*** Last Updated 9/30/24 ***

(More) Switzerland!

September 3, 2024 – September 30, 2024

We had a fantastic month of September in Switzerland, staying in the small town of Felsberg. It was exactly what we were looking for. It was a peaceful and cozy place to settle down for a few weeks. We enjoyed walking through Felsberg, hiking local trails in the area, enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains out our front windows and roof deck patio, and spending many days walking into nearby Chur for museum visits and people-watching over cups of tea at the local cafes. Our Felsberg rental hosts were a very friendly and accommodating Swiss couple. They supplied us with plenty of local Swiss treats during our stay, including regular gifts of fresh figs and grapes from their garden. We did a lot of cooking in Felsberg, and we enjoyed many cozy dinners around the fireplace as the mountains changed colors before our eyes from dusk to darkness. 

Chur was the birthplace of H.R. Giger, a Swiss artist best known in America for being part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for the visual design of Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror film “Alien”, and Giger was responsible for creating the titular Alien itself. Dan has always been a huge fan of the Alien movies and Giger’s artwork, so it was exciting to walk by Giger’s childhood home in Chur and to see sculptures of his around town. We enjoyed special exhibitions of Giger’s work in two museums in Chur, commemorating Giger’s passing 10 years ago.  

The Bündner Kunstmuseum in Chur not only had a Giger exhibition, it also showcased a range of other Swiss artists. One of our favorite artists was Lise Gujer and her large, colorful tapestries. 

Something on Dan’s bucket list has always been to see the two H.R. Giger bars in Switzerland that Giger designed. One of these bars is in Chur. The second one is in the town of Gruyères, and next to the Gruyères bar is the H.R. Giger Museum, where a huge collection of his work is on permanent display. We got to visit these locations in Chur and Gruyères.  

We planned another bus-and-train excursion and traveled from Felsberg to Gruyères. We loved our multi-day visit in Gruyères, and not only enjoyed the Giger Bar and Museum, we also took a tour of Gruyères Castle, visited the Tibet Museum, and enjoyed the food and ambience of the magical town of Gruyères. This medieval town has preserved much of its charm and it’s like walking into another dimension. And, of course, the cheese was delicious! 

We loved our month of September in Switzerland. We fondly refer to this month as a “meditative and spiritual couple’s retreat abroad”, as we took a lot of time for exercise, yoga, good food, and peaceful moments amongst the spectacular scenery of Switzerland. It was hard to say goodbye to our rental hosts and begin our last set of breathtaking train rides from Felsberg to Zurich. We flew from Zurich to Madrid to New York City and made our way back home to South Philadelphia.

We’ll be home for a bit visiting family and friends, but we’ll be back on the road again very soon! Stay tuned for more of Babe and Dan’s Adventures! 

A morning walk through the outskirts of Felsberg.

A view of the Rhine River out our front door in Felsberg. Look closely and you’ll see a hot air balloon in the distance!

Lots of lizards came to visit us in Felsberg! They took particular pleasure in feasting on the wasps that hovered around the grapevines and fig trees outside our windows.

We enjoyed lots of wonderful treats out of Babe’s Famous Kitchen!

Dan preparing the fireplace for another cozy evening of watching our Swiss mountains disappear into the night sky.

A lovely hilltop cemetery in Felsberg.

A photo from one of our Felsberg walks around town.

The outskirts of Felsberg as dusk fell.

Walking along the Rhine River from Felsberg towards Chur.

A view from one of our hikes in the surrounding countryside. This was near Lake Crestasee in Trin, a short bus ride from Felsberg.

The H.R. Giger Bar in Chur. The floors and ceilings are decorated with Giger’s work, and he designed the chairs and other furnishings.

Enjoying one of the Giger gallery exhibitions in Chur.

Babe striking a gallery pose next to this fine Otto Dix winter rainbow painting.

Dan striking a gallery pose next to “Apocalypso”, a remarkable large-scale piece by Jean-Frédéric Schnyder.

We loved the collection of colorful tapestries by Lise Gujer.

Lise Gujer’s artwork brought out Babe’s inner dancer!

Outside the Bündner Kunstmuseum in Chur.

If you ever find yourself hungry and wandering the streets of Chur, just know they’ve got you covered with vending machines full of sausages and sauces for a delicious dinner!

Enjoying a pot of tea, journaling, and people-watching in Chur.

Something out of a dream … the town of Gruyères!

Our hotel in Gruyères … each building there was more charming than the last!

Enjoying our morning tea in Gruyères.

The view from our hotel window in Gruyères. We sipped tea, watching and listening to the rain pattering down. The soft, twinkling sounds of dozens of sheep bells rang in the distance. Gruyères is love.

We found the sheep!

A view inside the Tibet Museum. We really enjoyed this museum, which showcased a collection of Himalayan Buddhist sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects within the framework of the renovated Gruyères chapel of St. Joseph. There were spaces to sit and listen to traditional Tibetan music playing over the speakers in the beautiful, dimly lit chapel. It was a very peaceful and rejuvenating experience!

