Photography & travel

LA BANDITA

In the Tuscan country side of Val d’Orcia hidden on a hillside lies a piece of heaven on earth. La Bandita. A small 8 bedroom villa with a pool. A perfect place to unwind and enjoy nature and silence after the hustle and bustle of a busy city.UPDATE 02AUG23: La bandita was sold and became a private place. It’s actually our second stay. Karen discovered this little gem back in 2017 and we cherish warm memories. Since we didn’t planned this year a lot in advance, post covid remember, we decided to give them a call. BINGO! Luck was on …

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GENOVA LA SUPERBA

‘It’s an inspiring city’ was our response to a Genovesi asking how we liked it. “But a little dirty, right?” she added spontaneously. True. It could be cleaner. ‘You notice the difference immediately when you get to Belgium,’ she continued. Turns out she had already been to Antwerp and that creates a bond.We baptise the city as ‘Genu’A’. Now it’s a little bit our city too!A veil of mysticism hangs over the city. Probably because the houses are so close together so the sunlight cannot penetrate everywhere. Often the Caruggi, or alleys, are no wider than 1.80 meters. Fortunately, the …

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CHETZERON & KANDERSTEG

May, a month were you expect birds to nest, rays of sunshine, lush alpine meadows but no snow fall. However this is exactly what we got during our long weekend. In retrospect it was not bad at all and sort of a special moment with heavenly blue skies and 50 shades of grey. Starting in Crans Montana we will hike to Chetzeron. Because of Corona we decided not to take the gondola nor the jeep offered by the hotel that would drive us. We did accept the offer of the driver to take our luggage. We said good-bye to the …

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DERBORENCE #1

Squeezed in between les Diablerets, Haut de Cry and Mont Gond in canton of Valais (Suisse) you find the beautiful valley of Derborence. A protected nature reserve by Pro Natura. On a Sunday morning early March we wanted to hike around the lake of Derborence. Driving on the road from Conthey we were forced to leave the car on a small parking along the road. Driving to Derborance was not possible due to landslides and snow. So we decided to put on our hiking boots and walk the longer stretch.  Little did we know that we would not be able …

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FLOWERS FOR CONCRETE

Sometimes a creative moment presents itself. Walking to the bakery on a Sunday morning i suddenly realise that an old garage building in my neighbourhood is getting demolished.Nothing special planned i grab my camera gear, vase of lilies and my safety shoes. It remains, of course, a building under construction, albeit in reverse. The original garage activities were already long stopped. I only knew the building as a storage room for fruit and vegetables owned by a small entrepreneur.However, I never knew that people also lived in dingy flats with little or no comfort. Looking at the gas and electricity …

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Viroinval

After weeks of semi-lockdown you start longing to escape. If only for a weekend with the kids, nature and some culture.Brain food modus: ‘ON’Family time: ‘CHECK’Escape to nature: ‘STARTED’But before we explore the woods of Viroinval a culture stop at the ‘Musée de La Photography’ in Charleroi is planned. What did you expect from a ‘photo addict’ ? We stayed the weekend at FOREST-CUBE. An ecolodge in the middle of trees where you can breathe naturally.The cubes are nearly energy passive with straw insulation, heat pump and heat-recovery ventilation. We like!Not even 10 mins down the road in Oignies-En-Thiérache you …

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RüGEN

Leaving Hamburg behind and heading for some fresh air, nature and salt on our skin. We stranded at Rügen. An island just off the Pomeranian coast of the Baltic Sea, and the largest island in Germany covering over 900 square km. I honestly didn’t knew Germany actually had an island. But what i do know now: ‘we have to plan a second visit’. Although the weather was rather cloudy the atmosphere on the island was beyond mystique. The horizon blended very well with the grey sky thanks to the soft tone day light. Especially when you walk at the end …

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HAMBURG or GRUBMAH?

Grubmah you say? Yes, because of the flip side of the city. Hamburg has several layers. You have ‘Neuer Wall’ a shopping area (keep your wallet closed), office area, nice restaurants…. And you have a much more colourful and vivid area. Like St. Pauli. It’s a part of the city where you will find plenty of artists, little cosy shops, bars and lots of atmosphere. Me like very much!And it is also known for the Reeperbahn. Being there in between 2 lock-downs not much was openend at night. As we wandered through the streets we could hear, carried by the …

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Hamburg & Architecture

In my opinion, cities with an identity have one thing in common. A vision and love for architecture. And when both of them blend together buildings start to come alive. And don’t be blinded by just the modern buildings. It is also about the space given to them. The harmony with the environment, parks, but also leaving space for ‘artistic neighbourhoods’. A city doesn’t have to be completely neatly brushed off. It would appear too clinical and therefore less livable.Like the Dockland office building. It stands at one end of Edgar-Engelhard-Kai, a street quay between the Norderelbe, the northern arm …

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Hamburg & River bank

An artery, that is how the Elbe River may be described. Connecting the heart of Hamburg with the world. The river is a great place for Hamburgers to gather around and enjoy the view. In the shadow of the Elphi you have a second, less spectacular, architectural show piece. The Niederhafen promenade designed by Zaza Hadid Architects. It winds along the river for about 625 mtr. and has a triple functionality. Protect the city against future flooding, a promenade for pedestrians and an ‘amphitheatre style’ stair to watch one of the greatest free shows on earth. Sunset.

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