daytrip Archives | No Geraniums

7 Spectacular and Beautiful Places of Interest in Murcia, Spain

March 21, 2021March 19, 2021 by Hannie Mommers

On a first superficial look at the province of Murcia in Spain, you might judge this as a place of little significance. Some parts are even ugly and I sure have mixed feelings about the area where I live.

If you are able to see the beauty in ugly things, there are a lot of places of interest in Murcia. If I look with my photographic eye, I see the beauty of the blossoms and (almost) forget about the poison that is sprayed on them.

No way to forget the ugliness of the chemical industry in the neighborhood of Cartagena but still I can enjoy the lines and colors of the machinery.

The Enchanted City, a Petrified Beauty in the Vicinity of Cuenca, Spain

January 8, 2021December 25, 2020 by Hannie Mommers

In between Madrid in the center of Spain and Valencia at the East coast lies Cuenca, an eagle’s nest between 2 rivers.

There are just a few touristic highlights in Cuenca to be seen, for instance the Cathedral and the so called Hanging Houses, but the old city as a whole is fantastic. It is stuck on a mountain top, sandwiched between 2 gorges carved out by the rivers Huécar and Júcar.

That and our favorite Spanish museum, Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, make a visit more than valuable for us. All the more now we have heard of yet another touristic highlight: The Enchanted City.

National Park Hoge Veluwe, the Netherlands, definitely worth a Visit

December 24, 2020November 30, 2020 by Hannie Mommers

Years ago my husband and I were finally able to take a day off (we had the worst bosses ever – we were both solo-entrepreneurs) and decided we wanted to have a combination of culture, nature, exercise and fun. Preferably all in one place.

We could have gone to Insel Hombroich just across the border of Germany, but another great place where you can have it all is National Park Hoge Veluwe. It’s located in the east of the Netherlands and even on that winter’s day it was beautiful.

Cars are allowed in the park, but are strongly discouraged by an additional charge on the entrance fee. If you have no difficulty moving, it is easy to park the car at one of the entrances and continue on foot or by bicycle. This way you save nature and you see more details of the park.

What to See in Antwerp, Belgium. Including Unknown Hot Spots

December 24, 2020November 16, 2020 by Hannie Mommers

In the Netherlands we lived 5 miles from the Belgium border. And crossing the border really meant crossing a frontier, despite that small distance.

As soon as you are in the neighborhood of the border you can see that the street is different (ask any professional cyclist – Belgian cobblestone roads are famous), the houses are built with materials we don’t use in the Netherlands and on a back road it even shows that nature looks different. In the Netherlands everything is clean cut, Belgium is cozier.

For Tom and me Antwerp was closer by than Amsterdam, so if we wanted to sniff some culture we usually went there. What to see in Antwerp? There is a lot of variety and the terraces are great!

Wadden Sea, the Netherlands. Get Ready for an Adventurous Walk

December 24, 2020November 13, 2020 by Hannie Mommers

A unique area in the North of the Netherlands and Germany is the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea is an unusual type of nature and shines on the Unesco’s World Heritage list.

The area is essential for a lot of birds, seals and aquatic plants and is very vulnerable. That became all too clear in 2019 when the ship MSC Zoë sank North of the Wadden Sea, the Netherlands, and a lot of plastic and consumer products ended up in the sea and on the islands.

The Wad Walk of 2019 (I explain what a Wad Walk is later on) was dedicated to cleaning up part of the sea shore of Wadden island Schiermonnikoog. But the effects of this environmental disaster are not clear yet.

2017.11.07 Demolishing the temple

November 28, 2021November 7, 2017 by Hannie Mommers

Today I have been taking pictures in the “Grote Kerk” in Breda together with my friend Jenny. One of the guardians of the church saw me taking pictures of the ceiling and explained there are 84 crossings that are all different. Nowadays, the church is a public building. It’s built as a catholic church but … Read more