sisterMAG Issue 19 by sisterMAG

GRAND TOUR d'Europe

6 14 18

Editorial

Index Contributors

Multimedia & Download Index

391

Imprint

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DUFFLE BAG Greece

The Art of Travelling – Reading Alain de Botton

The big sisterMAG Sunguide

Grand Tour – Travelling across the continent

The Milos Island

Bri Emeri – Designlovefest Breanna Rose Anne Sage – Citysage

Descape – Make Your Dreams Work

68 82

Blogger Special: Recipes from the Sea

Digital DIY

PICNIC BASKET

Mobility – Start the conversation

Croatia

116

The big blogger Picnic special

126

Healthy Happy Steffi High Foodality Fructopia Fräulein Sonntag A Cake A Day Packaging Ideas

100

Recipes from Croatia

104

The history of picnics

Electrifying - Driving a Tesla

Urban Cycling

146

Croatia – Hideaways in the Adriatic Sea

134

202

Trip into the past, the present and the future of Europe

PURSE Italy

224

Roman Holiday

266

Five Quarters

290

Fashion Shooting

Essay and recipes from Rachel Roddy's cooking book

How streaming services enhance the world of TV

Films to dream about

Netflix

Behind The Scenes

252

#sisterMAGgoes Pinterest

254

A Day in Rome â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tour with Muse Radio

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282

284

An interview with winemaker Julia Walch

TV 2.0

295 From a virtual video shop to an innovative producer

EDITORIAL

KOFFER Spanien

304 314 336 358 380

Office Day in Barcelona

Praktik Hotels

A roundtrip in Andalusia

48h in Madrid

#Sommergesund Event in Berlin

Illustration: Putri Febriana

Issue 19 | June 2015

right: Toni, Thea & Alex from sisterMAG

Dear readers

Editorial from Thea

sisterMAG has taught me several So what exactly went wrong? We things over the past couple of years: A obviously managed to compile another solution-oriented approach to almost lovely issue full of beautiful pictures, any situation…and how to considerably numerous contributions from all over lower the amount of hours I have to the world and a myriad for travel sleep. Today is a really good day for features every single one of which has every person on the sisterMAG team added a must-visit-location to our because – and in spite of a countless office outing suggestion list … number of obstacles we’ve had to Well, the weather gods definitely didn’t overcome on our way to launching consult our schedule before they #sisterMAG19 – we managed to create assigned recent sun hours. Both our an issue, which we are proud of. So shooting in Rome and our cover shoot we will be celebrating with a glass of were accompanied by rain and drizzle. Sprizz.

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But even huddling under our brollies

EDITORIAL

The old alleys in Rome, sun drenched ot in darkness. Barcelona

First fitting of the cover cress with Evi in Freiberg 7

in our quilted jackets we managed to stay positive. We adapted our plans in a flash and instead of sharing a kiss in front of the Fontana di Trevi, Dagny & Riccardo, our Roman Holiday couple, got cosy under an umbrella in one of Trastevere’s small back alleys. You can read all about my trip to Rome here in this issue. We are particularly fond of the little film we produced in collaboration with photographer Marco and TMS Studio – Trine Skauen. If this film doesn’t get you in a romantic summer mood we don’t know what will. Dagny, by the way,

is modelling six beautiful summer dresses for you to sew at home: the #sisterMAG19 collection is available free for download. So what do you do when you’re on holiday and it won’t stop raining and you don’t really feel like making your way from one sight to the next skipping over puddles? We admit we have been known to take advantage of the hotel’s WiFi to catch up on our favourite TV programs – something we don’t manage in our daily routine of night shifts and dinner invitations. How our

Issue 19 | June 2015

Team of the cover shoot: Ashley, Thea, Shagun, Evi & Tina

way of watching television has evolved and why Netflix is now our favourite app on the TV set as well as on the iPad is the subject of our feature TV 2.0 . Fortunately, our streak of bad luck turned out not to be a particularly long one and our photographers were able to take absolutely stunning pictures for our »summer sun guide«. You might have noticed by now that all articles centre around Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain, Croatia and Greece. That’s how we have structured this issue – it’s a trip around Europe. And we are looking at different versions of a »Grand Tour d’Europe«. Many of our American blogger friends have been on such a tour and we have

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Co ve r- St yl in g: Ti na Fi sc hb ac h

asked three of them to tell us about their experience in the very beginning of this issue. We’re spending a lot of time outside during this issue. Swimming, sightseeing, eating: we’re committed to an alfresco summer (as long as it doesn’t rain :)). For the section entitled »picnic basket« we have teamed up with five food bloggers and created 25 (!) picnic-proof recipes. They come with a variety of suggestion about how to best set the scene for an outdoor picnic – complete with packing suggestions and vegan alternatives. Since it’s hard to think about travelling without talking about »being on the move« we will begin a feature series

EDITORIAL

After a long day in the office: Laura, Sandra, Thea & Luisa

h about flying, driving, sailing etc. by looking at the topic of »mobility«. This issue will introduce some environmentally friendly alternatives: We went for a test drive in a Tesla and also spoke to an expert on the topic of »Urban Cycling«. I have a bit of a reputation within the team for constantly introducing new services and features. Some years ago I coaxed everybody into installing a new messaging service called »Moped«. Unfortunately, it had a number of bugs and the start-up soon went bust. My brother-in-law and co-founder Alex has never surrendered his phone to me for even five minutes since then.

However for some weeks the entire team has now been on Whatsapp alternative »Telegram« and I think it has brought us even closer together. When discussions in the sisterMAG group began to regularly go off topic we even created the »Nonsense sisterMAG group«. Now none of us will ever be alone again! As Luisa and Tina put it: Someone is always online and will reply to a generic status

Issue 19 | June 2015

update like »just marbled all sort of things – worked well« (see marbling tutorial here ) or comments on pictures from a countryside funfair in someone else’s home. Such a group has a downside though: If you’re offline for a day you’ll come back to 268 new messages.

Many of our conversations in these groups centred on shopping lists and event preparations: Four big events – including the continuation of our pharmacy event series with VICHY and a big blogger event in Berlin around the hashtag #Sommergesund (»summerhealthy«) – turned the office into a temporary storage room for countless boxes, photographic equipment and palm trees!! The preparations definitely tested our limits – or at least that of our arm muscles. That’s why I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody involved in this huge project »sisterMAG« over the past couple of weeks – especially Sandra, Laura and Luisa, our core team. The three of you simply are the best, especially in emotionally challenging times! A huge thank you also goes to our intern Ira who went straight from

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being at the office in Berlin one day to doing translations, research and copywriting at her computer back in her home town the next. A special thanks, again, to Tina. In my mind you don’t really live in Edinburgh but in a Skype window on my computer. Which is where I forgot her a couple of days ago, muted, until a desperate text message sent to the sisterMAG team led to her »liberation«. Thank you so much to our team of photo- and videographers who are such fun to work with: Cris (who worked on the pictures from our pharmacy event until 3.30am so all participants would find them in their inboxes first thing); Ashley, who hopped a train to Dresden to shoot the cover in the middle of a (several-days-long) wedding; my DIY team Zoe & Lucas with whom I have recently got to spend many merry days; Marco and Trine, who I felt privileged to get to know better in Rome and with whom we are already planning a number of crazy projects for the future. On the design front Tina

EDITORIAL

Lucas & Zoe at our #Sommergesund event in Berlin

At the cover shoot carrying the long train through grass

View of Rome

Issue 19 | June 2015

Sandra & Toni

Laura with Zoe & Lucas at the DIY-shoot

Sivan Askayo on Milos

Carrying palm trees for the #Sommergesund event

Luisa & Ira

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EDITORIAL

and I were supported by Helena in Stuttgart and Mathilde in Vienna. Their designs and illustrations turned out particularly beautiful and make this issue a proper team effort! So in the end it all came together to make the typical sisterMAG potpourri of colours, fonts and pictures. Thanks to your ideas and commitment. It has been a pleasure! These past weeks have brought us all much closer together and ‘through thick and thin’ seems to have become something of a #sisterMAGfamilie motto. It will be put to test soon, when our optimist-in-charge Toni will be

away from the office for several weeks. We’ll all be with you in spirit! But first, let’s all go on holiday together – join us on the journey through the issue! Please share your thoughts, questions, suggestions, praise and criticism. This issue’s chance to participate and win something (after the weekly planners and the mouse pads we have got dish towels for you this time) is to share your favourite image, part of the magazine, article or thought on Social Media (best to use Instagram or Twitter) using the hashtag #sisterMAG19!

Toni, Alex & Thea and the entire Team

Issue 19 | June 2015

THE TEAM

Theresa Neubauer Antonia Sutter

CONTRIBUTORS HELENA MELIKOV

Alex Sutter

LAYOUT & DESIGN

Evi Neubauer

Since the last issue Helena is helping us with the layouts from Stuttgart. We're always excited to open a new design from her as she constantly comes up with great ideas. Many thanks for all those late nights working on sisterMAG!

Sandra Rothfeld Laura Glabbatz Luisa Sancelean Tina Bergs Ira Häussler

MUSE RADIO PODCAST

THE COVER PHOTOS Ashley Ludäscher HAIR & MAKEUP Tina Fischbach MODEL Shagun Tomar DRESS Evi Neubauer

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The two ladies behind Muse Radio – Marta & Kat – took us on a tour through the Roman neighbourhood Testaccio. Thea was even interviewed for their Podcast with people working in creative industries! Listen here . ANA REY ILLUSTRATOR

The wonderful illustrations for the »sunny situations« in the German issue where created by the Spanish illustrator Ana from Valencia. Her passion: good food & colours – and we can only agree!

EDITORIAL

This symbol links to the website or Instagram account of our contributors.

This button links to the first article of the contributor in this issue.

TEXT Marta A. Abbott Testaccio

Ira Häussler

Mobility

Thea Neubauer Bits and Bobs

Laura Glabbatz DIY

Elisa von Hof

Luisa Sancelean

48h Madrid

The Art to Travel

Lukas Grenzlehner Urban Cycling

Kreetta Järvenpää Croatia

Alex Sutter Electrifying

Liv Hambrett The History of Picnics

Mick N. Trip through Europe

Rabea Tanneberger TV 2.0 15

I L L U S T R AT I O N & L AY O U T Tina Bergs Grand Tour d'Europe

Thea Neubauer Roman Holiday

Mathilde Schliebe Five Quarters

Putri Febriana Content

Helena Melikov Descape

Ana Rey Sunny Situations

T R A N S L AT I O N Katrin Greyer Maria Foh

Katherine Riedel

Tanja Timmer

Ira Häussler

Issue 19 | June 2015

PHOTOGRAPHY Marco di Filippo

Roman Holiday Sivan Askayo

Milos Island

PROOF 16

Ashley Ludäscher Cover

Diana Patient Pool-Shoot

Zoë Noble #Sommergesund Event

Cristopher Santos

Christine Davis

Lorena Vilanova

Barcelona

Office Day in Barcelona

FINAL PROOF

Sandra Rothfeld

Alexander Kords

Antonia Sutter

Stefanie Kießling Amie McCracken Anna Schmalfuß Claire Cunningham

PRODUCTION Laura Glabbatz Sandra Rothfeld Antonia Sutter

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VIDEO Marco di Filippo Trine Skauen Roman Holiday Lucas Milhomem #Sommergesund Event

OITNB

HAIR & MAKEUP Tina Fischbach Cover Francesca Prizzon Poolshooting Antonio Talia Stefano Polci Roman Holiday Trine Skauen Roman Holiday

EDITORIAL

MODELS Shagun Tomar Cover

Natalie Pool-Shoot

Dagny Backer Roman Holiday Riccardo China Roman Holiday

STYLING

FOOD

Evi Neubauer Cover

He Needs Food Croatia Recipes

Anne Philipp Picnic

Thea Neubauer several features :)

Stefanie Wilhelm Picnic

Deniz Ficicioglu Picnic

Trine Skauen Roman Holiday

Simone Hawlisch Picnic

Rachel Roddy Five Quaters

Anette Wetzel-Grolle Packaging Ideas

Uwe Spitzm端ller Picnic

Issue 19 | June 2015

Multimedia & Download Index Click on the image and it will lead you directly to the download!

PATTERNS

19/1 – Blue Pinafore Dress

19/2 – Gingham Dress

19/3 – Blue Shiftdress

19/4 – Brocade Coat

19/5 – Floral Skirt

19/6 – Pink Cotton 19/7 – Dress with Dress Zipper

RECIPES

Recipes from Croatia

Picnic – Healthy Happy Steffi

Picnic – High Foo- Picnic – Fructopia Picnic – Fräulein Sonntag dality

VIDEOS

Picnic – A Cake A Day sister-mag.com

Five Quarters

#Sommergesund Event

sisterMAG presents Marbled DIY iPhone Case Roman Holiday

Ausgabe Issue 19 19 || June Juni 2015

The Art Of Travel text: Luisa Sancelean Layout: Tina Bergs

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GRAND TOUR

ÂťIf our lives are dominated by a search for happiness, then perhaps few activities reveal as much about the dynamics of this quest - in all its ardour and paradoxes - than our travels. They express, however inarticulately, an understanding of what life might be about, outside of the constraints of work and of the struggle for survival. Yet rarely are they considered to present philosophical problems - that is, issues requiring thought beyond the practical. We are inundated with advice on where to travel to, but we hear little of why and how we should go, even though the art of travel seems naturally to sustain a number of questions neither so simple nor so trivial, and whose study might in modest ways contribute to an understanding of what the Greek philosophers beautifully termed endaimonia, or human flourishing.ÂŤ Alain de Botton - The Art of Travel

Issue 19 | June 2015

When I went to spent 6 months in Lyon last year, moving 1,300 kilometers away from my life here to idle and recharge my batteries for my final stretch at university, I took a goingaway guide: Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel. Leaving my studies, job and even social obligations behind to live in a foreign country and among perfect strangers was supposed to leave me strengthened and re-focused. So I took no chance of losing myself on my journey because just how often do we trick ourselves into thinking we are moving towards something new when we are really just running away from something old? Which of our problems can we actually leave behind and which of them will follow us? How do I hone my attentiveness so I can take in all of my travel experiences?

I felt I had to understand my own little

undertaking better and after finishing Alain’s book I felt I did have more of a clue. Inspired by the people he introduces as »guides« I had added a fair amount of new books to my shelf – including Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal and a book full of Hopper's drawings. Alain de Botton divides his book The Art of Travel into five chapters within which he does not only explore all manner of places himself but also reports the experiences of other famous travellers. From the (1) Departure via a closer look at the traveller‘s (2) Motives the author takes us to a varied (3) Landscape which back at home we would only experience in works of (4) Art. The conclusion of our journey, of course, is the (5) Return. I was able to glean helpful suggestions and insights from each of the chapters and would like to pass them on to you to treasure on your journey through this sisterMAG issue. Any globetrotter should make Alain de Botton‘s book their next travel companion. It all starts with a dilemma: we are introduced to the Parisian Duc Des Esseintes who struggles to consolidate his expectations with regards to his

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GRAND TOUR

impending travels and their actual realization. The protagonist from the novel À rebours (Against the Grain) by J.K. Huysman enjoys ecstatic daydreams about discovering the English spirit in London and in his euphoria sets out on a journey to the island. Positively paralyzed by his own expectations he eventually decides to end the adventure prematurely, resigning to being a mere arm chair traveller for the rest of his life. The conclusion drawn from this first chapter is that for him – as well as any of us who actually make it to their destination: »We are familiar with the notion that the reality of travel is not what we anticipate.« The second part of the chapter has a particularly special meaning to me. Reading the musings about various stopovers on a journey I feel very much understood in my own naive dreams about a train journey through vast plains or a plane ride high above the clouds. Alain lends voice to Baudelaire’s struggles with his »grande maladie« (great sickness) of suffering from that appalling disease: the Horror of Home. He is quoted as saying: »It always seems to me that I’ll be well where I am not and this question of moving

is one that I’m forever entertaining with my soul«. Ports, docks, train stations, ships and hotel rooms are where Baudelaire feels at home thus originating a new expression for this romantic longing known as poésie des départs. Being fortunate enough to not suffer from fear of flying I fully second Alain de Botton’s observation that »few seconds in life are more releasing than those in which a plane ascends tot he sky.« – in fact I have nothing further to add. This is the point in the book where Hopper takes over from Baudelaire: He came to Paris in 1906 where he discovered the poet’s oeuvre. Their desires to spend time alone, their emersion in metropolitan life and the solace they find in the night and in travelling to different places unite both artists. These observations seamlessly introduce the next chapter - Motives. Is it exoticism that draws us to far-away places to discover new things? But what is it that makes an experience exotic? Alain inquires of his readers if the fact »that a sign could evolve so differently in two places was evidence of a simple but pleasing idea: that countries are diverse and practices variable across borders.«

Issue 19 | June 2015

And then invites them to entertain the thought further by adding »Why be seduced by something as small as a front door in another country? Why fall in love with a place because it has trams and ist people seldom have curtains in their homes?«

The controversy is also highlighted in Flaubert‘s notes from his travels to Egypt where he encounters camels as most enchanting creatures – despite the fact that their purpose would at home be fulfilled by ordinary horses. What truly draws us to a foreign place and creates an air of exoticism is to discover our own true character emerge more prominently far away from home than we dare let it in our familiar surroundings. Flaubert became so comfortable with the mayhem of daily life in Egypt that he wouldn’t stop missing it once he had returned home and could never help but think that he belonged abroad. Apart from the allure of everything exotic there is another motive behind a traveller’s ventures: intellectual curiosity. When Alexander von Humboldt set out on his 5-year journey across the South American continent he was led by the accurately defined objectives

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of a scientist. He wanted to study the inhabitants, explore flora and fauna and bring knowledge about foreign countries back to Europe. But hardly anyone embarks on their journey with such a specific set of questions; when in doubt we tend to submit to the dictate of the guide book - a notion which von Humboldt’s true explorer’s spirit thankfully never entertained. Channeling Nietzsche, Alain de Botton encourages his readers to explore places in order to further ourselves – off the beaten track and bypassing package holiday. The third chapter is dedicated to the landscapes through which our travels take us and contains a philosophical examination of the appeal of city life as well as a treatise on the transcendence of the Sinai desert. Alain introduces the next guide to suggest a peroration on the effect landscapes have on their visitors. William Wordsworth dutifully offers this thought: »We may witness in nature certain scenes that stay with us throughout our lives and, every time they enter consciousness, can offer us a contrast to, and relief from, present difficulties.«

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Art as a medium by which we can enjoy faraway places and landscapes right here at home is the forth chapter’s central theme. The book returns to the describing idea of travelling in abstract terms concluding in the attainment of beauty. Alain de Botton enlightens the reader as to why the reception of art plays such an important role in our travels: »perhaps the most effective way in which our sense of what to look for in a scene can be enriched is through visual art« and »as we travel in search of beauty, works of art may in small ways start to influence where we would like to travel to.« In late February 1888, Vincent van Gogh arrived in the French town of Arles where, over the course of the next fifteen months, he was to create 200 paintings and 100 sketches. With those works he would shape the image of the Provence in the minds of all generations to come – despite the fact that Provence had already been a popular theme in the art of painting for more than 100 years.

be given room. Writer and painter John Ruskin encourages the reader to both paint and write on their travels in order to capture their impressions and experiences and to learn how to see and to hone their perceptive skills. Mirroring my own return home after six months in Lyon, the book dedicates its last chapter to returning to a life in which the world does not seem to have turned while you have been away. While the traveller returns with years’ worth of experiences nothing at home has changed at all. But being at home doesn’t mean not being able to travel. Guided by Xavier de Maistre Alain de Bottons conducts the experiment of having a traveller’s experience where you live - by disconnecting your familiar surroundings from their usual purpose to counteract getting too accustomed to eyour home. Because the biggest misconception of all is thinking that you already know everything there is to know about the place you call home. n

Artistic education, however, isn’t everything: artistic creation must also

Alain de Botton »The Art of Travel« Penguin Paperback

Issue 19 | June 2015

Potsdam

Amsterdam Dover

Berlin

Dresden

Calais

starting point for the young British upper-class

Heidelberg Paris

dancing,

Vienna

fencing & riding classes

St. Bernard Pass

wealthy travellers were carried across the Alps by servants

Innsbruck Geneva Turin

Venice

the epitome and cultural setpiece of the tour

Florence

The Grand Tour D'Europe

Rome Naples

Travelling Across the Continent

Sicily

travellers eager for more adventures chartered a yacht to Sicily & Greece

The left image is from Breanna Rose's Grand Tour and the top image an illustration by Samuel Prout published in ÂťThe Continental TouristÂŤ, both where taken in Italy, 200 years apart.

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GRAND TOUR Johann Heinrich Tischbeim painted the return of the sons of the Duke of Warthausen

the traditonal Grand Tour Traditionally the Grand Tour was the trip around Europe undertaken by mostly upper-class European young men upon leaving Oxbridge. Roaming around continent they were searching for art, culture and the meaning for life while comfortably living of family funds and mingling with the aristocracy of Europe. From about 1660 until the 1840s it became the rite of passage for British nobility and the wealthy gentry. The tradition of the Grand Tour slowly spread to the continent, especially in Northern Europe Italy became the destination of choice for the privileged. The most famous, and well documented, of those journeys was Goethe's crusade through Italy, more about that in sisterMAG N°7 . With the affordability of train journeys the popularity of the Grand Tour Europe surged to new heights in the 1840s and spread to the middle-class. With the rising popularity among the less privileged the traditional Grand Tour – lasting months, if not years, accompanied by valets and coachmen, perhaps a cook, a chaperone or scholarly guide, shopping for crates of books, art and furniture, studying (occasionally) at foreign universities and observing (or mocking) the differences in culture – slowly faded into oblivion. the American resurgence Nowadays a new »Grand Tour« seemed to have evolved: during the long summers young Americans are flocking to Europe travelling the continent. Depending on their available funds it's either Ryanair, cheap hostels and couch surfing from city to city or a more elaborate trip spent in the glamorous hotels of the European capitals. Drawn to the rich history we asked some travelling bloggers for their motives for the journey, some favourite spots and inspirations they took away from their travels across the continent. Issue 19 | June 2015

THe Grand TOur par t I

Bri Emery

Design Love Fest

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GRAND TOUR

photos by Bri Emery taken in Europe

Bri Emery, art director from Los Angeles, founded her lifestyle blog Designlovefest in 2009. Blogging about everything from travel to DIY, Bri’s quirky, bright and unique style has attracted over the years a devoted readership of now over 40,000 people daily. Two years after creating her blog, Bri launched the Designlovefest Studio, working for countless well-known brands such as Benefit Cosmetics or Pantene, offering fullservice graphic design and branding.

What was your itinerary for your for two weeks and Berlin European summer trip? for a week and a half! A I had a few jobs that were a little spread out, so I decided to just go for it and make a six week adventure of work and inspiration! I’ve always wanted to go to Europe for a longer period of time and get more of a sense of what it’s like to actually live there. I started in Paris, then took the train to Champagne, France. After that I stayed with family friends in Aubonne, Switzerland, which is a little town near Geneva. Then it was off to Tuscany for a week, Amsterdam

lot of planes, trains, and cars, that’s for sure.

Have you been to your travel destinations before? I had been to Paris and Berlin, but have never explored the other cities.

What was the reason for the trip? I really wanted to step out of my comfort zone and get inspired by other

Issue 19 | June 2015

cultures and sights. I felt in a rut with ideas and travel is so vital for me to spark up new ones!

When did you start planning?

I started planning it about two months before I went. I am pretty spontaneous when it comes to travel, sometimes you got to just pick a date and GO! I always start first by picking the cities I want to go to, and then doing research on the neighbourhood I want to stay in. I rented airbnb apartments in a lot of the places I went, so my first priority was to get those booked. I also rented out my apartment on airbnb at home so I wasn’t wasting my rent money while I was away. Then the more fun research on things to see in those cities started about a month before I left!

How did you research the most intriguing places to visit? It’s really a mixture of recommendation sources. I am grateful to have an online community of people on Instagram that I can ask beforehand. I also research »hip things to do« in the neighbourhoods I’m staying. Usually places with a design sense and cool interiors are labeled »hip«. I am also not afraid to ask anyone and everyone for tips! The best is to ask the locals. My airbnb hosts gave me

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tons of awesome leads, and then from there you can ask the people that work in THOSE spots where you should go next. The best part about travelling for a longer period of time is that you don’t feel the pressure to have all of your days planned in advance. You can just stumble upon gems, and take it easy. My favourite way to travel is just trying to emulate what it actually feels like to live there! Do as the locals do, :)

What was your favourite moment of the trip? My favourite city that I travelled to was Amsterdam. I think I remember sitting in a café with a few friends and saying it was one of the happiest days of my life! We went to the tulip fields, took pictures, wandered around the charming streets in the Jordaan, had wine and good food. It was the BEST!

Did you meet any locals? Yes, quite a few actually! The people in Amsterdam were especially friendly.

Any accommodations especially recommend?

you

would

I loved this airbnb that I stayed in! The perfect neighbourhood, a cool interior, and a lovely host.

Any souvenirs you brought home? I am not a huge shopper myself, but I did buy a new watch and a vintage coat

GRAND TOUR

that I fell in love with. Other than that, I collect postcards and paper products from art stores.

What does travelling mean for you? I honestly think travelling makes me a whole person. I learn so much about myself, about others, about creativity, about history, about communication. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what helps me grow in all areas of life.

What was the most interesting new thing you took from your trip? Well, I had no idea that a lot of the spas in Germany are nude AND mixed boys/girls. It was quite a liberating experience and taught me a lot about how differently people can live.

How do you prolong the travel vibe in everyday life? As much as I love travel, it also helps me to appreciate being home and all the things I love about Los Angeles. I take a ton of photos and document everything on my blog so I can remember just how I felt while en route. Then I take a few months to enjoy being home before dreaming up where I would like to go next!

Issue 19 | June 2015

THe Grand TOur par t II

Breanna Rose

I am Breanna Rose

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GRAND TOUR

photos by Breanna Rose taken in Prag ue & Rome

After finishing school, graphic designer and art director Breanna Rose immediately founded her own design studio, Rowan Made . Breanna is also a co-founder of the online workshop BeFree, Lance where creatives from all around the world can learn all about freelancing. Today, Breanna Rose is working and blogging from Minneapolis, giving her readers a special and personal insight into her life, combining beautiful photography and witty writing with a clean layout. Whether she is sharing inspirational moodboards or introducing her favourite designers, Breannas blogposts are visually unique and refreshing.

What was your itinerary for your European summer trip?

alleyways, laughing, and enjoying some amazing food (and gelato).

