Hello my lovelies!

Welcome to this week’s Weekend Coffee Share!

If we were having coffee today you’d bump into me at the coffee shop at Cologne bus station or Düsseldorf Airport. I’ve had an eye-opening but packed week so far and the fun’s only going to continue.

If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that I have followed a vegan diet (for the first time in my life) for the last three days. That’s because I hosted an amazing wholesome chef from Canada: Doris Fin from Feed Your Bliss.

Doris and I have known each other for five years, but we only met in person for the first time on Wednesday. Back in 2010, Doris volunteered to provide a few articles about staying healthy while travelling to my travel magazine Shoestring. We kept in touch on and off. Then last year I found out that Doris is writing an autobiography about her eye-opening journey to a healthy life and lifestyle – Feed Your Bliss is due to be released in November.

Earlier this year, I contacted Doris asking for an update on her book and she told me she’s planning a culinary tour of Europe (giving vegan and raw food workshops and promoting the book, amongst other things) and wouldn’t it be great if she did a workshop in my hometown and we’d finally meet? Of course I said yes!

So she’s been staying with me from Wednesday until today, taught me a short Qi Gong routine, helped me see a few things in a different light, and introduced me to healthy recipes bursting with flavour. All the while, we had girly talks and lots of fun and yesterday, we hosted a Vegan & Raw Food Workshop which was a complete success. Doris taught our little group ow to make herb pesto, zucchini pasta, mock tuna sushi and a yummy avocado sauerkraut salad, as well as bliss balls (with dates and nuts and cocoa), brazil nut milk, and avocado mousse au chocolat! I acted as translator.

Next to running around the market to buy fresh produce and preparing for our workshop, I didn’t really have much time to show Doris around, but I did show her our local castle Schloss Burg and how green this city is. Afterwards, she treated us to a Thai massage (after I recommended the spa I’d been going to) and Doris, as a masseuse herself, was very impressed with the massage she got. As was I.

If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that I dropped off Doris at Cologne central bus station this morning and Doris is now on her way to the south of the country. Meanwhile, I’m at home for an hour having lunch, before I’m heading out to Düsseldorf Airport to pick up my bestie Ronni and her husband Dave. The two of them will be staying with me as part of their delayed honeymoon (I was maid of honour – or demoiselle d’honneur – at their wedding two years ago) and now they’re coming to visit.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that next week will be full on for me again. I will be showing them around Solingen, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn, as well as Luxembourg and we’ll be finishing the week together with an overnight stay in Amsterdam. So if I go quiet yet again, that is why.

Thank you for having coffee with me. I’m afraid I have to dash now, but feel free to visit the other Weekend Coffee Sharers via Part Time Monster or via the #weekendcoffeeshare tag.

Same time, next week?