When I first get in touch with Thomas Bauer, he is in Ontario, Canada, preparing for what is sure to be an eventful kayak tour. Even during the written exchange by e-mail, you quickly find out that you are in contact with a cheerful and balanced person. Character traits that were certainly also shaped on his numerous impressive journeys.

Whether by recumbent bike through Turkey, on his very own Tour de France by post bike around our neighboring country or on foot from Florence to Rome. Thomas Bauer is a travel professional and professional adventurer.

His current book “Curiosity about the World” (ISBN 978-3-95996-205-6, periplaneta Verlag) takes the reader to unique places around the globe in 80 short stories, some of which are funny, but also thought-provoking. The special thing about it: The reader is in a riddle and can guess in which destination the story takes place.

Due to the brevity of the individual short stories, the book is ideal for taking a break from work every now and then and satisfying your wanderlust a little.

We are pleased that Thomas Bauer was available for some questions about his book and current projects.

You are currently in Canada on a kayak tour across the Rideau Canal to the capital Ottawa, via Montreal to Québec. Afterwards, you will want to hitchhike back to Toronto. A trip that also serves to find out whether the people and their hospitality have changed during the Corona pandemic. What are your first impressions and experiences?

The extent of the hospitality here in Canada simply blows me away: The people are extremely helpful – even if a sunburned, soaked and not exactly Chanel-scented kayaker stands in front of them. It is warmer than I thought; snakes and snapping turtles cavort in the Rideau Channel. Every now and then a cloud front rushes through; then I quickly jump ashore and seek shelter under a tree or a house roof. Once, in a hurry, I caught a private villa with a presentable yacht and a private plane parked in front of it. After a minute, the owner came running. I thought that she was going to chase me away from her property now; after all, I had just hoisted a kayak onto her private property. Instead, she offered me coffee and cookies! Corona does not seem to detract from the sociability and helpfulness of the people here – thank God.

What other adventures do you want to experience this year? Where is your next trip going?

My next trip starts just three days after my return from Canada. I have a lot to catch up on after the Corona forced break! Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are on the program. Before Corona, I had visited Georgia and Iran, now I’m heading further east on the Silk Road. I am curious – to the magnificent cities of Samarkand and Bukhara as well as to the plateaus of Kyrgyzstan, where I will spend the night in a yurt.

When you look back: Have you found a favorite place for yourself during your numerous travels that you would like to visit again?

Not just one, but several! The wanderlust doesn’t get any smaller when you travel – on the contrary. I would love to see how Buenos Aires, which I visited several years ago, has developed. Australia has even more to offer than I experienced in my eight weeks down there. The Arctic, which I was allowed to explore in a dog sled, impressed me very much; I definitely want to return there. And India is a country that you can’t really get to know and explore in a lifetime. So I don’t get bored …

Can you just lie on the beach for a week on holiday or do you always have to have a little adventure and culture with you? Or to put it another way: Is an “all-inclusive” holiday even conceivable for Thomas Bauer?

I have to admit that I’m a fidgety. With my excess energy, I sometimes annoy my fellow human beings. It can stand it on the beach – one or maybe two days. But then I would set off again. “All inclusive” is not for me: I have found my way of traveling.

You have already met countless people and cultures in your life. Cycled around France. Walked through Italy . Where have you experienced the greatest hospitality so far? For example, I have noticed that although French people are initially more distant than many other Europeans, they are all the more cordial once you get closer to them.

That’s right; The French thaw out at the latest when you have cracked the language barrier. My rustic way of traveling means that I have to rely on help on the way. I got them everywhere – along the Danube as well as in Japan and South America. I don’t believe that there is such a thing as a “most hospitable country”. It’s more about what you radiate yourself. If I get involved with a country, speak at least a little of the language there and approach the people openly, I am usually richly rewarded – no matter where I am.

If you look around on your website, you will be curious about your readings. What is special about your performances and when can we see you live again?

I’m lucky to have found several good musicians. My performances are therefore always a mixture of readings, pictures and live music in several languages. I believe that this allows me to bring a country closer to my listeners in a particularly good way. I’m still romping around the world a bit, but right after my return in September you can see me live: for example on 7.9. in Penzberg, on 14.9. in Munich, on 20.10. in Frankfurt am Main and on 5.11. in Knittlingen.

More info: www.neugier-auf-die-welt.de

I’m sure you’re familiar with the thought: Vacation at last! You’ve probably been looking forward to the upcoming summer break all year. When the time finally comes, however, strength athletes and athletes in particular are plagued by great concerns: Will the time-out possibly have a negative effect on their condition and lead to muscle loss? Don’t worry: Here you will find helpful tips on how to relax in the best possible way during your holiday and still counteract muscle loss.

