Vacation in Northern Italy: Spritz

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I guess same applies for the Veneto region or precisely Venice. There are a few things that you simply HAVE to do when you are in Italy, one of it is enjoying a pre-lunch Spritz Aperol. The drink originated in Venice and is based on the Austrian "Spritzer", which is why you can also order one all over Austria and Germany. Although I am not a fan of alcohol in the morning, a "real" Italian told me that it is the norm to drink the Spritz Aperol a little before lunchtime while enjoying some salty chips and the sun! 

When ordering the Spritz the waitress always asked me if I would like the "Aperol" version of it. Another option would be to have it Campari. I guess you have to try for yourself what you prefer! 

Ciaoo°°°

Italian feeling with a real APEROL SPRITZ RECIPE after returning home from vacation: 

Prep Time: 5 Min.

Ingredients: ice, slice of orange, 3 parts of prosecco, 2 parts of Aperol, 1 splash of soda

Mix it: Start by adding a few pieces of ice into your favorite glass, then pour in the prosecco, the Aperol and add a splash of soda (if you are in the mood for a "lighter" version add a tiny little bit more soda and less prosecco). Top it with the orange slice. 

Enjoy!

Balanced Lifestyle...

Good things about working in Marketing? Well, obviously you have the chance to stop the number crunching every now and then to look at nice pictures. BUT on top you get to take home some really nice magazines for relaxing at home :) I just moved to another friend here in Düsseldorf prior to moving into my own place coming Sunday. I never thought about the benefit of moving in with your friends for a little while! You get to spend a lot more time together, get to know different lifestyles and all the little hot spots in the area that they live. Pretty amazing! 

Tonight we made sure to have a balanced lifestyle :) Totally en vogue! Besides all those vegetarian, vegan or people that only eat apples that chose to be eaten, I feel the pressure to eat, life and have an excellent and organic lifestyle. Puh* Lucky me that I don't mind :) 

I treated myself to some organic grocery shopping (including my favorite "soda replacement" lemonaid+, a run and relaxing time with my friend! 

Annnnd! Even going to bed an hour earlier than the past nights. Cheers to that! 

A pink day...

Yesterday was a very pink day. Not only did I have a very successful day at work (it already feels like I am part of the team and that I never want to leave my lovely colleagues!), but also some time to enjoy the beautiful weather. It is kind of obvious that I miss walking my dog and therefore still walk around the new city as if she would be by my side. Luckily I got the new phone to talk to my boyfriend and friends along the way. I can't believe that it's only 4 days that I live here now. This weekend I seriously need to find a couple more favorite spots in Düsseldorf. 

The little shop that makes their own Eclairs, macaroons and tiny cakes (Patisserie L'Eclair on Münsterstraße 6 - here is the fb link) and the right bank of the Rhine (also called Rheinufer) were definitely the highlights of the day! And to fight my flu an innocent smoothie a day is mandatory :)

Weekend here I come! It has been a great start into the work life so far! 

Can't wait to start my first trip back to Bamberg to see my loved ones! 

Mad about Matcha!

It is over! My eternal love for coffee faded! How did that happen? After enjoying a lot of diverse coffee blends in the US (and absolutely loving it!) I hopped off the airplane here in Germany and didn't have the desire to drink coffee! Strange or a blessing? I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to get rid of my 2 cups of cappuccino or latte a day and to try to live a coffee free life! Matcha is my new choice of beverage after our tea salesman downstairs got me hooked with the "Matcha 2 Go" (recipe below)

On my search for the ultimate battle coffee vs. matcha tea I found the picture above and couldn't stop laughing, because it reminded me of myself during the process of writing the Bachelor thesis. It wasn't necessarily the fact that I NEEDED coffee, but it was a cozy habit that (I thought) was better than binge eating Haribo Gummibears :) 

Alright, here we go! Why is Matcha so amazing?

