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Surprised about my choice for the December wallpaper?

Let me explain briefly: at first I was looking for a winterly, or even better, a Christmassy picture, which is obvious for December... but while I was browsing through my archives, I came across pictures of this sunrise. It was taken two years ago in France, Côte d'Azur, and it really was one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen. Even two years later, the memory is still enchanting. I already had chosen another picture of it, a very similar one, to be the wallpaper in July. So I abandoned the idea quickly.

But it is the last wallpaper and also the last month of 2016.  And to be honest: this year was horrid in so many ways... I came back to this picture and decided that it should be this one for December 2016 - a sunrise. As a sign of hope and optimism. For me - and hopefully for you, too.

So I hope you like it and I wish you a wonderful December, a very merry Christmas and a very happy new year!

♥ ♥ ♥
You can download this picture here: click or on my Flickr: click

desktop wallpaper september

This month's wallpaper is for cat-lovers, like me! :) I met this cat in one of the famous "Traboules" of Lyon. Traboules are small passages between houses. Some of them are very dark and small, some are dirty, some are hidden, some are closed, some are secret, some are ostentatious. You can lose yourself for hours in them, a city within the city. If you ever happen to be in Lyon, I can only recommend to explore some of the 40 traboules, that are open for tourists. It's wonderful.

You can download this picture here: click or on my Flickr: click

I wish you all a wonderful September, full of positive energy, adventures and explorations!

Stay curious!

♥

desktop wallpaper // august

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My picture for August was taken in Lyon, France. I had the pleasure to work in this city for a few weeks some years ago. Since then I have constantly returned to Lyon, because I love this city and it's vibes so much. This picture, with the streets still in the dark while the roofs of the old french houses shining already golden in the morning sun perfectly sums up, what Lyon looked like on my way to work.

You can download this picture here: click or on my Flickr: click

Have a warm, golden and happy August ♥

desktop wallpaper // july

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In June I posted not much here on this blog, but I already have some posts for July - starting with this wallpaper: one of the most beautiful that I've ever seen! This picture was taken in Menton, a city in the south of France, located between Monaco and Italy - both just minutes away. So you could wake up and chose between three countries to spend your day :)

You can download this picture here: click or on my Flickr: click

I wish you all a wonderful July full of sunshine and good vibes! ♥

One day in Nice

My wallpaper for this month already gave it away: I'm currently in the mood for France. Very much. And if I'm lucky I may be able to visit this beautiful country at the end of summer. But for now I'm satisfied with curing (or rather nourishing) my wanderlust with the pictures from the last trip southwards - and there are maaaaany pictures. So I decided to finally go through them and bring you a bit of summer (which is hard to find at the moment amidst all this rain and thunder...). 

During the last holidays we finally made it to Nice for some hours. Actually we were staying in Menton (pictures coming soon!), but by bus Nice is just an hour or so away. And this bus ride takes you along the beautiful coast, through high serpentines with wonderful views over the sea on the one side and the mountains on the other. You pass old villages whose houses are cramped around little churches on top of cliffs, as if they are afraid to fall over the edge into the sea if they let go of each other. Or the high-rises of Monaco, similarily close-packed at the cliffs, but with much more confidence as it seems. Contrasts and analogies. And Beauty.

In Nice, we arrived at the port and went on a boat tour that took us along the shore of Nice, and which I would definitely recommend to do. If you don't get sea sick easily. I have been on boats often but this was the one moment that made me greenish, when our boat left the port. The captain told us it is also called the washing machine, this passage, because it's like a spin cycle. And indeed, it is! But it does not take long and if you went through it, you will be rewarded with beautiful views that make you feel like you were catapulted directly into one of these old Côte d'Azur Hollywood films.

We had only some hours to explore Nice and this wasn't even nearly enough to get to know and approach this vibrant beauty with its rough edges. Nice made no false pretences, I loved it!

analogue friday // throwback to France

Since I'm on holiday at the moment, and it is a bit more complicated here to develop a roll of film than it is in Berlin, this week I show you some analogue ones from a holiday in France some years ago. I think I already showed them to you, but I think it always is a good idea to dig up some gems hiding in the archives and I love these here especially.

