. I’ve put on my walking shoes on a Saturday morning and checked for myself what all the sidetracks hide.

Valletta – an upcoming art scene in the Mediterranean

Beyond guidebooks around the Maltese islands (part I.)

Traveling to Malta for the umpteenth time? Staying longer than a short-term vacationer? Living on the rock for over 14 months, within weeks I’ve finished off all the sightseeing the guidebooks had to offer. Then I put the map and a bottle of water in my bag and let the roads take me wherever they had to take me. Out of this experience I’m starting a series of alternative trips around the islands to share some handy tips with fellow travelers.

Protecting residents

Milano: passion for design and innovation

Milano. Beyond the Duomo and Da Vinci’s Last Supper it offers many off-path venues for the design hunters. You only have an afternoon and a night free to immerse? Here we go.

All about design – reception at Nhow Milano Hotel

Beat Generation

It was a journey back in time, stepping into a rather hallucinatory universe of young intellectuals, hipsters, rebels, artists. The world of the Beat generation.