Happy New Year!

Smørrebrød has become my perennial favorite at New Year's Eve. They are easy to make, taste great and create a variety of choices for the party table. This year, I cut out decorative shapes from the cheese and ham slices with cookie cutters so the sandwiches looked not just pretty but also kind of fun.

Winter Breakfast

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal. A fragrant, hot breakfast is a great way to kick start your day, especially in wintertime. My ultimate favorite is oatmeal. I like keeping it simple and just add some honeyed apple and cinnamon to it. Here you can vote for your favorite topping.

In The Mood for Christmas

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat,
Please to put a penny in an old man's hat;
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you.

/Nursery Rhymes by Mother Goose/

"Brown paper packages...

... tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things." It's so exciting to find new ways for using recycled products and everyday household items to wrap a gift. Last year, I put pages from old magazines and calendars to use by repurposing them into festive gift wrap; this year, I used brown paper from cut-up grocery bags, leftover wallpaper, newspaper pages and cut-out images from confectionery boxes. The possibilities are endless. Take a look - Gift Wrapping Ideas by Martha Stewart.

The Snowman

"I remember that winter because it had brought the heaviest snow that I had ever seen. Snow had fallen steadily all night long and in the morning, I woke in a room filled with light and silence, the whole world seemed to be held in a dream-like stillness. It was a magical day and it was on that day I made the snowman."

/Raymond Briggs: The Snowman/

Preparing for Christmas Ahead of Time

It may now be too early to set up a Christmas tree, but for an alternate option, you can spray paint some branches white, then hang some ornaments, biscuits or candy canes on them to bring a touch of holiday magic into your home.

Chistmas Fair in Lunenburg

The traditional Christmas market in Lunenburg takes place in front of the Lüneburger Rathaus (Town Hall) from whose balcony Siegfried Knoop, trumpet soloist plays a Christmas song every afternoon. Stalls sell handcrafted Christmas decorations and gifts, Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and Glühwein (mulled wine). There are also beautiful scenes staged from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm all over the city center.
Wherever you are, soak up the magic of Yuletide markets and indulge in the delicious traditional Christmas treats.

The Season of Advent

The season of Advent started today. It is a period of preparation before Christmas, and somehow, I enjoy it more than the holiday itself. There are so many holiday projects you can prepare by yourself to bring some festive cheer and seasonal warmth into your home décor.
I've crafted a candle holder from a recycled fence board and some scented candles lying around in our drawers. Our Chritmas center-piece is made up of evergreen branches, fresh fruits and orange pomanders that may last up to several years if made properly.
If you want more inspiration for your creative soul, take a tour on the websites of Martha Stewart and Good Housekeeping.

Flavours of the Vietnamese Table

It has become our habit to eat Viatnamese food once a week, not just because of its nutritional benefits but also because of its distinct taste that comes from the delicate balance of spices and herbs (such as fresh mint and basil leaves, coriander and lemon grass) traditionally used in Vietnamese cooking. Quite often, a Vietnamese meal consists of only a hearty soup. My absolute favourite is 'canh chua thịt bò', that is a hot soup with tomatoes and beef, eaten with steamed rice. I also like their summer rolls (gỏi cuốn) that are served fresh and not deep fried as opposed to Chinese-style spring rolls. Tôi thật sự thích nó.

The Kleine Zeitung Project 2010

I participated again in the design competition of Kleine Zeitung and put together a job ad that will hopefully get me closer to winning the grand prize than the one last year.

Product Packaging

Nowadays, innovative package designers are coming up with ideas that are beyond even the wildest imagination. There are fruit juice packages that imitate the look and feel of the fruit they contain and milk containers featuring the letters of the product's name in 3D.
However, I somehow still prefer packages with a heavy dose of old-world charm. Here are some of my favorite solutions:



1. drinking chocolate from Sarotti
2. safety matches from Thore Gustavsson
3. pancake syrup from De Zeeuwsche Boerin
4. gingerbread spice mixture from Staesz
5. condensed milk from Bärenmarke
6. confectionery from Teekanne
7. soap from Penaten
8. camembert from Rotkäppchen
9. butter from Gut von Holstein

