After my victorious words “I’m a skier now” I was planning to tell you a lot more exhilarating skiing stories. Instead, I have to share my failures. I don’t know if I will ever ski again…

There has been snow since the dawn of the new year. Boyfriend is itching to put his board on the roof of his car and drive off towards the mountains. Any mountain will do. But I’m scared. I make up excuses: “I just learned to ski last year. Maybe I’ve …

“Why don’t you want to go to the Blue Mosque?” I ask my sister, who I am visiting in Istanbul. I think I already know the answer – she has been there many times during the half year she has lived here. But I get another, interesting answer instead…
“It smells …

Last week, I told you how we were introduced to the Byzantine Highlights in former Constantinople by taking a specially designed tour. During the first half of that tour, we saw the defensive stone walls that once circled Constantinople and the Panorama 1453 History Museum which shows the Ottomans conquering the …

It’s Istanbul, not Constantinople, the Canadian group The Four Lads sang to us in 1953, as did many others after them. But the history of Constantinople is what makes Istanbul so interesting.

Not only the beautiful interior of the Hagia Sophia is worth your attention.
Peeking through windows and other vistas can be just as rewarding.

“Lady, you dropped something!” I don’t look around, being fairly certain I didn’t drop anything. The voice of the Turkish man in his late twenties is filled with the melody of a boyish prank. Of course it’s just a trick to lure me into his tiny shop. But then he …

After a month-long travel writing break, I kick-off the new year by traveling to Istanbul, Turkey to visit my sister. I have the possibility to surf her short couch or sleep on the bedroom floor, but instead, I decide to look for a nice hotel, something affordable in a safe …

How stunned I was when I heard kids my age speaking perfect English, whilst traveling through Britain with my parents. Saying “How are you”, “One bread please” and “I don’t speak English” in a thick Dutch accent were probably the only things I was capable of.

Gevgelija holds a wealth of archaeological treasures but is better known as the casino capital of Macedonia. Its location in the south of the country, right at the border with Greece, makes it an attractive place for Greek gambling enthusiasts. Try to look through this obvious ostentation and seek out …

My heart is pounding in my throat. I fling my right leg over the bike seat and almost fall down.
We’ve been mountain biking for five minutes.
Luckily, these start-up problems don’t take very long. My body quickly adjusts to the constant work-out and my heart pumps my blood around in a regular …

Or how 4.5 hours with an almost-three-year-old can be more tiring than I thought.
The train is scheduled to leave in 10 minutes, and I still haven’t found the entrance to the station. I know it has to be around here somewhere. And why can’t I see train tracks? Are you …

With the promise of a sunny day and no other plans or obligations, it’s an easy decision to go hiking.
It’s been too long! Let’s explore a new destination, Nezhilovo, stretch our legs and enjoy the colors of
autumn, now they are still here.

I arrived at the bus stop around 23:25 on a Friday night after a fun evening out with some friends. I had been thinking of walking home, but decided it would take too much time. Quite a lot of other people were waiting at the stop, so I was sure …

In the spring, we planted sunflower seeds in the earth-filled container outside the bedroom window. I dutifully poured six liters of water on the seeds every day. We didn’t really have any expectations, so we were stunned to see they were actually growing – fast.