On a sunny winterday
first bike tour of the year…
first bike tour of the year…
Kunsthalle Zurich
Never disappointing. The amazing architecture of the kunsthalle itself makes you feel like an Artist - you cannot stop taking photographs of every ankle of the bauhaus style building with your mobile phone’s camera.
Exhibition I watched this time: Lutz Bacher (It’s a Girl!)
Vintage Shopping
Walther Vintage, Bogen 33, Hector Living, Möbel Zürich, Einzelstück, Dotti
Note that the Shops in Zurich Close at five on Saturdays!
Station Quarter
Dinner
Dinner for two for less than 60 Franken in an old industrial building in the Station quarter: Restaurant Rosso
Nach “Gutes Wedding schlechtes Wedding” in Berlin und “Heiße Ecke” in Hamburg gibt es nun auch im Schauspiel Stuttgart eine monatliche Soap – den Polizei×Ruf.
In Anlehnung an den “Tatort” im Fernsehen werden in jeder Folge Kriminalfälle von Ermittlern aus unterschiedlichen, hier nicht Städten wie im Tatort, sondern Stuttgarter Stadtteilen aufgedeckt. Die Fälle nehmen Bezug zu Ereignissen der aktuellen Jahreszeit, so wie in Folge 2 dem “Heiligen Drei Könige Tag”, was eine eigene Komponente hineinbringt.
Leider blieb der gewünschte Lokalkolorit aus, was daran liegen könnte, dass Armin Petras, der neue Intendant des Schauspielhauses und seine Truppe, die schwäbische Metropole noch nicht verinnerlicht haben. Ob gewünscht war, dass die Schauspieler ständig aus der Rolle fallen und vorrangig die Schauspieler selbst über ihre aneinander gereihten Flachwitze gelacht haben, während aus allen Ecken des Publikums Unmut über die Unprofessionalität akustisch oder über Körpersprache wahrzunehmen war, ist fraglich. Handelt es sich bei der Soap um Improvisationstheater, was angesichts der Tatsache, dass jede Folge nur einmal gezeigt wird, Sinn machen würde, sieht der Fall anders aus. Das würde zum Beispiel erklären, weshalb die Schauspieler Probleme hatten, in ihrer Rolle zu bleiben und dem Zuschauer eine andere Brille aufsetzen. Zu erwähnen wäre dies auf jeden Fall im Programmheft…
Tatsächlich hätte man viel aus der Geschichte machen können: Bäckerei Braun, an dem die Leiche entdeckt wurde, hätte mehr Anspielungen auf die angesagte Bäckerei Bosch (“Brezelbäck”) im Stuttgarter Westen nehmen können, z. B. in dem sich die Kunden in einer langen Schlange die Beine in den Bauch stehen (wie dies an Samstagen zu beobachten ist), während Kommissar Kräuterle (der an diesem Abend entgegen dem Namen im Programm in konsequenter Boshaftigkeit mit Kommissar Kraus betitelt wurde) die Leiche begutachtet. Kommissar Kräuterle fehlte zudem komplett die Stuttgart West Attitüde des gepflegten Hipster mit leichtem Stuttgarter Akzent, was sehr schade war, denn so blieb die Frage: Was an Kommissar Kräuterle machte ihn zu einem Bewohner des Stuttgarter Westens?
5 Euro Eintritt sind verschmerzbar und Unterhaltung war es allemal, wenngleich sie weit unter meinen Erwartungen blieb. Da es jedoch erst Folge 2 war, vergebe ichs dem “Neigeschmeckten” Armin Petras und seiner Truppe: Jede Integration ist schwer, vor allen Dingen ins “Ländle”.
A random dinner with a fresh prezel from the bakery turns out to be an international dinner. Avodado from Chile, Vegemite from Australia and Date Tomatoes from Spain: Welcome to the globalised world and a dinner for less than one Euro.
The chilean way to say avocado is “palta”. It is one of the few vegetables in Chile you can by everywhere.
When coming home from my first day of work after Christmas break I found this little fellow on my pillow who put a smile on my face…
First day of work is like jumping from a three metre diving board into a cold swimming pool:
First you are excited and a bit scared, then it is just happening and you cannot do anything about it, then you dive into the cold water with all the information rolling you over in your mailbox and updates from your colleagues disturbed by the telephone ringing every once in a while… But luckily there is a warm towel welcoming you when you dive back up and overcame the first shock and adrenaline kick that reminds you: There are also things I missed the last two weeks: lunchbreaks, chats and laughter with my dearest colleagues.
