Part 2: Morning Tea with the Tuaregs To this day, I still don’t understand what drives a person to set out on a three-week trek through the desert. Sand. Sand and rocks. An almost lunar landscape. Dry heat. Sweat. Sand between your teeth, and even in bread freshly baked over the embers.And morning tea.Back in…
Four Cups of Tea
Part 1: Tibetan Refugees in Nepal Tea. A drink enjoyed all over the world, in seemingly endless variations. From real tea, to South American mate tea, to various drinks that have nothing to do with tea except for the name.My first memory of tea goes back far to childhood, when we had a cold and…
A Burger Story: From Hamburg to the East Village
Let me first point out that, as much as I find the overindulgence in food in Michelin-starred restaurants stupid, I also hate fast food. You know, when you get a centimeter-long steak decorated with grass and I don’t know what else. Or you get a greasy patty that you eat standing up while rushing back…
Beer Tour
Across Southern England and Wales in the Summer of 1983 Last fall, I wandered around New York. I came across McSorley’s Old Ale House nearby. Supposedly the oldest Irish pub in the city.Sitting in McSorley’s, I suddenly found myself back in England — or perhaps Ireland. The same low light, the same stubborn wood, the…
Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Morocco! In the 1960s and 1970s, Marrakesh was for some Europeans a kind of nearby version of the great road to Kathmandu — less distant, but with the same promise of difference, spices, slow time, and the feeling of having arrived somewhere far away.At a time when Western musicians were looking for new sounds and…
Ortaköy Mosque
Lost in Istanbul Whenever I visit Istanbul, I have three absolute must-visit spots. First, a morning Turkish coffee at Hafiz Mustafa in Taksim. Second, the Süleymaniye Mosque, simply because it was designed by the legendary architect Sinan. And third, a walk down to the Ortaköy Mosque—mostly because it’s a bit further out, which helps me…
Late Night Strolling Down Manhattan
A short nostalgic essay about experiencing New York In the middle of summer, I was already making plans for what I would do for ten days in New York. Nothing dramatic, nothing touristy, nothing that would excite me too much. Something for the soul, as they say.Reminiscing about the years before, when I wandered those…
Cottage Cheese Polenta
A Creamy Twist on a Slovenian Classic Cottage cheese polenta is a simple but extremely filling dish that you can prepare as a standalone meal or a rich side dish. The cottage cheese adds a creamy texture and freshness to the polenta, while also boosting its protein content.While polenta is considered an Italian national dish,…
Thin Air and Narrow Runways
When one day you decide to go trekking around the Annapurnas. When you have no fitness at all, but you somehow convince yourself it will work. It was back in 2007, when I was younger and believed there were no obstacles under the sky for me.You start the journey in Besi Sahar and, after two…
Kyrgyzstan by night
I always had (and still have) a desire to take a good picture of the night sky. I remember all the nights when my father carried me on his shoulders as a little boy. And we would observe the stars and constellations. All those exotic names Aldebaran, Denebola, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, the Milky Way rang…