Wait a minute

This section covers a diverse range of topics from travel, culture, art and media and encourages readers to think outside the box. Reflections on cheating during Lent, Icelandic guide sheep or a prison with the best view are typical examples of topics that broaden the horizon.

The original disappears. Won’t Fix.

The algorithm flags my original photo as an AI fake. Google’s response: ‘Won’t Fix’. Research into a system failure that politics, science and the media can no longer ignore

Germany can’t you see that? A warning call.

A journey through the dramatic years 1929 to 1933, the downfall of the Weimar Republic. Actor Roman Knižka and the Ensemble Opus 45 combine literature and music to warn of the creeping collapse of democratic values

WOMAN of the world

In a hotel lobby in Wakayama City, my eyes fell on an attractively designed magazine. The word WOMAN was emblazoned on the cover in large Latin letters…

Titlis – summit of dreams

Despite the construction site, Indian tourists will continue to flock to the 3,238 metre-high peak in central Switzerland in 2025

Museum on prescription

Culture against illness seems to be a recipe for success. Even spending time in aesthetic spaces can be beneficial

Rim of the plate, nose or the frog in the well

What are the plates doing in the front garden? We don’t know, but we’re thinking outside the box

The Rochefort transporter bridge

There are only eight of these steel giants left in the world. Where they still run, they are a tourist magnet

Who invented the oasis behind the picket fence?

It is said that the Swedes invented the suitcase word coolcation to awaken a longing for travel to the cool countries of the north. Now they are also credited with inventing garden colonies. This week, the New York Times devoted a long article to Swedish garden colonies in its “Wellness around the World” section. But who invented them?

Own the blank page or how to become Photo of the Month

The renowned photo agency Alamy has dedicated its March POTM (Photo of the Month) competition to the theme of Empowered Women at Work. I was very pleased with the result, because the photographer with the most pictures is Georg Berg

Repressed history: the Aryanization memorial in Bremen

Better late than never! This applies both to good television formats such as Reschke Fernsehen and to the culture of remembrance. About the economic dimension of the Holocaust and its profiteers.

Whale watching

No, I’m not writing this little whale of a review because tomorrow, February 23, 2025, is the Bundestag election. The important election should not have to serve as a phonological joke that only works in German. But when I saw the huge whale painting in Bremen’s town hall, I thought of the sperm whale that beached itself on the coast of Sylt a few days ago…

Kobra’s remote mural

Almost two hours’ walk from San Marino’s old town, the Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra has created a monumental mural. The colorful work tells the story of the small republic – if you want to see it, you have to plan some time

Swinging Old Lady of Curaçao

When the Queen Emma Bridge opens, the historic pontoon bridge glides to the side, giving ships access to the largest natural harbor in the Caribbean. The Swinging Old Lady is more than just a crossing between two parts of the city – she is a lively attraction that has set the rhythm of Willemstad for over 130 years

Selma Lagerlöf in Landskrona

Shortly before sunset, the wild geese land in the shallow waters of the Öresund. Did Selma Lagerlöf watch them? Did she get the idea for the wonderful journey of Nils Holgersson in Landskrona?

Paint spraying Rembrandt

On a street in the Hanseatic city of Zwolle behind the Museum de Fundatie, we can’t believe our eyes. A mural on an inconspicuous garage wall blurs the appearance of the contemporary world.

Nobel sightseeing in Stockholm

On December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, the Nobel Prizes are awarded at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Tips for sightseeing during Nobel Week

Enlightenment on ailing rails

Using Cologne’s basic law, Japanese author Noriko Hasegawa navigates the European rail system, questioning the necessity of absolute perfection

Torre del Gringo Loco

That too is freedom of opinion: when the American president renames the Gulf of Mexico, the imagination knows no bounds

Paula in Paris, Chicago, Bremen

In Bremen, Paula Modersohn-Becker was the first woman to have her own museum dedicated to her. And at the Art Institute Chicago, the first major retrospective: “I am Me”

Hello Coolcation! Goodbye Sommerfrische.

Are we going round in circles right now? An age-old reason for traveling has been packed into a new suitcase word. Thoughts on the 2024 travel trend

Stockholm and art in the underground

For the price of a ticket, you can travel through the world’s longest art gallery in Stockholm. There are paintings, mosaics and sculptures over a total length of 110 kilometers

Stalactites below Gozo

While trying to dig a well behind his house, Guzepp Rapa came across a stalactite cave. Today, the geological sensation can be visited

Joe Biden’s controversial cannibal anecdote

Photo report reveals the spark of truth behind Joe Biden’s hint about his uncle’s whereabouts

Architectural highlight in Tbilisi

The skybridge in the capital of Georgia is known worldwide for its connecting bridges at dizzying heights, but locals love it for something else

Vivian Maier: A life through the viewfinder

A decade ago, experts and the general public were surprised by the impressive photographic work of a previously unknown artist

HR Giger’s Alien in the Castle

The dark nightmare worlds of the surrealist artist from films such as Alien, Dune and Poltergeist live on in the HR Giger Museum. A visit is a must for science fiction fans and a test of courage for everyone else