Babe channeling some positive vibrations before striking a gong at the Tibet Museum.

We loved the atmosphere and aesthetic of this print by French graphic artist Cosey, displayed at the Tibet Museum.

We loved touring the grounds of Castle Gruyères!

Epic artwork on the Castle Gruyères wall.

Babe cheesin’ with her snail friend.

Babe cheesin’ with another incredible view of Switzerland.

Dan at the H.R. Giger Bar in Gruyères, enjoying a limited edition SLIME GREEN beer commemorating the H.R. Giger Museum’s 25th anniversary.

Babe enjoying a local white wine and gracing the H.R. Giger Bar’s patrons with her model face.

Dan at the H.R. Giger Museum posing next to THE ORIGINAL XENOMORPH COSTUME from Ridley Scott’s 1979 film “Alien”!!! As a massive monster movie enthusiast, this guy is pretty much Dan’s Monster Movie Holy Grail. The museum had many other sketches, models, paintings, and drawings by Giger related to his work with the Alien film franchise, and many other creative projects by the Swiss master of biomechanical surrealism art. We went to the museum two days in a row so Dan could get his fill. Swoon!

Babe made a friend, too!

Just a bit more Gruyères magic.

Hope we see you again, Gruyères.

And, of course …

… The cheese was to die for!

Waiting for our bus to pick us up from our home in Felsberg for the month of September. That’s our house behind us, with the fig trees and grape vines in the windows, and a roof deck patio above it. Mountains surrounded us from both sides. We were right under the church and the clocktower, which rang out bright and true, day and night – as we mentioned before, the Swiss really love their bells!

Here’s Babe on our last set of train rides through Switzerland. To anyone reading this, do yourself a favor and gift yourself a Switzerland adventure someday. The fairy tale landscapes, the emerald lakes, the sweeping mountains, the air you’ll breathe, the trains you’ll daydream on … Switzerland will change you.

We hope we find our way back someday.

Switzerland!

August 27 – September 3, 2024

Onto our next adventure – Switzerland! We took a daytime flight from Stockholm to Geneva, Switzerland. This gave us a spectacular view as we flew south from country to country, particularly as we got closer to our destination and saw a panorama of lakes and mountains like we’d never seen in person before. 

We spent an evening in Geneva, enjoying the warm summer weather, walking around the southern area of Lake Geneva, its outdoor vendors and restaurants, the iconic Jet d’Eau de Genève (The Geneva Water Fountain), ferries and sailboats, eclectic people-watching, a fine sunset, and an evening transformation as the evening lights twinkled on and the fountain lit up. The next morning, we looked across the water towards the location of Villa Diodati. This mansion is famous for being rented by Lord Byron. During this time, Lord Byron hosted a group of visitors that included Mary Shelley and Dr. John Polidori. There was a period of bad weather, and the group told stories to entertain each other, and two of the stories were developed into classics of the horror genre: “Frankenstein” by Shelley and “The Vampyre”, the first modern vampire story, by Polidori! While the villa is privately owned and not open for tours, it was fun being so close to a famous location in monster story-telling history – we could feel the energy! 

After a night in Geneva, we began our multi-day train tour through Switzerland! We decided Switzerland would be a great place for our train ride adventure due to the country’s scenery and its extensive 5,200 mile network of well-organized, comfortable railway options. Worldwide, only the Japanese travel more by train! 

Beginning in the city of Geneva, our first stop was Montreux, a town also on Lake Geneva. Montreux hosts the Montreux Jazz Festival (which unfortunately is in July – maybe we’ll catch this festival next time!), and has a great walking promenade along the lake, which is lined with flowers, sculptures, Mediterranean trees, and lovely hotels and architecture. We took a few swims in Lake Geneva at Montreux. The water was a bit chilly, but very invigorating, and the views of the lake, shoreline, and mountains while swimming was an epic experience. 

We then boarded the GoldenPass Express and traveled from Montreux to Interlaken Ost. Interlaken is a town in the mountainous Bernese Oberland region of central Switzerland. Interlaken had lovely streets and buildings to enjoy along the Aare River. We loved the river’s turquoise color, which is a result of the river being fed by melt water from glaciers. The Aare River’s water felt considerably colder than Lake Geneva, but Dan still took a few rejuvenating swims along with some other locals and tourists, and Babe put her feet in! We loved spending time in Interlaken along the river and enjoying both daytime and evening hours there, watching ducks and swans lazily float along during the day, watching bats dart and dip close to the water as evening fell. 

While in Interlaken, we took an unbelievable day trip of train rides from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch, The Top Of Europe, 3,454 meters (11,332 feet) above sea level! We went from warm summer weather to ice and snow, and back down to warm weather on the Eiger Express gondola cableway later that day. We spent a few hours at Jungfraujoch, enjoying the unique views from the Sphinx terrace and the outdoor snow plateau viewing area. From Jungfraujoch, you can see as far as the Black Forest of Germany, the Vosges Mountains of France, and the mammoth ice flow of the Aletsch glacier and its 4,000 meter peaks. The views on this day trip were like nothing we’d seen before! 

