Darlings, an adventure awaits! As cheesy as you might think I am for wanting to do all of the touristy things while here in London, I refuse to change my wonderful ways. On my to do list the London Eye. It has me a little spooked but hopefully I'll be able to pull myself together for the big day.

[Pyjama Cardinalfish] "Fish in the sea you know how I feel, river running free you know how I feel"- Nina Simone

What fun is there if life is all work and no play? That's why I couldn't resist playing kid for the day by visiting the famous London Zoo to be captivated in oohing and ahhing over cute, fascinating creatures.



What's not to love? There are adorable animals roaming around behind safe fences and safe distances which can sometimes be like travelling to another world. In the desert environment above you may face the uncertain threat of being attacked by an emu or wallabee but, fear not because Indiana Jones may come to your rescue.



It's a quiet escape from city life and brings one slightly closer back to basics, nature.



Made another furry little friend, one which also happens to love a fellow Swed, Pippi Longstocking. How cute is this! This fur ball broke my heart when I couldn't convince it to come home with me in my handbag. Another time perhaps... What a fabulous day!

Summer is now over and fall is coming. I can't believe we're already in October, how time passes quickly! Spent a lovely day in Hyde Park working on an assignment for college.



Who needs Paris when you can find small oasis of your own? Instead of taking a walk around the Seine, I strolled along the lake here in Hyde Park which had beautiful white swans floating around. Beat that! Unfortunately, I'm still dreaming of going but I found an adorable café here which I intend to visit, Coco Momo. Exciting! We'll see how it goes sipping coffee all day and if I'm truly cut out to eat croissants. For now though, I will have to make do with the fabulous London.

I might not have visited Egypt yet, however, luckily there are still ways in which I can do so without physically setting foot here. At the Musei Civici di Milano, I visited the Museo Archeological which feature several artifacts from ancient Egypt.



There's always such a mysterious feel when entering these exhibitions on powerful ancient societies. A common element or rather fascination is the incredible craftmanship present at those times. Amazing, the detailing is so fine considering how tiny the trinkets are.





Imagine writing these beautiful Egyptian hieroglyphics and the time and skill it must have taken.

What more can I say?

Had such a Ripley's Believe It or Not moment when seeing The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Crazy but, apparently all the buildings of the Campo dei Miracoli lean because of their shallow foundations and sandy silt subsoil. Surreal! Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is displaced horizontally 3.9 meters from where it would be if the structure were perfectly vertical!

Pop a bottle of frizzante and sit back and enjoy the view! It is just like in the movies; Italian vespas fill the small narrow streets while the heat of the sun burns...



After several days out and about running around town in an attempt to see as much as possible, I constantly find my feet and legs in the worst of pain. I should give up now and give in to my urge of renting a vespa in order to see the rest of the city.



I know, several of my latest Italian posts have been about food but it is rather difficult not to share the fact that I'm eating like a king here. The food is incredibly delicious, no one does it quiet like the Italians do!



Pastel colored pasta, where else could you possibly find this?

Rabarama, Co-stell-azione, Alluminio dipinto, 2002, 200 x 370 x 455 cm

Spent the entire day at the vast Palazzo Pitti. Within the large complex are several galleries such as the Royal Apartments, Gallery of Modern Art, Costume Gallery, Silver Museum, Porcelain Museum, Palatine Gallery, and the Carriages Museum. An entire day barely does the place justice. I am absolutely in love with the scadalous and notoriously rich Italian Medici family! They are the ones who built the incredible palace way back in 1457.



It can be rather exhausting being out and about as these two darlings clearly felt.



The Boboli Gardens was amazing, consisting of box hedges clipped into symmetrical geometric patterns and gorgeous large marble statues.







The Boboli Gardens offered a great view of the city!





Reow, my fascination for large chandeliers never seizes. This one was snapped inside the Royal Apartment.



Galleria Del Costume (Costume Gallery), the exhibition reflects the changing tastes in the courtly fashion of the late 18th century up to the 1920s.

Beautiful! After visiting the breathtaking Rosenborg Castle, I took a stroll through the botanical garden located nearby. It was time to take in a more low maintenance sight; nature. The large hairy bumblebees were out and about humming cheerfully. J'adore, cute enough to pet!



The Botanic Garden houses the largest collection of living plants in Denmark and the only seed and gene bank for plants from nature.

One thing that is for certain is that I will never stop appreciating the fine art of extravagant and historic castles! My not so secret love! Stopped by the renaissance Rosenborg Castle located in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark.  It was built in the Dutch Renaissance style which was typical of Danish buildings during this period.



The castle was used by Danish regents as a royal residence until around 1710. Its decor is simply to die for! I loved everything I saw inside, including the chandeliers, carpets, paintings, furniture, and wall paper.



Located in the Long Hall which was originally intended as a ballroom is the coronation chair of the absolutist kings and the throne of the queens with the three silver lions standing in front.



Bling! Clearly my royal jewelry collection needs an upgrade in order to keep up with this bad boy seen displayed in the royal treasury.



