Let me tell you about the infamous Besseggen hike! This a very popular but tough hike that every Norwegian has to do at least once in his life. The views are jawdropping, as it looks over the mountain range, the glaciers, and the enormous turquois glacial lake underneath. We traveled to Gjendesheim in the morning, …
And now, all about Jotunheimen! Jotunheimen means “the Giant’s home” and it is a fitting name. This area is just tremendously impressive. There are 100s of kilometers of scenic drives to do, and a same number of hikes. We only had a couple of days (one of which was dedicated to the infamous Besseggen hike …
We went to Norway! Which turned out to be one of the most epic countries I’ve ever been (and we’ve visited many!). I’ll split the post in several, because the Besseggen hike and Jotunheimen deserve their own post (120 photos is a bit much for one post anyway…) We drove all the way from Malmo …
For our midsummer break, we went to Prague! We both loved the city, you can walk around for hours and keep discovering new things. It reminds a liiiittle bit of Krakow, though Prague is much bigger and has much more extravagant architecture. The Art Nouveau buildings are amazing! We crossed the famous medieval Charles bridge …
Over the long May weekend, we went on a couple of trips to different castles around Malmo. First we biked all the way to Torup! Bokskogen is the huge forest around Torup castle, we went there in autumn a year back, but now in spring it looked very different! Very green and filled with flowers. …
This Easter break we rented a car and drove up to Kullaberg, about 100 km north of Malmo. Kullaberg is beautiful nature reserve on a peninsula, with steep rocky cliffs, hundreds of birds, caves and beach coves, and even an ancient lighthouse. Sounds great doesn’t it? It was! We parked the car and then walked …
Spring is starting in Sweden so suddenly there are sunny days! And we decided to go to Ystad :) Ystad is actually the capital of Skane, the southern part of Sweden of which Malmo also is a part of. It’s a lovely coastal medieval city, with a big harbor, beaches and an old monastery. Some …
This weekend we took the bus to Falsterbo, an area on the most southwestern tip of Sweden. The reason we went there is because the nature preserve there only opens in winter and has a high chance of seal encounters! We DID spot a seal, but more on that later… Falsterbro is beautiful! I hoped …
The first week of 2022 we spent in wonderful Stockholm! We took the train from Malmö, and 5 hours later we were in Sweden’s capital. Our hotelroom had an amazing view over the city! Stockholm is a lovely city, basically a couple of islands connected to eachother, with on each island a different kind of …
We visited a beautiful forest area near Malmö this weekend to go hunting for mushrooms (for photo’s, not eating, we are not pro enough yet when it comes to finding edible mushrooms ;) There was a castle there as well, and we wandered along a 10km trail past many ponds, meadows, pine trees, old oaks …
2020 hasn’t really been a year for travelling, and so we decided to explore Poland instead! We went to the Tatra mountains, only a 2 hour busride away from Krakow, and one of the most beautiful spots in Poland! We went to Zakopane, the village on the base of the mountains, and spent 4 days …
Water! Iceland is full of water! Or foss-es, which means waterfall. They are EVERYWHERE and in every shape and size. Prepare for some awesome fosses!!! Now look at that foss! If you squint your eyes you can see people on the other side of the gorge and get a sense of the scale. (hint: IT’S …
Next element: Earth! Let’s start where we left off last post, with the misty fjord we were heading into. Seydisfjordur, to be more precise. This pictoresque village in the far east of Island is tucked away between mountains. When we arrived it was heavily foggy, but the next day things cleared up and we decided …
We made an amazing trip to Iceland this summer and while going through the photos, I realized that Iceland is very element-y! All the photos could be divided roughly in 4 themes: Wind & Ice, Water, Earth and Fire. So instead of the usual chronological way of telling, I’m going element-based this time. Let’s start …
New York is maybe even more amazing at night, when the city lights up in a thousand colors. We went up Freedom Tower to the 101st floor and it was so impressive, all the lights and cars moving around, like a giant glow in the dark anthill :p One night we had some light rain, …
We went to the Industry Workshops this year in London! This is a 3 day workshop for concept artists around the world so it is the ultimate place to meet new people and learn new techniques. Plus, we could have a small vacation in London!The area where the workshop was held was very interesting, with …
The final post I’ll make about our fantastic USA trip! This one has a lot of variety, since it covers Monument Valley, the Canyonlands, a bit of Denver and New Orleans! But first, Monument Valley! We all know those rock formations :-)It’s funny how surreal this area feels, mostly because you know the …
We dedicated one day to the archaeology of Rome :-) O wow we love Roman history! Our first stop in the early morning was the Colosseum!It is so impressive!! Can you believe the games they held here thousands of years ago??The Forum Romanum, the very heart of ancient Rome, is located right next to the …
Before we were going to start with all the stress of moving and packing and saying goodbye etc. we decided to take a nice and peaceful break. And what would be better than a Buddhist break? So we traveled all the way south to mount Koya, which is a secluded mountain village that consists of …
