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So I’m “usually” insanely organised weeks before travel. Outfits worked out, washed and put aside, perfect travel sized toiletries packed, gadgets charged and everything together weighing a total no more than 14kg no matter how long I’m off for. It’s been a long cold winter, so long I can’t remember what an average of 20 to 25 every day feels like. Long story short, I left packing till the last minute because I had no bloody idea for the first time in my life what the hell to pack! Very unusual! I got home around 8pm last night. I wasn’t too concerned about weight as I am gone for a month and I’m traveling with a suitcase so I don’t have to worry about walking far with it all on my back. Until AJ pointed out we had only paid for 15kg each on our internal Jetstar flights. 15kg it is! Had to cull the second pair of vans and my overalls, gutted! Packing cells! Little Kathmandu promo here. I watch people almost everyday run into store desperately asking where the packing cells are and umming and ahhhing over what sizes they need. Meanwhile I’m there thinking to myself how hard is it to neatly pack your clothes into your bag. Why would I want to add more to that...what’s the fuss, do I need this, maybe I need them. 3 shiny new packing cells in hand and the packing began. I’m in love I totally get it sorry I’ll never second guess this marvellous invention ever again. My to do list had 21 things to be done, it was a long night, in bed around 2am. Alarm set for 5am thankfully qantas had text me my all time favourite message. We are pleased to confirm your upgrade to the pointy end of the plane, enjoy the champagne and cheese platters on your way to Tokyo. Oh and we’ve sat you in row 1, we know that’s your favourite row. Lena drove me to the airport, what a babe! Aj messaged me shortly after check in to say he’d added an extra 5kg each for our internal flights. Could have packed my overalls after all! Check in was smooth, customs also, no need for a departure card anymore and you don’t even see a customs officer. Just scan your passport and away you go! Boarding was about 45 minutes late, then we spent another hour or just sitting on the plane as there was urgent maintenance needed. So I’m arriving into Tokyo about 2 hours late. I’ll be straight to my hotel room, then up around 7 tomorrow to go find Aj as he arrives after flying with jal tonight. We then jump straight on to a Jetstar flight to Sapporo. Ramen beers and shopping here we come!!

Lunch served on board was an entree of tataki tuna with cucumber salad and yuzu dressing. Main I choose farro with roasted fennel and tomato, peas and parmesan. A cheese platter for dessert. Whites on offer were a gewurztraminer from Orange that was very fruity and a Chardonnay which I don’t remember where from. Before landing a light dinner was served. I went with the lamb fried rice. I also snacked on chocolates, date cake, pretzels and lots of fruit. A champagne or 3 while waiting for take off.

Camino day 2. Chillen out before another big day!!! (at Roncesvalles, Navarra, Spain)

Day 1. Anyone know which way to go? (at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port)

Camino day 0. Vino número uno (at Albergue Beilari, Saint Jean Pied De Port, France)

Paris

If anyone had of told me back in 2009 that in 7 years time I’d be visiting Paris for the 6th time, I probably would said, ‘ha, fuck off’

This morning in cafe tabac, I told Fred I was going to walk the Camino. He laughed like I was telling a bad joke. 'No you won’t, you’ll meet people, drink too much, go other places’ over the hour or so which we ate breakfast and drank coffee he kept laughing like he was in complete disbelief, I’m quite confident he won’t believe me until he sees I’ve made it to the end, even then he’ll still question wether I walked the whole way. It’s going to be funny if I don’t make it.

Paris was beautiful as per usual. I got in around 10pm. Turns out I have a new favourite hostel in Paris. Le Village hostel at the foot of Sacre Coeur. Down the road from Cafe Tabac with a backpacker bar next door, a roof top terrace and a perfect view of Sacre Coeur from my bed!!!

I met up with Steve shortly after arriving as he was in town for the night too. We started with a few wines at a restaurant down the road, then to the hostel bar for free beers. I couldn’t bare sit in a bar so close to Sacre Coeur when I knew the views and atmosphere up there would be too good be true on such a warm night. We bought a few bottles of beers from the bar for take away and took off up the hill, watching the party and staring at the view till about 4am. One of my favourite places in the world, company could have been better ha.

The next morning Fred could tell I was hungover and insisted I try his fresh ice green tea. He told me how Paris hasn’t been the same since the November attacks, and he wasn’t wrong, so sad to see such a beautiful city with such a heavy police presence. Tourists are now required to carry their passport at all times in case of coming across a check point.

I had 4 coffees yesterday and enjoyed a beautiful steak tartare while sitting out the front of a typically French bistro. I dropped by Galeries Lafayette for a bit of a window shop but didn’t last long, everything, EVERYTHING, was at least 50% off. So hard not to buy!

