The buildings before me appear to be dancing to the beat of their own song, much like the city that contains their movement. Serving as the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf had no definition for me. We were strangers until I danced with the city’s Gehry buildings. The work of American Frank O. Gehry, the three waving complexes make up the center for arts and media in Düsseldorf. Each piece bears its own identity, shape and color. They set Düsseldorf apart from other German cities. They define a city with no preconceived definitions for visitors like me. The Gehry Continue Reading
Finding The Voices of Dusseldorf: A Night At The Opera
“And then I found my voice,” she says ever so casually. Musical capability, especially in terms of having a voice, does not come easy. The character of Musetta in La Bohéme, played by Elisabeth Selle, sits before me at the Operanhaus Dusseldorf. The performance is set to begin in just a handful of minutes, but she is cool, calm and collected. I guess when you casually find your voice, you aren’t too worried about losing it. Her face is ready for the stage, but her attire and manner are not. She sips on coffee and recounts her character tonight, a role of love, joy, passion and Continue Reading
Berlin Through The Camera’s Cool Eyes
I arrived to Berlin on two hours of sleep in 48 hours, clearly at my best. Perhaps due to my lack of sleep, I saw Berlin in a two-day daze. From appreciating the breeze while biking through Tiergarten to feasting on Vietnamese food as my first meal with Anjelica Huston lookalikes at neighboring tables, I came home and wondered what was real and what was a figment of my jetlagged, zombie-like imagination. Throughout my time in the city, the words “trendy”, “dynamic” and “hip” could be heard through every nonexistent sleep cycle. Berlin did seem too cool for me, the sort of place where you Continue Reading
Long Travel Days Ahead and a European Summer Getaway
My bags are partially packed and I’m on my way. Besides being a ball of stress, balancing work and packing problems, I’m pleased to reveal where I am going next. On behalf of One Travel, I will be traveling with AirBerlin across Europe over the course of the next few weeks. I am heading to Berlin, Stockholm and Palma de Mallorca with AirBerlin as I blog about the adventure. While I have been to Stockholm before, I’m excited to experience Berlin and Mallorca, two new destinations for me. In Berlin we will be biking, gallery hopping and touring some of the city’s neighborhoods. After a few Continue Reading
The Churches in Europe Wish You Were Here
With Easter Sunday just days away, I am reminded of all of the houses of worship I have seen. In Europe, one church after another starts to blend together, especially if you are on some whirlwind tour. Regardless, these spaces evoke a silence and calm away from the rest of the world. Even if you aren’t a religious person, you can appreciate the architecture, history and peace that comes while sitting in a pew. St. Kevin’s Church, Glendalough, Ireland St. Kevin’s Church in Glendalough Ireland has that rugged appeal. The saint set up a monastic site here around 570 A.D. In the Continue Reading
Freiburg, Germany Wishes You Were Here
This week’s Wish You Were Here post comes from Andrew Couch of Grounded Traveler. Andrew left the US to pursue work in Germany, where he became an expat, living and doing as the Germans do. Be sure to check out Grounded Traveler, follow Andrew on Twitter and enjoy Freiburg, Germany through his eyes. My newly adopted hometown of Freiburg is a university city nestled against the Black Forest near both the French and Swiss borders in the south west of Germany. They say it is the warmest and sunniest corner of Germany, which makes for wonderful times sitting outside with a beer, watching Continue Reading
Neuschwanstein Castle and The Bavarian Alps Wish You Were Here
This week's "Wish You Were Here" photos comes from Danee Gilmartin at Museum Chick. I was pretty impressed with Danee's photos and I suspect you might be as well. Be sure to check out Museum Chick and follow Danee on Twitter. The magical Bavarian Alps seemed to beckon with every step that I took hiking up the steep foothill from the quintessential Alps town of Hohenschwangau that lead to the Neuschwanstein Castle. I hardly noticed the huffing and puffing coming from my chest as the incline got steeper. Paved trails help the less coordinated but the Continue Reading