Stieg Larsson – Millennium trilogy, Part 3

The Girl who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest

(original title in Swedish: Luftslottet som sprangdes. “The Air Castle that was Blown Up”)

Stieg Larsson changed his name from Stig to Stieg in his early twenties in order to avoid confusion with his friend Stig Larsson. His friend was a well known author long before Stieg himself but when he changed his name they were both amateur photographers and none of them had published a book. It was then just a dream, a dream that came true.

The Girl who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest is the third and final novel in this trilogy. Continuing directly from The Girl who Played with Fire, the novel starts with Lisbeth Salander being flown to the hospital. She is only to be visited by the police, doctors, nurses and her lawyer, Annika Giannini, who happens to be Mikael’s sister.

The new enemy of this novel is called “The Section”, which is a secret division who are trying to silence Mikael and Lisbeth. Mikael is then investigation this division in order to publish an expose on them and their crimes. It turns out not to be as easy as he thought.

More murders, conspiracies and problems to solve happen and it all ends with the most exciting trial. Mikael are really trying to clear Lisbeth’s name and prove that they are the victims.

This novel is the perfect ending to the best crime trilogy written. When you’re finished you sit there wanting more, but it truly is sad knowing that this is it. The book you read after this one will seem poor compared to Larsson’s trilogy. Like I said about the previous book, I remember very well the feeling I had when I had finished this one and I was sad. Sad knowing that I had finished the trilogy and that the relationship I had made with the characters was over. I have read many books since I read this trilogy, many great ones as well, but these books have a special place in my heart and I am hoping that you will feel the same after you have read them. Good reading! 

Picture from http://mymoviecinema.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/watch-the-girl-who-kicked-the-hornets-nest-movie-online/

Stieg Larsson – Millennium trilogy, Part 2

The Girl who Played with Fire

(original title in Swedish: Flickan som lekte med elden)

Stieg Larsson is famous for his crime fiction novels, but his first fiction writing efforts was in science fiction. He was active in the Scandinavian SF society, where he was both a board member and chairman. In 1978-1979 he was president of the largest Swedish science fiction fan club, Skandinavisk Forening for Science Fiction (SFSF).

The Girl who Played with Fire is the second novel of the millennium trilogy and we meet Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander again. The two of them have not had contact since they tried to solve a mystery in the first novel, but Lisbeth is in constant contact with him through hacking his laptop. This is of course without his knowledge.

Mikael is approached by a young journalist named Dag Svensson and he is telling Mikael about his thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuse underage girls. Mikael immediately throws himself into the investigation, and Lisbeth keeps track of this investigation through hacking his hard drive. While plotting the punishment of these people Lisbeth finds herself in some serious trouble and to avoid being captured she disappears. Mikael finds out about Lisbeth and are desperately trying to clear her name and what he finds out during his investigation is rather shocking.

The second book of this trilogy is even better than the first one and you are left shocked with the ending. The third book is a direct continuation to this novel. You are left with more questions than answers and you will only be able to find the answers by reading the third novel. You will not be disappointed by reading this book, even though the first one was as amazing as it was. It is a couple of years since I read this trilogy and I can still remember the feeling I had after finishing this book. I cannot emphasise enough just how well written this book it. If you haven’t read it and it is not on your Christmas list this year, then it should be.  

Picture from http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/reviews/The_Girl_Who_Played_With_Fire.html

Stieg Larsson – Millennium trilogy, Part 1

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

(original title in Swedish: Man som hatar kvinnor. “Men who hate Women”)

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish journalist and writer and he is most known for his bestselling trilogy about the journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the intelligent hacker Lisbeth Salander. Larsson died in 2004 and left manuscripts of three unpublished but completed novels that he did not intend to publish until just before he died. Unfortunately Larsson did not live to see just how famous his novels would be, and in 2008 he was the second best-selling author in the world, behind Khaled Hosseini. And by March 2010, the millennium trilogy had sold 27 million copies in more than 40 countries.

The Swedish film production company Yellow Bird created film versions of these novels where the first film opened in Scandinavia in early 2009. All three films have been very well received, and in 2011 a Hollywood adaption of the first novel will be released with Daniel Craig as Blomkvist. Why Hollywood needs to remake these films are a question many people are looking for an answer to and time will show if they will be just as good as the Swedish ones.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first novel in this trilogy and we here get to know the main characters, Mikael Blomkvist, Lisbeth Salander, Henrik Vanger and Erika Berger. The story revolves around the journalist Mikael who is hired by Henrik Vanger to solve the “cold case” of the disappearance of his great-niece Harriet. She disappeared 40 years ago, and Mikael is asked to write the Vanger family history in exchange for information. This information will help him with a court case that claims he has published a story based on false facts about billionaire Hans-Erik Wennerstrom and this will save Mikael’s career.