I took them with a Revue Flex - a very reliable friend for analogue pictures.

So, come with me to the beautiful south of France, the Côte d'Azur and a bit of Lyon, too.

Greetings from Norderney
 ♥

24-Hours-Marseille // part i

Somehow, Marseille has always been among the tops of my travel bucket list. Ever since I saw a picture of the old port of Marseille in my 7th grade (or so) French school book. It wasn’t even a beautiful or special picture but you could see the hussle and bustle of the port, the southern, golden sun, the sandy coloured, somewhat shabby buildings with the elaborated balconies and the blue reflections of the sea in the windows. And the picture stuck in my head and there it has been ever since. So it was an easy decision to make a stop over in Marseille on our way further into the south-east of France.

After a cozy night train journey to Paris, we travelled on a morning train to Marseille - and after 3 hours stepped out into the golden midday sunshine of the French South. I will always prefer the slow travelling by train rather than the hassle of a flight. In the hours of the journey while the landscape slowly changes around me, I somehow adapt to these changes and my thoughts wander off, clearing the head and making way for the new things that are to come while the anticipation has time to grow.

The main station of Marseille is on a little hill - therefore, when you step out of the building you are greeted by the whole city at once, with a brilliant view and the white silhouette of the cathedral at the horizon. The houses standing so near next and before each other, almost looking as if elbowing their way through to be the first to greet you. You make your way into this melting pot by stepping down beautiful stairs, made of white stone, that leads you directly into the heart of the city.

We only had a 24 hours stay - of course, we wanted to make the most of it. After a quick check-in at our pension, we set out exploring. Before our travels, I read about the MuCEM and really wanted to see this building. For me it’s always good to have one destination from which I then can start the random wanderings. And that’s what we did - exploring this strangely beautiful architectural creation and then randomly walk through Marseilles streets. When it became dark we ate by the old port, watching the sun set, the lights turning on, the people sitting and talking, the music getting louder. Just watching everyday life at the port of Marseille. The page of my school book coming alive.

The air was getting cooler and breezier as the darkness settled and the windows, that were closed during the day to shut out the heat, were opened and the inner sounds from the flats of the city melted with the outer sounds of the streets. After the long day of travelling and walking we were a bit overwhelmed by the powerful atmosphere of this lively, beautiful, shabby, nervous, loud, exhausting city, that we made our way home to the pension through quite side streets and lonely alleys just accompanied by the distant voices of the port’s night life.

July to July // Update September

[the lights of Marseille]

September was my month of summer this year. Of long, hot, humid, lazy days in the sun, with nothing more to do than reading, talking and a random glass of wine. Of flip flops clapping on the cobbles of old french villages. Of warm rain and already fresh nights. It was the month of my birthday and my holidays. Of fresh thoughts, of breaking old habits, making way for new ones. As it is often for me with autumn - when the air gets clearer and the wind gets stronger - it is the feeling of reflection and new beginnings. And those fresh thoughts in autumn seem to come with less pressure, somewhat slower and a bit wiser, than they do in spring.

I took my 365 pictures project with me but in a slimmed version. I took a picture everyday, which is obviously easy when you are in new surroundings, but I didn't upload everyday. Just when I really felt like it.  I connected my camera to my ipad, downloaded the picture I liked, edited it a bit with Afterlight or VSCO and uploaded it to Flickr. It was quite easy, stressless and most important it was fun.

[love and the sea]

[can you see the leaf, photobombing my tree picture?]

[I couldn't leave the Côte d'Azur without taking at least one b/w image - don't ask me why...]

[I love palm trees. I would stand in front of people's houses, admiring the palms, the lemons, the oranges. I know it's nothing special for them, like it's not special here to have an apple tree in the garden. But I find it really fascinating to have a lemon tree in front of your window.]

[wine and words]

[soft colours in the evenings]

[A short trip to Italy which was bright and loud and colourful and amazing. And everything they said sounded like something delicious to eat. Everything.]

[Berlin, charming as ever, said hello with a rainy, cold autumn night.]

[I met a squirrel. It lost its nut and blamed me... ]

[and there was a birthday gift]

----------------

The whole album is on Flickr: click 

And here are the

first |  second |  third

parts of the project so far.