Author Archives: dtravelsround

Help yourself to a Slice of Swedish Hospitality

The little blond two-year-old boy with an angelic face lifts his little arms up to me, motioning for a hug. We’ve only met a couple of hours ago, but in the short time I’ve managed to secure more high fives than normal and gotten those adorable little kid giggles to come from him. A smileContinue reading “Help yourself to a Slice of Swedish Hospitality”

Daily Wanderlust: the beaches of Benidorm, Spain

If you’ve ever visited Benidorm, Spain, you will notice it isn’t like other parts of the country. Sure, the beach is beautiful and packed with people, but a large part of the tourist crowd in this neck of the Land of Valencia are of the British variety. Fish and chip shops mingle with tapas bars;Continue reading “Daily Wanderlust: the beaches of Benidorm, Spain”

Getting naked in Sweden

//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js // <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]> My name is D and I used to be, as one friend put it, “a big, girlie prude.” Never would I think of even taking off my shirt in a public, or semi-public place. In fact, when I first stopped at the baths in Budapest,Continue reading “Getting naked in Sweden”

Daily Wanderlust: A view from the Baltic Sea

 There is no shortage of breathtaking vantage points in Sweden. On my last full day in the magnificent country, I headed back to the water on foot (as opposed to stand-up paddle boarding). The crisp spring air, the cloudless sky and the Baltic Sea — which transformed from aquamarine to a deep royal blue —Continue reading “Daily Wanderlust: A view from the Baltic Sea”

Daily Wanderlust: Elephants!

Apologies for the slacking of the “Daily Wanderlust” for a bit. I’ve been adjusting to life as an expat in Chiang Mai, so it’s been hard to keep these coming at the same rate I was. To prepare you for what upcoming posts can include, wanted to go ahead and toss this little photo out.Continue reading “Daily Wanderlust: Elephants!”

Adventures in the Baltic Sea: a paddle boarding story

Michael, my stand-up paddle board instructor from Lomma Beach House, grips the front of my board, chest-deep in water. “You’re going to stand again,” he promises. “Come on.” I don’t want to do this. “Really? I’m fine not …” I assure him. “No. Stand up,” he suggests. “Put one leg underneath your body.” I doContinue reading “Adventures in the Baltic Sea: a paddle boarding story”

Daily Wanderlust: Napa Valley

Funny thing — nearly a year to the day I found myself once again at San Francisco’s airport. In July 2011, I was there because Abby and I were meeting Kristin and heading out for a girlie weekend in Napa; in July 2012, I was there because I was taking a flight across the PacificContinue reading “Daily Wanderlust: Napa Valley”

Why I will never be a T-Mobile customer again: a photo essay

There are few companies I don’t like: United, PEPCO, Chik-Fil-A and T-Mobile. Why? United = horrid customer service and stupid fees that change PEPCO = heads up their collective big-money arses Chik-fil-A = narrow-minded PR nightmare T-Mobile = crappy phones, crappy fees and the most epic of all fails ever — no service. During myContinue reading “Why I will never be a T-Mobile customer again: a photo essay”

The daughter of Las Vegas: an interview with Bugsy Siegel’s daughter, Millicent

//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js // <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]> It was about 66 years ago when Millicent Siegel’s father, Ben “Bugsy” Siegel wrote a letter to his wife addressing his oldest daughter’s smoking habits.“I don’t like the idea of smoking at all, I would point out to her that it is not ladylike atContinue reading “The daughter of Las Vegas: an interview with Bugsy Siegel’s daughter, Millicent”