Have you been to your travel destinafriends this summer and our itinerary tions before? I went to Europe with two of my best

consisted of visiting Rome and Prague, with a few day trips sprinkled in between. We kept the whole thing very relaxed and simply decided what we wanted to do on a daily basis. Of course there were the more »touristy« things to check off our list, like The Vatican, Roman ruins, etc., but our favourite days were spent slowly wandering

Growing up, my family didn‘t travel outside of the United States, so I only very recently started venturing over to Europe. That said, Rome and Prague were both completely new to me! Luckily, one of my friends who came along on the trip studied abroad in Rome during undergraduate school, so she was amazing at showing us

Issue 19 | June 2015

around and knowing exactly where to go. That was a major help!

What was the reason for the trip?

The two friends I travelled with had been planning this trip for almost two years, and I wasn‘t sure if I‘d tag along or not at first, wary of committing to something so far away. But last January, when they updated me on their plans, I was all in! Timing wise, this trip came at a perfect moment for me, as I‘ve spent the last 3-4 years heavily focusing on my business and stressing out a little too much, if I‘m being completely honest. I used this trip as a break for perspective and didn‘t work whatsoever. It was just what I needed, and I‘ve returned feeling more relaxed, focused, and motivated than ever!

When did you start planning? How did you go over the planning? As I said before, my two friends started planning this trip over two years ago, throwing around destination and itinerary details. I didn‘t come into the picture until January, when they had already settled on the cities they‘d like to see. But once I officially came on board, we spent a lot of time researching places to stay, booking affordable flights, checking out day

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trips and thinking about some of the things we‘d like to see. My favourite thing is food (go figure), so I personally enjoyed reaching out to locals about the best places to eat in their cities!

How did you research the most intriguing places to visit? I‘m a big fan of seeing cities as the locals do, so I reached out (via my blog and social media) to those who either live in Rome or Prague, or have visited themselves, for recommendations. By the time we left, I had emails full of restaurants, museums, shops, special sites and so much more to check out. I saved most of them into my offline map app (Pocket Earth), knowing that if we passed something, we could easily stop by and check it out!

What was your favourite moment and spot of the trip? My favourite moment of the trip would be any time we simply wandered around, without much of a plan. More

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Issue 19 | June 2015

often than not, we stumbled upon the most beautiful alleyways, with vines crawling up buildings hundreds of years old, something you just don‘t see in the States. I could do that for hours, anywhere and everywhere! My favourite spot of the trip was hands down Osteria Dell‘Anima in Rome, a restaurant that had me dying over the best pasta of my life ... ravioli stuffed with pear and cheese, topped with a creamy white sauce and carrot puree. If we would have gone to this spot earlier on in our trip, I can assure you that we probably would have ended up eating there every single day. It was that good!

Did you meet any locals? The only locals we met were the staff at our accommodation as well as our tour guides during our various day trips (to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and Cesky Krumlov). They were all very helpful in sharing information, pointing us in the right direction and generally being pleasant people. I wish we could have met more people, but it just didn‘t happen this time around!

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Any accommodations especially recommend?

you

would For instance, Italians are really

(no answer, we stayed in crappy hostels, haha)

Any souvenirs you brought home? I packed everything I needed for 11 days into a small backpack, so unfortunately, I didn‘t have any room left to bring home souvenirs. If I could have, I would have purchased some Limoncello from Italy to share with my husband and parents! There‘s always next time, right!?

What does travelling mean for you? (relaxation, inspiration, adventure etc.) For me, travelling is a lot of things. There‘s a mix of adventure, perspective, newness and a hint of relaxation. I typically use travel as a way to take a break, let go and simply enjoy my time away. And every time, it‘s been completely rejuvenating.

What was the most interesting new thought you took from your trip?

great at slowing down, something I have difficulties with in my own lifestyle. They take more vacations, stroll slowly and often enjoy dinner for three hours or more. The idea of »slowing down and enjoying the present« is something I‘ll take away from my trip.

How do you prolong the travel vibe in everyday life? I feel like I‘m always thinking about travelling, so I do a lot of research in order to stay excited about whatever is next. We‘re off to Iceland in August for a five day road trip, followed by a few days in Copenhagen, so that‘s what I‘m currently planning and scheming! Other than that, everyday adventures around our own city, Minneapolis, are the absolute best. We love it here and enjoy getting out and seeing more and more of what there is. Sometimes the best things are closer than you think. ;)

I often find myself repeating »somebody lives here, just like this« over and over as I travel and experience new and different ways of living around the world. It‘s eye opening to see how other people live and think about how you can apply it to your own lifestyle.

Issue 19 | June 2015

THe Grand TOur par t III

Anne Sage

The City Sage

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photos by Anne Sage taken at the Italian Riviera

Anne is the co-founder of Rue Magazine and is writing her own blog, City Sage . Focusing on interiors and fashion it was even named a mustread by Martha Stewart Living. After living in San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Georgia, Nevada and even Boston, for one crazy hot summer when she dreamed of being a landscape architect, Anne settled in Los Angeles where she is working as a lifestyle writer, creative director, and social media consultant.

What was your itinerary for your European summer trip? Back

flew

with

the

days

Norwegian

Airlinesthrough Copenhagen to Nice. Once in Nice, I met with my travel group and we drove by van to Alassio, a small seaside town on the Italian Riviera. I was in Alassio for five days before returning to Nice, spent an evening in the city, and then departed back to the US the following morning!

Have you been to these destinations before? I had been to Nice as a teenager but never to Italy. In fact, this was my first time overseas since I was 18, and I was more than a little nervous!

What was the reason for the trip? I was incredibly fortunate to be attending a styling and photography run by my friend and workshop veteran stylist Annette Joseph. While there, not only was I learning as one of the workshop participants, I also gave a talk on how to use social media to promote your business.

When did you start planning? I was very lucky that my hostess, Annette Joseph, is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the region of Italy in which we were staying. It’s rare for me to trust someone to design my experience for me, but Annette’s taste is impeccable. I knew she’d choose the best of

Issue 19 | June 2015

everything, from accommodation to dining and beyond, and she didn’t lead us astray! This taught me a valuable travel lesson, whenever possible, ask for recommendations from a friend whose taste is the same as yours, rather than relying solely on internet reviews.

What was your favourite moment of the trip?

We enjoyed dinner at Pizzeria La Lanterna , which is literally on the beach just meters from where the waves wash ashore. We dined as the sun sank below the horizon and the sky turned from indigo to black. Chef and owner Matteo gave us the royal treatment with endless mussels, octopus, and tuna carpaccio, homemade limoncello, and of course the best pizza I’ve ever had! Then as we were leaving, Matteo’s mother ran out from the kitchen where she’d been working and offered us a plate of her secret recipe chocolate salami drizzled with hot fudge sauce. The whole night was heaven from first bite to last!

warm and welcoming. For example, when I wandered into L’Eden , an organic food store full of local Ligurian specialties, shopkeeper Mariana made excellent suggestions of gifts to take to my family in the US, and she even sent me home with a free sample of her own pesto. And at the apparel store Eleganza , not only is each item of clothing gorgeous, but thanks to the friendly staff, shopping there feels more like socialising with girlfriends who can predict exactly what you’ll love!

Is there any accommodation you would especially recommend? In Alassio we stayed at the Borgata Cantone B&B , and I cannot recommend this beautifully restored country house highly enough! The rooms are breathtaking, and the views are stunning. Plus the proprietors Vicki and Emanuel spoil their guests with delicious food and abundant amenities. I’ll definitely be returning, and want to bring my family and friends with me this time!

Did you meet any locals?

Are there any souvenirs you brought yourself home?

I didn’t just meet any locals, I fell in love with them! The Italians are so

I bought a white button-down shirt! It’s crisp and beautifully tailored, and

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every time I wear it I’ll remember all the chic Italian women I met on my trip!

international travel doesn’t have to be

What does travelling mean to you?

the language, but in the end I had a

This sounds so mushy, but travel immerses me in feelings of love and gratitude. I get such a rush of positivity from seeing how people around the world live their lives in familiar ways: mothers caring for their children, old friends gathering for a meal or lovers stealing a kiss. Plus travel also reminds me how much I love my own life back in the US and how thankful I am to have a loving home to return to!

some more travelling. It was nice to

stressful! I was anxious about jet lag, unfamiliar foods and not speaking wonderful time and can’t wait to do show myself that I can be comfortable with a little discomfort!

How do you prolong the travel vibe in your everyday life? I love to keep the travel vibe alive when I return home by getting into the kitchen and preparing food that reminds me of my trip! In Italy I met the lovely food blogger Giulia of Jul’s

What was the most interesting new thing / idea / thought you took from your trip?

Kitchen

For me, this was a valuable opportunity to prove to myself that

of the recipes and relive my Italian

and

purchased

her

cookbook. I can’t wait to cook some adventure!

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LAY O UT ENA

L _HE IKO MEL V TEXT_LUISA SANCELEAN 42

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Descape » Desk & Escape

Annual leave is most people’s main source of regeneration in the year’s calendar. This is when we recharge our battery for the daily routine at home. We’re inspired by strolls along the stalls of a market in Morocco, we relax by the Mediterranean, we employ all the signs and gestures we can think of to make that cabby in Shanghai understand where we want to go. It’s our chance to switch off the auto-pilot, entertain idle thoughts and see the world in a whole new light. Some even bid goodbye to the daily grind for extended periods and go on a sabbatical – an entirely separate level of break-taking. But have you ever thought about asking the travel agent for a short trip to another profession to escape your office routine? That’s exactly the service Berlinbased startup Descape provide.

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Is the air in your office getting heavy? Are the thoughts in your head going in circles? Is the last shred of your creativity about to drown itself in a cup of cold coffee? If you answered yes then you either need a holiday in which you can sit and relax under a palm tree, or you should visit descape.de. With her unique service, Lena Felixberger offers the perfect desk-escape – an The most popular escape from your desk – be it for a day Descape is being a or for several weeks. carpenter.

»I‘d had this dormant notion for some time before it emerged as a fully formed idea« says Lena, who finished vocational training, studied Communication Design and worked as a copywriter in an advertising agency. Not the straightest path to her current job, but the Descape founder has always had an interest in more than just one industry, and doesn’t like having to choose. She enjoyed her job at Jung von Matt in Hamburg which afforded her creative freedom as well as the chance to constantly learn about new subjects. But the thought of still sitting on that same swivel chair at 60 wasn’t one she liked to entertain, and in her

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Descape is the world’s first service provider of its kind.

mid-twenties she wasn’t the only one thinking along these lines. Many of her friends and colleagues shared her worries. »We all thought ›This is the job I do now, but I am not going to do this forever‹« says Lena. But what’s the alternative?

POSTCARD

The idea to build a job-exchange community came to her in 2010 in the wake of the emergence of services like Airbnb and city car sharing programs. So she set out to design the world’s first peer-to-peer market. »Peerto-peer makes it sound quite technical, but it highlights the difference of our community. We’re very different from services like Jochen Schweizer or Mydays which mainly seek to provide an adrenalin rush« she details. In 2014 Lena founded Descape with her business partner Heiko Strubel. In early 2015 they took Jens Ehne onboard as another co-founder.

Their main goal is to offer an escape from sitting behind your desk all day every day. »The idea that people want to flee their desks was our first operating assumption. That’s how we picked our company name. And our customers

Issue 19 | June 2015

have absolutely confirmed this hypothesis: They want to try something completely different for a day; like being a craftsman such a carpenter or brewer, or just working outside, and they choose the job that is the farthest from their daily routineÂŤ explains Lena.

The Berlin-based company currently offers 40 different Descapes with more being added constantly. Customers can register their ideal job and look forward to soon spending a day as a baker or gin distiller. But even the jobs already on offer are pretty exciting: Looking for something exotic? Go to Costa Rica and be a jungle ranger for a day. Build your own surf board in Portugal. Help with the olive harvest in Spain. Crafts, sports, a culinary touch, working with animals, the jobs offered on Descape are as varied as the customers who do them. ÂťOur core target group have been in their current professions for 10 to 15 years, pouring all their drive and dedication into their career. But now they experience a certain level of disenchantmentÂŤ Lena continues. For those people Descape provides a solution to a genuine problem. Before, it was all but impossible to just try out a different job without resigning

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your old one or taking unpaid leave. You couldn’t just take a leave

of absence – let alone to gain work experience in another field. But there is still a lot of educating to do: »Understanding that this is even possible requires a whole new mindset. People have to understand that this can be a part of their daily routine« says the founder. First jobbers and students tend to be far more enthusiastic and appreciate the chance to try different things on a Descape. It’s important not to take the second part of the company’s name, »escape«, too seriously. The service is not about an escape into a fantasy world. Descape markets itself as a down-toearth service which can be integrated with your daily life. The idea is to promote a new concept of work and life – not just for generation Y – so people of all ages and at all professional levels get a chance to learn more about different jobs and industries. New ideas for their daily routine are often taken away as is the insight

Descapes start from 50-75 Euro with the most expensive option setting you back a 4 figure sum.

POSTCARD »NO TO NINE TO FIVE«, A PUN BASED ON THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE GERMAN WORDS FOR NINE (NEUN) AND NO (NEIN)

Issue 19 | June 2015

that certain conditions are actually preferable in a customer’s current job. »We all need new experiences to stay inspired and focused« Lena insists. Lena, founder of Descape: »We‘ve done our job right when the customer is inspired and goes back to their job with freshly charged batteries».

She also has a piece of advice for anyone wondering if a Descape might be for them: »Descapers need curiosity and openness. They have to be willing to look beyond their horizon and be genuinely interested in other people and their life concepts«.

With the number of Descape options growing, a re-vamp of the online platform descape.de is high on the list of things to do for the three founders, »We’re currently enhancing our community features so customers will find it easier to get in touch with a provider, ask their questions and search the calendar for available slots «.

POSTCARD »BROADEN YOUR HORIZON PAST THE EDGE OF YOUR DESK«

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FOUNDER Lena Felixberger

Heiko Strubel After his studies in Communication Design Heiko Strubel worked for several years as U1/UX designer in a Berlin start-up. His idea of Descape was the result of his desire to develop professional knowledge and skills without quitting his job.

Further informations: descape.de facebook.com/descape.de twitter.com/DESCAPE_de

Lena Felixberger is a classical ÂťDescaperÂŤ: After her craft training she decided to study Graphic Design - to become a writer after all. After several years in the agency world she was driven by the question: What is yet to come? This resulted in a new business idea and another job: entrepreneur.

Issue 19 | June 2015

DUFFLE BAG Greece

Welcome to greece

photos: Sivan Askayo

Eleni Psyllaki

My Paradissi On her blog My Paradissi Eleni writes about interior desig n, decor and her home, Greece.

Favourite town It must be Rethymnon in Crete. It is more like a big village with a gorgeous old city extending by the seashore and the most hospitable people. I sometimes feel Rethymnon is kept rather intact by the mass tourism wave. Also, I have to have a special mention on Athens. Being the heart of the country, one must definitely visit this multicoloured and vibrant city to catch up with the ancient modern Balkan way of life.

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DUFFLE BAG More about the Greek island Milos (here )

Best beach

Komos beach in southern Crete. Expect crystal clear waters and a long, sandy seashore that extends as far as the eye can see. The beach is big enough to feel like you are alone no matter how many people are actually there with you.

Best blog to day-dream

Corina’s blog Cocorrina and her instagram account (@corinanika ) are totally lustworthy, crammed with amazing images of her island, Kefalonia. Also, check out the aegeanpan blog for snapshots of the everyday life on a greek island.

Best time to travel

I love September. It is still warm (considerably hot most of the times) but not as windy as July or August. Also, the official greek holiday season (that’s August) is over and kids are back to school so most places are not that crowded.

photo: Kitchen Alchemist

Essential luggage

Sunscreen and a hat to protect from the harsh summer sun, flats to stroll around the stone island streets with ease, a good book to read those relaxing hours by the sea and a large appetite for all the delicacies you’ll be coming across. Blogger special with recipes from the sea (here )

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The sisterMAG brought to you by VICHY

Issue 19 | June 2015

The sisterMAG brought to you by VICHY UV radiation, which comprises radiation of wavelengths between 100 nanometres (nm) and 400 nm, is the most energy-rich part of optical radiation. It is invisible to humans and divided into the following subtypes:

UVC radiation

UVB radiation

UVA radiation

has the shortest waves and hence the highest energy level of all types of UV radiation. It is completely absorbed by the upper layers of the atmosphere so no natural UVC radiation reaches the earth’s surface.

also known as medium waves. It is high in energy and depending on the condition of the ozone layer it is also absorbed, albeit not fully: about 10% of high energy UBV radiation reaches the earth’s surface. Where the ozone layer is no longer intact, a higher percentage of UVB radiation might reach the surface.

the closest subcategory to visible light is also known as long wave light. As opposed to UVB and UVC, UVA radiation reaches the earth's surface largely un hindered.

wavelength: 280-100nm

wavelength: 320-280 nm

wavelength: 400 – 320 nm

UVA-/UVB-mnemonic UVB = Burning / Tanning UVB shortwave

UVC twave r o h s mely e r t x e

YE A L NE O OZ

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UVA = Aging, Allergies

UVA longwa ve

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The strength of UV radiation on the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface depends to a great extent on the respective latitude: The closer to the equator your position, the stronger the UV radiation. Radiation is generally stronger during the summer months and the elevation of a location also matters. To determine the effectiveness of a sun screen the so-called UV index is consulted.

This gives details about the radiation intensity of a specific location. The UVI is published by the German Meteorological Service (DWD) and the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and updated daily. It can be accessed here . Issue 19 | June 2015

Negative effects

Positive effects UV radiation is beneficial for our

Acute

damages

wellbeing and increases the amount

sunburn,

photo-induced

of Vitamin D naturally produced by our

rashes and photodermatitis as

bodies. Vitamin D is essential for our

well

bones, muscles and immune system.

(a reduction of the efficacy of

Depending on a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age, 15 minutes

your immune system); chronic

of average sunlight to the face and hands

damages include photoageing

are sufficient to guarantee an adequate

(dermatoheliosis), skin cancer

supply of Vitamin D. Furthermore, UV

and again immunosuppression.

include skin

immunosuppression

radiation is also therapeutically useful.

UV-B

ACUTE DAMAGES CHRONIC DAMAGES

UV-A

280-320 nm

280-400 nm

sun burn

photodermatitis

immunosuppression photoageing (dermatoheliosis) skin cancer immunosuppression

The purpose of a sun screen is not to extend possible sun exposure but to support the health promoting effects of a reasonable stay in the sun!

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Issue 19 | June 2015

When is your skin most at risk from the sun? nn Adequate protection is especially important for certain risk groups to protect their skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health in times of direct sun exposure: nn Children whose sun related injuries can accumulate during the course of their lives; children also tend to spend more time in the sun than adults, up to three times longer, three times as often nn Those with a propensity for light eruption (including herpes, photodermatitis, phototoxic skin responses etc.) nn Those on certain types of regular medication (including antibiotics, sulphonamide, tretinoin, diuretics etc.): Certain active ingredients increase the skins sensitivity to light while others can trigger phototoxic responses

nn Those with a genetically determined diminished ability to adjust to light, i.e. people of skin phototype I and II as well as those who have had excessive exposure to the sun nn Pregnant women and those on contraceptive medication nn Those with a weakened immune system (like those infected with the HI virus as well as cancer patients etc.)

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Issue 19 | June 2015

WHAT DOES THE SUN PROTECTION FACTOR INDICATE? The sun protection factor (SPF) indicates how much longer you could spend in the sun without you skin turning red using a certain sun screen.

SPF =

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MED with protection MED without protection

MED (Minimal Erythemal Dose): The dose of radiation just high enough to produce skin erythema (redness of the skin).

DUFFLE BAG The intrinsic protection time is the period, in which you can stay in the blazing sun, before you get sunburned:

Phototype

Skin Type

Intrinsic SPF Protection Time

I very sensitive to the sun

CELTIC very bright, pale skin and blue or gray eyes, reddish freckles

max 5-10 min

50+ 40

II sensitive to the sun

BRIGHT SKINNED EUROPEAN bright skin and blue or gray eyes

max 10-20 min

40 30

III normal sensitivity to the sun

DARK SKINNED EUROPEAN light brown skin, dark gray or brown eyes

max 20-30 min

30 20 63

MEDITERRANEAN TYPE olive to dark brown max 30-40 min skin, brown or dark brown eyes

V AFRO-AMERICAN TYPE unsensitive to brown skin, brown or max 40-50 min the sun dark brown eyes

SCHWARZAFRIKANISCHER TYP dark brown to black skin, dark brown eyes

IV less sensitive to the sun

VI very unsensitive to the sun

max 50-60 min

To calculate the protection time, the SPF is multiplied by the self-protection time, whereby many doctors reccomend to use only 60 percent of this time: Inherent Skin Protection [depending on light-protection type]

SPF

60%

[adequate margin]

time of light-protection

Issue 19 | June 2015

YOUR GUIDE TO C O R R E C T LY

1. Apply sun screen generously, carefully and evenly (see previous page) to cover all areas of your skin. Don’t forget your ears, scalp, neck, cleavage, back and the arches of your feet.

2. Apply repeatedly to keep protection intact. This is especially important if you sweat and when you have dried yourself off after swimming.

3. Avoid the strong midday sun. 4. Take extra care of the most exposed parts of your

skin, UV radiation‘s first points of attack: Make sure your head, forehead, nose, ears, neck, shoulders, hands, knees, posterior and the arches of your feet are well covered.

5. Water, sand and snow reflect UV radiation like a huge mirror which means you are not just attacked by the sun but from all sides. Make sure to wear sun glasses with extra UV protection!

6. Apply sun screen particularly thoroughly before going for a swim. UV radiation goes right through the water.

7. A light breeze and a cloudy sky can make the rays of the sun seem less strong. This doesn’t change the amount of UV radiation though so make sure to always apply sufficient amounts of sun screen.

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8. Even the highest SPF does not offer 100% protection from UV radiation. A certain amount of UV radiation will always reach your skin and can trigger beneficial as well as detrimental effects.

9. Keep babies and toddlers out of direct sunlight. They should always wear clothes while in the sun to protect their skin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and their head!

10. Choose sun screen with a high or very high protection factor (in excess of SPF 25).

Issue 19 | June 2015

THE GUIDE TO

Face & Dekolleté

Dose ½ TSP = 2ml

Application 5 dots of cream on the face and 8 dots of cream on the cleavage.

Distribution Spread product quick and evenly on the face. With both hands in turn, spread cream from nose outwards until reaching the ears. Repeat while moving from chin up to cheeks. Spread cream on neck and cleavage with flattening movements from chin downwoards to the beginning of your swimsuit.

Arms

Dose ½ TSP = 2ml

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Application 6 dots of cream or 8 pumps of oil. Spread from back of your hand to shoulders and on front and back of arms..

Distribution Massage product into skin in small, cicular motions from the back of your hand to shoulders, moving over the you inner arm and armpit.

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Stomach & Lower Back

Dose 1½ TSP = 6ml

Application Body Milk: 8 dots+2 on waist. Spray: 8-10 pumps on waist.

Shoulders

Distribution Spread product in clockwise in circular motions with flat hands.

Upper Back

Dose 1 ½ TSP = 6 ml for entire back

Application & Distribution Put your hand with ½ TSP (2ml) cream on the opposite shoulder and support elbow with the other hand. Spread cream beneath shoulderblades.

Application & Distribution ½ TSP (2ml) on the back of the hand and spread from lower to upper back.

Legs

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MILOS PHOTOS: SIVAN ASKAYO Issue 19 | June 2015

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Milos is part of the Cyclades in the Aegeain Sea. It is 11,2 km long and 17,6 km wide, but the sea cuts into the island creating a large bay giving it the shape of a horse shoe. The sea port is situated in the bay, making it one of the Mediterranean'slargest natural harbours. Located about half-way between Creta and the mainland boats are the main mean of transport to and fro Milos.

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Many of the beaches on Milos are surrounded by tiny fishing cottages. Those Syrmatas are build so close to the sea that the ground floor is used as the garage for their boats while the first floor is used as living space. Today hardly any of the Syrmatas are used by fishermen but are rented to mainlanders or tourists as holiday homes.

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According to legends the island was named after its first inhabitant. In Greek mythology Milos is the son of a Cyprian family who was sent to live on the island by the godess Aphrodite after his parents committed suicide. The more widely believed theory is that it derives from the old prehellenic word »βήλος« meaning sheep.

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Continuously inhabited for more than 5000 years Milos quickly established itself as one of the most progressive cities in the Mediterranean in Ancient Greece. Through mining the black vulcanic rock obsidian it prospered and became a centre for trade. One of the most famous antique scultpures was discovered on Milos in the 1820s. The Venus of Milo shows the Greek godess Aphrodite and was discovered in ruins close to the village Tripiti and is now dislayed in the Louvre in Paris. After the collapse of Ancient Greece Milos was repeatedly fought over and rules by the Romans, Byzantians, the Ottomans and even Nazi Germany during WWII.

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With more than 70 beaches Milos offers the perfect spot for everyone, may it be white sand, volcanic rock or even deap sea caves surrounded by ancient runes like in Papafragas. Along the coast are many old caves that were once used as hide-outs by pirates.

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2009 the Christian synod declared the island sacred as it contains the oldest Christian monument known today. The catacombs are in caves close to the village Tripti. As early as the 2nd century BC they were used as the muncipal cementery of the island and later as the first gathering (and hiding) point of the first Christians living there.

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BLOGGER SPECIAL

RECIPES FROM THE SEA

Greece â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with a holiday in Mediterranean countries a lot of people link this to an visiti at an excellent fish resturant with sunset view by the sea. Therefore, recipes with and around fish should'nt be missed in this issue of sisterMAG. We've gathered inspiration from the blogger world and present to you some tasty maritime recipes on the following pages!

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SALMON & EGG STUFFED AVOCADOS This recipe is by Rachel who is blogging at Grok Grub . You can find her original post with the recipe here .

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

4 avocados

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220° C.

4 oz smoked salmon 8 eggs

salt black pepper chili flakes fresh dill

2. Halve the avocados, remove the seed. If the hole looks small, scoop out a small bit at a time until it can hold an egg. 3. Arrange the avocado halves on a cookie sheet, and line the hollows with strips of smoked salmon. Crack each of the eggs into a small bowl, then spoon the yolks and however much white the avocado will hold. 4. Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper on top of the eggs, to taste. 5. Gently place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes. 6. Sprinkle chili flakes and fresh dill on top and serve warm.

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N E

W S

BAKED FISH WITH TARTAR SAUCE Georgia has been posting classic comfort food with a twist on The Comfort of Cooking since 2010. You can find her take on the British classic fish & chips here .

