TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

After procrastinating for so long (aren’t we all guilty of this sometimes?), today I finally bought the book I have been eyeing on. 52 mooie dorpen – lunchen, wandelen, en winkelen . In English: 52 beautiful villages – luncheons, walks, and shopping. The book offers a synopsis of each featured village, things to do and see, a suggested walking route with a map, and cafes and restaurants for lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. Foto on the cover is Marken , a quaint and pretty fishing village situated in a small island that is part of the Waterland municipality in the North Holland province. Marken is characteristically famous for its charming green and black painted old wooden houses attracting lots of tourists each year. The village also has its own cheese and clog-making factories. The book is perfect for 1-day weekend trips and my feet are now itchy to discover new places in Holland again! Note: Book can be bought at any ANWB shop/offices in the Netherlands or online. This little island ...

During the cold wintry holiday season, there is one country in Europe tourists flock to: Germany. This fairy tale land, home to the world renowned linguistic and story tellers, the Grimm brothers, the rowdy Oktoberfest, its giant-serving sausages, and the autobahns without speed limit, is known for its magical and traditional Christmas markets. They are everywhere in Deutschland. Nuremberg is the most popular of them all and is said to draw yearly more than 2 million eager tourists. That said, it was very tempting to go to Cologne and Dusseldorf, the cities comparable to Nuremberg in size and revelry and nearer to Holland too but I wanted something smaller and less touristy... something different. The enchanting medieval Christmas market in Siegburg is said to be the first, and the most authentic of all period markets in Germany. Siegburg, a small cosy town between Cologne and Bonn (about 27 KM south of Cologne) was just the right choice. Before the trip I read about Siegburg being ...

I am not religious. I do not believe in religion or a god. But I like to go along with the flow and cheer with everyone the yuletide season. Largely for the real meaning behind the festivities before the spiritually and politically correct religious institutions took control and indoctrinated the once trusting society. Well anyway, let’s celebrate the end of the year! I really miss snow now. The foto above was taken almost 2 years ago (January 2006 trip) during our winter sports vacation in the Austrian Alps. We are going again to the Alps this winter 2008 to ski and snowboard, but firstly, I want some snow before the year ends. Like next week. Perhaps on Christmas - pick a day - 25 December, first day of Christmas or 26 December, second day of Christmas. Yeah, we have 2 Christmas days in this part of the globe. But I will not mind if it snows on the 27th really. Or even on the 28th. Yesterday was a -1C when I went out for lunch. I was a thickly wrapped bundle and the cold...

Recently, we were in Friesland for a housewarming party. Our dear friends up north bought a land, built a huge house on it with an attic and a cellar (for the wines!), and now the family of 5 has been living in there for about a week. We’ve seen the house before when it was still being constructed. What impressed me most was not just the space it boasts, but the huge glass windows in the living room facing the water. Gorgeous zeg. Not just that - In the middle of the living room was this big black furnace that greets you when you enter, like a focal point, and it matched by the way the black floor tiles. It’s not just a fireplace, but an oven grill! Can you imagine a big barbecue grill installed in your living room? I had to laugh when I realized it was fixed. But the darn thing is so cool. It even has a twin reserved outside for the summer months. The family could grill to their heart’s content in the garden by the water when the weather allows them to. The final pitch for this oven i...

Place Massena is biggest square in Nice and a lot of people use this as a reference and meeting point, as well as for public events such as concerts, political gatherings and celebrations. The square is surrounded by mediterranean inspired terracotta coloured buildings. There are 2 things I like about Place Massena: 1) The sitting figures on poles that changes in colour 2) The fountain with the horses And just on the corner is the Zone Pietonne (pedestrian zone) where many shops, cafes and restaurants are located. It can get very busy here quickly. From the square it’s just a 2 to 3 minute walk to the Vieille Ville (old town), just right across actually, and the Promenade des Anglais, the coast. Here is Place Massena by day: The tram line passes through the square. And Place Massena by night: Those sitting figures on poles are cool. Moi here at the fountain, one of my very few souvenir pictures of Nice. More night pictures of Nice: This is at the Zone Pietonne (pedestrian zone) where ...

What better way to spend the weekend by staying up late Friday night and waking up late in the morning, then going to the local market to sightsee and have a late breakfast of plain crepes with sugar and coffee on a market terrace. This is a nicely presented spices vendor. I noticed that in this market merchandising matters. The Cours Saleya market is a nice experience in Nice. It is situated parallel to the Quai des Etats-Unis. I love the traditional atmosphere in the market square. A very busy spot I cannot argue and one that visitors should not miss. If compared to the markets in Spain and Italy, the Cours Saleya is smaller, less diverse and far from being chaotic. The market is located in the old town and is flanked on the side lines by numerous touristy cafes and restaurants that are mostly catering to seafood lovers like moi. Nicois cuisine is definitely a must try when in Nice. Aside from flowers, fresh fruits, and vegetable produce being sold, they have a variety of gou...

Now, my personal opinion of the French Riviera would be that the east side going to Italy offers the most scenic views in the region. Driving from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer is simply breathtaking! Definitely one of my unforgettable experiences there. The winding highway was something I had to get used to though, and I was so glad they offer parking spots along the cliffs for people to stop and admire the beautiful quayside views. I have read before about Villefrance-sur-Mer as one of the few remaining traditional fishing villages in the French Riviera, and most importantly, as being a low-key quarter. The writer of the article was right. When I was there visiting I was one of the very few tourists exploring the meandering alleys. Villefranche-sur-Mer is for me a breath of fresh air; a pretty little town that is away from the ostentatious scene where the true character of a French fishing village is conserved. It is uniquely perched on a hill on a picturesque bay in the Riviera coast...