After three whole years of working on the reception at MEININGER, I decided it was time for something new. While I thoroughly enjoyed sharing Berlin with people from the most varied of nations and exchanging stories and experiences with them, I simply could not shake off the idea of setting off on my very own adventure.
Few things are generally agreed upon in the Belgian country of controversy. But that Belgium is a land of beer and that the capital of Brussels is an exciting reflection of the domestic beer culture is not up for debate anywhere in the kingdom. With more than 500 kinds of beer – from the ‘Forbidden Fruit’ to the ‘Delirium Tremens’ – Belgium has preserved its medieval brewing traditions, which means that the joyous juices sometimes taste as sophisticated as wine and at other times are as sparkly as champagne.
After my second journey through South Africa almost four years later, I reiterate my previous statement once again. Spectacular and versatile scenery, never-ending beaches, extraordinary safari experiences, friendly and open people with excellent cuisine – all this can be found in the southernmost country of the African continent. After a good five weeks in the country, I have now compiled a list of my highlights and favourite addresses for you.
It all started with a sea of white and pink flowers in Free State. We were on our way to the first stop, the Golden Gate Highland National Park, just south of Johannesburg near the border to Lesotho. We had to pass through the gates of the park before 6pm, otherwise we wouldn’t make it to our camping site for the night. The warm wind blew through the car as we drove through the picturesque and rocky landscape into the evening sun with its intense orange glow. It was beginning again: that fluttering feeling in my stomach, just like the first time I visited South Africa. Back then, I fell head over heels in love with this beautiful country.
Let’s not neglect the opportunity to explore the Art Nouveau architecture of Brussels, but the true aim of our visit to the city is to go in search of ‘the ninth art’: Brussels is the capitol of Franco-Belgian comics (or bandes dessinées in French). Here, the cultural significance of these visual narratives is frequently encountered when strolling about: in the many comic book shops that flourish on the city’s shopping streets, in museums such as the Belgian Comic Strip Center, which was opened in 1989 in a building designed by Victor Horta, as well as in the many sculptures and murals scattered around the city.
Some say it’s man versus machine, others would describe it as one of the toughest challenges on your body and your abilities. But most of all, it’s extremely technical endurance riding on a motorbike that pushes your body and mind to the limit. Different to motocross, riding enduro means riding on natural, often unpredictable and rough terrain
Kreuzberg Street Art Tour: Find out the most interesting and well-maintained street art to be found in Berlin Kreuzberg. Read more!
So here we stand, tired and carrying our heavy luggage. It is only minutes to midnight at the car rental counter at Spokane Airport, Washington State. We arrived on the last flight in, our last flight on the very long trip to get here: including a stopover in Chicago, it took us a total of three days. But now we are ready. We finally get the keys to our rental car, which feels much like receiving the keys to our future – at least for the next three weeks.
What started as the Docksession in Paris might soon become a worldwide network of longboarding events.