Next to Mikael’s life we read about the antisocial but very intelligent Lisbeth Salander. She is a hacker and researcher, specialising in investigating people. Next to having a photographic memory, she does not have an easy life with a guardian who rapes and tortures her. She is a strong and independent person and she is determined to prove that she is the victim in her life. Being a hacker she manages to hack into Mikael’s computer and that is how the two of them meets and the real story begins.

Lisbeth and Mikael start working together in order to solve the mystery of Harriet Vangers disappearance. It is not an easy case and they encounter several obstacles as they are getting closer to the truth and what really lies behind the history of the Vanger family.

I cannot express how amazing this trilogy is. It took my breath away and it is without a doubt one of the best novels I have ever read. You are on the edge of your seat from beginning to end and you simply have to buy the second book of the trilogy the minute you’re finished with the first. The language used in this novel is fairly easy but cleverly written as you have no idea what will happen next. There will be sleepless nights when you start reading this book as you cannot put it down until you have finished it. If you haven’t already read the books, then I suggest you go out and buy the first one; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I promise you will not be disappointed. This is a trilogy that everyone should have as this is art of first class. 

Pictures from http://www.lydbokforlaget.no/node/1874, http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2010/04/06/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-opens-friday-at-flicks and http://libcom.org/blog/girl-dragon-tattoo-directed-niels-arden-oplev-04102010

Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park

If you want to get the Christmas spirit and take your friends and family to a place where magic can happen, then Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is the place. It opened on the 19^th November and it stays open until 4^th January, so if you’re visiting London during this time you should definitely spend a few hours in Hyde Park.

It is very easy to get there. All you have to do is take the Piccadilly Line to Hyde Park Corner and there are signs telling you where to go. When you get over ground you can see Winter Wonderland across the road.

It is the perfect way to get the Christmas spirit. They play Christmas music everywhere and a visit to see Santa is just the thing to do for the kids. There is no charge to visit Santa and the entrance to Winter Wonderland is also free of charge.

You will not go hungry or thirsty during your hours as there are plenty of small booths that sell hot and cold beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and also bratwursts, waffles and gingerbread to mention a few.

There are several attractions for everyone to enjoy, such as a haunted mansion, London fun bus, pirates adventure, winter cirque and snow slide and many more. Everyone will have fun, but you will have to buy tokens in one of the many ticket booths around. Some of the attractions are a bit expensive, like the giant observation wheel and the ice rink. But I believe it is worth it to go skating here as the ticket includes skate hire and you’re sure to have a good time.

 

 There are also several booths where you can buy sweets and souvenirs and it is very nice to walk around and take it all in. As it is getting very cold in London now I would recommend to wear a lot of warm clothes as you are walking outside all the time (we saw several people not wearing much and they sure looked cold). I think this is a place where everyone should spend a couple of hours before Christmas as it truly is amazing. I also think it was romantic to walk around and cuddle up with a cup of hot chocolate and really get into the Christmas spirit.

All of the pictures are my own.

Hard Rock Café London

All over the world there is one restaurant that everyone has heard of; The Hard Rock Café. It is famous for its food, theme and lovely waiters and of course London has its very own restaurant as well. A little history that perhaps not everyone knows is that the very first Hard Rock Café opened its doors to the public in 1971 and it was actually here in London. Now, several years later, it has become a very popular restaurant and is now the world’s leading collector and exhibitors of rock ’n’ roll memorabilia. 

If you want to visit Hard Rock Café here in London, it is actually very easy to get there. The address is 150 Old Park Lane and the closest tube stop is Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly Line. All you have to do then is walk up Old Park Lane and you will find the restaurant on your left side.

This is not the cheapest restaurant to have your dinner in, but again it is not the most expensive either. And the food and atmosphere is great and this is a place where the kids will have fun as well. My personal favourite here is the famous fajitas, the legendary burger and the Hard Rock Nachos. The nachos are actually a starter, but it is big enough for a meal unless you are several people sharing.

