My 1993 trip to Hawaii did something dangerous to me. It did not calm my travel fever. It made it worse. Hawaii had opened a door, and behind that door was the South Pacific — that endless blue world I had dreamed about since childhood. Suddenly, all those old images came back to me: the …
There are photos from our younger years that do not only show how we looked. They also show who we were trying to become. This one is such a photo. There I am, standing on the rocks somewhere on Oahu in March 1993, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, wearing shorts, flip-flops, sunglasses, a hat, a …
This photo was taken only a few months ago, in Tangalle, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. But for me, it could just as well have been taken more than three decades ago. The wide beach, the long empty shoreline, the soft morning light, the footprints in the sand, and the ocean breathing calmly …
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West Thoughts About the Quote of The Day Mae West really knew how to say something deep while still sounding like she was leaning back with perfect lipstick and a glass of something sparkling. “You only live once” is one …
There are places we visit that leave a brief, fleeting impression, but then there are extraordinary spots that linger in our hearts long after we’ve departed. For me, one such place is the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City. This hotel is not merely a landmark; it exudes a distinctive calmness and charm that draws …
“The journey not the arrival matters.” ― T.S. Eliot Thoughts About the Quote I really like this quote because it feels true in such a simple way. We often think everything is about finally getting somewhere — reaching a destination, achieving a goal, or arriving at the place we have dreamed about for a long time. …
Sometimes the most interesting finds do not wait politely on a clean shelf, perfectly displayed and ready to be admired. Sometimes they hide in a dusty corner, inside a forgotten box, buried under many other boxes, in a place where nobody seems to look anymore. That is how I found this lovely framed ceramic tile …
This 35 cm high woodcarving from Oberammergau in Bavaria, Germany, is called “Lautenspielerin” — the lute player. It shows a young woman seated gracefully, holding her instrument close to her body, as if caught in a quiet moment of music. With her flowing dress, warm colors, and gentle expression, she belongs to a tradition of …
Travel as a Cure for Prejudice “Travel improves the mind wonderfully, and does away with all one’s prejudices.”― Oscar Wilde Thoughts About the Quote Oscar Wilde had a talent for saying things in a way that sounds elegant, clever, and still painfully true more than a hundred years later. This quote is one of those lines …
We both love Paris. Not only because of the big names like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe or Versailles — of course, they are part of the magic too. But what we love most is the Parisian flair: the small streets, the cafés, the restaurants with handwritten menus outside, the smell …