My 10 favorite books
I love reading and i am always looking for new books.
A lot of my friends ask me what book they would read next and so i decided to make a top 10 list of my favorite books.
Please let me know in the comments below which books you really enjoyed, I would be very happy to hear that.
3 years ago I bought myself a Kindle Paperwhite and i would not want to miss it anymore. It is so great to have all my books together. Especially on vacation i read more than one book and the kindle is lighter than 1 single book, that is so perfect!
It is really like a book, definitely not like a screen and your eyes don´t hurt at all. You can choose a font you like, change the font size and have a lot of options! Best investment ever 😀
Good Books To Read
Lori Nelson Spielman: The Life List
Brett had a charmed life until her beloved mother passed away. Her mum decided that Brett has to complete her life list, which Brett wrote when she was a teenager before she will get the inheritance. Some goals are easy, other seem to be impossible.
I think this is my absolute favorite book. I read it last summer in Bali and I was crying at the beach, because the book is so good, funny, sad and a wonderful touching story!
Jodi Picoult: Nineteen Minutes
Josie and Peter are going to a ordinary high school in New Hampshire. It was a normal day, when Peter went on a shooting spree in the school. Josie is the daughter of the judge, but is she involved too?
This is one of the most exciting books I ever read. I could not stop reading and finished it in a couple of days!
Jojo Moyes: One Plus One
Jess´s life is a chaos: Her husband left her with two kids and no money. Find out if her little daughter with the brittle-bone disease can solve all their problems!
I really like Jojo Moyes and her way to write. This book is one of her best books.
Gillian Flynn: Gone Girl
Nick´s beautiful and clever wife disappears at their fifth wedding anniversary. But where is she? The police suspects Nick to have something to do with that. Find out where she is and what happend 🙂
I think I will read the next book of Gillian Flynn soon!
Khaled Hosseini: A Thousand Splendid Suns
This is a very touching story about two women, Mariam and Laila, who were brought together by their similar fate. Read about what they experienced in their lifes in Kabul.
Nicholas Sparks: The Last Song
Ronnie´s world broke apart when her parents got divorced. Three years later Ronnie´s Mum decided that the teenager has to spend the summer with her Dad and her little brother in a small village at the beach, where her Dad lives now. But spending the summer in the middle of nowhere with her dad, who she didn´t like was not what a seventeen year old girl wanted.
Lori Nelson Spielman: Sweet Forgiveness
Send two little stones and a letter to the person, you express regret for something. If you get one stone back, the person forgave you!
Read about Hannah, a talk show host with a difficult childhood and her story about forgiveness!
Jojo Moyes: Me Before You
The ordinary girl Lou took a badly needed job working for Will, who sits in a wheel chair. Will had a gread life with exciting adventures and the perfect job before he had an accident. He is angry at the hole world because he has to sit in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. How can Lou work with this mean person?
Jodi Picoult: The Pact
The Golds family and their neighbors the Harts have been inseparable and their teenage kids Chris and Emily became a couple. One November day the phone rang and the police told them that their seventeen year old daughter Emily was dead. What had Chris to do with her death?
Chris Cleave: Little Bee
This book is about a 16 year old refugee from Nigeria.
I don´t want to spoil you, but i can say it is really a special story.
San Sebastian Spain - Europe Trip
Day 6: From Paris to San Sebastian
We enjoyed a small but delicious breakfast Buffet in our Hotel in Paris before heading out to San Sebastian Spain. We had the famous french baguette and croissants 🙂
Our long journey to San Sebastian started at 10.30 am and we got sandwiches and baguette with french sausages for the travel.
Jeremy drove the first 4,5 hours and then we switched. After 10 hours of driving we finally got to san Sebastian, where we have an airbnb for one night.
We were so excited for our first Pinchos, which we found after a 5-10 Minute walk close to our accommodation. So we enjoyed a Beer, a Coke and good Spanish Food before we fall asleep.
