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This year has been full of adventures and moments to remember. There have been quite some travels as well: Austria in January, Italy in March, Portugal and Switzerland in June, Germany in July and August ― and Italy once more in September. If I think about it, this year has had quite an Italian touch to it. I’ve spent plenty of time with my Italian colleague and dear friend, Romina, started to learn the language and tried out many culinary specialties from the boot-shaped country as well.
On the occasion of our trip to the Algarve coast in June, Romina pointed out the urge most passengers felt to leave the plane as fast as possible after landing: “What’s the point? We’ll all get out eventually, right? But maybe it’s a kind of challenge. Have you ever been the first one to leave a plane?” I thought about it for a moment. I actually never had. Challenge accepted. We agreed that both of us should manage to be the first one to leave a plane by our 30th birthdays. We later changed the deadline Read more…
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Tomorrow, it will have been four years since I first set foot on Turkish ground. On the 29th of July, 2012 I took off to Istanbul to attend a Turkish language course before starting my 1.5-year Turkey experience in Izmir.
I can’t believe it’s been four years already since it all began. So much happened during my stay in Turkey. And so much has happened ever since. I mentioned the classification of my life into before Turkey, throughout Turkey and after Turkey here. But no matter how much time has passed, Turkey continues to be present in my thoughts and in my everyday life. Just today, as I Read more…
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The happy thoughts that you release
Are soft as a summer breeze
They turn around and find their way
Back into your heart – and stay
No need for grudges or regret
The sad times you will soon forget
This happy moment, it will last
The present matters, not the past
Just share your happiness with me Read more…
A few weeks ago, I went for a walk during lunch break as I often like to get some fresh air and let my thoughts settle before getting back to work. That’s when I came across this graffiti on a random Berlin wall:
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This got me thinking: How true. Any fear we don’t face actually gets magnified. Wouldn’t it be much more helpful to just get things over and done with so that we can move on?
Whether it’s that important word you need to have with someone or that exam you need to prepare for ― tackling it sooner rather than later will cause you instant relief.
I had been procrastinating getting my taxes declaration done for the last weeks (months). When I finally sat down to take care of the issue, I noticed that it wasn’t such a big deal after all. The constant thoughts in the back of my head that kept reminding me that I still needed to do it were actually much more disturbing than the task itself.
Oh well. We all fear certain things. I think it’s mostly fear of the unknown. Our thoughts tend to persuade us that this thing or the other will be unpleasant when it actually won’t necessarily be the case.
Ever since I came across that graffiti, Read more…
Pizza is one of Italy’s most famous culinary products. It’s an important symbol of the country. Last month, I randomly heard about Italy nominating its traditional Neapolitan pizza to be included on the UNESCO cultural heritage list. A few days later, I travelled to Naples myself and was served one of the best pizzas I’ve had so far. Food wasn’t the sole purpose of my trip, though a very important one.
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The Neapolitan pizza has a thin crust, except for its fluffy rim. It’s prepared in a wood-burning brick oven. Pizza Marinara and Pizza Margherita are the most famous ones. The first one is topped with tomato, garlic, oregano and oil. The second one has the colours of the Italian flag, its toppings being tomato, mozzarella, oil and basil.
It’s said that the pizza Margherita was created at the end of the nineteenth century in honour of Queen Margherita when she visited Naples.
Regardless of whether pizza makes it onto the UNESCO list or not, it has already found its way into my heart a long time ago ―and into the hearts of millions of others as well.
Turkish coffee is already on the list, by the way.
If you could opt for a dish to be placed on the UNESCO cultural heritage list (or on your very personal top foods list), which one would that be?
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This week’s photo challenge inspired me to share a picture taken from the Torre Tavira. With its forty-five metres above sea level, this tower is the tallest building in Cádiz, Spain. From up there, you get a wonderful view on the old town, the bright blue sky and the extensive sea.
When I took the picture, the compass adjusted to the railing particularly caught my attention. It comforted me with the feeling of endless possibilities. This is the way I feel about my future. Anything is possible. A compass also represents a high level of guidance. Ever since I can remember, I’ve trusted my inner compass. If it feels right, it is right.
Whatever adventure still to come, I’m ready to enjoy it. I’ll be sailing my way around treacherous cliffs, avoiding insidious icebergs and making it through tropical storms. I’m neither scared of sinking nor of exploring new routes and roads less travelled. Pirates don’t bother me, either. The only thing I fear is stalling.
For other interpretations of Future, have a look here.
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As a letter and language lover I simply HAD to participate in this week’s Photo Challenge featuring the alphabet. The alphabet accompanies us on a daily basis. Its members are spread all across this world forming words and sentences and shaping communication. We may find it randomly on Berlin flea markets, such as on the picture above. Letters of the alphabet may also be carved into a tree to symbolize eternal love. Or into a padlock.
Let me share the following story with you:
About five years ago I visited a small town in Czech Republic with my boyfriend at the time. We went there to celebrate my birthday and while strolling around, we thought it would be nice to leave a trace of our love. I know… So we grabbed some dark nail varnish and wrote our initials onto a purple pinkish padlock we had brought with us. Then, we went to find a spot for it. We left it dangling from a barbed wire next to a bricked wall. It was a not too obvious yet beautiful place with a marvelous view of the town.
Years went by, hearts were broken and I completely forgot about that padlock. Now, as life goes, I recently found myself in that very same small Czech town. My visit there wasn’t planned at all but once I noticed it was THAT town, I thought I might as well have a look. I was curious to see if the padlock was still at its place. I remembered the path we had walked down at the time and found the bricked wall. I didn’t spot the padlock, though. I kept on walking up to a point where I noticed I had gone too far. So I turned around and followed the bricked wall again until I found the barbed wire bit. I leant onto the wall and had a look at the wire. It must be somewhere here, I thought to myself. I slightly turned my head to the left and Read more…
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I’ve been procrastinating to write this post tonight. It’s the last one of this year’s NaBloPoMo series and that makes me feel a bit nostalgic.
Even though blogging on a daily basis for the last thirty days has been quite challenging, it has, once again, been a very rewarding experience. Coming up with a topic to write about hasn’t always been easy and on several days I’ve been exhausted after work and other daily obligations, just wanting to stumble into bed. Yet, the will to carry on has been stronger and I’m proud of having achieved this challenge. In case you’ve missed any of my recent posts, here’s what I’ve been posting throughout November 2015: Read more…
Guess what I’m drinking right now?
Let me give you a few hints: It’s a Turkish winter drink. It’s neither tea nor coffee. It’s milky with a hint of cinnamon. Correct, it’s salep! The title of this post was quite a spoiler, wasn’t it?
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Salep is one of my favourite Turkish beverages. It’s the perfect drink for a cozy evening at home or to relax throughout an eventful day. The drink consists of salep powder with sugar that is added to hot milk. Depending on your personal preferences you may Read more…
