There are so many mysteries yet to be unraveled when it comes to the ocean. People are always so small and shallow when standing before the sea. But the wild always attracts me in a mysterious way.
Everytimes I close my eyes, I can see the gigantic ocean, the skyline where water and cloud see each other and hear the melody of constant waves embracing the white coast, the harmonious concert of the wind together with the birds.
So I always run to the sea.
To see the giant of the sea, the whales, to remember my Keiko, in my favorite childhood film, “Free Willy”, which told the stories of touching friendship between a young boy and a captive orca that’s forced to perform at a water park.
To swim with beautiful creatures deep down the ocean, watch them dance lively in the stage established by colorful range of coral.
To walk on the white coast, feel the mild sand under my feet, let the wind play with my hair and the sun tan my skin.
To hear the song of the sea and tell myself to never stop loving the ocean as it’s the most wonderful thing to happen in my life….
I have no age. I carry my years without submitting to the regimen of time and its chronology of dates and seasons. I recognize myself living, hands outstretched, in the shade of the almond tree, with white hair and staring eyes unconcerned with the passing hours. My tree and I have entwined our ages in the absurdity of the days. I stride from chapel to chapel between masses when silence prevails and the flames of the candles flicker beneath penitents’ tears. I kneel each morning before the statue of the Blessed Virgin, but I don’t pray. I find refuge there from the filthiness of existence. I imagine lives never exposed to the flavors of ripe mangoes and cherries in June, or to mild, starry nights and clear mornings, or to moments dissolving like hot, tender walnuts under the tongue….
The Austrian capital has always been dignified, but there’s a thick layer of whipped cream around almost every corner. Its baroque architecture, art galleries and museums, rich musical heritage and café’s and cakes have been magnets for tourists. Read on for our pick of the city’s best museums, galleries, lunch spots, drinking dens and more.
Things to See
For many visitors, Vienna’s attractions lie primarily in its fascinating history, which is particularly tangible when walking through the city centre, past Stephansdom and Hofburg Palace, and along the Ringstrasse boulevard. As most museums, churches and shops are within this area it is well worth discovering these sites on foot with a couple of breaks in between at one of the countless street cafés.
Where to Stay
Part of the city’s appeal is its compact centre (‘innere stadt’), which forms the 1st District. All the sights, restaurants and cafés and best places to stay in Vienna are within an easy walk. The medieval city is contained by a broad horseshoe-shaped road of 19th-century palaces, the Ringstrasse, where all the grand old hotels are found.
Although a 1st District address is plum, the neighbouring districts, such as 4th, 7th and 8th, are still convenient and the hotels often better value. Viennese hotels are, almost without exception, well-run and pristine (even the most modest pension has good quality linen), but many are decorated in an oppressive Biedermeier style. We have tried to ferret out the elegant ones, as well as recommending a number of fresh, contemporary boutique hotels.
What to Eat
The restaurants in Vienna are some of the world’s best. There is plenty of old school Austrian cuisine to pick from, ranging from the famed local frankfurters and schnitzel to the tafelspitz boiled beef in broth. Make sure to make a pilgrimage to Zum Schwarzen Kameel (The Black Camel), which is where Beethoven dined and has been serving patrons for 400 years! It’s Viennese ham is the talk of the town. Another great spot is Steirereck, named as one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, with 120 types of cheeses to go with everything else on the menu.
Where to Shop
Vienna’s largest open-air food market, the Naschmarkt, opens Monday to Saturday. Admire the stalls’ bounty, from buckets of tulips to pickles, wines and plump, purple-flushed figs, stopping for breakfast at Do-An or Tewa. On Saturdays, it’s worth getting here at 7am or earlier to clock a bargain at the flea market, located beside Kettenbrückengasse U-Bahn station. Alongside the market, look out for the lovely Otto Wagner Houses at nos.38 and 40 – the latter’s tiles embossed with vines and flowers….
Happiness is the universal feeling we all aspire to experience more of, yet, we can be an angry, moody, depressed bunch, can’t we? The science of happiness tells us that being happy is, indeed, a choice. But if you’re still struggling to make lemonade when life hands you lemons, maybe you just need a little swift-kick-in-the-pants motivation.
Here are 5 reasons why you should be happy right now.
1. There are people in your life who love and depend on you.
Who are the most important people in your life? Chances are, you’d do anything for these folks, right? If you’re looking for a reason to be happy, this is the place to start. No matter how bad life gets, there will always be someone who loves you unconditionally. Do you think your loved ones want to see you unhappy and miserable? Of course they don’t. So choose happiness for the people who love you. It will make your relationships much more enjoyable.
2. Life could change dramatically at a moment’s notice.
The thing about life is it’s completely unpredictable. Any of us could wake up tomorrow and lose our job, lose someone we love or realize we have a life-threatening disease. The point is, you never know. So don’t wait until tomorrow to be happy. Choose happiness today and enjoy every single moment you have.
