We are going to...India & Nepal!!

After a loooong decision-making process on where our next big trip should be to, we have finally settled for something completely new for both of us: India & Nepal. I'm not joking, it took us probably a good three months to settle for the destination and we only solved the dilemma by doing a secret vote with weighted criteria (yes, between the two of us!).

Even though we both love to travel, it has definitely gotten harder to decide on destinations as a couple because we have to factor in a lot more: has one of us been there? (we both want to go somewhere new) What's the climate like at that time of the year? (neither of us likes hot countries) What's the security situation? (I'm usually a bit more on the adventurous side but some countries are def off limits at the moment). And so on. First world problems!

Fortunately, we both also like to plan. So I didn't mind doing some research on the most important factors and even though it doesn't sound very adventurous to go about in such a systematic manner this was the way we narrowed it down to a few possible destinations and finally to Northern India & Nepal.

Also new for this time: we'll be travelling over Christmas and New Year's because that allowed us to take a whole month off work to make the most out of this exciting trip. I'm not sure if I'll miss it. I definitely don't care about New Year's because I never liked it and the pressure that comes with it to have fun because everything has to be "special".

But Christmas could be a different story.... At the moment, I'm totally fine because I hate the stress and the shuttling between 4 different locations and celebrations in 2 countries within 3 days. On the other hand, I love the baking and the lights and the atmosphere so we'll see. I'm just telling myself that we can catch up with everything next year and then it'll be even better because we really look forward to it.

Now it's time for preparations! Any good advice for things to see & do please share with us. 

Holiday knit 2016: "Unilintu" shawl

Finding a good holiday knitting project is not that easy. I used to go for socks but I'm bored of that and in the end, how many pairs of woolly socks can you actually wear? I've had a pair for more than 10 years and it's not worn out yet.

So recently I've been going for shawls, mainly for the following reasons:

• The project has to be lightweight. Max. 100 g! Who wants to drag half a kilo of yarn around when you're backpacking?
• It has to be a simple pattern that you can learn by heart quickly. I hate reading complicated instructions on a bumpy bus ride which usually means I'm getting sick sooner or later. 
• Ideally, it can be knitted on my wooden knitting needles to pass airport security without problems (and yes, I've had needles confiscated in the past).

At the moment, I only have smaller sized wooden needles but I'm planning on investing on a kit in different sizes to make it easier to choose. But in the past years, I haven't had any problems with metal needles in my carry-on luggage either, it seems to get more common or maybe security staff just thinks its funny to see somebody knitting who is under 60. 

Anyways, this years' holiday knit was therefore once again a shawl (after both my Peru project and my Iceland project) and it turned out well. The pattern is called "Unilintu" and you can get it for free on Ravelry. It's a very simple but it looks great when it's finished. I like the geometric shapes and that it doesn't have too much of a "lacy", frilly, look to it. That's how I like my shawls!

I actually already cast on a second shawl with the same pattern, this time in a thicker yarn for the winter. Depending on how much I will travel under the autumn, I'll hopefully finish it before Christmas.

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Pattern: "Unilintu" by Luminen
Yarn: Reclaimed  "La Doro" lace yarn by Wollgarnspinnerei Ferner, from my frogged "Birch" shawl

Sweden (and a bit of Denmark)

 

 

After four (?!) years it was definitely high time to go back to my second home country to top up my stash of salty licorice and satisfy my craving for cinnamon buns, the sea, quietness, polite bus drivers, beautiful beaches, dark woods, dairy products, and meeting old friends. And I managed to tick almost everything off my list, even though I would have loved to meet even more people, as usual.

Our trip took us from Copenhagen to Malmö, where we stayed for 4 days. Copenhagen was prettier than I remembered but annoyed me due to many other reasons (passport controls at the train station? Coffee for 5 €? Registering online to use the shared bike scheme? Tourists at a rate of 25/m2?). Therefore, we spent most of the time in my beloved Malmö where everything is more laid back and relaxing. And better, in general.

Then we moved on to Gotland, my favourite island in the Baltic sea, where I first went on a school exchange many, many years ago. 15, to be precise! It has left a lasting impression and I'm still friends with my former exchange partner and some other people that participated in the programme back then. It was lovely to see them again and reminisce about those times. Other than that, we cycled a lot and went on trips around the island including to the neighbouring island of Fårö.

To round off the ultimate Sweden experience we spent a couple more days in Stockholm where we mostly just walked around, had coffee, enjoyed the views, and did shopping. It's definitely a place where you can spend more time but we were already in this "end of the holiday" vibe and lacked a bit of energy.

All in all a great, relaxing holiday with a looong walk down memory lane.