Update 2021-03-07: Time for the second blog post in my new series of pages called "My world of...". The thought is to show a bit of my little corner of the world as seen through my eyes. And this new page is called My World of Spring Flowers.
The winters in Sweden are long, far tooo long for me. Even after almost 20 years living in Sweden I am not a friend with these long winters. And by the time we get to the month of March I really am longing for some spring sunshine and warmth. And of course some spring colours!
So since a few years back I have started to go "ALL-IN" with the spring garden, planting hundreds and hundreds of bulbs, especially in the front garden, giving a magical display of happy colours during the spring. Creating my own happy world of Spring Flowers 😊

Update 2021-02-27: Today is our very last day in Iceland and very early tomorrow morning we will be on the plane on our way home. But we are not leaving before making a tour around the beautiful Snaefellsnes peninsula! Something I have been looking forward to so much.
And this very last day is treating us well, we are having some glimpses of sunshine and blue sky. And well, of course combined with the occassional shower. It is a cold day however, just above freezing, brrr it feels cold outside! The mountain got a fresh coat of snow last night, and the autumn colours get deeper and deeper for each day that has passed. And that is actually perfect weather for a stop at the black church of Búðir, Iceland, as this is maybe not so much as a destination, but more of a photo stop.

Update 2021-02-27: Sometimes life time dreams do come true, and of mine was to visit to the Galápagos Islands!! And Bartolomé Island is our first real excursion on the Galápagos. An island that is known for offering some of the most beautiful landscapes in the archipelago. It is only 1,2 km2 in size, but despite its small size it consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of colourful volcanic formations.
And one of the animals to welcome us to the island is the funny Sally Lightfoot Crab. I just love watching these brightly coloured crabs, dancing erratically along the rocks. The contrast of the bright red-orange shells against the black lava rocks is striking, and making them irresistible objects to photograph for many visitors, me included :-)

Update 2021-01-23: Today I started with a new series of pages called "My world of..." And the first one is "My World of Snow and Ice".
The thought is to show a bit of my little corner of the world as seen through my eyes. It is an off the beaten path place where I live, at the shore of Lake Mälaren in Sweden, called Sundbyholm. But a lovely place to be.
I was inspired by my regular walks towards the lake and the surrounding area to write this page. Especially in mid winter, when it often gets below freezing and we have some snow and ice, the landscape transforms. And during a sunny day it is such a joy to go out with my camera and capture the feeling of winter. While slowly the days get longer, the small wintery details that nature treats us with, are a pure joy to the eye.

Update 2020-10-04: Hverir, Iceland. I hop out of the car and in front of me unfolds a landscape of red barren earth. And directly below of me is one of the big mud pools that is bubbling away. The whole area is totally empty, hardly any vegetation is visible, no matter what direction I look in. Fumes are emitted from numurous cracks in the ground. And we are surrounded by loud hissing noises and the bubbling sounds of the mud pool below of me. And behind this spectacle rises the red-coloured Mt. Námafjall.
The Geothermical Area at Hverir reminds me a bit of Yellowstone, although this is much smaller. But at the same time it is much more "raw" and intimidating than Yellowstone. A unique place for sure!

Update 2020-10-01: Visiting Glaumbær, Iceland is like a warp back in time; here you can see a fine example of how large farmhouses historically were build in Iceland. With its turf walls and turf roof, it melts perfectly in the surrounding landscape of green coloured pastures and the dark imposing mountains in the far distance. For centuries turf was the main building material in Iceland, an architectural tradition that was brought to Iceland by the Vikings more than a thousand years ago.

Update 2020-08-09: Barsta Chapel, Sweden An absolute wonderful surprise. I had no idea about this little chapel located on the east coast of Sweden. From the outside quite modest, but on the inside.... wow! So unexpected and unique.
This picturesque little chapel dates back to 1665 and it is the only one in this area that has been preserved in its original condition. The most striking part are the paintings on the ceilings, made by Roland Johansson-Öberg born in Sörbyn on northern Ulvön. Simple but colourful against the white ceilings of the chapel. I almost skipped visiting the chapel as it was looking so bland on the outside. But a rainy day made us go here, and I am so happy that I did! One of the most fascinating chapels I have ever seen, absolutely worth a visit.

