November 2007 - Tallinn, Estonia.  Tallinn is a beautiful city!  It is the old town that has the charm of a middle evil city with its inner and outer protection walls.  The streets meander all around, allowing one to get lost in history.  The handmade goods are cheap and well crafted.  You can buy knitwear in almost any shop that you see.  The patterns are of Nordic design and I would say are on par in quality as most of the Norwegian sweaters we saw.  A typical Estonian made sweater will cost about 500-600 EEK (£25.00 or $50.00).  There is a 'wall of sweaters' market along one of the old walls that is nothing but old ladies selling knitwear.  There is not much difference in price though from the shops, just a better selection.  The cost of goods for the most part (including food) where on par with U.S. standards - so considerably more cheaper then in England and the rest of the Nordic countries.  The city is easy to navigate via walking and given the northern location is refreshing (if not chilly).  Overall Tallinn is a wonderful city and we would recommend a visit.  You can see more information on Estonia by click here.

November, 2007 - Helsinki, Finland.  We took a short ferry ride by high speed catamaran from Tallinn, Estonia.  The journey takes 1 hour and 40 minutes and costs about £25.00 or $50.00 per person.  Once we stepped off the boat we realized we were back in Scandinavia because of the price of goods.  The city itself was more of a business centre and did not seem all that touristy.  Perhaps this is because we had the children so we have less options.  In fairness we were only in the city for about four hours before we caught our ferry back to Tallinn.  There is a lot of shopping to be had in the city, however, that wasn't for us!  All-in-all the four hour stop for us was enough.  If you are interested in seeing Finland and or Helsinki read up on these pages. 

October, 2007 - Bergen, Norway.  Bergen is a wonderful city.  It is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage sites and you can see why.  But I will say this if you do not like to get wet - avoid Bergen.  It rains all of the time.  It isn't a drizzle like Seattle or London either it is a downpour that just doesn't stop.  In the month of September they average almost a foot (24 centimeters) of rain.  Other months are not that much different either!  Keep in mind although a beautiful and easily navigate-able city it is EXPENSIVE to the tenth degree.  There is nothing that is cheap here.  Along with the other stops in Norway it is £4.00 for a dozen eggs or a gallon of milk ($8.00).  A pint of beer in a local pizza joint will run you about £7 ($14).  Bread is a cheap £2 ($4) while a large Pizza and a couple of sodas will set you back £30 ($60) - and we are not talking gourmet.  Expensive doesn't mean not a good buy though, some of the handmade things are expensive but worth the money.  You can buy some souvenirs from Bergen by going to the 'goshopnorway' site.  There are also a lot of good museums that are worth checking out in this city.  Don't miss out on the fish market where you can buy crabs, fish and sweaters!  The old German Timber houses are a must.  To learn more about Bergen you can click here.

October, 2007 - Songefjord, Norway.  Stunningly beautiful!  This is where heaven and earth come to join.  Words simply can not describe what a wonderfully pristine place this is.  We took a ferry ride on the Fjord1 cruise boat from Austrheim up through the Fjord.  It was a nice journey that wound us through the mountains and up into Balestrand, are final destination.  This area is strongly recommended.

October, 2007 - Austrheim, Norway.  Austrheim is a nice cozy area that is very secluded from the rest of the world.  However, it offers a very relaxing place to catch up on all things nature.  It is away from the hustle and bustle that most of us experience in our everyday lives.  We stayed in a little three bedroom cabin close to the Fjords where there was nothing but piece and quiet.  Although, if you are looking for a lot of tourists things to do this is not the place for you as it really does sit in the middle of nowhere.  Here is a link to the local government website

May, 2007 - Athens, Greece.  This was a very short business trip, but unlike most business ventures I had some time to spend actually seeing some of the city.  When coming into the airport I went straight to the hotel that sat just outside of Athens on the sea.  The hotel's (Apollo Spa and Resort) was overly pricey and comparative to other nicer hotels fell flat.  This is how I felt about most of Athens, it was expensive and dirty.  Every where I turned there would be unfinished construction.  Usually this is a sign of a booming economy, however, most of the unfinished construction looked as if it was 10-15 years old - very strange.  The other oddity that I noticed was the stray dogs lying about.  They were literally everywhere - it reminded me of pigeons but instead of being birds they were dogs.  I did go to the main site of Athens (the Acropolis) for a look around.  This was an interesting site as it was created before B.C. and is the main attraction to Athens.  You can walk around and get a feel for the Acropolis in a half of day (bring good stable walking shoes) and then after this I didn't find much more to do.  After heading back to the hotel I was going to take a dip in the sea, but the beach next to the hotel was grainy and not very nice - so I decided to go back to the room and enjoy the ocean view from my room.  All in all - I would avoid Athens!

