The Rose in the Lily Pond

The Brandenburg Gate wasn't accessible to east and west Beliners during the Cold War, but now it's bustling with activity.   Grit. If I could describe Berlin in one word, this would be it. It has grit. It is grimey and cool. Its residents are diverse in ethnicity and lifestyle with diversity celebrated - after all embracing the differences is what seems to unite them as Berliners. We saw a homeless person selling magazines on the subway interacting with the people on the train - instead of people pretending like he wasn’t there and avoiding eye contact at all costs. The area where we stayed in Neukölln is home to a lot of middle eastern cultures, as well as students, artists, hipsters and punks. For a city that was once the headquarters for one of the most divisive and brutal regimes in history, it has separated from its past, and you get the feeling by all the alternative haircuts and colours that it embraces people as they are. I have never seen a city w

A tulip field on the bike ride to Lisse. Love those cherry blossoms in the background! The Netherlands is in bloom. Yellow and white daffodils, cherry blossoms, and brilliant and radiant tulips of every colour are patched together in the fields to make one giant, colourful quilt. The colour, combined with warmer temperatures and the promise of summer, has moods lifted. People are shedding their winter coats, sitting outside in parks and cafes and enjoying the sun - even if that means shivering in 14 degree temperatures. So much blossom Coming from the temperate climate of Auckland where the changes in the seasons are subtle, it’s wonderful to see Haarlem transform from winter to spring. When even a sniff of sun pokes through the clouds, a festive atmosphere develops, with people queuing for gelatos and playing in the park. Blue sky is something to be cherished and celebrated here, not taken for granted, especially when coming out of a grey and gloomy winter.