• It tastes delicious!!! (I know use rice, soy or almond milk for the perfect blend. Half a spoon of the intensive green powder and *brum brum* in the blender :) )
• Found in numerous health foods
• Metabolism-enhancing, stress-reducing, immune-boosting, cholesterol-lowering, teenage-mutant-ninja cancer fighter!
• Improves ability to concentrate
• I really liked what was described here 

Is coffee bad? (I tried to make this overview somehow representative of the "real image" :) )

• Recent studies have generally found no connection between coffee and an increased risk of cancer or heart disease (*HAH* coffee drinkers probably like this one - I do too!) 
• Coffee is a drug (lots of people say they NEED it, although it is scientifically proven that coffee can't make up for a night of bad sleep. It rather does the opposite and decreases your ability to focus. Only people that DO NOT drink coffee regularly get that "kick" that everybody is looking for)
• It stimulates the release of stress hormones, including adrenalin and cortisol... 
• etc. etc

Conclusion: I don't mind not liking coffee at the moment, however I sometimes like to have a "coffee date" with a friend and the smell, warm feeling and the excitement about the experience are definitely something I do not want to miss so soon. If restaurants would have a matcha alternative it would be most certainly easier to switch. Unfortunately this isn't often the case and somehow I just can't bring myself to paying 3€ for a cup of tea rather than 2€ for a nicely prepared Cappuccino. Weird or? At least at home I won't have coffee anymore for now. I am enjoying my new Matcha powder and the endless opportunities to enjoy it! Crossing my fingers that I will look amazing in the future *LOL*

Bamberg - some insights and (non touristy) tips

Bamberg is a located in Upper Franconia in Bavaria (Germany) and its city hall including the tiny cobblestone streets leading to it belong to the UNESCO world heritage. Although I didn't even hear about until two years ago (and yes! I am German) it is such a lovely place. You can go everywhere by bike or walking, the food is hearty and you will see plenty of nice buildings, gardens and other attractions. 

Today (as the weather is super hot -  39°C/100°F ) I want to talk about the places that will give you the refreshment you need. Inside out, I promise!

Swimming

There are a couple of options in Bamberg, the most popular ones are probably the "Hainbad" which allows you to swim in the river called "Regnitz" (beware of the nice and strong current. Workout included!). There are plenty more options to hop into the water, but be sure that you look out for the signs that warn you for the water dam as these aren't very nice to get into (no chance to swim away from it) 

Second option would be to go to the "tip" of the Hain or also called "Bug"

and to rent a paddleboat. From there you can paddle outward to a little camping sight. Don't forget to jump in the water every now and then to cool off!

Third option (which isn't as "cool" as the first two as you have it in every city) is the "Freibad"/Bambados in the eastern part of Bamberg. They have slides, a wave pool, beach volleyball courts and and and... If you don't have a bike I would recommend the bus as it is a pretty long walk from downtown Bamberg. 

Churches and Dom

We all know it! Churches are THE PLACE TO BE in the summer time. It is cool, relaxing and you can thank god for the nice weather :) My favorite church is the one right on "Grüner Markt" in the city center called "Sankt Martin". However, nothing can beat the big "Bamberger Dom" on top of the little "Katzenbuckel". Do not forget to walk to the opposite side though to enjoy the view over Bamberg from the "Rosengarten".

Schlenkerla and other breweries 

If you are coming to Bamberg and it is rather warm (and you forgot your bikini/swim-trunks AND you aren't all that religious) there is only one last chance how you can cool off. Bamberg is THE beer capital mostly known for its famous smoked "Rauchbier" from "Schlenkerla". However, even if you don't like that one, there are plenty of breweries to choose from in Bamberg itself (not to speak of those that are within a small radius). You have a total of eight breweries to choose from: Fässla, Greifenklau, Heller-Trum (Schlenkerla), Kaiserdom, Keesmann Bräu, Klosterbräu, Mahrs Bräu, Spezial, and one brewpub: Ambräusianum.

We are going to enjoy the first point of this post: Hainbad! Here we come!

And you - stay fresh :)

Extremely Surprising Surprise & Atlanta Part Two

Last night something happened that completely caught me off guard! It had been a rough day and I felt a little off (for no reason, maybe I can blame it on the weather :) ). So Evelyn and Mike decided to take me out to a German restaurant close by. It was so delicious and the best part was that I was able to take a sip of home by drinking a "Schlenkerla Doppelbock". All of the sudden I hear my name (thinking that drinking a beer isn't be best idea if you usually don't drink that much) and who do I see? Will!!! Will?? Really? What is happening? But yes, it is Will a friend of mine that spend his year abroad in Bamberg, Germany! He doesn't even live close to Johns Creek, but yes, that's certainly him! 

What a nice/freaky surprise, or? 

Only happened to me once before: At a Starbucks in Grand Central Station in Manhattan. I turned around and see my former classmate! I am still trying to understand how things like this happen. It was definitely the highlight of the day! 

Enough of the sentimental talk :) Here part two of our trip to Atlanta!

Think outside the box! ATL = Atlanta playground at Woodroff park 

Feel the breeeeeze? Taking the train was a refreshing thing to do!