 May, 2007 - Barcelona, Spain.  Although I was here for a very short trip on business I found the city to be warm and beautiful.  In fact, the city itself was more beautiful then Paris!  Open and wide streets that are tree lined set the scene for a city that had a very well laid out field.  Along one of the main streets is a constant street market, selling everything from meats, fish, vegetables, sweets and birds in cages.  I would say this though, if you are heading out for an evening meal - don't bother until about 10PM as this is when the restaurants start to kick off.  However, the food is worth the wait and the wine even better.  Barcelona is definitely on my list of places to go back with the family.  Being next to the Mediterranean sea, one can mix a city and beach holiday.

June, 2007 - Grenoble, France.  Being I grew up in near the Mountains of Idaho and of course living near the white mountain range in New Hampshire - I have to say I felt right at home.  Grenoble is a fantastic little French city right in the middle of the Alps.  You are literally surrounded by mountains on all sides that are snow capped and jagged.  I have to admit I did not get a lot of time to spend in the city of Grenoble itself (a university town) but I did enjoy being here.  I think if I were to come back on more of a regular holiday I would be spending more time in the mountains hiking or skiing vs. walking around a city.  Again, this was a short trip as it was business in nature.

March, 2007 – Sydney, Australia.  Sydney Harbour is a beautiful natural creation that of course I would suggest all to visit.  The city itself is a large metropolis that looks very much to a large American city with the tall buildings.  We stayed near china town next to the CBD (central business district) and found it to be quite safe feeling and to move around.  The city centre can mostly be covered on foot, although the buses do run frequently and are inexpensive.  There is an underground train system, however, it is not overly developed so we quite honestly didn’t find it necessary.  There is also a monorail around the CBD.  We took this on the entire loop (about 15 minutes) and found that the only ones on riding the system were mostly tourists.  However, I would suggest this as it is a cheap view of the city above ground.  While in Sydney we pretty much were rained on every day (although not downpours) so this put some damper on moving around.  The darling harbour area is fantastic as it has been recently regenerated.  There are several markets around the Sydney, but for all of your cheap souverniers there really is no need to look beyond the Paddy’s Market at the edge of Darling Harbour (www.paddysmarkets.com.au).  The only thing that we found to be annoying about the city is the airport.  To get between the International and Domestic terminals you have to take a bus that charges you $4.00 per person.  We ended up taking a taxi as this was the same cost for the three of us.  There isn’t anyway that we could find to walk between terminals as they are to far separated.

 March, 2007 – Gold Coast, Australia.  We actually stayed in the town of Surfers Paradise.  The beaches were to die for.  Now we have been to a lot of places with some nice beaches around the world, but the Gold Coast beaches by far exceeded these other beaches.  They were simply fantastic.  The sand was so soft that it melted between your toes and the water was 29 degrees (84 Fahrenheit) with a nice surf.  There is also many activities to do in this area.  There are many amusement parks – Sea World, MGM Movie Studios, Wildlife Park, Waterslide park etc.  We went to Sea World which had a nice dolphin show that the kids and adults will love.  If you don’t want to shell out the cash for the amusement parks though, you can hit the many shopping malls, casinos or of course just hang out on the beach!  One point of caution – if you ever doubted the stories about the intense Australian sun – DON’T!  It is true that you can get burned through clothing as it is that brutally intense.  This area is highly recommended.

 March, 2007 – Australia Zoo, Australia.  This is of course Steve Irwin’s famous zoo and I can assure you that it is worth a visit.  From the Gold Coast you can drive here in under two hours.  For all of us it was the absolute highlight of the entire trip.  It was extremely clean and very well laid out with themed enclosures.  The best part is the interactivity will keep everyone engaged throughout the day.  You can feed an elephant, pat and hold a koala, pet and feed kangaroos to name a few.  The zoo is run in this manner as Steve Irwin did not want people to be afraid of wildlife and to experience them in a protected and safe environment.  This of course is educational and inspirational.  Food outlets in the zoo were even reasonably priced and of some quality – this is of course very rare in these types of tourist attractions.  Our hats definitely go off to this great facility! http://www.australiazoo.com.au/