Day 7: San Sebastian Spain
We woke up at 9am and our plan for today is to explore the nice city of San Sebastian Spain. We heard so many amazing things about this city in the north of Spain.
We didn´t really like our Airbnb, so we wanted to find an accommodation for the night at first. So we drove about 15 minutes to a camping spot, which cost us about 5€ because of the toll roads in a neighbour city. Unfortunately there were only caravans so we kept driving back, but this time we avoided the toll roads. We got to take very amazing nature pictures. We drove along the beach. We found a nice little hotel on the hill, but it was full. She gave us the advise to camp in a park, where we could go after 8pm.
On our way back to the city, we had a coffee and checked on our phone for hotels or camping sites in and around San Sebastian Spain. We didn´t really find something affordable or which looked good and the price worth.
So we drove about 15 minutes to the old town center, where we had a lot of traffic.
San Sebastian Spain is a very popular destination and during the summer you are sure to run into traffic so plan accordingly.
To find parking was a very hard task. On the road we asked through our car window a taxi driver, which was waiting for the cars in front of him to move.
He told us it is very hard to find, but a little outside of the city center we could have luck. So we drove a few minutes through San Sebastian Spain and on a hill we found a good spot. It was about 20 minutes to walk back in the City, but that was ok for us. Jeremy asked an old man for the direction to the famous Beach La Plancha and the man told him to walk with him in the right direction. So we walked a little bit together and we found a nice little café for lunch.
We shared tortilla, calamares and bread.
After this nice break we went to the beach of La Plancha and we were so happy to be at the beach again. It was at the end of Mey, when we were in Croatia and the ocean felt so good.
The water temperature was perfect and we relaxed at the beach.
I am reading the book “Nur einen Horizont entfernt” von Lori Nelson Spielman. I loved the other book “Morgen kommt ein neuer Himmel” from the same author so much, which I was reading in Bali last summer.
The weather changed really quick and it started to rain a little bit. So we went back in the city center, talked to a nice lady and left a few of our Open Mind Travelers stickers there.
We had dinner at a little restaurant, which served the best food. Jeremy talked to the bar tenders. I think they were the owners too. They were impressed of Jeremys Spanish and called him one of them =)
Because we didn´t book a Hotel or Apartment, we drove back the windy roads along the coast to find a camping spot. It started to get dark and we set up our tend on a field with a view of the ocean.
We didn´t know what a crazy night this would be.
At midnight the storm came over us, we saw so much lightnings and heart the thunder. At 1.30 it was hailing and because the lightning was direct over us, we run in the car till it got a little better and we felt saver. Jeremy was hiten by hail at his head.
Read more about Spain on our destination Guide here: Spain Destination Guide
Paris France
After we had a good but cold Camping Night about 1 Hour North of Paris France we drove at 10.30 o´clock to Paris and arrived there at noon. We checked in, enjoyed a shower and rested for a couple of minutes before we left to see Paris France.
We really like the noodle/Pizza restaurant Vapiano, which is in a lot of big citys. Our ibis Hotel was located about 2 km from the Business Area La Defense, where Vapiano is. There are also a few landmarks like the grand arch and you have also a good view of the Arch de Triumphe.
So we had a good lunch and got new Energie for checking out the City of Love.
At the Metro Station we got a three Zone Day pass for the Metro, which was about 18€ for two.
We jumped in the Metro and drove to Hôtel de ville.
After watching the Beach Volleyball Players and a Basketball game Right in Front of the Hôtel de ville we walked to Notre Dame.
The queue is always very long so i asked at the Exit to go in for a few minutes to take a few photos. The Security man was very friendly ans nice and let me in.
The Windows of Notre Dame are very colorful and beautiful.
After our short stop there we walked across the bridge to get a few more photos and we walked along the other side of the river where people sell the old Books all the time.
On our way to the Louvre we crossed the Pont Neuf.