The decor was big, dark and dramatic. With the renaissance being an intellectual transformation and cultural movement, it encompassed a flowering of literature, science, art, religion, and politics.



I have decided that a knight's armor is an absolute must when decorating my future home!



I'm ready to move in immediately! This is just my style.



Roar! This would naturally be my everyday uniform.

Here comes a virtual postcard greeting from Copenhagen! It goes out to all of my darlings who couldn't be with me for this trip.



Here stands the Danish Kongelige Livgarde (Royal Life Guards). The Royal Guards provide a permanent guard at the Amalienborg Palace, Kastellet (part of the old fortification of Copenhagen), Rosenborg Castle/garrison of the Royal Guards in Copenhagen and the garrison of Høvelte. The ordinary uniform of the Royal Life Guards while they are on guard duty is dark blue. Their full dress uniform is very similar to that of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army: a scarlet tunic; blue trousers; and a bearskin with the regiment's cap badge (the Sun and Royal Coat of Arms).



Drama at the altar! Stopped by Frederick's Church which is located just north of Amalienborg Palace. The church was designed by the architect Nicolai Eigtved in 1740 and has the largest church dome in Scandinavia with a span of 31m. However, there are three larger domes elsewhere in Europe.



Here is the old organ facade.

Back in Copenhagen again, and jetlagged like crazy, I figured a day out would help me deal with it. I went to Tage Andersen's boutique in Ny Adelgade 12. Entering the Tage Andersen world of magic, I was met by a surrounding that was quite surreal. The boutique and museum was filled with a wide range of beautiful flowers and even several exotic birds that chirped most theatrically in the background. I especially fell in love with these two light green small parrots!



After walking through the magical boutique, I ended up in this beautiful pavilion just outside in the courtyard. Nature's paradise.



The pavilion was just as exotic and tropical as the boutique itself featuring soft, small waterfalls with goldfish swimming freely inside.



It was a bit like taking a trip back in time to a lovely romantic setting filled with candles and opera music tinkering in the background. Not only were the flower arrangements carefully designed by Mr. Andersen himself but also much of the furniture used and displayed within the boutique.



Everything was in symbiosis with a true rustic feel to it. It could just as well have been a chic Parisian apartment and I am ready to move in straight away!



Love, love, love!

Walking the streets of central Tokyo can sometimes leave you completely bewildered. The tall skyscrapers tower above you as you stroll along the narrow winding streets.



In the right or wrong setting it can feel a bit like watching the horror film The Grudge, directed by Takashi Shimizu.

Went over to Tokyo for a couple of days to check out the scene and enjoy a few days out on the town. Here is the statuesque Tokyo Tower, the equivalent of the Eiffel Tower but in Japan.



Delicious! Eating やきとり (yaki tori) is a total must! Yaki tori can include everything from poultry to vegetables. It is made from several bite-sized pieces put on a bamboo skewer and grilled, usually over charcoal.



Here is the master chef himself; you can easily keep an eye on what is going on in the kitchen as you dine around the grill.



Sipping iced green tea in the summer heat and enjoying the fabulous taste of my favorite やきとり dishes! Yum, what a treat!

Stepping outside of Copenhagen airport, I couldn't wait to get out and explore.



What fascinates me the most is always the amazing skies that I see when I visit Europe and I can't seem to get enough! Either way, getting wet was not on my agenda!



Right at the heart of the city center was a small port/canal. Surrounding it were cute picturesque buildings in what I believe to be a traditional Danish style.

My search for luxury must certainly appear endless, but could there be a more stylish way to travel? I think not! An extravagant lifestyle is simply a must!



It is a 60m yacht that can reach a top speed of 15, 5 knots. What a cozy place to enjoy the surroundings and gaze at the sky!

Yesterday I checked out the glamorous summer residence Svindersvik, a well preserved 18th-century oasis, styled in Rococo decor. I couldn't help but fall in love with the large dazzling chandeliers, soft pastel colored silks, and well adorned mirrors.



Reow!

Let me tell you REOW! I'm ready to relocate immediately to this fantastic luxury villa situated perfectly, right in the city. I visited the tremendous vision of Countess von Hallwyl who was one of Sweden's foremost collectors of arts, crafts, and porcelain.



The magnificent residence featured a large dining room, salon, smoking room, weapon's room, billiard room and porcelain room.



Wilhelmina von Hallwyl's paintings were numerous to say the least! Endless lovely portraits were hung around the many rooms.



The opulent upper-class residence in central Stockholm showcased an exceptional decor as well as a vast courtyard. The Hallwyl Museum was tremendous, an absolute must see! It took my breath away!

Ship ahoy! Spent the day in Vaxholm drooling over the deliciously large yachts and other beautiful boats in the harbor.

The city was glittering as the sun burnt on brightly. The clear blue skies were a fête!




Apparently this is a graduation tradition here in Sweden. That on the day you graduate from high school you are later driven around town in old fashioned cars or big trucks filled with other graduates celebrating.



Downtown Stockholm, Nybrokajen.