Project Bucket List(s)

Well we have been here in London for 7.5 months and have been to a total of nine countries. No too bad, but we are going to have to get to work to meet our rather ambitious goal of 24 countries in 24 months - yikes. We only have 16.5 months left (which seems painfully short), so time to get to work planning some trips. Time will fly by before we know it.

In the spirit of pulling together our travel priorities, Dave and I each prepared independent Bucket Lists for our remaining time here. I didn't look at his list. I am writing my list here and will have him post his after mine so there is no cheating. We tried to come up with rules, but we just ended up arguing over it. So rules are: there are no rules.

Please offer suggestions if you have a must-see destination in mind. Also, we are posting this in case anyone wants to join us for trips in the future. Just send me an email or comment below and I will make sure to include you in our trip planning!

In no specific order, here is my Not-So-Top-Ten list, which I absolutely reserve the right to change with each new Times Sunday travel section that I read:

- Split and the greater Dalmatian coastline

- Istanbul

- Surfing in northern Spain

- Andorra/Pyrenees trip (preferably hiking or biking)

- Bike trip through Slovakia or something Eastern-Europeany like that (http://www.topbicycle.com/BicycleToursCR.htm)

- Atlas Mountains Hike (http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/XMXM#itinerary)

- Wales, maybe Snowdonia National Park

- Prague

- Barcelona

- Skiing in Zermatt - assuming the Swiss Franc weakens a touch, ouchie

Here is Dave's list:

 

- Palio - Festival in Sienna Italy (http://www.thesienapalio.com/)

- El Camino de Santiago, two weeks biking across Spain.

- Iceland (Northern Lights, Dog Sledding, etc.)

- Hike into the Sahara from Marrakesh Morocco

- Croatia, beach and adventure weekend

- Somewhere in the Middle East, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain or Abu Dhabi

- Egypt (Luxor, the pyramids, and the Nile......Israel or Jordan would also be nice if we made it a longer trip)

- Nordics: Norway, Finland, or Sweden - Winter or Summer - Skiing or hiking?

- Russia: Moscow and/or St. Petersburg

- Swim in the Black Sea (Odessa, Varna or Istanbul)

As mentioned previously, we are going to the Four Seasons Hampshire for a little R&R next weekend. Eff yeah! It is OK to hate me a little - just remember I live in a dumpy one bedroom apartment with peeling paint, we have no car, and I cannot buy clothes or shoes because there is nowhere to put them. I am a little jealous of myself actually, except for the fact that the hotel is in the middle of nowhere and it will be freezing - hence the super cheap room rate of $160 per night. I'm sure we will figure out *something* to do, there are three bars and a spa after all. Plus, I bought the second and third Hunger Games books, I know they are considered Young Adult literature......but whatever.

And if anyone is considering ever seeing Snow Patrol in concert - DO IT! We went last night at the O2 Arena and it was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. What nice Irish boys! They thanked mom and dad in the audience, got all the stodgy Brits up and dancing (they are a surprisingly subdued concert-going crowd), and generally rocked the house. We saw the Black Keys on Friday and there was just no comparison, sorry - I know we have a lot of die-hard Black Keys fans as friends.

Well more later, time to study some German...... Auf Wiedersehen.