Next, we took a few connecting trains and boarded the Glacier Express for another day of fantastic train views from Interlaken to Chur. Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland with a settlement history of over 13,000 years! 

We got into Chur late, and early the next morning, we had another full day of lovely train adventures as we traveled on the Bernini Express from Chur, crossed over the Alps into Italy, spent a few hours in the lovely town of Tirano, Italy, and then crossed back over to Chur for the evening. One of many scenic highlights on this day was a view of the beautiful Cavaglia Glacier Garden. 

These days in Switzerland have been characterized by truly life-changing scenery, fresh air, hikes, swims, and gracious, accommodating Swiss hosts. Our train itinerary allowed us to comfortably view a large section of Switzerland’s legendary landscapes, and the long-distance train ride experiences were so much fun! We’ve always wanted to take a few days of scenic train rides together, and Switzerland delivered and exceeded our wildest dreams! 

Some animal sightings in Switzerland that we’ve enjoyed have included: many birds, including alpine choughs (a bird in the crow family), falcons, hawks, buzzards, and golden eagles. We’ve also seen many small brown lizards (common lizard, Zootoca vivipara), swans, ducks, horses, cows, and goats. 

We’ve truly fallen in love with Switzerland in late summer. We’ve discovered a country that is insisting we stay a bit longer for more relaxation and exploration! We will be staying in Switzerland for the month of September. We’ve booked a perfect rental in Felsberg, a quiet, peaceful municipality in the Imboden Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Felsberg is snugly tucked between the Rhine River and Calanda Mountain, and was settled as far back as 2000 BC. It is a few minutes by bus from Chur, and the bus stop is across the street from our home for the month. Our rental is removed from the ground level, featuring a main floor with a modern kitchen and three huge windows with an incredible view of the mountains – it’s like looking through three portals of evergreen trees and mountain slopes from the kitchen table, and since it’s off the street level, it’s a very quiet, private space. The second floor of our rental is a loft area with a bed and skylight, a sitting area, and a roof deck which features the same spectacular mountain views. There is a well-stocked supermarket grocery store a few minutes’ walk from our door, as well as a farm selling fresh meat and produce. There is also a great walking trail along the Rhine River a few minutes’ walk from our door, plenty of additional hiking options close by, and lakes for swimming in the area. Our Airbnb host is very friendly, and she is allowing us to pick fresh figs and grapes from her garden below our rental. Felsberg is a perfect spot for rest and relaxation, and offers us the opportunity to take day trips across Switzerland, as we can easily take the bus from our doorstep, or we can take the bus back to Chur and enjoy Switzerland’s peerless train system for longer-distance traveling. We have more plans for Switzerland in the days to come. We are so excited to continue enjoying Switzerland for the month of September! 

Flying Swiss International Air Lines from Sweden, enjoying our view above Switzerland!

Enjoying an evening stroll around Lake Geneva.

Babe almost crying with happiness because we’ve already found her next red vehicle – this cute little red train that was giving short tours around Lake Geneva!

Dan doing his best Polish Vampire impression with Villa Diodati looming (approximately) in the background in the village of Cologny near Lake Geneva. “Frankenstein” and “The Vampyre” were conceived at Villa Diodati! Eek! So cool!

Babe enjoying the promenade along Lake Geneva in Montreux.

Dan enjoying a rejuvenating soak in Lake Geneva.

Laughing it up in Montreux!

Brown lizard spotting, one of many, in Montreux.

Miles Davis statue along the Montreux promenade. Miles Davis played eleven sets over his nine appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1973 and 1991.

Montreux sunset view.

Babe marveling at the GoldenPass Express views from Montreux to Interlaken. We could have taken photos and videos during the entirety of all these train rides, they were all simply stunning.

So many great buildings, homes, cottages, and sights to see along the way while traveling via train in Switzerland!

Dan leaning in for a closer look at all this magic.

This house had white reindeer statues in their yard, so we had to capture that!

Next up, heading to Interlaken!

If you look closely in the sky above Babe, you’ll see people parasailing in the sky. We didn’t take part in that activity while in Interlaken, but we’ll still be in Switzerland for a few more weeks … we’ll see!

Dan enjoying some treats from Babe’s Traveling Snack Bar while lounging along the Aare River in Interlaken, daydreaming about how good it’s going to feel getting in that cold water!

Dan post-swim, enjoying an engaging conversation with his new swan companion.

Summer sunset clouds above Interlaken.

Evening magic in Interlaken, filled with warm summer air, streetlights flickering on, and bats skating and swooping along the surface of the river. We overheard a woman telling her visiting friends as they walked the promenade, “This is the perfect time of year to be visiting Interlaken”, and we could not agree more!

Another red vehicle for Babe, a Funky Chocolate Bicycle!

More epic train rides! Going up up up towards Jungfraujoch!