 March, 2007- Townsville/Magnetic Island/Great Barrier Reef, Australia.  Townsville is a city of about 140,000 people in North Queensland.  It is approximately four hours south of Cairns, Australia.  We chose this city for its easy access to the Great Barrier Reef.  The city itself had a beautiful area along the beach called ‘the Strand.’  It is about 2 kilometres worth of park and beach in the city.  There are several playgrounds, a water park and sea filled ‘rock pool.’  The residents of Townsville are very lucky to have this area for their enjoyment.  There is no need to view the reef aquarium known as Reef HQ.  This is a fabulous waste of time and money!  If you do go to Townsville make sure that you have some ice cream from the Rock Creamery.  Besides being able to get to the Great Barrier Reef it probably would not be the best tourist spot to head to.  There is very little going on and it is very ‘laid-back.’  Magnetic Island is a short twenty-minute ferry ride from Townsville.  The island has many bays that give direct access to the pacific ocean.  Don’t expect any excitement here though.  If you are out for a relaxing day you can definitely get it from here.  There is a wildlife park on the island known as Bungalow Bay (http://www.bungalowbay.com.au/).  This is worth the admission price as you get to hold a croc, python and Koala (although the Koalas are known to bite sometimes).  The guide we had was very informative and laidback in his presentation.  It helped that it was just us and one other bloke from Ireland.  I would definitely recommend filling a couple of hours at this facility as it is one of the better attractions in the area.  As mentioned earlier we used Townsville as a jumping point to the Great Barrier Reef.  After about an hour and forty-five minute boat ride we arrived on the John Bowers reef.  The snorkelling was absolutely fantastic (although Cancun Mexico is just as good).  The reef is of course a must see, and you may not have much more time.  The guides explained that scientists believe the world’s reefs (including Australia) will be lost within 10-15 years; reason being reefs can not live in waters above 31-32 degrees Celsius.  The water is already hovering around 29 degrees and sometimes exceeds these temperatures.  With global warming the water temps continue to rise which is killing the reefs.  They are struggling to find 30% reef coverage in the area already today.  What a true loss this will be.

 March, 2007 – Bangkok, Thailand.  This is our first time in a far eastern country and I have to say that we did enjoy our time.  It was a short visit (2 nights and 1 day) that was spent mostly taking advantage of the extremely cheap consumer goods that Bangkok is so well known for.  When they say you can get some deals in Bangkok they are simply not lying.  A ‘fake’ designer polo will cost about $3.00.  Food is also very inexpensive and there are many choices.  The city itself is basically one big market.  Everywhere you look and turn looks as if a market has been set up.  Some are more billed to tourists and of course many for the local population.  MBK centre (3^rd floor up) is a great place to shop as it is like an indoor market, which means it is air conditioned.  This city is very warm (37/95+) when we were here during the cooler season.  Couple of tips: drink bottled water, peal your fruit and don’t eat the salads unless you want to be enjoying some quality time in the bathroom.  Also, if you need help you can use the phrase chewey dewey (help me).  Finally, most everything you buy is fake so make sure you negotiate knowing this.  Fake watches are a must have item, but are not as easy to find as I was led to believe.  You will need to ask ‘watch vendors’ do you have a ‘tag’ for instance.  If they sell fakes they will give you a catalogue to look at.  Once you select a watch they will send a ‘runner’ to go get it.  Don’t pay for it until you see it and feel it.  If you are not satisfied say no and move on to the next vendor.  The airport is brand new (Sept. 2006) and looks as if it was build by the team from Star Trek.  This is an ultra modern looking facility that makes you feel like you are in an episode of the Jetsons.  I would not want to spend much more then a day or two in Bangkok because at the end of the day it is a hot and smelly big city.  The pollution from the cars and the street cooking around you will cause your senses to curl-up in the fetal position and quiver.  Finally, expect to risk your life as you cross the street as there are no cross walks for the most part.  The city roads/sidewalks are absolute chaos and words can not do this justice at all.  If I was to continue my time in Thailand I would go outside of the city and see some of the rest of interesting and lovely country.  By the way, if you are looking for a replica watch but don’t have the facility to go to Bangkok you can find one here: http://www.houseofsouvenirs.com/

