Jun 29, 2016

Midsommar (Midsummer) in Sweden

                                           
The Swedes most favorite holiday is Midsommar. (Midsummer).  It's a huge deal all around Sweden to gather outdoors and celebrate the longest day of the year when the darkness of night is replaced by twilight. This year Swedish Midsummer was held on Friday the 24th of June.

The countryside is often the preferred place for Swedes to celebrate because of the tranquility and array of wildflowers but parks and town squares are also popular spots to celebrate Midsummer. It's a tradition for Swedish women and men to wear floral crowns for Midsummer while they enjoy dancing, drinking, feasting, and singing on "summer solstice."

A popular drink for Swedish Midsummer is the "elderflower cordial cocktail. 

 Elderflower Cordial Cocktail:

Take 2 parts Bourbon, 1/2 part St. Germain, and 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Stir the ingredients in a glass and top with orange twist. 

June is a perfect time to visit Sweden when the days are extra long for exploring this beautiful Scandinavian country.


                               Adrianna wearing her flower crown in Sweden                                  

Jun 28, 2016

Cornwall, England...The Southwest Jewel

England is famous for The Queen and Royal Family, for Shakespeare, London, the countryside,
biscuits, crumpets, and tea, fish &chips, black cabs, driving on the left, Aston Martin, Big Ben, Harrods, the Beatles, Harry Potter, James Bond, cricket, Cambridge and Oxford Universities....one could carry on about the wonders of England.

On the southwest peninsula of the island of England lies "Cornwall" famous for being the birthplace of pasties. The "cornish pasty" a culinary heritage evolved in the 18th century when wives of Cornish tin miners prepared this simple meal made of a short crust pastry and filled with beef, potatoes, onions, and swede for their husbands who worked hard in the dark and damp mines.


                                         Cornish Pasties are famous in Cornwall

Today with its mind temperatures, lovely scenery, and relaxing seaside resorts Cornwall is a splendid vacation spot for those living in or visiting the United Kingdom. Popular places to enjoy in the Cornwall region are Bude, Falmouth, Newquay, Penzance, Perranporth, St Ives, and Truro. 

Be certain to enjoy an authentic crimped "Cornish Pasty" when in Cornwall.







Cancun, Mexico, A Sunny Destination

Today I've survived a major snowstorm that has dumped two feet of snow and brought icy road conditions, high winds, and frigid Arctic te...