We arrived at the Louvre and made nice photos of the Grand Palace, the Pyramide in Front of the Louvre and the nice Park with view of the Eiffel Tower.
Now before the sun goes down it is time to see the Eiffel Tower as our highlight of the day.
We enjoyed an hour in the park behind the Eiffel Tower, took photos and watched friends and families having picknicks and photo shootings.
Camping France
After three great days in Germany, Holland and Belgium and a lot of driving we slept long and packed our things to leave Belgium in order go get to France.
We left Martin´s place at noon and had a four hour drive to Paris in front of us. It took a little longer because we want to see more of the nature and so we didn´t take the tall roads. But I think this is the best decision when you are traveling in Europe.
Because the nature looked so cool, Jeremy had the idea to camp one Night before we spend one or two nights in Paris.
On our way we found a camping spot which looked very good. Nobody was there, when we looked around and after a while somebody was coming who we could ask.
He said the door is open, we should just drive in and pick our favorite spot for the night, because it is not packed at all.
That was a great plan! So we drove to the little village two minutes away, bought a delicious french baguette and got food at McDonald, because the Restaurants were closed or didn´t look good :-/
Back at the camping spot we set up our tent and the mattress. At about 9.30 pm the owner of the Camp came and so we had to pay 14€ for the Night. We aktually thought it is for free, but 14€ was a very good price compared to the superexpensive Hotels in Paris.
The Night was ok, but really cold. Good thing that we had one sleeping bag, which we could use as a blanket. We are happy for the perfect spain weather, which is waiting for us 🙂
Things To Do In Brussels
We relaxed alot on our third day and Jeremy´s friend Martin was working. In the afternoon we drove to Brussels and met Martin at the Grand Place at 7.30pm where we had our first Belgium waffels which tasts so good, that I could eat these every day 🙂
On our walking tour through the City Jeremy got almost hurt by a man on his bike, who was really really fast and didn´t look forward. Jeremy took this photo when he almost got hit:
Martin showed us the Manneken Pis, which is a famous little fountain-statue in Brussels.
And now we have a quiz for you 😉
Find the mistake in this photo and commend below if you found it!
Walking around the city made us hungry and we wanted to get some really good Belgium Food with Martin. He took us to a amazing restaurant, where Jeremy got “carbonnades a la chimay” Blabla which was meat in a traditional beer sauce and marshed potatoes with brokkoli and chicorée. I got the “EntreCôte Grillée” which came with a Baked potatoe and Salat. Martin had another Steak with Belgium beer Sauce. We tried from everyones plate and enjoyed the evening a lot.
We walked around the City and took photos.
On our way back to Martins house, we stoped at the Waterloo battlefield, which was light up in the night.
Bruges Belgium
We woke up around 10am and both of us had a little bit of a Belgian beer hangover No worries though, nothing a Belgian espresso couldn’t cure. Unfortunately, Martin had to work today so he was unable to join us for our day trip to Bruges but we made plans to meet up later in the afternoon in Brussels for dinner. On the way to Bruges we saw some spectacular views that seemed to be straight out of a painting. Belgium is truly one of Europe’s best-kept secrets.
We arrived in Bruges just before noon and we took a little walking tour of the city. The architecture is nothing short of spectacular with beautiful canals that flow throughout the entire city.
After lunch and a Little power nap in the nice fat boy, the weather changed for foggy and rainy to sunny. So the weather was perfect now to do the canal Boot Tour, which was 8€ per Person and Takes 20-30 minutes.
About 25 People in one boot and the Captain tells Stories and gives informations in English.
For Exemple he told us Colin Farrell jumped in the Movie “In Bruges” only one time in the River but he saw that scene so often 🙂
It was a very nice boot Tour and Bruges is a beautiful city.
On the boat we saw the Tower of the city. With Only 350 stairs to the top it is the half of the stairs of the Ulmer Münster, which we climbed a few weeks ago, so we wanted to do that.