Since autumn has set in, the temperatures are nice and cool, it is time to start hiking again! And so we did, this time our goal was to summit Kansai’s highest mountain, mount Kongo!Getting there was a matter of stairs… lots and lots of stairs. Endless amounts of stairs…No it wasn’t that bad actually, it only …
So happy this year, my twinsis and her boyfriend traveled to Japan so we could celebrate our birthday together! They traveled from Tokyo to Matsumoto to Kyoto to Osaka and everything in between, but we could still spend three days together v(^^)v We climbed the Daimonji in Kyoto! Always a lovely hike, we used to live …
Summer is here!! Heatwaves yeah! 37 degrees during the day, 30 during the night and at least 33 degrees inside! Hooray for airconditioning :D No but summer also brings some very cool things (pun intended): Festivals and awesome fireworks! Near our house is Osaka’s most important shrine, the Tenmangu shrine, and every year one of …
We traveled back to the Netherlands during Golden Week! Wow, did you know Holland is absolutely beautiful? We were so lucky with the weather, which can be very rainy but was fantastically sunny the two weeks we were there. Not only did we visit our family and friends, we traveled all around Holland to the …
So it is hanami time! Time to sit on blue plastic sheets beneath the cherryblossoms, and drink and eat untill the early hours. All of it while wearing a kimono! After our trip to Arashiyama we took the train to downtown Kyoto to really get that hanami vibe :-) The atmosphere was amazing, beautiful lit …
We have been to many of New Zealand’s beaches during our roundtrip, on the north, east, west and south side! And the funny thing was that all these beaches were so different from each other, different colors, different sand, different views. To begin with the most spectacular of all beaches: The Abel Tasman Park (named after …
So after our more general post with all the highlights of our trip, I want to show some more awesome photos about some of the fantastic places we visited! First up is volcanic New Zealand! The North Island is pretty much all volcano and that means unearthly landscapes and smells of rotten eggs :-) We stayed …
We spent three weeks traveling around New Zealand this winter and it was the most amazing trip we have ever made. New Zealand has so many different landscapes all packed together on car-drive distances, it is amazing how much we saw in three weeks. The people are extremely open and nice and everyone is so …
From our apartment we have a beautiful view of the mountains that separate Osaka from Nara. So, why not climb those mountains and see our house from the other side?? Only 20 minutes by train we arrived at the base station of mount Ikoma to start our climb!The trail starts at a beautiful old temple complex, “Houzanji”, …
Everything that allows for some escapism becomes really big and Japan, so what about dressing up in crazy costumes and parading in the streets? Yes please! Halloween has grown bigger and bigger and bigger over the past few years into a huge event with thoouuaasands of people dressed up as… well, anything. The atmosphere really reminded …
Let me tell you the magical story of our visit to the Kirin beer factory! Probably one of our most absurd adventures in Japan. Kirin is one of the biggest beer brands of Japan, and as of today we know exactly how it’s made:-) How did we end up there? You know, I don’t really know myself! …
This weekend we hiked the highest peak in the Rokko mountain range near Kobe! We started at trainstation Ashiyagawa and climbed all the way up to the peak at 931 m, then descended back on the other side of the mountain to Arima hot springs. The trail starts at a very nice teahouse near a …
Also for Ward’s birthday, we had a fantastic dinner at Fujiya 1935, a three-starred restaurant just around the corner from our house. We had lunch there last year, and it was so amazing that we wanted to experience dinner too. Needless to say the dinner was even more spectacular!! I’ll just post images of the menu …
Ward Matsuri, or ” Ward Festival”, because for his 30th birthday Wards family paid a surprise visit to celebrate his birthday for a whole week :-D It was a biiiiig surprise because Ward had absolutely no idea they were coming to Japan!!! And so, we celebrated, gave presents, baked an applepie, took some days off to visit …
After spending five days in and around Hanoi, we flew to Ho Chi Minh City, or as the locals prefer to call it, Saigon. This city is much more modern than Hanoi. From Saigon, we made two trips to some of its very interesting surrounding areas. The first was the Mekong Delta, a huge river landscape characterized …
We’ve made it a bit of a tradition to go to michelin starrred restaurants on our birthdays. This time, we made reservations for Taian, a three-starred grill restaurant in Osaka. The first time we had three starred dinner (we usually go for lunch), so we were very excited! There was a heavy Typhoon in Japan …
With the Cherryblossom Craze finally calmed down, the next flower mania takes over Japan; the roses are in full bloom! Near our house is a famous park, not the one with the castle, but the one built in the middle of the river surrounded by skyscrapers and highways: Nakanoshima park, literally meaning “island in the middle”. There …
It was a beautiful sunny day, and we really wanted to explore the mountains around Osaka a bit more. So we went to hike around mount Rokko, near Kobe. The trail leading to the top is really cool because of the sandstone formations you have to climb! After passing a lovely old teahouse and a waterfall, …
What, a hundred?? Yes! I’m a bit embarrassed to say, but I used to think there were only a couple kinds of cherry trees… Until today! We went to the Mint Museum in Osaka, which is surrounded by a park with hundreds and hundreds cherry trees. But not the kind you usually see in Japan, …
