Fabric Shopping in Nagasaki: Gorgeous cloth galore!

Fabric Shopping in Nagasaki: Gorgeous cloth galore!

A hobby sewist shares insights from fabric shopping in Nagasaki. The blog details various high-quality Japanese fabrics available, from traditional prints to modern designs, and provides a thorough guide on fabric types such as cotton, chirimen, and Liberty Tana Lawn. Key fabric stores in Nagasaki are highlighted for their selection and decent prices. The post emphasizes personal experiences and advice for fabric enthusiasts.

Treasure Hunting in Arita

Treasure Hunting in Arita

Treasure Hunting in Arita  was dream come true. I love Japanese ceramics and porcelain.  Many years ago, trips to the now defunct Oriental City were a wonderful respite from  toiling away in a laboratory. Years later, my already decent Japanese tableware collection was supplemented by 

Okawachiyama, the Beautiful Village of the Secret Kilns

Okawachiyama, the Beautiful Village of the Secret Kilns

When you love Japanese ceramics, visiting Saga Prefecture on Kyushu Island is highly recommended. I studied in Nagasaki this year , so a trip to the kilns of Arita and Imari was pretty high on my wish list. When I wrote my Japanese Ceramics Dream trip 

The best Eastern German Christmas Goodies

The best Eastern German Christmas Goodies

Some amazing things come from Eastern Germany but are below many people’s radar.  Eastern German Christmas goodies are one such thing, and it is a real shame they are not celebrated worldwide. And as a proud Eastern German, I see it as my job to 

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 season is approaching, 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 and dark season: Christmas Markets! Indeed, hardly anyone 

Fabric Shopping in Bursa: From gorgeous silk to beautiful cheap cotton

Fabric Shopping in Bursa: From gorgeous silk to beautiful cheap cotton

As far as I can see, there is no blog post on fabric shopping in Bursa yet – but if you are a sewist and find yourself in Istanbul or the Marmara region, I highly recommend a trip out to Bursa. Bursa is well worth 

Rishton Ceramics: Beauty and Tradition in the Fergana Valley

Rishton Ceramics: Beauty and Tradition in the Fergana Valley

What’s in Rishton? Firstly, it is the centre of ceramics in Uzbekistan. Rishton Ceramics are famous all over Uzbekistan. Moreover, of the ceramics you can buy in many of the tourist places all over Uzbekistan, many are produced in Rishton. The reason for this is 

Kumtepe Bazaar Marghilon –  heaven for fabric shopping

Kumtepe Bazaar Marghilon – heaven for fabric shopping

After a jolly Sunday at Urgut Market, I was really excited about visiting the other famous Uzbek Bazaar the Kumtepe Bazaar of Marghilon. I hadn’t found much about it online, especially not whether it would be good for purchasing some quality locally made silk and 

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 

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 

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 

The 5 best notebooks for your travel journal

The 5 best notebooks for your travel journal

Do you  keep a travel journal?  What are the best notebooks for your travel journal?    Or are they a thing of the past, now the cheapest smarthone has camera and video function?  Call me old-fashioned, but I have always loved to write my travel 

A fine Florentin Street Art walk, Tel Aviv

A fine Florentin Street Art walk, Tel Aviv

Forget Berlin, it’s Tel Aviv that has quirky, diverse and innovative Street Art!  Come on a Florentin Street Art walk with me. And quickly, because with the rapid gentrification that appear to be in the Florentin District, where  a lot of the art is located, 

Tel Aviv Bauhaus Architecture walk – a perfect walk for Sabbath

Tel Aviv Bauhaus Architecture walk – a perfect walk for Sabbath

As someone who loves historic architecture and had their first office overlooking the Dessau Bauhaus, viewing the Bauhaus Architecture of Tel Aviv was on my wish list for years. Welcome to my Tel Aviv Bauhaus Architecture walk! Unlike many Bauhaus sites in Germany, central Tel