We arrived in the queue at 3.45 and somebody told us they let people in till 16.15 pm because the tower closes at 5pm. We crossed our fingers to get in but unfortunately the system closes itself at exactly 4.15 and there were to many people who can only go in when others come out and only 70 People can be in the tower at the same time.
So we went back across the market place, took some more photos because the sun was in a perfect spot and the light very good. On our way to Bruges we drove to the city Gent, which is about half way.
Europe Road Trip
Day one of the road trip started out pretty much how we expected. We knocked out a big chunk of the journey and arrived in Brussels for our first night away from home.
Along the way we picked up 2 passengers from Blah Blah Car, Katharina and Sebastian. Catherina rode with us from Wurzburg to Frankfurt where we picked up Sebastian who then rode with us all the way to Köln. Katharina and Sebastian were both a pleasure to be around and the conversations made the 4 hour drive to Köln a lot more fun.
Köln, Germany
We arrived in Köln just after 3pm where we wandered around the city to check out some of the sites. Köln is a beautiful city with tons of history but its mostly known for Carnival, which is held every year in the month of February.
After we spent a few hours wandering around Köln we got back on the road and headed for the second country of our journey, Holland.
Maastricht, Holland
We arrived in Maastricht shortly after 5pm. Maastricht is a beautiful city in the southern tip of Holland. Sadly I have never heard of Maastricht before but that’s partly because Holland is more commonly known for its party cities Amsterdam and Rotterdam. However, Maastricht is an incredible city with its own identity and it’s definitely something you don’t want to miss when you are in Holland.
Since we were in Holland I couldn’t help but be curious about the coffee shops. The Netherlands is famous for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and I wanted to visit a coffee shop and see how they compared to the ones in Amsterdam. After walking around the city for about five minutes we found Cool Running Coffee Shop. Ina has never been inside a coffee shop so we decided stop in and check it out. Upon entering we were stopped immediately by the clerk who asked us for our identification. We eventually discovered that it wasn’t our age that he was checking rather it was our proof of residency. He explained that unfortunately a new law was passed a few years ago that prohibits anyone who is not a resident of Holland to visit a coffee shop in Maastricht. SORRY GUYS NO GANJA IN MAASTRICHT. So we thanked him for the information and headed out. Ironically enough as soon as we stepped foot out of the coffee shop we were confronted by a shady looking dude who was obviously aware of the “no weed for foreigners law.” He immediately offered to sell us weed and coke. “NO THANKS BRAH” Guess the prohibition is good for the black market.
Later we visited the main square in Maastricht where we found a nice café. We each ordered a coffee and shared a white chocolate stratsatella ice cream. We chilled out for a bit, peopled watched and took a couple of photos.
In front of the cafe was a rainbow painted cross walk that reminded me of the Rainbow Road course in Mario Kart so I had to snap a photo of it.
The main square in Maastricht had lots of shopping, really nice architecture and a cool gazebo right in the center. It seemed like the perfect place to spend an afternoon.
When we realized that it was getting late we made our way back to the car and headed to our final destination for the day, Belgium. Our plan was to stay with my friend Martin who lives in the city a half hour’s drive outside of Brussels called Nivelles.
Nivelles, Belgium
We arrived at Martins house shortly before sundown and he was very excited to see us. It had been almost a year since the last time I had seen Martin so he was nice enough to prepare a delicious dinner for us. Towards the end of meal Martin brought out a bunch of his favorite Belgian beers for us to sample. Needless to say the beers were delicious and very strong. After dinner Martin took us for a quick night tour of his city. Nivelles is unlike any city I have ever seen in my life and I am so happy to be warmly welcomed by such a great old friend. Today served as an incredible beginning to our 6 week long Euro Trip.
We arrived at Martins house shortly before sundown and he was very excited to see us. It had been almost a year since the last time I had seen Martin so he was nice enough to prepare a delicious dinner for us.
Towards the end of meal Martin brought out a bunch of his favorite Belgian beers for us to sample. Needless to say the beers were delicious and very strong.
