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Today I wish I was in...

Today I wish I was in LOS ANGELES to go and EAT AT KISMET! Kismet is a middle Eastern inspired, Californian style restaurant run by two female chefs, Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson. It seems like a laid back place with tasty and fresh food!

Where do you wish that you could be today? What would you want to go and do there?

• Website - http://www.kismetlosangeles.com Instagram - http://instagram.com/kismetlosangeles Food - Mideast, female chefs Los Angeles, USA

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Art inspiring travel - ICELAND

A wonderful surreal art project with geometric light installations placed in otherwordly and hauntingly beautiful landscapes of Iceland. The art project is called Lucid, by Tarek Mawad and Friedrich van Schoor who collaborate under the name of 3Hund.

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Cala Llombards, Majorca

When thinking of Majorca a lot of people might picture drunk German and English tourists at crowded bars with sunburnt faces and a massive cocktail in the hand. However, Majorca has a lot more to offer than noisy beach bars and cheap hotel deals. It really matters about location. In a way Mallorca seems to have managed better than other countries overrun by tourism to at least bundle a certain crowd just in one corner. Because the ‘Ballermann’ people, the party folk, are mostly centred around the long beach stretch of El Arenal which is close to Palma. There are many other places, wonderful beaches where you might find a lot tourists in the heat of summer too, but it is not a party mekka. One of those beautiful beaches is in the very south of the island, called Cala Llombards. There is a very small and winding road leading from Santanyí and parking there is very limited. Otherwise there is more parking right by the beach if you drive from Cala Llombards the village itself. The beach is hidden away in a bay surrounded by hills with luscious pine trees.

My grandmother owns a house right on the top of the hill near the beach. Almost every summer we used to go visit her and spend some weeks there, it was my favourite place in the whole world. The water can get really warm in the summer and I would spend hours snorkelling and discovering everything under the sea. Also it was the best of times when we got to use my grandma’s little rowing boat and explore the shores from above. When you arrive from the top, the way leading from Santanyí, you can also walk down a kind of secret path leading between the bushes, just where you spot the beach for the first time. It was always an exciting moment to see the beach and it’s turquoise water from there. Then you can walk down the little path between the bushes, pine trees and the aloe vera, eventually coming past those little fisher huts pictured below. Also there is a gret viewing spot, when at the beginning of the little path instead of walking towards the beach and the fisherhuts, you turn left, you’ll find yourself on a stony platform at the opening of the bay, where you get a really good view. I highly recommend buying some fresh tomatoes and bread to make some traditional P’amb Oli to eat as a snack on the beach. Find great ingredients at Santanyí market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 8 to 12 o’clock.

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recipe for P’amb Oli:

get some bread from local baker (it will be mostly unsalted)

good olive oil

garlic

fresh and ripe tomatoes

olives from market

optional cheese and chorizo to add

Half the bread, rub with some cut garlic and the ripe tomatoes (it will make bread nice and juicy), pour olive oil over and sprinkle with salt. Add olives to dish, with sliced cheese and chorizo. Yum!

photos by Vojago

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be a part

Are there any places where you’ve been that touched you and that you would share with us? Is there a place, somewhere you visited, that you would like to go back to? Where did you find relaxation and authenticity, where did you feel more in touch with nature, the culture or yourself?

Let us know in the questions section at the top of the page or send an email to vojago@gmx.ch. If you’d like we can even submit your own article with some of your photos. Let’s share the experience!

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Seljavellir, Iceland

On the way to Vík í Mýrdal in the south of Iceland, past the famous volcano - Eyjafjallajökull, hides a hot pot amidst the barren mountains. With your own car, you can reach it with some effort but it will be worth it. Off the main road, surrounded by farms and fields, along a pebbly path to the parking area. From there it will be a 15 min walk. Pack up warm as it can get very windy. It is a special experience to be out in nowhere amongst these mysterious looking mountains, sitting in a warm hot pot with the cold wind blowing down from the mountain tops.

Take road no. 1 from Selfoss direction Vík. About 85 km from Selfoss turn left to the road no. 242 to Raufarfell. You take that road all the way to the end.

Let me know if you have questions

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Auf dem Weg zu Vík í Mýrdal im Süden der Insel, fährt man vorbei an dem weltberühmten Vulkan - Eyjafjallajökull. Gleich in der Nähe versteckt sich ein Thermalpool inmitten der Gebirge. Mit dem Auto fährt man abseits der Haupstrasse, umringt von Farmen und Wiesen, einen steinigen Weg entlang zu dem Kiesparkplatz. Von da sind es noch 15 minuten zu Fuss. Ein mystischer Ort, mit den Bergen rundherum und oftmals starken Wind, das Entspannen im warmen Wasser zu einem sehr speziellen Badeerlebnis macht.

