TRAVELOG

Here, you can find links to read about memorable trips I have taken from all over the world; if you don't want to read the massive accounts, enjoy the visual feast of photos that accompany each post. Trips are listed most recent first:

- Devon, Cornwall & North Wales with Bree (July 2008)
- Riga, Stockholm & Copenhagen with Bruce (June 2008)
- Easter in Northern England (March 2008)
- Alan & Lisbon (March 2008)
- Christmas In South Africa - (December 2007)
- Trip to England: The Upgrade & Shopping In London (October 2007)
- Trip to England: Family, Hearing, Friends & Gay Pride (August 2007)
- Roasting Rome (August 2007)
- It's All North, Innit? Norway (July 2007)
- MidSummer 2007 - (June 2007)
- Eurovision Is Over, A Trip To The UK in Order (May 2007)
- Marvellous Madeira (May 2007) **
- Chilling Out Up North (November 2006)
- Training In London (October 2006)
- First Time In Lapland (September 2006)
- Nick in London (September 2006)
- Stonehenge, Oxford & A Birthday (August 2006)
- Chicago (August 2006)
- Croatia (July 2006) - Part 1 of 4 starts on July 19th
- Ten Days In UK (May 2006)
- The Contrasts Of Gran Canaria (March 2006)
- Weekend in England (January 2006)
- South Africa (February 2005) in six parts
- Bonny Scotland (July 2004)
- Floridian Adventure (April 2004)
- New Years In Amsterdam (2004)
- St. Petersburg With The Swedish Finn (September 2004)
- Christmas in UK & A Visit To Bath (2003)
- A Date With Santa (2003)
- Scandinavian Extravaganza* (2003) - Part 1, 2, 3, Final Words
- London with Bree (2003)
- Christmas In UK & The Perfect Gift (2002)
- Stockholm Cruise With The Neighbour (2002)
- European Adventure* (2002) - Part 1, 2, 3, 4.
- China & Charity* (2002) - Part 1, 2, 3
- Christmas 2001 in England (2001)
- Borneo Millenium Challenge* (March & April 2000)

* These postings are accessible by click on the underlined (linked) part number or, in the case of the Borneo Millenium Challenge, on the month.

** No posting published yet!

FLASHBACK #7: Christmas 2001 in England

Less than two months since moving to Finland, I found myself back in the UK, celebrating Christmas with my family. It was a very low-key - the family gathered on Christmas Day for the usual present-opening frenzy. Later came Christmas Dinner, followed by a rummage through the TV Guides to see what the TV stations had planned for this year’s festivities. At the end of the day, stuffed with food, we said our goodbyes and slept soundly in our own beds. I stayed with the younger of my two sisters during the Christmas break.

Fortunately, my boss had granted me permission to work remotely meaning that I could access the necessary office functions by connecting my company's laptop to the company's mobile phone, enabling me to my job from a distance. I was amazed by the technology - until now, I hadn’t used remote technologies and, believe it or not, I thought it was the stuff reserved for the use of those on Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

The Christmas week came and went very quickly and, on New Years Eve, we gathered at my parent's place to see in the New Year; there were my parents, my grandmother, my two sisters and my brother in-law. Every year was the same; I don’t know if it was just me, but at Christmastime you get this massive sense of déjà vu – the same things are done year after year after year after year after year...

Stupidly, part of me had thought that maybe this Christmas would be different, having been away for a period of time. Truth be told, the visit back home helped me to put my dissatisfaction with Finland into perspective – I realised that I would be no happier in the UK than in Finland. I returned to Finland on January 2nd, 2002, with a determination to spice up my life.