Beautiful Slovenia

From what I saw of Slovenia this weekend it is very beautiful and I would love to go back for hiking, cykling, rafting or any other kind of rather activ holiday.

Lake Bled


Me and Saar at the pond at Brdo.




Jezersko outside Kranj.

Travel stress!

Considering how much I travel it is strange that I sometimes wonder if I really like to travel. Sometimes I think I would just like to stay where I am, no matter where that is. This weekend I was in Slovenia for a wedding and that was really nice, but still, when I came to Stockholm I felt I didn’t want to get back here and before I went to Slovenia I didn’t want to go there. It is always like that. And the packing does not get any easier with the years either, I still hate it. This time though I would not have had to spend that much time to pick the right dress and accessories, if I had known.... My bag got stuck in Vienna and did not arrive until after the wedding sermon and just before dinner was served. Then it was a bit late!But thanks to my great friends I managed to get a appropriate outfit.
Anyway Slovenia and the wedding were great. I will post pictures later

Too little travelling in the normal life!

Hmmm, it is a bit sad that I haven't had anything to write on this blog in a long while. It means I have not been travelling as much as I want. I was wondering what would have happened if I had accepted the work in Abuja or in Dhaka. Would that then still have been considered travelling or "normal life"? I mean if I really would have stayed there and worked??
Well, that is not an issue right now anyway. I will stay in Sweden for the nearest future and I dont think my moving to Kristinehamn will count as travelling!

Places to see before you die!

Saw this list over places one ought to have seen before one dies. Of course I am a little upset that I have just seen 10 out of 50 on the list. But on the other hand, I am not planning to die just yet.

There are no real surprises on the list, it is rather predictable, but I am sure there are a lot of other places that ought to be on it, or we could make alternative lists. For example I don’t understand why Bangkok is on it but not Beijing! And not one single place in Eastern Europe! I think this is a result of the list being compiled by British BBC-viewers and governed by their preferences.
Hey, can’t we try to find other places one really ought to see!?!!? Looking forward to your comments and suggestions!!

1. Grand Canyon
2. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
3. Disney World, Florida
4. South Island, New Zealand
5. Cape Town, South Africa
6. Golden Temple, Armritsar, India
7. Las Vegas, US
8. Sydney, Australia
9. New York, US
10. Taj Mahal, India
11. Lake Louise, The Rockies, Canada
12. Uluru (Ayres Rock), Australia
13. Chichén Itz·, Mexico
14. Machu Picchu, Peru
15. Niagara Falls, US/Canada
16. Petra, Jordan
17. Pyramids, Egypt
18. Venice, Italy
19. Maldives
20. Great Wall, China
21. Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe border
22. Hong Kong
23. Yosemite National Park, US
24. Hawaii
25. North Island, New Zealand
26. The Iguaçu Falls, Argentina/Brazil border
27. Paris, France
28. Alaska, US
29. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
30. Mount Everest, Himalayas
31. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
32. Masai Mara, Kenya
33. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
34. Luxor, Egypt
35. Rome, Italy
36. San Francisco, US
37. Barcelona
38. Dubai
39. Singapore
40. La Digue, Seychelles
41. Sri Lanka
42. Bangkok, Thailand
43. Barbados, West Indies
44. Iceland
45. The Terracotta Army, China
46. Matterhorn, Switzerland
47. Angel Falls, Venezuela
48. Abu Simbel, Egypt
49. Bali, Indonesia
50. Bora Bora, French Polynesia

The mad traveller

I think I now have had the confirmation I needed to realise I am really seriously crazy. During this time I have been working and travelling professionally abroad I have found myself to be very open about the destinations. I have felt I could really go anywhere. I am not so governed about what might be the safest, most profitable, most prestigious or most pleasant place to go, I am just curious about new places to see. There has really only been one place where I always said I would not go (among the countries where Sweden has embassies) and that was Abuja, Nigeria. I know people who have worked there and from their stories I always said; no way, I am not going there!
However, yesterday I was asked if I could take an embassy posting over the whole summer; guess where! Of course in Abuja! Then I noticed my immediate reaction was not; “No way, I am not going there”. But rather; “Hmmm, maybe that would be interesting, maybe I should go there.” And then I realised I would not have been me if I had thought otherwise. That is simply me!
Fortunately I will most probably not be able to accept the offer because I think I will have other things to do, and sometimes I can be sensible, but it would be interesting…