Wegbeschreibung: Nimm road no. 1 von Selfoss Richtung Vík. Nach 85 km von Selfoss biege links ab, auf die road no. 242 nach Raufarfell. Fahr ganz bis ans Ende der Strasse bis zum Parkplatz.

Falls Unklarheiten da sind, nur fragen! Unter: questions

photos by vojago

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Nauthólsvík Reykjavík, Iceland

In the winter time only the bravest Viking men and women jump into the ice cold water in the bay of Nauthólsvík. It is not a strong tradition like in other Nordic countries but it for sure keeps your immune system strong during the long winter. They do also have a steam bath to warm up after the cold and a hot pot to lie in. In the summertime, especially on sunny days, you could spend hours just lying in the warm water talking to friends. It is recommended to go for a short dip on a mild day into the ocean water, as it is truly refreshing and feels revitalising. When there is a low tide another small pool appears along the shore which is lukewarm, a mix of ocean water and a small stream from the hot pot. Within the facilities there are also snacks to buy and some BBQ- Grills to use.

Let me know if you have questions regarding the location and opening times

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Im Winter springen die stärksten Wikinger/innen jeweils in das eiskalte Wasser der kleinen Bucht hinein. Danach kann man sich auf die nordische Art in dem geothermalen Liegebad, oder sich im Dampfbad aufwärmen. Im Sommer, gerade an den sonnigen Tagen kann man dort stundenlang verweilen und mit Freunden quatschen. Auch dann ist es immer noch sehr gewagt einen Platscher in das kalte Wasser zu wagen, jedoch sehr empfehelenswert. Wenn Ebbe ist, taucht ein weiteres kleines Pool von der Wasseroberfläche hervor, wo sich das Meerwasser mit einem kleinen Strahl vom Warmwasser des Liegepools mischt. Es hat in der Anlage auch Snacks zum Verkauf und einen Barbecue-Grill.

Fragt mich betreffend der Lage und Öffnungszeiten

photo by vojago

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Viðey Island, Iceland

Viðey is a small island only a small boat ride away from Reykjavík. As soon as you step off the ferry, you feel as if you are far away from civilisation and surrounded by nature. There are only a few buildings on the island, one is a museum and restaurant, called Viðeyjarstofa, which is the first stone built house of Iceland. Next to it is the beautifully old chapel, Viðeyjarkirkja. For superstitious reasons it’s doors are never shut, so that old souls and other beings can pass in and out effortlessly. The island was populated up until the middle of the last century. It is a great place for tourists and locals to explore the wild flora and fauna, lots of birds come there to breed. Clear your head on a quiet walk by yourself or accompanied by friends, it will for sure recharge your batteries. A special monument only visible in the dark of winter, is the Imagine Peace Tower, a huge light installation by Yoko Ono dedicated to her deceased husband, John Lennon.

The price of a single ticket for the ferry is 1200ISK. In this case it is highly recommended to purchase a Reykjavik City Card, as it includes the ferry ride as many other tourist attractions. http://visitreykjavik.is/city/reykjavik-city-card

15 May - 30 September, several times a day. In the winter only at the weekends

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Viðey ist eine kleine Insel, nur einige Minuten mit der Fähre von Reykjavík erreichbar. Man fühlt sich gleich völlig der Natur nahe, da es fast keine Gebäude auf der Insel hat. Eines davon ist das Museum und Restaurant - Viðeyjarstofa, welches das erste Steingebaute Haus Islands ist, dann daneben die schöne herzige Kappelle, Viðeyjarkirkja. Aus abergläubischen Gründen ist dessen Türe stets offen, so dass auch alte Seelen und andere Wesen ein- und ausgehen können. Bis Mitte des letzten Jahrhunderts war die Insel noch besiedelt, jedoch seit dem wird sie mehr als Naherholungsgebiet für Touristen und Anwohner genutzt. Dank der wilden Vegetation ist es auch eine hervorragende Brutstätte für diverse Vogelarten. Wenn man etwas Ruhe und sich wirklich abgelegen fühlen will, ist dies ein perfekter Ort zum Energie tanken und für Spaziergänge mit Freunden. Ein besonderes Monument welches man nur im Winter zu sehen bekommt, ist der Imagine Peace Tower, eine riesige Lichtinstallation von Yoko Ono an seinen verstorbenen Mann, John Lennon gewidmet.

Sehr empfehlenswert in diesem Fall und in Verbindung mit anderen Sehenswürdigkeiten, ist die Reykjavik City Card, da die Fähre mit der inbegriffen ist. Ansonsten ist die Überfahrt circa 1200ISK http://visitreykjavik.is/city/reykjavik-city-card

15 Mai - 30 September mehrmals tägliche Überfahrten, im Winter nur am Wochenende

photos by vojago