December, 2006 - Stockholm, Sweden.  Originally we decided to go to Stockholm for two different reasons.  First, continuing in our theme of ticking off some of the Nordic countries from our list of places we have not been through.  The second, to see some of the Christmas marks and do a little festive shopping.  On the first point Stockholm was a beautiful city that had a very unique architecture.  The Swedish are very environmental aware and this is very clear when you see all of the bicycle paths around the city.  If going to Stockholm there are two areas that I would suggest making sure that you get to; the Old Town and Skansen are excellent areas for enjoying Stockholm.  Skansen is an open air museum where many buildings from around Sweden have been rebuilt here onsite (http://www.skansen.se/pages/?ID=221).  Since Skansen sits on top of a hill overlooking the city you can get excellent city views while walking around.  The city itself is easily walk-able which makes the subway almost unneeded, which is a good thing because it is confusing and not as clean as one would expect.  It was also very difficult to find a place to eat as everything had already filled up, even though it was only 5 o'clock when we started looking.  I chalk this up to being the Christmas season as well as the early nightfall may encourage people to get out early and home early.  My general impression is that Stockholm is a nice city, however, as other large cities it too is affected by a 'big city attitude.'

September, 2006 - Oslo, Norway. WOW! I loved Oslo! For those of you who do not know I had strong interest in this getaway because my great-grandparents (maternal) where Norwegian and moved to America a long-long time ago. So not only was this our first trip into Scandinavia it was also a visit to a place that some of my family came from. The city itself was clean and beautiful with the Oslo Fjord surrounding the city. It is a city that lives, breathes and dies by the sea. The influence can be seen and felt everywhere you go. The Vikings where a force to be reckoned with and explored much of the western world before the 'new world' was ever officially discovered. Don't miss seeing some of the Viking ships that can be seen in the Viking museum sponsored by the University of Oslo. The city has a reputation for being expensive - well it will not disappoint you! In general terms it was very similar to prices in London, except for food. Food prices where very high and probably the most expensive I have ever experiences. The forefront of food prices denting the pocket book is alcohol. A pint will set you back 5-6 quid ($10-12) and a coca-cola in the restaurant £4.00 ($8). But don't let this hold you back from a vacation spot because scenery and the politeness of the Norwegians will certainly make up for it. Technology is highly utilized as well. The airport express train is something you would expect to see out of a high-tech movie and offers rapid transport to the city center (£50/$100 return). Don't forget to pick up your Norwegian sweater, but be prepared to spend some money. You can buy them in Oslo from the Oslo Sweater Shop, but I thought they were a little too expensive. To buy a sweater from the Oslo Sweater Shop wait until you get home and order from their online store at www.sweater.no for discounted costs and free shipping. We bought most of our souvenirs from a store on the main street called Alle Tiders (+47 (0)22427636) as they appeared to have the best prices and selection. Of course don't forget to pick up one of the trolls that are steeped in folklore and tradition. A good selection can be found at Christiania GlasMagasin (http://www.christianiaglasmagasin.no/) or ordered online from Scandinavia Net Shopping (http://www.sns.no). Some further links: http://www.norwayshop.com/, http://www.norwegiansweaters.com/. Finally, to check out flights to/from Oslo you can go the Oslo Airports website @ http://www.osl.no

September, 2006 - Brighton, England. One of England's main beach towns is just a short drive/train ride from London. Definitely well worth the trip if you go for a day or so. The beach was the most interesting I have ever seen, as it was completely made up of smoothed rocks (pebbles). There is a long peer that jets out from the city where you can play all kinds of arcade games, fair games and ride the rides. Be cautioned a trip here in the middle of summer could be a little overwhelming as people flock here. Even in the slower September season the streets where jammed packed with holiday makers. If you are looking for some shopping, this is definitely a place to go as their are a number of shopping centres to rival the high streets. Brighton is known for its flourishing gay scene which helps maintain a hip and liberal spirit about the area. All-in-all, worth the day trip!

August, 2006 - Wiesbaden, Germany. Well what can I say with this one? When I lived in Germany this is where I bedded down every night. The city's palace park, or Schloß park, is where I proposed to Nicole. Wiesbaden is a city that is as beautiful a place as any and we often return to a place we love and enjoy and to see life-long friends. Sitting at the edge of the Rhinegau region (known for its wonderful wines and scenery along the Rhine river), it is no surprise that they are host to a lively wine festival in the middle of August every year. This is a beautiful time to set foot into this wonderful area and enjoy a long weekend. Regardless if you are looking for a place to sit back and enjoy cafes or do a little shopping this is the place to come. Situated just 30-40 minutes from Frankfurt you are close to a major city. Make sure that you try out a cruise along the Rhine River for a scenic and historical journey into Germany's medieval past (www.k-d.com). You can check out the Wiesbaden tourist pages @ http://english.wiesbaden.de/index.php. Also if you are looking for some souvenirs try out the city's main souvenir shop @ http://www.gifts-from-germany.com/ or for a good alternative http://www.willigeck.de .