1. Don’t let the fear of becoming unfit rule you

Probably the most important tip at this point is not to let fear and worry rule you. After all, as the name suggests, a relaxing holiday is primarily for relaxation. So it’s okay if you decide to take a complete break of one to two weeks. Immediately afterwards, you can start training again fully motivated. According to information from IKK Classic , such a break from training has its advantages: During this time, the muscles, tendons and ligaments can regenerate. And: Even if you take a break from training, your muscles don’t break down today until tomorrow. It takes up to four weeks before such muscle loss even begins. Even if you lose muscle strength, you can easily build it up again after your return home thanks to the “memory effect”.

2. Plan active recovery periods

If you are against taking a complete break from training, you can integrate exercises into your vacation. It is advisable to find out about the training opportunities on site at an early stage. In the event that there is no gym or training facility available in the hotel, you do not have to do without fitness. Rather, you can still keep fit with a little creativity and ingenuity:

• You can also stay fit on holiday through exercise. You don’t necessarily need devices here. Instead, you have the option to do a workout with only your own body weight. Tried and tested exercises such as “push-ups”, “squats” and “pull-ups” are already a good basis for protecting muscle mass.
• If you can’t or don’t want to travel without equipment, then a small dumbbell set or a few fascia rollers are suitable for the holiday, which massage the muscles after training and prevent injuries. These are ideal for training on holiday – and they also fit perfectly in your hand luggage.
• In order to actively relax, there are also other, “popular” sports on site during your holiday – depending on the respective destination. This can be, for example, swimming training or beach volleyball or jogging.
• In terms of intervals, we recommend a training day and then a day off for ambitious athletes. This results in two to three times a week of training, which lasts between 45 and 60 minutes.

3. Eat a healthy and protein-rich diet

How nice it would be to feast properly several times on holiday. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a little lazing around – but at least when it comes to calories, you shouldn’t overdo it. Because due to unexpected calorie traps on vacation , you will quickly have a plus on the scales at home. Buffets in particular are treacherous, as you quickly lose track of things or get cravings due to the multifaceted offers. You can prevent unbridled feasting by setting a food limit from the start. It would be even better if you ate healthily on vacation, at least most days. In addition to high-calorie dishes, many hotels and resorts offer salad plates or packed lunches to take away. If you want calories, then “good” carbohydrate and protein sources will do the trick. For breakfast, you could fill up well with oatmeal muesli or unsweetened fruit salad. At lunchtime, pasta, rice or potato dishes offer many carbohydrates, while fish is protein-rich. In the evening, you should reach for protein-rich sources such as meat or fish with vegetables. If you get hungry in between, just grab a protein drink or a protein bar from your stash.

By the way: Even if the temptation is great on vacation, you should avoid alcohol as much as possible. A festival holiday with beer is absolutely suitable for destroying the training progress. This is due to the fact that alcohol inhibits muscle building and dehydrates the body. In addition, after drinking beer, the organism releases hormones such as testosterone or estrogen, which contribute to a worse figure.

4. Take the right supplements on vacation

During a trip, it is not wrong to pay attention to a certain basic supplementation. On average, experts recommend 1.5 to two grams of protein per body weight. This is hardly possible with a normal diet alone, which is why supplements help.

Pack a shaker in your suitcase and provide yourself with the nutrients you take in everyday life. Glutamines are important, as they stimulate blood circulation and protect your muscles from the “catabolic phase” defined by the health dictionary during energy metabolism. Amino acids such as BCAAs are also useful because they inhibit the breakdown of muscle proteins. Protein bars are practical for a small snack in between, and protein powder is also useful for larger dosages. However, it is better to carry them abroad in their original packaging. In many places, customs do not like it when tourists carry unknown powders or liquids.

5. Mindfully get back into training

After the homecoming is before the homecoming? Not quite! After a temporary abstinence from training, you will probably feel a bit weakened at first. Nevertheless, the recovery break has only a minimal effect on your strength levels. After just a few training sessions, you will find your way back to your “old strength”. In order for this to succeed, you should first approach the exercises in a relaxed manner. Use somewhat lightweight equipment at first. This way, you’ll allow for more increases and allow your body to slowly go back to the limit. Never go back to 100 percent after a long break, injury or illness. If you do, you risk injury and possibly a “muscle shock” that leads to insanely uncomfortable muscle soreness. Apart from that, the fear of losing strength due to the break is unfounded. As already mentioned, the so-called “muscle memory effect” exists. Your muscles find their way back to their old shape, as they have “stored” old training states and react quickly.

If you also travel a lot for work, you don’t have to miss out on fitness. Instead, try to include the sport in your planning from the beginning. And: Your health-promoting routines also have their place when traveling.

Flibco.com offers you a convenient and very easy way to travel from Frankfurt city center to Frankfurt Hahn Airport. Frankfurt am Main is always worth a visit!

Frankfurt is located in the state of Hesse, on the beautiful river Main. With just under 765,000 inhabitants, Frankfurt is the most populous city in Hesse. The Main metropolis is the fifth largest city in Germany with an area of 248.31 square kilometers.