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BEETROOT RISOTTO WITH ZANDER For more than 5 years now Denise shares her favourite recipes on Foodlovin' . The for the beetroot risotto with zander and coconut foam can be found here .

INGREDIENTS 500 g Zander filet 2 TBSP Coconut Oil 1 organic lime 250 g risotto rice 2 beetroots 1 shalott 1 TBSP butter 150 ml red wine 1 l vegetable stock 40 g Parmesan 1 TBSP Butter 150 ml Coconut Milk Fresh coriander

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Peel the beetroots wearing gloves and dice them (1 x 1 cm). Peel shallot and dice finely. Heat vegetable stock in a pot and keep warm with less heat (must not cook). 2. Heat 1 TBSP of butter in a pot and sweat shallots. Add rice and roast. Add beetroot and mix well. Add wine to deglaze and let the mixture boil down. 3. Slowly add vegetable stock and boil down while stirring. Continue until risotto is al dente (after about 20-30 minutes). Keep risotto warm and rinse/clean fish, pat dry. Heat the coconut oil in a pan and roast the fish (skin in pan) until crispy. Flip and leave until cooked though. Season the fish with lime peel and salt. 4. Re-heat risotto and add parmesan. Stir in 1 TBSP of butter until molten 5. Heat coconut milk in small pan, season with a dash of lime juice and mix with a hand blender until frothy 6. Put the risotto and fish on a plate, drizzle coconut froth on top. Garnish with fresh coriander.

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BLACKENED FISH TACOS To get Morgan's full recipe for those delicious fish tacos visit Host the Toast .

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SPANISH COD ONE POT Hannah posted this recipe on her blog The Kitchen Alchemist .

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INGREDIENTS 100g diced chorizo 1 pinch saffron threads 1 large glass white wine 250â&#x20AC;&#x2030;ml chunky passata 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1 can chick peas 1 large red onion 2 cloves garlic, 250 ml chicken stock 2 lemons (juice) 2 tsp sugar Fresh flat leaf parsley Olive oil for cooking Sea salt and black pepper Samphire & butter to serve

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a cooking pot with a lid, fry the chorizo in a little olive oil until it starts to char at the edges, then remove it with a slotted spoon and put it in a bowl until later. With the oil in the pan add the finely diced onion and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes until softened, then add the minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. 2. Next add the saffron, wine, stock, passata and sugar, bring to a simmer gently with the lid on and taste after about 10 minutes, adding salt and pepper as needed. 3. Next, add the washed and drained chick peas and lemon juice, cooking for around 5 minutes with the lid off, and place the cod fillets in to the pan with the chorizo, nudging the chick peas out of the way so the cod is partly under the sauce. Put the lid on and simmer gently for around 8 to 10 minutes, spooning the sauce over it a couple of times as it cooks. 4. Remove the lid and scatter with the fresh parsley mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil. Serve at the table in the cooking pot. (The cod continues to cook in the residual pan heat.) Serve with samphire thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooked in boiling water for 4 minutes and been dressed in a little butter.

Issue 19 | June 2015

Turn your headphones into statement pieces! Thea shows you how to turn your simple headphones into unique accessories in a few easiy steps.

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EMBELLISHED HEADPHONES

Here you can find a handy video tutorial . (The instructions are in German but the video is easy to follow and selfexplanatory.)

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MARBLED IPHONE CASE In this DIY the sisterMAGteam shows you how to make your own marbled iPone case - it's easy and extremely quick. The best thing: you only need your favourite nail varnish.

Here you can find a detailed and a handy video tutorial . (the instructions are in German but the video is easy to follow and self-explanatory.)

Issue 19 | June 2015

text: Ira Häussler

illustration: Mathilde Schliebe

Driving through Berlin you can’t help but notice an increasing number of charging stations for e-cars. They are a sign of an innovative way of transport which seems is becoming more and more popular. So, sisterMAG decided to take a closer look at the trend. Automobile manufacturers are coming round to the idea of producing more environmentally friendly cars. Attitudes are changing but the process is still at the beginning, an especially interesting time to examine the impending upheaval. As with other paradigm shifts the question is which horse to back. Manufacturers opting for the right standard now will

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gain a head start on their competitors that is likely to last for years. It’s what happened to Apple in the development of smart phones. While German manufacturers have spent the past decade focusing on improving diesel engines - by increasing mileage and reducing emissions – brands like Toyota and Prius turned their attention to hybrid drives which combine an electric and a combustion engine in a low-emission propulsion which uses fewer fossil fuels.

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In the coming years, a noticeable increase in the share of hybrid and electronic cars is expected supported, at least in part, by policies and political strategy: congestion charges, higher taxes for high emission vehicles and savings for those choosing environmentally friendly cars (including tax cuts and free parking) will have an impact on the demand for hybrid and electric cars. The German government anÂ nounced it was hoping that by 2020 no less than 1 million such cars would have been sold. This will probably turn out to be an overly positive estimate and

quite impossible to reach as many potential buyers are still put off by the comparatively high initial cost as well as the comparatively low range e-cars tend to have. Experts expect, however, that once prizes have come down a bit and the market reaches a critical mass it will then continue to develop faster than can be reasonably estimated now. Even to the point where e-cars will become the norm and traditional manufacturers will have to adapt. Tesla have put a whole new spin on the electric car. Their new and luxurious interpretation of the concept car features the most modern conveniences including the largest integrated touchpad of any car so far. In their sales operations as well as in the actual operation of the car itself, Tesla explore new ways to do business: They are building a global net of Âťsuper chargersÂŤ, charging stations which fully recharge any car in around 30 minutes. This added infrastructure makes recharging a vehicle much more convenient. You get a chance to take a break and an app will let you know when

Issue 19 | June 2015

your car has been recharged. They have updated and modernized the process of buying cars, too, and you can actually order online. On top of all this, driving a Tesla is also great fun: the Model P85D will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds. All this goes a long way towards explaining how Tesla, despite their comparatively low total sales figures, have claimed a pioneering role in the development of e-cars.

One story which has remained relatively untold until now, though, is that of electric car safety. In all of the standard

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categories that apply to car safety, e-cars score just as well as â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if not better than â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ordinary cars but when it comes to the battery, caution may be advised: in a crash it could actually explode and endanger the people inside the vehicle. A problem for road users is the lack of engine sounds. E-cars are so quiet that they seem to sneak up on pedestrians and cyclists rather than approach in the easily noticeable manner of a combustion engine-powered car. Environmentalists claim that the production of e-car batteries has a detrimental effect on the environment and that the question of their disposal hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t

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been thoroughly addressed yet either. Controversy also surrounds road-side charging stations because sourcing the electricity dispensed from highly pollutive power plants, like coal, actually renders the entire project environmentally harmful by shifting the emission load from combustion engines to highly pollutive power plants. This, of course, makes the idea of the ZEV – zero emission vehicle – a highly theoretical construct. Looking way into the future most people think of cars as self-driving, noiseless vehicles gliding along the streets while the people on board relax, have a chat or enjoy the passing landscape. It will be at least another 20

years before the so-called piloted might be a reality but some early versions already exists, like the Ford Focus we presented in sisterMAG N° 16 . The future of the car is definitely exciting, and a closer look at current developments is very rewarding but many projects now in their infancy will not mature and the related ideas will disappear from the market. And yet: given the speed at which the automobile industry is changing and the way in which it is adopting innovative ideas makes it exciting to think of what might be next. And who knows, maybe in 20 years‘ time we will actually take piloted cars to get places.

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Electrifying text: Alex Sutter illustrations: Tina Bergs

It’s 2009 and I find myself for the first time next to a Tesla roadster at the traffic light. Despite the fact that this is happening on a German street and I am riding my bicycle, the sensation leaves me relatively cold. The electric sports car, built in collaboration with English specialists Lotus, is no doubt a looker, but instead of emanating a sonorous bubbling sound while idling at the lights and then driving off with a raucous shriek, the car only hums faintly. And when the two-seater dashes off – admittedly speedily – you can even hear the tires rolling on the tarmac. This strikes me as a weird combination of reason (it’s quiet and doesn’t overdo it on the fossil fuel consumption) and pleasure (driving a sports car, a convertible to boot).

models available at Alamo, our go-

Six years later I am invited by a friend to take the Model S, a sedan Tesla has since developed, for a test drive. My previous experiences with US cars are limited to the brands and

for between 70.000€ and 135.000€

to car rental on vacation in the US: Generously proportioned cars with excellent suspension, the occasional rattling sound and a front-wheeldrive of modest power. I have already read that the Model S’s drive is supposed to be quite remarkable so I am dutifully excited as we make our way to the test drive. Our destination is an industrial site close

the

still-waiting-to-be-

opened new airport in Berlin. It’s Saturday morning and we are greeted by an enthusiastic former BMW salesman in front of a small fleet if Model S cars. Anyone can apply to test drive a Tesla, which depending on the model sell ($78k – $165k). As long as you are in possession of a valid driving license, just fill out the online form and keep your fingers crossed to secure a spot.

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The sales manager will accompany you on your adventure and if you have ever tried your hand (and foot) in one of the famous German or Italian sports car brands you will appreciate the support. »Our« Model S has four-wheel drive and comes with the intermediate engine option »85D« which puts out a very decent 428 PS. You wouldn’t guess it was this powerful from just looking at the car. Its design reminds me of the not very exciting copy of a not very exciting contemporary 102

Jaguar. Getting in I notice several small details which take me back to the Alamo fleet: Door handles, interior panels and coverings are made of plastic and would most likely not tick the QA boxes on a German manufacturers luxury car checklist. I am impressed, however, by a huge screen

which

brings

the

whole

world of the internet straight into the car. The required SIM card will be delivered with the car. Tiny flaw though: The navigation feature isn’t available in network blind spots. Now for the big moment: The sales rep presses the starter button and, as

expected,

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hear…nothing.

The rep takes us on a first slow introductory round along some rural highways and details functionalities and advantages of the Model S. I am impressed by the (electro only) engine’s range of 500 kilometers (~310 miles), the eight years of warranty you get on the lithium-ion battery, the fact that if you buy a new car Tesla will take care of all maintenance costs (including scheduled servicing) and especially their plans to cover the entire European motorway system with a net of so-called super charger stations at which Tesla drivers can recharge their cars for free (!) and using green electricity. Recharging the engine at a super charger takes around 30 minutes which gives you enough time to have a cup of coffee and watch fossil fuels quickly running up a bill in excess of 150€ gurgle into the tanks of similar-sized combustion engine vehicles at the old-style petrol station next door. You can, of course, also charge your car at home which is still very affordable but will take a few hours. If you switch to green energy to charge your car at home, Tesla will even throw in an extra allowance. Another detail

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worth mentioning are two huge trunks, one in the front, one at the back, which make the Model S a truly family-friendly car. Now it’s our turn! Handling of the Model S is intuitive and simple. Any important

information

clearly

displayed on the large screen. So we confidently pull out of the drive and onto the highway. We choose the instruction »gas« and the two-ton sedan accelerates with impressive pull. In the mere blink of an eye we have reached the speed limit of 100 km/h (62mph). The wide and stable tires make for full road contact and thanks to the battery’s location in the centre of the chassis it feels like you’re in a mid-engine sports car. At high speed it’s no longer quiet either: the noise the tires make on the tarmac and the sound of the wind are quite distinct. At an average (German) motorway speed of between 130 km/h and 150 km/h (80 mph – 93mph) this Tesla is a decent saloon option for long journeys. At the end of the ride I have all but forgotten the haptic issue I had with the plastic panels. The fabulous electric

encompassing warranty, service and charger stations have won me over. This time, they have absolutely nailed the balance between reason and pleasure and were I to consider buying a new car, the Model S would be a strong contender. As soon as I figure out where to get the 100.000€ (£75k) Tesla are asking... 2016 will see the launch of another model: Tesla Model X will be a 7-seater with wing doors and is also expected to be more affordable. Tesla founder Elon Musk (who had already been part of the founding team of PayPal years before turning his attention to cars) meanwhile is already contemplating the more distant future of mobility: »Hyperloop« will see manned pods hovering on air cushions shot through twin tubes. With a maximum speed of 1.220km/h (760mph) this mode of transport could cover 600 kilometers (370 miles) in 30 minutes. »Space X« is designed to bring down the cost of space travel and make the idea of living on other planets an actual possibility. I can’t wait for my test ride!

drive with its uninterrupted traction effort and the visionary concept

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function design

design

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art makes

URBAN CYCLING text: Lukas Grenzlehner photos: Cristopher Santos Issue 19 | June 2015

Today’s modern bicycles retain almost none of what won their p redecessors the imaginative name »bone s hakers«. Bicycles are no longer rickety implements made of rusty tubes which creak and groan with each move – charming maybe but m ostly annoying. Neither is their existence confined to that of a trusted means of transport. Bicycles have be-

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come a matter of passion. The bone shaker has been replaced by a de-

style. Important business meetings, hauling your children from one end of the city to the next, a night at the theatre? You name it - your bike will get you there. Bicycles have long been a part of our society, but while for many years one mostly either cycled for sport or to support a policy, a new demographic of cyclists has emerged: Stylish bicycle riders with a penchant for design and quality.

Whether you prefer pendable compaa leisurely cruise in nion through the the sun or want to city jungle perfecget from A to B with tly tailored to each speedy agility, there owner’s needs is a perfect city bike and specifications, out there for everespecially in terms yone. Choosing a of style. bicycle is as much Reliable features are supported by an an emotional expression as a glimpse appealing design. The bike is many into the future: Who am I now? Who a girl’s man for all seasons. From do I want to be? getting your shopping safely from the Available frames cover a wide range market to the fridge to taking you to from classic shapes which have been the lake on Sunday – a bike gets you much the same for many decades to where you need to go on time and in flamboyant futuristic varieties with

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I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE Issue 19 | June 2015

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sophisticated technical features. Although a good many manufacturers have moved their production to Asia, there are still a few choice European brands which have been building excellent bicycles for generations right here. Their strength is tailoring to each customer’s special request. Individual coats of paint, a wooden handle bar or a golden chain are only a few of the options on the menu. The trend helps to cultivate, promote and develop an important traditional craft on this continent.

has been put into optimizing small details. The best way to choose the right bike is to just keep trying until it clicks and you feel that this wonderful piece of metal is like an extension of yourself which will reliably get you wherever life might take you.

But not just the bikes themselves have been through a positive development, the progress made in many associated products has also been very beneficial. Clothing for cyclists has improved dramatically and now ticks all the boxes in terms of fashion as well as practicability. Weather proof materials with inconCurrent steel frames have come spicuous reflecting a long way from grandma’s old bone bits look and feel completely different shaker which was heavy enough to to that outdoor jacket the guy next dislocate your shoulder when trying door always wears. With slim tailoring to carry it down the stairs to the me- which still allows for freedom of motro. Nowadays lighter materials are vement and can easily be adapted to used and much time and dedication any outfit, the city’s cycle paths have

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become positively glamorous. Gone are the days when you had to sneak into the office bathroom and change out of your ugly all-weather gear into the wrinkled business outfit you brought in your bag.

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Modern bikes aren’t even con fined to the street anymore. Smart bicycle furniture seam lessly integrates the bike into the living room, making optimal use of space and optical appeal at the same time. The bicycle’s holy trinity of function, design and art makes it a popular choice to flex your decorative bones, too. Our timelines pay testament to this trend positively bursting with examples of polished frames adorned with brass bells, cup holders and the like.

cities aren’t exactly likely candidates to top a list of great places for urban cycling (yet). An infrastructure along the lines of Copenhagen still seems positively utopian. Around here you are likely to rejoice in the fact that a car isn’t parked on the cycle path or even that there is a cycle pat, at all… Bicycle-only highways or the re-dedication of disused metro tunnels – as wasjust done in London – do not seem very likely.

Most town sand cities, however, seem to be coming round to the idea of entertaining urban cycling concepts, albeit very slowly. And how could they not? More cycling will make city centers less congested, the air will be better, people will be fitter. Cycling is a near perfect manifestation of the independent, environmentallyWhen a society changes its conception minded, spontaneous and creative of something the environment spirit said to be inherent in modern inevitable changes, too. German urban life.

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I M B

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I LOVE MY BIKE

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PICNIC BASKET Croatia

photos: heneedsfood.

A culinary journey through Croatia (here )

Begleite Mela auf ih Andalusien ab Seite

Welcome to

photos: Kreetta Järvenpää

Croatia Tina Carrot Amour De Soi

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On her blog Amour de Soi Tina writes about Fashion, shares her ootds and talks about her favourite beauty products.

Kreetas Croaita from here

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Best Beach

Best Blog

If it’s a Caribbean style beach leading into a turquoise sea you’re looking for Punta Rata in Brela is your best bet! But the bay on Rab Island is absolutely lovely, too. The fine pebble beaches surrounding the islands of Pag and Novalja also come highly recommended. The latter are best accessed by taxi boat.

I love Darko Majic’s Instagram account @darkomajic ! He is an exceptionally talented photographer and captures the most gorgeous beaches and street scenes which in turn capture your imagination.

PICNIC BASKET Best Time to travel

hrem Roadtrip durch e XXX

If you are looking for more than just a relaxing break and also want to party and have tons of fun I suggest going during the peak season – in June, July and August. Personally I prefer to go in late summer – September and October – when the temperatures are still very pleasant but the light gets that much softer and the place isn’t as crowded. It’s also the best time to make a bargain!

Favourite City That’s hard. I am tempted to say Dubrovnik - a gem on the Adriatic! But many other places like Porec, Pula, Rovinj and Zadar have incredible charm and architecture well worth seeing, not to mention the Mediterranean flair which makes Croatia such a special place. I would also urge anyone who can to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park and its absolutely breathtaking scenery.

Definitely sunscreen and, thinking of the devastating floods last year, also insect repellant. Some cool shades and sun protection for your head and a good mood are always a good idea, of course. If you want to use Whatsapp, Facebook and the like on holiday make sure to get a Croatian SIM card (they have instructions in English!) – compared to, say, Germany, the charges are extremely low. Follow the roadtrip through Croatia, Italy and Switzerland (here ) photos: Michael Neubauer

photos: Kreetta Järvenpää

Essential Luggage

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a i t a o r C KOLOČEP AND LOPUD

Sweet Hideaway Islands at the Adriatic Sea

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Text and photos by

KREETTA JÄRVENPÄÄ sister-mag.com

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We travel because we want to see new things, have new exper iences and feel new atmospheres. We travel because we want to see new things, have new experiences and feel new atmospheres. We don't mind if it takes some time to get to our destination. Travelling in itself is an experience. I love to travel by train, which relaxes me from the moment we step aboard. This time our journey took us 3000 kilometers from Finland to Croatia to see the turquoise water and feel the warmth of the Mediterranean. I

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still remember the night we arrived at Kolocep Island. After a few days of travelling it was a wonderful feeling. The place looked beautiful, calm, and promising from the very first moment I saw the coastline of this charming island. With the clear turquoise water in sight, I was excited. Kolocep Island is a small, peaceful hideaway surrounded by the clear and clean water of the Adriatic

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Sea. That's why we went there. Kolocep, along with Lopud, Sipan, and many smaller islands make up an archipelago called the Elaphiti Islands which face an older town known as Dubrovnik. The name »Elaphiti« comes from the ancient Greek word for »deer«, which used to inhabit the islands in large numbers. Only the three main islands are permanently inhabited by humans and accessible in 30 minutes via the Jadrolinija ferry lines. Sipan is the farthest and largest island. Lopud is second in size and is located

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Kolocep is paradise perfect for a romantic and relaxing getaway where time seems to slow down.

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car-free, it was that much more relaxing.

between Sipan and Kolocep. Kolocep is the smallest island and closest to Dubrovnik. We stayed on the islands overnight, visiting Dubrovnik just for the day. With our visiting being in June, the islands werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overcrowded, and with the islands being

Kolocep is paradise - perfect for a romantic and relaxing getaway where time seems to slow down. It has a population of about 200 people, who are spread across two villages, both of which are within within walking distance. The main village of Donje Celo has everything you need: a hotel, harbour, a few restaurants and a tiny grocery shop. There are a few small

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churches and lovely hiking paths to be explored as well. The other village is Gornje Celo. Here you will find a seafood restaurant and a superb, yet modest sandy beach which the locals enjoy. Many beaches in Croatia are pebble beaches, and this is one of few that are mads of sand. The water is clean and clear, perfect for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. Nearby is the Blue Grotto, which you can visit by boat and swim into. This extraordinary sea cave shimmers in reflected blue light from the clear water below. There are a few restaurants on the island with leaving no problem to

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find something to eat. Along with the basic restaurants next to the tiny harbour, there are fancier places such as the Restaurant & Lounge Bar Villa Ruza. Another option is to buy groceries at the local market and cook a meal at home, where you can enjoy the sunset off your balcony. If the grocery shop in town doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for,

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There are a few small chu rches and lovely hiking paths to be explored as well.

Dubrovnik is where you might have better luck. For hotels, there is the lately renovated Kalamota Island Resort. Those wishing to seek cheaper accommodation remove to save a bit of money can easily rent an apartment on the island. We booked an apartment a few months before our trip at a very reasonable price. You can also rent an apartment when you arrive in Dubrovnik but availability isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t guaranteed on an island this small. When stepping off the bus from the city of Split (where the trains let us off), there are also people who show photo books of their apartment for rent - perfect for the spontaneous traveller. After falling in love with Croatia on our first visit, we decided to go back

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and visit Lopud Island with our goddaughter. Lopud is bigger than Kolocep Island and a bit touristy. It has a beautiful sandy beach called Šunj beach, where you’ll find many boats floating on a hot, sunny summer day. If you don’t feel like walking, there are golf carts available as well. In my opinion, Kolocep and Lopud are much more relaxing compared to the old town of Dubrovnik. There are less people, it's not as hot, and it’s easy to spend a full day at the beach. Dubrovnik beaches are crowded with people and can be very hot, but it's still worth a day trip. When you’ve been in the sun all day, a good dinner is always in order. In Lopud, there are quite a few restaurants, fish being a great choice off of a Croatian menu. Just remember when ordering a salad to ask for a »mixed« salad, or you might end up with just a simple portion of tomatoes or cucumbers.

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The combination of the buzzing Dubrovnik and the calm islands nearby is a great way to spend a week (or two) !

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The best restaurant is outside the old town called Tovjerna Sesame, it isa small restaurant with tasty food and a charming owner. My husband had the marinated fish, which he still remembers well. I ate the best fig and parma ham salad I have ever tasted in my life. The combination of the buzzing Dubrovnik and the calm islands nearby is a great way to spend a week (or two)! Explore the walls of the old town centre and experience its unrivalled beauty next to the turquoise sea, shimmering in the hot sun that keeps you coming back for more. n

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from croatia 127

by heneedsfood Cover photo by Kreetta J채rvenp채채 Issue 19 | June 2015

Skampi na buzaru Yummy!

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serves 4 sister-mag.com sister-mag.de

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ingredients

recipe online

1/3 cup virgin olive oil 1/3 cup coarse bread crumbs 1 small onion, finely chopped 6 cloves garlic, finely grated 4 tbsp brandy 3/4 cup dry white wine 2 tbsp tomato paste 400 g tomatoes, puréed 1 tbsp Vegeta to taste (or use salt) 1 tsp freshly milled black pepper 650 g scampi, rinsed & left whole 1/3 chopped parsley

Fresh lemon, to garnish Crusty bread, to serve

preparation Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large pan over medium flame, add the bread crumbs and stir for a couple of minutes until golden. Scrape the crumbs into a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the pan and put it back onto the heat. Pour in the remaining oil and sauté the onion for 1 minute. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 5 minutes until soft. Add the brandy and ignite by tipping the pan so the flame catches it. Alternatively use a match or lighter. Once the flame has gone, add the wine, tomato paste and purée, Vegeta and pepper. Bring to boil then lay the scampi in the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, tuning over once to cook evenly. Gently stir through the bread crumbs and parsley, turn off heat and serve. Squeeze over fresh lemon juice, add more parsley and use bread to mop up the sauce.

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grah 130

Beans

servers 6-8 sister-mag.com sister-mag.de

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ingredients 375 g borlotti beans, soaked overnight (can be mixed with cannellini beans) 2 litres water 500 g bacon bones 100 g celery, chopped (about 1 stick) 50 g red capsicum, chopped 2 bay leaves 1 small onion, peeled & chopped 1/4 cup oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tbsp paprika 1 tbsp flour

Parsley and virgin olive oil, to garnish

recipe online

preparation In a large saucepan add the beans, water, bacon bones, celery, capsicum, bay leaves and onion. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour, or until the beans are soft and wellcooked. In a separate small frying pan, add oil and garlic and cook over low heat until light golden. Remove garlic and set aside. With the oil add the paprika and flour and stir to combine and let simmer for about a minute. Do not burn this. Put the garlic back into this roux. When the beans are cooked remove the bones. Once cool enough to handle, pick the meat off the bones and add it to the soup along with the paprika mixture. Discard the bones. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes and check for seasoning. Depending on the salt content of the bones, you may not even need to add salt. Lots of pepper is fine. Garnish with parsley leaves, a drizzle of virgin olive oil and serve with lots of fresh bread.

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recipe online

ingredients preparation Combine all ingredients, except wafers, in a large bowl and mix until creamy.

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Lay a long piece of plastic wrap or foil (twice the length of the wafers) over the work surface and lay one of the wafers in the centre, waffled side up. Spread with a quarter (250 g) of the chocolate mixture all the way to the edges. Lay another wafer over the top and repeat the process until the final sheet of wafer. Do not spread chocolate over the top layer. Gather the plastic wrap or foil from both sides and wrap the wafer cake well before refrigerating for a few hours or overnight. Cut into diamond shapes before serving.

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1 x 200 g packet wafers (5 sheets) 400 g sweetened condensed milk 250 g unsalted butter, softened or at room temperature 200 g dark chocolate, melted 110 g ground walnuts 1 tsp vanilla extract

Oblatne= chocolate wafer cake

Cut into diamond shapes before serving.

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oblatne

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30-35 pieces

Delicious!

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A History of Picnics

TEXT: LIV HAMBRETT

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Harald SlĂ¸t-Moller: The Afternoon Picnic (1919)

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The word picnic is responsible for a number of delicious associations, fresh air, sunshine, sweet little cakes, something chilled and sipped directly from a bottle, or sparklingly alcoholic poured into a disposable flute. Checkered blankets spring to mind, pretty baskets of thick twine packed full of food that would really taste quite ordinary if consumed inside. Lazy afternoons, half-hearted games played on full bellies, sticky hands from something melted. Depending on where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re from, picnics likely also conjure up images of less lovely things, like persistent insects determined to join in the good time, or sunburn. Picnics mean warmer weather and longer days. They mean hours spent outside the house, lazing about, or making sure toddlers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put too much dirt in their mouths. Picnics are completely and inextricably entwined with irresistible notions of romance and summer.

