Keukenhof, the Garden of Europe

The Keukenhof flower garden near Amsterdam is the world's largest bulb garden with seven million bulbs (e.g. tulips, narcissi, hyacinths, daffodils etc.) planted each year. The park was established in 1949 by the mayor of Lisse so that Dutch bulb growers could show off their latest hybrids. The theme of 2010 is ‘From Russia with love’ that can be seen in the flower mosaic of St. Basil's Cathedral as well as in many Russian inspired floral arrangements with matryoshka dolls. The park is only open for two months in spring, from the end of March to mid-May. It is a truly spectacular experience, maybe the Carlsbad Flower Fields I visited a couple of years ago is the only one that could be matched to this magic.

Hanami in Germany

Hanami means "flower viewing", however "flower" almost always refers to cherry blossoms (or in other words "sakura"). The practice of hanami is a centuries-old Japanese custom and although it has lost some of its spiritual significance during the years, the weeks between late April and early May are still a great time to enjoy the beauty of spring.

The extract of cherry blossoms known for their nourishing properties is used in many skin care products. Here are the best ones:

Bath & Body Works Moisturizing Shampoo
Organix Conditioner
The Body Shop Body Butter
L'Occitane Lip Gloss
Neobio Moisturizer
San Francisco Soap Company Soap Bar
Demeter Cologne Spray
Bison Lip Cream

Bleckede

Where sun and wind play on a ring of bright water,
that's where my heartland will be.
The deer on the hill in the first snow of winter,
the gull in the sky winging free.

I wandered away from the dark crowded city,
leaving my old life behind;
and came to a place where a ring of bright water
dazzled the care from my mind.
So, I live with the wonder of the sky and the sea,
and I'll always remember who revealed them to me.

/Val Doonican: Ring of Bright Water/

The Rooftops of Lunenburg

The Hansestadt Lüneburg (Hanseatic Town of Lunenburg) is well-known for its ancient gabled and half-timbered houses. Turn your head up to the sky to get a full view of them.

The Journey Begins

During the college years, I did my industrial placement in Nuremberg and now, I had the chance to pass by this lovely city again. It was great to see how little it had changed during these 12 years and how wonderful the Franconian cuisine still tastes. We had everything from Nürnberger Bratwurst and Sauerkraut to Kartoffelklösse (potato dumplings) and Haxe (grilled pork knuckle). I daresay, it tastes the best with a glass of Radler (shandy). An Guadn!

Farewell to Pécs

The M6/M60 motorway between Pécs and Budapest was opened to traffic on 31st March, 2010 and my assignment also ended at the construction company last Friday. I got a 2-week long paid holiday and I am all excited about the new direction my life will now take. Good-bye, Pécs and thank you for this lovely time I'll never forget.

Happy Easter

At Easter in Hungary, spring is just exploding:
the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming.
Most of the folks eat cooked ham with a slice of sweetbread,
some horseradish and cooked eggs whose shell they've painted red.

Then, on Easter Monday, boys visit the girls they know,
recite a short poem and sprinkle them with cologne.
In return, they get an egg that is kept for a while,
this is an old folk custom followed since a long time.

Easter bread-types all around the world:
Austria Osterpinze
Croatia Uskrsna pogača
Finland Paasiaisleipa
Greece Tsoureki
Hungary, Upper Franconia Hefezopf
Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia Paska
Russia, Serbia Kulich
Spain Bollo de hornazo