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From a hot air balloon to a sail boat; from scorching heat to icy extremes

Coordinates are much more than just numbers that mark a specific point on earth. They are code for wanderlust and adventure and stand for fascinating places, captivating stories and magical moments. Explore the world over the next twelve months with “Coordinates. A Serious Case of Travelling” and the Lufthansa Aluminium Collection – a blog dedicated to intriguing travel stories.
39° 20' 01.5" N 8° 23' 59.5" E

Sardinia – An ancient American and the wind

The boat wings over the frothy waves at a speed of seven knots. True sailing bliss.

Weigh anchor and cast off:
Sailing the blue Mediterranean Sea

Open sea, alabaster beaches, blue grottos. What could be more beautiful than the Mediterranean? But a visit to Sardinia on an old, well-travelled sailing yacht is a next-level experience. Amidst the crooning of the lines and the thrumming of the shrouds, you’ll discover beauty where you never thought to look.
Discover the story
24° 45' 58.6" S 15° 18' 07.7" E

Namibia – Oscar Lima India: An airman named Oli

Namibia is called the ‘Land of Open Spaces’. You don’t have to fly very far to understand why.

The call of the desert:
And an unconventional career move

A man, a flying machine and a manoeuvre you won’t read about in any book. One day, Oliver Braun packed up his things in Germany and started a new life. The print salesman from Bad Homburg became an African bush pilot who flies safari tourists across the oldest desert regions in the world. Meet airman Oli.
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45° 59' 00.9" N 7° 47' 00.6" E

Switzerland – Way out there

Is there a second Earth? Do planets exist out there that have an atmosphere?

Flying high in Switzerland:
A journey into space

The Swiss aren’t only good at making cheese, cowbells and expensive watches. From Bern to Geneva, they’re developing instruments that search for life on distant moons. But that’s not all: high up in the Swiss Alps, astronomers are peering into the universe to discover the origins of space and time.
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15° 47' 00.2" N 104° 09' 13.2" E

Thailand – A Deafening Plea for Rain

Incense burns, candles are lit. A quiet moment of contemplation before the rockets set off for the realm of the gods.

Rockets for the gods:
Thailand celebrates with a bang!

Shortly before the monsoon starts, people in Isan turn their eyes to the sky, hoping the heavens will send rain to northern Thailand. To increase the odds and ensure a good harvest, they fire rockets up to the gods.
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78° 13' 27.3" N 15° 37' 58.9" E

Spitsbergen – Turn of the Tide in the Arctic Ocean

The Wild West was one thing. The Wild North is something completely different.

Research and innovation:
Change is underway in the Arctic

The realm of polar bears and whales begins north of the 66th parallel. From Svalbard, early explorers set off into the icy wilderness. But this remote corner of the world is changing. Researchers, free thinkers and nonconformists converge on a territory being shaped by a new way of thinking.
Discover the story
1° 10' 47.1" S 36° 43' 32.7" E

Kenya – The mzungu from East Frisia

It’s about water, food, education. That’s why Fokko Doyen is here. To help.

Devoted to Africa:
Pilot Fokko Doyen doesn’t talk – he acts!

A boy grows up on a remote farm, goes to sea, becomes a pilot and flies around the world. Fleet manager Fokko Doyen builds his own story. It takes us to Africa, has to do with travel and the wonderful things that seeing the world can achieve.
Discover the story
39° 08' 43.0" N 8° 18' 30.5" E

Isola di San Pietro – Italy’s most captivating island

Vibrant, ancient, authentic, and surrounded by the sea. San Pietro Island is very far away from the rest of the world.

Isola di San Pietro:
all roads lead to the sea

There it lies in the sea, south-west of Sardinia. An island off an island – ancient, authentic and just a little bit old-fashioned. Famous people sometimes stop here, but that doesn’t matter, they don’t play an important role. What matters on Isola di San Pietro are the marinai, the tuna and the taste of the sea.
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22° 57' 58.4" S 43° 10' 40.2" W

Rio de Janeiro – The Sound of Brazil

The music was outrageous. Warm and soft like the sea on our doorstep.

