*Island Korčula | part 3

Short before we travelled to Korčula I started to crochet a bag with raffia yarn. It seems as soon as summer ends I feel inspired to do some needlework, maybe it is the same with you? I was able to finish it on the island and it will surely remind me always of this wonderful journey.

Usually I don't like cars on my photography, but this one was really a nice one and I also loved the color!

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*Island Korčula | part 2

I'm always so inspired by all the the beautiful colors, shapes and textures of the stones and plants at the seaside, I could stroll endlessly on the beach, just to look closely at all the nature findings out there. I also had a cheap disposable underwater camera with me that was sitting in my shelf for years and I'm really always impressed by the nice outcome of those pictures. Korčula is a very green island compared to other Croatian islands, it is full of wild forests with pine trees, cypresses, but also almond trees, pomegranate trees and fig trees. Every day I was having fresh figs from wild trees around the camp site. If you visit my blog for a longer while then you probably already know how much I love figs, so it was very special to me!

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*Island Korčula | part 1

It took a while, but I finally got back my analogue pictures from our vacation on the Croatian island of Korčula! It already feels like such a long time ago, even though it was only a month. Yet a part of me can still feel the warmth captured in the rocks, the salt on my skin, and I can hear the waves in my heart.

We had such wonderful weather that we were able to swim a lot throughout the day, and once even enjoyed a night swim under an unforgettable star-spattered sky. I have to admit, it was a little scary to swim in the ocean when it was so dark, but it’s definitely a memory I will carry with me for a lifetime.

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*snail love

Last weekend was wonderful. We have escaped once again into the woods. To hear the the tops of the fir trees touching each other in the wind all night long has a really positive effect on me and we had an excellent view on the full moon. It was so big and red, but I didn't have the right lens with me to capture it good enough. But still I made some pictures and also filmed it. I also found some birch polypore. (More about that later) At home again, lots of work was waiting for me and I cleared out the greenhouse and started to paint again after not touching my brushes since May. It felt weird and good at the same time – luckily hands do not forget. After I harvested my beloved pumpkins I felt inspired to paint a mouse with her own pumpkin harvest. 

Have you ever seen snails while making love? It is the most tender spectacle I have ever seen. They "kiss" each other for hours and hours in the most adorable way!

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*shades of pink

We had our first really misty mornings the last two days and I could not resist to be outside before the sun was rising and enjoy the wonderful view that was presented in front of me. The most magical time of the year has started. At daytime it is still very warm and I worked a lot in the garden. My dahlias are exploding right now with new flower buds! They can be so different in shade, even though they are the same sort. Some turn out completely white instead of pink and some even have some lilac tones. Every bloom is really unique!

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*clouds in the lake

The outcome of the pictures made with my "new" zenit-E camera makes me really happy,

it is certainly similar to my first one that I had for many years and was one of my favorite cameras!

I also had it with me on our vacation in Korčula and I can't wait to get my films developed! Those pictures here are from our time in the wood quarter.

Our very summery September is coming to an end. Yesterday we dug out some potatoes to roast them in a campfire in the garden to end the day. It was very relaxing to just sit there and look into the flames and listen to the chirping of the crickets. It gets dark so early already!

I hope you enjoy those last September days and have a good start into the new week!

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*Apple cake

The basic recipe of the cakes is:

• apples

• 5 eggs

• 1 pinch salt

• 1 pinch cinnamon

• 250g flour (spelt or wheat)

• 200g sugar (I usually use half or even less than half of the amount)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ⅛ l water

• ⅛ l maize-germ oil

Prepare the apples like this: Cut in small pieces and roast them in coconut oil until they get a bit softer and then add a little lemon juice, sugar (if you like) and cinnamon and some flour to make the consistence more creamy, but you should still see the separated apple pieces. It should not turn into a mush.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks

and beat the egg whites until stiff. 

In another bowl beat the egg yolks

with sugar until creamy,

then add gradually water and oil,

baking powder, salt and flour.

Fold the egg white foam in the dough

and pour the whole mixture into a cake pan

lined with baking paper and add the apple mixture.

(Spread it evenly on the surface of the dough)

Bake for about 25 minutes in the baking oven 

at 180 degrees celsius. Every oven is a little 

different, mine is ready after 20 minutes, 

just do the toothpick test, to see if it is fully baked.

If you like, sprinkle the finished cake with powder sugar.

 Enjoy!

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*freedom on my skin

Being naked has nothing to do with sexuality to me. It is a deep sense of freedom and when you were born with very sensitive skin, you feel the need of being free from the burden of clothes and fabrics every now and then to be able to let your skin breathe. When someone asks me in which situations in my life I feel the best and the most free, I would always say: when swimming naked in the ocean. But I'm not a FKK type of person, still I dislike swimming wear. It feels so uncomfortable on my skin, especially when stepping out of the water again, so I'm always seeking for places on my journeys where I can be alone with nature and dip into the ocean naked. 

My dear mother had her struggles with me when I was a child, because from early on I would get off my clothes all the time, also in the supermarket. I'm sure it had to do already with the fact that many sorts of fabrics feel like torture on my skin. Luckily my mother is a good sewer and she started making clothes for me that I was able to bear. In which situations do you experience the most sense of freedom in your life?

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*Back again

I don't think that I ever saw Carniolan burnets (Zygaena carniolica) before, but here were a bunch of them sitting on a wild cornstalk (you can also see them in my last video). Such a vibrant red pattern on their wings, but I read that they are very poisonous.

We have been on vacation the last two weeks on the Croatian island Korčula that we wanted to visit since many years. It was really beautiful, much hotter than expected, but here have been very summery temperatures as well. I surely need some time still to fully settle again here, but I can say that I feel really ready for autumn to come with it's misty mornings and long evenings. I feel always quite energetic and creative when the heat leaves, let's see what the coming time will bring! 

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*September

September started with a little bit of rain, 

I ate my very first homegrown watermelons, they were little, but so sweet and had luckily a lot of seeds that I will keep for next year. Grapes are also ripe already and I picked plums to dry for winter. My pumpkins needed a lot of time to develop, but since the extreme heat is over they have developed so nicely and I can't wait to harvest them. Perfect comfort food! We are always passing by this beautiful tree (last picture) when driving to the farm shop and finally I took my chance to make a picture of it. 

Have a good start into the new month!

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