Roses at the Martin Luther King Jr. World Rose Garden. This beauty respresents Mrs. Coretta Scott King's oneness with Dr. King and her continuation of his work. Interested to read more about it? 

Vivid piece of art in front of the museum showcasing the problems that Martin Luther King Jr. - with the help of other people - were fighting!

Talking about a hero! Magnificent view, isn't it? Somewhere between Auburn Avenue and Edgewood Avenue

Blue sky, rain, blue sky? This is a very strange summer!

Famous FOX theatre in Midtown. It is such a pretty/old school theatre which intrigues me to book tickets for the next 20 weekends in advance :)

After a very long day of walking around and digesting all the information. It was time for an early dinner. Panera Bread was our choice. Nothing fancy, however it sparked our senses anyways :)

Back at home! Look at my new tan! Even though it is raining every now and then and I apply SPF 30 all the time, my skin still gets this gloomy look that I don't mind! 

Atlanta, here I come!

Being so busy with road trips, tennis, applications and writing essays I never made it to midtown Atlanta. So today I decided it is about time to explore the city by walking around at the feet of those skyscrapers.Walking tour is printed, restaurant recommendations received and friend will pick me up in a little bit.  

Atlanta, here I come! 

(expectations are quite high as New York and Stockholm are my favorite cities. But as mommy always told me "You first have to try it, then you can say that you aren't in love :)")

Oh and before I forget: Starbucks evenings is a great invention. Very nice "bar tender" who is willing to explain all the differences of each wine, lets you sample it and checks on you if you like it. Put that together with a nice summer evening and a good friend = et voila, you have a cozy evening! Go try it yourself if you have the chance!

(my favorite part about it: the little sayings on the glasses. Here: "Take a moment or three")

Starbucks evenings...

Tonight is the night! I am grabbing a friend and try the new Starbucks concept! It is very interesting how my passion for Starbucks revived after hitting American ground. Other coffee is simply not as good. (I really need to get my italian coffee maker over here!) 

Tasty appetizers and an assortment of different wines is offered. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. I am pretty sure that it will be a nice place to be with a friend though!

-Taty

Dancing the night away!

 After an exciting week Evelyn and I grabbed our dancing shoes to explore the nightlife in Buckhead (Atlanta). The Club of choice was "Havana". The people were fun and there was always a tune we liked on one of the three dance floors. Luckily I sticked to Fuij water as the lack of sleep is making me feel "great" already :) (benefits of living in a household with kids. Wake up/snuggle call at 7am!) 

Well, we are definitely going back again! 

Today will be a slower day. Walking the doggies, enjoying a coffee (or maybe a wine! Check out Starbucks new concept. I am intrigued!), hitting some balls on the tennis court and dreaming about seeing my puppy Lotti again soon (Cherry (l.) and Lotti (r.) in the picture above)! I miss that bundle of joy!

Enjoy your Sunday! 

Great Smoky Mountains, great times with friends and lots of rain

Take me back in time... 

Rosé Sangria at home. Recipe on Cupcakes & Cashmere.

The final destination of the road trip was the lovely cabin of Mike & Evelyn in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee). Besides being forced to slow down a little bit and re-live the trip over and over again (it was raining all week long so I always feel more relaxed when I don't HAVE to make use of the good weather! You know what I mean?), we got to enjoy some a few gorgeous hikes. However, it simply felt so good to unwind, enjoy a nice glass of Sangria (or maybe 2 :) ) with friends and hop in the hot tub  in the rain after being strained to sample 12 shots of the infamous Ole Smoky Moonshine. (I never had so many shots in a row before! Luckily they were only sample size). 

Y'all should check it out!

Although this bug looked really cool, the fireflies at night were probably the most fascinating creatures I've seen so far! 

We did it! Ice cold water pouring down on us. When I look at this picture I can still smell the scent of stone. Fun!

Fashion Faux Pas at the Tuckaleechee Caverns. (I wore the funniest hiking shoes with this dress :) ) Definitely a nice place to go if the weather isn't allowing you to go tubing! Amazing Grotto!

Nature at the cabin. Loved it! 

Last thing on my to do list: Fried Green Tomatoes! I actually liked them. It still doesn't convince me enough that I would try fried Snickers though :) (no joke! You can get fried EVERYTHING everywhere in Gatlinburg) 

Feeling summery. Love this outfit. Seen on Atlantic Pacific. 

I should buy some sunflowers today!

Have a nice weekend everyone!

xx Taty