The banking district and the wonderful skyline are certainly worth seeing. From afar you can already see the large skyscrapers of the banks, such as Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank or the still relatively newly built European Central Bank. Frankfurt has a special status in Germany as the location of the stock exchange, but has increased its influence as Europe’s financial centre, especially after Brexit. Many influential financial institutions, such as the ECB, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Deutsche Bundesbank are based here.

Many visitors come to the fairs, such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, in Frankfurt am Main. Frankfurt is also an important transport hub in Europe and is of international importance, especially because of the airport. In addition to the airport, there is the large Frankfurt Central Station and the Frankfurter Kreuz.

The history of the city begins around the year 794. In this year, Frankfurt am Main was mentioned in a document for the first time. Frankfurt am Main has continued to develop since then and presents itself as very modern today. Nevertheless, ancient buildings can still be visited by visitors today. Many monuments give the city a historical flair. Another attraction that you should definitely visit is Frankfurt’s Old Town. This part of the town has a medieval touch, but has recently been redeveloped and refurbished.

The Römerberg is the heart of Frankfurt’s old town with the city’s town hall, the Römer. Beautiful, historic churches adorn the cityscape. A remarkable church building is the St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt. The church is of historical importance, as it was here in 1849 that the Paulskirche assembly took place.

Art and culture lovers will also find just the right thing in Frankfurt am Main. The Museumsufer in Frankfurt offers its visitors 38 different museums with different focuses: antiquity, modern, artistic, urban history and many other subject areas.

Frankfurt’s Alte Oper is also a remarkable building, which was built in the late Built in the 19th century, it was destroyed during the Second World War and can be found in Frankfurt’s city centre. Reconstruction did not begin until the end of the 20th century with the help of donations. It reopened in 1981. Since then, the Alte Oper has been shining in all its glory. Today, audiences can enjoy performances ranging from classical music to modern shows and musicals .

In addition, Frankfurt am Main is also a popular shopping city. The Zeil is one of the most famous shopping streets in Germany. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of shops and restaurants. Part of the Zeil is a pedestrian zone. Accordingly, you can stroll along here in a relaxed manner and escape the big city traffic.

In a city like Frankfurt am Main, there is a lot of traffic and parking is limited. With the help of our flibco.com airport shuttles, you can travel stress-free by bus from Frankfurt to Frankfurt Hahn .

Use our bus for your journey to save parking fees and protect your car. Bus travel is also more environmentally friendly. During the bus ride, you can relax, sit back and start your city trip really well. Use our service online or simply via our free flibco.com app. With our app, you will receive real-time notifications about where your bus is. The app also helps you find the bus stops of our flibco.com buses and Door2Gate shuttles, buy tickets and save your ticket on your smartphone. The app saves you paper, as printing out the ticket is overdue.

With the kind support of flibco.com

Let’s be honest: When someone asks you where the leaning tower in the world is, the first thing that comes to mind is Pisa. But they are wrong. The leanest tower in the world is located in Suurhusen in Lower Saxony. The famous Tuscan tower (3.97 degrees) cannot keep up with the angle of inclination of the church tower of 5.19 degrees.

The journalist Cornelia Lohs, who lives in Heidelberg , presents 100 outstanding places in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in her current book “Travel Guide of Records”. On the one hand, there are spectacular destinations such as Austria’s largest waterfall in the Hohe Tauern National Park, the Dachstein Sky Walk or the longest suspension rope bridge in Germany in Saxony-Anhalt .

But things are also a little quieter when you browse through Austria’s oldest bookstore in Salzburg at 420 years old or watch the latest blockbusters in the evening in Germany’s largest cinema with 1,250 seats.

About the book:

100 record-breaking destinations in one illustrated book

Top and yet so close: Travel to 100 records in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Highest, biggest, crooked, windiest, loneliest: there are plenty of superlatives when traveling. Anyone who has previously thought of distant countries and the seven wonders of the world will now be taught better: There are also many exciting travel destinations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland that no competition can come close to anytime soon.

For example, have you ever heard of the narrowest half-timbered house or the largest cheese mite monument? Or did you know that the world’s largest ice cave and the longest railway tunnel are almost right on your doorstep?

Accompany Cornelia Lohs through the German-speaking countries to 100 impressive places that you might otherwise have missed on your travels: to Reutlingen, Zumdorf and Würchwitz, to Heede, Suurhusen and Apetlon.

• 100 travel records in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
• Interesting background information and travel tips
• Impressive photos and helpful overview maps

About the author

Journalist and author Cornelia Lohs was plagued by wanderlust even as a child. Today, she travels the world for a large part of the year, and she is particularly fond of Ireland, the Nordic countries, Canada, Latin America and the USA. Cornelia Lohs lives and writes in her hometown of Heidelberg.