mondayDreaming

mondayDreaming of a Peaceful Istanbul.

Watching the fishermen on the Galata bridge. Strolling along the Bosphorus. Stopping for some koftes in Sultanahmet.

Beautiful Istanbul.

Must-have glamping accessory #4: the trekker kettle

Father’s day is around the corner in many countries. If I was a man, I’d like to have one of those aluminium trekker kettle sold at Lin Morris (how sexist is that?!). I’d  show off to my children how I can boil water in no time and with just a few sticks for the baby’s bottle, for mummy’s morning earl grey tea and for everybody to have a bit of a warm shower. 100% utilitarian design.

Read More

mondayDreaming.

mondayDreaming of living on a boat. Silence in the morning. Scents of jasmine. In the backwaters of Kerala.

In Bhutan: High, Higher, Highest Trip Ever!

Our recent trip to Bhutan was going to be two-weeks long but got shortened unexpectedly (more on this post the wife vs. the mother). Still, in a week, we drove over 500km of mostly bumpy roads, hiked about 15hours of trails, crossed 3 overpasses at 4,000m altitude. It was amazing. Our jaws dropped at every change of scenery and at every temple on the way. This is a place well worth visiting with teenagers who will certainly appreciate the great outdoors and learning about the rich history of this small buddhist country.

Yaks live high up in the Himalayas, above 3,000m..

Read More

New York City of Trees

How refreshing to look at a mega city like New York thru its trees. That is the work of photographer / writer / former park employee Benjamin Swett with his new book New York City of Trees (available on Amazon here). It chronicles the lives of many New York’s oldest residents. “Little has been said about the important role of trees as storehouses of a city’s past”.

I find it moving because nature and New York City are not obvious best friends. Think of all those roots needing to dig so deep under the concrete. This book trains our eyes into looking at the city differently. Its observations are sometimes sad, as when B. Swett noticed his favourite tree replaced by a crane. No real surprises there unfortunately.

Read More