Finally in Tbilisi. This was a big goal for us. A few days after our arrival, we are city-soaked-groggy. We’ve been to the Chinese embassy three times now, and today we were finally able to hand in our passports. I keep saying “our” passports, which might have something to do with the fact that I’m […]
Tbilisi, Visa Chaos and the Art of Not Being Able to Plan Everything Read More »
Who were the Seljuks? Strangely, that’s not the question on my mind as I stand before this mystical 13th-century monument — a place my husband, our son, and I have cycled almost 5,000 kilometres to reach. At sunset in Central Anatolia, we marvel at the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği. Healing and spirituality were
From the Seljuks to the Taşyolu Gorge Read More »
Arriving in Konya, we are welcomed in the true spirit of Rumi. We hadn’t actually planned to arrive in the middle of the night. And we certainly hadn’t expected that the Sufi guesthouse where we stayed four years ago would have closed in the meantime. When we ask where we might pitch our tent—since a
In the heart of Konya. In the heart of Rumi. Read More »
That I would end up speaking Dutch in the heart of Anatolia was something I truly never expected. Not because there are so many tourists here. But because, decades ago, many families emigrated from the small villages nestled among Cappadocia’s extraordinary rock formations, more than 1,000 metres above sea level, to the Netherlands. Today, their
By bike through Türkiye – and straight into our hearts. Read More »
As I sit on a bus from Belgrade to Vienna, retracing in a few hours a route that took us two weeks to cycle, I find myself reflecting on the past five weeks. Once again, we cross the Serbian-Hungarian border. This time, however, everything takes much longer. The European Union has fortified itself here. The
From Vienna to Belgrade — and Back Again Read More »
How a 12-Year-Old Took His Parents on a Bicycle Journey Around the World This was never the plan. We never intended for our son to grow up outside the school system. Yet from the age of five, he made his wishes remarkably clear. He did not want to be looked after by adults whose lives
The world as a classroom Read More »
Our departure was chaotic. But then again, how could it have been any different? How do you pack up the contents of an entire house after living there for eighteen years? As it turned out, about a third of the things we had accumulated weren’t really needed at all. We happily sold, donated, and gave
Every beginning is hard Read More »
It is the end of March, and the blossoming life all around us does not make saying goodbye any easier. We are not only leaving behind a house and dear friends, but also our community, the Lebensgarten Steyerberg, where we have spent the last seventeen years of our lives. This is where our children grew
Asking for money? What we think about generosity Read More »