Some cows don’t know how good they have it … what a view!

Getting closer to the top.

The Top Of Europe! Wowee Zowee!

Started from the bottom, now we’re here! Pinch us!

We can see your house from here!

Epic, cold, and bright. Sunglasses were a must.

Babe and her puffin sweater at The Top Of Europe, playing it cool.

Dan at The Top Of Europe in his limited edition Weird Visions Society t-shirt (featuring his illustration work, printed by Awesome Dudes Printing in South Philly, a coming-soon merchandise item in support of his and Ryan Petrillo’s 3+ years in the making, micro-budget, labor of love, ambient sci-fi horror anthology film of the same name, coming this October!), also playing it cool.

Babe enjoying the penguin ice sculptures in the Ice Palace at Jungfraujoch.

The reflection is making this tough to see, but Babe was getting more fashion ideas from this Jungfraujoch mannequin display!

Eiger Express gondola time … going down!

Gondola views with your hosts, Babe and Dan.

We would not mind another trip on this gondola cableway!

Babe posing with Nutella, peanuts, jam, and more on the Glacier Express!

Dan posing with white wine and a daydreaming mind on the Glacier Express!

Can it be? ANOTHER red vehicle sighting in Switzerland for Babe? They’re everywhere!

E V E R Y W H E R E !

The Swiss really, really love their bell towers. This one had some cool gargoyles near the top. It was also right next to our bedroom window in Chur. Not sure how folks deal with all the bells when it’s bedtime for little ones … this one blasted off at 7:45 PM for almost 15 minutes!

The Bernini Express. Somehow there were still more wonderful train rides in our future. From Switzerland to Italy and back again!

Some gentle horses enjoying the landscape.

The Cavaglia Glacier Garden, a stop along The Bernini Express, bound for Tirano, Italy.

Spectacular.

A cozy little cabin view as we approached Tirano, Italy.

Quick visit to the Santuario della Beata Vergine di Tirano in Italy.

The Bernina Express train connects Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy by crossing the Swiss Engadin Alps. For most of its journey, the train also runs along the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes.

Arrivederci (for now), Italy!

What a beautiful, beautiful rush! The yellow highlighted line shows our train journeying through Switzerland from Geneva to Chur, with a brief trip over to Tirano, Italy.

But don’t put those alpenhorns away just yet, Switzerland! Babe and Dan aren’t going anywhere!

We’ve got a lovely rental for the month of September in Felsberg, roughly where the arrow is pointing! Felsberg is snugly tucked between the Rhine River and Calanda Mountain. We’ll be relaxing and exploring more of this wonderful country for a little while longer. That’s all (for now!) from the desk of Babe and Dan. Verabschiedung! Au revoir! Arrivederci! A revair! (The four national languages of Switzerland are German, French, Italian, and Romansh.) 

Sweden!

August 19 – August 27, 2024

We enjoyed jazz music drifting from The Cinderella, our ferry from Finland, with our morning coffee and tea as our boat navigated through the Stockholm Archipelago and slowly docked on a beautiful summer morning in Sweden. 

We booked a nice hotel a bit removed from Stockholm’s city center, easily accessible by a commuter train and a transfer to a local bus that stopped right next to the hotel. Our hotel room was a cozy studio with a modern kitchen, full-sized fridge and freezer, sliding door onto a deck, and a living and bedroom space. It was a perfect size for us, and we got to do plenty of cooking in a comfortable space. We also fully enjoyed the hotel’s sauna as a way to rest and relax and refresh our muscles after so much walking. We are getting more and more used to Europe’s sauna culture the longer we’re here! 

We absolutely loved Sweden. Everyone was very friendly and willing to help with directions and recommendations. We found lots of things we knew we were going to love, and we stumbled into many unexpected happy surprises. Here are some of the things we did: 

We found a fantastic 100% gluten free restaurant in Stockholm, Happy Atelier. We stopped in a few times for pizza, sandwiches, and lemon raspberry pastries. We mostly did our own cooking, but it was nice to have a few treats at Happy Atelier together! 

We enjoyed looking at all the art on the streets and in the subway stations of Stockholm. Each subway station features different art and/or sculptures. There’s a lot of great architecture around the city, and some of the building interiors are spectacular. We stopped by the Nobis Hotel to check out their interior space, which was wonderful (thanks for the recommendation, Christy!). 

We enjoyed wonderful weather in Sweden. We spent a lot of time in the Kungsträdgården, an outdoor park filled with trees, flowers, statues, fountains, and cafés positioned along the walking avenues for prime people-watching. We used Sweden’s fantastic network of trams, subways, trains, and buses every day, but it was also fun walking as much as we could, traversing Stockholm’s bridges on foot, enjoying the views of the boats, the surrounding coastlines, the city of Stockholm bustling during the day, lights reflecting in the water and twinkling with magic in the evening summer light. 

