Category Archives: Travel

The Swede

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The Swede has been texting me and it’s been more fun than a tornado in a trailer park.

He went out drinking with a friend and I got fantastic text messages from him as he drank beer.

He asked me if I was interested in visiting Sweden.

Technically, 60% of my DNA is from Scandinavia, and it would love to visit the homeland.

There’s the Vasa Museum, all the canals to navigate, and the ABBA Museum.

You know I can’t miss the ABBA Museum!

Sadly, I have no plans to visit Sweden in the near future, but it’s definitely on my list of places to go.

And it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to Finland where I can sleep in a glass igloo under the aurora borealis.

Sigh.

It’s hard to not imagine snuggling under the glass dome with The Swede.

And, of course, there’s the saunas in Finland.

Nothing like a nice hot naked sweat followed by a giant leap into the freezing outdoors.

Hey, it’s GOOD for you!

Perhaps I will talk my sister into a trip to Sweden next year.

Our last big trip was Scotland in 2008.

I have to admit, it would be nice to see The Swede in his territory.

Nice to see The Swede fullstop.

2017 Adventures

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glampingI’ve been thinking about what I want to do for 2017 (besides hide from our social media-challenged, egomaniac President). I’ve come up with a short list of 10 things I’d like to do over the next year (and more, of course):

  1. Go glamping in an Airstream trailer at the Russian River. Autocamp has drool-worthy Airstreams with walnut cabinetry and the fanciest bathrooms ever to grace an RV. FYI $200 – $350 per night.
  2. Visit Bodega Bay. Check out the views along Bodega Head and grab some fresh seafood along the coast. Can you say fresh crab, straight from the sea?
  3. Spend a few hours exploring Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma. Maybe stop at Taylor’s Refresher in St. Helena for a fresh blueberry milkshake and a sushi-grade ahi tuna burger.
  4. Wine tasting trips with friends to Paso Robles, Sonoma, the South Bay and Livermore. Pick up some 2013 Malbec at Concannon Vinyards and Winery.
  5. Check out the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Maybe stop in to Cowgirl Creamery and get some delicious melted raclette cheese on pickles and bread.
  6. Apple picking at Apple Hill. Be sure to fill a growler with fresh apple cider, preferably the fermented variety. Visit my aunt and uncle and cousins at the cabin and have some family fun.
  7. Spend the weekend in Half Moon Bay and Pescadero. Eat at Duarte’s Tavern and be sure to order a cup of their cream of green chile soup. Also go to Harley Goat Farm to buy goat cheese and related goat milk products. Hit the Highway 1 Brewing Company for some brews and stop at the haunted Moss Beach Distillery for a sundowner on the patio watching the sunset.
  8. Go on the Napa Valley Wine Train with friends. Make a weekend of it and go on the Napa Art Walk the next day. Check out Napa’s funy, hip boutiques and art galleries. Saturate with wine. Repeat.
  9. Camping at Grover Springs Campground. Take a soak in one of their simmering hot springs tucked away in the middle of the pine forest.
  10. Hike to Feather Falls and see the three tiers of the falls plunge 640 feet into the Sierra foothills. Go in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom for maximum loss of breath.

So there’s my list, now who wants to do these things with me? My Facebook friends better be prepared for me to hit them up to go these adventures with me!

Now that I’ve made a list, it’s time to start checking off things.

But first, make the rain stop.

Aurora Season

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Apparently, it’s “aurora season” in the northern hemisphere.

I just got an email from Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort reminding me that my dream of sleeping in a glass igloo under the aurora borealis is just a phone call (and1500 euros) away.

I’d love to go to Finland and sleep under a colorful sky amid a sea of snow, but I’m determined that I will not go on this adventure alone.

Since I’m unlikely to convince my girlfriends to go with me – Barbara prefers warm weather sightseeing and Michelle is married and should go with her S.O. – it looks like I won’t be making this trip anytime soon.

But someday I will be coupled up and maybe, just maybe, my S.O. will remember my fantasy about making love in a glass igloo under the aurora borealis in Finland and HE WILL GO WITH ME TO FINLAND AND “SLEEP” WITH ME UNDER THE GLASS DOME WITH THE AURORA BOREALIS OVERHEAD.

Normally, I’m not a romantic kind of person.

My idea of romance is finding out what his name is BEFORE we get naked.

But this glass igloo thing appeals to the one romantic bone in my body and I have to admit . . .

I really want it.

Of course, I’m not really sure how I’m going to achieve this dream given the fact that I’m not dating or even meeting potential dates, but no matter – someday my dream will come true.

Someday . . .

igloo

Dream a little dream

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For most of my adult life, I’ve fantasized about going to three places:

  • Greece
  • Finland
  • Australia

I’ve wanted to go to Greece on account of all the beautiful pictures I’ve seen of it – white walls, blue seas, and Mediterranean food.

greeceFinland has made it to my list oddly enough because I love the idea of sleeping in a glass igloo under the aurora borealis. Even in freezing cold temperatures with blankets of snow.

finlandAnd Australia made it to my list because… well… Australia!

australiaAt the risk of sounding ridiculous, I love the accents, the animals, and the beautiful cities.

I haven’t travelled as much as I would like to mostly because in all my fantasies about traveling the world, I never fantasized about doing it solo.

I mean what’s the point of sleeping in a glass igloo under a dramatic night sky unless you’re simultaneously getting your freak on?

Don’t get me wrong. I traveled to Scotland with my sister and I drove all over from Oban to Fort William to Inverness to the Isle of Skye.

I watched a shinty game in Skye with little biting midges flying up my nose and in my eyes while the shinty boys raced like thunder up and down the pitch.

Their thighs captivated me.

I really exposed myself to a different culture and people.

And I want to continue to do so.

But alone?

No thanks.

I may just have to bug my sister to take another trip with me next summer.

The question is: Where do we go first?

And can I convince my sister, who is an avid relax-and-do-nothing vacationer, to go out with me and get dirty/wet while having fun?

That is the questions my friends.

Making love under the aurora borealis

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igloo1The Israeli asked me, “If you could go one place in the world where would you go and why?

He’s traveled all over the world whereas I’ve barely made it to the UK twice.

My answer was simple.

I want to go to Finland IN THE WINTER and sleep in a glass igloo under the aurora borealis where I make love to my partner.

igloo2

Yes, it’s a couple’s trip/fantasy that I have.

I don’t want to go to Finland alone.

Imagine laying under the stars and seeing the cosmos visible with your eyes. The sky lights up with all sorts of colors and as you watch the magic dance of lights taking place in the night sky, you and your lover connect.

igloo3Magical, no?

If I went with The Israeli, no doubt he’d go skiing during the day and I’d go ice fishing or on a reindeer safari.

It would be a blast.

Cold, for sure, but a blast nonetheless.

igloo4Now, The Israeli didn’t seem to think this was crazy at all, given his affection for snow, skiing, and travel.

But it does seem a little crazy to me given how much I dislike being in the cold and snow.

But for this experience, I’ll make an exception.

Bucket list!