Last night I took a night bus to Bayonne, it was packed and I didn’t sleep as much as I would have liked to. I’m currently on a tiny train filled with other Camino pilgrims making my way to the starting point. Saint Jean pied de port. Quite excited about my first stay in a pilgrim hostel tonight, also looking forward to a shower. Little nervous about how not flat it is around here, I already have sore legs just from being squished on a bus all night. Holly shit it looks beautiful though!!! Camino day 0 is in full swing

Midsommar

I didn't know I could be so lucky. For so many years now I've wanted to celebrate a midsommar in Sweden. Something about the flowers in the hair and dancing round the maypole pole to celebrate the longest day of the year has always fascinated me. My favourite day back home has always been the first day of daylight savings, something about the extra sunlight makes me so happy every time. What an idea to celebrate it!!! Before departing Melbourne I told the Swedish girl at the wall I was going to spend midsommar in Österlen. She told me it was the most beautiful part of Sweden. I had no idea she meant fields filled with red poppies and white sand beaches. I'd also been told it always rains for midsommar, last year it was even colder on midsommar than it was on Christmas Day. So 25 degrees and above all weekend wasn't expected. Last year when in Västervik Simone took me along with her to a party held by the Algovik siblings.This year it was the Algovik's who had decided to hold the midsommar party of alllllll time. Welcoming Simone and myself to their 5th generation owned family summer house in Österlen. The property it self was to die for, let alone the celebrations they threw both Friday and Saturday day and night. Even breakfast each morning was a gorgeous little affair with a spread to cure the hangover and giggles about the night before. Friday morning we made a quick dash for the beach, dropped by the forest to pick leaves for the maypole and flowers for our hair, then freshened up for lunch at 1. I was told I had to no choice but to get involved with the midsommar traditions such as herring and snaps. I'd assumed I'd had snaps before, obviously not, that shit tastes horrible. So bad that you shot the snaps, then eat the herring after to take away the flavour. They use herring as a chaser!!!!! The herring was way better than expected. I had those two traditions really mixed up! After lunch we spilt into 4 teams to play a few games for the afternoon. Croquet was the only game I actually knew of. Our team had both myself and the only other non Swedish person on it...we lost. After some not so traditional dancing round the maypole, drinking champagne in one of the picturesque fields and a bit of a freshen up, it was dinner time already. This time the table set up in the driveway, bunting hanging from the trees above and a perfect view of the ever lasting 11pm sun set. Everyone quite tipsy by now as you'd expect, Swedish songs were belted out over dinner, who ever the lucky one with the cow bell could choose what song to sing next after randomly ringing the bell anytime during dinner. Now fueled with dinner we hit the dance floor. The oldest of the Algovik siblings is a dj, so there was quite the set up, laser lights and a smoke machine. I'm not sure what time it started to rain, possibly some time around 1. Everything was swiftly moved and set up in the glass house, and apparently someone cheeky had decided to leave something heavy on the button that made the smoke come out, so it wasn't long before you literally couldn't see 10cm in front of you. On Saturday, after minimal sleep and the usual breakfast spread we hit the beach, the perfect hangover cure. We had lunch by the water, went on an excursion to Ales Stenar, a Swedish stone henge, then went by a specialty coffee roster for afternoon tea. Feels like it's harder to find cafes that don't roast their own coffee these days. Saturday night we some how found the energy for round two. Dinner this time in the glass house. Followed by an all night long rave. Till about 6am this time I think. Sunday morning was spent taking part in one big team clean up. Then coffee and cake while we all giggled about the night before. Way too sad to part ways and leave such a beautiful part of the world, we packed out cars and said our goodbyes along with massive thank yous!!! We were so tired during the drive home it was hilarious. At one point we drove around a round about at least 6 times because we hadn't worked out which exit we needed to take yet. We also looked like complete fools trying to put petrol in the car over at the truck part of the petrol station. Another weekend which I'll simply never forget!!!

Tired, hungry and in line for my pilgrim passport. Whatta view (at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port)

Stockholm

Last time I stayed with Patrik, back in 2010, I wrote a cringeful blog post about my perspective on Sweds drinking habits. This time Patrik decided to remind me of that post. So this time I've decided not to write my thoughts on Stockholm because one, Patrick will probably make fun of me again, and two, Sweds still drink a lot. I'm currently on the train heading back to Stockholm after a whirlwind 11 days raving and tanning with Simone and her friends. I had to change trains in Linköping but my connecting train was delayed over an hour. I decided to beg my way on to an earlier one along with another woman who I'm now sitting in the bistro with sharing a bottle of wine with as there's no free seats for us anywhere on the train.

As you can probably imagine there's been a few times over my last few years of travel when I've found myself in complete disbelief at how lucky I am. I've never written a bucket list, but if I did celebrating a traditional midsommar in Sweden would have been high up on the list. This weekend with flowers in our hair, plenty of herring, too much snaps, we sang songs, played games, danced around the maypole and raved until sunrise all to celebrate the longest day of the year. The Algovik siblings literally throw the best parties in Sweden and I'm one of the luckies girls alive to be able to feel so welcome by them. Tack a million times to everyone for making it the best midsommar I ever could have asked for!!!! (at Österlen)

Thursday treat day ☀️ #Celine #sunglasses #fashion #melbourne #summer

#melbourne #sunglasses #fashion #celine #summer

Hoi An boys (at Hoi An Ancient Town)

Ahhh the serenity (at Cityview Cafe)

A perfect afternoon in Ha Long Bay (at Halong Bay Castaway Island)

Seen my life flash before me about 5 times today on these roads (at Hanoi, Vietnam)

Phu Quoc I will be back! Next stop Hanoi 🌴🍹✈️⛵️ (at Phu Quoc International Airport)

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