Niger πŸ‡³πŸ‡ͺ

busy city, temples, arid life, street markets, monuments, heat

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life February 2024 Being intrigued by Africa since my first trip as young teenager with my mother in the 1970es, not everything left great memories from the trips during the last decade, private as well as professional ones. Especially West Africa did not live up to the expectations, […]

Bhutan πŸ‡§πŸ‡Ή

Buddhism, Nature, Monasteries, tranquil, Archery

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life November 2023 This country has been on my bucket list literally for decades, and yet it ended up one of my last on the UN 193 list.But let’s give it away right now. This one raises to my Top 10 countries list. So where do I begin. […]

Kyrgyzstan πŸ‡°πŸ‡¬

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Mountain Lakes, Yurts, Alpine Regions, Monuments, Animals, Horses

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life June 2023 Kyrgyzstan facts This relatively small country has been under influence from its neighbours since centuries, via culture and power. The Russians in the past while under the USSR, culturally from Mongolian tribes and recently by China. The countryside is quite different from its Western Stans […]

Tajikistan πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡―

Central Asia, Tajikistan, Mountain Lakes, Monuments,

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life June 2023 Tajikistan facts Squeezed in between by mountains and neighbours, Tajikistan is probably the Central Asian country which has more development ahead of itself than any other. The territory is divided by huge mountain ranges which make up for more than 80%. One can find huge […]

Uzbekistan πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Ώ

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Khiva, , Bukhara, Samarkand, Silk Road, Medressas, Fortresses, Monuments, Silk & Spices Festival

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life June 2023 Uzbekistan facts Apart from huge Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan is by far the biggest , most populated and divers Stan. Reaching from the (mostly disappeared) Aral Lake, the Karakum Desert down to the Afghani border and all the way East to the Fergana Valley, more than 35 […]

Turkmenistan πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡²

Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Ivory Buildings, Illuminated City, Monuments

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life June 2023 Turkmenistan facts Just to get to this country requires some staying power. While it was never easy to visit before covid, it was then 3 years completely closed and under lock down, and even now requires an invitation letter and a hefty price for a […]

WSET Diploma Block Session 2 πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ή

WSET Diploma, Austrian Wine Academy, Rust, Weinakademiker, Block Session, wine tasting, tasting training, wine excursions, wine friendships

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life November, 2021 After the summer and our first exam in the Spring it was time for the next block session. It was again an intense week of studies and tasting training, 3 exams for those who wanted to take all three of them, and luckily a few […]

WSET Diploma Block Session 1 πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ή

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life May, 2021 We were just coming out of the second corona measures when the seminar started. And the Austrians were still in partial lock-down but the seminar luckily was able to start. Our class of 20 is a cool international mixture of everything, notably female dominated and […]

El Salvador πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡»

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life January 22th, 2023 At home I got a few astonishing looks when letting people know that I am going to visit El Salvador. I really enjoyed it’s neighbor Nicaragua not too long ago and I really liked it. So I was not surprised and my hope was […]

Cabo Verde πŸ‡¨πŸ‡»

Cabo Verde - Sal - Expedition by private plane - Transamerica 2022

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life March 6th, 2022 Even though it has only been a mere 5 months since we came back from the Caribbean and Central America last October during our transamerica2021 expedition it feels good to be on tour again. For me however it is different this time. I will […]

San Diego πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

San Diego - La Jolla - Del Mar - Encinitas - Coronado Island - Julien - Borrego Springs - Anza Borrego Desert

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life January 21th, 2022 Like in another post one could say why San Diego again! Well there is never enough SD for me. It’s my second home since having lived there in the 90ies and gone back more or less every year. It was the first time after […]

Provence πŸ‡«πŸ‡·

Road Trip trough wine country and lavender fields with a Lexus SC430 Convertible

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life June 20, 2021 The Provence has been on my travel list for many years but in pre-corona times was on the lower end as more exotic destinations lured. This year it was an easy choice as besides the landscape and lifestyle together with those famous lavender fields […]

Libya πŸ‡±πŸ‡Ύ

Female Arabic Art Painter

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life June 20, 2021 Not the most obvious destination, yet with lot’s of positive surprises. Just getting there and into the country was a challenge by its own. Official tourism is still not happening so we had to rely on help from a tour operator with experience for […]

Egypt πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡¬

Alficionado β™‘ treasuring the good sides of life January 7th, 2021 The joy was immense to finish a tough travel year with a jewel. A β€˜Jewel of the Nile’ one could say. Luxor And it turned out to be one. Starting with staying at the fabulous Winter Palace (an iconic building from the Belle-Epoque Era) […]