Because this is a popular restaurant it could be a good idea to book a table if you’re a big family/group so that you don’t have to wait a while to get a table. Or if you don’t eat late you could be lucky, as I believe it is after 6pm it starts to get busy.

Like many other Hard Rock Cafés, the London one also has a Rock Shop where you can buy your souvenir t-shirt or shot glass. I happen to really like this restaurant, and if you do too then you should definitely visit the one here in London. 

Pictures from: http://www.hawaiifoodbank.org/page30.aspx and http://www.hardrock.com.hk/menu/index.php

Lake Havasu

After a few days in San Diego, Johanne, Joachim, Kjell Steinar and I were back in the car and on the road again. We were then driving out of California and in to the state of Arizona. The journey was long and it was nothing to see. We were driving in the middle of nowhere, but we had a map so knew where we were going.

We drove for about six hours and all we saw was nothing. It was a long, straight road and we could tell that we weren’t in California anymore. We did see a few cactuses, which was kind of fun, and when we were stopped by border control in what felt like the desert I thought I was going to laugh. But we could keep on driving, because we knew where we had our passports and papers.

In the end Lake Havasu arrived in the horizon and I was surprised over how little it was and how many different shops there were. I don’t really have an answer to how everything makes it, but it must be a slightly popular city. According to Google Lake Havasu is well known for its recreational fishing and boating, which bring in 3.5 million visitors a year. Fishing tournaments are also often held on the lake. Well, I guess there is the answer; it is quite a popular destination.

It is not much to see in Lake Havasu, but this is the place to go to see the old London Bridge.

This bridge was purchased and moved by Robert Paxton McCulloch, the first owner of Lake Havasu. Today there is a luxurious London Bridge Resort, where they only have suites. This was of course too expensive for us, even though it was tempting. But there were more hotels there and because we were so pleased with Days Inn in San Diego we found one here as well.

 Walking outside here was painful, to say the least. It was 48 degrees Celsius when we were there, and July is also the hottest month there.  It was not fun to walk for five minutes and I have never experienced such heat. But after a little walk down to the bridge and to one of the local shops to buy a lot of water we all were in the pool for the rest of the day. Now that was nice. Then I felt like I could breathe again.

After a couple of hours in the pool we walked to a Chinese restaurant not too far from our hotel. The sunset was beautiful but it was still extremely hot outside. The food was actually pretty good, an all-you-can-eat buffet and as much as you can drink. I thought that this was an interesting stop during our road trip; it was nice to experience something different. But this is not a place I would stay for a week on holiday, unless I’m interested in fishing. We were just stopping on our way to something grand. 


All of the pictures are my own. 

Secret bars in London

This is a guest post by Roxanne Bridger. She is a travel blogger for Simonseeks.com, a community of travel experts, enthusiasts and celebrities sharing their tips on the best places to eat, sleep and visit, ranging from the  best nightlife in Amsterdam  to the  cheapest hotels in London. 

Every destination has its own best kept secrets. Whether it's where to get the best Sunday roast or where to head for that amazing charity shop, no one wants the whole world and his dog to find out. But it’s these little secrets that will let you get a true glimpse into this cities real culture. London is such a dynamic location so it comes as no surprise that there are plenty of things to do here that only the lucky few get to know about. Having lived in London for over 6 years, I have only been lucky enough to visit the first on the list but I can see that changing very soon!

Cork & Bottle - 44-46 Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square

Leister Square is one of the most popular areas for tourists to go out at night thanks to its central location and the number of bars and clubs there are on offer. Something we all should experience is trying to get served at the Whetherspoons bar, spending half your evening waiting, only to get there and pay £8 for a single Vodka and coke. It doesn’t give you a real idea of London and it is most certainly not how the locals spend their evening. Thankfully, just around the corner is the cosy, independently run Cork & Bottle. This basement bar is made up of lots of petite rooms and alcoves, making it the perfect place to sit back and relax with a bottle of your favourite.

CellarDoor -  Zero Aldwych, WC2E

In the space of what used to be a public WC now lies the unassuming CellarDoor bar. With a capacity of only 60, it describes itself as “30’s Berlin meets New York Dive” so if you are lucky enough to get in, you will be in excellent company. CellarDoor has live performances throughout the week as well as their own Resident DJ and the UK’s first SMS jukebox! If there is a song you are dying to hear, just text your suggestions to the number and your song gets played. Easy!