Big cats remind me of Detroit and the movie “Only Lovers left alive” I recently watched. Well, except of the pictures of this massive dead industrial town and the wild cats living in the rundown buildings that caught my attention the movie was pretty average and disappointing when you expect something like Jim Jarmusch’s movie “Ghost dog” .
12 Dinge, die ich mir für 2014 vornehme:
1. ja sagen
2. Zugeständnisse zu meinem analogen Leben machen und erste Schritte in die digitale Welt wagen, Facebook aber trotzdem weiter widerstehen. Facebook hatte übrigens 2013 erstmals keinen Zuwachs.
3. Reisen, Reisen, Reisen: Mindestens eine neue Stadt und ein neues Land bereisen, was glaube ich ziemlich schwierig wird, weil es so viele Orte gibt, die mir mittlerweile ans Herz gewachsen sind und dieses Jahr auch unbedingt wieder besucht werden müssen.
4. Bildungsurlaub für einen Sprachkurs nehmen.
5. weniger oft am Leben (ver-)zweifeln und statt dessen einfach neue Dinge ausprobieren, neue Ziele und Perspektiven schaffen.
6. Surfen in den Ozeanen dieser Welt
7. Einen Geburtstagskalender anlegen
8. Jede Woche einen kleinen Höhepunkt schaffen
9. Lernen, wie man schwarz/weiß Fotos selber entwickelt. Es gibt da so einen Kurs, der mich interessiert: Forum 3 – Fotokurs
10. Perlmuster lernen und viele schöne Dinge stricken, z.B. die Riversidevest
11. nach Berlin ziehen oder einen Plan B. konkretisieren
12. Swing tanzen lernen
Best time to travel: Autumn or Spring
Peak season is over or has not started yet: mild sun (25 C), empty beaches, friendly locals
Flight: Karlsruhe (Baden), Germany –> Marrakesch
Route: Marrakesch –> Essouira –> Sidi Kaouki –> Essouira –> Marrakesch
Length: 8 days
Costs: 1.000,00 Euro for two people all inclusive
Flights: 80,00 Euro per Person from Karlsruhe (Baden) via Ryan Air plus public Transport with Baden-Wuerttemberg ticket from Stuttgart for ca. 30,00 Euro (one way) plus rental car for return as flight arrived too late for 70,00 Euro
Marrakesch
Slept at: Riad Bamilike: modern maroccon design meets tradition
Very friendly host that helps at every time of the day and calms you down when being chased by Maroccons through narrow dark streets.
Jardin Majorelle
In Yves Saint Laurent’s former house and garden you can very easily escape the noise of the City and dive into a Garden Eden full of exotic plants and wonderfully painted Villa (it reminded me of the house of the Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo)
Shopping: beautiful rugs and pottery can be purchased close to jardin majorelle at Anitan; Maroccon teapots and glasses in high class quality can be purchased at 33 Rue Majorelle . The shop includes a nice Café (perfect when getting a culture shock and you are searching for a western escape).
Essoueira
Slept at: Apartment: 150,000 Euro for one week via AirBnB
Alternative if you have the money check out Emma’s White house
Our sweet little home was situated in an old town house in Essoueira’s medina and great host! A Little treasure from AirBnB. Our host Hamsa was relaxed, friendly and helpful.
Off the beaten track: flea market on Sunday. Our host Hamsa took us there. Vintage heaven! There is also a sheep skin seller a Little bit hidden in a random building where we bought very natural sheep skin for 8 Euro!
Best food in town: Fusion cuisine at the Elizir (1 Rue Agadir; Phone: 5247 472103): Marocco meets France. Awesome antiquities from the last century. Prebook a table if you want to eat there! It is crowded even in low season…
Sidi Kaouki
Empty beaches, great and empty waves; beachbreak; waves were 0,8-1,20 m: perfect conditions for me!
Bus or taxi from Essouira: public bus (1,50 Euro per Person) running daily about every hour but especially on Weekends it takes ages until it leaves as the bus driver doesn’t start the journey until all places are taken…A taxi takes you to Sidi for 6,00 Euro (24km).
