We were not that far south of Lyon, when we stopped at a gas station on the Autoroute du Soleil. As I rolled down the window, I was surprised to get a whiff of a strong natural fragrance, instead … Read More
Imagine roadtripping through France, driving from fairytale castles to romantic Renaissance châteaux. Climbing up ruined fortresses and wandering through enchanting royal gardens. If you are a history buff or love exploring châteaux, France is actually filled with splendid castles to … Read More
As our train curled west towards Zhangye, we watched jet-black yaks and blue-dyed sheep grazing along the Hexi Corridor. Located between the snow-capped Qilian Mountains in the south and the inhospitable Gobi Desert in the north, the Hexi … Read More
Bruised clouds stacked up. They crouched over the mountains, clung to them, sucking on their peaks. Then they let loose, and moved across the plane like on a chessboard. They were heading for our direction. With the clouds … Read More
From afar, we spotted the glitter of the Royal Monastery of Brou’s glazed patterned roof tiles. Its burgundy, terracotta and emerald mosaic gleaming in the July sunshine. I pulled over at the next intersection and found an empty … Read More
Mei turned down the volume when we almost reached the Arcachon Bay. I was going to make a right turn to head towards the town of Arcachon, when I suddenly spotted the road sign “Dune du Pilat”. I hit … Read More
It was the windshield wiper that woke me up. A familiar sound. And yet out of the ordinary setting. A noise I know so well from my daily life in rainy Luxembourg. And yet unusual. For it had not … Read More
Leaving Xi‘an after only 3 days, we felt like betraying the capital of ancient China. When our guide Rocky waved us goodbye at the train station, I almost regretted not having extended our time in Xi’an for a few … Read More
(updated in February 2023) “Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” – Jenny Han. I might be biased because I was born in July. And Kerstin in August. For us, July and August are … Read More