Update 2020-08-01: Nipfjället, Sweden located in the Idre area in Sweden. The "Round Nipfjället" hike is our aim for today, a very much longed after hike, where we get the chance to absorb some of that wonderful atmosphere of the Swedish Mountains.
And during our hike we spot some reindeers. And when you spot one reindeer, be prepared to see more; many many more! The reindeer were not only in the valley below us, but seemed to come from all directions, running past us in front and behind. Such a fun sight to see! So we just stood there for quite a while, taking in the surrounding landscape with its reindeer that consider these mountains as their home.

Update 2020-07-10: Strange isn't it how long it sometimes takes before you visit a place, especially when it is 'just around the corner'. I pass the Vallby Open Air Museum, Sweden almost daily while commuting to work. All I need to do is take a few exits earlier from the main road to get here. But, now don't laugh, it has taken me over 15 years before my first visit! But it certainly will not be the last :-)
It is one of Swedish biggest Open Air Museums and there are around 40 historical buildings here. It all started in 1921 when the museum was founded to present a picture of how life was like in the county of Västmanland in Sweden.

Update 2020-02-01: It has been a long time since I wrote my latest travel blog. But finally another one done! :-)
And it was such a pleasure to write about my Ballooning trip over Bagan in Myanmar. While I was selecting the photos, memories of this day returned more and more vivid. And while writing and remeniscing, it was almost like I was up there in that hot air balloon one more time, enjoying these amazing views over the plains of Bagan, dotted with temples and pagodas of a 1000 year old, all arround us, and as far as the eyes could see. Hearing the sounds of daily life below slowly echoing to us above, breathing in the early morning air, the sound of the burners of the hot air balloon and feeling the warmth coming from the first sunbeams at sunrise..... they are truely memories for life for me.

Update 2019-12-23: I do love to hike, and when researching for hikes on the South Island, the Hooker Valley Trail, New Zealand is often mentioned as one of the top short hikes to do. So, without hesitating, I put it on our travel itinerary! And wow, I am so happy that I did. The return journey to the Hooker Lake is mind bogglingly beautiful! The hike took us through a landscape with glaciers, glacial lakes, lush valley meadows, and flowing rivers crossed by suspension bridges.

Update 2019-11-17: By accident really, I stumbled upon a photo of the Clay Cliffs of Omarama on South Island in New Zealand, while researching for my New Zealand trip. And as I do like my out-of-the-way places, this instantly intriged me. And although out of the way, it wasn't difficult to fit it into my itinerary, as it didn't require such a long detour to 'squeeze' in a visit to here. And the detour was so worth it! During this early morning, the sunlight is shining into the amphitheatre of the Clay Cliffs, lighting up its walls. Fog flaring around the rugged peaks; the walls of the cliffs shining up in hues of orange and golden. It is such a mesmerizing sight to see!

Update 2020-06-29:Ready to put your hiking shoes on? Ok, then let's go! Today we are off to an area a bit to the north of us in the country of Västmanland. It is a nature reserve called Stingsmossen, close to the town of Surahammar (about 25 km northwest of the city of Västerås). A spontaneous trip that turned out inte a gorgeous 12 km hike through an area with 200 year old pines, and passing two large marsh areas: Rövallsmossen and Stingsmossen.

Update 2020-06-20:The Häljesta Rock Carvings are less than an hours drive from my home, but I had actually never heard of them before, until this sunny day in June 2020. But I am glad I stumbled upon them, as they are rather special!
Häljesta is the largest known rock carving area in Västmanland and also one of the largest in the Mälaren area. On these two rocks you can see around 550 figures, including ships, human figures, ring figures, animal figures, grids and 239 cup and ring mark. The rock carvings originate from the Bronze Age (1500 - 500 Before Christ).

Update 2019-10-20: Fiholm Manor. My first ever trip to Fiholm was not long after I moved to Sweden, when my husband and perfect local guide, dragged me along a bicycle trip, showing me some of the more unknown places in the area. It was a great bicycling along winding country roads, through fields that were almost ready for harvesting, and racing with my bike up and down the hills. Striking at Fiholm are the vibrant colours of the two wings, one being in a tone of terracotta / orange, and the other in a pink tone, matching perfectly with the roses and the Clematis flowers in the garden.

