Important game!!! Germany - Greece

Germany vs Greece



So much can happen...

Today, Euro2012. The football tournament. 

I can stay a little bit longer

I am not German yet, I can stay a little bit longer before I move on to my next place.
The trains and trams not being on time annoy me but partly because Düsseldorf is so easy to walk in that I can get home as fast walking as waiting for a delayed tram. Other than that I am not very German yet - the this Link from The Local...

And don't misunderstand me, I love living in Germany and the Germans have many good sides. But I have been in the country long enough to see what is also a bit frustrating. On the other hand I have been away from Sweden long enough to see what is frustrating and typical for Sweden too. Long enough to realise that I, too, do many of the things that are typical for Swedes...

....

If you are visiting Turkey

If you are visiting Turkey and you happen to be in the Southwest corner, not so far from Bodrum?
In Turgutreis? Can you do me a favour?

It also works if you are going to Kos, in Greece, as you can take the ferry over and do a day trip to Turgutreis.

Friends of mine just opened a little wine bar/ cafe there, a place called Vinifera (Vinifera is apparently the name of a common grape that you find across Europe, and apparently it is not uncommon in Turkey - guessing that is where the name came from).

I can't go myself, at least not right now, there are no weekend trips available from where I live, I'd have to go for a week, and that is just not doable, for various reasons. I hear that the place is really beautiful though, with very nice beaches for those  who like beaches. But I would really like to hear about it!

And if you visit the area... Can you stop by the wine bar for me? Vinifera Winehouse & Café - it is supposed to be down in the harbour, the address is Atatürk maydanı No 4/A, Turgutreis, Muğla. I am really really curious about it, it looks beautiful on the pictures. And have a cupcake for me, will you? Cupcakes may not be big in Southern Europe yet, just like they are also not very common in Germany, but in US and in Sweden it seems there are cupcakes served on every corner - and I have heard good about the cupcakes that they make at Vinifera...

I definitely have a visit there on my "to do" list, but I just don't know when I will find the time for it and it would really be fun to hear about it from someone who has been.

(No, sorry, I don't have a weblink, I don't think they have a home page, but I do know they have a Facebook site, although that is in Turkish, I believe)

Between the blog and other notes

Between the blog and other travel notes I realised I have enough material to write my own travel guide. Now that is a thought... I have collected over the years and I keep collecting...

It could be (Basel Zoo)

It could well be that I am the only grown-up that didn't bring any kids but I really do enjoy zoos that are well kept and where they seem to care about the animals. It's fascinating to see the animals I wouldn't have a chance to get close, especially not in a safe way, in the wild.

And as long as the zoo is a good zoo, the animals are, I believe, normally well off; Fed at regular hours, not having to fear any predators. It's just the people that aren't so clever that they have to worry about, those throwing things that the animals will not digest well into the enclosures.

And let's face it, without the gene pool that the zoos holds, unfortunately many of these animals would be distinct already - because of our own stupidity and greed, but still. I'd rather we try and save what we can, if in an artificial way. Better late than never.

(And that is enough of me apologising as to why I am visiting the zoo).

Basel zoo is supposedly one of the oldest (the oldest?) in Switzerland and it is a very nice little zoo. I say little because it really isn't very big, but it's very central, and the it's all very nice and green and easy accessible. And there are little activities going on, how about, when it is chilly, watching a penguin walk? Or feeding of the animals (no, not you, the zoo, so the animals get a well balanced meal). Or something else? They seem to organise all kinds of little things.

Overall it's a very peaceful place, plenty of green and trees makes the zoo feel very intimate.

Glad I went!

Basel and the art

About a week ago, on an impulse, I booked to go to Basel this weekend. Never were before but I knew that this weekend was the only one I could be away in June and there is a performance I want to see here - so I booked.

And then I looked for hotels. Only to find out that Basel this weekend is more or less completely sold out - it turns out that this weekend is Art Basel, which claims to be the biggest art fair in the world!

As I'm very interested in art and even contemplated to take a summer to study art or art history, it couldn't have been a better match! And the fair is enormous, there is so much to see! Many many galleries exhibiting, an amazing section with installations, Art Statements, and so forth. Of course I can't see everything, but I have seen a lot, and not the least, I have had a chance to see people's reactions to the art, which is always fascinating.

Have truly enjoyed it.

Some say that with the galleries it's the same names that come back again and again, but if that's what people are buying, what's what will be showing, and in between you find unknown (to me) little gems, despite art galleries being something I run in and out of a lot, especially when I travel I always find new stuff, new inspiration.

I'm so happy I went, that I booked.
And Basel is a very pretty little city, well worth visiting, with a lot of art also when there is no exhibition on.

And further more, travelling like this I remember again that never ever ever will I give up travelling alone again, it is the best experience and I meet so many fascinating people - an experience in itself. I've never experienced even half as much when travelling with others, especially as you can't ever be as spontaneous (and it's not as easy for people to approach you) as when you are alone, I can turn around and walk down another road after half a second of thinking it over, and that's often how I stumble into the most interesting situations.

I simply belong on the road!

Never again am I giving up my freedom to be spontaneous!

Internal conflicts

Euro2012, the European Championships in football, have started. It started a week ago, although it wasn't until Monday it really started for me.

That was when Sweden played the first game.

And while I am Swedish when it comes to sports, Germany, my adopted home country, is my backup team. When there is no Sweden, I go Germany. Before I moved here it was England, now it's Germany.

More for the party than for anything else. This is where I am, and if Germany wins, there will be partying.

How the family with the flags here handles the championships I don't know though. Germany seem to have sent Netherlands home yesterday.

If nothing VERY unexpected happens?!

Can't help but wonder if someone had to sleep on the couch?

The one lesson I can't learn

The one lesson I can not learn, nor do I want to learn it - sitting still.