3. Happy people are more productive.
Who do you think gets more accomplished in an average day? The person who is optimistic, happy, and driven or the person who spends his energy complaining, and venting about how his life isn’t fair? Happy people, in general, are more productive and are more likely to accomplish their goals than unhappy people.
4. The world needs more happy people.
It seems as if every week we hear about a new tragedy that makes us question the human spirit. Unfortunately, we live in a world where there will inevitably be war, famine, poverty, and destruction. But here’s the thing: good always trumps evil. The actions of one happy person can create a ripple effect that can literally change the world. So be the change you wish to create. Choose happiness.
Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.
-Omar Khayyam
5. You’re alive.
No matter how sick, tired, sad, or unhappy you are, there’s one thing you can still be grateful for and that’s the fact that you’re still here. People we love leave us unexpectedly on a regular basis. Think about what you would do if you knew this was your last day on earth? Would you spend it brooding and thinking about all the stuff you don’t have? Probably not. You’d make an effort to spend time with those you love most, to relax, laugh and live.
So don’t wait until tomorrow …choose happiness now!…
True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.
If I have a chance to whisper the best advice to a baby and he’ll remember it for the rest of his life is this: ENJOY YOUR LIFE. Nothing else. In whatever he has to do and wherever he may go, JUST ENJOY. Life is not a destination. It is a forever on-going journey. So enjoy it.
“Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
― Helen Keller, The Open Door
“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”
― Earl Nightingale
“Don’t exist. Live. Get out, explore. Thrive. Challenge authority. Challenge yourself. Evolve. Change forever. Become who you say you always will. Keep moving. Don’t stop. Start the revolution. Become a freedom fighter. Become a superhero. Just because everyone doesn’t know your name doesn’t mean you don’t matter. Are you happy? Have you ever been happy? What have you done today to matter? Did you exist or did you live? How did you thrive?”
― Brian Krans, A Constant Suicide
“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.”
― Bill Watterson
I guess I’m just an open-hearted, fair, good person. I try to encourage people to be their best and look inside themselves and find out what they are passionate about and expand on that and enjoy life.
― Miranda Kerr
“What you have to decide… is how you want your life to be. If your forever was ending tomorrow, would this be how you’d want to have spent it? Listen, the truth is, nothing is guaranteed. You know that more than anybody. So dont be afraid. Be alive.”
― Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever
“Do anything, but let it produce joy.”
― Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
“You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert
“Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.”
― Hans Christian Andersen
“In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching”
― Gerard Way…
A lot of us are looking to make some positive changes in our life, but we have no idea where to begin. My suggestion is to do something different.
When you’re willing to do something different, you are telling yourself, your subconscious mind, and the entire Universe, “I’m asking for a change and I’m willing to DO something about it now.” The Universe responds to DOING since it actually means you’re starting to also BE something different.
You don’t even have to know what to do, at least not at the start. Doing ANYTHING different, that seems like it MIGHT head in the direction of what you are looking for, is a step in the right direction. You can make adjustments as you go. You can fine-tune the changes you are asking for later, once you get the hang of doing something different. The point is this: DO SOMETHING — ANYTHING — DIFFERENT.
Let’s say you have the same habit of never having enough money in your bank account, but you never know where it goes. Something different might be getting an old-school notebook out and writing down your expenses. Or if you want to be fashionably high-tech, you could get an expense-tracking app, AND USE IT. This one small act for many people has been the beginning of getting their financial affairs in order by doing something different.
Or let’s say you realize that you are being sucked down the social media rabbit hole, feeling as though you don’t exist without the infusion of other people’s perfectly-curated lives into yours. (Hint: if you’re rabidly checking your phone at every non-busy moment, this applies to you.) Doing something different might be taking designated hours off during the day—or even just ONE HOUR off during the day. (Note: picking one of the hours while you’re sleeping doesn’t count!)
One courageous journalist I know of took an entire 30 days away from “social.” Now THAT is something different!…
Capital of France, Paris is one of the most visited cities of the World! Its phenomenal architecture, the romance in the air and its relaxed life style are more than enough reasons to fall in love. Take a dive into the magic atmosphere of Paris!
Louvre, Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champ Elysées, these are the destinations that everyone is talking about! If this is your first trip to Paris, then you really must enjoy the beauty of the Louvre, the grandiosity of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Notre-Dame is also a must see for the lovers of a truly gothic architecture.
Don’t leave Paris without tasting the amazing food! Restaurants with three Michelin stars, a hidden bistro in Marais, Paris has options for every taste. If you want to be like the locals, make a sandwich with the typical French baguette and eat it near the Sena river.
Paris dazzles with the architectural beauty and with the romance in the air, but the best way to enjoy Paris is being a Parisian. Save some days to wander without making any plans, just go to where the wind takes you.
Leaves the visits aside, relax and enjoy the life, like only the true Parisian know how to do it. A coffee in an esplanade, a chat in the edge of a fountain or a delicatessen in an unknown coffee.
If you really want to know how the Parisians live, you just have to slow down….