Detroit Institute of Arts

The DIA has a collection of around 65,000 works, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive art collections in the United States

Strong women

On our travels, we often meet women with exciting CVs and unusual professions that require creativity, courage and perseverance

The grim secret of the Tellerrand stories

I woke up from a terrible nightmare. In it, the authentic Tellerrand stories were just hallucinations of an artificial intelligence, and I was the celebrated sorcerer’s apprentice who is even proud of it [Watch the AI-generated video]

Phone booth for mobile calls

The old telephone booths of the Hotel Waldhaus have been converted into exclusive locations. This is the only place where cell phones may still be used

Michigan Central Station

The Ford Motor Company is planning to turn the former Detroit train station into a central research campus for the future of global mobility

Lametta in Valletta

In Malta and Gozo, almost every street and square glitters in the run-up to Christmas. Angels, stars and often the three holy kings are brought into position in every village

Frequent flyer with a message

People Need Love is the first single by the pop band Abba in 1972. It is a simple song with a simple wish for peace and harmony, which unfortunately never became a catchy tune

Political Street Art in Georgia

The statements on the house walls are striking. Simple statements have the greatest persuasive power. In their entirety, they convey an unfiltered picture of the mood

Everyone wants stollen!

The original Dresdner Christstollen has an eventful history and is now Saxony’s best-known ambassador of indulgence. The fact that Dresden Christmas Stollen is so popular also has to do with Augustus the Strong

African Parks in Malawi

In the Majete Wildlife Reserve, it stands like a memorial, the collage of countless rifles and guns that rangers have confiscated from poachers over the years

Baobab – Tree of Life

It stands out, its trunk is mighty and unusually wide, like a single giant elephant leg. Its trunk serves as a water reservoir for the elephants in the dry season, its fruits are vitamin bombs and with its seeds the Malawis play their popular boabab game

Büyük Han Coffee Club

They drink coffee against the absurdity of their situation. They set gallows humor and tolerance against prejudice and propaganda and sometimes self-deprecatingly call themselves the traitors’ club

Rare tulips in Cyprus

Only in a few places in Cyprus the endemic Cypriot tulip grows wild. It can be found only at the end of March

A Tesla is a Tesla. Who is Tesla?

Travel educates and museum visits broaden the horizon. Thank you Museum for Utopia and Everyday Life in Eisenhüttenstadt (former GDR) that I now think of so much more than the strange Mr. Musk when I hear the name Tesla!

Cheating during Lent

Not angels, but monks once sent beer to the Pope in Rome. His blessing for a fasting beer was quickly granted, because it tasted so awful after the long journey that he found it worthy of a fasting drink and granted the monks 5 liters per day. Here now more cheating of the clergy against their own fasting laws.

Prison with a great View

The inn of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is picturesquely situated. Nevertheless, the Grenada Richmond Hill is not on any bucket list

The home and the climate

The small village of Lützerath rarely had more than 100 inhabitants. Thanks to climate activists, Lützi has become internationally known and a symbol. Several hundred places in the Rhenish lignite area have already fallen victim to the hunger for energy and the lignite excavators before

Louis Vuitton scores with Yayoi Kusama

On an advertising stretch of four infinite pages and the slogan “Creating Infinity”, luxury brand Louis Vuitton launches its collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

Hidden object with Cristiano Ronaldo

After the African country of Morocco advanced in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup against the team of Portugal, I remember a photo I took in Sierra Leone in 2016

Parlez-vous Español, please

Review of the book by Françoise Hauser, in which she describes the differences and similarities of many world languages in an easily understandable way.

Things. A history of women

For Annabelle Hirsch, everyday objects are not trivia, but access to history. Her look at 100 objects opens a Wunderkammer of femininity

Soccer idols on murals

If you love soccer but not the World Cup in Qatar, you might get a lot of enjoyment out of a book by Andy Brassell during your downtime: Football Murals

Laugh in Translation

On the occasion of the lifting of entry restrictions in October 22, a report on our trip through the Japanese province appears in the Shizuoka Shimbun.

Candle stubs and Coronation Ceremonies

King Charles III is to be crowned on May 6, 2023. A cookbook by Tom Parker Bowles, son of the Queen Consort Camilla to be crowned, could provide ideas for a modest celebration.

Something warm man needs

Every year, landlords in Germany are required to put heating systems into operation on October 1. This year, however, with a throttled temperature

World Cat Day without cat

On World Cat Day, the number of cat photos huddling on the Internet will reach a new annual high. But without me. Therefore here cat photos almost without cat

How Iceland changed the world

Long rave for a wonderfully condensed book, only 255 pages for over 1000 years. How Iceland changed the World, Egill Bjarnason, Penguin Books. The big History of a small Country!

Simplicity day

July 12 is the day of simplicity. For this occasion we have compiled a photo gallery with motifs from all over the world. Especially when traveling light, the most beautiful improvisations arise from simplicity and creativity. Henry David Thoreau recommends already in 1854 the return to a simple life.

