NordenBladet – In today’s post I am writing to you about Naantali´s main tourist attraction – Moominworld! Naantali is located in South-Western Finland, it is a wonderful resort town. When the weather is good, there is plenty to do. Because the natural surroundings is very lovely, it is great to promenade near beach or discover the lovely resort and the old town. But now more about Moominworld! Moominworld
(Official Website: http://www.muumimaailma.fi/)
Moominworld is a children’s theme park created in 1993, is dedicated to Tove Jansson’s Moomin book series and designed and created by Dennis Livson. Moominworld´s conception and philosophy assess the family values, friendliness and respect for other people. It also promotes a natural, safe and adventurous childhood. Moominworld is located in Naantali Kailo island opposite the Naantali´s old town, not far from the Turku city (16 km from Turku and 180 km from Helsinki). The island can be reached via the pedestrian bridge. Naantali is like a fairytale city – lovely “doll” houses, very tidy and clean, and when you arrive to Moominworld, you will forget for a moment that you are an adult – the island is so fabulous and cute! You really feel there that life is beautiful.
Children can see with their own eyes the whole Moomin family and other Moominworld residents. The Moomins are very friendly and welcome everyone personally, children (also adults) can hug them and take photos with them. Children are also welcome in the homes of all Moominworld inhabitants – you can see with your own eyes how Moominmamma have cooked a cake or Moominpappa writes his memoirs. Several times a day there is also a theater (included in the ticket price), where the Moomins themselves will give a performance. On the island you´ll find many familiar places which you have seen in Moomin books and cartoons. Also there are several food places, shops and lottery booths.
Take at least one full day to visit Moomin World! Moominworld is open this summer until August 28!
OHMYGOSSIP – Heipparalla! If only I would know exactly what that means, but we use it as conjunctive after our last trip to Finland – now it´s our private slang or so. My daughter Ivanka Shoshana (8) said “Heipparalla” after every cool thing she saw and for us it is now such a positive statement that we all use if there is sth positive! Now, so, Heiparalla dear readers. We’re back from our journey, and I strongly recommend this trip to everyone!
We had planned the trip for the children – we wanted to make 100% children´s trip, where all the steps which are taken into account were made thinking about the children, and we couldn´t come out with better ideas than Naantali in Finland! This place is all about children´s activities! We were in Finland (Naantali) for four days, and for every day I made a special program:
Day 1: Naantali Spa
Day 2: Moominworld
Day 3: Väski
Day 4: Kultaranta
We stayed in five-star “Naantali Spa Hotel” ☆☆☆☆☆ (Official Websites: Naantalispa.fi and Sunbornhotels.com, Matkailijantie 2, FI-21100 Naantali), which is part of the Sunborn Hotels chain. It is very close to Naantali´s city center and just a walking distance from Naantali´s main tourist attractions – Moominworld (Official Website: Muumimaailma.fi. Read my blog about Moominworld HERE) and Väski. The Naantali Spa Hotel lies near a beautiful lake and has a main building and side building, which is about 100 m from the main building. We stayed in a double deluxe room in the main building, which is the best solution if you travel with children because it is more convenient.
SPA, various children´s game rooms, restaurants and shops are all in the main building. The hotel is really nice and the location is wonderful! Naantali is really like a small fairytale town – very cute houses, a lot of nature and hiking trails, small sandy coastal strips, etc. Reminds me a bit of the Kuressaare city in Estonia. There are all sorts of sports facilities in the hotel’s courtyard – tennis, volleyball, playgrounds for children, a beach area, and a large convenient parking for cars. Very nice hotel!! It left us a very good impression, and in the future I would certainly love to visit other Sunborn SPA and Yacht Hotels as well!
The hotel has many restaurants, shops and cafes .. Unfortunately, I didn´t take so many pictures inside the hotel (I suggest to view their website, there are very good and comprehensive galleries: Naantalispa.fi/en/gallery), but I want to say some words about the breakfast buffet. First, I love that it is open until 10:30. I hate to put the waking alarm just because you need to go to breakfast. Also, we loved that there were several halls and terraces – plenty of space and privacy! Last but not least – the food was very good 🙂
Our double deluxe room´s balcony was opened to the huge roof terrace at the back side of the hotel! Higher floors and balconies were smaller and fenced. One thing I noticed right away was the silence! I love quiet and peaceful places! Despite the fact that it was the peak season and the hotel have plenty of restaurants-bars, I did not hear any noise – not once! It would be creepy to relax if there is nonstop rock and roll, which you hear through the walls.
