One Night Stand: Maastricht

It was finally Friday, not that I usually have enough time in each week to think about what specific day it is (they all start to blend together after a while). With that being said, I do get excited for Friday's when I have planned a little weekend getaway - especially for a one night stand with the quaint and cozy town of Maastricht in the Netherlands. This wasn't my first time visiting this town and it was even better the second time. 

From the moment we crossed the border the sun started to shine; the sky was painted with shades of rust and lavender (not something I see often --- the sun that is...insert life in Germany here) 

One night stands (15-24 hours in a city) are always better with someone who has a little more experience, which is why I couldn't have been more grateful that my wonderful coworker lives here. It is a great help knowing someone to find all of the local spots and places that are often overlooked. 

Maastricht is filled with quaint bakeries, matte black bicycles parked in front of art galleries, and cobblestone streets that lead to gothic style churches converted into bookstores (they even smell like barnes and noble - yes.) 

For dinner we wandered over to Café Sjiek to munch on the bread, devour the meat stew, and sip on the generous gin & tonics. The animations on the napkins and matchboxes are to die for and the bartenders were a little too generous. Thank you?

The morning after we shamelessly wandered into coffee lovers to reminisce about the night and make note of how much I've fallen in love - with the city that is (plus their coffee and family style atmosphere is pretty cool). Overall: get ready to be overwhelmed because everywhere you look it just keeps getting better. Don't forget to notice the little details like --- 

the bicycles & store fronts.

the little details.

Definitely look down.

& out. 

thanks for hosting me, jill & max.

ps - pack oversized sweaters - here is why. 

speak soon, 

Per 

---

---

trivago on tour

Context

Rewind. The date is June 4th, 2014 - I find myself on an airplane to Düsseldorf, Germany, a city I that I have barley even heard of, a city I know no one in, yet a city that I am about to call my home. Feeling: Excited.

Fast forward a couple weeks - I am now stranded at the foreign office of Düsseldorf scattered to get a work visa. I check my email and notice I have received an invitation to attend the phenomenon that is 'trivago on tour'. Thoughts: I haven't even started work yet I just got invited to go on a company retreat to an unknown location with 400+ people (not a bad situation to be in) - I open the google doc to fill in my information, they want to know my shoe size, nationality and head circumference. Feeling: Interested. 

As I started working at trivago, rumors spread like wildfire around the office to where we were going. Some pondered upon the idea of Switzerland, some thought we would be lounging in the south of France, while others (including myself) guessed the alps of Austria.

No one would know until the day the 'party train' left Düsseldorf HBF. 

---

The Train 

Let me put it this way - this wasn't the typical Euro Rail trip from Berlin to Munich on a Wednesday afternoon. There were 2 full 'party cars' similar to that of a party bus (like the one you got for prom when you were 17) with blaring music, and 2 rows of triple stacked bunks in one cabin. 400 people, 12 hours - destination unknown, ready, set, go. 

After a long night & a somber 2 hour bus journey we had finally arrived at the picturesque location of Tirol, Austria (enter excitement here). 

After indulging in a shower, brunch, and a welcome from the CEO's, the trivago olympics commenced for the rest of the afternoon. I milked a mechanical cow & yodeled while exploring my sensory perception by smelling wild herbs... I helped identify 6/10 presented. Glad I could contribute to the team, team #34. 

The rest of the weekend included white water rafting, mountain biking, hiking, traditional austrian cuisine, mojitos, dancing with men in lederhosen, and sharing laughs with those who make trivago the successful company it is today. What more could we ask for? 

The Resort

The Gradonna Mountain Resort was stunning in every way imaginable. Placed in the middle of the alps the resort had jacuzzi pools, natural wood details, modern amenities, a spa and activities to fit everyone's taste. My personal favorite was the spacious brick 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom chalet equipped with a contemporary kitchen, personal sauna, all overlooking the valley with 5 of my wonderful co-workers. 

Mountain Biking

(hence the head circumference question)

The Hike

(hence the shoe size question)

Oh wait, how could I forget dinner on top of a mountain, and who would have thought that we could all look so nice when we dressed up. (Dress up friday's anyone?)

Concluding thoughts? 

Cheers to my new friends & coworkers, Harry, the bartender at the hotel who served me hot water & freshly squeezed lemon / honeycomb when I lost my voice, trivago for sponsoring such an amazing event, and the beauty of the alps - it made photography that much easier. 

OH & Get a job that you get excited for when you wake up in the morning, I know I do. 

WWW.TRIVAGO.COM

photo by Jan van Thoor 

10 hours: Berlin

House of Weekend, Rooftop 

I found myself on a flight to Berlin on a Wednesday after a long day of work, I stayed up all night and got on the same flight back to work at 630am the very next day. 

We went straight from TXL airport to the House of Weekend rooftop garden - a very cool summer location to watch the sunset in Berlin. It is a place filled with stylish berliners, 'gourmet' bar food, tasty drinks & the perfect lounge music to end the workday or start the evening off right. 

Sometimes you just have to do and not think. That's what being young is all about, right? (Plus who doesn't love a sunset and a sunrise on an airplane) 

Per  

The Sunset at House of Weekend Rooftop

A Parisian Love Story

It was the first Sunday in September in Paris circa 1999. I recollect getting lost in a flock of tourists visiting the Louvre. I was also slightly saddened that the Mona Lisa was being suffocated in glass enclosure as a sea of people crowded da Vinci's masterpiece. There were no cell phones, no digital cameras and no distractions to the art of travel. People used tangible maps, wandered mindlessly and planned the day based off interest, not the closest café with wifi. I was 7 years old and my carry-on consisted of a polaroid camera and a Walkman CD player with Now 2. I probably took 12 pictures that entire trip | 1. Mona Lisa, 2. Statue of Venus, 3. Indiana Jones ride at Disney Land Paris 4. My grandmother and mother 5. Warm milk and a croissant, etc. 

