First stop - NYC

It's been an insane couple of weeks - but I think I have managed to get all the important things done and we are off tomorrow to NYC! I feel like I haven't slept in a week.... and now we're going to the city that never sleeps. I sure hope I can sleep on the ship come Friday! LOL

Packing nightmares

The days are getting shorter and shorter.... it seems .... with so much to do in order to fly to NYC on Tuesday! I told Aaste she should pack her bags and then go for a walk to see if she can manage it. Of course I haven't taken my own advice - but have narrowed down the options quite a bit! When I'm not having nightmares about packing for the trip.... I'm having nightmares that I won't get all my stuff packed in time for the tenants to move in. It will, of course, all get done. 4 more sleeps!

Wanted: 3 Ball Gowns

Our tickets for the ship arrived the other day. We will be dining 3 formal nights; 2 semi-formal; and 1 casual ... or something like that. Formal apparently means FORMAL! I'm not-so-secretly kind of excited about that. Every girl likes a reason to dress up. Or at least this girl does.

It took me a few evenings of thinking as I lay in bed waiting to fall asleep.... but I finally figured it out. Packing Problem: I don't want to carry 3 formal gowns and appropriate shoes around for the next 4 months! Answer: I will pack outfits that I never want to wear again. So, now we are busy making sure that both Aaste and I have adequate, but disposable evening wear. Value Village here we come!

The flight to New York is booked. The accomodation in New York is booked. And I bought 2 pass books for the museums and attractions that both Aaste and I will enjoy: 3 art museums; harbour light cruise; Empire State Building... and a discount at Bloomingdales. Our hostel is close to Central Park, so all in all I reckon our New York adventure should be just about right.

Couch Surfing Part 3

In an attempt to get to know some local Torontonian's involved in the Couch Surfing project I organized a rather impromptu meet-up at a local pub last week. The response was very positive and about a dozen people showed up for a lovely evening. (see pic) People expressed a desire for more regular meetups in Toronto and I hope someone picks up that particular ball.

Meanwhile, I have also confirmed a 'couch' for us when we arrive in London next month with a young couple in Ealing.

Gothenburg Beaches

People in Gothenburg love the sea and sailing and often head to the beach for picnics on the weekends. I visited 3 beaches in the Gothenburg area - all were the 'rocky' type, versus the 'sandy' type. Frankly I prefer the rocky ones. Sunday we were on a small island called Hönö, and were lucky enough to have the entire place almost to ourselves. While the weather in the city was still cloudy, at the coast we enjoyed lovely sun for the entire afternoon. I enjoyed scrambling on the rocks. They had the most interesting patterns. (see pic)
Saturday afternoon we visited the island town of Marstand, which was busy getting ready to host the Swedish Match Cup Sailing Event (see: http://bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=11195)


It was a lovely afternoon and we enjoyed a classic Swedish picnic of fresh shrimp with mayonaise and lemon on bread, with white wine. YUM!!! After digesting this feast we hiked up to the 17th century castle. Then back to the village for a coffee (have I mentioned how great the coffee is in this country?), a walk about the town, than back across the ferry (the island is car-free) and the return 40 minute drive to the city!