We made it

despite the chaos caused by snow and ice we made it in time to Australia - no delays none of our flights were canceld. Good bye winterchoat and snowboots, hello thongs and T-shirts. And thanks to Jamie´s family we had a beautiful christmas



and New Years Eve in Adelaide.



Happy New Year to all of you, take care and a beautiful start in 2011.

Kick off: Australia ./. Germany

Schlaaand oh Schlaaand! The Worldcup starts and the first game was Australia versus Germany. We watched it with friends, German friends...



After the first 45 minutes we handed tissues over to Jamie, 2:0 for Germany, that doesn´t look good. And in the second half a red card for poor Timmy we needed to get more tissues.

Cacau was not even 3 minutes on the field and again, goal for Germany. With 4:0 in the end, Australia was absolutly flogged by the German team.

But - the lost from Germany against Serbia made it up. We both are playing Ghana now, and we both need to win the game.

Most popular holiday destination: Mallorca

After a long and could winter it´s time to get a bit of sunshine. Mallorca seems to be the perfect spot. It has an average of 300 days of sunshine each year.

With a short flight from not even 2 hours, the island is one of the most popular destination for German tourists.




We stayed in Canyamel, in the east part of the island. Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic islands. Palma de Mallorca is the captial and the only true city on this island.

Off to Austria

Rauris is the name of the little village and a market town in the Pinzgau area of Salzburg. Rauris lies within the National Park "Hohe Tauern". It has a total population of approximately 3,000 and is the biggest community of Salzburg in terms of land. It includes most of the Raurisertal valley, which has been an important mining centre and origin of highly valuable gold ore.

In the middle of nowhere we improved our snowboarding skills and even Ted had a go. We booked a 5-day-snowboarding-course, but after the first three days, massiv bruises and sore muscles made us questioning the decision.

However, finally we made it up to the big slope...

Winterberg in Germany

As 2010 was one of the hardest winter in Germany since decades, there was no need for us to travel far for the first snowboard-experiences.



Winterberg is a town in the Sauerland of Nord-Rhine-Westfalia with lovely slopes on six mountains. The highest one is the "Kahler Asten" with 842 meter.

Find more Information here...

Welcome to the “fifth season”

“Alaaf” is the greeting, a costume an obligation and throwing candies the gift of joy – this only happens in the Rhineland, year after year.

Carnival are the crazy days, particular in Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf and Mainz. The beginning of the season is the 11th of November at 11:11 AM: People dress up funny and walk around the city. But the real kick off starts with the so called “Weiberfastnacht” (Shrove Thursday).

Each year on the Thursday six weeks before Easter at 11.11 AM the street Carnival is officially opened at the “Alter Markt”.The key of the city is handed over to the three principal Carnival figures: the Prince, the Peasant and the Virgin (collectively known as the "Dreigestrirn").

Till ash Wednesday they are “responsible” for the city and the whole city will party and dress up for six days. Carnival is celebrated with parties on the streets, in public squares and in pubs.



Traditionally, colourful Corps troops and parades line the streets and particular on Monday, the so called “Rosenmontag”, a kilometer long Rosenmontag procession is going through the city. People yell for sweets (Kamelle) and flowers (Strüßje). Even the closing times for pubs and bars are suspended for the duration of the festival – till ash Wednesday, when it all ends.

More Information:
- http://www.koeln.de/cologne_tourist_information/events/cologne_carnival/the_crazy_days

- http://www.koelnerkarneval.de/fastelovend-op-englisch.html

Back in Town

Just arrived a week ago, I flew in at the 20th of April and every single time I am suffering from the flight. The time differences is killing me. Anyway, I am recovered, my books have already arrived and it's time to study, after all it was the whole idea of coming over.

But even with stucking in the house with my studies I have to do, there is always closing-time and the beach is waiting. Unfortunately there hasn't been any wind and without wind no kitesurfing, or there has been wind, but all of my kitebuddies were at work! Ahhh, hope the wind will pick up this afternoon or on the weekend!

Windy or not - the beach blows me every single time away. Yesterday I watched the sunset - and again. Sand between my toes, fresh air, the sound of the waves, those beautiful colours when the sun dives into the ocean. Awesome! All the sudden I feel alive and I realise: I missed out so much while I have been in Germany.