Rio and its magical music:
The birthplace of bossa nova

Bossa nova – the sweetest temptation since the invention of music – was born in the centre of Rio. Emanating from three small pubs, the velvety tunes, among them the immortal ‘Girl from Ipanema’, took the world by storm. A return to the roots in Copacabana, where the guitars never sleep.
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47° 04' 27.6" N 12° 41' 40.6" E

Alps – Crossing the Mountains in a Basket

An elevating experience:
See the Alps from a hot-air balloon

Mountain high: Sailing over the Alps in the oldest craft in aviation history changes the way you look at the world. Welcome aboard a hot-air balloon!
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Hot air balloon floating over the Alps
Hot air balloon floating over the Alps

An elevating experience:
See the Alps from a hot-air balloon

Mountain high: Sailing over the Alps in the oldest craft in aviation history changes the way you look at the world. Welcome aboard a hot-air balloon!
Discover the story
Space stretches endlessly in all directions. A white hallucination. What’s there to say? Right now, there’s just breathless amazement.

A listening experience
Unabridged versions of all of our stories: This way to our podcast.

Immerse yourself in other worlds: Enjoy our exciting stories and adventures uncut in full length. Read by the author himself!
Marc Bielefeld

Marc Bielefeld
Author

From a balloon to the desert, out to sea, into the ice: in twelve captivating reports and podcasts, the author describes fascinating places around the world and encounters with remarkable people.
marcbielefeld.de
Jens Görlich

Jens Görlich
Photographer

Great moments, peaceful bliss, poignant scenes: the photographer from Frankfurt always has his camera ready to capture what words can’t express.
jens-goerlich.de
Lufthansa Aluminium Collection

Lufthansa
Aluminium Collection
Travel companion

The trusty case goes along on every adventure: it travels by hot air balloon, rides on a dog sledge and attends a rocket launch – bringing home an exciting experience every time.
worldshop.eu/alu

Discover the world with us

Discover the world with us
Hotel with observatory and night sky
Way out there
A journey into space.
Discover the story
Crossing the Mountains in a Basket
See the Alps from a hot-air balloon.
Discover the story
Musicians in a bar
The Sound of Brazil
Rio is the birthplace of bossa nova, the sweetest temptation in music history. A return to the roots in Copacabana, where the guitars never sleep.
Discover the story
Railing sailboat
An ancient American and the wind
Weigh anchor and cast off: Sailing the blue Mediterranean Sea.
Discover the story
Italy’s most captivating island
Isola di San Pietro: all roads lead to the sea.
Discover the story
Woman walks through African village
The mzungu from East Frisia
From air freight pilot to founder of Cargo Human Care: Fokko Doyen defines wanderlust his way – his aid projects in Kenya are exemplary.
Discover the story
View of houses on the Arctic Ocean
Turn of the Tide in the Arctic Ocean
Not just snow and ice: at the tip of the world, researchers, free thinkers and nonconformists find a territory being shaped by a new way of thinking.
Discover the story
Two men with sunshades in front of launch ramp
A Deafening Plea for Rain
With afterburners and dedication, Thai rocket builders in Isan petition the gods with projectiles to ensure a rich harvest.
Discover the story
Man carrying trolley in front of Cessna at sunset
Oscar Lima India: An airman named Oli
A man, a flying machine and a manoeuvre you won’t read about in any book. One day, Oliver Braun packed up his things and started a new life.
Discover the story
Lufthansa Aluminium Collection in front of balloon basket

Always at your side: a companion with no destination too remote

Designed with the spirit of travel in mind, this case – the ultimate symbol of travel – is always packed full of inspiration, longing and the urge to set off. Let’s go!
To the Lufthansa Aluminium Collection