Fictional Feasts Our fixation with picnics has not escaped the literary eye. Picnics pop up in the pages of countless classics, some more successful than others. Jane Austen fans cringe at the mention of Box Hill and, chapters earlier,

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Édouard Manet – Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (1863) Originally titled »le bain« (the bath) Manet depicts a luncheon on the green. When he finished his painting it was rejected by the Paris Salon and caused quite a stir among the public. With the two fully dressed gentlemen and their lovers in different states of undress it evokes Renaissance paintings, but places them in a lavish bohemian scene contrasted by the still life-like clothes and picnic basket in the front.

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Pierre-Auguste Renoir Le dĂŠjeuner des canotiers (1880-81) Though technically more of a restaurant visit than an actual picnic, Renoir captures the essence of outside eating. At the height of impressionism he captures a vivid moment of the luncheon of the boating party, even including a portrait of his future wife, Aline Charigot, playing with a dog in the lower left corner.

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Humble Origins grimace at the planned inclusion of pigeon pie. The opening pages of Ian McEwan’s »Enduring Love« feature a couple laying out their picnic that will soon be ruined by a hot air balloon. Mole,

from

Kenneth

Graham’s

»Wind in the Willows«, is beside himself at the notion of something so tremendous as a packed lunch of cold chicken, potted meat and ginger beer and famously gasps ›O my! O my! O my!‹. Speaking of potted meat, those who grew up with the institution that was Enid Blyton, routinely read of jolly good picnics taking place in all manner of locations around England, usually featuring ginger beer, tinned pineapple and a large wedge of some sort of cake. Lest you grow concerned England has long had the monopoly on all things picnicking. It is at this point I must mention Picnic at »Hanging Rock«, an Australian novel, in which three schoolgirls disappear, never to be seen again. A little less jolly than Blyton’s delightful feasts, but certainly the most famous picnic in the Australian literary canon.

Despite the word ›picnic‹ immediately guiding our minds towards visions of England’s upper class idly picking strawberries while actively making marital matches, we most likely have the French to thank for the picnic - or at the very least, the word. The general consensus is that ›picnic‹ comes from the French word ›pique-nique‹ which first appeared in print in the 1600s, and described someone who brought their own wine with them when eating outside the home. Picnic then, for a time, defined something more like a potluck dinner that took place in a restaurant or tavern. For the past couple of hundred years, however, picnic has meant precisely what it means today – an outdoors location and a well-packed basket (very well packed if you belonged to the upper echelons of British society). Of course, the act of eating outside was enjoyed by many prior to the 1600s; those for whom hunting was a hobby in the Middle Ages regularly partook in al fresco lunchbreaks. Come to think of it, where do we think the Vikings ate during their repeated rampages well away from home? They

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Nicolas Poussin Le Triomphe de Pan (1635) Even in paintings of Greek mythology picnics have cropped up. This one shows the worship of Pan, the god who releases the inner animal in humans, explaining the state of the snacks and drinks. may not have done it on a blanket, but they most certainly dined outdoors. Even the Ancient Greeks had a word to describe potluck meals which preempted the modern day picnic.

The English Upper-class taking over While the French may have given the English the word for it, they themselves didn’t completely em brace picnicking – indeed couldn’t – until the late 1700s, when parks finally became open to the public after the French Revolution. Over in England,

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meanwhile, picnics were firmly in the domain of the wealthy. No one else could afford the luxury of having staff pack up a feast and ferry the necessary furniture and fine china outside for comfortable

consumption

(most

couldn’t afford to put more than one meal on the table). Thus picknicking remained synonymous with class and money for quite some time. In the Victorian Era, picnicking finally reached

the

masses.

While

the

wealthy were still going overboard, reaching peak picnic sumptuousness, the rest of society cottoned on to how

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a good day of picnicking was almost as good as a holiday. Suddenly picnicking was the thing to do. Newspapers published tongue in cheek guides on how to have the perfect picnic. Mrs Beeton’s »Book of Household Management«, published in 1861, featured a suggested list for a picnic of twenty people. On it, among many other treats were two pigeon pies, one large galantine of veal and a quarter of a lamb.

Elizabeth, popped in for a visit at a

Both German and Swedish had the term picnic (picknick auf Deutsch and also likely coming from pique-nique) before the English did, and Europe in general had a stranghold on the hobby before America joined in. But by the 1900s, picnics had become popular on the other side of the pond as well, and today remain a classic event in the summer calendar.

King shovelled his in with his hands,

Historic Picnics

protest against the Iron Curtain.

Given its decadent ties, you might be surprised to know picnics haven’t always been idle and frivolous, and instead, on several notable occasions, have been used as political moves. The political picnic is a thing. In 1939, for the first time ever, a reigning British monarch visited the USA. King George VI and his wife, Queen

time when the USA’s feelings towards Britan were somewhat frosty, as a result of the former urging the latter to participate in WW1. The King and Queen needed to melt the ice – they needed Roosevelt, the then President of the United States: to help with the next war. The royal pair was invited to a picnic. There, they were offered hotdogs. While the Queen allegedly ate hers with a knife and fork, the and in doing so, legend has it, helped that ice thaw just a little. Another political picnic of note was the Pan European Picnic of 1989, which took place in Sopron, Hungary, along the border between Austria and Hungary. It was organised by the Pan European Union and the Hungarian Democratic Union as a peaceful What began as an event intended to demonstrate the overwhelming wish for the fall of both the curtain and the Berlin Wall, became a key occurrence in a series of events that ultimately brought East and West together. On that day, hundreds of Eastern Germans escaped across the border from Hungary into Austria,

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James Tissot Holyday (1876) Tissot captured a relaxed picnic of the English upperclass of the time. Rich in details - the sleeping chaperone, the couple behind the trees - the choice of subjects is reminiscent of Manet's work, but infused with a hefty dose of British conservatism.

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many helped by the Hungarian border guards who were under instruction from the Hungarian government not to stop anyone fleeing.

Essential Ingredients

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Picnics of yesteryear were a sumptuous affair, with the servants schlepping out fine silver and furniture, and arranging everything just so, all so those in fine frocks could enjoy their feast by the lake, or in the gardens. These days, few of us have the requisite schlepping servants, and the food has changed somewhat – if not simplified – with most cultures possessed of their own picnic must-haves. Germans, for example, see picnicking as essentially interchangeable with the act of grilling. Thus no picnic in the park is complete without sausages, pork, and a small disposable grill. Americans seem to have a thing with hotdogs and coleslaw. Pasta salad seems to be a universal participant. In Australia a picnic isn’t a picnic without alcohol. While a few hundred years ago, people were lounging about on furniture and eating off china, today we are a little less lavish. We’re more likely

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to be stretched out on slightly-toothin blankets, drinking from plastic cups, our bottoms a little sore from the hard ground and our laps bearing the remnants of lunch. But somehow, picnics retain their romanticism. Perhaps it is the sunshine, or the fresh air. Or a touch too much of that tepid Prosecco in your plastic flute. n

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Claude Monet Le DĂŠjeuner sur l'herbe (1865) Monet's work is an answer to Manet's previous piece, but only 2 fragments of the 4,6m x 6m large painting are finished.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder De Oogst (1565) Paintings of picnics tend to focus on them as a leisure activity, but long before this tradition was established all over the world, Bruegel showed it as a few moments of pleasure for the rural poor; a short break from the daily toil for the harvesters.

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One of my happiest childhood memories took place in a tiny village in Saxony called Oberschöna. There, my grandmother owned a small shop, selling countless amount of sweets and beautiful things, which we always helped ourselves with before hopping on our bikes and driving through endless fields. This feeling of freedom and complete and utter untroubled joy during the long, hot summers is one we want to remind you of throughout the following pages. Picnic – the definition of enjoying nature, breathing in fresh, clear air and combining food with a beautiful atmosphere. To see how different picnics can be, we challenged five bloggers to develop different variations of their favourite outdoor feast. , we came up with diffeTogether with our partner rent concepts which were brought to life by Uwe (HighFoodality ), Simone (Fräulein Sonntag ), Steffi (Healthy Happy Steffi ), Deniz (Fructopia ) and Anne (A Cake A Day ) . While creating the recipes, the only thing they had to incorporate were three ingredients, which you can read about on the next page. Last but not least, dear Anette from Lebenslustiger developed the most wonderful packaging ideas which perfectly fit in with . the concept of sustainability from We hope you enjoy reading this article and are inspired to try out some of these ideas at home!

Eure Thea

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Anne from A Cake a Day waited until the first sunny day to photograph our»Quick-and-Easy« picnic. With the three basic ingredients – cafè latte, falafel mix and chickpeas – she conjured a great menu with simple recipes, that are not only photographed at an idyllic sea, but also really tasty and easy to prepare.

3 Favourites Strawberries

Falafel

chickpeas

Picnic menu STRAWBERRY SHAKE MINI-CAFÉ-GUGL FALAFEL WITH FETA-YOGURT-MINT-DIPPING SAUCE CHICKPEAS SALAD

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Falafel with feta-yogurt-mint dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

How to:

―― 1 package of falafel mix ―― 5 Tbsp yoghurt of unskimmed milk ―― 200g soft feta ―― 2 stalks of mint

Prepare the falafel according to package instructions. Mix the yoghurt and feta with a fork in a nice sauce. Stir in the mint and season the dipping sauce with salt and pepper.

Download

5 answers by Anne from acakeaday.com

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A few words about my work

How it all began

Hi, I’m Anne. I’m living in Düsseldorf and I have been blogging for nearly ten years now at A Cake A Day. As the title of my blog already suggests, I enjoy cake very much which is why you can of course find one or two recipes for baked sweets in my blog. But also hearty meals, good restaurants and cafés as well as journeys and city trips make my heart leap. Therefore, A Cake A Day is also about these topics.

I was a sweet little 16 year-old and the German blogosphere was still waiting in the wings. In principle, food blogs didn’t exist at all in today’s sense, but as I was very fascinated by the world wide web and was dealing with Photoshop and HTML I just jumped on the bandwagon and started my first own blog – back then under the domain of www.gutentag.info. So it has been a long and exciting journey until A Cake A Day.

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The perfect meal for outside

salad can be easily prepared. The

Small cakes without cream or filling that you can easily eat with the hand or tasty fresh salads e. g. with bulgur, couscous or quinoa; best served in little nice glasses or paper boxes.

due to the chickpeas and walnuts the

Why these recipes?

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As I already have a sweet tooth I had to choose something like a cake. The Mini-Gugl (ring cakes) can quickly be put into your mouth, all in one piece and they just look sugary on the straws of the strawberry shake. I also had to choose something with strawberries as for me they belong into the picnic basket in summer. The combination of the red fruits with basil is just a dream and the shake provides a lot of power thanks to the superfood chia. The bulgur

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dressing gives it a fresh touch and salad is filling but not hard to digest. Falafels are a tasty classic and do not need hyper-special ingredients. I only prepared a quick feta-yogurtdip that gets its extra kick from a little bit of mint.

Where I like to have a picnic My daily routine doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give me much of a choice. So I go to the city park, the banks of the Rhine or a little beach near the DĂźsseldorf port. But these places help one to come down after an exhausting working day and sweeten your weekend. It only takes good food, some music and my dearest friends around me and a nice day or evening may begin.

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Mini-café-Gugl

ingredients: ―― 70g soft butter ―― 40g sugar ―― 1 egg ―― 50 g flour ―― 40 g ground almonds ―― 8 Tbsp Cafè Latte

Beat the butter and sugar until foamy. Add the egg and stir it in for about one minute. Mix the flour and almonds and stir them in as well. Add the cafè latte at last and mix it well. Pour the dough in the ring cake form and bake the Mini-Gugl in a preheated oven (180°C / 356°F top/bottom heat) for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake form from the oven, let it cool and remove the Mini-Gugl carefully from the form. Put the Mini-Gugl on a straw and serve it with the strawberry shake.

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chickpea Salad

Ingredients: ―― 150g bulgur ―― 1 bunch of spring onions ―― 1/2 bunch of parsley ―― 15 cocktail tomatoes ―― 2 glasses of chickpeas ―― Juice of one lime ―― 4 Tbsp olive oil ―― 1 Tbsp agave nectar ―― Chili flakes ―― 50g walnuts

how to: Prepare the bulgur according to package instructions and put it aside to cool. Remove the spring onions’ roots and cut them into fine rings. Coarsely chop the parsley and halve the cocktail tomatoes. Rinse the chickpeas in a sieve and dab them dry. For the dressing, mix the lime juice, olive oil and agave nectar and season it with chili flakes and salt. Pour all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them well. Serve with coarsely chopped walnuts. Download

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ingredients:

how to:

In a small bowl, put the chia and 5 tablespoons of water and allow chia to swell for a few hours. Rinse the ―― 250g strawberries strawberries, remove the green and cut them in half. ―― 500ml milk Puree them finely with a blender together with the milk ―― 10 leaves of basil and basil. Add the chia and shake well.

―― 1 tsp chia

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strawberry Shake

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In her About section, Deniz decribes living with a fructose-intolerance. This allergy is unknown to most people so there are hardly any recipes or general information about the topic. That is why Deniz shares recipes on her blog fructopia.de. For sisterMAG, she created an entire picnic without fructose and serves it above the city's rooftops.

3 Favourites Millet

wild garlic spread

coconut oil

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Picnic menu BREAKFAST MUFFINS WITH BLUE BERRIES SPELT SANDWICH WITH GRILLED COCONUT-OIL APRICOTS, GOAT CHEESE AND AVOCADO MILLET SALAD WITH WILD GARLIC PESTO, AVOCADO AND STRAWBERRIES BEETROOT HORSERADISH DIP WITH COTTAGE CHEESE BAKED STRAWBERRIES WITH YOGHURT AND OAT-CRUNCHYS

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sister-mag.com sister-mag.de low-fructose

lactose-free

gluten-free

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Millet salad ―― 120g millet ―― 250ml water ―― 1/2 handful of each: parsley, coriander, basil, mint leaves ―― 70 ml olive oil ―― 3 tsp wild garlic spread

Place the millet in a fine sieve and remove the dust by rinsing under running water. Place the millet into a small pot and heat it whilst stirring at medium heat until a light roasted flavour is noticeable. Pour the water in and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and let it soak covered for 10 minutes. For the pesto, rinse the herbs and chop them coarsely. Mix the olive oil, wild garlic spread, lemon juice and salt and stir in the herbs. Season it with pepper, salt and lemon juice.

―― Juice of ½ lemon, more according to taste ―― 1/2 tsp. sea salt ―― pepper ―― 1 avocado ―― 1 handful of strawberries ―― 1 handful of mixed seeds for salad

Dice the avocado and quarter the strawberries. Add the pesto, avocado, strawberries and salad seeds mix to the millet, mix it well and your summer salad is complete.

5 answers by Deniz from fructopia.de a few words about my work Hello, I am Deniz of fructopia. de. For two years now, I’ve been blogging between Berlin, Istanbul and Fructopia about my sugar-free life with a fructose intolerance. If you are like me – and approximately 30% of the German population –

intolerant to sugar, wheat, apples or onions, cooking can easily become a challenge. Still, it does not get boring. At Fructopia, I show how to conjure up juicy cakes, spicy main dishes and fruity sour smoothies without using convenience products, sugar, agave syrup and wheat that are, in addition, good for your hair, figure and digestion.

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spelt sandwich with grilled coconut-oil apricots, goat cheese and avocado

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grilled apricots: ―― 4 apricots ―― 1/2 tsp coconut oil

Sandwich: ―― 4 slices of spelt-bread ―― 1 avocado ―― ca. 100 g fresh goat cheese ―― fresh cress ―― sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven at 200°C/392°F fan for the grilled apricots. Halve the apricots, aremove the cores and cover them with a little coconut oil. Put them onto a baking tray with baking paper and grill them until they are soft. Turn them over after 10 minutes. Toast the green spelt and spelt bread and halve the slices. Place ¼ avocado, goat cheese and two half apricots on the bread. Season to your taste with salt and pepper and garnish with cress. Put the second half of bread on top and wrap it all up. Download

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Tip: It’s best to make a whole tray with grilled apricots and keep them in the refrigerator.

Baked Strawberries with Yoghurt and Oat-Crunchys ―― 500g strawberries

―― 500g yogurt

apricots also taste

―― 1 tsp coconut oil

―― spelt-oat-crunchy

wonderful in a salad!

―― 1/4 tsp aniseed

Take care: Apricots

Heat oven to 180°C/356°F. Clean strawberries and cut in slices. Mix with coconut oil and aniseed and put in casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes until the strawberries are soft. Let cool and layer in a jar with yoghurt and spelt-oat-crunchy. Put in the fridge until cold

These coconut-oil

contain fructose. But normally, one apricot per meal is well tolerated despite a fructose intolerance.

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Breakfast muffins with blueberries

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dry ingredients ―― 50 g millet flocks ―― 50g whole grain buckwheat flour ―― 10g rolled oats fine ―― 1 Tbsp chia ―― 1 cardamom capsule, finely ground in a mortar ―― ¾ tsp baking powder ―― ½ tsp ground vanilla or mark of ½ a vanilla bean ―― ½ tsp dried lemon zest ―― a pinch of salt

liquid ingredients ―― 2 eggs ―― 60 ml rice drink ―― 40g coconut oil ―― 30g white almond cream ―― 1 banana (not overripe)

plus ―― ca. 125g blueberries ―― 40g chopped almonds ―― 1 tsp maple syrup

Preheat the oven at 200°C/392°F upper/ lower heat. Grease the muffin form or put paper muffin liners in. Put all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them well. Separate the eggs carefully and store the egg whites in the fridge. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients to the yolk and pulp them with an immersion blender. If the coconut oil is too firm, melt it in a pot and let it cool for 5 minutes. Beat the egg white until it is stiff and peaks are rising. Use a spoon to fold the flour mix in to the liquid ingredients, add the egg white and only stir until all is equally distributed. Mix the chopped almonds with the maple syrup and put it aside. Half-fill every muffin form with dough, press three blueberries in the middle of each and cover it with a bit of dough so that each muffin form is filled to a maximum of two thirds. This way, the muffins rise nicely in the shape of a dome. Finally, garnish them with 4 – 5 blueberries and the chopped almonds. Bake on the middle rack for 15–18 minutes until golden brown. Don’t forget to test with a skewer or toothpick. Download

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how it all began

why these recipes?

In the beginning, I only wanted to share my experience with fructose intolerance as after the diagnosis, many affected persons are simply overwhelmed by the situation. Instead of moaning along with the others I wanted to show that this intolerance also has some positive aspects and that sugarfree eating can even be fun. That this would end up as a real food blog, actually become a book and even inspire unaffected people I could have never imagined!

My recipes demonstrate that despite some limitations it is not that difficult to conjure a colourful and diverse picnic menu that is easily digestible. I let myself be infected by the general barbecue euphoria that is just getting to us again. Instead of animal products I put seasonal and low-fructose fruits on the grill and combine sweet with salty. My favourite recipe might be the glutenfree breakfast muffins with blueberries, almond cream and chia.

the perfect meal for outSide The perfect meal for outside should be easy to prepare and transport without needing to wrap every single ingredient. Just like the millet strawberry salad with pesto: You already add the dressing at home because unlike green salad this dish only gets better if you allow it to flavour for a while. Millet is so nice and simple, therefore it already is my discovery of the year!

where i like to have a picnic If only the alpine pastures were a little bit closerâ&#x20AC;Ś As the search for mountains in Berlin is in vain and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still longing for lofty heights, crystal clear vastness and dreamy silence I prefer to relocate picnics onto the roofs of Berlin!

Download all recipes Including an additional Beetroot Dip

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With the summertime starting in June is not only the best time of the year to have a picnic in a hidden backyard, balcony or garden it is also the month of cherry picking and the blossem of the queen of all flowers, the rose. A reminder of times long gone when friends where enjoying Afternoon Tea together with some sweet treats in a relaxing atmosphere. We converted the Afternoon Tea into a picnic option making it perfectly suitable for an outdoor teatime. All recipes allow to be prepared in advance the evening before or even in the morning of the picnic. This is the best way to ensure that it will become a nice stressless activity and something quite nice to look forward to.

3 favourites Almond Drink

Amaranth

Morello cherries

Ă&#x2013;

Picnic menu ROSE BLOSSOM SYRUP COLD BREW: WHITE TEA WITH ROSE BLOSSOM BRIOCHE SANDWICHES & SWEET TEA SWIRLS CHOCOLATE-NUT-BLISS BALLS CHERRY-ALMOND-TRIFLE

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Instructions:

Ingredients: ―― 500 ml water ―― 100 g rose blossom ―― 500 g raw cane sugar ―― Juice from one lemon

Rose Blossom Syrup

Clean the petals, cover with the water and let them rest for 12 hours or best over night. Carefully drain the water also removing any remaining water from the petals. Bring the rosewater together with the sugar and lemon juice to the boil and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes until the liquid turns into a nice syrup. Fill the syrup into sterilised bottles and it will keep for at least one year. Download

5 Answers from Simone : by-fraeuleinsonntag.com

A few words about my work I am not the typical blogger as I don't have a real blog, buth rather a portfolio page for my photography and travelling. To spread my philosophy and pictures I rather use Social Networks like Instagram, Facebook or Steller Stories. Born in Hanover, I moved to Berlin almoste over 10 years ago and really love this city. I constantly think about ideas like "Slow Movement" – also in combination with food. People can come together over regional food, they can

exchange opinions, develop ideas and enjoy life in the here and now with good food.

How it all began I see myself as a visual story teller and that's how I started getting into photography. For a while now I got into the Slow Movement and notice how much it moves people who also yearn for deceleration and meaningfulness in life. We can always be online, and yet we need the moments of retreat in order to recharge our batteries. Good

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and healthy food can help this recharging process.

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The perfect dish for outside A very difficult question, which depends on where the picnic takes place. For me a picnic basket has to be filled with fruit – unless there are a lot of wasps – then it is not so much fun of course. However picnic means pleasure and letting go all negative thoughts – I think you can always do that if a good bread or brioche is involved. Why these recipes? When I got the email from sisterMAG I immediately saw myself doing different kinds of recipes. I saw a picnic blanket in an enchanted park with wild flowers and old english roses. It was clear to me that I would go into the idea of an afternoon tea and I wanted to change it into a more modern and healthier version. The recipes contain simple in-

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gredients and can be prepared beforehand. Thus you can enjoy your picnic without exploiting yourself with preparations. All recipes are so delicious that shortly after I had taken my pictures everything was already eaten! I have to admit that I am a fan of peanut butter and the combination with apricot fruits was just delicious. Spread out on freshly baked brioche as a sandwich – that's just awesome!

Favourite recipe I've tried the Cold Brew method for the first time and was positively surprised by the delicate flavour of the white tea with rose petals. This will definitely be our summer drink for 2015. Favourite picnic place I definitely have to be able to relax and be enchanted in that place. Thus it could be anywhere from the city park, hidden in a Berlin backyard or on the pasture.

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Ingredients:

Instructions:

―― 4 tea bags »White Tea with Rose and Tea Blossom « (or any similiar type you can find)

Place the tea bags in a jar or bowl, cover with the cold water and let it rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Take out the tea bags and serve on the rocks with a mint leaf. You also can sweeten your tea using rose blossom syrup or agave syrup.

―― 500 ml cold water

Cold Brew: White Tea with Rose Blossom

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vegan gluten free

100 g almonds 50 g cashews 125 g pitted dates 50 g + 20 g cacao powder for dusting 15 g puffed amaranth 1 tables spoon almond butter 1 table spoon agave syrup (optional) 50-80 ml unsweetened almond drink a pinch of sea salt 1 tea spoon ground vanilla 1/2 tea spoon ground cardamom or cinnamon 1 tea spoon rose water (optional) sister-mag.com

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Roast almonds in a frying pan, place in a bowl covering the almonds with water and ground vanilla, let the almonds rest in the fridge for about 4 hours or over night. After the resting time remove the almond skin and put almonds aside. In case your dates are rather solid soak in lukewarm water for about 2 hours so that they are easier to process. Now place all ingredients except for the the puffed amaranth in the food processor and mix, maybe you need to stir a couple o times ensuring that all ingredients are combing well together. Once you get to a smooth consistency add the puffed amaranth whisking with a spoon and shaping 20-30 bliss balls, finally role each ball in cocoa powder and store in the fridge till you need them, they keep fresh for about four days. Download

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―― 100 g -120 g Spelt-Biscotti with almonds or

―― 500 ml unsweetened almond drink

―― 100 g -120 g roasted und roughly chopped almonds (gluten free und vegan option)

―― 1/2 tea spoon ground lemon peel

Almond Custard

―― 1 glass (360 g) sour cherries

―― 40 g ground rice (use a mortar or coffee grinder)

Cherry layer ―― 50 ml water

―― 15 g rice flour

―― 1 table spoon rose blossom syrup or agave syrup

―― 25 g raw cane sugar

―― 1 tea spoon corn starch

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glutenfreE vegan

trifle with cherries and almonds

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The trifle got itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name as it consists of a minimum of three different fillings or layers. Fill the bottom of two glasses or jars with 2-3 roughly chopped biscotti (alternatively roasted und chopped almonds) each and sprinkle with a tea spoon of cherry juice. Now place the cherries in a cooking pot keeping a bit of fluid aside for preparing the corn starch. Bring cherries, cherry juice, water and rose blossom syrup or agave syrup to the boil. Meanwhile dissolve the corn starch with the cherry juice and add to the simmering cherries. Bring it all once more to a boil and let it cool down. After is has cooled down add 1-2 table spoons of cherry layer each to the jars and let it cool. You need to get started on the almond pudding in order to by the bring the almond milk to a

boil, before doing so take 3 table spoons of cold almond drink aside. You combine the cold almond milk with the remaining ingredients until you get it to a paste like sub-stance. Once the almond milk is boiling add the paste and keep whisking until you get to a rich semolina like consistency as you need it to be firm rather than runny. Allow the almond pudding to cool down for about 5-10 minutes. It is time to get your jars with the cherry layer out of the fridge to sprinkle a fine layer of chopped biscotti (or chopped almonds) over them before adding a layer of 2-3 table spoons of almond pudding on top of the cherry layer. Put the trifle back in the fridge to allow it cool down before adding the final layer of cherries. Before serving the trifle add 1-2 roughly chopped biscotti or chopped almonds to each jar.

