Walk - Eat - Sleep - Get Up before Dawn - Repeat

The recent weeks of my life up in the clouds of the Polopos village has been full of little pleasures. I've been out on morning hikes around the village, found a group of hikers who meet up for a days hike around the Sierra Nevada every week (age average: 65 years - can't stop admiring their motivation for the outdoors and movement), (successfully) dragged my english dad Alex to join the hikes, too, went on a spontaneous Easter road trip around Andalusia, was even photographing and working creatively on an assignment, was learning Spanish, attended even two village wine fiestas, met many new lovely people and convinced Alex to let me drive his new car (and started looking for a future dream car (current status: Citroen c15d - because it's a simple, practical van and you can sleep in it! #vanlife!)). And in between the list of events time is filled with thoughts. Sometimes a few of the negative ones. Even thought I'm having a blessed relaxing time of my life at the moment, worry about future and it's caused mood swings don't give me a break. I start questioning too much, open rooms in my head which should not be opened. Thats nothing new to me nor anyone - we all have it. But the good news is that with years you learn strategies how to overcome your biggest enemy at times - yourself.

As I feel like standing on a thick fog crossroad with the unexplainable urge to quickly choose one out of a dosen ways, first time I simply don't know which way to go. 'Following my heart' or 'going with the gut' doesn't give me the right impulse just right now. Being very afraid to fail, one amongst many reasons. For sure some might say - this girl is an ultimately spoiled Generation Y child. But it's not necessarily a bad thing!

So, instead of crying around I'm doing one thing - getting a bus ride throughout Spain from the very South to the very North, to the city of Oviedo and starting the Camino Primitivo, one of the St. James Way trails that leads to Santiago de Compostela. Length -  approx. 300 km. It's one way to go - straight on to the West, always following the yellow arrows. Walk, eat, sleep, get up before dawn, repeat. And that for a couple of weeks, hopefully with least possible crossroads ahead.

You gotta break the circle of your own habits and routine, through a stone in a vacuum full of thoughts, to roil the water and bring in some good vibration. By walking. This keeps my mind clean. And I'm looking forward to discover and report.

Here's a little collection of life recently in and around the life in the cloud.

A few things I came across during the last few weeks:

new old music even better in a concert

great new blog to follow along

a podcast for my preparation for the Camino - will be following this one for sure

Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart - a very personal and inspiring book I'm on right now

And just before you close this tab - my Instagram - will be documenting my trail over over there, if I don't decide to disconnect completelly

Family Values

On my 30th birthday last year Benni and his family of five came along to celebrate with me. As I was living in Helgoland on an island far far away in the North Sea, Benni packed their tents, stoves, sleeping bags, games and camped on my island for a week. The kids, when they first came and put their tiny feet on the beach watching the seals from far away asked him: can we stay here for a long long time daddy? The holiday was just beginning. I know Benni and Christina, now his wife, since their first flirts and their first attic studio apartment. Many things happened since - their first pregnancy test, moving to their second, third, fourth, fifth apartment, second baby boy arriving, then their third baby girl. I was the one trusted to look after the two older babes when the third was in the hospital on its way to see the daylight for the first time. And then in the morning in the hospital - I was invited to be introduced to their new baby on her very birthday.

It's the closest and most intense connection I have had to a family apart from my own. And the most intense connection I've had to growing humans - knowing someone from his first foetus cells up to when his cells have multiplied so many times that a conversations about 'where do babies come from' with him eight years later is possible. And then you tell him about the foetus he's once been, telling something about starting out in mamas belly.. I can't believe how time passes - best way to see it is to watch a little person grow.

All this experience makes me realise how thankful I am to each one of Bennis family. How much more prepared, shaped and better educated I feel when approaching any other little (or big) human being on this world just because Benni let me be so close to him.

As that close friend I know what Benni and Christina had been through in their relationship. Warm and cold, sometimes ice cold times. But following their story, or rather being trusted with their story, I could learn much about human relations, husband and wife relations and whats the glue keeping people together for the lasting.

And that is only because Benni has let me so close to him, talking openly about his joys and worried concerning his family; and at times maybe taking my opinion, my experience as an advice or just some words or a piece of music I'd show to him. Only through honesty and complete openness we could bound this strong trustful friendship, and most of all - learn to be a better humans from each other. We exchange, therefore we grow ourselves and grow values between us.

Now he is like my third brother, with whom I occasionally share Christmas, Easter or even Thanksgiving festivities (as of his American mother). And if it's needed - he'll be the one bringing me to the hospital on a Christmas Eve with a tonsillitis - true story, really happened.

And so here's a few days of our week together - with summer sun, beach, campsite and burger brunches.

Shot with Nikon D7000 + Sigma Art 35mm f1,4

Hint me a message for a family portrait sessions - legere, playful, natural, pure. I'm currently in Spain, but will be travelling to Germany and Lithuania this summer.

Hello Spain, I like to hike you!

It's been two weeks since i came to Spain and I have no return ticket to anywhere. I got here with two bags full of clothes to wear for every different season, same with shoes, my trekking backpack, my sleeping bag and a backpack full of technical devices - I don't know where I might end up after this exciting period of time! And I have quite a few ideas. Now what has happened? Helgoland became a place too far away from some people I care about, in this case my english dad Alex, with whom I wanted to spend more quality time as long as I'm less bound to responsibilities. It so happened to be that he lives in sunny Andalusia in Spain. To be more precise - in a mountain village around 750 m above the sea level, which quite often ends up to be caught in a layer of clouds. The mediterranean sea is seen for my eyes delight just outside the bedroom window. And on a clear terrace evenings Morocco is saying good night at the far end of the horizon. It is an off-beat location, but as long as I can take a hike around the Andalusian Sierra Nevada - I'm more then happy with that. So I tend to call this time as 'My Life in the Cloud'.

