TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

After an almost week-long of solo city trip slash vacation in Tallinn, Estonia – Helsinki, Finland – Porvoo, Finland, I am home in the Netherlands. I left sunny 20C Helsinki and arrived in cold rainy under 10C Amsterdam. As I rushed through the main lobby of Schiphol to the pouring rain outside, a concerned Schiphol employee came up to me, ‘You don’t have a jacket? It’s cold and raining outside.’ (in Dutch of course). I told him that someone is picking me up. He heaved a sigh of relief and nodded his head. Such a gentle man he was. Weather during spring in northern Europe is like a game of Russian roulette, you really don’t know how it will turn out unless you are nearing your departure day. So as you can see I have lately been travelling solo around Europe. Portugal (Porto and Douro) in March, France (Strasbourg, Colmar and the Alsace wine villages), Germany (Bonn and Heidelberg) and Switzerland (Basel) in April. Germany again (Wurzburg and Munich) and Austria (Salzburg) in earl...

Hi world, I am off again in a few hours to a week-long holiday in Estonia and Finland. This is again another solo trip. Dutchman and I were supposed to go to the Americas but plans have changed so this alternative came up last minute. I’ve been wanting to go to these places for a long time so what better timing than to do it now. I’m quite excited now really. Yesterday I have booked the hotels. After this entry I will check-in my flight and finalise my agenda. Tallin coat of arms and the Estonian flag. In Tallinn I am staying at a historical building turned hotel right in the smack of the old town. I also have a long list of lovely places to eat and some with a view! Wishlist is to watch a ballet performance as well. From Tallinn harbour I will be taking one of the boats to Helsinki. Sailing time depends on what boat I will take, from 1.5 hours (catamaran) to 3 hours (big ship). I will decide when I am there which to take. In Helsinki I am staying at an art nouveau castle ...

My original plan for our big spring-May holiday was to go to North America, a combination of city trip, road trip and nature trip: Toronto, Canada – Niagara Falls – Finger Lakes, USA – New York City, USA. Unfortunately life gets in the way and this is being put on hold due to pressing work related matters. Cannot have everything we want in life. Dutchman and I will do this another time. But still on spring travel... Instead, I am going to do another solo trip this May, to 2 countries where I have never set foot before in the northern part of Europe: TALLIN, Estonia HELSINKI, Finland PORVOO, Finland Flights with KLM booked, itinerary almost there and just need to finalise hotel bookings. I will be flying in to Tallin, stay here for a few days, then I will be taking the high-speed boat from Tallinn to Helsinki. I will stay for a few days in Helsinki and visit Porvoo as well, the oldest town in Finland. Then I fly out of Helsinki back to Amsterdam. I’m looking forward to e...