We have to note that, one night while walking from the bus stop to the hotel, we were shocked to see a large creature bounding silently across the sidewalk a few paces in front of us. From the glance we caught, it was the size of a dog, but seemed more like a rabbit, with a floating, loping gait, and long legs and ears. We weren’t sure what we were looking at, because it’s not every day you see a European Brown Hare back home in South Philly! We saw a second one a moment or two later that, after a quick Google search, confirmed what we were seeing. It was impossible to catch a photo of one, unfortunately, but it was so cool seeing these guys running around in the streets of Sweden at night, it was a surreal experience! 

We visited the Moderna Museet, the modern and contemporary art museum in Stockholm. We saw some inspiring exhibits and we especially loved the Seven Rooms and a Garden exhibition by American artist Rashid Johnson. There were lots of great selections exhibited from the museum’s extensive collection of modern art.  

We visited the Stockholm Toy Museum, which exceeded our expectations. This museum was in an underground network of cave tunnels, and featured incredible displays of toy trains, cars, spaceships, action figures, dollhouses, miniatures, comic books, souvenirs and memorabilia – it was so much fun, we felt like kids again crawling through some of the exhibits! 

We spent a lot of time in Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm’s original city center. Gamla Stan dates from the 13th Century, and many of the buildings are from the 1600s and 1700s. It’s an enchanting maze of cobblestones, alleyways, shops, restaurants, meeting squares, historic attractions, and colorful characters. It was so much fun to get lost in Old Town while exploring together, we spent several days doing so! We saw the Royal Palace, the Stockholm Cathedral, the Nobel Prize Museum, the site of the Stockholm Bloodpath, Mårten Trotzigs gränd (Alley of Mårten Trotzig) the narrowest street in Stockholm, the infamous “Hell Street” where the Gamla Stan executioner resided, and so much more! We took a very educational walking tour one of our days in Gamla Stan and learned lots of fascinating historical tidbits. We found many other cool spots, including a 17^th century cellar – turned – heavy metal bar, Mammut Bar, filled with glimmering candles and haunted memorabilia and a fantastic heavy metal soundtrack. 

Of course, we found time to visit ABBA The Museum, a fitting tribute to Sweden’s second royal family! The museum had a comprehensive and interactive collection of ABBA trivia, memorabilia, and exhibits re-creating various studio spaces and living spaces from the band’s colorful history. We walked in, but we are dancing out of Sweden!  

This country was fantastic, such exemplary hosts, and it’s again hard to say goodbye to a country that provided us with so many life-enhancing experiences. But we’re very excited for the next chapter of our adventure. We will be traveling to Geneva, where we’ll be embarking on a multi-day train ride through the country of Switzerland! All aboard for the next part of Babe And Dan’s Fantastic Voyage!

“Still Life With Orange Juice, Banana, and Epic Morning Views” – drifting through the Stockholm Archipelago on our ferry from Finland to Sweden, The Cinderella.

Swedish escalators are no joke!

Babe cooking up a storm in our hotel room kitchen!

Some of the delectable delights coming out of Babe’s Snack Bar! (Clockwise from top left): Mediterranean Salad, Hardboiled Eggs With Chili Mayo & Pickle Slices, Baked Rosemary Bar Nuts, and Oven Roasted Potatoes With Open Faced Pesto Chicken Red Pepper Sandwiches!

Gluten free treats at Happy Atelier!

This lemon raspberry pastry was great!

Some of Stockholm’s streetlights feature these fun love lights! (Samkönade Trafikljusen, a temporary art piece to celebrate LGBTQ Pride, now a permanent part of Stockholm’s traffic landscape.) 

Lounging in the lobby of The Nobis Hotel.

Dining area in The Nobis Hotel.

Nothing like spending time in the Kungsträdgården in summer!

In front of the National Museum.

There are many fine bridge walks to be had in Stockholm!

Dan with Moderna Museet sculpture garden.

Detail from one of Rashid Johnson’s paintings in his Seven Rooms and a Garden exhibition at Moderna Museet.

We would like to be formally added to this Rashid Johnson installation, please.

Where there is a reindeer painting, there will be a Babe!

Sistine Chapel recreation exhibit in Moderna Museet.

Art takes on many different forms.

The Stockholm Toy Museum! A Must-See if you make it to Stockholm!

Babe found the musem’s Goofy collection!

A small section of the museum’s collection of Tintin cars.

The kaleidoscopic Barbie ABBA installation at The Stockholm Toy Museum was a highlight!

Wowza!

Gamla Stan (Old Town) … we absolutely loved Gamla Stan!

Serious face outside of Riddarholmen Church.

“Hell Street” where Gamla Stan’s executioner lived (house #3).

Mårten Trotzigs gränd (Alley of Mårten Trotzig) the narrowest street in Stockholm. It was a tight squeeze!

The flat that Frida and Benny from ABBA lived in around 1974!

While Babe may look happy and very much alive in this photo, this square was actually the site of the grisly Stockholm Bloodbath! The building behind Babe is painted red in remembrance of this infamous day.

There are so many cozy little nooks and crannies to enjoy a sip of bubbles and some people-watching in Gamla Stan.