Engineering Wonders No. 2

Driving across the sea is more often not possible than possible; the section between the Dutch provinces of Noord-Holland and Friesland is one of the few places where you can actually do it, via the Afsluitdijk (enclosure dam).
The design of the dike was prepared by the Dutch civil engineer, Cornelis Lely 25 years ahead of the actual construction. In 1916, the government finally gave the green light to commence the plan (mainly to prevent the usual floodings from the sea), but due to the First World War, the works had to be put on hold. The construction eventually begun in 1927 and was completed in 1932, converting the Zuiderzee into a freshwater inland lake, the IJsselmeer. The Afsluitdijk also carries the A7/E22 motorway running from the German border all the way to Amsterdam.
The entire structure looks massive and vastly impressive, who would have thought that it will slowly reach its 100th birthday? I would have loved to see the faces when this whole idea was first proposed in 1891! Then again, most of the greatest achievements of mankind might have sounded somewhat loony when they were first put on the table; but he who laughs last, laughs longest, in this particular case, 30-km long.

Huis Doorn

Initially, we were heading to the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park but on the spur of the moment, we stopped at the manor of Doorn. Frankly, we had no idea what the place was famous for but nevertheless, we joined a guided tour of the house and learnt a great deal through the intriguing tales and anecdotes. This is the place where the last emperor of the German empire, Wilhelm II lived in exile - after Germany's defeat in the First World War - until his death in 1941. Audrey Hepburn's mother also spent her childhood here. In addition to the enchanting surroundings (24-room manor house and a 14-acre park), Huis Doorn boasts a unique collection of the kaiser's furniture and other personal belongings shipped in five trains from his German estates. Wilhelm II was buried in the garden mausoleum; in his will, he refused his body to be returned to Germany, unless the monarchy was restored there.

Fashion by Deerberg

At the first blush, I've thought that Deerberg is just another producer of Trachtenmode (traditional Austrian/Bavarian fashion). Well, it is not quite so. It is certainly true that their fashion line is somewhat inspired by the Landhausmode (country style), but they add a quirky twist to it, so their clothing items are fabulously fun and cozy to wear. In addition to their own creations, they also carry shoes and home accessories from a diverse range of labels; as a matter of fact, Deerberg sells a whole lifestyle inspired by color and a love of the countryside/outdoors. Their store in Velgen is also decked out in a typical German country style. In terms of philosophy and approach, Deerberg is sort of the German equivalent of Joules UK. As a major plus, they are committed to working sustainably and most of their garments are organic and ethically produced.

The Ultimate Fashion Statement: Матрёшка

Most of the matryoshkas consist of five dolls and that's how many names they are known of: matryoshka, nesting doll, babushka doll, Russian doll, stacking doll. They have come a long way since the first set was crafted in 1890 by doll maker Vasily Zvyozdochkin and hand-painted by folk artist Sergey Malyutin. In addition to being the most popular Russian souvenir, the cheerful, kerchief-wearing women keep inspiring the world of fashion. Even the biggest brands have apparel featuring the nesting doll motif. Just think of the matryoshka clutch that Karl Lagerfeld presented as part of Chanel's 2009 pre-fall 'Paris-Moscou' collection.

My sister collects the authentic matryoshkas and I contribute to her collection with less precious pieces, e.g. fashion accessories, crocheted doll, etc. There is a huge variety of merchandise depicting the character, ranging from home accessories to clothing items. Here are the ones I like the most:

Bed linen - Come inside
Pillow case - Riky and Nina
Wall stickers - Baby Roo
Shoes - Hippy of Doom
Handbag - Hanaha
Tea set - Amazon
Baby dress - Lolah Pop Vintage Baby
Christmas ornament - Golden Cockerel
Stationery - Egg Press
Rubber stamps - The Small Object
Bento box - Sugar Charms
Applique pattern for DIY projects - Arlyna
Costume - Craftzine

Lüneburger Heide

Heide just as its English equivalent, heath can mean two different things: it can either be the natural habitat for low-growing evergreen shrubs or the plant of the genus Erica. The Lüneburger Heide (Lunenburg Heath) is the largest heath area in Central Europe and most of it is a nature reserve. Ideally, it is the best to visit around late August when the Scotch heather is in full bloom; we were a bit late so its bright pink color had already turned into brownish. Nevertheless, we very much enjoyed the special charm of the scenery ("Heidelandschaft") from a horse-drawn carriage (thank you, Mario and Diego for the hard work!) and the little feast of local specialties (Frikadeller in a bun, pea stew, buttermilk, coffee and buckwheat cake) we had at a guest house halfway through our journey.

