«Hey Vagabond, how are you» was a message I found early in the morning in my WhatsApp. It kind of threw me off for a bit to be called a «Vagabond»! A Vagabond does not have a home, I do. This message, received from a friend of mine in Germany got me thinking about the meaning «home.» First and foremost: I don’t feel like a…
Somewhere in Waikiki on the Island of Oahu in Hawai’i, on Lewers Street between Kuhio und Ala Wai Blvd you will find a wooden wall with a relatively small sign «Surfjack». On walking by, it feels like the complex is one of the many condo buildings in world-famous Waikiki Beach. Upon closer inspection you would notice a reception and a small pool next to the…
I have always been a big fan of explorers. My idol, Moroccan-born Ibn Battuta traveled and explored Northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia for nearly 29 years before he settled back in his hometown of Tangier. Lately, Ibn got some competition: Lewis & Clark. Having traveled along the famous Lewis & Clark Trail in Oregon inspired me to read up a bit…
Maybe I watched one too many James Bond movies or my mind got stuck in a 1940s spy thriller but I always wanted to visit this mysterious city located just 31 km (19 miles) across the Andalusian coast. Anthony Bourdain whose Tangier episode fascinated me was another reason I wanted to come here. Getting to Tangier is easy, there are multiple ferries from Tarifa, Spain.…
«You got to go to Pappy’s», is what I heard as soon as touched down at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. My friend Ron as well as his family and friends urged me to visit this iconic restaurant specialized in ribs and BBQ. The first thing which caught my eye when we pulled up to Pappy’s on Olive St. in downtown St. Louis was the…
Throughout history, when Germans left their homeland and settled in other parts of the world, they had the habit of bringing their culture along. Take the Mennonites who are originally from the Kaiserstuhl area in Germany’s Southwest and made a new home in Mexico. Lucky for the Mexicans that they would not part with their musical instruments such as the trumpet or accordion. Imagine Mexico…
There must be a reason that life in Italy is just a bit better. Is it that God created the world in six days and once he looked back he wasn’t too happy so he created Italy on day seven which was a Sunday? Could be… Many times over, movies were made and articles written about the fact that meals just taste better in Italy,…
Many of my followers have contacted me with questions in regards to our recent camping trip to Texas. Will do my best to answer all your questions right here: TIME Of course best is to travel with no time constraints but who has unlimited time? We knew we had four weeks and wanted to visit White Sands, Big Bend, Rockport, San Antonio and Waco, all…
For over 30 years I had a love affair. Yes, you heard right: a love affair. A love affair with a piece of land called Florida. When I grew up back in Germany I watched Flipper. Not sure if the black & white series was the actual root of my affinity with Florida but the name itself always sounded exotic to me. Once I moved…
It is hard to put a label on Marfa, Texas. Is it a town, a village, a hamlet or a hippy settlement? 1750 people, ranging from artists and/or modern day hippies to hardcore ranchers, call Marfa home. Located in the Far West Region of Texas, to the South of New Mexico and just a tad to the North of Mexico, one could say Marfa is…