Stockholm lit up at night is a sight to behold.

If there’s a xenomorph in your city, Dan will find it.

If there’s an adorable red vehicle in your city, Babe will find it.

Mammut Bar, a 17^th century cellar – turned – heavy metal bar, filled with glimmering candles, haunted memorabilia, and a fantastic heavy metal soundtrack. A radical place dripping with character!

Sweden’s second royal family: ABBA (with Babe)!

Sweden’s second royal family: ABBA (with Dan)!

We got to pose on the park bench from this famous ABBA photo shoot.

Dan’s next guitar!

Dan recording and mixing ABBA’s next hit record. To you music nerds out there reading this, this is a Harrison 4032 40-channel analogue audio mixing console. Three ABBA albums were recorded with this console (“Voulesz-Vous”, “Super Trouper”, and “The Visitors”). This console also gave birth to Led Zeppelin’s “In Through The Out Door” and Genesis’ “Duke”.

Babe got plenty of new fashion ideas from the many costumes of ABBA on display!

We think the guards at The Royal Palace take their jobs too seriously.

The hippest Kungsträdgården Fashionista around.

Adjö for now, Sweden!

Next up: Switzerland train rides!

All aboard for the next part of Babe And Dan’s Fantastic Voyage!

Finland!

August 11 – August 18, 2024

After a great experience with our camper van in Iceland, we flew Icelandair over to Helsinki, Finland. Finland was incredible! After all the driving and the packed itinerary of Iceland, we made it a point to slow down and relax in Finland, but we did see and experience so many things. 

Here is some of what we did in Finland! 

We explored and did some reading in the National Library of Finland and visited their “Most Beautiful Books of 2023” exhibition. 

We spent time lounging and people-watching in Senate Square. 

We explored Market Square, visiting the shops and vendors that sold delicious treats and souvenirs. We explored Old Market Hall, a traditional, 19th-century venue featuring shops & stalls offering unique Finnish specialties. Dan tried the salmon soup with rye bread after a few folks recommended it, this was a wonderful treat. 

We visited the Kamppi Chapel, also known as the “Chapel of Silence” since it is intended to be a place to calm down and have a moment of silence in one of the busiest areas of Helsinki. This was a lovely and meditative experience. 

We visited Base Bar, a heavy metal bar with a collection of heavy metal patches and artwork on the walls, a great rock music soundtrack, and nice outdoor seating for great people-watching. 

We enjoyed relaxing in a few saunas, which is very popular in Finland! 

We stayed at a nice hotel for a few nights, and then we booked a cozy studio Airbnb apartment a bit removed from downtown Helsinki. It was still easy to get around, as Finland’s public transportation system is excellent! Our Airbnb was great, we had a nice balcony overlooking a park. We got to do a lot more cooking in Finland than we were able to manage out of our camper van and the campgrounds of Iceland. Our Airbnb was across the street from a great grocery store. One of our meal highlights was some fresh salmon filets, asparagus, and roasted potatoes! 

We wandered Helsinki the first evening of Helsinki Festival, a large universal Nordic festival of art, music, and culture. We experienced composer Lauri Porra’s BASSO, which was commissioned for the festival. BASSO was performed at night in Senate Square and featured 130 bass voices, including a choir, low-frequency wind instruments, and a rhythmic section of electric bass players and percussionists. Dan was hoping to see a heavy metal rock concert at some point during our travels, and BASSO was beautiful and as heavy as it gets, so it was a treat! We saw a lot of other live art and music and dance performances during Helsinki Festival, as well. 

We enjoyed a great canal cruise of the archipelago and shorelines of Helsinki. We saw the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, the Helsinki Zoo, the massive fleet of Finnish icebreakers, the Degerö Canal, and many wonderful cottages and mansions on the shoreline, as we learned about the history of Finland from our fantastic guide. 

We saw a beautiful sunset and a giant rainbow on one of our last evenings in the Airbnb. 

We visited Nuuksio Reindeer Park, where we got a chance to visit with reindeer and feed them handfuls of lichen! Such a wonderful experience! They even had a white reindeer! We learned that white reindeer are very rare, as they are easy targets for predators in the wild. White reindeer, we learned, are often born deaf, as the park’s employees believed this reindeer to be, and they are easy targets, being bright white while wandering the forests of Finland, so they don’t make it very long in the wild. So it was an unexpected treat to meet this one. While at the park, we also got to dig for Finnish amethyst and we got to take some amethyst home with us as a souvenir. 

We also hiked through Nuuksio National Park and enjoyed the beautiful natural sights and thick tree growth everywhere. The smell of Finnish nature was fantastic. We wish we could have bottled up the smell of the Finnish forest and taken it with us. It’s easy to see why it is said that the forest is the heart of Finland. 