Update 2019-10-10: Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm. Although sometimes a bit chaotic in their displays, with not that many descriptions with each item, they have some wonderful objects in their exhibitions. This is especially the case if you like masks and statues like I do. On this page you will find a photo impression taken during some of my visits to the Etnografiska museum. It never bores me to go here though, as there is always something that captures my attention and fascination!

Update 2019-09-29: I write a lot about my travels, but I guess, never so much about the place where I live! So today I’ve changed that, with an impression in mainly photos, in and around Sundbyholm, my home. A visual story of my hometown throughout the seasons. There is not much to do here, and then again, there is in a way. There is the Sundbyholm Castle, and the famous Sigurdsristningen. The little harbour, and a beach on the lake side. And we have Europe’s northernmost beech forests, a place which I especially love during spring and autumn.

Update 2019-07-13: Today we made a great hike up the mountain to the Kotor Fortress. From where we had some marvellous view over the blue waters of the Bay of Kotor and the charming old town of Kotor, Montenegro, which we visited afterwards, Montenegro

Update 2019-06-24: Despite having only one main street, this tiny town boasts 16 churches and 17 formerly grand palazzi. The whole place has a wonderful relaxed and also Italian feel to it: Perast, Montenegro

Update 2019-09-28: I guess it is time that I write a bit more about 'my' area of Sweden: the area around Lake Mälaren! Mälaren is the third largest lake in Sweden and it also the area that I now call my home. And one of the places that I really enjoy visiting in this area is the cute little village of Mariefred. I have been here quite a few times, so you will see a blend of photos taken during summer and winter on this page :-)

Update 2020-06-20:The Häljesta Rock Carvings are less than an hours drive from my home, but I had actually never heard of them before, until this sunny day in June 2020. But I am glad I stumbled upon them, as they are rather special!
Häljesta is the largest known rock carving area in Västmanland and also one of the largest in the Mälaren area. On these two rocks you can see around 550 figures, including ships, human figures, ring figures, animal figures, grids and 239 cup and ring mark. The rock carvings originate from the Bronze Age (1500 - 500 Before Christ).

Update 2019-08-04: It was breathtaking and very surrealistic to see this intricate full-sized sandcastle-like structure: the Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, Morocco

Update 2018-12-16: I remember this day on top of that sand dune so vividly, taking photos of the amazing light, feeling so relaxed, and seeing the golden glow of the sunset brushing over the landscape. Sahara, Morocco

Update 2018-11-04: Isn't it weird sometimes where you do end up during your travels? So how did I end up at a Vulture Restaurant??, Golden Gate National Park, South Africa

Update 2019-10-26: At White House, in the Vermilion Cliffs, Utah, USA, I was literally living in between the most amazing rock formations! Rocks flowing and curving in bands of colours ranging from pink, to yellow, to orange, to red. The flow of the colourful stripes over the huge rocks is so breathtaking and unreal. Weather, wind and water have shaped these rock to a smooth surface, in shapes and colours that are beyond belief, and impossible to describe with words. And as sometimes photos speak louder than words, I will in this blog mainly let the photos do the talking. Although I did manage to squeeze in some words ;-)

Update 2019-08-10: Some of my favourite memories of visiting National Parks are from Glacier National Park. And on this day we did the Hike to Grinnell Lake, Glacier NP. A gorgeous short day hike with a 'bear surprise', a not-so-shy deer passing by, and some wonderful views over turquoise-coloured waters of the glacial lakes.

Update 2019-07-27: Recollecting memories of my trip to the SouthWest of the US in 2010: to be specific, a visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here is where a dream came true to see the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. And how lucky I was with the weather that day to be able to see the perfect sunrise. Magical!

Update 2019-10-02: One of Sweden's most remarkable ancient monuments Anundshög; a royal tomb from the 6th century, the largest of its kind in Sweden.

Update 2018-10-28: Ever heard of the Takahe? A mystic bird that cannot fly, is bright in colours, and looking almost prehistoric? The photo below is one of the last 340 remaining birds in the world, a bird previously thought to be extinct. Well, as promised, the writing bug has continued! And this weekend I wrote a bit about the Takahe and the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary which I visited during my New Zealand trip in 2017.

Update 2019-11-10: Strängnäs, Sweden: is a quiet little town in the beautiful lake area of the Mälaren, west of Stockholm. It's not really a tourist destination, but some parts of the city are nice to visit. The history of Strängnäs dates back to the Viking era