Dreaming of patterns and colours...

Inspiration

My time in Istanbul was not only vacation time, I was also went to find inspiration for a new design project I am working on... I can not tell any more, you will have to wait a few months! Sooo, but I can tell, that I went to visit this ceramics workshop in Istanbul. I found it so fascinating how they would make tiles and would use different techniques to create precise hand drawn patterns. 

Inspiration

Min tur til Istanbul var ikke kun ferie, jeg tog nemlig afsted for at finde inspiration til et nyt design projekt, som jeg arbejder på... Jeg kan ikke afsløre mere lige pt. da jeg stadig er i 'idefasen' (i min design process). Men jeg kan fortælle, at jeg besøgte et keramik vaerksted i Istanbul, for at finde inspiration til mit nye projekt. Det var fascinerende at se, hvordan de brugte forskellige teknikker til præcise håndtegnet mønstre. 

A postcard from Antwerp...

How can you not love this?..

The other day we took the train to Antwerp... I have visited the city a few times and I always seems to get overwhelmed with it´s beauty. Antwerp has so many surprising streets, impressive buildings with the most incredible details ( that I love to nerd!!!) and some of the best chocolate in the world... How can you not Love that??? We walked around in the small streets, found a fantastic 2 hand store and a inner yard restaurant with goldfish and Mary statues... And drank dark beer next to the channel.  

Man kan kun elske Antwerpen!.. 

Forleden dag tog vi toget til Antwerpen og selvom jeg har besogt byen flere gange, bliver jeg altid overvældet af byens skonhed. Den er fyldt med smaa snørklet gader, imponerende bygninger med de mest utrolige detaljer (som jeg selvfolgelig elsker at arkitekt-nørde!) og chokolade forretninger... Det er ikke uden grund, at Belgien har et ry for at producere verdens bedste chokolade! 

Vi gik paa opdagelse i de smaa gader (vaek fra de turistet omraader) og fandt en unik genbrugsbutik (med inventar fra gamle forretninger), besogte en gårdhave restaurant med guldfisk og Mary statuer og drak belgisk ol ved kanalen.  

I love the old trams!!!    Jeg elsker de gamle sporvogne!!! De er meget aeldre end i Holland og det er en helt speciel folelse at sidde i dem og 

kore igennem byen. 

The Cathedral of Our Lady - Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal (Dutch).

I "found" this AMAZING 2 hand store filled with 1810's -1960's old gold! - Everything from chairs, tables, store fixtures to 
paintings and silver necklaces.... But unfortunately I didn't have enough time (I could spend a WHOLE day in that place). 
It's definitely worth a visit if you love 2 hand gold! -Vlasmarkt 16.

Jeg "fandt" en lille unik genbrugsbutik fyldt med genbrugsguld fra1810-1960erne. Butikken havde alt fra stole,

 borde, gammelt butiksinventar til malerier, lamper og smykker.... Det er absolut et besøg værd, hvis man 

elsker genbrugsguld! -Vlasmarkt 16

On the corner between Vlasmarkt and Grote Pieter Potstraat is Kolonel Koffie, a small coffee bar in two floors with 

great coffee and delightful music - www.kolonelkoffie.be

På hjørnet mellem Vlasmarkt og Grote Pieter Potstraat ligger Kolonel Koffie, en lille kaffebar i to etager...

Kaffen og musikken er fantastisk!

Kolonel Koffie

Belgium is famous for its wonderful chocolate and of course I couldn't visit without having AT LEAST 4 pieces... It's a must -have!

Belgien er berømt for sin chokolade, saa det er helt sikkert et must at svinge forbi en af de fantastiske 'chokolade butikker'...
Det er en oplevelse!!!

Food, Love & Mountains...

Yaya & Papou

Every summer we go to Greece for a month or two to meet up with Tasos’ family and friends. And for every year that goes by I feel more and more at home. I love his family, they have really welcomed me in their family and I have become one of them (although I don’t speak Greek yet and I am still pale and always want to sit in the shadow). Normally we spend the most of our time in Nafpaktos (a small city next to the sea) were Tasos parents live though we also visit Athens for a few weeks. But this summer we packed our car and drove two hours up on the mountain. We drove through many small villages with animals grazing next to the road but we ended up at the highest and biggest village in the area Ano-Hora.

Tasos grandparents (Yaya & Papous) are both born in the village. They lived in Ano-Hora until the 1960’s then they immigrated to United States, they moved to New York. Yaya got a job as a seamstress and Papous worked in various restaurants but ended up being a owner of his own restaurant (together with his brothers). Their kids stayed back in the village until they had to attend high school. Almost everyone in Yaya and Papous'  generation (from the little village) immigrated, some stayed in the US and got Greek- American kids and built a new life, others returned when they had to retire. But every summer you can be sure American or not they all meet in the mountains and talk half Greek half American.  

Yaya & Papou 

Hver sommer tager vi en maaned eller to til Grækenland, for at besoge Tasos familie og venner. Og jeg føler mig mere og mere at hjemme for hvert aar det gaar. Hans familie har taget virkelig godt imod mig og jeg er efterhaanden blevet "en af ​​dem" (selvom jeg hverken taler græsk og altid vil sidde i skyggen i frygt for at blive krabbe-rod). 

Vi tilbringer som regel det meste af vores sommer i Nafpaktos (en lille by ud til havet) hvor Tasos forældre bor. Men sidste sommer pakkede vi vores bil, kørte to timer op i bjergerne. Vi passerede skove, vandfald og små landsbyer men vi endte vores tur i Ano-Hora (den storste og hojeste landsby i bjerg omraadet). Tasos bedsteforældre (Yaya & Papas) er begge født i landsbyen. De boede i Ano-Hora indtil 1960 hvor de udvandrede til New York. Yaya fik et job som syerske mens Papous arbejdede i forskellige restauranter og paa bedste "American Dream" maner, startede han som opvasker og endte som medejer af en restaurant i NY-Astoria.

Deres born blev tilbage i landsbyen, men (naesten) alle i Yaya og Papous generation (fra den lille landsby) udvandrede, nogle bosatte sig i USA og fik græsk-amerikanske børn, mens andre vendte tilbage som pensionister. 

Yaya cultivate the land and make pies with her own vegetables. 

Yaya dyrker jorden og bager tærter med hjemmedyrket grøntsager.

Yaya's kitchen.Yayas kokken. 

These three little guys showed us around in the area by walking us!... They went in front, decided the route and

 made sure we didn't get lost. 

Disse tre hunde viste os rundt i området ... De gik i front, bestemte ruten og sørgede for at vi ikke farede vild. 

Kostoula is one of the oldest resident of Anahora (100 years). When I asked her for a pic she said "wait, I first have to make me 

look pretty"... Well I guess some things never change for us women!   

Kostoula er en af de aeldste beboer i Anahora (100 aar). 

During winter only three people live in village. 

Kun tre personer bor i landsbyen aaret rundt.