To Beer in Graz

// April 23rd, 2007 // No Comments » // Observations, travel

- There are only two countries with good beer: Belgium and France.
- France, really?
- Yes, you can find Belgium beer everywhere in France.

It could be because I hadn’t been drinking beer for a while but I believe Austrian beer can be excellent too. The beer I was served yesterday, organically and locally brewed, tasted like a goddess for the tongue.

Good beer doesn’t come from a country. It can be found everywhere where small and independent breweries are based. But that truth would kill my jokes. What you do want to hear is that Austrian beer tastes so bad you can only find it in Austria, because that’s what makes you laugh.

Austria. I love it for its diversity. Salzburg was nice but the people grumpy. They look depressed and seemed to be only friendly in a forced formal manner.

I was afraid that the whole of Austria would be as grumpy. But now I arrived in Graz, I see a nice, free and open culture. Parks are full, people talk to strangers and share fun and joy with each other.

I arrived here Saturday hitching from Salzburg. My route went through thirty tunnels, several lakes and white mountains. I will leave the story for another day but it involves a sexy law-student, a communication advisor for a famous politician and a chemical guy.

Let it Grow

// April 19th, 2007 // No Comments » // blog, Observations, travel

Each moment can give you a different view of what is around you. Rain, snow, sun or mist, an early sunrise, or a colorful sunset, they all bring you a different taste and view, a different mood and atmosphere. There is no moment better then any other; the scene is part of a constant change of light and other circumstances.

From where I am currently staying, it is only a 2 minute walk to be out of the city: no cars nor houses to bother me. So when I woke up early this morning, I took a hike in the surrounding nature. Just like the first day I was here, I woke up, saw the hills and decided to get on top of them. Pure beauty.

Because when I am discovering a new city the question of where did nature go is always on my mind. I feel missing it, I feel I am locked up somewhere. And I look for a river that streams through the city, a sea that borders it, a lake, the parks, hills, or simply the nature around the place.

In Salzburg this isn’t very hard. While I am sitting on a sunny balcony I have a first-line view on green hills, I hear birds and I feel a gentle sun. The view on the surrounding mountains with their white tops is very clear and the green on the hilltop in front of me, simply makes me jump out to reach for its top.

So after I jumped out of bed into the world, I found on my walk a little river bringing water down and giving life to the plants on its trail. I saw flowers waking up, a spider starting his day and a sun slowly evaporating yesterday’s rain. And I know for myself I am on the right track. I realise how to let it go, how to flow and  to make it grow.

Traveling is a Virus

// April 17th, 2007 // No Comments » // hitchhiking, travel

To walk along a river that is leaving the city you are about to enter, is an amazing way to arrive somewhere. Not to arrive in a city by train, plane or car, but by walking, by taking all the time you have, by letting all impressions slowly approach you.

From the greens of the riverside, slowly into the civilization of the city-life. There couldn’t be a better way to arrive in Salzburg, I realised while I could see how nature was slowly being submerged. Continue Reading

Whatever The Random Roads

// April 12th, 2007 // No Comments » // travel

Eleven cars, and thirteen hours. A baker, a development-aid worker, a flower-man, a sales-manager, a hunter (!), an IT-manager, and six more random people. They all gave me a ride yesterday, some only for a short distance, others for like 150 km.

At least on the map Munich seemed not too far from Bern, 430 kilometers my online route-calculator told me. I did foresee some difficulties as the roads before and after the border were pretty bad but as long as you’re in a car going a long distance, who cares about that. So in fact what happened on this day, I dared not to expect. Continue Reading

Celebrating Bern

// April 10th, 2007 // No Comments » // life, travel

In Bern I have been treated very well. I just love the place. Not only have I been welcomed very well in Bern – I stayed with very good people who embraced me as if I had always been living with them – but also has it been the city where I’ve celebrated my birthday. And my birthday has been celebrating with style.

Of course, this day could not have gone by without talking to family and friends. On this blog and my Dutch site I received many nice congratulations. Also have I received phone-calls from all over the world. It was great to be in a place where I could hear some news today from almost everyone.

Tomorrow I am on the road again, to Munich. I will stay there over the weekend. In Munich I’ll take a couple of days off – it’s time for a short break…!

Berlin By Night

// February 18th, 2007 // No Comments » // photography

Inspiring View on Berlin

// February 16th, 2007 // No Comments » // travel

So far Berlin has brought me only inspiration. In fact, quite some inspiration as I drove around with an 70-year-old bike through the streets of Berlin.

In some hours I’ve seen most of the buildings and wall-parts already. Not all of them of course, since Berlin is amazingly big but quite a few indeed. And as I was cycling I was enjoying it as I normally would enjoy the cities of Amsterdam and Barcelona.

And from one spot to another, I ended at a photo-exhibition on nature. It was featuring some of the best pictures that I have seen for long. It made me feel very good, and well in place. And of course inspired.

Clearing The Future

// January 22nd, 2007 // No Comments » // life, travel

This Sunday was the day to visit my Grandparents in Zeeland. I wanted to see them before I would set off to travel. It was over 5 years ago we met the last time.

I also went for a walk and while walking I saw beautiful clouds in the sky, they gave me some fresh showers but they also let the sun in. They appeared, and cleared. Future, present and past in a short day; all made clearer.