After dinner Martin took us for a quick night tour of his city. Nivelles is unlike any city I have ever seen in my life and I am so happy to be warmly welcomed by such a great old friend. Today served as an incredible beginning to our 6 week long Euro Trip.
Bali
Bali is one of the most beautiful destinations in South East Asia. Bali is famous for its lush green forests, deep blue water, and warm tropical weather, which make it a honeymooners destination. Here you will find the best of both worlds, party and paradise. The Southern part of the Bali is known for heavy tourism and traffic but if you travel further north you will find it a bit more peaceful. Don’t miss out on some of Bali’s best locations like the Monkey Forest in Ubud or the Blue Lagoon in Lembongan. Weather you have come looking for an exciting adventure or a relaxing getaway; you are in the right place.
Things to do in Bali
Get a Massage
The first thing anyone should do when they arrive in Bali is get a professional massage. In fact you should get a massage every day that you are here because they are cheep, extremely relaxing and you will miss it when you’re back home where the spas are ten times the price and half as good. It is about 5 $ per hour.
Uluwatu
The Monkey Forest in Ubud is probably the most popular place in Bali to see monkeys but the Temple in Uluwatu is a good alternative if you also want to see some epic views of the coastline.
Ubud
Located in the mountains of Central Bali, Ubud has some of the most spectacular views of the jungle. You can also see the nice rice terraces there.
Monkey Forest
The tourist favorite, Monkey Forest, can be found in the mountains of Ubud. No where else in the world will you get the opportunity to be this up close and personal with so many monkeys. Make sure not to wear any loose jewelry or sunglasses, the monkeys are known to be collectors of our human accessories and will snatch them from you if you are not careful.
Seminyak
Located north of Kuta and along the eastern coast of Bali is the lively city Seminyak. If you are looking for a good time check out any of the beach clubs or lounges along the coast.
Potato Head Beach Club
If you looking for a fun night out, meaning good drinks, good view and good vibes, check out Potato Head Beach Club in Seminyak. I celebrated my birthday here a few years ago and it was perfect. The drinks are great, the staff is fun, and they even have an infinity pool that overlooks the beach. This place is awesome!
La Plancha
The best place to watch a Bali sunset is La Plancha in Seminyak. The restaurant serves delicious seafood, good drinks, and you can enjoy it all while lounging on couple of beach beanbags as you watch the sunset.
Nusa Lembongan
The island of Nusa Lembongan is located just off the shore of the Indonesian Island of Lombok.
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon in Nusa Lembongan is the bluest water I have ever seen in my life. On a clear day the color is so vibrant that it looks like it’s glowing. Cliff diving can be done at the Blue Lagoon from either 10 meters or 13 meters. The dive is fun but the current can be a little rough coming in and out of the cove so I wouldn’t recommend jumping unless you are a good swimmer.
Rock Bar
Check out Rock bar in Jimbaran Bay. Rock Bar is carved out of rock and overlooks the coast. Some of the best views can be had here at sunset. Enjoy!
Kuta
What can I say about Kuta other than it’s one hell of a ride. Kuta is the tourist party hub where you can drink all hours of the day and it wont be seen as unusual.
Alleycats
Check out this place at night. Alleycats rages so much that it’s almost impossible to get a drink and come back without having a little spilt on your arm. Order the double double and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. I don’t know exactly what is in a double double but I can tell you its two drinks filled to the top. You wont experience Kuta until you’re double fisting at Alleycats. >’..’<
Dreamland Beach
Dream beach is pretty cool. The beach is hard to swim in because of the rough current but the view is incredible. Check out Dreamland Beach and have a Bintang Beer at one of the spots overlooking the cove.
Delicious Food and Drinks in Bali
BINTANG
Enjoy the beer of Bali.
Mexicola
Mexicola is a Mexican style restaurant in Kuta that serves pretty good Mexican food and good drinks. The pace is painted bright colors which is typical of Mexican restaurants and the music playing inside suits the theme.
