By Dirk Ebener - November 30, 2025 Global Travel - Conquering Time Zones, and Handling Your First 72 Hours “The first sunrise after...

By Dirk Ebener - November 28, 2025 Visiting London - 25 Essential Things Every Traveler Should Know Before They Go I still remember my very first London visit as a teenager, stepping out of Victoria Station and feeling like I had just entered a living history book. The rhythm of the city—its red double-decker buses, timeless pubs, winding alleys, and rich tapestry of cultures—created an atmosphere that was both electric and comforting.   The air smelled faintly of rain and ro

By Dirk Ebener - November 25, 2025 Bayswater Station opened in 1868, preserving Victorian charm within London. My December Journey In a few months, I’ll be in London’s December cold, using both old habits and new tools. I picture myself at a Tube map, tracing lines as I did on my first visit, but now with travel apps ready to get me from markets to pubs, from Christmas lights to hidden curry houses. I love using paper maps, but this trip will be a mix—the map for the big pict

By Dirk Ebener – November 23, 2025 London Travel on a Tap: Traveling with the Oyster Card London on a Tap: Traveling with the Oyster Card...

By Dirk Ebener - November 21, 2025 Visiting Istanbul, Turkey, you will see the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sopia Coming back to Istanbul after a few years away always feels special. Even if you know the city well, it still finds ways to surprise you. Istanbul is where East and West naturally come together. You can sense the history in the narrow streets, while the city buzzes with vibrant sights, sounds, and tastes. Istanbul doesn’t just sit between Europe and Asia—it embodies both

By Dirk Ebener - November 20, 2025 Piccadilly Circus in London The countdown is officially on! Just two more weeks until I return to London, and I can already feel my suitcase judging me for planning more meals than outfits. I woke up this morning with that familiar mix of excitement and slight panic—the kind that reminds you you’re about to dive back into a city you feel connected to, but you still haven’t decided which market stall deserves your first bite. Enjoy reading "

By Dirk Ebener - November 18, 2025 I felt my heart skip a beat when the midday sun glinted off the cobblestones of Rome's Piazza Navona, and my phone slipped for a second in the click of my camera shutter. Just a moment of distraction—and suddenly, the lens didn't feel secure anymore. Walking through unfamiliar streets, there's a certain thrill in pulling out your phone for that perfect shot… but also a vulnerability you don't always see until it's too late. Enjoy reading " T

By Dirk Ebener - November 16, 2025 Milk at the doorstep of a home in England. The Quiet Clink Before Dawn If you’ve visited London or the British countryside, you’ve likely seen its classic morning ritual: doorstep milk delivery. During my early trips to England, I discovered two-pint bottles and the daily tradition that shapes British mornings. Each day, my host mother asked me to meet the milkman and bring in the order for breakfast. In this blog, I’ll explore not only my i

By Dirk Ebener - November 14, 2025 Goulash Soup: A Bowl of Memories - The Story and Flavor Goulash soup has been a constant thread woven through my life. My earliest memories take me back to my grandmother’s kitchen, where the aroma of paprika and simmering onions filled the air long before I understood what “flavor” meant. My grandmother, who came from a generation that cooked with patience and purpose, would prepare Goulash soup in large pots, always insisting that it taste

By Dirk Ebener - November 10, 2025 A Classic Atlanta Morning at the OK Cafe I had been craving a simple, grounding breakfast, the kind that anchors locals and travelers before the world starts spinning too fast. Some mornings feel like they carry a quiet promise, and this one began just that way—a busy November morning, after a drive into Atlanta, temperatures just at 32 degrees in downtown, and the unmistakable sense that comfort was waiting somewhere nearby. And in Atlanta,

By Dirk Ebener - November 11, 2025 Travel Book Review: Stories on the Road - Books That Blend Food and Travel Books and travel have...

By Dirk Ebener - November 7, 2025 Downtown Heidelberg, with an amazing view of the Heidelberg Castle Traveling has always been my way of connecting with the world—through flavors, history, and the rhythm of daily life in new places. I still remember my first time setting foot in Heidelberg. The cobblestone streets seemed to whisper stories, the Neckar River shimmered like liquid silver under the bridge, and the scent of freshly baked pretzels lured me from one corner to the n

By Dirk Ebener - November 4, 2025 Drosselgasse in Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany I grew up in Germany, surrounded by landscapes where...

By Dirk Ebener - November 2, 2025 Exploring London on a £60 Daily Food Budget: A December 2025 Culinary Adventure Begins “Every £60 a day...

By Dirk Ebener - October 31, 2025 London, Oxford Street, with Christmas lights and beautiful decorations. “As the film “Tracks” reminds us, every journey is less about what we take and more about what we leave behind.” ( written by Marion Nelson, based on Robyn Davidson’s memoir) There’s a particular kind of excitement that settles in when the countdown begins — not months away, but just five short weeks before a long-awaited journey. London has been calling me for months no

By Dirk Ebener - October 28, 2025 Looking forward to the London vacation For over 40 years, travel has been my classroom, my adventure, and my sanctuary. I’ve crossed more than 60 countries—sometimes for business, sometimes purely for pleasure—but more often than not, blending the two. In the early days, I carried notebooks, paper maps, and rolls of film as I hopped between trade shows in Europe, street food stalls in Asia, and corporate boardrooms in the U.S. I learned quick

By Dirk Ebener - October 26, 2025 Torii Gates are traditional Japanese gates at the entrance of Shinto shrines that mark the transition from the mundane to the sacred. “Japan calls to me like a memory I’ve never lived — a place where every flavor tells a story, every street whispers history, and every tradition feels sacred. Traveling there isn’t just about food; it’s about tasting centuries of culture in a single bite. I hope to lose myself in its markets, temples, and kitch

Cities have always been magnets for travelers. They are where history is etched into stone cathedrals, where skyscrapers scrape the sky, and where street food mingles with haute cuisine. For centuries, travelers have visited cities seeking inspiration, adventure, and flavors that carry the weight of generations. However, over the past two decades, the way we travel through these urban spaces has undergone a profound shift.

By Dirk Ebener - October 22, 2025 Solo Travelers: Hotel Room and Accommodation Safety Tips I still remember my first solo trip as if it were yesterday. I was in my early twenties, standing in front of a modest hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, my backpack cutting into my shoulders, my heart racing between excitement and nervous anticipation. My friends thought I was brave, but deep down, I felt vulnerable. The thrill of independence was real, but so was the fear of being completel

By Dirk Ebener - October 20, 2025 Apple Season in the North Georgia Mountains: Where Autumn Tastes Like Home There’s something about autumn in the North Georgia Mountains that has always stirred my soul. Each year, as the mornings turn cooler and the air fills with the scent of wood smoke, I find myself drawn back to the winding roads that lead through Ellijay, Blue Ridge, and Talking Rock . Enjoy reading " Apple Season in the North Georgia Mountains: Where Autumn Tastes Lik