I have dreamt of Paris ever since. Perhaps it reminds me of my family, or conceivably the romanticism associated with the city of lights. I have slept under a wall sized portrait of the Eiffel Tower for the past 10 years, and studied Parisian fashion week every year at SCAD. It is also the only destination of the 50+ countries I have visited that I did not have a keychain for (why yes, I do collect keychains from each country I go to.) 

Fast forward 15 years, I am wandering to the Düsseldorf airport dragging my weekender bag and leather loafers to visit my best friend from high school. Paris was everything I remembered plus more. I was in tears the second I got to the Eiffel Tower overwhelmed with a soul from home alongside tango music echoing in the background. We sipped hot chocolate at Angelica’s, took photos nearly every step we took, climbed the busy stairs to see the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower atop Galeries Lafayette, and went to a pop-up trance club decorated like a Berlin living room. I couch surfed, drank wine, ate too much bread and laughed way too hard. 

Paris is inevitably perfect and would love nothing more than to spend a portion of my life surrounded by such artistic influence. 

Visual Journal

Coffee Shop Culture

Location: Woyton coffee shop. 

The order: Iced cafe latte avec homemade granola and plain yogurt

I greatly appreciate a strong cup of coffee (preferably iced) and a cup of homemade granola in the morning. I often find myself riding my bike along the Rhein 8 min. in the opposite direction of my office just to taste the cold brew "classic on the rocks" Woyton has to offer in düsseldorf.  

Café culture isn't about the caffeine kick or the mason jars that it's served in. The ideal coffee shop makes one feel like they are snuggled up on their couch on a gloomy Sunday morning (you all know the feeling). The aromas and sounds remind me of hearing my father grind and brew fresh coffee beans each and every morning before school. Not to mention, sitting and sipping a cup of coffee is the perfect excuse to people watch. 

There is something intimate about coffee shops. Perhaps it's the smells, sounds, memories and stories behind each space. Or rather it is because people often find that their cup of coffee, cappuchino, or cafe au lait is a little "pick me up" on any given good, bad or mediocre morning. Simply put, That cup of coffee will never let you down. 

Life is too short to sleep, enjoy a cup of coffee and keep on keeping on. 

 Speak soon,  

Per  

Topless Tanning: Mallorca

Well, now that I've got your attention you might as well take a gander at the naked beauty of Mallorca, Spain. This 36 hour trip was one for the books - sand, sun & the sea. I booked my flight 3 hours before it took off from Düsseldorf (at 5:30 in the morning.)

The Route 

The moment I landed I knew I was in for a warm treat --- even though I had no hotel, no phone reception, and absolutely no idea where I was. So where do I begin in a situation like this? I asked the information desk at the airport where the closest beach was (insert clueless american here) the kind man at the desk pointed me in the direction of Playa de Palma (something like that). So I took bus no.21 for about 5 min, got off and aimlessly wandered into a hotel and asked if they had any availability for the night. Voila! I couldn't help but laugh for a couple of minutes when I walked 100m onto Platja Ca'n Pastilla; the white sand on the beach danced effortlessly with the soft waves of the Mediterranean sea - I knew I was in the right place.

The next 8 hours were rather simple - toes in the sand, drink in my hand. 

Cheers for the weekend Mallorca, it was a good one. 

Featured Blog Posts: 

Colossal Belgium Waffles

View fullsize

36 hours in Antwerp, Belgium with zero plans. There was much to see in this coffee-shop culture of a town. Beautifully merchandised boutiques filled with well designed knickknacks, along with magnificent rococo style facades lining cobblestone streets. Narrow street cars from the sixties with ray-ban pantone colored window advertisements flooded the streets which complimented Antwerp's fashionably artistic and contemporary social scene. 

View fullsize

Annie and I rested our heads at the OHotel designed by architect and designer Jo Peeters. He combines vintage and design, old and modern with the conveniences of nowadays - our room had all black walls, one spotlight over the bed, and a paper thin glass panel separating the bed from an obscene shower show (quite the romantic room for two college friends looking to catch up over wine & waffles), but coming from a design background, the hotel was certainly unique. Don't leave without drinking a cup of Pip's lemongrass tea and decadent chocolates in the cafe near the entrance. Also ask the kind receptionists where to experience the local spots of Antwerp for the non-local, they really recommended some great places.  

Other than art galleries & design shops, we were on the hunt for the perfect belgium waffle. We ate 3 (oops) throughout the weekend, and the waffles at 'Queen of Waffles' really outdid themselves. A warm waffle smothered in fresh whipped cream, drizzled in succulent honey & topped with bananas - why yes, it really was life changing. 

---

Anyways, we took the bus back from Antwerp to Dusseldorf for 12 euros & free wifi along the way. Antwerp is a unique city that is filled with all walks of life, but predominately those who live for the little things in life. 36 hours is the perfect timeframe to sit and explore.

Speak soon, 

Per 

Peripatetic Discoveries

Hidden within a side street of Altstadt in Düsseldorf  lies a small boutique called Galerie Pearls filled with trinkets and treasures straight out of a little girls imagination. Actually any person from any age with an affinity for the most spectacular and dreamlike tea party would appreciate this space. It is filled with fine china, vintage accessories, decadent cakes with gold icing, crystal chandeliers and monogrammed luggage. Owned by Karin Van Noort, both her buying and personal style is clean, omniscient, and cohesive creating a luxury space for those looking for the perfect table or wall decoration for any room. 

Location: Flinger Straße 9 40213 Düsseldorf 

Willkommen in Deutschland

Exploring Düsseldorf

A collection of photos from a beautiful weekend of getting lost, riverside sunsets & long runs.