Category Archives: Travel
Kyiv – Day 5/21
“Please throw unwanted children in the trash,” this sign at Sovky Park says. Or so I thought, before reading the small print. Pictographs can be so misleading. There is just no substitute for real language. Links: More from Ukraine. It reminded … Continue reading
Kyiv – Day 4/21 – Summer in Winter
“I would never go to Eastern Europe in winter.” “You are going to freeze your butt off.” “How stupid of you!” These were some of the comments I received when I announced my plan to spend the winter in Ukraine. … Continue reading
Kyiv – Day 3/21
You should actually recognize this column: Exactly, it’s the one which looked like this six years ago: Walking through the center of Kyiv, you see many memories of and memorials to the Euromaidan protests. But before I write anything about … Continue reading
Kyiv – Day 2/21 – Cats
The reason for my stay in Kyiv are two young kittens, Stella and Stuart, about half a year old. They are full of energy, very sweet, always ready to play, but equally interested in my work. And when I am … Continue reading
Kyiv – Day 1/21
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Blogs. During the following three weeks in Kyiv, I will probably gather so much material that the resulting article, should it ever materialize, will be too long for most of you to read. For those more … Continue reading
Our Prisoner of War
Recently, I stayed with my father in Bavaria, where life is informal and one can put the feet on the table and smoke inside the house. We were both preoccupied with reading, my father with the newspaper and me with … Continue reading
Next house sitting: Kittens in Kyiv
After spending last winter in Canada, I could have been forgiven to choose a warmer place this year, like Barbados or Morocco. (Although Alice, the cat in Calgary, will remain in my heart as the loveliest and most affectionate cat … Continue reading
A gloomy morning and a beautiful afternoon
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. Under the bewildered eyes of those going to warm offices, schools and shops, I am the only one to exit the bus at Signal de Botrange. Because the clock went crazy the last weekend, the … Continue reading
Day of the Open Road
Deutschsprachigen Lesern empfehle ich die ebenfalls deutschsprachige Originalfassung dieses Artikels. Sunday, 8 September. Day of the Open Monument. Today they are open, the castles and cloisters, buildings and bunkers that are usually hidden from the people. You’ve got to use … Continue reading
Belgium goes into extra time
Those who are familiar with the weather in Belgium will understand why everyone here wants to leave for vacation as much as they can. That creates an enormous demand for house sitters and cat carers. Hence, immediately after house sitting … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 