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Brioche Sandwiches & Sweet Tea Swirls

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Instructions: Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl using an electric whisk, adding milk, egg and egg yolk whisking for 5 minutes until you get a smooth and elastic dough.

Brioche: ―― 250 g spelt flower ―― 25 g raw cane sugar ―― 5 g dried yeast ―― one big pinch of salt ―― 100 ml milk ―― 125 g butter at room temperature ―― 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk

Brioche spreads ―― 1-2 table spoons peanut butter ―― 1-2 table spoons apricot fruit spread ―― 1-2 table spoons cherry fruit spread ―― 1-2 table spoons raspberry with agave syrup fruit spread

Continue by adding the butter piece by piece whisking for another 5 minutes until you will get to an elastic dough once more. Now cover your bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let rest in the fridge over night or at least for 4 hours. After the resting time tip your dough onto a lightly dusted surface and knead for a couple of minutes, shape it so that it fits into a loaf tin. Cover our loaf tin with parchment paper and tip our dough into the tin. Cover the loaf tin with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 60 minutes. Just before the resting time comes to an end preheat the oven to 180C, brush the top of the loaf with some milk and bake the brioche loaf in the oven for approx. 30 minutes. Allow the loaf to cool down before getting started on your sandwiches or swirls.

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Tee Swirls For your sweet tea swirls you you need five slices of thin cut brioche. Cut off the edges of your slices and carefully flatten your slices with a rolling pin or empty glas one by one. Butter the slices or just spread fruit spread on them and role into little swirls. Cover each swirl with cling film and place into the fridge for about 30 minutes. Once you get the out of the fridge cut them into 2-3 pieces each and place on the nicely decorated stick or toothpick.

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Sandwiches: For the sandwiches you need 4 slices of thick cut brioche, In terms of the sweat spread there are no limits to your imagination. Two of my favorite spreads are peanut butter with apricot fruit spread or butter your brioche slice adding some cherry fruit spread. Finally cut your sandwiches into four halves and wrap up nicely.

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Fun and knowledge about healthy food – that's what you find on Steffi's blog, Healthy Happy Steffi. For sisterMAG she designed a completely vegan picnic. The recipes can be prepared easily and can be comfortably transported in a bike basket.

3 Favourites SoYA pieces

Maple Syrup

Oat Drink

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Picnic menu CAFÈ FREDDO WITH OAT DRINK ESPRESSO WALNUT BROWNIES WITH BUCKWHEAT QUINOA POTATO BALLS WITH CORIANDER YOGHURT-GARLIC-DIP WITH RADISHES SMALL RICE PAPER BAGS WITH SOYA PIECES COLOURFUL WILD HERB SALAD TOMATO POMEGRANATE SALAD ANTIPASTI-SANDWICHES

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5 Answers

by Steffi from healthyhappysteffi.com

a few words about my work

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My name is Steffi, I blog at www.healthyhappysteffi.com and I’m from Frankfurt (Main). On my blog, I want to demonstrate to readers that a life with food intolerances and allergies can be wonderful and tasty and that it does not only imply restrictions but also a lot of fun. I also want to prove to others that healthy food is not only boring but colourful and tasty.

how it all began I have been searching for gluten-free and vegan recipes and found a lot of great blogs that were mostly coming from the UK or US. There were very few German blogs about the topic. As I like to take pictures anyway and I cook and try tasty things every day, it became clear at some point that I wanted to start my own blog.

The perfect meal for outside I like to snack on very different things.

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First dipped into this, then a fork of salad and at the end something deliciously sweet. Outside, everything tastes much better!

why these recipes? I love food to be colourful. In terms of optics as well as taste, texture and origin. Therefore I decided on a mix of Mediterranean, Far Eastern and local spices or dishes that you partially eat with your hand, out of a glass or share from one plate with your friends. I don’t think I could commit myself to one recipe. I simply love diversity in eating and the combination and mix of the most diverse flavours, textures and spices.

where i like to have a picnic I really like sitting in a park in the middle of the green Frankfurt looking at the skyline. But as I am a real nature lover I would also say yes to a picnic in the alpine pastures ;-).

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Download

Caffè Freddo with Oat Drink INGREDIENTS ―― 750 ml natural oat drink ―― 6 espresso ―― 6 Tsp icing sugar Cook 6 cups of espresso and pour it directly in 750 ml ice cold oat drink (that way the espresso won’t get bitter). Stir in the icing sugar (gives a nice caramel taste). Pour all together in a bottle, add a few espresso beans and place it in the freezer. 187

Espresso Walnut Brownies ―― ½ cup of buckwheat

―― 80g walnuts

―― 5 medjool dates

―― a knife tip of sea salt

―― 2 Tbsp cocoa

Place buckwheat in water and leave it overnight to soak. Sieve it. Mix buckwheat and dates. Mix buckwheat and dates with ...

―― 1 Tbsp chia ―― 3 Tbsp. espresso beans, freshly ground

continue

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Quinoa Potato Balls ―― 300g potatoes (mainly firm boiling) ―― 75g red quinoa ―― 2 handful fresh coriander ―― 1 Tbsp apple vinegar ―― sea salt ―― freshly ground nutmeg ―― 1 knife tip cayenne pepper ―― olive oil

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Rinse quinoa with hot water in order to wash out the bitter substances and then cook according to package instruction. Shortly before the end, add 1 Tbsp apple vinegar, it complements the taste of quinoa nicely. Clean, peel and cook the potatoes. Match them with a potato masher until they are mashed. Add quinoa

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Melon-Goji-Smoothie INGREDIENTS: ―― 1 small melon ―― 400 g strawberries ―― Juice of ½ lemon ―― ½ cup goji berries, soaked in water over night ―― 1 handful of fresh mint The evening before, place the goji berries in a bowl and cover with water. On the next day drain the berries, roughly chop the strawberries and water melone, squeeze the lemon and take the fresh mint ...

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Download Instructions

and coriander and season it all well with sea salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Moisten your hands a little bit and form balls in the size of walnuts. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the balls little by little on all sides. Even cold these balls are delicious, therefore they perfectly suit a picnic!

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Antipasti

Sandwiches Rinse the aubergine, slice and salt it, leave it for ½ hour. Then dab the water that comes out and the salt. That helps to make the aubergine become softer and taste less bitter.

INGREDIENTS: ―― 1 baguette ―― 1 courgette ―― 1 aubergine 190

―― 3 brown mushrooms

Rinse the courgette, mushrooms and pepper and cut them coarsely in slices. Place the vegetables on a baking tray, add olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs and mix it well with your hands.

―― 1 red pepper ―― 1 package basil tofu ―― spread pepper-chili ―― 2 Tbsp olive oil ―― sea salt ―― black pepper ―― fresh herbs (e.g. oregano, thyme, rosemary)

Spread it all flatly and cook it in the oven at 180°C/365°F (upper/lower heat) for 45 minutes. Slice the baguette and put the spread on every second slice. Slice the basil tofu and place it on the spread baguette. Place the cooled antipasti above as well as the unbuttered baguette slice and fix it with a toothpick.

Download

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Small Rice Paper Bags with Soya Pieces INGEDRIENTS: ―― 75g soya pieces (alternatively Quorn chicken style pieces or similiar), coarse ―― 6 Tbsp soya sauce Shoyu ―― 2 tsp coconut blossom sugar ―― 1 small red chili ―― 1 handful of fresh mint ―― 1 middle-sized potato ―― 3 spring onions ―― 1 middle-sized garlic clove ―― ½ mango ―― rice paper (round) ―― fresh chives ―― 1 Tbsp virgin sesame oil ―― black pepper ―― some water

Stir soya sauce, coconut blossom sugar, mint and chili to a marinade. Pour it over the soya pieces, mix it well and leave it for at least 3 hours. Then pour water over it until the soya pieces are almost covered and leave it overnight. Next day, sear the marinated soya pieces with small cut spring onions and finely chopped garlic in sesame oil and season it with pepper. Peel carrots and mango, cut them in small pieces and mix them in a bowl with the browned pieces. Place the rice paper in water (1 minute each) and carefully put them on a big plate. Place 1 – 2 Tbsp. of the mixture in the middle. Lift the ends and tie them together with long chives. Download plus: Dip-recipes

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Colourful Wild Herb Salad

Download

INGREDIENTS: ―― 350g wild herbs (e.g. rocket, edible flowers, dandelion, beetroot leaves, chard, goutweed, sorrel, mallow etc.) ―― 1 avocado ―― 3-4 green asparagus stems ―― 2 handful fresh peapods ―― 3-4 radishes ―― black sesame ―― walnuts

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―― 4 Tbsp olive oil ―― juice of ½ lemon ―― 2 Tbsp apple vinegar ―― 2-3 Tbsp maple syrup ―― sea salt ―― black pepper Rinse wild herbs and tear them into bite-sized pieces.

Mix it all well in a large bowl.

Dice the avocado.

necessary.

Prepare the dressing and season it if

Rinse the asparagus, peel the lower third and cut it in small pieces.

Pour the dressing over the salad,

Remove the peas from the peapods.

plate. Garnish with walnuts and black

Cut the radishes in fine slices.

sesame.

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mix it well and place it onto a large

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Tomato Pomegranate Salad Deseed the pomegranate (halve the pomegranate, slightly break at the sides, place it upside down in your palm, place a large bowl beneath and tap at the back with a wooden spoon).

INGREDIENTS : ―― 250g san marzane or cherry tomatoes ―― 1 pomegranate ―― 1 shallots

Cut the tomatoes and shallot in small pieces.

―― 3 Tbsp aceto balsamico ―― 2 Tbsp olive oil

Mix it all in a bowl.

―― 2 tsp coconut blossom sugar

Season it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika, coconut blossom sugar and rosemary. Stir in the walnuts.

―― 1 handful walnuts ―― fresh rosemary ―― sea salt ―― black pepper ―― paprika powder, slightly spicy

It is best to leave it overnight (which also activates the enzymes in the walnuts). .

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When planning a picnic in the great outdoors everyone is faced with the daunting questions of how to get all the carefully made snacks savely from your kitchen to the park. Here you can find a variety of easy to make and sustainable packaging ideas. text & photos: Anette Wetzel-Grolle

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BASKET FOR BREAD Roll down a paper bag multiple times and punch four holes on two opposite sites. Braid bast into two strings and attach them to the paper bag-basket as the handles.

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BOX FOR CRISP BREAD Detach the top of the packaging of the crisp bread packaging (should be made of cardboard). Line with sandwich paper and refill the prepared crisp bread. Crochet a box out of bast oder paper or raffia strips. Crochet solid stitches for the bottom of the box and use the original packaging as a size guide. TETRAPAK-VASE Cut the top of of empty Tetrapaks and use them as a container for snacks (like the apple skewers and candy bars in the photos) or as vases for flowers.

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CHEESE CRACKER BOX Carefully take apart a cardboard packaging for crackers where it is glued together. Cut off the top of the box as an opening. If desired, glue patterened paper to the outside before folding it back up and staple the sides together. Line the box with sandwich paper and refill. GLAS JAR PROTECTORS For the jar crochet a protective layer to surround and avoid breaking them. Similiar to the box for the crisp bread crochet a the jar protector from raffia or a paper string.

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BOTTLE NETS To safely transport bottles knot a net from raffia or paper strips. You can wrap any bottles or Tetrapaks in damp cloth or moss before putting them in the nets to protect them even further and avoid breaking them. APPLE SKEWERS Use wooden skewers and poke them through dried apple slices. Carry the skewers in the vases.

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trip into the past, the future and the present of EUROPE text : Mick N. photos : Mick N. & Toni Sutter

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Croatia, Italy, Switzerland and back: exploring Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, future and present.

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ROUTE Start: Saxony/ Germany Transited Countries: Austria, Slovenia, Kroatia, Italy, Swizerland

Luzern

Time of journey: 10 days

Montgnola

Triest

Como Mantua

Kastav

Parma Lošinj 205

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In a feature entitled something along the lines of ÂťThe emperor by the seaÂŤ printed in the German broadsheet FAZ on 16 September 2014, Boris Pofalla looked at what used to be the Austrian Adriatic coast, especifically the sea-front towns of Opatja and Rijeka in what is now Croatia. It made me curious. So we spontaneously planned a 10-day trip exploring the Kvarner Gulf with its former spas of the European high society ourselves, including some visit to our beloved Italy as well as Switzerland. We were in for an interesting, enlightening and beautiful trip. Any car trip to more than one foreign country should start with a visit to the local representative of a trusted automobile association who will be able to help get all the different toll stickers you will need. In our case this included a video tax sticker for the Bosruck and Gleinalm tunnels as well as the Pyhrn motorway running through Austria.

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10.5 hours after departing from Freiberg, Saxony, and at the end of a smooth and uneventful drive through Austria and Slovenia we reached our first destination: Kastav, Croatia. Picturesquely located above the Kvarner Gulf, the town welcomed us on a Sunday in May with the cheerful bustle of its small medieval market place and in the alleys leading to it. Our first reward for the long drive was a stunning view of the gulf.

VIGNETTES Before travelling check and get the required car vignettes.

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At our hotel Kukuriku on a small secluded square in the centre of Kastav in which you can greet the morning sun, a glass of bubbly was already waiting for us. Since 2011 Croatia has been governed by the Kukuriku Coalition , a 4 party collaboration promoting an Âťalliance of changeÂŤ. It was named after a restaurant of the same name located in Kastav, where the group's was first founded in 2009.

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Down the hill passing Matulji and Volosko you can make your way to the former seafront spa Opatja, now a popular holiday destination. In pre-season the roads are clear and parking is easy to find so you can take in this wonderful town in peace. The buildings‘ exteriors are positively radiant and all very nicely done-up bringing back much of the splendour of Viennese history. Palm trees, magnolias, parks and front gardens in full bloom make a stroll through the town a stunning experience. Hotels, cafes and restaurants are inviting you in to spend some time marveling at their interior design and crafts as well. The concrete boardwalk, however, a souvenir from socialist times, takes some getting

*Source: »NORDKROATIEN« by Lore Marr-Bieger

used to. Along a 12km (7.5 mile) beachfront promenade we made our way to Lovran. Frequented not only by royalty but also a favourite with writers, musicians and other important people due to its mild winters, Opatja was once a temporary home to Anton Chekhov, James Joyce, prima ballerina Isadora Duncan, Gustav Mahler, Giacomo Puccini, Franz Lehar, Henryk Sienkiewicz, surgeon Theodor Billroth ...and many more.

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If by now you feel the need to take a breather, there are several islands just off the coast waiting for you to pick a spot to relax (Krk, Cres, Raab, and Losinj). We had made reservations at the »Bellevue« on Losinj (accessible by ferry) and got to spend four days in lodgings of the highest standard. Facing a small bay (Uvala Cikat), the hotel combines elegance and convenience. And, despite a lot of construction going on in the area, it was also quiet. The staff was exceptionally friendly and put in a huge effort to keep the brand new establishment clean (not easy with so many construction sites nearby). Short trips to the lively town of Mali Losinj and along the coast added to the positive experience.

HOTEL BELLEVUE losinj-hotels.com

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Krk Cres

Rab

Unije Lošinj

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Next we were off to Trieste, Italy. Having visited Northern Italy before, we were curious about how it would compare now. Slovenia had given us a glimpse and Croatia the full-on experience of beautiful landscape, outstanding hospitality and a hugely affordable service environment. In short, a first class holiday destination. Via the island of Cres we made our way by the northern ferry service to Istria, quickly popping back into Slovenia along the way (toll sticker!), and into Trieste where our first impression was one of huge…disappointment.

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The suburban areas and especially our hotel were dilapidated. Our room at Le Cordiere, a 4-star hotel, was worn and filled by the sound of a non adjustable AC unit. It was equipped to fulfill a traveller’s basic needs though. In summary, Trieste is not currently worth a trip. It feels like a city in standstill. The pavements are dirty (at least as soon as you venture outside the immediate city centre) and all the walls are crumbling. The people drink coffee and wine and just…subsist.

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umbrella parapioggia (ital.)

It rained the following day and so we decided to pay a visit to a nearby Outlet village. Just off the A4 it is a nicely done up place with a large selection of shops and sure to attract visitors.

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Our next destination is Udine which had been highly recommended to us. It is indeed a lovely city even with the rain watering down the pictures. But we were not going to let the weather get us down, umbrellas in hand and spirits high we set out to explore the town.

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GIUSEPPE VERDI A name that is familiar to anyone, because the Italian composer dominated with his works the opera scene in Italy and beyond not only during his lifetime (1813-1901).

FA C T Verdi's children and wife died tragically in a time in which his second opera, the comedy »Un giorno«, should be finished. Their performance

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was a fiasco.

The next leg was a bit of a long one: We wanted to »meet« Giuseppe Verdi and hence are set sail for Parma. From Padua we took the scenic route through the Po valley and were distraught to see the level of disrepair in the rural areas. Outside Mantua we passed miles and miles of typical Italian shopping streets lined with furniture stores, car show rooms and all sorts of other businesses but also, and noticeably, many empty units. We stopped for lunch at Mantua. The lovely Piazza Sordello was already busy with tourists and gave us a good

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A FEW WORKS: Nabucco, Aida, La Traviata, Il Trovatore and more …

idea of what this place woud feel like at the height of summer when it’s positively swamped with visitors. The NH-Hotel in Parma is new, modern, cold and lacks any personal touch – in our highly subjective opinion anyway. But the city itself is a really nice surprise. A cultural centre, it’s very

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young and lively. An extended stroll took us to the Verdi monument, the Basilica, the Teatro Regio and via Piazza Garibaldi into the bubbly bustle of Strada Farini. We visited the cathedral and the baptistery, sauntered along Strada della Repubblica and paid a visit to Arturo Toscaniniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthplace. We discovered an international street festival with

food from all over the world to be sampled in Via Verdi and decided to spend the rest of the evening there. The next morning is dedicated to Mr. Giuseppe Verdi. Along narrow, poppy field-lined streets we traveled to Roncole Verdi. His humble birthplace in the centre of the small village is in top shape. Busseto, where we visited the market place and the theatre and watch elderly people chatting over coffee, emanates quintessential Italianness. Very cosy! St. Agata is surrounded by a fence but it is still possible to imagine the great man himself bustle about the house. This is where he drew his strength; this was the breeding ground for his progressive creations.

TOSCANINI

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Our midday trip down a congested bypass motorway past Milan was torture and so we decided to amend the itinerary and head for a new destination destination instead: Lake Como. We didn't have reservations and decided to splash out on the elegant hotel Villa Flori. The room was small but from the balcony there was a magnificent view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. Fabulous! We enjoy the view until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for dinner which is served right by the lake in a garden of roses and hydrangeas. What an experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what a price tag!

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VILLA FLORI hotelvillaflori.it

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The next cultural highlight was already waiting for us: Hermann Hesse’s

place

Montagnola.

Up and down seemingly endless winding roads we bid goodbye to Italy and were really looking forward to reaching Switzerland. Our first impression was that of a doll house into which we were cordially invited – at least that’s what it felt like compared to Italy. Everything is in pristine condition. We saw the efforts being made to preserve and keep the place looking beautiful.

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The council has marked some of Hermann Hesse’s favourite walking paths around the area so we literally followed in his footsteps and were rewarded with absolutely stunning views. The museum gives a comprehensive insight into his life. His originals work utensils as well as comments from his friends and contemporaries are on display – a feast for Hesse fans. Already we find ourselves on our way to our final destination: Lucerne.

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HERMANN HESSE His works are required reading of each student: Hermann Hesse was a writer, poet and painter. In 1962 he died in Montgnola in Switzerland.

A FEW WORKS: Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, Beneath the Wheel or The Glass Bead Game

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We were excited to be able to visit this nice and clean city. Our home for the night was the centrally located Hotel des Alpes right opposite the famous wooden Chapel Bridge. We were greeted by friendly people with charming dialects and informed of an unexpected last minute highlight of our trip. An exquisite collection of Modern Art housed in a building which used to be home to the Swiss central bank. The Rosengart collection encompasses unique groups of

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paintings by Picasso and Paul Klee. From a documentary we also learned more about the collector, Angelique Rosengart, who Picasso painted several times. We were thrilled to have seen this museum. Switzerland is expensive! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a pity because we really enjoyed our stay there. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pity for Switzerland, too, because local tourism has taken a hit and is currently mainly relying on large travel groups from China and India and their money.

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LION MONUMENT The Lion Monument in the centre of Luzern reminds in the allegory of a dying lion of the fallen Gardes suisses (Swiss Guards) at th Tuileries on the 10 August 1792 in Paris.

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*Source: Lรถwendenkmal Luzern Wikipedia

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PURSE Italy

Welcome to Sight-Seeing in Rome here

Italy

photos: Thea Neubauer

Alessandra Aghilar

fotos: Sivan Askayo

Almalu'S Place

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On her blog Almalu's Place writes about desig n, fashion, her children and family and her home, Italy. Favourite town

Best time to travel

I'd say spring and summer. Indeed, spring is the perfect season, as it is not yet that hot and you can enjoy visiting cities and towns, not also beaches and sea. So I'd say spring for a tour of Tuscany and Umbria and their lovely little towns and summer to visit Puglia and its beautiful beaches and towns.

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It is really hard to pick just one. And, again, I must mention towns form my homeland. Vieste, known as the Pearl of Gargano, has a beautiful town centre, with its Romanesque Cathedral and its Castle, both inheritance of the reign of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. And at the beginning of the Castello beach there is a monolith 25 mt. high that it's the symbol of the town, called Pizzomunno. Otranto, in Salento, is one of my favorite, together with Ostuni, known as the white town, and Trani with its amazing Cathedral on the sea. Fashion feature inspired by ÂťA Roman HolidayÂŤ here

PURSE Tour through Testaccio here

Best blog to day-dream

Best beach

photos: Marco di Fillipo

I am from the South of Italy, exactly from Puglia... So, let me say I might be a little partisan, but I think we have some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy: Cala della Sanguinara, in Vieste (Gargano) is nest between pinewoods and cliffs. But also Marina di Pescoluse (also called the Maldives of Salento) with its crystal clear sea, white sand and pure sea bottom.

photos: Thea Neubauer

On Instagram I suggest @valdirose - Irene is able to capture the beauty of her Tuscany - and @elisagram who makes Milan look so beautiful. Also, I have to mention two profiles from two Americans in Italy, they definitely helped me rediscover places I forgot: @suite_jennifer and @historyinhighheels . One blog I love to read looking for inspiration for little trips in Italy is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , from Gaia Borzicchi, have a look at her Âťreal travelÂŤ tag on her blog.

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Essential luggage

You cannot leave for Italy without sunglasses for the sunny days, flat shoes for the long walks and a light breezy dress for the aperitivo at sunset!

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FEATURING

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dagny

BACKER AND

riccardo

CHINA

Teaming up with our good friends Trine & Marco, sisterMAG went to Rome to reenact one of the most iconic films: Roman Holiday. Our Gregorio and the wonderful blonde Audrey (aka Dagny, a Norwegian actress) relived some of the most wonderful moments of the movie in the Italian capital. Plus: We show the new #sisterMAG19 Fashion Collection with summery dresses. As always you can download the sewing patterns for free.

Marco di Filippo Organisation Trine Skauen Dresses Evi Neubauer Styling MUA Antonio Talia Stefano Polci Production sisterMAG

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Photos

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Via della Conciliazione SIGHTSEEING IN ROME

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The first dress in our collection is also part of our new project with Pinterest (more information following this feature): a summery and flowy dress made of viscosa

Dress Shoes Glasses

Pattern 19/1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Download Anna Calvi via Yoox.com Bijou Brigitte

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Vatican

THE FIRST MEETING?

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The dress made of crashed cotton is inspired by Bottega Veneta. Best to combine it with a statement necklace!

Dress Shoes Necklace

Pattern 19/2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Download Black pumps from Mango via Ebay Issue 19 | June 2015

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Trastevere

I SAW YOU THERE …

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Dagny's favourite dress is a shift dress made of printed cotton (which is usually used for quilting). Another highlight: the coat made of brocade.

Dress Coat Shoes

Pattern 19/3 – Download Pattern 19/4 – Download Anna Calvi via Yoox.com Issue 19 | June 2015

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Castel Sant'Angelo GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

A skirt that sits comfortably on your hips with a handmade belt and an embellished top. Looking closer the seam of Dagny's skirt is also embroidered with little beaded flowers

Skirt Sandals

Pattern 19/5 – Download L'Autre Chose via Yoox.com

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Piazza Venezia & Forum Romanum SIGHTSEEING

One of the outfits of this shoot just had to be one of the classics. Audrey Hepburn wears a lot of wide skirts with a white blouse and a cute little scarf. This outfit is so easy to style at home. Tip: You'll get more volume with a tulle skirt (we explained how to make them in sisterMAG N°14). A belt magically brings out that wasp waist.

Belt Shoes

Vintage – find similar at ASOS Black Heels from Mango

We've put together a board of ideas, outfits and shopping links on Pinterest: »Roman Holiday«-Board Issue 19 | June 2015

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Piazza Venezia A SWEET RIDE â&#x20AC;Ś

The perfect dress for hot summer days: A lightweight cotton fabric is embellished with tulle embroidery. The dress is fitted with a long belt that can be worn as comfortably as you want!

Dress Shoes sister-mag.com

Pattern 19/6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Download Studio Pollini via Yoox.com

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Dress Shoes

Pattern 19/7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Download

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THE End HAVE YOU SEEN THE VIDEO?

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ROMAN HOLIDAY SHOOTING

Behind the SCENES

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photos from Thea Neubauer & Trine Skauen

When I met Italian photographer Marco di Filippo and his wife Trine Skauen last December, I could not have imagined that now, six months later, I would be cruising around Rome in his parents' car, looking for car parks close to the Palazzo Venezia. Only a few hours after wrapping up the shoot for this issues cover, I am back on a plane, revelling in the memories of the past three days which felt much more like a week. When Marco and Trine approached us with the idea of a #RomanHoliday Shooting, inspired by the famous movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, I simply smiled about this wonderful idea. But as always, one

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idea led to another and all of a sudden, Evi Neubauer sat behind her sewing machine, producing a Dolce VitaLine with summery dresses for your next journey to the seaside. Through Trines project ÂťNorthern LightsÂŤ, which brought actors and actresses from Norway to the Berlinale in Germany, we met Dagny Backer Johnsen. The 23-year old actress doesn't only have Audrey Hepburn's big brown eyes but clearly also a huge amount of talent. During our shooting, the sweet smile never left her lips, even when changing in the middle of Rome! By casting Audrey Hepburn next to Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday (1953), William Wyler helped the young actress achieve the next big step in her early career. Together, the dream team shot one of the most beautiful films to date, reviving the small cobbled streets and Italian charme of the ancient city. In fact, this movie was one of the first to

Issue 19 | June 2015

Originalszenen: Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck aus »Roman Holiday«

be almost completely shot in Rome. sisterMAG is looking for love in the Italian capital.

