Urgut Market – the best place for Suzani shopping in Uzbekistan?

Urgut Market – the best place for Suzani shopping in Uzbekistan?

Oh, the fabled Urgut Market. For years, I read internet forums and  guide books, wishing to visit this bazaar south of Samarkand. This time, I was going to visit Urgut Market, and please, if you are interested in textiles, let me share my Sunday shopping 

Shopping in Venice: More than Glass and Masks:

Shopping in Venice: More than Glass and Masks:

Italy is a great place to shop for quality food and great style.  And shopping in Venice is no exception. But this time in Venice, on my first trip for nearly a year, I wanted to see sights, visit restaurants, and shop things that cannot 

Learning to dive as an Older Diver is cool!

Learning to dive as an Older Diver is cool!

Why I was waiting until I was an “older diver”?  I love the water, love to snorkel.  But I  have never had the guts to learn to scuba dive. I was  thinking it is for the fit, for those with regular access to tropical waters 

Escape for winter sun,  budget classy style

Escape for winter sun, budget classy style

The darkest, shortest days, are over, so are the end-of-the year festivities for us Europeans, and yet there is another three-odd months of cold and darkness to look forward to. A winter sun trip is the answer But our bank accounts might look a bit 

My 2023 Travel Plans: Inspiring, Ambitious or Pie in the Sky?

My 2023 Travel Plans: Inspiring, Ambitious or Pie in the Sky?

Hot on the heels of my 2022 travel year comes the 2023 travel plans, or intentions, as the hip ones like to say now. If my speed of writing this blog is anything to go by, I might have finished it in a week or 

Its Alright: My 2022 Travel Year

Its Alright: My 2022 Travel Year

And so here goes nothing, with about 138 drafts on file, my heads full of plans. Not a great year for travel blogging here, my 2022 travel year but a good year otherwise. Mainly dominated by work. Work first, or what… But that’s okay, because 

Holiday Golightly’s Gift Guide 2022 or: give the gift of travel!

Holiday Golightly’s Gift Guide 2022 or: give the gift of travel!

Here it comes, the season to… shop and shop, and the publication of endless gift guides on the internets. And, with just a tiny bit of delay, but ready for the (s)hopping madness here in Europe comes Holiday Golightly’s Gift Guide 2022. In 2019, I 

Eastern German Christmas Markets – the best and most underrated Christmas Markets of Germany

Eastern German Christmas Markets – the best and most underrated Christmas Markets of Germany

Hallo! Proud Eastern German here, and now the festive time is nearing, let’s take a look at Eastern German Christmas Markets.  Time to do a post about the most common travel reason to Germany in the cold ‘n dark season: Christmas Markets! Indeed, hardly anyone 

Afternoon Strolls: a lovely Berlin Reuterkiez walk

Afternoon Strolls: a lovely Berlin Reuterkiez walk

I spent my summer working and strolling Berlin’s lovely streets. So, my Berlin Reuterkiez walk is all I have to offer in terms of “fresh” travel right now. In response to the fuel shortages in 2022, the German government issued a public transport ticket for 

Bauhaus Dessau – the best place to visit for Bauhaus Architecture

Bauhaus Dessau – the best place to visit for Bauhaus Architecture

Inspired by a recent visit to Weimar… and the Bauhaus 1.0, I thought I can drag out some local wisdom and and write a Bauhaus Dessau guide on visiting Bauhaus sites in Dessau, of which there are plenty! Dessau, and sadly the sites of the 

Great travel on a budget in economic uncertainty

Great travel on a budget in economic uncertainty

Here in Central Europe, we are good at doom and gloom after nearly three years of pandemic and nearly a year of war at our doorstep.  Not to mention other conflicts not so far from us – Israel-Palestine, various environmental disasters, and now… if media 

Actually #1 or Excitement in Suburbia

Actually #1 or Excitement in Suburbia

Between trying to keep this blog fluff and travel (okay and a bit of food) and wishing to talk about everyday stuff, inspiration, travel plans, I never done the kind of “life update” blog posts, although I love reading them on other peoples blogs. But 

Conques Abbey: Romanesque, Romantic and Starkly Modern

Conques Abbey: Romanesque, Romantic and Starkly Modern

Summer 2020… we went on a somewhat different holiday. Conques Abbey was a station of our little road trips to get to know Occitaine  a little better. We had not seen my in-laws for nearly a year, and as soon as travelling rules were relaxed 

A Turkish Hamam Visit – the Authentic and the Touristy

A Turkish Hamam Visit – the Authentic and the Touristy

What can you expect from a Turkish Hamam visit? Have you ever wondered, but not quite dared to visit one? Well… Turkey, and  Istanbul in particular,  is a perfect place for a first-time Turkish hamam visit. What kind of hamam to visit? Only one piece 

Flying Aeroflot: What is it like?

Flying Aeroflot: What is it like?

Update 26. February 2022 +++ Do not travel On 24 February, Russian troops invaded Ukraine and started an unprovoked war. I therefore advise you not to visit Russia and/or use Aeroflot while this war is going on. With further sanctions against Russia looming, you may