What's next - I can't tell yet. But if you need me at least as a photographer for any kind of memory or have a suggestion for any creative activity - hint me a message. In the meantime I'll be watching some TED talks and looking for the next trail to day-hike.

My first long hike around the 'hood' was a week ago. I asked a wonderful lady from New Zealand called Amanda if I can join her on her hiking day up along Mount Lújar. It was a warmer day than expected, vitamin D could float all over my bare leg and arm skin and made me overall happy after months of sunless german winter. In combination with my new favourite activity hiking and lots of fresh air - hallelujah! Bless the active holiday feeling and ecotherapy! We started at Amanda's place just a couple kilometres away from Castell de Ferro hiking the red rocky path along a bed river, flourishing with moisten greenery down on the left side of the path and occasional rock caves on the right side. Up in the village Lújar we had a little stop for sin-alc cervecita with tapas on a bar terrace. Out of the village the path became much more steep, narrow and at times not really seaming like a path at all. But I was surprised to see how good the trail markers where located - almost everywhere at the doubtful trail turns. I need to note here that the hiking world is new to me - I have so little experience, that every white-yellow trail marker is a very much of a happiness reminder that I am actually doing this.

Getting towards Mount Lújar we saw a deer family of around ten animals climbing up towards the peek probably after seeing us coming their way, even though we could hardly see them. The Landscape around the village right now is pretty bare, there's not too much green yet. In July 2015 a violent fire has burnt down many trees and partly peoples properties along the valleys. Even though some bush and grass had grown out again, most of the trees - almond, cork oak, olive - are still cole black. But when we reached our highest point to cross the mountain pass to the other side of the valley for a further hike to the village Lago a completely new scenery opened up. Green bushed with all colours of wild mountain flowers flourishing at their best, herbs and blossoms with wonderful scent. Luckily the fire did not reach anything on that side of the mountain.

The bar in Lago was open so we could have some icy cokes and tapas to cheer up the body after an up and down trail of 7,5 miles. After that we turned around and went all the way back up and down to Amanda's, a slightly different route. It was deep dark when we reached home and the stars were seen brightly in the rural countryside with almost none light pollution.

Challenge of the day: 15 Miles, around 25 Km, of a pretty rocky and steep hike. I slept very well that night and was overall happy to feel my lower leg muscles hurting for two days again.

So what's next expected on the blog? Hikes, sunny Spain and Andalusia impressions an a few abandoned photoshoots from the past year that haven't been aired yet.

Write me if you want to join me for a hike around, follow my blog/ photographers facebook page (readers support mean so much to every blogger!) and stay tuned ♥

Leaving Helgoland

Maren came to visit me back in October last year. We explored the autumn sun of Helgoland, checked if the seals were still chilling on the beach. I kept on testing out my new Fuji x-t1, trying to catch the rays before they settle down for the winter, much photographing against the sun. Back at home, between tea sessions, a little cold that I caught, veggie english breakfasts and birdy visitors we also made some photos of Maren which I published already few posts back. Also, I sat down for a few self portraits with my slightly sick face.

Now, every day the sun stays up for a few more minutes. Yet I will be leaving Helgoland by the end of this January for good. On the day I leave I will have spent sixteen months of my life living on a 1,8 square kilometres piece of land, 50 km away from the next mainland shore. Building up new friendships, diving into daily office work life, changing my personality a bit, fulfilling one of my fundamental dreams - to live at the seaside, to live in the middle of the North sea - a few of the things I’ve done at the time of my stay.

Truth is - this island actually is a magical place. Here, I understood a lot not only about myself, but the dear old Universe, you call it. I was raising questions and I got a few answers, very simply while doing every day things, walking from A to B and observing some amazing everyday 6 am sunrises. Then I forgot the answers. In good moods I remembered them again. Helgoland comes from ‘holy land’ and you start feeling different once set foot over here. The longer you stay, the stronger the impact.

Will I miss the constantly fresh healthy air? Yes. Will I miss the quiet mornings with seagulls calling to begin the day? Also, the evenings with the noise of strong wind blowing along my windows as the biggest noise that the street here can offer? Yes. The lighthouse beams scanning my bedroom from one corner to another at night time? So romantic - yes. Will I miss short ways from house to work to beach to shop to anywhere? And everyone saying hello to you all the time because it’s just those 1300 people living on the island and you sort of know two thirds of them? Yes. Will I miss tax free internet shopping? Hell yeah! Sauna spa with a view to the stormy waves while you’re sitting all sweaty salty in all lavender mint orange pine tree - you name it - scent in the air? Well, guess the answer.. The ocean view everywhere? Oh, my ocean, my daily moon arisings over the ocean. Yes. My dear friend Nadja, her I will miss a lot, too.

Even though, I’m not sad to leave. The reasons are more complex and private then the need to write them down over here. There are things I won’t be missing at all, nonetheless I leave the option wide open to come back here again and spend some later years of my life over here.

Even though I’m risking much by leaving, much needed stability, regular income, this safety feeling on this island in general, even though - I’m embracing all new whats there to come and encounter me soon. Or rather even - I am going to take and hug nicely all what’s been calling and waiting for some time already.