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Just before starting our cover shoot, we discovered our Gregory. And because Riccardo Chinas name just wouldn't stay in our heads, we only called him Gregorio – even shouting this name across the most crowded Piazzas to get his attention. And let's be honest: who wouldn't love to wander Rome's streets by his side? The sisterMAG girls in Berlin surely were very happy to see all the pictures I sent them during my stay. While trying to keep everything in check and speaking italian, english, norwegian and even a little german with our stylist Antonio, we travelled Rome with huge suitcases and cameras in the rain. Yes, that's right, the odds weren't in our favour and the shooting was disrupted by lots and

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lots of rain. But as always, we still had a lot of fun with all the beautiful dresses, locations and our vintage Vespa-scooter from the 1950s. In between takes, Marco showed us his favourite spots in the city like the ice cream parlour Quinto which serves the most delicious shakes or the famous café xxx where you can get an espresso so strong that the small spoon in it literally defies gravity and stands upright (seriously!). On the next few pages, you will find a few impressions of our behindthe-scenes moments. The only thing left to say now is a big thank you to everyone involved in this adventure!

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What's the film about? Even though Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) has everything anyone could ask for, the young girl is struggling with her fate of being the ruler and representative of her country. After fleeing her gilded cage one evening during a visit to Rome, she meets journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck). None of the two show their true selves in the hope of discovering something new. This hope is fulfilled for both of them and, after an adventurous day out and about in Rome, the couple share a romantic evening until her reality catches up with Ann. Saddened by rediscovering her true fate, Ann and Joe part. Back in the palace, Ann has changed from a girl into a dutiful young woman, knowing that she can't disappoint her country and its people. The next day, she discovers Joe in the front row of her press conference. After being given the pictures of the previous day's adventure, Princess Ann asks Joe to keep quiet about the affair. She gives a short speech to indirectly thank Joe for everything and leaves forever.

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250 Our team at the second day: Paola, Thea, 足Riccardo, Dagny, Antonio, Marco & Trine

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Marco juggling cameras

Constant rain ...

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You don't know what Pinterest is? Read our introduction feature about the Social Network in #sisterMAG15

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OUR P IN #S I S TE RMA G 1 9 Evening dress from »The Metropolitan Museum Of Art«, designed by James Galanos in 1966. While the original dress was made from wool and silk, Evi chose to work with a thick viscose fabric. A special detail: the hidden crease in the back. The straps are attached with push buttons and adjustable.

OUR CAMPAIGN BOARD

Joining forces with social network Pinterest, sisterMAG has launched a new and exciting project for you. Have you ever scrolled through endless pins with the most gorgeous clothes and all you could think was: »I want this, I need that, I am in love with this dress«? But then, after clicking on said pin discovered that, unfortunately, there is no possible way to ever find out where you could buy the desired item? Well, here we are to the rescue. For our brand new project, #sisterMAGgoesPinterest, fashion expert Evi Neubauer is going to develop sewing patterns for your favourite Pinterest outfit pins. Here comes the (even more) exciting part: YOU CAN DECIDE WHICH OUTFITS WE ARE GOING TO CHOOSE! Send us your favourite outfit pin to pin@sister-mag.com or share it on Pinterest (pinterest. com/sistermag ) and be surprised which Pinterest outfit sewing pattern will be published in the next issue!

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Kamera: Marco di Filippo

Video: Katrina Tan

Photos: Theresa Neubauer & Trine Skauen

Text: Marta Alexandra Abbott â&#x20AC;&#x201C; museradio.org

A DAY IN ROME/ Testaccio/ /

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ESTACCIO

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/// Welcome to the Roman neighborhood of Testaccio. As far as Rome goes, we think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little off the beaten path in just the right way. There is a rich history with proud and strong culinary traditions, but you can also feel bit of positive change in the air. When you want a taste of Rome beyond the scenic parks and stunning fountains, this is where you come (although there is a lovely fountain here too).

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IL MATTATOIO

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Testaccio started out as a major trading port and eventually evolved into a working class neighborhood that was home to Romeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slaughterhouse or, Mattatoio. Until 1975 this part of town is where meat was processed. That led to the development of a particular appreciation for all useable, edible parts of the animal that is still very evident in local homes and restaurants alike today. The old slaughterhouse, known today as the exMattatoio, is still there but now houses the Museo Macro Testaccio, where until recently Mike and Doug Starnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Bamboo sat and greeted visitors at the entrance. The old slaughterhouse grounds also contain the Citta dell Altra Economia, a public space where you can find farmers markets, music festivals and walls where street artists like Alice Pasqualini have left their mark.

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Monte Testaccio

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From the Citta dell Altra Economia you can catch a good view of Monte Testaccio. It is essentially a manmade hill built entirely from broken amphora pieces. During the Roman Empire, for reasons not entirely clear, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply where amphorae were discarded. They discarded so many that eventually the pile grew into a hill and now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the largest and best preserved sites of its type.

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Markthalle

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We paid a visit to the ex-Mattatoio and Monte Testaccio but not before visiting Testaccioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous market. Many would agree that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best in Rome. There is a clear but harmonic meeting of new and old there, with butcher stands that have been around for generations sitting yards away from stands where you can get green juices and gluten free goods.

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One of the most interesting things about Testaccio, however, is the residents. This is another element of the neighborhood where old and new are coming to be more and more juxtaposed. There are the recent arrivals opening new businesses and plenty of old fixtures who have been here, frequenting the same cafes and restaurants from birth to retirement and beyond. One of our most favorite Testaccio residents is the lovely Rachel Roddy. Rachel is a transplant from the U.K. and Issue 19 | June 2015

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is certainly contributing to the revival of interest in this part of town that has been steadily growing in recent years. She has just published her first cookbook, »Five Quarters: Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome«. It is somewhere between a personal diary, a love-letter to Testaccio and its food, and an exceptionally useful and helpful instructional on the Roman kitchen. Our last stop in Testaccio was her apartment where she tested and created many of the meals featured in her book and where her love affair with Testaccio turned into a serious, committed relationship. She talked to us about how she fell in love with Rome against her will ten years ago (she never planned on staying), how she has seen her adopted home shift and change since she’s sister-mag.com

arrived, and the honesty of the Testaccio kitchen that attracted her so much. We hope you’ve enjoyed taking our tour of Testaccio as mush as we enjoyed giving it. We hope you’ll go check it out for yourself next time you’re in Rome.

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Five Quarters

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We are delighted to present Rachel's book ÂťFive QuartersÂŤ with recipes and an essay excerpt on the following pages. Issue 19 | June 2015

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Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome sister-mag.com

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pollo o coniglio alla cacciatora

If I go to Bar Barberini at about four o’clock there’s a good chance I will meet Donato, the affable cook and manager of Volpetti Più, the canteen-like tavola calda (café) where we have our lunch one day most weeks. Standing at Barberini’s sickle-shaped bar, with the clatter of cups and hiss of the espresso machine in the background, Donato has explained exuberantly how he makes lasagne, pasta e ceci, batter for fritti and – most importantly – his excellent chicken or rabbit alla cacciatora (hunters’ style). Unlike other versions of this dish, which include tomatoes, onions and red peppers, Donato’s is extremely simple and fragrant. Chicken or rabbit is browned and then simmered until tender with white wine and finely chopped rosemary, chilli and garlic, and the dish is finished with a tablespoon of vinegar and some black olives. Just the thought of preparing this dish makes me happy, not just because any dish that requires a glass of wine for the pan requires one for the cook, but because of the roaring scent of garlic and rosemary rising up from the chopping board, the golden crust on the meat, the whoosh the wine makes as it hits the hot pan, and the warm scent that fills the kitchen as the dish bubbles away. The vinegar may sound like an odd addition, but it works beautifully

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by sharpening the edges of the dish, making it bolder and more defined. It is optional, as are the olives. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible to give precise timings, since so much depends on the meat. My butcher Roberta, who rather reassuringly makes her chicken and rabbit alla cacciatora in much the same way as Donato, notes that a cage-confined animal will cook in almost half the time of a free-range one. She also notes that while the meat is cooking you must make sure that both the pan and cook have enough wine, and scrape the meat juices every now and then from the bottom of the pan into the gravy, which should coat the pieces.

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As for the wine, more often than not I use a white wine from the Marche region of Italy called Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, which is dry and fragrant and works well, both in the dish and for drinking with it (if the cook hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t finished the entire bottle, that is). I generally serve it with a green vegetables, fine green beans being a favourite, or a green salad and some bread for mopping up juices. While the meat is browning, very finely chop the garlic, chilli and needles from the rosemary sprig. Once the meat has browned, sprinkle the chopped garlic, chilli and rosemary over it. Pour over

serves 4 _ 1 x 1.5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 kg chicken or rabbit _ 5 tablespoons olive oil _ 2 garlic cloves _ 1 chilli pepper or 1 teaspoon peperoncino (dried crushed chilli flakes) _ a sprig of rosemary _ 250 ml white wine, plus extra if needed _ 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar _ a handful of pitted black olives _ salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Cut the chicken or rabbit into 12 pieces (I ask my butcher to do this). In a deep sauté or casserole dish with a lid that’s large enough to fit the meat in a snug single layer, warm the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the meat pieces, skin-side down, and cook until the skin forms a golden crust, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. This will take about 20 minutes.

the white wine, season with salt and pepper, cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Cook the meat, turning it from time to time, until the thighs feel very tender when prodded with a fork and the meat is surrounded by a thick gravy. This will take anything from 45 minutes–1¼ hours, depending on the chicken. If the pan seems dry, add a little more wine. In the last minutes of cooking add the vinegar and olives. Stir and divide between warmed dishes.

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zucchine al tegame

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Courgettes can be bland. Even the gorgeous, fluted Romanesco variety, which are dense and sweet and look a bit like a Las Vegas show girl with their gaudy flower headdress, can be timid. The key, I think, is cooking rounds of courgette in far more garlic-scented olive oil than most recipes would dare to suggest, over a low heat until they are just tinged with gold. Then add a little hot water and cook until it has been absorbed and the courgettes are soft and extremely tender. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the combination of oil and water that gives the courgettes a creamy consistency. In the last moments of cooking you can add the ripped-up flowers and some torn basil, then inhale before serving them with a slice of milky mozzarella and some bread, or stirred into some al dente pasta. Remove and reserve the courgette flowers, if you have any, then slice the courgettes into thick coins. Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a heavy-based sautĂŠ pan. Peel and add the whole garlic cloves to the pan. Warm the oil over a medium heat, allowing the garlic to sizzle gently and turning the cloves every now and then. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until it is soft, golden and fragrant. Do not let it burn. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the courgettes to the pan along with a generous pinch of salt.

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serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 as a main course _ 6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;8 courgettes (approximately 600 g), ideally the pale, _ c r e a m y g r e e n o r r i b b e d v a r i e t y, w i t h f l o w e r s s t i l l attached, but otherwise the courgettes you have _ 6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil _ 2 large or 3 small garlic cloves _ basil leaves _ salt

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Turn the courgettes in the oil until each coin is glistening. Allow them to sizzle gently, turning them occasionally, over a very low heat for about 15 minutes, or until they are just golden. Add 100 ml hot water, then continue cooking until the water is absorbed and the courgettes are very soft and creamy. This can take anything from 15â&#x20AC;&#x201C;45 minutes. Add a little more water if the pan seems dry. Tear the basil and courgette flowers into small pieces and add them to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir, allowing the flowers and basil to wilt in the residual heat. Serve immediately.

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linguine con zucchine

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We make this a lot, since, as you may or may not have gathered, we are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to lunchtime pasta. The principle is similar to that of classic carbonara, and like carbonara it is simple, but finding that point where the eggs are creamy but not scrambled does take a bit of practice. You could of course use spaghetti, but I love linguine. Its strands, like flattened spaghetti (a similar shape to the strips of courgette) have a way of wrapping themselves around your tongue in a most over-familiar way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after all, linguine does mean Âťlittle tonguesÂŤ.

serves 4 _ 1 small white onion or 4 spring onions _ 300 g courgettes _ 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil _ 500 g linguine _ 2 whole eggs, plus 2 extra yolks _ 100 g grated Parmesan _ a few basil leaves _ salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Thinly slice the onion and cut the courgettes into 5-cm long, 2-mm thick strips. In a large frying pan, warm the olive oil over a medium heat, then cook the onion and courgettes gently with a pinch of salt, turning them regularly with a wooden spoon, until they are very soft and tender â&#x20AC;&#x201C; about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add salt to the boiling water, stir, then add the linguine, fanning it out and using a wooden spoon to gently press and submerge the strands. Cover the pan until the water comes back to the boil, then remove the lid and continue cooking until it is al dente (check the cooking time on the packet and start tasting at least 2 minutes earlier). While the pasta is cooking, in a largish bowl whisk together the eggs, extra yolks, cheese, a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. During the last minute of pasta-cooking time, put the frying pan back on the heat to warm both the fat and vegetables. Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the frying pan, stirring so it tangles with the courgettes. Remove from the heat and add the egg and cheese mixture and a little cooking water. Using a wooden spoon, mix everything together vigorously so that each strand is coated with a creamy sauce, adding a little more cooking water if the sauce is too stiff. Tear the basil and add it to the pan. Serve immediately.

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pasticcini di mandorle

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In Sicily I became preoccupied with, amongst other edible things, with the soft almond biscuits called pasticcini di mandorle that you find in almost every forno (bakery) or pasticceria. For about a month, as the shops began to roll back their shutters and unlock their doors at five oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock after the long lunch break and the hottest hours of the day, I would hunt down and purchase my daily dose of almond. Then, holding a small paper bag, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d go and buy myself a granita before finding the nearest wall to sit on and eat alternating bites of almond and lemon ice. The shape and texture of the pasticcini di mandorle varied from place to place and from oven to oven. Some were stout and sticky, others more of a biscuit. The best I ate were large, slightly crisp and cracked on the outside, giving way to a soft, dense marzipan heart. These were the soft almond rounds I wanted to make â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and after excessive experimenting, now do. The key to making balls from the sticky mixture is to dust your hands and the dough with lots of icing sugar. The mixture will spread from walnut-sized balls into 5-cm biscuits, so space them out accordingly. Also remember that, regardless of how precise you are, they will be different every time.

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makes about 15â&#x20AC;&#x201C;20 _ 350 g ground almonds _ 2 0 0 g i c i n g s u g a r, p l u s e x t r a f o r d u s t i n g _ grated zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon _ 2 eggs, gently beaten with a fork

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Preheat the oven to 180Â°C/160Â°C fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and, using a fork or your fingers, bring the mixture together to form a soft, sticky dough. Dust your hands with icing sugar and scoop out a walnut-sized lump of dough, then gently shape and roll it between your palms into a ball. Dust the ball with more icing sugar and put it on the baking tray. Continue until you have used up all the mixture. Make an indentation in the centre of each ball with your finger so that they cook evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown underneath and cracked, crisp and very pale gold on top. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. They will keep in an airtight tin for up to a month.

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rachel roddy

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short essay

I was so intent on going back to Sicily that even when it became clear I was going to stay in Rome for a couple of months, I continued to read about Sicilian food and plan the route I would take when I got back. Moving to Testaccio was the first shift, as it was here, away from the domes and grand monuments in a fairly modern part of the city with a lively market and ordinary air, that I

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first wondered if I could settle for a while. But even then I persisted in thinking about Sicily, especially its cooking, because for me, food has always been a lens to look at the world through. Roman food is hard to ignore, particularly in Testaccio. Distinctive, traditional and inextricably tied with the history and daily life of the place, it seems to permeate everything. The scent of pizza bianca curling up through the courtyard into my flat, the smell of dozens of pans of chickpeas simmering on a Friday morning to make pasta e ceci (pasta and chickpea soup) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not that I knew what it was yet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the reek of boiled broccoli on Tuesdays, the stench of the water swept from under the fish stalls into the gutter on a warm afternoon. Just minutes from my new flat, caper berries climbed the ancient city wall and wild mint sprouted in the cracks in the pavement. 278

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Most days during that first spring I’d see crates of saw-edged cicoria (chicory) and violet-tipped artichokes being wheeled deftly on nippy trolleys from the market next to my building to one of the trattorias nearby. It wasn’t unusual to have my path crossed by a man carrying a halved animal carcass, its red flesh marbled with fat, balanced on his wide shoulders on its way into one of the many butchers. Some mornings I’d wake up thinking the world was falling in, only to realise it was an avalanche of wood for the pizza ovens tumbling down a hatch into a cellar. Whereas the food of Sicily had thrilled me, the food of Rome tripped me up and pulled me to my feet again, charming me with its simplicity, certainty and bold flavours – notably the primi, or first courses. A deep bowl of pasta e ceci scented with rosemary, spaghetti coated with a seductive creamy sauce that’s nothing more than eggs, cheese and cured pork; more spaghetti, glistening with olive oil, flecked with parsley and clams and tasting indignantly of the sea; a plate of stout potato gnocchi, no bigger than acorns, topped with bright red sauce and a blizzard of pecorino cheese. I quickly realised I didn’t just want to eat these dishes, I wanted to understand them. I wanted to make them. At that time I lived in a flat on via Mastro Giorgio above the bakery, Passi, in a building still largely inhabited by people who were born there, many of whom cooked each day in the most resolutely traditional way, with their front doors open on to the walkways hanging over the communal courtyard, across which voices and cooking smells bounced like balls. Through suspicion and occasional mockery, I persisted and began to gather advice in much the same way as I gathered ingredients at the market, attracted to anything that caught my eye. Looking back, I’m not sure whether to smile or cringe at my enthusiasm. Others certainly cringed. Then, with my

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door open – not least because the kitchen had no window and the stove no extractor fan – I began to cook.

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I did know how to cook, in an ordinary and capable way. However, since I’d left everything behind in order to travel, I adopted a similar approach to cooking, allowing myself to learn things all over again, especially the most blindingly obvious things. Such as how to fry onion, carrot and celery to make a soffritto (the essential blend of aromatics cooked in fat, which comes from the verb soffriggere, to cook lightly in fat without frying). How to make the simplest tomato sauce, how to cook chickpeas and how to boil pasta; all things that I ostensibly knew how to do, but then again didn’t. Things that, once re-learned and better understood, have changed the way I cook. With these newly acquired skills, the first dishes I made were primi, which in Rome are almost always pasta, either as part of minestra (soup) or pasta asciutta (with sauce). This section is about these dishes that, nine years later, have become central to the way I eat.

five soups More correctly, five soups, or as the Italians call it, five minestre, is a term used for dishes of pasta or rice cooked in broth or water with vegetables and beans – and therefore eaten with a spoon – rather than soups. Let’s call them five substantial soups with pasta, which also work well without pasta if you prefer. You will find different versions and variations of minestra all over Italy, but mine are distinctly Roman ones, made my own because these are dishes that insist you do so. While writing this book I asked friends, colleagues, cooks and whoever else would listen how they made certain dishes, and I noticed something. While dishes like carbonara (pasta with eggs and bacon), amatriciana (pasta with tomatoes and cured

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pork), and coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew) provoked strong, bold opinions that could turn into vigorous debates, minestre aroused something different. Reactions were soft and opinions, although every bit as defined with other dishes, were what I can only describe as warm and generous. Vincenzo, as is so often the case, was the person to suggest the reason for this: minestre are the embodiment of childhood nourishment and comfort for many Italians, ladled from the pan or tureen. Pasta e patate, pasta e fagioli, pasta e ceci are dishes that stir up something elemental. More than any other, these were the dishes that people chose as their piatto preferito (favourite dish). If I’m making this seem overly sentimental I should make clear that it isn’t – minestre are too functional and no-nonsense for that. Despite my initial suspicion and reluctance about what felt like unlikely pairings (pasta and beans, pasta and potatoes, pasta and chickpeas) and my long-held idea that soup, however good, wasn’t really a meal, they have become the cornerstones of my diet. Tasty, nourishing, economical to make, generous, infinitely accommodating, minestre are dishes that I eat a couple of times a week. All five are based on more or less the same principle, which is that beans or legumes are cooked until tender, then added to a soffritto of aromatics cooked in fat along with enough water, or their cooking water, to cook the pasta. Beyond these basic principles, minestre can be simple or more complex, brothy and distinct, or blended until they are creamy. They can be rich red with tomato, or just blushing, or have no tomato at all; they can include herbs or cured pork. In short, having understood the basic principles, you can make the recipe your own.

the book

Yo u c a n o r d e r R a c h e l ' s b o o k h e r e and or download the ebook (kindle i Tu n e s ) . I f yo u w a n t to re a d m o re of her recipes and stories visit her . blog Rachel Eats

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Films to Daydream

As escaping to foreign countries isn't always a valid possiblity TV shows and films are the perfect window into life at the Côte d'Azur, busy Roman streets or the crystal clear sea on Greek islands. We selected a view destination you can easily get to from the comfort of your own homw.

A good Year

Amazon Instant

| iTunes

And God created woman

This film turned St. Tropes into a sought-after resort and Brigitte Bardot into an international star. Sheportrays the young Juliette who is in love with Antoine Tardieu but gets engaged to his brother, Michel, in an attempt to avoid being send back to an orphanage.

DVD

| iTunes

Amazon Instant

ve n

T rop e z

rem o

Inspector Montalbano

In nine seasons the Comissario Montalbano solves crimes in the fictive town Vigàta, showing off Sicily's charme. Since 2012 the prequel »The young Montalbano« is filmed showing Sicily in the early 1990s.

Amazon Instant Season 1 iTunes Seasonl 1

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This film s side. Tom trust of the leaf and h Sherwood, the luxury Naples.

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The successful stock broker Max leaves London to sell the house his uncle's left him in the Provence. When he arrives in Lo Siroque distant memories of his happy childhood and youth are rushing back to him and he has to decide between London and the Provence.

The talen Mr. Rip

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The Hunting Party

shows Italy's best Ripley gains the rich Dickie Greenhis fiance Marge spending weeks submerged in of Rome, Venice, Sanremo and

| iTunes

Amazon Instant

roa t ia

ap l es

| iTunes

Mamma Mia!

In the ABBA-musical Sophie invites three of her mum's exes to her wedding searching for her father. The film celebrates the fictive Greek island Kalokairi (Skopelos). The highlight: Meryl Streep sings ÂťThe winner takes it allÂŤ on a cliff.

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| iTunes

S ko

It started in Naples

los

y l i c

A team of journalists head to Croatia and Bosnia on a mission to find the biggest war criminal five years after the Bosnian war.

When his brother dies Mike Hamilton heads to Naples to handle his affairs only to discover he's got a young nephew waiting for him. Mike wants to take the boy to the US against the will of his mother, Lucia Curcio.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH 284

JULIA WALCH sister-mag.com

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Julia, you grew up on one of Italy’s most famous vineyards. What was your childhood like? Certainly one where the topic of wine was very important. We still live on the estate and the wine cellars are directly beneath our house. You smell, hear and see a lot; you're right in the middle of the action. The vineyard is a part of the family. You slowly grow into it.

So it was a vinous childhood? Well, we have always smelled wine glasses. There is a funny picture of my sister from when she was little and the wine glass looks so huge in her hand. My parents always took us on wine tours throughout the entire world. It was great but also sometimes rather boring for us kids. We would sit in the car and listen to music. Our parents really were not too happy about that.

Did you always knowthat you would join the business some day? Not at all. I studied history in France first and then went to Brussels, where I graduated with a master’s degree in European Studies. I definitely wanted to work in the international field.

Sounds good, doesn’t it...

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Sure, but you usually end up behind a desk in some windowless office. Internationality really just exists in e-mails. And I did not want that. I eventually realized that I had to make a choice: I am either part of the world of wine or I am not. I slowly started appreciating working on a vineyard and the fact that it is nothing ordinary.

And how did you turn things around? I went back to France, to Dijon, and did my master’s in Viticulture. After that, I worked on a vineyard in Bordeaux

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for half a year and returned to South Tyrol two years ago when I was 26.

So you can prune a vine stock yourself if you have to? Yes, I could, but unfortunately I do not have the time. I was planning on working regularly in the vineyard during the winter but I did not get around to do it at all. I was away the most of the time and every time I got back, so many things that needed to be done first had piled up.

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Your mother is one of the most famous vintners in Italy. Were you not afraid that her footsteps might be a little too big to follow? No, we handle things very differently, and have very different personalities. It probably would be really difficult if she was a mother who tries to point her children in a certain direction or run the vineyard as a sole ruler. But she is not like that. She too had to learn the ropes of viticulture, which is not exactly a typical womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s topic. So she learned that things do not always stay the same and that they can always change. It is all about working together as a team to make the best of the vineyard. It

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would be wrong for my sister and I to join the business and say, we do our own thing now, we leave the old way behind and do something new. That would not be good.

What is it like nowadays as a woman in the wine business? There are not many of us and because of that I feel as if we have to prove ourselves even more. You can really notice this during wine fairs. It is almost always men who speak. Either, because they are the owners, or because they are the marketing or sales managers. Women are mostly those young ladies who pour the wine. If you are there as a man, you are automatically perceived as someone more important. And most of the women who produce wine do not have the courage to stand in the front row and say, I have made this wine, I put my signature on it, I talk about it. As soon as they are invited to give a talk about their vineyard, they immediately say: ÂťNo, my husband does that.ÂŤ

Does that not bother you sometimes? My sister and I do not really have difficulties with it, because we have

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Elena Julia

Karoline

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our mother as a role model. We are familiar with it, because we grew up with it and we knew that it would be like that.

Your mother Elena was the first woman ever to run a vineyard in South Tyrol. Yes. It was hard for her to even be noticed as a person. The wine business is a very traditional, very tough world that does not change quickly. My mother came from Milan and even though her parents were from South Tyrol, the people eyed

her with suspicion when she tried to introduce new things.

Like what? The most important thing was to reduce crop yields (to increase quality, editors note). An older woman was shocked and told her it would be a sin. During the grape harvest, her parents always lead the way through the vineyard and picked the most grapes. And the children followed to check that they did not miss anything. They had to sing while doing so to make sure they did not

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secretly slip some grapes into their mouths.

Your mother married into the Walch family and still the vineyard is called »Elena Walch« to this day. Yes, luckily my father was an openminded person and it was the right moment to deal with this matter this way. Nevertheless, there is this thing about the barrels…

What barrels?