Sadly, our time in Finland flew by. There was so much more we could have seen and experienced, but it was time to go. From the Port of Helsinki in Katajanokka Harbour, we boarded the Viking Cruise Ship “The Cinderella” and took an overnight ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm, Sweden! We enjoyed the views of leaving Finland from the top deck of the ship, enjoyed exploring the ship, playing bingo, watching some night club entertainment, laughing in our cozy little cabin while we fought over the top bunk of the bunk beds, and enjoying our morning coffee the next day while watching the Stockholm Archipelago emerge in the morning sunshine as our ferry approached and docked in Sweden. Now it’s time to explore a new country!  

Kveðja, Iceland! Hei, Finland! 

The National Library of Finland

Senate Square

Old Market Hall

The salmon soup with rye bread was exceptional!

A photograph of a portion of the 130 bass voices performing BASSO, which included a choir, low-frequency wind instruments, and a rhythmic section of electric bass players and percussionists. Senate Square was packed to capacity for this summer evening performance at Helsinki Festival! BASSO was only performed once and the performance was broadcast live on a Helsinki Radio station.

We need to get Babe one of these rides when we’re back in the States.

The unique Kamppi Chapel, the “Chapel of Silence”. A great reminder to slow down and enjoy the ride!

Rock solid collection of patches on the wall at Base Bar!

See what’s written on the wall behind us?

Babe enjoying one of our creations in the hotel’s kitchen!

Nice view from the balcony at our cozy studio Airbnb!

It’s not every day you get to see a rainbow in Finland.

Canal cruise of the Helsinki Archipelago! Wondering if this place is for sale …

Reindeer time!

It feels like Christmas morning.

This is where magic comes from.

Dan and the white reindeer looking into each other’s souls.

Mining for Finnish amethyst!

Ahhhh … the forest … the heart of Finland!

Ahhhh … Babe … the heart of Dan!

Quite the bus stop.

From the Port of Helsinki in Katajanokka Harbour, we boarded the Viking Cruise Ship “The Cinderella” and took an overnight ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm, Sweden! Neither of us have ever been on a boat this big!

View of the Korkeasaari Zoo, leaving Finland.

Bunk beds on the ferry!

Reykjavík Inspiration

August 10, 2024

An incredible day today in Reykjavík. We visited the Recycled House installation in Reykjavík. We walked along the sculpture and shore walkway downtown to the Reykjavik Art Museum’s Hafnarhús location to view an art installation by Jónsi, singer of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. The installation was magnificent, and inspired by the Icelandic landscape. The installation included sound, visuals, and a particular scent. The scent was created by Jónsi’s perfumery Fischersund, which he runs with his three sisters. We loved the art installation and also visited the perfumery a few minutes down the road, where one of the Icelandic folks working there read some of Jónsi’s poetry to us while we sampled some of their signature scents. Words can’t explain what an inspiring day of art this was for us, our senses, and our brains. 

We then walked around through downtown Reykjavík, enjoying the sights and the people-watching for Pride Weekend, and eventually made it back to our campsite. Another incredible day. This country just gives and gives, and we’ve loved being here. It’s hard to say goodbye.

One of the most incredible art installations we’ve ever experienced! Thank you so much for the inspiration, Jónsi!

Trolls and the End of the Ring Road 

August 9, 2024

This morning we walked through the Fossatún Troll Garden. There was a stone monument with instructions to recite the following lines with your hand over your heart: “Yes, it is a long and difficult road, and life is brief and much will go astray. But graceful through temptation and hardship’s load, your goal will always shine and bide your stay.” These words are meant, along with the power of the rock, to purge and then absorb worries and negative thoughts. We each recited these words, and then recited them in honor of our friends and family. Hopefully this will bring positive days to those we love!

 A bit more driving today, and we are back in Reykjavík for the evening. We have driven around the entirety of the Iceland Ring Road! It’s been an inspiring journey, and we’re so thrilled to have gone through this experience!

Westfjords and Witchcraft

August 8, 2024

Today we visited the Museum of Sorcery & Witchcraft in the village of Holmavik in the Eastern Westfjords in Iceland. We learned about the fascinating history of these topics and related events in Iceland. Dan sampled the fantastic Sorcerer’s Meatsoup, which was a version of Icelandic Lamb Soup, or kjötsúpa, and some tasty rhubarb pie. We finished driving through a portion of the Westfjords region and we’re back on the Ring Road again. We’ve made it to Borgarnes and are camping overnight at Fossatún Campsite & Troll Garden. We’ll check out some troll hills in the morning! 

Future WC 

August 7, 2024

Just a photo of a cool and futuristic-looking public roadside WC today! Just kidding. We have tons of photos across our phones, hopefully we’ll get more photos added in the coming days, but here’s one, for now. We spent a lot of time driving and soaking in the views of wild horses and perfect landscapes. We traveled to the Westfjords region of Iceland and spent the night there.

Gardens and Sunsets 

August 6, 2024

Northern Iceland. Most of our time today, aside from driving through gorgeous scenery, was spent strolling through the Akureyri Botanical Garden. The sights and smells of the flora in this cliffside garden overlooking the water and buildings of Akureyri was a mind expanding and rejuvenating experience. We camped overnight nearby in Eyjafjarðarsveit and saw a spectacular sunset (the sun never fully sets between May and August in Iceland, as twilight gives the appearance of constant daylight, but it looked like the colors of a sunset, to us!)