Upstairs Bar & Restaurant - 89b Acre Lane, SW2

Most bars and clubs like to be found, so they have the flashing signs and staff on the door to entice you in. The same can’t be said for Upstairs Bar & Restaurant. The only way to get in is to ring the bell. And for only those who are lucky enough to find this place, it may seem a little strange being buzzed into a side door on an ordinary looking residential street, as though you are popping into a friends for tea, but rest assured, Uptairs bar is far more lounge bar than your nanas living room. Relax in a comfy leather recliner with a bottle of beer, or sample a taste of the delicious Gallic fare. The chilled out atmosphere and sleek modern design attracts smart professionals who know Upstairs the perfect place to start the evening.

So next time you’re planning a night out, why not try something a little different. The only way to live like the locals is to drink where they drink!

San Diego

On our trip this summer, our second stop in America was San Diego. It is south in California and very close to the Mexican border. It is very popular to take a day trip down to Tijuana, but unfortunately we did not have time to do that.

As we rented a car in LA we started our amazing road trip to our next destination, San Diego. It was only going to take about two and a half hours, but the traffic was horrible. There were about seven lanes to drive in and we used about four hours. It was mental, but we eventually came to San Diego and the next stop for us then was to find a hotel. We hadn’t booked anything before we got there, but it really wasn’t a problem. The first hotel we tried was full, but there were plenty in the neighbourhood so we tried a hotel called Days Inn.  It was perfect for us; it was cheap, central, free parking, free internet and complimentary breakfast. We really could not ask for something better. It was the perfect start of our stay in this city, and it got even better when we went out to dinner that night and found a Chinese restaurant on 6^th Avenue called Pho Xpress, where they have the best sweet & sour chicken I have ever had.

What I really liked about San Diego was that it was not as big as Los Angeles. We could actually walk between places and that was nice. But it was still a lot to see and the perfect way to see everything was to buy tickets for the Old Town Trolley. It is a hop on hop off bus and it literally took you everywhere worth seeing. It is 11 stops and I sure had a lot of fun. I particularly found it interesting when we drove to this small island just outside of San Diego, called Coronado, which has one of the most beautiful beaches in California. Unfortunately it was a little too cold for us to take advantage of this, which took me by surprise considering we were there in July. You also get a beautiful picturesque view of downtown San Diego from this island.

You can also find the famous Hotel Del Coronado on this island, which is a beachfront luxury hotel. It is also famous from being the hotel Marilyn Manroe’s film Some Like it Hot.

After spending some time here we hopped on the trolley again and we got to see Little Italy, where we had an incredible lunch just by the trolley stop, Old Town San Diego where they had a market and at night time a ghost tour and Balboa Park where the zoo is. This was just to mention a few, but there were a few stops we didn’t have time to go off on, such as the Maritime Museum and Seaport Village. These two stops will then be on my to-do list the next time I’m there.

 

Next to seeing all of this there is also room for shopping. Westfield shopping centre was just a small walk from our hotel and you could really find everything there. It was more of an outdoor shopping centre, which was kind of cool. We also had dinner at the renowned Hard Rock Café and I also have to mention our visit to Sea World, which you should not miss if you’re ever in San Diego.

I really liked it here and I believe this is a city for families to visit, with or without children. It is a lot to do with both shopping and beaching and I really want to go back sometime. I consider that as a positive thing. 

All of the pictures are my own. 

Sometimes you just need to laugh

At some point of the day we all need a good laugh. Considering it is Moday tomorrow and we all have a long week ahead of us, I thought this would cheer you up. So enjoy, this video is funny.        

                    


                              

London Dungeon

About a year ago Kjell Steinar and I decided that it was about time to do some tourist stuff while he was visiting me in London. I believe a lot of people have heard of London Dungeon, and since I get easily scared Kjell Steinar was the perfect person for me to go with. Not that he could protect me against all the evil that was haunting the dungeon.

It is very easy to get to London Dungeon. I believe the easiest way is to take the underground to London Bridge Station, which you can find on the Northern and Jubilee Line. (See underground)

London Dungeon is almost a trip down history. You are in a small group of people where you are following one of the scary guides and they tell you terrifying stories from a long time ago. They are involving the people, sometimes a little too much in my opinion. I have to admit that I was quite scared when they put me in a cage and I was sure that something was going to happen to me. (This was the part when Kjell Steinar could not protect me.) Thank god nothing did, but I am not afraid to say that I was terrified.