Best time to travel: late March/April
it is still warm, but the national parks especially Torres del Paine are not stuffed with people, the beaches are empty - perfect for spontaneous travellers who want to experience authentic adventures…
Length: 23 days
Flight: Frankfurt –> Paris –> Santiago –> Puerto Montt –> Puntas Arenas –> Santiago –> Paris –> Frankfurt
Route in Chile: Santiago –> Puerto Montt –> Chiloe –>Puerto Montt –> Puerto Varas –> Puntas Arenas –> Puerto Natales –> Torres del Paine Nationalpark –> Puerto Natales –> Puntas Arenas –> Santiago –> Valparaiso –> Punta de Lobos/Pichilemu –> Santiago
Costs:
* 780,00 Euro (flight Frankfurt-Santiago-Frankfurt via Paris with Air France per Person)
* 600,00 Euro (flights in Chile. Best offers can be found at seat24 und skyscanner. The local airline is called Sky. If you have time you can save about half of the money by taking public buses)
* 280,00 Euro (car for seven days to travel around Chiloe via Casa Perla; you can save a lot of money if you do not rent a car by a big car rental company but asking your hosts at your hostel),
* 30,00 Euro (pre-paid card for cellphone; good to book our bed for the night while you are on your way)
* 80,00-100,00 Euro per person per day for accomodation, food, public transportation, entrance fees, surfboard or bike rental, etc.
The costs listed obove do not only seem much: Life in Chile is as expensive as life in Europe whereas the value you get for your money is less. Be aware that your pesos will disappear like magic every day. You can save lots of money when you are travelling with your own tent! Chile seemed for me really safe (except of Santiago), so it is really worth it. We always slept in a double room as it turned out that a bed in a dorm costs for two people nearly the same as a double room.
Money: DKB credit Card (Mastercard, pre-paid). You get cash from every bank without paying a fee.
Transit at Charles de Gaulle Airport: it is really hard to get something to eat at Charles de Gaulle Airport in the transit area, so it is good to take an emergency snack with you in your carry-on luggage.
Santiago
* Taking a rental tandem bike from bicileta verde was the best way to discover Santiago and get in touch with the locals who all smiled when they saw us on our bike. Most bike rentals also offer guided thematic tours through the city if you do not want to ride on your own. You can also make daytrips to the nearby vinyards and go for a wine tasting. We discovered the markets of Santiago and snacked us through the numerous types of empanadas.
*Peluqueria Francesa (Compania de Jesus 2789): amazing old building in the neighbourhood Yungay that includes an old fashioned hairdresser and restaurant stuffed with high class vintage furniture and accessoires that you can also buy. My vintage heaven.
Puerto Montt
The taxi from the airport to the city cost 5,00 Euro.
Slept at: Casa Perla (Trigal 312, Puerto Montt: 32,00 Euro for a double room with sea view/shared bathroom including breakfast (best value for money option during the whole trip!)
Ask Perla if you want to have a rental car to discover Chiloe or the Carretera Austral. She is really friendly and helpful and takes care that you do not get ripped of.
Puerto Montt has a huge market where you can buy everything especially nature wool in all colours. Damn, I should have bought a whole backpack full of this organic wool that hardly cost anything here.
Chiloe
Route: Ancud –> Castro–>Chonchi –> Cucao (Parque National Chiloe) –> Ancud
Although it is only a half an hour ferry ride it takes you to a total different world. For me the week in Chiloe was the first authentic experience of what I thought Chile would be like: amazing nature, wild, rough. You can walk for hours on long empty beaches without seeing a soul except of some wild horses. My feelings mixed between being in the calmest nature ever and being at the other end of the world.
Shopping: Chiloe offers beautiful crafts work. I can recommend buying hand knitted slippers that keep your feet warm at night. Chiloe is the best place to gather some authentic souvenirs from Chile. I have not found any other place in Chile where I found handy crafts in the same quality and beauty.
Slept at: Palafito hostel in Castro: Design meets tradition meets the needs of the Hipster traveler. Castro is famous for its stilt houses that look amazing especially at high tight in combintation with sunset. The Palafito Hostel is a traditional stilt house. The breakfast was awsome: freshly baked souerdough bread, handmade Marmelade, fresh fruit salad and yoghurt to start the day – when you read this you might not think that this is something special but when you know that a normal breakfast that is included in the hostel prices in Chile normally only include a slice of toast and magerine you will know what I mean: you think you are in heaven.
