Andi 
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Quote of the Day: For People Not At Home “My hometown… was always there, at all times, unchanging. What I think… is not that we go back to our hometowns, but that someday our hometowns come back into each of our hearts.” ― Jirō Taniguchi Thoughts About the Quote You know, Jirō Taniguchi really gets to …
When people ask me, “Is Davao City worth visiting?”, I always need a moment before I answer. Not because I dislike Davao. We live here. It became our home base in the Philippines. It gave me a new life, space to breathe again, and it is Lizz’s hometown. So yes, Davao is important to us. …
I lived in Munich for 22 years. That is a long time. Long enough to know a city beyond the postcard version. Long enough to have memories, routines, favourite corners, good years and bad years. Long enough to understand why people love Munich. And I did love parts of it. Munich is beautiful. No one …
Some places enter your life long before you ever arrive there. For me, Moorea was special. Since early childhood, the silhouette of this island has left a deep impression on me. Those sharp volcanic mountains, rising almost unreal from the blue lagoon, looked like something from another world. I first saw them in the Hollywood …
Some trips start with packing a suitcase, checking your passport, and wondering whether you packed enough sunscreen. My Tahiti trip in the summer of 1999 started with an emergency doctor, a pain injection, a colonoscopy, and the quiet suspicion that I might be flying to French Polynesia to die there. Not exactly the classic beginning …