Montpellier celebrates

Montpellier wins the French Rugby Championship. The final against Castres was broadcast from Paris for public viewing on the Place de la Comédie.

Trading on top

In Africa, there are hardly any business premises. Saleswomen present their products on their heads. Eye contact with the buyer takes place near the goods.

Spiders on the phone

The older ones of us still remember the smell of the telephone booths. But nowhere do we mourn the cold smell of cigarettes or the jingling of coins.

Sleep day

June 21 is the beginning of summer and – almost sleepy – the day of sleep. Here are photos from Sierra Leone, where temperatures are always very summery.

Dead Zone at Charcoal Fire

The campfire has a magical attraction. It is the place where stories are told and experiences are passed on from generation to generation.

Concealed art

A facade artwork on the subject of migration in Reykjavik was a reminder of a piece of German-Icelandic history. Now it has had to make way for a construction project.

Soundtrack of the Day

In Reykjavik, Herakut reminds us to take every moment seriously. The artists make positive signs of life and thought in dark places of many cities.

Leader Sheep

A breed of guide sheep is bred in Iceland. The information center in Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla district provides information about herding sheep.

The P word

Icelanders have a sense of humor, but caution is still advised. Icelandic ponies may only be called horse in Iceland. Anything else is considered an insult.

The wish stone

The magic of the jasper stone. However, for the desired result, the instructions should be read in full beforehand. Life is not a wishful thinking concert.

Troll or dino?

In Iceland, all exposed rock formations have at least one story. Hvítserkur is said to have been a troll with a fear of Christianity.

Outdoor pool

Icelanders love the outdoor thermal bath. Volcanism has its good and bad sides. The elemental force provides energy, but can also be dangerous.

Under Cover

Iceland has so much geothermal energy that even the sidewalks in the capital Reykjavik are heated geothermally. In winter, this saves having to stand on the sidewalks.

Crazy Reykjavik

If you don’t get depressed in the Icelandic winter, you come up with the craziest ideas. So does the Lady Brewery with a useful slightly sticky label

Geldingadalir

Iceland’s youngest volcano stopped spewing only a few months ago. The lava is jet black and heat still rises from its fissures

Everyone is a monument

In Kassel stands the ICH monument. The pedestal made of red sandstone, is an invitation to each and everyone to stand up for a selfie and feel unique.

What is the rabbit doing in the moon?

The hare is an iconic creature and many of its images are world famous. In Japan, the bunny gives you a whole new perspective on the moon

Nature and monument

Some imposing wonders of nature are revered by man as monuments. Some even achieve the status of a deity. For example, Mount Fuji in Japan

Monument in the country

In the countryside, the perception of monuments is different than in the city. Even from a distance, they seem like a special place not to be missed.

Monument and city

Cities have a comparatively high density of monuments. If you wanted to understand all the monuments, you would never get anywhere in many cities.

Monument and art

No journey without a monument! Join us for the International Monument Day on April 18 on the foray through the diversity of monuments.

Menu for lunch break

A perfect stop in France for anyone on their way south. Café de la Page serves very good food with fresh and local products

Bus stops and architecture

In the Bregenzerwald there is top architecture in unexpected places. 7 bus shelters bring together culture, economy and architecture of the Vorarlberg region. Bus shelters in cosmopolitan design.

War and energy

Fossil fuels should not be promoted as sustainable and natural gas should not be obtained via pipelines. Independence from despots would be another goal.

Wedding

Where is the shoe pinching? Hardly any celebration is as enriched with rituals and gestures as a wedding ceremony. A guest at a Bulgarian wedding.

The tank Polemos

At documenta 2017, Andreas Angelidakis’ installation was a game. Tanks mutated into seating modules. The return to diplomacy is the greatest wish.

Fortnum & Mason – Department store in London

Tom Parker Bowles writes about the legendary Fortnum and Mason department store. Illustrations from the historic catalogs convey a British attitude to life

Oskar Reinhart Collection in Winterthur

Picnic with Picasso – How a small museum in Switzerland charmingly encourages its visitors to linger with a creative and Corona-worthy idea

Cookbooks with added value

About cookbooks that open up whole new worlds, tell of the cuisines of distant countries, or provide entertaining knowledge about our foods

Typical Japan – Professions and Vocation

In Shizuoka Prefecture, we met people who have dedicated their entire lives to a profession and have no problems with work-life balance

Indigenous People Day

There are about 5,000 different cultures that are threatened by the destruction of their habitat, climate change and the disregard for their rights

View to Kassel for documenta14

Every five years, Kassel is dedicated to contemporary art. Installations, performances and lectures take place at a wide variety of venues

Diamond Rush in Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, Pastor Emmanuel Momoh found a 706 carat diamond in the muddy broth of the Woyie River. He shares the proceeds with his country

The village trutz

On February 27, 2016, the former villagers of Borschemich gathered to cut down the old village linden tree. The last landmark of the village, whose inhabitants had to make way for opencast lignite mining against their will, thus disappears