Parque National Chiloe
Slept at: Palafito hostel Cucao
Long walks on the beach, paddling around the lakes in a canu, enjoying the sun and watching wild horses and fisherman passing by ever ones in a while in their tiny wooden boats.
Especially here, a tent would save lots of money. As peak season was over it was hard to find an open place to sleep in the National Park, so we took the Palafito Hostel although it really hurt our holiday budget. There is a tiny shop in Cucao where you can buy pasta and other very basic food. I would advice to take fresh vegetables and fruits to the park because there are also no restaurants open where you can eat anything at night during that time of the year.
Puerto Varas
Slept at: Hostel Compass del Sur: Hostel with guaranteed home away from home feeling: warm atmosphere in a Pippi Longstocking environment.
Puerto Varas is the gateway to many outdoor activities. We climbed the Vulcano Osorno which was amazing. On our way back we stopped at a sign: for fresh honey go left and found in the middle of the forest the amazing home of an old woman living there all by herself selling honey and self made marmelade to hikers: absolutely delicous!
Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is the Gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. I had the feeling of being somehow in a themepark for outdoor lovers.
Bus Fanfastico sur takes you for 50,00 Euro return to Torres del Paine National Park. As it was low season we had no problem to get a bus ticket and also a park entrance ticket, but in high season they told us you have to book way ahead (weeks to months!).
We walked the W-track and slept in the shelters on the way for a hell lot of money: Bunk beds for 60,00 Euro per Person. You can save lots of money when taking your own tent with you as well as your own gas stove and food. You cannot use the kitchen of the shelters. You can only cook by yourself with your own gas cooker in a restricted area. People I met in the hostel precocked their food and packed it in plastic sip bags so they do not need to carry too much equipment: smart!
I am not an outdoor maniac so observing people in the park who stopped their time when hiking through the park not looking left and right felt really odd for me. You can avoid people when you start the W-track the other way around. For outdoor enthusiasts Torres del Paine seems to be a “Must have on your list”. The destruction of nature by tonns of tourists hiking the park every year although the rangers are doing their best to protect the park is shocking and gives you the feeling of being in Outdoor Disney Land instead of having an authentic outdoor experience.
When preparing for the trip everybody told me to take special outdoor clothes with me. In fact I hiked with my cotton jogging pants and most part of the park I walked in my flip flops. I had a kayway rainjacket with me and cheap zip-pants in case of rain. I felt comfortable with this outfit. For me it seemed more a difficulty of condition to be able to walk six or seven hours a day than to have the know-how alpin hiking. You cannot get lost in the park as there are enough people passing your way.
I really enjoyed observing the birds and guanacos in the park, soaking in the colours of the blue sky in combination with the light yellow grass and the clear lakes: the colours of patagonia.
Back in Puerto Natales we decided to go on a horse trip which was the best thing to do in order to realise that there is also a remote, rough and wild Patagonia. We were three people and a ranger doing a horse ride to Cerro Dorothea. I enjoyed talking with the gaucho on the camp fire while drinking mate about his life in Patagonia. After the trip we stayed for an other hour at his simple hut for a tea. Being confronted with life beyond consumerism was a refreshing experience. I nver experienced such a cold wind before. I was covered in three windbreakers, a hut and helmet and to pair of glove – and still freezing.
Punta de Lobos
Slept at: The Sirena insolente hostel: Design meets the need of a surfer soul of the beaten track. The whole house slept 10 people so it felt more to like visiting friends than staying in a hostel.
Rent your surfboard on the beach though and get a good deal! Taking the bike to discover Punta de Lobos and Pichilemu is also the best way to get around.
Valparaiso
“Valpo” as the locals call their city is a heaven for all who love street art. There is a reason why the city is full of beautiful murials: People protect their walls from being spraypainted with uggly motives by letting them painted by street artists. The more popular the artists are in the scene the less risky it is to be confronted with vandalism.
Slept at: Hostel Caracol
Danke für die Tipps, werden wir zur Reisevorbereitung nutzen.
My boyfriend and I are off to Chile tomorrow and both agreed the details you give make a big difference. You describe some of these places so well that I feel like I’m there. Thanks for sharing!
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