As you are on this tour you get to hear about the Great Fire of London, Jack the Ripper and an anatomy theatre to mention a few. It is quite educational of how London used to be, with a great hint of scariness. The guides are wearing costumes and they are really into their job with telling these stories and scaring us. The tour ends with a drop ride to doom and your last scream of the day. I was very impressed and I can understand why this is a popular tourist attraction here in London.

Even though I get very easily frightened I absolutely do not regret going to this. It was a lot of fun and I would totally recommend going here. I would say that it is not suited for young children and people who get nightmares. Other than that, enjoy the tour!

Preto Brazilian Restaurant

One of my friends celebrated his birthday today and he decided that we all should try out this Brazilian restaurant called Preto. The closest one to us is in Putney but there is also several more in London, such as in Victoria. And there is nothing more to say than the food was delicious.

When we got there we could see immediately that this is a popular restaurant. It was packed with people and several more trying to get in. Joachim, the birthday boy, had booked us a table which I think was a good idea. The menu was basically a buffet where you could take anything and eat as much as you wanted. The waiters would then come around with several different types of meat to choose from and the price was the same. You had chicken in bacon, lamb, pepper steak, steak in bacon and chicken in chilli just to mention a few. The meat was tender and perfectly cooked; it really was a lovely meal. The waiters were also friendly. I have never had Brazilian food before, but I sure enjoyed what I had today.

The only thing I would have to say is that it was rather expensive. It reminded me of the prices in Norway, and unfortunately that is not a compliment. But then again, when you can eat as much as you want when it comes to chicken and steak then you really shouldn’t be complaining. It was worth it.

I would definitely say that this is a restaurant it is worth visiting, especially if you’re looking for something different. The atmosphere was good and with great company like today, you simply have the perfect evening.

Michael Jackson’s secret is out!

A couple of weeks ago I saw “Thriller Live” at the Lyric Theatre at I just have to state again how amazing that show was. The dancing was truly spectacular, but then again that is one of the things that Jackson was famous for. Especially his lean forward move has taken the world by storm as no one really knows how he’s doing it. Well, I am so lucky as to have a very curious boyfriend who has been doing some research and he actually discovered what the secret is. You can see it in the video below. I sure got answers to a lot of questions by watching this, and a good laugh. Michael Jackson truly was one of a kind. 

                               

Paris, here we come!

On Monday I wrote about my top 5 big cities that I want to visit and today Kjell Steinar and I booked us a trip to Paris. What could be more romantic?

We are spending a long weekend there, from Thursday to Sunday, and it is the last weekend in January so there are still a couple of months but I can wait. Finally I get to see this amazing city!
We are taking the train from London St. Pancras to Paris Nord where our hotel is just around the corner. That is according to the map anyway.

So yes, we are going on a romantic getaway soon and I know it is going to be amazing!

Sea World San Diego

As we were only staying in San Diego for a few days we all thought it was important to see the one thing that San Diego is famous for; Sea World. There are of course more to San Diego than Sea World, but you do not visit this city without going there, because it truly was spectacular.

 Sea World really isn’t far from central San Diego, but since we had a car we drove there. It did not take longer than 15 minutes. I was very excited when we got there because I had heard wonderful things about the famous killer whale Shamu.  

 In February this year one of the killer whales fatally dragged and thrashed a trainer, raising questions about ethics and the danger of keeping large ocean predators in captivity.  Sea World was closed for a while, but when we were there in July it had opened again. I am not going to hide that it was rather affecting to be there knowing what had happened a few months back, but everything seemed normal.

Looking away from the tragedy, I had a great time this day. Like many other big attractions (See LA) we ended up spending the whole day here. The only sad thing was that many of the shows were at the same time so you would have to choose which ones you wanted to go to the most. The first one we saw was the famous Shamu show, and oh my god, I thought it was amazing. The show is called Believe.

 A killer whale is not a very small animal, and what the trainers had trained them to do was truly fantastic. I can understand why the show is so popular and I am really glad I’ve seen it. I wanted a Shamu for my self, and my lovely boyfriend actually bought me one; a stuffed animal that is, and I love it!

Next to seeing the Shamu show we also saw the dolphin show and that one was fairly new. We were so lucky as to see the killer dolphins as well who was only there for a short period of time. They didn’t really look like dolphins but they were still amazing, like the rest of the show. It was very acrobatic with stunts from the people participating in it, and I kind of wish we got to see more of the dolphins.