August, 2006 - Rüdesheim, Germany. Just a short drive from Wiesbaden (20 minutes) or a couple stops down on the river cruise is Rüdesheim, an idyllic village that is perfect for the postcards. This village screams of stereotypical Deutch life that we all strive to see. As our German friends see Florida life as what American life is; Americans see cuckoo clocks and lederhosen as a daily staple of German life. Well, I am here to say that isn't actually true - however, if you want to live in that stereotype then Rüdesheim is for you. Rüdesheim sits in the Rhinegau region and therefore, along with picking up a pair of those leather German pants you can also buy some fantastic wines that you will not be able to get anywhere else in the world. The reds are earthy and some of the best ice wines and Rieslings are produced throughout the region. For those of us living in Europe shipments can be made from http://www.peterohlig.de/ for a reasonable rate. Don't get stuck on the beer alone, the 'wein' is well worth the trial and will not disappoint! To see the Rüdesheim tourist site you can visit - http://www.ruedesheim.de/en/index.html  For grat gummy bears: http://www.baeren-treff.de/

August, 2006 - Rome, Italy. One of the world's most traveled cities it is filled with a marvel of treasures that isn't duplicated anywhere else. Although the city is filled with architecture, art, history, and colossal roman structures you must take care to watch out for your personal belongs. The city has a reputation for pick-pockets/petty thieves and if you don't take care it will be easy to fall victim. A few of the sites that are must sees: Vatican City, the Coliseum, the Forum and Trevi fountain. But although these are fantastic sites don't miss the many churches and piazzas that are tucked away in all kinds of Roman corners. Be sure to check out the wooden toy store Bartolucci's (http://www.bartolucci.com/home/eng/bartolucci.asp) for some fun wooden clocks and other trinkets that are bright and lively. Most sites are easily reached by walking or taking the underground system. You will find it hot in August but the crowds are not as bad as you would expect as the Roman's have left the city for their August holidays at the sea front. Finally, don't be scared to bargain if you take a taxi or buy something from the street. It is often rather easy to obtain 50% discounts if you stick to your price.

July 1st, 2006 - Lille, France.  This was just a short getaway on the Euro Star from London to Lille.  Took approximately 2-hours to complete the journey and dropped us off in the centre of the city.  The city is in Northern France not to far from the Belgium boarder.  Given its location there is no surprise that the feel was a mix between Belgium and French.  I had one of the best beers I have ever had in my life, Affligem from Belgium.  There was a free zoo that we took Pierson to and this was okay.  However, because it was free you could clearly tell that it was not kept up as well as a traditional pay zoo would be, so I have to admit I thought about freeing all of the animals from their cages.  If you would like to do some shopping this would be a great place to come as their is a tremendous amount of shopping and of course this is at a much greater value then London!  Would we return - probably not!

March, 2006 - Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain).  To get a little sun in the winter we headed off to Tenerife for a little rest and relaxation where we utilized the timeshare we have from Mexico.  We stayed at the Hollywood Mirage which was set in the mountain side - talk about a walk up the hill, at only 29 I thought my heart was going to explode most of the time.  The water was bearable, although a little chilly!  If comparing to the temperatures of the Caribbean they were definitely cooler.  The weather was a nice 70-78 degrees (20-24C) which was perfect for being able to walk around and enjoy yourself or to take a little rest on one of the many beaches.  Of course, as Americans for the first time on a Spanish beach, there was a little -ummm- adjusting to do to the 'clothing optional' rules.  Lets just say, I just stripped down and joined the crowd.  After all, how does the cliché go?  When in Rome do as the Romans do!  Because of the volcanic rocks the beaches had all different colored sands that ranged from 'black' to standard 'tan' color.  No trip would be complete without visiting the magnificent cliffs by boat, they were really awe inspiring.  However, don't bother with the zoo - in fact, I would suggest avoiding it at all costs - unless you are an animal hater (shame on you).  The food was extremely cheap and living off of a fairly basic food budget would not be a problem.  Make sure you try the local liquors and canary potatoes.  Best part about the whole trip was that you could get a pint for a €1.25 (£.87/$1.60), and it was good beer as well.  So I guess it comes down to would we return to Tenerife?  The answer is, for a cheap/sunny trip to put a little energy back into a dreary light starved London Winter - of course we would.  Click here to see our pictures of Tenerife.