Rejuvenating Nature Baths

August 5, 2024

Lots of driving today through the glorious landscapes of Iceland. Today we soaked luxuriously in the Mývatn Nature Baths, a set of geothermally heated pools and steam baths in the Lake Mývatn area, and stayed overnight at Ferðaþjónustan Bjarg campgrounds. There were horses grazing on the grounds, overlooking the lake. It’s so magical here. The way the cloud light reflects on puddles of water. Random sparkling rain storms. Horses and sheep stuck to the sides of hills. Mountains out of nowhere. Black beaches. Cliffs and chasms. Troll houses. Bursts of flocking birds glinting in sudden sunshine and blue skies. Rolling seas shrouded in mists. Icebergs. Elves and fairies. Sea monsters. We’ll never forget this place.

Waves and Wyrms

August 4, 2024

More wonders today. The hypnotic waves under a blanket of soft mist in Hornafirði. Cliffs and massive rock formations in the surf at Djúpivogur. Farms and houses dotted across Stöðvarfjörður. We explored and stayed overnight alongside Lake Lagarfjlót, which is said to be the home of the legendary Lagarfljót Wyrm, a cousin of the Loch Ness Monster!

Black Diamonds

August 3, 2024

Today we visited Diamond Beach at Vatnajökull National Park. We saw icebergs floating in the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, ice chunks washing onto the volcanic black sand beaches, frozen diamonds popping flashing in the sun, beautiful contrasting colors of blacks and blues. 

We then explored Höfn, a small fishing town in south-east Iceland. We visited the Pakkhús restaurant overlooking the harbor. Dan sampled the Flóki Single Malt Sheep Dung Smoked Whiskey and found it eminently palatable. Babe stuck with a taste of prosecco and an orange Fanta. We then walked back to our campsite and got caught in a sudden rainstorm, which we’ve found to be frequent during the Icelandic summer. We changed into dry clothes, laid out our wet things as best we could in our van, and laughed at another beautiful and eventful day.

Highlands and Waterfalls

August 2, 2024

Last night we drove through Vík and into the Iceland Highlands and spent the night at Þakgil camp grounds, located in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. The drive to get there was spectacular. There were torrential rains and high winds overnight, pounding through the valley, but we were safe and warm in our van, and it was fun being in the middle of a storm in the mountains while we slept. We drove through areas like Höfðabrekkutjarn and Mýrdalssandur, where we learned some Game of Thrones scenes were filmed. Babe also found an epic forever-sweater hand-knitted in the traditional Icelandic fashion out of Icelandic sheep’s wool, it’s a great design and it’s like wearing a space heater on your body, it’s so warm! 

We also went through Fagurhólsmýri and Vatnajökull National Park and enjoyed a great hike up to Svartifoss Waterfall, we searched out some fairy homes and troll homes, saw mountains and glaciers and saw some unbelievable scenery. 

Onwards we travel around this incredible country!

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

August 1, 2024

Our first full day in Iceland. We slept overnight at the Reykjavik Eco Campsite. We hit the road and we’re instantly overwhelmed and in awe of the landscapes we are seeing. The color palette of blacks and browns and greens, one million earth tones, with clouds and sky and splatters of ice and snow and sudden shocks of bird flocks or bounding sheep. And then: Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. An astonishing vista of black sand and crashing waves and crags and sheep and puffins soaring out to sea and returning to their nests in the crags. We spent a few hours soaking in the beach, eating some snacks, watching the wave crash and the sheep grazing on the surrounding hillsides. We are on another planet!

Iceland, Here We Are!

July 31, 2024

We’ve arrived in Iceland!

We stocked up on some grocery treats in Keflavik … cheese, crackers, nuts, fruit, a few treats and essentials. Plenty of awesome treats for us!

We picked up our camper van at the Reykjavík airport that we’ll be traveling in and living out of for the next two weeks. A Diesel Volkswagon Beach Caddy. The back seats fold down and create a bed we’ll be laying on. We’ve got two sleeping bags, a small gas stove, a table and chairs, kitchen supplies, a large jug for water, and our backpacks.

Snacks taste better when you’re eating them out of your camper van in Iceland … cheese and crackers have never tasted so good!

Testing out the back of the camper van. These socks are going to see some wild adventures! We will be driving the Iceland Ring Road between now and August 11 with the goal of driving around the whole country. It’s chilly and very windy and spattering rain off and on. Much different weather than back home. Nice to take a break from the heat and humidity of the USA East Coast Summer. Time to hit the road!

South Philly Popsicles

July 30, 2024

South Philadelphia, morning of July 30, 2024. Heading out with two big backpacks containing our lives for the next two months. Eating the last two popsicles from our freezer. Ready for adventures. Ready for anything. Time for some magic.