Riksgränsen

Back from a very nice trip to the north! I must admit this trip has somewhat changed my perception of the northern part of Sweden, I had to re-evaluate some of the prejudices I had about that part of the country and of the people living there, all for the better. I still have the same perception about winter though; I don’t mind snow and winter as long as I can go to it and it does not come to me! And this far north the snow is so very white and clean and the slopes have only natural snow. This part is really so exotic. For me it feels much more exotic to go here than to the Alps, although still in my native country. It is so far away, so open, so empty!


And still we had really bad luck with the weather. When we arrived it was raining. That night and next day it was snowing heavy and there was a very strong wind, which meant the whole mountain was closed off. Therefore I and Victoria went for some snow shoe walking, which was also very nice. In the afternoon we caught the train to Narvik mostly because the train ride is supposed to be very beautiful along one of the fjords, and it was! Of course the visibility could have been better, but it was still very nice.

All wrapped up for snow shoe walking in the hard wind.

The border between Sweden and Norway. We crossed the border several times that day.

It is really so far away from everything! Narvik.


We could actually only ski one day, because of the wind and the poor visibility, there was storm and even hurricane warning, so all slopes were closed. That day it was still rather cold and windy and the skiing was difficult because of all the snow that had fallen and the slopes were not well prepared, but it was still nice to ski again. The storm and snowing continued and for a while we were really snowed in as the road was closed and you could only leave in a convoy. As this is a small place with basically only one hotel, one restaurant and one bar being snowed in means you can not avoid getting to know some of the other guests and the staff; it makes a very friendly and familiar atmosphere. Very nice!

In the end it cleared up and they could open the road again (until 1984 train was the only way to get here at all, and if it hadn’t been for the transport of iron ore from the mines in Kiruna and Gällivare to the ice free port of Narvik, there would not have been a railroad either) and we could leave. By then the weather was sooo nice we did not really want to leave, but we had to. But who knows, maybe we will come back soon, they stay open till midsummer!

It is a paradise for off pist skiing!


Enjoying the sun when it finally showed. Someone called Riksgränsen "Heaven or Hell" and I can understand that, when the weather is nice up there it is unbelievable, but when not, it can get really nasty!


As we did not sleep too much during these days I was rather tired on my way back home. So tired fell asleep on the train from Stockholm! I slept so heavy I did not wake up when I should have got off. I did not wake up until my mother, waiting at the station, called me asking where I was. I was so gone! I hade to go with the train all the way to Göteborg, wait another hour for the last train back and did not get home until two o clock last night. Strange ending to a nice trip! Would be nice to calculate how many kilometres I travelled yesterday.

Going north!

This afternoon I will travel north voluntarily for the first time in 17 years! And really far north! I will go to Riksgränsen (www.riksgransen.se) in the very far north of Sweden for skiing. That means approx two hours flying from Stockholm to Kiruna and then another two hours bus transfer. It’s a big country! And it is really exotic! Unfortunately the weather forecast does not look too great, but last time I was there (17 years ago!!) the forecast was never correct so I hope they are still as wrong!!

Fake or real?

I guess many of you have heard the internet clip with a voice calling out from some British airport, names -fake or real? - that sounds like i.e. "My colleague Just farted and Left the room The bastard". Today I heard someting similar, in real life! I wonder what the poor person who made that call thought. Sitting at Schiphol Airport waiting for my flight I suddenly heard; "Attention please. Passengers Strange and Motherless, travelling to London Heathrow on flight no YY, please immediatly go to gate XX".

Holland Holidays

This weekend I am off to Holland! Looking forward to see good friends and have a good time. Hopefully there will also be a little more spring there then here in Sweden. Nice!!!!!!

