jewel of the free state
Named after a Swiss town where the exiled Paul Kruger spent his last days on our planet, Clarens these days is also know as ‘the Jewel of the Free State’. It’s not hard to imagine why when walking around the central square or staring at the colorful sunsets painting the sandstone embracing this Free State […] more…
high artitude
In a city built in a bowl at 3500-4000 meters altitude you are literally high all the time. But it is not the lack of oxygen that makes a first time visit to La Paz an almost hallucinating experience. It is the city and the people that sometimes make you wonder what’s real and what’s […] more…
lost in translation – 5 day tokyo city break
At first sight, Tokyo is an urban jungle, lit by neon light and inhabited by millions and millions of people who all want to fit into the same subway. At second, third and fourth sight this concrete bee hive turns out to be a collection of towns, villages and (sub-)cultures. A wonderland you can easily […] more…
memories of marseille
Like so many ports, Marseille seems a bit rough at first sight. But once you get to know this melting pot, you feel the warmth and charm of the Mediterranee. Marseille has much to offer. Tons of different cuisines, fashion, design, architecture, culture, art, friendly people and, thanks to a mini archipelago right in front […] more…
marseille design loft
It is almost 12 at night when Agnès, the owner of our historic design loft texts to check if we arrived safely and are on our way to her place. It is a personal touch we get to encounter a lot more during our stay in France’s second largest city: Marseille. Where the city, like […] more…
the baby grand
It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday. A mixed crowd has shuffled in. There’s an English graphic designer sitting next to you. Making love to his tonic before he starts to sing. He sings ‘Son can you play me a memory’. And is totally sure how it goes. It sounds sad but it’s sweet. And his […] more…
alice in naoshima land
To first time visitors, Japan can be a fantasy land. A world full of incomprehensible neon characters, inhabited by gothic Lolita’s, high tech hipsters, monks, pachinko sounds, vending machines, divine food and salary men. But even after multiple visits, Japan can take you by surprise, because it has more different faces than those of the […] more…
a taste of tarrawarra
Imagine, staring in the bony face off a blue skull two hours after touching down at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. Then fantasize about ordering cannelloni of wild rabbit braised in white wine while watching the green hills of Yarra Valley contrasting sharply with the blue Victorian sky. Is this an illusion? No, it is a dream […] more…
shaken not stirred
Ian Flemming, Bond song composers and 007-directors, they all manage the art of recognition. It is the art of adding some sort of common feature to books, music and movies that tells you: ‘Ah! Bond, James Bond!’ It only takes three pages, keys, images or, on the island of Naoshima, three steps…. ….into a place […] more…
kings of kitsch
The Sun King is dead, long live the sun king! When Jeff Koons took over Versailles the clash of kitsch could be heard thousands and thousands of miles away. Every year Chateau de Versailles, the 350 years old eye blinding palace of Sun King Louis XIV, opens it’s golden doors to host an exposition an […] more…
Powered by WordPress | Fluxipress Theme