On the Lüneburg Heath
In that beautiful land
I went up and I went down
All sorts on the way I found
Valleri Vallera ha ha ha

And yoohirassah
Dearest love
For you know it sure

Hortobágy

For years, the Hungarian tourism has tried to move away from the image of Puszta-Paprika-Piroschka. But why fix something that works? While I certainly agree that Hungary has so much more to offer than paprika, goulash, gypsy music and the usual clichés, I think that every country needs some iconic images to be identified with. Sadly, modern art is seriously underpromoted in Hungary, and it would definitely deserve a lot more exposure, still it could hardly be used as a staple symbol of the country.
I have visited the Puszta for the first time and was absolutely fascinated by the landscape and its magical colors. No wonder that the Hortobágy National Park (an archetype of the traditional Hungarian landscape) has been inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO. This is the largest continuous steppe of Europe with a seemingly endless horizon that mesmerizes all who see it. There are 342 bird species known to be resident here and the vegetation offers a variety of habitats also for snakes, but only one species, the common viper, possesses venom that is harmful to humans (though their bites are often not deadly). So, it might not have been entirely correct from me to attribute a painful insect bite on my foot to a rattlesnake.

At the Hungarian Sea

This year, we have taken a lot of mini vacations and long weekends to make up for the summer holiday we did not have. The summer months were really hectic and we seemed to be on the go all the time, which allowed us to see a lot but without the fairy dust of being real tourists.
The boat trip on Lake Balaton (from Balatonfüred to Tihany) was maybe one of those occasions when the holiday mood kicked in. The lake is breathtakingly beautiful, especially in early autumn when the bathing season is over.

The Living Nightlights in the Prater

The Wiener Riesenrad (Viennese Big Wheel) in the Prater is a ferris wheel spinning with 15 gondolas and when they mount to the top of the wheel, one can enjoy a sweeping view of the city. I was a tad nervous before getting in the cabin but the ride was nothing like those experienced on the loop-the-loops roller coasters. I kind of expected the wheel to stop though (like it did in the Bond film, The Living Daylights) but I was told, if anything gets stopped for me, it should be the London Eye (twice as large as the Riesenrad), just to make it count.

Here's To You, my Blog!

I write five posts each month, with this being the 61st. It all means that my blog just turned 1. Wow. I came a long way during the past 12 months, travelled far and wide but the initial aims have remained unchanged: through this blog, I would like to share all those beautiful things that inspire and fascinate me during my journey in life. If the success of a blog is to be measured by the number of followers, comments and citations/link backs, then my blog is the biggest nonstarter in the existence of blogkind. It has, however, been rather meant for an online journal written to myself, having some fun during the process. Have I enjoyed it? Immensely. So then, for me, this is success. A success that is to be celebrated with a cup of peppermint tea and strawberry pancakes. Many happy returns of the day.
P.S. And I still have not quite given up on a publishing offer and/or a Hollywood movie contract. Just kidding. Well, give me the leading role in the film, and I might reconsider selling the rights. (I wonder if peppermint tea makes one delusional...)

Engineering Wonders

The Scharnebeck twin ship lift is far from being described as "oh-so-cute", but the time spent with technical translation has given me a sense of appreciation for such impressive engineering structures. The ship lift is situated 10km to the north-east of Lunenburg, on the Elbe Lateral Canal which connects the Midland Canal with the River Elbe. The 61m height difference between the water levels is overcome by a lock in Uelzen, and the boat lift in Scharnebeck. More than 21,000 ships with a maximum displacement of 1,350 tonnes pass through the lift each year.