Mona Lisa
Inas favorite restaurant in Sanur. It is so delicious and also really cheap. Try the meat with mashed potatoes and the spaghetti with seafood!
Accommodation in Bali
Nusa Dua
I stayed at the Marriot in Nusa Dua in 2014 and it was the nicest hotel I stayed in for under $100. Check out some of the resorts in Nusa Dua for nice luxury hotels at very affordable prices.
Transportation
Mandara Toll Road
The Mandara Toll Road was opened in 2014 which connects the lower part of Bali to the Northern Part. The new Mandara Road cut the travel time in half from north to south Bali not to mention it’s a very cool road to drive on because it offers some incredible views.
Scooter Taxi
Almost everyone on the streets of Bali is a Taxi. When you find one, tell them where you need to go and make sure to agree on a price before you get on.
Dubai
Dubai is absolutely unreal. The city is full of attractions that you wont find anywhere in the world.
Things to do in Dubai
Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa is tallest building in the world and it was designed for that purpose exactly. Construction of the Burj Khalifa spanned only 5 years starting in 2004 and completed before 2010. Today tourists can visit the observation deck and even go up as far as the highest point on the tower.
Marina
The Marina in Dubai is my favorite place to explore and relax. Have lunch at one of the many restaurants around the area and pick a spot with a view of the million dollar yachts coming in and out of the harbor.
Atlantis
Atlantis is a 5 star hotel located on the Palm Island of Jumeirah. The rooms are ridiculously expensive but if you have it like that then book a room and go on with your bad self. If you’re like me an just want to go check it out then take a taxi to Atlantis and tell the workers at the front gate that you are just sightseeing and they might let you in for a look around. I wasn’t so lucky when I visited in 2014 but give it a shot. It doesn’t hurt to try. I hear there is a really cool aquarium inside. Good Luck J
Beach
Check out the beaches here. The water is very still, salty and warm, the kind of water that makes you feel all sticky afterward but if you’re looking for a place to sit and enjoy the scenery the beach is perfect.
Underground Pub
ALCHOHOL IS ILLEGAL! If you’re the type to crack a beer when you sightsee you might want to rethink that strategy right now. The restaurants don’t even serve beer in Dubai so if you want to have a beer with your burger at lunch, I’m sorry but it will not be happening in Dubai. Alcohol is stickily prohibited and bars are secretly run and only serve beer. The only bar I know of in Dubai is the Underground Pub located on the mainland near the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa. The bar is open late and it’s a really cool place to chill just be careful to not get too wasted or make sure to take a taxi home and do your best to avoid the authorities.
Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is one of the most spectacular places I have every seen in my life. I believe the Dubai Mall I one of the biggest malls in the world and it even has indoor scuba diving, a ski park with chair lifts, live models in the stores and chauffeurs driving electric cars that will take you around the mall if you would rather not do any walking. The Dubai Mall is absolutely bananas.
The World Islands
Just north of the Palm Island is a cluster of manmade islands created to resemble all of the worlds continents. I don’t think its possible to visit the islands unless you know someone but you can see the island cluster from the top of the Marriot hotel in the Marina or on Google Earth.
Delicious Food in Dubai
Eat in the Marina- Everything in Dubai is pretty expensive no matter where you eat so at least pick a place with a good view. The Marina is beautiful and a great place to find some delicious food.
Accommodation in Dubai
Air BnB
Check out Air BnB for accommodation because most of the hotels in Dubai will be very expensive.
Marriot
The Marriot is one of the tallest buildings in the Marina and it has a great view of the coast from the top levels.
Transportation
Taxi
YES take a taxi here. It’s the cheapest taxi ride you will take in a developed nation. I wonder why?
Sky Bus
The metro system in Dubai is very advanced and a pleasure to ride on. The Sky bus runs above ground and provides you with spectacular views of the entire city.