Kon Hans Traveler

as soon as you set foot on this hospitable land you will instantly feel the calm vibrations that will  wash off all the anxiety and preoccupation. (updated with links!) by Kon Hans Deep in the Aegean Sea, in the borders between the Dodecanese and Cyclades, a glorious lady, an Aegean nymph, stretches out her wings, wide over the waves, while her crown, ancient and splendid under the sun, rises proudly and shines like a lighthouse day and night, visible for all to admire.  It is the "Chora" (main settlement of an island) of Astypalaia , one of the most beautiful in all the islands of Greece. Familiar white Cycladic houses mixed with the Dodecanese character, pulled tight together, blend marvellously with the environment as they seem to pour from above, from the Castle, like pure white lava that engulfs the hill all around. The Chora is certainly the most famous attraction of the island and will require most of your time and your admiration, but also the rest of t...

A new entry in the restless hub of the DIFC and a breath of fresh air at the same time, it already has an army of fans and faithful customers and it impresses with its minimalist design. by Kon Hans White luminescent walls surround a well defined rectangular open space in the middle of the coming and going of people in the Art Galleries sector of the busy financial core of Dubai, the DIFC, while the strong aroma of the espresso seems to pour out from it.  Add to this a really updated catalogue of magazines of all sorts arranged on the inner shelves of the walls as a colourful graffiti, that you can read at your leisure, and you get yourself a modern, cultural café; its name, what else: “ The Magazine Shop ”. The Magazine Shop - exterior A new entry in the restless hub of the DIFC and a breath of fresh air at the same time, it already has an army of fans and faithful customers and it impresses with its minimalist design.  Inspired perhaps in t...

In the heart of Epirus, in northern Greece, the mountains spread out their ancient, unshaken and imposing kingdom..  By Kon Hans Leaving behind the faceless chaos of the city the road becomes a path in the serenity of the mountains. The vivid colours of spring make up the dress in which nature chooses to flirt with the brilliant sun as it rises in the blue horizon.  Here, you can hear your thoughts whispering at the rhythm of the small crystal clear streams all around; you are alone, as a child that slowly finds its way to the embrace of his mother.  Nature is everything; she is your existence and your god, your mother and father, the cord that still unites you with the vast, inexplicable universe.  You need to breathe the oxygen and smell the humid wood, to let the soil caress your palms as you pick it up and let it in the wind to become earth again. You need to let down your defences that the urban life has provided you with, when you first entered the m...

Dubai: a city in the future by Kon Hans From a fishing village and in just 50 years time, Dubai has turned into a new metropolis of the 21 st century Burj Al Khalifa by day A familiar red hat and a dazzling smile, the symbols of Emirates Airlines , one of the largest on the planet, will be your first encounter as you embark on your flight that will take you to one of the busiest airports in the world, to the new ultra-modern airport of the rising metropolis of the 21st century, Dubai. Dubai Mall - exterior Afterwards, a completely automated metro carriage, on an elevated railway and passing between huge towers made of mirrors and filled with all the colors and races of the world, will leave you by an impressive hotel –they all are! From its window you can contemplate a vast green park giving its way to the golden sand of an exotic beach with palm trees, while the shadow of one of them seems to expand endlessly into the sea materializing into the astonishi...

Spain: Avila, In the City of Stones and Saints Kon Hans The city of Avila, one and a half hour’s drive from Madrid, invites the visitor to a magical journey into the history " High up in the mountains and made from sun, soil and stone and frozen winds that swipe the plains, Avila is a shining Lady that rules from inside her huge walls… ” Walls and Cathedral of Avila And so begins the story of the unique Avila, the “ City of Stones and Saints ” ( Ciudad de los Cantos y los Santos ), with its numerous churches, monasteries and the massive walls that embrace her and immerse her in a glorious medieval tale. A small city of 60,000 inhabitants with a rich history emerges majestically, firm as a rock in its small valley, under the shadow of the Sierra de Gredos , in the highlands of Castile, inviting the visitor to traverse its gates with its colossal impregnable walls looming above, for a magical journey in history, just one and a half hours’ drive from Madrid. ...

Madrid, a modern European city, where liveliness and art blend in a latin dance! By Kon Hans Madrid is a mysterious and full of charm Spanish Lady.  She is stern and majestic, and at the same time sensual and cosmopolitan, but above all she knows how to welcome her visitors.  From the famed “ Golden Triangle of Art ” that unfolds in her centre with the three big museums: Prado, Reina Sofia (MNCARS) and Thyssen Bornemisza, to the huge evergreen park “ Buen Retiro ”, and from the alternative, lively and with the omnipresent artistic spirit, neighborhood of  Chueca  to the frantic nightlife district of  Huertas , where thousands of bars and discos open their doors and let the latin rythms pour out, Madrid offers absolutely everything; except of course the sea. Madrid´s City Hall However this absence has forged its Castilian temperament.  Situated high in its plateau – it’s difficult to imagine that Madrid has an altitude of 700 m.! – she...