Nature just around the corner

May 5, 2017May 3, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / 2 Comments

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #25

I am deeply grateful for living in a part of the city that also has nature close by. It looks like I’m deep in a forest, but this picture was taken just five minutes from my flat.

After a day sitting at my desk, it feels so good to go for a walk and stretch my legs, and feel the sun on my skin.

Today I was accompanied by bird song from the trees, and when I listened carefully even the buzzing of some bees and other insects.

Just taking the time observe these plants and look at their details is like a meditation for me.

50 shades of orange

May 1, 2017April 29, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

Hi my name is Fanny and I have an obsession with buddhist monks. I’m not proud of it, but I can’t help myself. Their stunning orange robes attract my eye with an irresistable pull and I love how each monk expresses their own identity with a slightly different hue of orange.

Also, they have these wonderful shoulder bags in different colours, with gorgeous designs. I love these bags so much that I searched to buy one on my last day in Bangkok. I even tried asking one monk for some shopping tips (he didn’t understand English, so I dropped it). But to no avail, I couldn’t find a shop selling them.

The monks seem so calm and somehow otherworldly, so it always makes me smile to see buddhist monks posing for a photo or a selfie and speaking on the phone like anyone else.

I would like to be able to claim that this is a recent obsession, triggered by the multitude of monks peacefully milling around the temples in Thailand… however that would be a lie. I vividly remember stalking a bunch of buddhist monks who were simply enjoying discovering the Bean in Chicago back in 2014… The camaieu of their robes is just so beautiful!

Short walk around the block

April 28, 2017April 27, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / 2 Comments

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #24

In the last few years I usually try to flee Amsterdam on King’s Day to avoid the crowds of people dressed in orange who hit the streets to celebrate the King’s birthday.

This year I’m in town but I took the opportunity of this day off to chill at home and do some spring cleaning at home whilst listening to S-Town (I’m hooked!).

Neverthelsess with the sun shining so nicely outside, I decided to get out of the house and go for a spontaneous photo walk around my neighbourhood, where luckily there are no crowds.

Despite May being just around the corner, it was still pretty cold, practically glove weather. The flowers popping up on every corner, bushes growing shiny fresh new leaves of all different colours and trees in full bloom tell another story. Winter is over!

It was a pleasure to be mindful and take in all the colours and textures to be found on a short walk.

Discovering Thailand

April 24, 2017April 23, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #23

My trip through Thailand was amazing! It was a perfect blend of exploring Bangkok and making my way down to the South via Suratthani on my own, and then meeting up with wonderful friends to celebrate a wedding and travel on the paradise islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

Everything was so different from Amsterdam that it took no time at all to switch into holiday mode, forget any thoughts about work and be in the moment. I must say trying all sorts of delicious foods, learning to navigate my way around Bangkok, observing buddhist rituals in the colourful temples, exploring the bustling streets with their tuk-tuks and street vendors, as well as getting regular massages really helped to disconnect from daily grind back home:)

I feel so privileged to have had the possibility to discover some of this beautiful country and had the time to explore at a leisurely pace without rushing. I will be sharing some pictures and impressions over the next weeks.

Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam

April 18, 2017April 29, 2018 / cultivatingjoy / 1 Comment

A few years back I took a photo course and the field trip consisted in spending an afternoon taking photos at the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam of plants and butterflies. My favorite section was of course the desert greenhouse with the cacti and succulents.

It was so much fun to look so close up at the plants and see their amazing details and patterns. I loved observing these gorgeous little flowers with such beautiful pastel colours.

The texture of these velvety purple leaves was amazing and a challenge to try and capture on camera.

I remember being so focussed on the details, I was totally in the flow and didn’t feel time pass by. I think I will schedule another excursion there soon.

Amsterdam Bee Park

April 11, 2017March 31, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / 1 Comment

While Paolo was living in the Far West (Geuzenveld) we discovered a few lovely places to escape from the rhythm of the city for a while. The Bee Park is one of them, a hidden haven of peace, where you can admire flowers and observe bees close up.

It’s lovely to walk along the tiny paths between the hedges of the allotments, catching glimpses of the carefully tended gardens and small sheds.

As you explore you may bump into a beekeeper, fully clothed in this protective gear like an astronaut, carefully taking care of his bees and hives. If you’re lucky there may even be some of this delicious local honey for sale to take home with you.

Bijenpark Amsterdam is open from April to October, I recommend to check the times and dates before going.

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

April 4, 2017April 29, 2018 / cultivatingjoy / 1 Comment

In 2014 during our trip to Glasgow, Eva and I explored the beautiful Botanic Gardens and enjoyed being surrounded by colourful tropical plants while it was grey outside.

We spent several hours discovering the glasshouses, in particular the Kibble Palace, a huge 19th century wrought iron glasshouse which is amazingly beautiful.

As we wandered around, taking our time and snapping lots of pictures of the gorgeous plants, a gardener came up to us. He indicated a plant and told us with his thick Scottish accent to take a closer… He was pointing to a tiny camouflaged stick-insect which we would never have spotted (not featured here;).

I’m off to Thailand!!

March 31, 2017April 29, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #22

The count down has started and I’m down to my last days of work before leaving on a very well-deserved holiday (if I may say so myself;). This term has been extremely busy at work and I’m so excited to have some down time to relax, explore Bangkok, chill at the beach in Koh Samui, enjoy Thai food and especially catch up with wonderful friends who I haven’t seen for a long time.

I leave my lovely house plants in Paolo’s good hands while I’m gone. I’ve also dug through my archives and found some pictures of plants to entertain you in my absence so watch this space. In the meantime, I hope to discover many beautiful tropical plants on my travels and will report back when I return:)

Sunshine and fresh air

March 27, 2017March 26, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / 1 Comment

This weekend was the first really warm spring weekend in Amsterdam. It was perfect weather to go cycling through the Amsterdamse Bos and enjoy watcing nature wake up after the winter.

Though the trees are still very bare, the undergrowth is teeming with wild daffodils and other pretty plants which the bumblebees are eagerly collecting nectar from.

Being surrounded by nature always helps me to unwind and relax my mind after a busy week at work. My senses felt so alive, as I bathed in the warm sunlight, seeing the bringht colours , breathing in deeply the fresh air and getting a whiff of those spring smells (wild garlic!).

Digital detox

March 24, 2017March 28, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #21

Paolo and I have decided to consciously spend one evening a week in digital detox mode. The rules are simple: during the weekend we decide which week night it will be, and when that evening comes around we switch off our computers and the wifi on our phones at 6pm.

It feels really good to be disconnected (especially after intense days on the computer at work). It’s fun to see all you can do in one evening without internet: we’ve been cooking delicious new recipes with my sister, chatting a lot, being creative, sorting paperwork, reading books and basically relaxing away from the screens.