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We have a cellar with big wooden barrels stored in it. They have initials engraved. Every male descendent received one – my sister and I did not. It's the perfect example to show that this is a man’s world.

therefore have a sensitive nose. Women also have a different taste than men. People keep saying that our wines are feminine wines.

What are feminine wines? In our case, they are wines with a very round body, the acidity and tannins are smooth and round, not scratchy, and nicely integrated. I think that women are more apt to round the wine off. If you put a man and a woman side by side, they do not produce completely different wines but there are certainly things that women might pay more attention to than men.

What is the best part about your job?

If you have children of your own The travelling. I really like being on the road. And working with nature. some day, will they receive a I have a genuine love for Mother barrel even if they are girls? We will have to see, this is way in the future. But I am in favor of respecting traditions and it is also funny to say, these are the barrels for the guys. We as women do other things instead.

Do women produce wine differently from the way men do it? Yes. Because women spend a lot more time in the kitchen and

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Nature. I grew up in a village. To go outside to play always meant going into the woods. Then, when I went to big cities to study, I saw all these children on playgrounds, playing on 200 square feet surrounded by a fence, and all protected… I don’t know. They are definitely missing out. Nature provides a healthy balance to my travels. I am typically not a city girl. I like to come home to Bozen

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after work, a place where there is always something going on. But I am also looking forward to going to the vineyard in Tramin every morning.

What is your favorite place in South Tyrol? We have a house on the Seiser Alm where we spend a lot of time. There is nothing but sheer nature and mountains. You cannot even reach it by car.

Thank you very much for the interview. 289

This feature was produced in cooperation with Captain Cork . The wine portal has portrayed female vintners and presented their wines. The articles are available here . Visit the website of Elena Walch family estates and follow them on Facebook and Twitter . Issue 19 | June 2015

TV 2.0 How streaming services enhance the world of TV shows text: Rabea Tennenberger

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From their emergence in the late

These TV programs are set in a

1940s fictional televisions serials

universe that follows strict rules and

have been labeled as one of the lower

in which we meet familiar characters

media of mainstream entertainment

but they still manage to surprise us

by both critics and media theory.

with unexpected twists and turns.

Actually though, a TV series is a wonderful way to escape from reality for a few minutes or hours: The (basically)

unchanging

worlds

programs like The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family, in which any problem is solved within twenty minutes, provide an element of stability. The more dramatic adventures of fictional physicians, lawyers and police officers in Grey’s

so real to us that we spend hours discussing their fates, are genuinely happy for them when a long expected romance finally blossoms and actually grieve when a beloved character dies. The title of NBC‘s flag ship comedy perfectly summarizes what we feel these TV characters become Friends. It’s not just that the six New York City-based characters around

Order

which the program revolves are

and CSI on the other hand help put

friends, they are our friends, too, and

the goings-on in our own life into

we shared their fictional sorrows and

perspective.

joys for years.

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Anatomy, Law

The on-screen characters become

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Sisko: You betrayed your uniform! Michael Eddington: And you're betraying yours, right now! The sad part is, you don't even realize it. I feel sorry for you, Captain. This obsession with me - look what it's cost you. Star Trek Issue 19 | June 2015

Ross: The door's closed! I can't see anything with the door closed! Chandler: And the inventor of the door rests happily in his grave. 292

Friends Serials don’t only provide a sense of

the label »mind candy« for a long

escape and identification but also one

time. Before the new millennium

of eternity. No matter whether we are

only a handful of programs received

watching or not the program goes on.

reviews which attested to their quality

And even after the final episode has

well beyond shallow entertainment,

aired the program still lives on in spin-

Twin

offs, feature sequels or just through

Seinfeld among the select few.

its fans who keep discussing it with

It took until the late 2000s, when

their friends and on the internet for years after it last appeared in a TV guide.

Peaks, The

West

Wing and

the first critics started to rave about celebrated

new

programs

The Wire, Breaking Bad and Mad Men,

Despite their commercial success

for the misapprehension that TV

though, TV serials were stuck with

programs don’t have any controversial

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or aesthetical potential to slowly

feature a famous Hollywood face,

disperse. But since an increasing

regardless of whether it’s a comedy

number of Hollywood directors have

or a drama. But the mushrooming

started producing and directing TV

of first class TV serials isn’t down

programs they have finally made

to big names alone. The genre is

the full transition from insipid party

breaking the mould with a fresh look,

small

much

exceptional staging, diverse casting,

researched objects of investigation

controversial storylines and unusual

of media theory. David Fincher on

heroes. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

House of Cards, Robert Rodriguez

for example, a show about a woman

on the TV serialization of his classic

working

feature film From Dusk till Dawn and

trauma, is a comedy. Transparent

Jane Champion on Top of the Lake

centres around a family man in his

are only three examples of feature

60s finally embracing his real identity

film directors contributing to the

as a woman. And The

production of a TV program.

re-examines the cold war from the

With more and more A-list Hollywood

perspective of two Russian spies in

talk

legitimate,

actors and budgets to match at the TV program creatives‘ disposal it begs the question if cinema will be able to keep up with television in the long run – quite the opposite of how the question was asked years ago. Kevin Spacey

through

abduction

Americans

the US. By picking a topic which used to be a taboo, like questioning and reestablishing existing norms on sex, TV breaks through its own uniformity and sparks controversial debates in people’s private lives as well as in the

and Robin Wright on House of Cards,

society at large.

Matthew McConaughey and Woody

The claiming of formerly unchartered

Harrelson on True

territories

Detective, Eva

isn’t

solely

down

Green on Penny Dreadful and Billy

the show runners‘, authors‘ and

Bob Thornton on Fargo are some

directors‘ recently discovered artistic

of the bigger Hollywood stars who

aspirations. The newfound freedom

have in recent years taken on a

of traditional TV is also rooted in the

leading role on TV – it’s an upward

fact that it is not traditional anymore.

trend. Few TV programs now don’t

With the emergence of streaming

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services like Netflix towards the end of the 2000s, who are no longer dependent on their shows content being approved by advertisers, the standard of TV programs has reached a whole new level. New concepts are developed based on the data available on popular existing productions. The resulting high quality web programs can be accessed by users at any time and on almost any device with internet capability.

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This doesn’t just impact content, casting and the aesthetics of a program but also reception modalities: You don’t have to wait until next Tuesday at 9pm to watch the next episode. »Binge watching« involves the risk of seriously screwing up your sleeping pattern – especially with programs like House of Cards or Lost in which episodes tend to end on a cliffhanger – but with a certain level of self-monitoring it is the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday on the sofa. Video on demand also answered the prayers of all those who don‘t live in the country where their favorite program is produced and who before had to wait for months, sometimes years, for a new season to air in their region. And there is another positive

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effect: With internet television conquering new horizons public television stations are also increasing their efforts to try and keep up with the competition. Generally speaking, the development towards this »new« kind of television has been a positive one but it remains to be seen if its new faces will become as dear to us as the old ones were. Can Frank Underwood prevail against Tony Soprano? Will Kimmy Schmidt’s eccentricities endear her to us as much as Phoebe Buffay or Lorelei Gilmore? Looks like it! The more intelligent and diverse programs get produced the more television can become more than a distraction from our daily routine; it can be an access way to new ideas and exploring new horizons. Digital television has played an important part in this development but it also offers us home comforts from the traditional TV age: An on screen family in whose strange, exciting and dramatic (ad)ventures we can take part from the safety of our sofa – and who, as opposed to our real family and friends, we can switch off at any time. n

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From a virtual video shop to an innovative producer

text: Rabea Tennenberger

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The first time I heard the name Netflix

the next post box and soon received

was – I’m sure you’ve guessed it – on

the next title on their list.

a TV show. It was Mindy Klaing, alias

Much has changed at Netflix since then.

Kelly Kapoor, from The Office doing her reputation as chatterbox justice and explaining to her colleagues how to trick Netflix into letting you rent Love…Actually twice in a row.

Currently every second household in the US and 62 million members in more than 50 countries globally use the service which in 2007 changed its delivery system from mailing discs

Long before becoming one of the

to an online streaming platform.

most popular VOD providers the US

Customers get to watch as many films

based company ran a DVD rental

and TV programs without commercial

service. Users compiled individual

breaks wherever and whenever they

watch lists on their platform and

like. Their success has made the

Netflix mailed the DVDs to their

company’s name synonymous with

homes.

home

Once

finished

watching

customers just dropped the DVDs in

entertainment.

Instead

saying »I‘ll be watching Breaking Bad

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AD sisterMAG editor in chief Thea got into Netfli x because of its original seri es »House of Cards«. She spent some nights binge-watchin g the political drama.

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tonight.« it’s just »I’ll be watching Netflix tonight« – and with more than 100 million hours of film and television material available that can mean many different things. Reed Hastings, CEO and co-founder of Netflix is convinced that streaming services will someday make traditional television completely obsolete. It is a mystery to him why so many Germans still meet up each Sunday night to watch »Tatort« (»Crime scene« a popular German police drama airing on Sundays night). He compares traditional television to a landline phone – everybody’s got

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one but nobody uses it anymore. And he is not entirely wrong: Who would want to continue zapping through the channels looking for something worth watching when you can have your favorite program at the touch of a button at the time most convenient for you? Strong opinions on the future of television are not all the Netflix boss is known for, he also has a unique way of running his business: His employees can bring their children to work and take holidays whenever they want and for as long as they want. The CEO doesn’t even have his own office

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– when he is not in a meeting he just

critically acclaimed Shame. Leafing

grabs a chair in the office kitchen.

through the catalogue you will also find

Does that sound too good to be true?

classic films like Martin Scorsese‘s

I wanted to know if it was and decided to introduce myself to the Netflix boss at a party at the Komische Oper in

Taxi Driver, Roman Polanski’s The

Pianist, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp

Fiction and – for the Kelly Kapoor

Berlin celebrating the Netflix launch

fans – obviously Love...Actually.

in Germany. I made my way through

International films are also available

the crowds and casually smiling

ranging from the beautiful Chinese

joined the group of people to which Hastings was just talking. Noticing my nervousness Hastings smiled at me and asked my name. We had a friendly chat about our favorite Orange is the

New Black characters and it became

romance In the Mood for Love

and the Korean action classic Old Boy to Argentine drama The secret

in their eyes to name just three

from a well balanced and compelling list. Fans of German cinema are also

immediately clear that he prefers to

well catered for with more than 120

let his product do the talking instead

German language productions ready

of taking centre stage himself.

to stream at any time.

And it’s working – since launching the

Netflix casts an equally wide net in

service in Germany in September 2014

terms of genre and tastes with its

the provider’s popularity has climbed

TV program portfolio. It comprises

steadily. Netflix‘ German portfolio includes

current

blockbusters

such as Marvel’s The Avengers,

Inception and The Hobbit as well as

independent and repertory films like

classics like How I met your mother, The Big Bang Theory and

my current favorite Modern Family

as well as horror genre favorites like American Horror Story and Penny

Wes Andersons dreamy Moonrise

Dreadful. Adventure and excitement

Jennifer Lawrence in her break

Fargo and science fiction programs

Kingdom, Winter’s Bone starring

through role and Steve McQueen’s

along the lines of Breaking Bad and

from classics like Doctor Who to

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the Canadian hit series Orphan Black are all just one click away. The »Netflix Kids« feature opens a treasure trove of films and programs especially for children and includes a function to make sure the little ones don’t accidentally stumble into rated content.

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Its impressive selection of films and TV programs is not the only feature which distinguishes Netflix from other providers on the German market: Netflix doesn’t just host content, since 2012 they have been producing their own programs. The company owes its stellar reputation mostly to one particular creation: Flag ship program and first Netflixproduced show House of Cards. The elaborately composed political drama follows a manipulative US politician (Kevin Spacey) on his way to the presidency. Anything he does seems to follow a larger plan from his political decisions to his romantic encounters: Both his wife Claire (Robin Wright), supporting him with iron elegance, and journalist Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) are consequently less traditional love interests than

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pieces on a check board in a game for the Oval Office. Despite the big names involved, Netflix took a huge risk with the production of House of Cards: Traditionally, just one pilot episode is produced on the back of which the decision for (or against) an entire season is then made. On House of

Cards two full seasons were green

lit in advance and given a budget of $100 million. It turned out to be a very worth-while investment. Now in its third series (which was made available in February) the program is more popular and more exciting than ever. Netflix‘

second

big

production

Orange is the New Black wasn’t

less of a risk to take when it comes to the target audience. The program is set in a women’s prison and focuses on outcasts who don’t tick any of the boxes on the standard TV character checklist. Since all good things come in threes Netflix made another daring choice with its third big project Unbreakable

Kimmy Schmidt which features

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Tina Fey, the genius behind 30Rock and deals with an usual subject matter. The eponymous character has endured abduction and years of abuse by religious fanatics. But striking the perfect balance between true horror and humor, candy colors and razor sharp social criticism and Kimmy

Schmidt’s

(Ellie

Kemper)

charming mixture of naivety have made it one of the most notable new programs of recent years. Other the

Netflix

originals

include

adventure

program

Marco

Polo, animation comedy Bo Jack

Horseman and the family crime

drama

Bloodlines

starring

Kyle

Chandler (The Wolf of Wallstreet)

blind protagonist also inspired the company to add special streams for visually impaired customers to their offer: you can choose to add audio commentary describing the onscreen goings-on. Netflix doesn’t limit its own productions to TV programs, over the past few years they have also produced documentaries and stand-up specials by famous comedians such as Aziz Ansari from Parks &Recreation or Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn NineNine). Netflix is not just a platform streaming old favorites – it’s a place where new and unusual ideas are given the room to grown into tomorrow’s favorites.n

adding to the high quality offerings in all genres. The two first episodes of Bloodlines even got a cinema screening at the Berlinale; another instance of the lines between film and television being blurred by an exceptional TV production. Daredevil,

Netflix’

eponymous

recently

star

launched

super Try Netflix now

hero program, brings a distinct cinema flair to the home screen. The

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SUITCASE Spain

Sight-seeing in Barcelona from here

Welcome to Spain Lorena Vilanova The Stylistbook On The Stylistbook Lorena collects inspiring street style photos, trends, and interesting people and places.

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photos: Mela Mรถrtenbeck

Best time to travel

Follow Mela's Roadtrip through Andalucia from here sister-mag.com

If you want to enjoy beaches, Spain offers great alternatives. You can visit the islands Baleares in June, when it's hot and there are fewer people, or have a climate of midsummer in May or October in the Canaries and the beaches are all for you.

SUITCASE Essential Luggage

To anyone who travels to Sain I recommend that you do not forget to take a camera, a good sunscreen and a book. Spain will give you everything else you might need.

Best Blog to day-dream

photos: Thea Neubauer

Best Beach

I love Vegas Oliver's instagram account (@ovunno ). He is a photographer and traveller transmitting wanderlust. My favourite travel blog is The Perennial Plate . They have done a spectacular video about Spain, and after seeing it, you will want to travel. »Gran Vía« by Eric Titcombe

Spain has many amazing beaches. I especially recommend Playa de Muro, close to S'Albufera Natural Park in Mallorca. Also in Formentera you will find fantastic and unspoilt beaches.

Spent 48h in Madrid (here )

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photo: Christine Davis

Favourite City My favourite city in Spain is Barcelona, the city where I live. Barcelona has everything, without being a particularly large city: plenty of sun, good weather, beaches, museums, sports, architecture. It has the best gastronomy in Spain, since it is the most cosmopolitan city in the country, and is very close to the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees. Barcelona unites the sea and mountains, every day in the city is different.

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Barcelona photos by Christine Davis – Photographer Studio CD

Outfit of Lorena Vilanova – Fashion Blogger: The Stylistbook

OFFICE DAY/ in Barcelona/ /

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THE OUTFIT/

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/ Lorena Vilanova is an Argentine native but has lived in Barcelona since 2010. Led by her innate penchant for an exchange with other people and anything relating to communication, she studied journalism and languages. // As a child she liked to try on her mother’s clothes and her knack for fashion and clothing persists to this day. Living in Barcelona, however, was the clincher for her to start her own fashion blog: Inspirational design and an inimitable mixture of culture and languages are waiting at every corner. /// Inspired by our VICHY summer scenes she shows us her outfit for »an office day in Barcelona« comprising a maxi dress and a functional backpack. Issue 19 | June 2015

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Love Slinky Maxi Dress from ASOS O'Malley Round Sunglasses from American Deadstock via Etsy

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Skinnydip – Umschlag-Clutch from ASOS

Kitty Shades from NastyGal

Backpack from Bissú, a young spanish company sister-mag.com

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BARCELONA

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Barcelona. The Catalan capital has been a leading metropolis of the creative world since the early 80s. With its culture, parties and beaches the always young-atheart city on the Balearic is still the place to go in search of the current trend. If you are looking for a place to stay in Barcelona read this article and check out Praktik Hotels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; five hotels each with their own theme and design concept.

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Barcelona was the home of Antoni Gaudí, and his distinct style shapes it to this day. Casa Batlló is in the city's centre, easily spotted with its colourful façade covered in broken ceramic tiles and the arched roof shaped like a dragon. Gaudí also designed the interior, seamlessly taking his flowing shapes to create a unique space, which is today used for events and exhibitions. More of Gaudí's work can be found dotted around Barcelona, especially the Park Güell offers a calmer hideaway and breath-taking views during siesta .

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TORRE AGBAR / The Torre Agbar was only opened 10 years ago but has already established itself as the icon of the Catalan capital. Even though it was at first criticised for not fitting into the Barcelonan cityscape ,it has quickly established itself as one of the main tourist attractions. At night it is illuminated by more than 4,500 programmable LEDs with a spectrum of more than 16 million colours. Since 2006 this is used as the backdrop for Catalonia’s New Year's celebrations, creating a unique light show that attracts tourists and locals alike.

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HOTELS travelling & sleeping in barcelona & madrid

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Hotel Praktik Bakery Room

hat is the philosophy behind Praktik Hotels?

Usually, luxury and good location come at a high price, but at Praktik Hotels you will find trendy and chic hotels at unbelievable prices. We know how location is key so all of our hotels are located in the city center, only footsteps away from the major attractions, sometimes even located in historical buildings. We love good design and pretty things and we want our guests to feel at home, each of our hotels is unique in its own way.

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Hotel Praktik Vinoteca Terrace

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an you tell us a little bit about each of the five Praktik Hotels in Barcelona? We actually have 4 in Barcelona and 1 in Madrid:

HOTEL PRAKTIK METROPOL located in the street that has been called Madrid’s Broadway, is a hotel with a New York style standing erect on Gran Via, in an imposing marble and light stone building, opposite what was Europe’s first skyscraper.

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HOTEL PRAKTIK VINOTECA as a surprising new boutique hotel dedicated to the world of wine: the city of Barcelona’s relationship with wine is as old as its history and culture.

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HOTEL PRAKTIK BAKERY a most singular establishment, integrating a bakery inside the hotel. It is a different hotel, out of the ordinary, that introduces something as »homely« as bread so that our guests feel at home and enjoy the delicious offerings of the Baluard bakery run by Anna Bellsolà.

HOTEL PRAKTIK GARDEN the green vegetation of the lush plants welcoming you to the hotel make the garden feel like a real oasis to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

HOTEL PRAKTIK RAMBLA occupies a spectacular 19th-century mansion in central, tree-lined Rambla Catalunya. The architecture that is so distinctive of Barcelona features strongly in this hotel, which retains original elements such as the Baroque columns and colourful mosaic floors.

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hy should people come to Barcelona? What makes this city special?

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For us, Barcelona is simply the best city in the world It has some amazing things that, combined all together, make it a place where you could see yourself living a great life: good Mediterranean food and tapas, wine, great weather (by the sea but pretty close to the mountains, only a two hour drive away from the ski slopes!), amazing architecture, cool and trendy shops, cafĂŠs and restaurants, the beach, a vibrant design sceneâ&#x20AC;Ś.Come and you will see! Hotel Praktik Rambla Lobby

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Hotel Praktik Garden Building at night

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ho had the idea for Praktik Hotels?

José María Trénor Lowenstein, Praktik Hotels CEO. Twelve years ago, he took over a family hotel in Barcelona. He didn’t have a hotelier background: since graduating from University he worked as a banker, so this was a completely different world to him. The hotel needed a lot of investment and human resources restructuring, but it had a lot of potential. After some years managing the hotel and gaining a lot of experience, he decided to go on his own and open his first hotel from scratch, called The Praktik. 322

At that time there was the budget airline boom: travelling was no longer something for rich people only. A new segment of young travelers took over: they were buying their flight tickets online, looking for the cheapest options, with a lot of travel knowledge. Unlike their parents, they wanted to make their trips unique and memorable and wanted to do it by themselves: instead of booking through travel agencies and buying all-inclusive trip packages, they spent hours searching the net or reading magazines. José María felt there was a blank space in the Barcelona hotel market: we couldn’t offer this new generation of travelers what they were looking for. This is when he came up with the Praktik idea, with three pillars on his mind: boutique-style hotels with great attention to design, always at a competitive price and unmatched locations in the center of the city. To be able to give competitive prices he had to do things

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differently and maximize the usage of space: smaller rooms, no restaurant, no big ballrooms and few employees per hotel. His dream was to build what you could call »themed hotels« – instead of creating a chain of hotels with no difference from one another he wanted to give personality to each one, as if they were independent hotels. They would all share the same »Praktik« philosophy but each hotel needed to have its own style, its own theme. Several years later, with four hotels in Barcelona and one in Madrid, he is excited to keep on growing and remain true to the original essence of what the Praktik Hotels stand for.

Hotel Praktik Rambla Room 323

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hat is – personally – your favourite design in the hotels? Where is your favourite place to hang out? One of the most valued assets in our rooms is the huge comfortable bed plus the great rainfall shower, and we all agree with our guests here! Rooms might be small, ok, but they’re compact and you have everything you need.

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GARDEN

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o you use special interior designers for the hotels? How do you develop the design concepts? Where do you find your extraordinary design objects?

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Lázaro Rosa-Violán has created all of our Praktik Hotels’s interior design. He’s one of the most acclaimed interior designers in the world and we’re so proud to have him on board. His agency is called Contemporain Studio and they’re responsible for all the materials and décor you will find in our hotels. They keep a secret – actually many guests want to know where we bought our furniture from! Their pieces and suppliers come from all over the world.

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RAMBLA

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hat kind of travellers come to your hotels?

Mainly foreign people (not Spanish, although we also get a lot of them). Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re people from all ages, maybe we could narrow it to the age gap 25-45, but again it depends on the season and hotel. What they have in common is their desire to enjoy a different experience while they travel, not the typical corporate hotel with no personality. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also people who want to be in the heart of the city, to be able to walk everywhere.

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VINOTECA 334

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see more photos

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Andal 336

Text & photos

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lucía 337

Mela Mörtenbeck

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Beaches for miles or challenging mountain paths? Lively towns or impressive vistas? If you have the choice, why not have everything? Andalusia, the most southern region of the Spanish mainland, caters for everything that you could want from a holiday destination. There is only one expectation that you'll have to part with: that one trip is enough to take in all the sights. Andalusia. When most people think of the Spanish region of Andalusia, images of bullfights and flamenco; tapas and sangria; sun and sea come to mind. They imagine vivacious Spaniards und Moorish villages. In fact, the region has been influenced by Arabic culture for nearly 800 years, which has left with it such splendid buildings as the Great Mosque of CĂłrdoba or Alhambra in Granada.

Andalusia is the same Spain that many Europeans have in mind when they think of the country. And yet we're not talking about unyielding clichĂŠs, but rather real tradition that is proudly followed and kept alive by the locals. With its well known cities like MĂĄlaga, Granada and Seville, its pueblos blancos - the white towns with their winding streets - and the Sierra Navada - the second biggest mountain range in Europe - Andalusia is as diverse and varied as a region can be. That's probably why we could only begin to get to know, but at any rate fall in love with Andalusia during our weeklong road trip. Although we had to forgo classics such as Ronda, or a walk along the Caminito del Rey, we still had the opportunity to experience Andalusia from many sides. But let's start at the beginning...

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Gibralfaro Playas Tapas

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Our journey of discovery begins in

the Gibralfaro castle, the Catedral

Mรกlaga. I had already spent a day at

de la Encarnaciรณn, the La Malagueta

the port city several years ago, during

bullring and the birthplace of Pablo

a typical beach holiday on the Costa

Picasso, it still has several sights to

Brava with my family. I remembered it

offer. A trip to Gibralfaro, for example,

as rather a boring place, so I was all the

is worth it just for the panoramic view

more surprised at how much Mรกlaga

of the coastal city. And those looking

has flourished over the years. Many of

for a place to rest up and cool down

the house fronts and lanes had been

after completing an expedition will

redeveloped and the boardwalk of the

certainly find what they're looking for

harbour also shone in new splendour.

at one of 16 sections of beach. Here

Mรกlaga's old town may be small, but

you can often find one of the best fish

with the Masonic palace of Alcazaba,

locals in the city, where you can watch

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the fish you ordered being grilled over the charcoal.

becomes lively and exuberant. Young

MĂĄlaga's old town is characterised by a mix of restaurants, bars and shops where life pulses both day and night. The local scene in the second biggest city of Andalusia is clear to see. Whether breakfasting at cafĂŠs, lunching in tapas bars or dining in restaurants typical of the region, you won't be stuck for choice. As peaceful as the city may be during siesta, the Spanish lunch hour, in the evenings it

in equal numbers, where all kinds of

locals and tourists take to the bars tapas, regional wine and sangria are served. A particularly recommendable bar is La Cosmopolita, tucked away in a side street, where authentic Andalusian dishes are brought to the table still in their pots. The Terra Sana on the other hand scores points with a wide variety of tapas and the Ingredients CafĂŠ offers a well-priced breakfast in the centre of the old town.

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moorish memories iN Granada

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After two days in MĂĄlaga, our journey takes us farther North. Our next stop is Granada: a definite must-see for those travelling through Andalusia. The city is best known for Alhambra, one of the most significant buildings from Moorish times. It is one of the most highly visited attractions of Europe and has been a world heritage sight since 1984. Alhambra, which rests upon the Sabika Hill, is home to magnificent palaces, museums and gardens. A walk through the area is sure to make an impression and is full of eye-catching details. The Torre de la Vela opens up to two rewarding vistas: AlbaicĂn, Granadas, oldest

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district in the north, and the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the south. A visit here should be planned before travelling or at least one or two days in advance, in order to avoid long queues at the booking office. The number of tickets sold per day is also limited, meaning you can't always access the watchtower at your preferred time. Aside from visiting Alhambra, a walk through AlbaicĂn is also worthwhile. The former Moorish neighbourhood is now the oldest district as well as a UNESCO world heritage site. It is located on one of the three crests that Granada is built upon and provides a direct view over the Alhambra.

