The Bridge Was Still There Some places you visit once. Others keep showing up in your life. San Francisco belongs to the second kind for us. Whenever I post a photo of San Francisco on Facebook, our friend Željko responds with almost clockwork reliability: “For me, the most beautiful city in the world.” That, of […]
A Hell of a Lot of Karma in the Rheingau Some people buy a new mattress. We simply moved into the office. “There’s bad karma in our bedroom.” That was how I was woken up one morning. There are certain sentences you’re simply not prepared for, even after more than thirty years together. I blinked […]
Highway One – Our Love Affair with the open Road Some roads take us to our destination. Others lead straight to the heart. For nearly thirty years, we have been trying to say goodbye to Highway One—one of the most iconic stretches of California’s legendary Pacific Coast Highway. So far, we haven’t succeeded. Perhaps […]
Between Time Zones and Goodbyes Every now and then, Reinhold asks if we should fly back to California at the beginning of next year. Years ago, I probably would have answered, “Absolutely.” These days, I sometimes hesitate. Not because of the long flight. Not because of the planning. Not even because of the cost. But […]
Where Even We Fell Quiet From the Hoh Rain Forest to the Redwoods – two forests that stayed with us “Trees are sanctuaries.” – Hermann Hesse It is the beginning of a long road trip. From Southern California, we head north on Highway 395. Past Mono Lake and the ghost town of Bodie, through Nevada […]
Seven Shirts? Seriously? Seven Shirts and Other Unrealistic Life Concepts The Seven-Shirt Theory Sometimes an ordinary day begins with a realization that briefly makes you question your own sanity. In my case, it started with a phone call from Inge. We were chatting about this and that when she suddenly said she had read that […]
Bodie – Ghosts at High Noon A town of dust, silence, and stories that never completely disappeared. I always step into historic places with a peculiar feeling. Perhaps because I never see only what is still there. I also see what once was. People. Hopes. Plans. An ordinary life. As we walk along Bodie’s dusty […]