Domestic travels

This weekend I enjoyed some travelling in Sweden. I visited some friends in southern Sweden, in Helsinborg and Lund and besides the nice socializing and partying we also saw some wellknown sights I hadn't seen before, as Ale Stenar; kind of a Swedish Stonehenge. Felt like holiday. Nice!




Some small houses in the picturesque village of Kåseberga.

New Name?

Hmmm, I have been thinking whether I should change the name of this blog or not. Somehow it seems less apropriate to call it Travels 06 anymore. But on the other hand, just to upgrade it to 07 isn't too creative either or...? Maybe just Travels? Or maybe just leave it the way it is? Any suggestions?

Zimbabwean tears, again

It is amazing how far and fast country can sink. I somehow thought Zimbabwe had reached the bottom and would soon start moving upwards. I mean from the bottom there is only one way…
From having been the second riches country in Southern Africa in year 2000 it is now one of the world’s poorest countries, and it has the world’s fastest sinking economy, 30 % of the population is living off less than 1 USD a day, from having been a net exporter of agricultural products it can now hardly feed it’s own population, the inflation is over 1200% and there is a constant lack of foreign currency leading to ever more frequent power cuts, cuts in water supply, deteriorating water quality and constant fuel shortage. As if the country was not already pretty isolated it seems to get worse by worsening connections with the rest of the world as internet and mobile phone network providers are cutting down on their services due to lack of foreign currency.
I thought somehow that the land invasions, that really kicked off this down going spiral, had stopped, but recently I read that those few white farmers how still remain on their farms (I think there are just about 400 left) are threatened by prison if they don’t leave. I also heard the government had brutally stopped another demonstration by the opposition. So it seems they have not yet reached the bottom. It feels so hopeless. This is a country that could have had all the chances, but is so completely mismanaged and ruined. I know it is not the only one in Africa (unfortunately not), but as I have been there and know people there whom I care for it feels so frustrating. Maybe there is some kind of Zimbabwean action group I could join?! To support the local opposition?! Any suggestions?

Wor(l)ds of wisdom

I don't want you to understand the previous post as some kind of challenge. It it of course just for fun. It does not matter how many countries you have seen, but what you have learned during your travel.

Competitive travelling

So who's the most experienced traveller? Test it and post your result.

http://www.world66.com/myworld66/visitedCountries

Obviously I have seen only 15% of the world, and 35 countries. That makes me happy, there is still a lot left to see!

To my close distant friends

Well, you will probably not be able to see it at the picture, but every stop at this underground network is another major city or caplital of the world. I use to have a look at it every now and then to remind me of the fact that all those wonderful friends I have all over the world are never further away than a phone or a computer or a few stops away at the global underground. We are all connected and if you are really close you are never very far away.

Sibiu -European Capital of Culture 2007

Beautiful Romania

Well, maybe the Parliament Palace in Bucharest is not exactly beautiful, but for sure it is impressive and I must say, the interior is not as tasteless and tacky as I feared.



Our very beautiful racer Dacia and the nontheless beautiful co-driver!



The Peles Castle in Sinaia.

Sigisoara

Biertan

La multi ani 2007

Well, not yet. Still it is Christmas Eve and we say Craciun Fericit. Party girls on thier way from one party to another!

Christmas in Bucharest

Gathering for Christmas lunch at Bille's place.






The girls as well as the Christmas tree were nicely
decorated!













The preparations the day before was somewhat more chaotic, but great fun! Be glad I don't show all the pictures! These are girls you don't find too often in the kitchen!

Happy new year!!!

I would write something about Romania and add some pictures, but that will have to wait. Anyway it was a great trip and lovely place and I had a perfect Christmas celebration.

New year's party was also great with wonderful Swedish and foreign friends in Stockholm! Sooo nice to see you all again and thanks for the perfect party! Big hugs and kisses to you all!

And to everyone I could not see this time; whish you all the best for 2007 and hope to see you soon!