Bel & Graffitti

Cachi, Argentina

Wiener Prater

http://www.wien.info/de/sightseeing/prater

An amusement park for many, lost in nostalgic time. It holds one of Vienna’s most famous symbols: the world-famous Giant Ferris Wheel.

Memories of my Christmas Time in New York

Christmas Time in New York, a set on Flickr.

My year abroad, The Time of My Life

Ser fuerte y devorar la manzana...

Food & Travel : Quinoa Salad @ Salta

This is one of my favourite dishes of all times!

Just a year ago I visited Salta for a long weekend. I went from Salta to Cachi for a day trip and tasted the most delicious quinoa salad I´ve ever had.

It had grilled peppers (red and green), corn, tomatoes and quinoa: Fresh and fulfilling! The perfect combination!

I had tried quinoa before (in pies, with potatos, etc.) but never in a salad... and it was great!

But apart from its peculiar taste and texture, the quinoa has a story.

It comes from the Highest Andes Mountains and grows all over South America mountain countries.

It was one of the main foods among Inca civilization. It has more protein than any other grain which makes it high quality food. It grows wildly almost anywhere so it was helpful for people living in the high mountains! And it´s still is!

The high iron levels are said to help with altitude sickness, because it improves the oxygen levels in blood.

It recently became very popular and it´s exported to all over the world, but the origins are ancient and I´m sure it tastes different if you are having quinoa with a view like this...

Just fantastic!

Waiting For My Chance To Come

Well I'm just waiting for my chance to come
Just a silhouette against the rising sun
Watch the water, watch the sky
Count the days as they go by
I'm just waiting for my chance to come

Well it takes real guts to be alone
Going head to head with the great unknown
But there is no sweeter sound, on the kings round I'm bound
And just waiting for your chance to come

'Cause it's hard to feel like, you're worth something in this life
When you're walking next to me, I can hear my body speak
We're just waiting for a chance to come
We're just waiting for a chance to come

Your immortal smile is burned in me
When I close my eyes its all see
Among the canyons and the stars
You're the guide inside my heart
I'm just waiting for my chance to come

And you're just looking for a way outta here
Yeah, a way to see this old life all disappear
Take a gamble on your heart, it will lead you through the dark
You're just waiting for your chance to come

'Cause it's hard to feel like, you're worth something in this life
When you're walking next to me, I can hear my body speak
We're just waiting for a chance to come
We're just waiting for a chance to come

And no one's gunna get in my way
Gunna figure it out for myself
Yeah no one's gunna make me stay
Gunna figure it out for myself

'Cause I don't need nothing
I'm just waiting for my chance to come

Más letras: http://www.letrasmania.com/letras/letras_de_canciones_noah_and_the_whale_31176_letras_last_night_on_earth_121342_letras_waiting_for_my_chance_to_come_1166054.html
Todo sobre Noah And+The+Whale: http://www.musictory.es/musica/Noah+And+The+Whale

Bel & New York: Living the moment

Christian Svanes shows us this great moment waiting the metro in NY...
He describes it as "a moment in williamsburg that feels like a danish dogme film, to the tune of radiohead's "no surprises."
While you watch the video, you can feel you are waiting in the station...

no surprises (featuring the williamsburg subway accordionist) from svanes on Vimeo.

Antes que se pase el tiempo de vivir

Y miro adelante,
Y me quedo sin poder recordar,
Ni siquiera aquellas cosas que me ayudan a olvidar.
Es una canción que viene con el olvido,
Cuando viene, viene olvidándose el por venir,
Si la fortuna quiere que me acompañe,
Antes que se pase el tiempo de venir.

Travel: The things we keep (ii)

Christian Scanes offers a different version to the one I posted a few days ago... incredible how the music makes a whole different mood...

the things we keep (SD, alternate version take 2) from svanes on Vimeo.

Travel & Postcards & Refugees

"It´s one of the oldest traditions in travel, but it may also be among the most endangered...

Ah, the postcard, that brief, but picturesque travelogue that lets you tell friends and loved ones that you’re having a wonderful time and you wish they were there.

In an age of texts, tweets and Facebook updates, it seems that sending postcards is going the way of brass room keys and free meals in coach.

In the UK, for example, the luxury travel company Cox & Kings recently released a survey showing that 35 percent of respondents preferred to keep in touch with those back home via texts and uploaded photos. By comparison, just 15 percent still sent physical postcards."

Continue reading the article "Postcards to travelers: Wish you were here" by Rob Lovitt.

I´m happy to be part of that 15%! It´s become a tradition on my trips.

When I travel in my country I make sure to bring stamps with me so that I don´t have to find a post office on each city I visit.

When I travel abroad I get really anxious about finding stamps and feel very relieved when I finally get them.

I like selecting a postcard for each person I´m writing to, and what many people find curious is that I often write postcards to myself. It kind of works as a souvenir, don´t you think?

Here are only some of the postcards I sent in the past few years!

But postcards are not always to be sent while traveling...

Belandthecity3's photostream on Flickr.

My next postcard is being written at home for the project “Postcards for Libya”.

The iniciative is inviting people from all over the world to write postcards to Libyan refugees and encouraging to write them in any languages. Apparently even if they don´t understand what you are writing, they treasure the postcards anyway!

The postcards must be sent to the address below, using the name "Postcards for Libya":

Ennasr1

Code Postal: 2037

Ariana P.Box 267

Tunis, Tunisia

Politics aside, it´s a very kind thing to do... Being away from home, wounded, and far from their families, I´m sure these kids are needing warm wishes of a full recovery and maybe just a smiley face to make them smile:)

Each story is unique but they all need help. If you want to find out more about the situation in Libya, you can read the UN Humanitarian report here:

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendocPDFViewer.html?docid=4e0201a09&query=libya

If you have any questions, you can write "Postcards For Libya" by mail or on facebook:

info@postcardsforlibya.org or www.facebook.com/PostcardsforLibya

More information available online: http://postcardsforlibya.org/sample-page/