Stockholm 2021

Stockholm

Stockholm offers a wealth of art and culture: interactive museums, magnificent castles, small galleries and personal artists’ homes. The district of Gamla Stan is the historical center of the city of Stockholm. The beautiful old town surrounded by the water is by far the most important sight of the city with its winding, medieval streets, pastel-colored houses, the royal castle and the magnificent churches and palaces.

I’ve been visiting Stockholm during winter and discovered the different christmas markets around the old town. Brilliant winter sun melts snow on the rooftops and the whole city shines bright in the light.

I went to the Fotografiska, the temple for modern photography in the former customs house near the ferry terminal. Four large exhibitions are shown every year behind the brick facade, and the Bread & Wine Bistro offers great food and a wide view over the old town of Gamla Stan and the islands of Djurgården and Skeppsholmen.

On the Skeppsholmen island you can find four museums, have a nice walk or just enjoy a drink and a small snack in one of the islands cafés.

The Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet), which is located on the island of Djurgården, houses the Vasa, the world’s only surviving ship from the 17th century. The Vasa Museum is one of Stockholm’s top tourist attractions and is the most visited museum in Scandinavia. It’s phenomenal how the wreckage is preserved, and a visit is definitely a must do when you’re travelling to Stockholm.

Next to the Vasa Museum on Djurgården there are also located the ABBA museum and the Skansen museum, the oldest open-air museum in the world. The small museum village consists of many small, authentic wooden houses as you often see in Sweden and Scandinavia.

The many houses show how craftsmen, bakers, glassblowers and other vocations were practiced around 100 years ago. On th main square with the church of the museum village there is a beautiful christmas tree in winter and many stalls invite you to taste delicious Swedish delicacies with music and dancing.

I started my trip to Stockholm during the Nobel Week and I could experience the Nobel Week Lights an annual light festival in Stockholm that takes place during the Nobel Week. International and local artists and designers create large-scale public light art that presents these impactful discoveries at a monumental scale while welcoming the audience to reimagine the city of Stockholm and the urban environment. It is an impressive installation that shows again the character of Stockholm as a city of art and culture.

After a day above the city or the beautiful traditional museum village, you can end the day in the beautiful trendy district of Södermalm. The area, also called Söder, used to be a simple working-class area and is now a central point of the city, where many artists live and work.

The beautiful old houses are well preserved and are surrounded by many parks that are beautifully covered with snow in winter. In SoFo, a colorful part of Södermalm, you can turn night into day in restaurants and bars with warm Swedish dishes and high quality drinks.

Paris 2021

Paris

Paris ‘the city of love’ a mesmerizing city you’ll definitely fall in love with. Whitestone townhouses ooze luxury, the smell of freshly baked croissants drifts through the air, and flowers hang at the sides of cobbled streets.

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic monuments globally, up there with the likes of the Statue of Liberty, the Taj Mahal, or the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is an icon of Paris, towering above the city by day and lighting it up at night. If you want to enjoy the view over the iconic skyline of Paris you’d have to visit Montmarte.

Montmarte is the prettiest area in all of Paris. What was once a tiny village on the hill, separated from the city, now forms the 18th district of Paris. You will find there a lot of phenomenal bars and restaurants. The Basilica Sacre-Coeur is the icon of Montmartre, a stunning white church that sits on the very top of the hill looking over Paris. You can access the central dome by climbing 300 steps to the top, where you’ll find even greater panoramic views of Paris.

Spend the rest of your day in the trendy neighborhood of Le Marais. You can find everything you could possibly need in this beautiful little medieval neighborhood, whether it’s trendy vintage shops and restaurants, luxurious squares, or ancient, narrow medieval streets that could be straight from a novel. Enjoy a walk around the Marché des Enfants Rouges and stay at one of the restaurants for a small meal.

If you walk along the Seine there’s a lot of vendors besides the street like on the picture below on the Quai Saint-Michel. Visiting the Pont Neuf, the Notre Dame cathedral and the various parisien parks and gardens just brightens your day. It’s the french lifestyle that makes you feel happy.

Surrounded by nice people, good food and wine you will have a perfect time. I’ve been visiting Paris in the autumn and it’s a perfect time. During these months, enjoy mild weather, days of sunshine, and slightly quieter streets. And there’s still a lot more to see – to much for just a few days of travel.

The Louvre Museum is one of the most famous in the entire world. It’s known for housing the Mona Lisa and its unique triangular shape. Featuring the French monarch’s art collection and the result of the pillaging which was carried out during Napoleon’s Empire, the Louvre Museum opened in 1793.

The Sorbonne University and cafés popular with students are located in the picturesque Latin Quarter, the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The district is also known for its bookshops whose are also worth a visit.

Enjoy the french way of life whilst you’re travelling to Paris. I can highly recommend a short trip to this marvellous city in the heart of Europe.

Ireland 2021

Ireland

Ireland – The green island. Wonderful nature, landscapes which are pure pornography, nice people, a lot of whiskey, guinness and irish red ale. Two weeks of travel and irish pubs.

We’ve been travelling with hired campervan around the irish coastline. Starting in Dublin we drove up to Northern Ireland. Visiting Belfast, the Giants Causeway and Derry we discovered the beauty of the north.

Our overnight parking spots where just perfect. I think there is nothing that’s more beautiful than beeing awakend by the sound of the waves aproaching the coastline.

From the north into the wild west of Ireland, back into the republic. Driving along the Wild Atlantic Way with its national parks full of untamed nature. The Wild Nephin Reserve/Ballycroy National Park is definitely the most lonely spot i’ve ever visited – and for me also the most beautiful place in Ireland. Pure Nature, no people, loneliness, and the sound of wild nature.

We continued our journey driving through Connemara to Galway, one of the most charming cities in Ireland. The lively historic center of Galway just invites you to stay longer than you’d expect.

And Galway is also the gate to the most famous cliffs in Ireland – The Cliffs of Moher. Up to 200 meters tall and just breathtaking.

Now it’s just a stone’s throw to Limerick and Kerry. The coastline of the South West is a meandering mix of inlets, coves and peninsulas, so there is plenty of opportunity for cliff-top walks and rambles. You’ll find one of the best hiking spots in Kerry in the Killarney National Park. Here you will find one of the oldest remaining oak forests in Ireland.

Killarney was our penultimate stop before going back to Dublin. We then continued our trip to Cork and of course to Middleton, visiting the Jameson whiskey distillery.

We finished our trip where we started it – in Dublin – for me the most attractive city of Ireland. Wonderful people, a lot of street musicians, artwork everywhere and the best bars and pubs you can imagine.