A Scandinavian cruise to the Baltic Capitals sat on our travel list for several years, while easier and less expensive trips took precedence. For us to set sail towards our Viking roots, we needed a big occasion—like a 50th birthday. I think of 50 as an easy going innocuous number. It’s neutral (fifty/fifty), romantic (Fifty First Dates), and even sexy (Fifty Shades of Grey). But for my husband, 50 conjured dark and disturbing … [Read more...]
Rudkobing, Denmark… Wedding Destination?
Red doors welcome guests into warmly decorated homes, basket bicycles sit in front of flower gardens, cozy houses are perched along rocky streets, a colorful market full of fresh goods and happy people and a harbor full of boats waiting to leave for new adventures - all await visitors in the charming town of Rudkobing, Denmark. Rudkobing, located on Langeland Island also hosts many sports and nature related activities similar to other Nordic … [Read more...]
Little Denmark
At a British- or Irish-style “public house” in an old colonial town, a fictional action figure named John M. Edwards sucks down suds with serendipity. I was standing at the bar at the Jolly Trolley in Westfield, New Jersey, staring at my Fuller’s London Pride, when I decided I was so drunk I would indeed have a hangover in the morning. The red label reminded me of the Protestant solidity of London and the infinite possibilities of drinking … [Read more...]
The Blue Mountains of NSW – haunted or haunting?
Stunning yes, harsh yes, unnerving, yes. There is something that is difficult to put your finger on about this area. Is it the large volume of spirits or ghosts roaming the Jamison Valley having lost their lives in inevitably tragic circumstances? Or is it the severity of the geography and the vagaries of the weather that give rise to this eerie feeling? Is it something to do with the ‘Dreamtime’ as expressed by the Aboriginal people of this … [Read more...]
Later “Louise”!: Hurricane Season in Tortola, BVI
John M. Edwards hunkers down in the hallway of his Caribbean concrete-block hotel to sit out a hurricane tempest more powerful than Peter Potamous’s “Hippo Hurricane Howler”! “BEE-HEE-HEE-HAW-HAW!” I impressively bellowed like Peter Potamous, the cartoon hippo on the Hana-Barbera animated series “Peter Potamous and So-So” (1964). I had every right to howl, now that almost all of the tourists on Tortola--in the British Virgin Islands (or … [Read more...]
Norwegian Airlines, 787 Service LAX to Scandinavia – Spring 2014
NORWEGIAN AIRLINES TO LAUNCH BOEING 787 DREAMLINER SERVICE FROM LOS ANGELES TO SCANDINAVIA IN SPRING 2014 Routes to Offer Nonstop Service to Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo (Los Angeles, California – September 5, 2013) Norwegian Airlines will launch service from Los Angeles at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Scandinavia using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Spring 2014. Nonstop flights will depart weekly between LAX and Stockholm … [Read more...]
West Sweden & Skane: Volvo’s Car plus Vacation – Day 7-8 of 14
DAY 7 Drive to Helsingborg - explore this city Leave early from Villa Sjotorp and drive to Helsingborg Driving time: approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Check in at the Clarion Grand Hotel - this historic hotel is centrally located - minutes walking from the waterfront and nearby a number of Helsingborg's central attractions. There is a pay for parking garage as well as a select number of parking spots in front of the hotel … [Read more...]
Sofiero Palace and Gardens
My visit to Sweden this time was decidedly different than my previous. Enduring cold weather, cloudy skies and drizzly conditions during my last visit we spent much of our time indoors drinking hot chocolate, eating sushi and visiting with family who live in Malmö. During the entirety of that trip, the cold weather followed us up to Oslo Norway - and then over to Stavanger and Bergen with fleeting glimpses of the gorgeous fjords tantalizingly … [Read more...]
Quintessential Sweden: From Heart to Mind Farm to Fork at Angavallen, Sweden’s Top Eco-Rest
New York, NY June 3, 2013 American travelers who dream of being truly immersed in one of Sweden’s most idyllic regions in summer, should look no further than the southern region of Skåne or Scania where they’ll find the 400-year old Ängavallen estate that features the award-winning eco- restaurant chosen by the Swedish White Guide, a quintessential 19th century style Countryhouse Hotel, a dairy, bakery and a stunning park designed in the … [Read more...]
Volunteer Abroad in Samoa with Projects Abroad
NEW YORK - July 27, 2012 - Starting in September 2012, Projects Abroad will host its first volunteers in Samoa, the newest destination where the organization offers international volunteer programs to volunteers of all ages, from students and professionals to families and retirees. Projects Abroad’s volunteer opportunities in Samoa are located in the capital city of Apia. While Samoa may be known as an attractive travel destination thanks to … [Read more...]