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But that's not all - AlbaicĂn's picturesque streets running between whitewashed houses are also what make it count amongst the city's most worthwhile attractions. Even the central region surrounding the cathedral radiates Andalusian flair; almost more so than MĂĄlaga. In summer, the streets are covered with white awnings to keep the tremendous heat at bay and many bars and cafes provide a refreshing break. You can also find excellent food in one of the many local eateries on the Plaza de la Romanilla, such as at El Aguador or Ermita

Alhambra Albaicin Catedral

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paying the smurfs a visit

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On the journey back from Granada to the southern coast of Andalusia, we don't let a detour to the small mountain municipality of Júzcar pass us by. Even if a village with a population of 232 doesn't sound exciting at first, it is in fact a little peculiarity. When the small town was chosen to stage the world premier of ›The Smurfs‹ film in 2011, the formally whitewashed house fronts were painted in the trademark Smurf-blue colour - as were the church and gravestones. When residents had to agree on the colour of the houses after the premier, the majority decided to keep their blue village. And so Júzcar became probably the first Smurf village in the world and has since enjoyed increasing interest from tourists. It's true that ten minutes are enough to take a walk through town, but the view when looking back on the vibrantly blue village from farther up the road is definitely worth the detour.

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a glimpse of africa and beyond to Cadiz

348

Back at the coast we allow ourselves a

and had us under its spell right away.

quick cool off in the sea and make our

We promptly head to the coast and

way towards the southernmost point of

discover La Playa de la Caleta beach

Spain - Gibraltar. From this location,

with its oriental style bathhouses, as

barely 15 kilometres separate Europe

well as the Castello San Sebastiรกn,

from Africa. We insist on taking a

situated on a small island off the

walk from a most spectacular airport

coast and accessible via a boardwalk

down to Europa Point, the southern

running from the city.

tip of the peninsular. The airport is the only one worldwide whose landing strip is traversed by a road that is regularly closed off to allow cars and pedestrians to cross. We stroll through the shops on Main Street, take in the British flair and then make our way back. Our final destination of the day is the smallest of the four cities that we're visiting over the course of our road trip. But Cรกdiz doesn't need to shy away. Quite the contrary: The narrow alleyways are even more prominent here than in Mรกlaga or Granada. The old town exudes Andalusian charm

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Gibraltar Mercado La Caleta Issue 19 | June 2015

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The Torre Tavira watchtower is also worth a visit, with its panoramic view over Cรกdiz and a camera obscura. By stepping into a dark room you can observe the colourful goings-on below

the

streets

pinhole

without

having

through

camera,

to retrace a single step. Impressive! To finish off you should not miss out on a stroll along the stalls of the Mercado Central - probably the nicest and cleanest meat, fish,

fruit

and

vegetable

market that I've ever seen. Cรกdiz is located on a spit of land protruding from the bay. When entering the city, not only is the striking difference between the skyscrapers of the modern new town and the picturesque old town clear to see; inviting beaches also catch our eye with their promise of refreshment on these hot summer days. The next day, before leaving Cรกdiz for Seville, we lay our bath towels down on the sand and bask in the sun.

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5 352

last stop: Seville Refreshed from the Atlantic, we head off to the final destination of our road trip - Seville. It was for me one of the highlights of the last seven days. Not only does the city have an unbelievable amount to offer, it also comes across as very young and open-minded. Our hotel is situated directly next to the St. Mary of the See Cathedral, so we of course take the opportunity

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to visit. And it's worth it! Not only is the Cathedral itself interesting and impressive, even more rewarding is a climb to the top of the Giralda - a 97-metre high bell tower that opens to a glorious vista of the city. The Torre del Oro, a small tower built on the Guadalquivir River, provides similar heights and a view over the old town and the opposite bank.

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However,

the

newest

and

most

different colours and the lights of the

modern way to see Seville from above

city can be seen by night.

is provided by the Metropol Parasol.

The commercial streets in Seville

The wooden structure built on four

are ideal for a shopping tour; Spanish

floors

Antiquarium

labels mix with international brands

Museum, a regional market, a public

and there are awnings here too, to

events venue and viewing terraces.

protect shoppers from the sweltering

The entry fee of â&#x201A;Ź3 is more than

heat. CafĂŠs and restaurants are

worth it. Visitors are free to access

lined up next to each other almost

the viewing terraces and thereby

seamlessly. Whether rustic, modern

gain a unique view of Seville from

or international - there is something

different perspectives. Particularly

here

recommendable is a visit at dusk,

designer hotel EME FusiĂłn, there are

when the structure itself is lit up in

many opportunities to enjoy tapas,

houses

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the

for

everyone.

Around

the

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paella or other local dishes. One highlight to bring the evening to a suitable end is the Terraza de EME, which is part of the hotel complex but also open to non-hotel guests. The roof terrace bar sprawls out over different sized platforms and is a restaurant and cocktail bar in one. The prices may be somewhat inflated, but the atmosphere created by chilled lounge music and a direct view of the cathedral is certainly worthwhile. It's also a fitting location for the end of our road trip.

map FInd the itinerary and all the restaurants, cafés and hotels on Mela's everplace map .

food For a tourist, Andalusia is currently very affordable. Those who forgo breakfast at the hotel and choose to join the locals will be rewarded. Just €5 will buy you a coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice as well as an Andalusian speciality: a toasted bread sometimes topped with olive oil and tomato puree, and sometimes with Serrano ham. Tasty! It's also worth completely falling back on the Andalusian custom of eating tapas for dinner. Just three to four dishes equate to a substantial meal and are more than satisfying. This way, you not only get to pick from the entire menu, but you can also eat a comfortable evening meal for two including wine and water for an affordable €20.

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ÂťMadrid CentroÂŤ by David Hurt sister-mag.com

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48h in Madrid TREND CITY, TAPAS PARADISE, SHOE HEAVEN TEXT: ELISA VON HOF Issue 19 | June 2015

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8.30 pm, 12 hours to take-off

6.30 am, 2 hours to take-off

Packing for your city break you will inevitably wonder which shoes to pack, which dress to choose and which bag to stuff into your carry-on luggage. Tough choices! But thanks to the Mediterranean climate you’ll at least be safe leaving the sweater come April. And you won’t want to take high heels no matter the season; not to stroll along Madrid’s many cobbled alleyways… Instead make sure to pack some comfy sneakers, plimsolls or sandals. Despite the cobbles, Madrid is a saunterer’s paradise and you’ll be able to see most sights on foot bypassing the elsewhere obligatory bus.

Yawn! It’s an early start but make sure you’re awake enough to pack sun screen. If you don’t have any at home, buy some! You will want enjoy the sun not feel it singe your skin.

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8.30 am, take-off The engines are roaring and you‘re being pressed back in your seat – rejoice – here we go! You’re embarking on two wonderful days in one of the most beautiful cities of Southern Europe.

10.30 am, approaching Madrid Did you make good use of the twohour flight by taking a relaxing nap? Excellent! And are you already wondering where to get the best sangria? Where to find the cosiest, most secluded square? Whether there will be a place to wind-down? Yes, Madrid has all this and more to offer, just come along.

Shhh: if you can, buy a small Spanish dictionary on your way to the gate. Some of the smaller tapas bars only have Spanish menus which can makes life quite hard, especially where dietary preferences are concerned.

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10.45 am, off the plane – into the bustle! The airport is served by a metro line straight from the city centre. Just make sure you add the airport surcharge to your ticket at the vending machine.

11.00 am, accommodation-bound Once you’ve dropped off your baggage at the hostel or your AirBnB accommodation (there are such beautiful designer apartments with huge comfy beds available!) the city is all yours.

bags. r u o y n o e y e n a p e e k Shhh: rsatile e v re a ts e k c o p k ic p ’s d Madri row ds c y s u b in t o lo ir e th d n and fi eserd ly g in m e e s g n lo a s a ll as w e ted alle yw a y s. Madrid is a v ery green c ity and y ou’ll find many sanctuaries in secluded courtyards so make s ure to look be y ond the big and busy streets.

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named y tl p a , o ti a p f o ro a s a h Shhh: the ME Hotel ntrane te ra a p e s a a vi le ib s s e c »The Roof«, which is ac worse ly e it n fi e d re a re e th d n a ce. It’s open until 3am joy the n e d n a il ta k c o c a ip s n a things you could do th y. view of the illuminated cit

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»Madrid. Roofs. Spain« by Tomás Fano

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11.45 am, a stroll through the Literary Quarter Barrio de las Letras The Huertas area of Madrid’s old town

try the famous sangria in one of the

is also called the Literary Quarter as

old-fashioned taverns and don’t forget

the Iberian peninsula’s literary greats,

to pop into »Café Central«, Madrid’s

such as Miguel de Cervantes, author

first address for jazz fans! If you’re in

of »Don Quixote«, used to walk its

the mood for some live music at night

streets. Their legacy is still reflected

there is no better place to go than

in many of the area’s street and pub

»Café Central« for proper Spanish

names. The main street, Calle de las

jazz.

Huertas, is literally paved with poetry

But for now Huertas’ cobbled alleys

so for once make sure to look at your

invite you to enjoy the shade, check

feet. The area’s small side and back

out the small boutiques and pick

alleys also make an excellent destina-

one of the many restaurants for a

tion at night. Have a Spanish beer or

spot of lunch.

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Calle de Leon is a particularly good choice of street for all these things: »Ropa & Floristeria«, a trendy shop easily spotted thanks to its pink window frames, offers vintage clothing, unusual jewellery and fresh cut flowers. The smell is fantastic! Back on Calle de Huertas turn on to Plaza Santa Ana, one of the most beautiful squares in the area. Sitting under one of the big parasols and with the impressive scenery of the ME Hotel to marvel at it’s a great place to soak up the Spanish flair until well into the night. 364

2.00 pm, sightseeing After a leisurely stroll through the small streets of Huertas it’s off to Madrid‘s touristic hot spots next. There are two things you cannot afford to miss: Plaza Mayor and Palacio Real. Plaza Mayor is, as the name suggests, Madrid’s largest square. It was built in the 17th century but thanks to the ostentatious facades surrounding it, it still easily passes as majestic today. This is where all of Madrid used to come together to witness bull fights, canonizations and executions. Nowadays, people come for fairs, festivals and open air concerts.

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Through the old city’s narrow streets, many of which date from the Middle Ages, it’s an easy walk to Palacio Real, the royal palace. If you choose Calle de Arenal you will pass the royal opera on your way, Teatro Real, which was commissioned by Isabella II in 1831. Take a close look at the granite grey facade. Can you spot the small angels playing their instruments above the windows? But the opera’s beauty is not constricted to the outside; the main auditorium with its 1700 seats and ornate boxes is well worth a peek.

SUITCASE Shhh: between October and Ju ne youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to witness the chan ging of the guard s ceremony betwe en 12pm and 2pm in the royal gardens in front of the palac e.

365 Christine Davis

Issue 19 | June 2015

Make your way around the opera house and you’ll find yourself right in front of the royal castle. Built in 1764 by Spanish architect Ventura Rodrigez, its close to 550 yard facade of granite and limestone is truly impressive. King Felipe and Queen Letizia do not live here, though, they reside outside the capital; the Palacio Real is only used for state ceremonies and mainly serves as a museum. Care to take a look inside? Admission is 10€ before 6pm. If

366

Christine Davis

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you are an EU citizen, you can get in for free from 6pm. If this hasn’t quenched your thirst for gorgeous regal buildings yet: try the royal cathedral to the right of the palace, Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena. Not quite as historic as the palace next door, it was consecrated in 1993. Has that filled your quota of tourist masses and history lessons for the day? Excellent, then let’s go relax!

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Lago Estanqu

»Madrid« by Greenwich Photography

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4.30 pm, put your feet up in El Retiro Are your feet tired yet? No problem, El Retiro, the beautiful municipal park is waiting for you to relax in it and process everything you have seen so far. Once the kings’ private garden it is now the largest park in Madrid. Why not rent a rowboat and explore Lake Estanque right at its centre? Or just pick one of the small cafés on its shore and feel any stress and tension melt away into the 130 green pastures of the football pitche-sized oasis.

Once refreshed, head towards the area south of the lake and make for Palacio de Cristal, which was built in the 19th century. This gem of the park with its glass front in an iron framework hides behind old trees and stands by its own lake. Sparkling in the sunlight it invites you to check the current temporary exhibition or the miniature shrine to a collection of beautiful scarves.

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SUITCASE Shhh: Madrilen ians are v er y o pen and communicativ e p eople, e v en if th eir le v el of English isn’t necessarily v er y high. So don’t be shy to ask for direction s or information and fe e l f re e t o u s e y o ur hands and feet if nece ssar y.

7.00 pm, aperitifs at Mercado de san Miguel After two hours in the calming

and

tranquil

surroundings of the park it’s time to dive head first into the Spanish night. Before the highly anticipated tavern tour, however, schedule a stop at one of Madrid’s hot spots of culinary endeavors: Mercado de san Miguel in the Old Town. This beautiful market

hall

from

the

early 20th century houses countless

tapas

stands

and delis offering tastes and nibbles. The place is frequented by Madrilenians meeting up with friends for a glass or two of after-work sangria. From stuffed olives to an endless selection of sea food, from traditional paella to a glass of original Spanish Rioja, you’ll find anything you might have read about in terms of Spanish right Christine Davis

capital

here.

It’s

cuisine nothing

less than a feast for all the senses!

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8.00 pm, Cena in Plaza del Conde de Barajas Having warmed up your taste buds at the Mercado, head back to the hustle and bustle of the old city’s alleyways. If you feel like a proper slap-up meal with other tourists opt for Plaza Conde de Barajas merely a stone’s throw from the Mercato.

Restaurants like the »D' Fábula« are waiting to welcome you into their relaxed atmosphere. At midrange prices you’ll find traditional Spanish tapas dishes with a modern twist – and vegetarian options to boot.

Elisa von Hof

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10.30 pm, night life in the Old Town: Has all the sightseeing worn you out? Strolling along the Plaza del Conde de Barajas and towards its southern alleys Calle de Cava Baja and Calle de Cava Alta will soon put you in the mood for a glass of wine. The excellent selection of traditional Spanish bars and restaurants with their rustic charm will do the rest. Either of the parallel streets will take you down to Plaza Puerta de Moros

where both old and young meet for some pre-gaming before making their way to the clubs and discos. If you prefer a quieter end to the evening, turn the next corner towards San Andres church and sit down under one of the trees in the square outside the church to enjoy another â&#x20AC;&#x201C; reasonably priced â&#x20AC;&#x201C; glass of wine and make some plans for your next day in Madrid. Buenasnoches!

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10.00 am, a small breakfast with a gigantic view

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Buenos días! Have you adopted the Spanish rhythm of life and slept in a bit? Fabulous! Fancy a nice cappuccino to kick-off the second day of your trip? And do you also want to tick off a few more things on your too-see list? Then make the Círculo de Bellas Artes, the imposing structure right opposite the famous Gran Vía shopping mile, your first port of call for the day. The academy of fine arts houses exhibitions, screenings, lectures as well as theatre performances and it is also home to one of the most beautiful roof gardens in all of Madrid. Admission is 4€ - a bargain considering the view. Stretch out on a white chaise lounge and enjoy a light breakfast with the vista.

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»Gran Vía« by Eric Titcombe

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11.30 am, Gran Vía – a shopper’s paradise

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When you’ve had enough of the bird’s eye view get down and dirty with the rest of them: Gran Vía is waiting for you! And it’s a sight that keeps all its promises: Inspired by the Champs Élysées in Paris it is lined with representative Spanish architecture from past centuries – a huge draw to visitors. 13,000 of Madrid’s 3.1 inhabitants work in the shops, hotels and restaurants along the boulevard. Take a look at all the different Art Decò elements adorning the different buildings; Parisian architecture from the Belle Époque had a huge influence on the designs on Gran Vía. Making your way north, though, you will soon see the French influences ebb away and make way for stylistic elements borrowed from North America which where the go-to inspirational source in the 1950s when this part of the street was finished.

12.30 pm, out of the trendy quarter into shoe heaven: Use the metro station conveniently located at the end of your stroll north on Gran Vía to venture even further north into the trendy Chueca area and check out Calle de Fuencarral with its tiny boutiques and stylish shops. And once you have explored these to your heart’s content, turn into Calle Augusto Figueroa: shoe heaven on earth! This small street leading straight into the heart of Chueca will make your wildest shoe related dreams come true. Silver sandals? Plattform sneakers? Sequenced espadrilles? You’ll find them in Calle Augusto Figueroa!

Shhh: at a restaurant it’s worth inquiring about the meal of the da y (men ù del día) which will often be a small two-co urse meal for as little as 10 – 12€. Very delicious! s in op sh d an ns ai ch er rg la : h h h S Madrid are open on Sunda ys.

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MadShhh: Chueca is THE place to go in all carid. Its modern restaurants and sm trendy fés make it the place where the urban people go and meet.

2.30 pm, a late lunch in Plaza de Chueca Should all the shopping have made you hungry you’ll be delighted to hear that Plaza de Chueca »right next door« with plenty of restaurants is the perfect destination for a great meal in a relaxed atmosphere. Pick your favourite spot under one of the huge parasols and enjoy some wine and

tapas. Make sure to try the famous Tortilla de Patatas, an omelet with bits of potato. With a lovely salad and a serving of crisps – which also accompany each glass of wine and sangria in these parts – you’ll soon be enjoying a typical Spanish lunch.

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4.00 pm, on a bus down boulevard 5.30 pm, a stroll through the multiPaseo del Prado cultural part of town – or Modern Art Fed and watered and well relaxed, why not make your way back down to Gran Vía, maybe with a nice ice cream cone in your hand? Plaza de Chueca sports excellent ice cream parlors offering unusual flavours. Pick your favourite hand-made delicacy!

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Gran Vía’s south end leads onto the busy roundabout of Plaza de la Cibeles which is home to representative buildings owned by Banco de España as well as the Centro Cultural and other imposing structures. Hop on a No. 27 bus which will take you north along the city’s central axis Paseo del Prado straight to the Estadio de Santiago Bernabéu, home to Réal Madrid CF. Travelling south instead, the bus will take you to Madrid’s multi-cultural area Lavapiés.

to is g er zb u re K at h w d ri ad M to Shhh: Lavapiés is varla s d or w e th om fr ed iv er d is Berlin. The name eas ar e th es k vo e d an ot fo = ie p se=to wash and r. te ar u Q h is w Je e th as w it en h medieval past, w »Paseo del Prado« by Tony Hisgett

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If you are taking the No. 27 bus south, disembark at Plaza Emperador Carlos V for the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid’s centre for modern and contemporary art or to explore the colourful streets of Lavapiés. Make sure you cover Calle de Argumosa with all its international restaurants and bars. It’s the perfect spot for an aperitif.

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7.30 pm, dinner in Plaza Platería 10.00 pm, a nightcap in Huertas Martinez Full and happy and relaxed, When the noise and bustle of Lavapiés get too much, make your way back north along Paseo del Prado. Are your feet getting sore? Are the bags full of new shoes bought in Chueca getting heavy? Let your second day in the city come to a relaxing end in one of the typical Spanish restaurants in Plaza Platería Martinez just off the Paseo. Pick another reasonably prized tapas dish or meal of the day and listen to the square’s fountain babbling happily while you wait to be served.

turn off Plaza Platería Martinez into Calle Huertas leading straight to Plaza Santa Ana which you visited yesterday. Fancy a little nightcap to put a cherry on the top of a beautiful day? One of the many bars along your way back to the city centre will offer what you’re looking for, be it a Mojito or one last glass of Spanish wine. Buenasnoches!

el Paseo del Prado

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Christine Davis

8.00 am, adiós, Madrid! How the two days in Madrid have flown by! Did you have a good time? Have you maybe even decided to stay on? Or at least come back soon? Fabulous! There are so many wonderful things left to explore like the popular flea market el Rastro which is held on Sundays or the Museo Nacional del Prado and the home of Madrid’s Haute Couture, Calle de Serrano, in the north of the city. Have a safe trip home and don’t be a stranger! 379

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s M VID ilh E O om em

Zo P H Ry e No O TO an bl S Hu e rsh &

X T er T E ubau

THROUGH THE SUMMER Ne

380

HEALTHY HAPPY FIT Th

Inv ita

erl

e o B rM

s tio is t

MW AG

#SOMMERGESUND

#sommergesund Summer has finally arrived in Berlin and the skirts at sisterMAG are getting shorter (we have yet to agree on office rules regarding hem lines ☺). This is the time when women’s magazines publish diet plans and guides to a perfect tan. We made sure to team up with professional health experts; so sisterMAG and PR and media agency MWO celebrated the arrival of summer at a special event in Berlin under the hashtag #sommergesund (summerhealthy). It brought six partners from the health sector and 24 bloggers from all over Germany together for a variety of workshops

and a boutique trade fair. We’re excited to be able to share this experience with you on the following pages through various pictures and downloads. Whether you are looking to get your legs in perfect shape, boost the health of your nails or bid goodbye to an aching back: one of our partners is bound to have the perfect cure for your problem! You’ll also hear what our guests – bloggers from various areas of focus and interest – thought about the event. We’d like to thank everybody involved for their tireless efforts – from 6am to midnight! – and your guests for their positive energy which helped make this day a great success!

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Beautiful nails with

ESSIE

Alex & Thea from sisterMAG

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#SOMMERGESUND

The sisterMAG girls (l.t.r.): Patricia, Sandra, Ira, Luisa, Thea, Laura & Toni

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Keynote and Yoga Session with

AMIENA ZYLLA

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Amenia Zylla already has more than 20 years of experience as a yoga instructor and pilates coach. Not only does she teach in her own studio »Amiena's Werkstatt« in Munich but also has her own YoutTube channel »Happy And Fit« . She has also written multiple books and enriched the #sommergesund event with a great yoga class.

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#SOMMERGESUND

Cindy and Nancy Bachmann founded the Berlin start-up »L.A. Cold Press« after living in Los Angeles when the juicing trend took hold there. Inspired by the freshly made juices they wanted to bring the trend to Berlin with their own company. The juices are cold-pressed every day using only organic ingredients. The range of juices is depending on the season. For our #sommergesund event we, among others, tried the »Cooling Cayenne«. pine apple, cucumber and cayenne pepper were refreshing and vitalizing.

cold pressed juices by

LA COLDPRESS

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Issue 19 | June 2015

#sommergesund on Instagram

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Steffis Welt der Wunder steffis-welt-der-wunder.de

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Stefanie

HealthyHappySteffi healthyhappysteffi.com

Flora

rothaariges rothaariges.blogspot.de

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Midnight Couture midnightcouture.de

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Sole Satisfaction solesatisfactionblog.com She Likes shelikes.de Elfenkindberlin elfenkindberlin.de Mennepen mandykoster.blogspot.de

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eat blog love eatbloglove.de

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Do it but do it now doitbutdoitnow.blogspot.de

Imke

LauxHaus lauxhaus.blogspot.de

Katrin

Das Leben ist schรถn das-leben-ist-schoen.net

Melanie

Beautype beautype.blogspot.de

Kate Marie Rebecca Lina

Post about the event

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OUTLOOK

OUTLOOK August

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published in July www.dearsouvenir.com

Yarn & Threads We are doing a big tour with bloggers to different textile manufacturers

For COP we have a lot of different plans for the next weeks: Our second magazine 'Lebenlang' is published again in the end of June and – very exciting – our third magazine 'Dearsouvenir' will be launched in July. The next sisterMAG awaits you in the end of August with the topic »Yarn and Threads« focusing on the textile handicrafts

Handbags, purses & Co. – We speak to purse designers and investigate in the process of young handbag designers

IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR US OR WANT TO BE PART OF SISTERMAG, JUST WRITE US AN EMAIL TO @SISTER-MAG.COM AND WE WILL TRY TO RESPOND ASAP.

#SOMMERGESUND

IMPRINT SISTERMAG – JOURNALFOR THE DIGITAL LADY w w w. s i st e r - m a g . co m eMail Twitter Facebook Editor in Chief

mail@sister-mag.com twitter.com/sister_mag fb.com/sister.magazin Theresa Neubauer

Fashion Director

Eva-Maria Neubauer

Managing Editor

Sandra Rothfeld

Contributing Editors (Text) Marta A. Abbott, Laura Glabbatz, Lukas Grenzlehner, Liv Hambrett, Ira Häussler, Elisa von Hof, Kreetta Järvenpää, Mick N., Thea Neubauer, Luisa Sancelean, Alex Sutter, Rabea Tanneberger Contributing Editors (Food) Stefanie Wilhelm, Simone Hawlisch, Uwe Spitzmüller, Anne Philipp, Deniz Ficicioglu, Rachel Roddy Contributing Editors (Photo) Marco di Filippo, Sivan Askayo, Ashley Ludäscher, Zoe Noble, Christine Davis, Diana Patient, Cristopher Santos, Lorena Vilanova Contributing Editors (Video) Marco di Filippo, Trine Skauen, Lucas Milhomem Design & Illustration Tina Bergs, Putri Febriana, Thea Neubauer, Helena Melikov, Mathilde Schliebe, Ana Rey Translation & Proof Katrin Greyer, Maria Foh, Katherine Riedel, Ira Häussler, Tanja Timmer, Alexander Kords, Stefanie Kießling, Amie McCracken, Anna Schmalfuß, Claire Cunningham Styling Tina Fischbach, Antonio Talia, Stefano Polci, Francesca Prizzon, Trine Skauen, Evi Neubauer, Anette Wetzel-Grolle Production Laura Glabbatz, Sandra Rothfeld, Antonia Sutter, Tina Bergs, Luisa Sancelean Published bi-monthly by Carry-On Publishing GmbH, Gustav-MeyerAllee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany. Re-use of content is only allowed with written permission of the publisher. There is no liability for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. The Carry-On Publishing GmbH assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information provided. All information is provided without warranty. Management Sales Marketing

Antonia Sutter, Theresa Neubauer, Alex Sutter Alex Sutter (Sales Dir.) Antonia Sutter (Marketing Dir.), Luisa Sancelean

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DON'T FORGET Post your favourite picture, feature or thoughts about this issue using the hashtag #sisterMAG19 and get a sisterMAG tea towel.

sisterMAG Issue 19

Articles inside

A Day in Rome: Testaccio

Recipes From Croatia

Milos

Croatia: Koločep and Lopud

Blogger Special: Recipes from the Sea

Sweet Teatime in the Rose Garden

48h in Madrid

The Grand Tour D'Europe – Travelling across the continent

The Grand Tour D'Europe – Travelling across the continent

Welcome to Italy