Hidden deep in the mountains of Kōya-san lies one of Japan’s most sacred and atmospheric places: the Okunoin cemetery.
With more than 200,000 graves—some estimates even suggest up to 500,000—it is the largest and most revered burial ground in the country. Stretching over two kilometers, Okunoin forms the spiritual heart of Shingon Buddhism.
At its end stands the mausoleum of Kōbō Daishi, one of Japan’s most important religious figures.
In 1933, Albania was under King Zog I, who was working to modernize the country. During the late 1930s, Italy began to grow more influential in Albanian affairs. In 1939, Mussolini’s Italy invaded and occupied Albania, making it a fascist protectorate. After Italy’s fall in 1943, Nazi Germany took control of Albania, turning it into a puppet state.
We do this since some years now and it became a nice tradition to meet for a weekend in our house on the countryside, pick mushrooms in the forest, have some really good meals and see our best friends who live far away in other cities. Next year for the first time, we will meet in Southern Germany.
I recently wrote a book about facilitation and workshops which was published in September 2023 and I did some shots to promote it. It’s called “Workshops machen – für inspirierte Teams, mehr Kreativität und weniger Blabla” (Sorry, German only for now)
Wow! This is crazy. This hotel in a tiny village in southern Germany opened in the 70s and was already an eclectic design gem at the time. The owners kept and cared for the original interior for a long time. even when it was then closed for more than 20 years. The granddaughter of the owners then saw the potential in it and reopened in 2010 with the original design. Even the vinyl disc on the record player was one of James Last, a very well known entertainer with a Big Band in Germany in the 70s.
The Villa Koliba in Zakopane is one of the oldest and well preserved examples of the Zakopane Style Housing. It was built in 1892 by artist Stanisław Witkiewicz and houses a museum for the Zakopane Architecture Style today.
Autumn is coming and the glorious glows already show up regularly. We have a very, very good mushroom season this year, and sometimes we don’t even know what to do with our harvests. Luckily we have a drying machine. And no, we don’t eat the mushrooms in the pictures, except of the parasols.
hikeminded 