 These were the two shows that we got to see, but there was much more to do there. You could walk around and look at the animals, and I became particularly fascinated with the penguins and the turtles. They also had a shark tank with many small sharks. You could also see sea lions, sea stars and beluga just to mention a few. There are also several gift shops and restaurants, and what we came to find was that the queue was way long on all of them when wanted to eat. I would recommend eating when there is a show as there is not a long queue then.

All in all I really liked Sea World and I would recommend it to anyone who’s going to San Diego to spend a day here. It is perfect for kids in all ages. 









All of the pictures are my own.

San Diego Ghost Tour

Old Towns Most Haunted

After some wonderful days in Los Angeles, the four drove to San Diego. I really liked this city so it was a shame that we were there for only a few days. But we did get to experience something spectacular, such as a Ghost Tour in Old Town San Diego.

 

In Old Town San Diego a man named Michael has a walking tour where he is showing people haunted places, such as the Whaley House. This is a house where he has seen ghosts and it is also here where he showed us a vortex.

I am actually quite scared when it comes to ghosts and the paranormal, but when Kjell Steinar and I found out that there was a ghost tour in San Diego we were both too curious not to go. So one night we showed up in Old Town, where the walking tour would start at 9pm. It was already dark outside and the atmosphere was scary from the beginning.

The tour is, as said, leaded by Michael who has been ghost haunting for ten years. He has been experiencing some paranormal activities in this area, and the tour was based on what he has experienced throughout these years.

I am not afraid to say that I believe in these things, so when he said that he had a ghost meter it scared me even more. Especially when Kjell Steinar was holding it and the lights were going crazy the minute he started holding it. What that meant was that he is easily responsive to this sort of activity, so I almost expected to find ghosts in our hotel room later. Thank god I didn’t.

As we were walking around Down Town and listening to Michael’s stories, it was very scary to actually hear and see the places he was talking about. Completely different than seeing it on TV. When he showed us pictures from ghosts it made everything even scarier. And when he showed us where he had seen ghosts we were hoping to see one as well, but of course we didn't. (Or should I say thank god to that as well?)

I actually really liked it, even though I was scared for quite some time after this. I can't say for sure if what we saw and felt had something to do with our mind playing tricks on us, but I actually believed everything. I would totally recommend doing this if you’re ever in San Diego, so just put on your brave face and experience something unique.

A woman’s right to travel – part three

Next to looking for adventure and the exotic, I am also a city girl. I love to explore and experience the cultural history of a city as there are so many beautiful sights in this world. Of course a big city means shopping, and as much as I love to use my credit card I also like to be able to actually see the city I’m visiting. Like part one and two of my dream holidays, I have made a top five list of big cities I want to visit. All of these have something significant and historical about them, and I would just love to see it. 

Rome

This is a city I have been dreaming of visiting for many years. I love Italy and this city has so much to offer. It is the capital of Italy and it has several spectacular and historical sights, such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. These are sights I have been dreaming of and after doing lots of research about this city for years I can only imagine how beautiful and stunning it is to actually be there.

 Paris

I have actually been to this romantic city a few years ago, but I don’t really feel like I truly experienced it. We were living in Disney Land and only had one day in Paris, and from what I saw it was so beautiful. I would love to go back and walk down the streets with a coffee and a croissant while we’re on our way to see the beautiful wonder that is Notre Dame. I have wanted to do this since I saw the Disney film, and hopefully some day I will.

 

 Prague

I have heard so many wonderful stories about this city, so of course this is on my list. I have heard that the shopping is quite good and cheap, so I would definitely do some when I go. Also, the highlights of this city is said to truly be spectacular, and I would love to see the astronomical clock, Prague Castle and the Prague Zoo just to mention a few.

 

 St. Petersburg and Moscow

I have always been rather curious about Russia which is why I want to go and see how it really is like. The Winter Palace has always fascinated me and it looks so beautiful. I want to go to both of these cities, and if I ever end up going on the Trans-Siberian railway I am going to stay a few days in Moscow. The architecture in both of these cities looks truly impressive and I also have the impression that the culture is one of a kind as well.

 

 Athens

I have always found Greek mythology fairly interesting, and that is one of the reasons why I would like to go to this historical capital where its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. The architecture looks breathtaking and I cannot imagine how it would be to actually be there. The Acropolis has been on my list for quite some time, and if Kjell Steinar won’t go on a holiday here again I will find someone else to come with me. (Yes darling, I am jealous.)