It might be raining and it might still be pretty cold, but in Japan spring has begun because the cherryblossoms have started blooming! Every year this is celebrated elaborately with festivals, music, foodstalls and especially lots and lots of beer drinking while sitting on blue plastic mats underneath the blooming trees. At work …
Happy birthday Ward!! To celebrate, we went to a very cool restaurant only a 3 minute walk from our house: Fujiya 1935. This restaurant has three michelin stars, the most starred food we’ve ever had so we were really looking forward to it. And was it worth it? Do those stars really mean something? YES …
We’ve been seeing the 3d projections on Osaka Castle from our apartment for a while now, and during newyear they projected a countdown and fireworks on the castle which looked really cool! So we decided to head down there and see the light spectacle from up close. Thousands of led-lights colored the surrounding …
Last month we visited the Horie Orgel museum near Osaka to enjoy fresh Dutch Stroopwafels and a tour through the amazing collection of music boxes collected by Mitsuo Horie. The collection is located in a beautiful house in the mountains of Kobe and Osaka, with a spectacular view over the city and a lovely Japanese …
In November my family visited me to celebrate me and my twin’s birthday! They were only here for a week but we saw most of Osaka and Kobe so we used our time well! Osaka Castle and Umeda ofcourse: But also Osaka aquarium! He was cleaning the aquarium but the stingray wanted to play …
\(^0^)/ Yaaaaay last weekend was my birthday and it was very VERY special. I’ll start with the most special part: Ward and I got engaged! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay we’re so happy :D And I love love love the ring, it’s so beautiful! But my birthday was also very special because I got to celebrate …
I just love how Japan changes in color and atmosphere during the year. The blossom time is fantastic, in February the plums are all blooming bright and around the end of March the beautiful cherry blossom trees go in full bloom. Everyone is having fun and sitting underneath the trees, barbecuing, drinking beer, having a good time :-). …
Armed with flashlights, we did a scary hike this weekend that followed the tracks of an abandoned railroad, right through the mountains and with several long, dark and creepy tunnels! It was a very exciting trip, and beautiful too since the old tracks follow a wild river that flows through a green valley. The railroad …
We didn’t climb mount Fuji, but we did hike to the top of Takaosan, a slightly smaller but also beautiful little mountain in the outskirts of Tokyo! Japan’s steepest train tracks took us to halfway up the mountain from where we walked all the way to the top. The view …
Yes! It’s autumn again and that means an explosion of bright red leaves! Today I went with some friends to Minoo, a lovely place in the mountains north of Osaka, and a famous momiji viewing spot (momiji being the bright red leaves). It was amazing! These photos have not been altered, these were the actual …
Yay this weekend was my birthday and I had a wonderful time! Lucky it was ” Health and Sports Day ” here in Japan so I had an extra free day to enjoy. Last year I celebrated my birthday in a real traditional Japanese way by dressing up like a Maiko, this year I wanted …
This weekend was holiday-time, since monday was de day of the elderly and all of Japan had a day off! Jurgen, Carlijn and Ward came to Osaka and together we went on a daytrip to Kobe! Kobe is not so far from Osaka (about 30 minute trainride) and it’s a lovely town with a big …
Summer in Japan always means lights; whether it’s amazing fireworks shows or lanterns floating on a river. This weekend, the park around Osaka castle was lit up with thousands of small lanterns. You could buy your own lantern and place it in beautiful patterns on the fields around the castle. There was live music and …
It’s been a month since I moved to Osaka, time flies! So many things happened, I moved to my own apartment, started a new job and became an aunt! :D In the meantime summer kicked in, and that means temperatures of above 35 degrees during the day (and it does not cool down at night). …
A couple of days ago I arrived in Osaka, which is completely different from Tokyo! Osaka is a harbour town, the people are more rough but also friendly and open. Also, Osaka is not nearly so big as Tokyo, so I can basically go everywhere by foot. That’s pretty nice since the public transportation costs …
This will be the last post I’ll write from our lovely house in Kyoto! Tomorrow we are going back to the Netherlands. However, there is a big big chance we’ll return to Japan this summer :-p So it’s not really goodbye! March is the month of Plum blossom! Just as beautiful as the cherry blossoms! …
Dotonbori is a huge shopping/eating/drinking/partying area in Osaka. At night, the thousands of neon lights are lit and hundreds of people are walking around looking for a place to eat. Restaurants make the most elaborate signs on their walls to hopefully stand out amidst the neon craziness. Hmmmm where shall we eat… Maybe some takoyaki? …
Since we both finished our projects, we have some time to travel around! So, we went to Osaka Aquarium! Osaka Aquarium is a huge building filled with bigger and smaller tanks that hold the most magnificent seacreatures. You start at the top floor and walk your way down through the different aquaria. Here are some …
We don’t update this blog very often, mostly because we post on Facebook as well :-o SBut I will try to post those messages here too! We’ve been busy the last couple of weeks, mostly with our school projects, but also learning Japanese and working on our own art projects. Here is some art we …