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Author: Karen Dahl

CultureAndCream Author from Duesseldorf I am a graduated historian and journalist. Time ago I worked fulltime as journalist, since a few years I have dedicated myself to the beauty industry. However, the love of writing and traveling has remained. To connect the beautiful aspects of life, I just continue to do both. A little bit „culture“, a little bit „cream“ and always a dose of curiosity in the luggage - let‘s go the wild ride.

Road Trip through Cornwall

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Without Rosamunde Pilcher, but with genuine English weather Attention! Spoiler ahead – there is no such thing as an aristocratic land- and manor owner in disguise whom you will meet in a pub introducing himself as a struggling artist. Nor are there perpetually blue skies that squeeze themselves insistently into every scene of a Rosamunde Pilcher film. But let’s start from the beginning. In June 2016 my friend and loyal travel companion Margit and I decided to go on a girls’ trip. At the top of our list this time: Cornwall – the picturesque Southwest End of England which is often used in romantic film scenes – also known as the British Riviera. Why should we wait until our retirement if the time is now, we have holidays and the just reached Brexit decision has flushed the pound right into our pockets (not that there is anything else positive to be said about Brexit. Except that it’s an ice breaker to get into conversations). How we planned our trip We started planning the road trip. Time period: one week. Starting point: Düsseldorf, my home town. On our work list: the ferry from Calais to Dover to see the incredible chalk cliffs of Dover, after that Stonehenge, the most mystical place of Europe. Then the first over-night stay in Bath to continue our travel to Cornwall. The rest we left to chance and booked strategically located bed and breakfasts in advance to be able to explore Cornwall in our set time period. Little hint: Airbnb wasn’t helpful or cheaper this time, apartments were partly offered at 150 British Pounds a night. In fact we booked all our accommodations through travel portals such as booking.com. Through the narrow streets of Cornwall So we started early in the morning in Düsseldorf. According to our calculations, we should reach the ferry after approximately four hours and catch the last guided tour in Stonehenge between 6 and 7 p.m. To be on the safe side, we booked the tickets for Stonehenge, as well as the ferry, online. Note for culture lovers: for 36 pounds you can buy a 9-day heritage pass. This gives you free access to over 100 sights, which might be worthwhile in Cornwall with all its manors, castles and museums.Another note for drivers: As nice as a road trip might sound, the narrow streets of Cornwall are difficult to maneuver, and you might only be able to back-up with the help of friendly pedestrians, in case of a tourist bus blocking the street.… weiterlesen

Ayurveda Cure in Sri Lanka

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Diary of a Conversion Ayurveda – a word that I, as avowedly non-esoteric, had initially filed away in that drawer. I listened benevolently to reports of the many wonderful experiences, but it never occurred to me to try it myself. Until one day the perfect moment came: I was stressed, my boyfriend was gone and my old job had come to an end. I started researching and learned, with the help of Dr. Google, that Ayurveda is the world’s oldest medical science with at least 2000 years of tradition. Its aim, through and intense system of purification, (Panchakarma) is to bring the Doshas back into equilibrium after stress, illness and poor nutrition has thrown them out of kilter. The Doshas? These are the three life energies that are found in all of us: Vata (wind, air/ether), the principle of movement Pitta (fire/water), the fire or metabolic principle Kapha (earth/water), the structural principle In my search for a destination I focus on the countries of origin, India and Sri Lanka in the southeast, and come across the resort Ayurveda Garden and Shakti Villa. The resort was founded by Mr. Böhm and his Sri Lankan wife and incorporates their own herb and vegetable garden and doctor etc. Moreover, the villa looked as if it might correspond to my idea of a place to spend a holiday. Clicked, booked, suitcase packed. In my luggage: a lot of cotton underwear, a diary. Otherwise just pure curiosity… and a slight case of the jitters. Day 1: The Shakti Villa driver welcomes me at Colombo airport. From there we drive for another two hours towards Abalonga, in Sri Lanka’s southwest. At the Shakti Villa, which is located directly on the beach, I am greeted by four radiant faces. I’ve brought the rain with me, but unlike us, people here are happy about that. I would have preferred sun. But maybe that’s to remind me not to just think about myself. As a first measure, my feet, swollen from the flight, are massaged. I’m thinking I may have done the right thing here! Before dinner I sit on my couch and enjoy the view of the Indian Ocean, where the sun is just setting over the waves. Then I hear the bell ringing for the first time. This is my signal to drink some hot water, one of the most important rituals in Ayurveda. There’s always a thermos on my terrace.… weiterlesen