Germany and Euro2012

Germany takes the Euro 2012 seriously.

You can now even buy eggs that are pre-painted as footballs... I don't think it GETS more serious than this, does it?

There are times

There are times when I wonder.
When I for the at least third time the same morning have misplaced my coffee mug, that is one of those times I really do.  Wonder that is...

Was I always this confused? I can't remember I was...

On the other hand it may just be the lack of caffeine that has kicked in; I am at that stage when I don't wake up in the morning because I am done sleeping, but because my body wants caffeine. Hard to believe that this is the woman that for a couple of years had about one cup of coffee per month. Now I am back on that stage where one cup of coffee/tea/coke per day wouldn't be enough any more.

On the other hand, if one has to have one addiction, caffeine is not too bad, and it is pretty social to.

So that whole thing with passwords - I am afraid I was right

The tantrum I had the other day when I was whining about sites that save your password in clear text?
Well, I had a point. LinkedIn didn't save the passwords in clear text but they have anyhow been hacked - see this article (and plenty more).  As the passwords are encrypted we, as end users, have a little bit time to change the passwords before they are visible for everybody to see but it is just a matter of time. If LinkedIn had done the same mistake as another site, the organisation I was whining about the other day, we could have been in rather serious trouble.

Just hoping my contacts have the sense to change their passwords. I did. And of course to a strong password. Just hope it is enough. We shall see...

Anyhow, if you didn't update your LindedIn passwork, now is a good time to do so...

Twitter

I had a twitter account. I killed it. Good thing I did because now apparently a lot of twitter accounts have been hacked - a friend of mine was one of those that was hacked.
Reminds me again how important it is to have strong passwords and how important it is to have different passwords for different sites. Part from the old rule "the more sensitive the data, the more security is needed", I now live according to the rule "The higher the visibility, the higher the complexity of the password", and the more visibility, the higher need for a unique password. Just saying...

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype etc. Lots of visibility, lots of hacker attempts, hence unique, complex and  more tricky passwords.

yet I am sure it will happen to me too, at some point.

A word of advice - when it comes to booking things over internet

People

a word of advice, when it comes to booking things over internet:

Don't use your normal email address, especially not if booking with US companies. I am really frustrated at the moment with Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, but they are not the first one. Last time I stayed at the hotel was, lets see, 3 years ago. Pretty much.

In my reservation, which was done online, I specifically stated that I DIDN'T want them to save my address, I didn't want their what I would call spam, what they would call adverts. I also told them when checking in that could they please delete my mail address.

Since then I have received many ads. Every time I unsubscribe. It works for a while. And guess what? After a while the mail address is back on the list.
This DESPITE me requesting that they delete every trace of me, I don't want them to keep my information, and yet, woops, there it is again.

Horrible mannor, and in Europe, even illegal - although yes, it happens here too. DELL in Sweden is an example of such a company.

Gordon Ramsay's chain of restaurants too.

Yes, I know, I shouldn't  publish names, and normally I don't, and these are just three examples, but three examples of companies that have been notoriously BAD at deleting my information, seriously, if I ask for it to be deleted the first time and it works for a while, but then it comes back again - you know, that is a sign that you never deleted it in the first place, just deactivated. But when I say delete I mean DELETE.

Very frustrating, Very frustrating indeed. Who knows what other information they have stored about me?

Can't ever be Swedish

My Swedish friends and family keep asking me what I am going to do for the holiday. One would have thought that by now, after all these years, the Swedish family and friends should know that I am not like the other Swedes, nor will I ever be. I don't take four weeks holiday in a row in the summer. I don't even that two weeks. Normally I don't have any summer holiday. I don't find it time well used to take holiday and not travel. And why would I want to travel when it is nice and warm and beautiful at home? Plus why on EARTH would I, who can choose, want to be traveling when everybody else is traveling and it is just crowded? And expensive? And I don't even like the "typical" holiday. Because I should be and do what everybody else is doing?

It's fine that others want to travel a different way than I do - but I am just really amazed that the question ALWAYS comes up, and that my family and friends ALWAYS are as surprised.

I am just not a real Swede...

I removed the word verification

I removed the word verification. For half a day. Immediately got targeted by the horrible spam/comment robots so I switched on the word verification again. Any tips on what to do to avoid the spammers, it would be very nice to be able to allow people to comment without the word verification that at least I can find a bit slow and difficult...

Live to work or work to live?

"See, I never lived to work" - someone saying about why he is happy with a job that isn't a lot of fun.
But that I dont' understand. Not every job can be fun all the time, that I am fully OK with. But when you are spending so much of your time at work, why not do something that you actually enjoy? Seems like such a waste!

What I love about Düsseldorf

There are a few things that really makes Düsseldorf special. One is that there is always something great going on. Today, June 2, it is Japan day. The city will fill up with people celebrating - just like every year, and there will be fireworks in the evening.

There is a classical festival, Schumannfest.

Last weekend there was Jazz festival.

There are interesting exhibitions.
Basically every weekend now until the late autumn there will be something going on on Burgplatz or around in Altstadt.

It is just such a pity that the city is absolutely lousy at advertising what is going on, to the broader public, so often have I just stumbled over something that was incredible good, but they just don't get it, it seems everybody is supposed to just know how good Düsseldorf actually is, and I have friends who have left the city after having lived here for a long time, who claims that it is good just because of all the people. But that is not true, Düsseldorf is also great because of all the events - but to even find out about them you often have  to do a lot more digging. And knowing German helps as well... Sad really, because this city has so much to offer!

Another big advantage is of course that Düsseldorf is so easy to get to and from - so you don't ever have to get bored, you can always go away to get new energy, new inspiration, and then come back refreshed with new ideas.

How many other cities do you know where you are home from the airport in 15 minutes?