When we were doing the research for our trip to Bali in the spring of 2017, I came across a TripAdvisor page entitled “Nature & Wildlife in Bali“. Since nature is always high on our travel bucket list, I was genuinely curious, so I had a look. It was supposed to be a list of nature and wildlife experiences. To my …
I think we’ve always had that special connection with the ocean and its creatures. Annick loves a good swim, whether in the ocean, a lake or a river, and for her it is one of the best ways to fully relax. As a marine biologist, Maarten has also worked for years in close connection with the sea. …
We had planned to go to Mexico this summer. Due to budgetary limitations, however (some necessary renovations needed to be done in our house as well), we decided to wait a few years and invade Sweden instead. However, our renovation plans eventually ruled out July and August as well, and since we are both working in education, we had to …
Rice. Those of you who have ever traveled through Bali, know very well how important this plant and its seeds are in the local cuisine, religion and culture of this island. The cultivation, production, practical utilisation and consumption of rice has been deeply rooted in everyday life in Bali for more than 2000 years. Rice is a popular and even essential ingredient of Balinese …
Gent is in many ways an innovative city. One of these ways is that the city has been supporting and promoting the consumption of less meat. Since 2009 the city supports “Donderdag Veggiedag”, meaning the active promotion of eating vegetarian for (at least) one day in a week. This also means that in all school …
Have you ever helped out a dragon? We have! Today we helped out a very cute, little, red dragon find his glasses. His name is Fosfor, and somehow he lost them. If you download the (free!) Ojoo app on your smartphone, and then install the (free) game ‘Where are Fosfor the Dragon’s glasses’ (‘Draakje Fosfor’ …
I admit: I have a fascination for old things. Even when I was young, I wanted to become a paleontologist or an archaeologist (I became a biologist instead, which was another of my childhood dreams). I once volunteered at a dinosaur dig in Russia and that was an unforgettable experience. I never practiced any archaeology, though, …
Capitals. Aren’t they intriguing? A capital is supposed to be the political and administrative centre of a country, but is it also the cultural centre? Is a capital representative for its country in terms of its artistic, architectural and culinary identity (presuming here that these three aspects are the focus of attention for many travelers)? Probably not, and …
When returning from our trip to Wales, we made a stop in Oxford. A good friend of Annick recently moved there to study for a PhD. We went completely unprepared, because Sandra and her friend Peter would show us around. We just knew it was a prestigious university city. It turned out to be a …
Dragons, King Arthur, medieval castles, prehistoric tombs, a rugged coastline and an unintelligible language: for me, Wales always had this certain mythical feel to it. Since I visited the Pembrokeshire coast with my parents maybe 20 years ago or so, I just knew I had to come back one day. Even though Pembrokeshire was stunning, it simply isn’t representative for the rest …