Fortunately, the hotel neighbors were polite as well… they either wasn´t there at all or we did not hear them. Anyhow, it was very cozy and silent. And also was positive, that despite the fact that there were ashtrays on terrace tables, nobody smoked! Nowadays, I do not think there are many people left who smoke anyway – everybody thinks about their health! So in summary, there were silence, peace and fresh air! Divine!
The hotel has Classic, Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe Double, Double Deluxe and Moomin-themed rooms and suites (see: naantalispa.fi/en/hotel/presidential-suite/). I chose a double deluxe room for us (see: naantalispa.fi/en/hotel/deluxe-room). Moominmamma, which you saw in the picture is ours, we took it with us from home. However, when we register ourselves into the hotel, the receptionist gave complimentary color book and crayons for both children. This, of course, immediately made them feel good (read: even better!).
(Moomin room picture and 3x suite´s pictures are taken from Naantali Spa´s webpage!)
There were no complimentary drinks nor fresh flowers or fruits in the hotel room (I guess this privilege is only for those who will stay in the suite ???) – but there was mini bar/fridge. When I travel with children, I have always a little food box with juices and snacks with me, so it is very comfortable when there is a fridge where you can put your own stuff as well. The mini bar prices are of course (as in any other hotel – triple), so it is wiser to go to the store and buy your own stuff but actually the room service food menu was quite favorable.
Of cource, there were Wifi and TV – it is elementary. What I also like is when there are decent shampoos, balsams and lotions in the hotel´s bathrooms. And I do not know what greed in nice hotels always awakens in me, but I always have to take some bottles at home with me. As you can guess, I have a pretty nice collection of hotel shampoos thanks to this.
The room had enough space for four (two adults and two children), but there were only two dressing gowns for adults. We needed to rent Children´s robes from the SPA. There is a huge SPA at the hotel and without bathrobes it is very uncomfortable – most people changed in their rooms and went directly to SPA and back (wearing just a swimsuit and bathrobe). Very comfortable! I just love the SPA´s, I could live in the SPA´s!
You can order a variety of treatments in Naantali SPA and spend time with various swimming pools and saunas. Specifically, there are 2 saunas (one Turkish bath and one ordinary sauna), two big hot tubs and two swimming pools with colder water, and an outdoor pool. Babies do not have a separate pool. In our family there are no babies anymore, but I just mention it.
For smaller children there are waists and some toys which they can take in the water. Also, there is a cafe where you can buy drinks, snacks and sweets and add them to your hotel bill, so you don´t have to take money with you. For hotel guests the SPA visit is free, and you can go between your room and SPA as many times as you wish during a day. Estella Elisheva (10) used this opportunity repeatedly and even before the sleeping time went to swim.
A small iPad and TV pause after a warm and pleasant SPA and before we went to discover Naantali.
As you can see from the map, Naantali is a tiny place – everything is close. It is easy to walk from hotel to Naantali´s old town, but if you want, you can also take a little train. We chose to walk. There are very many beautiful houses in Naantali, it is a pleasure to walk. My first emotion was – we will move here! Haha.. but let me tell you… I almost always have this emotion when I travel in new beautiful places.
Naantali SPA second house.
Once you are in Naantali, step through Naantalin Matkailu OY (Naantalinmatkailu.fi). It is a tourist office where you can find info about absolutely everything that takes place in Naantali. Also, there are free maps, brochures, and everything else you may need – for example, you can buy tickets to various events. Naantalin Matkailu office is located in the exact center (Kaivotori 2, 21100 Naantali) and if you want to go to Moominworld or Väski Adventure island, it will be on your way there. You can buy Moominworld, Kultaranta or Vaski tickets in advance from their office if you want to avoid the queues. By the way, you can also buy a special Finnish Tammirauma “Dark Bees” honey from them!
Naantali is a delightful destination for family vacation – both children and parents have plenty to do! Summer is undoubtedly the best time to visit Naantali, but I believe that there is also very beautiful in winter time – moreover, I heard that Moomins will wake up for a week in February! 😉
xoxo,
Helena-Reet
*NordenBladet makes cooperation with Sunborn Hotels, Naantali Spa Hotel and Naantali Matakilu OY, but it does not affect my opinion and suggestions! Photos: NordenBladet /Helena-Reet Ennet
Keywords: naantali, naantali spa, naantali spa hotel, naantali tourist info, visit naantali, where is naantali, planning car trip, planning naantali trip, planning naantali vacation, vacation in finland, luxury in naantali, all around finland, around all finland, around all finland with car, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around naantali, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, turku, visit turku, moomin, moominmaa, moominworld, moomin world in finland, hotels in naantali, places to visit in naantali, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, naantali finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in summer, finland destinations, things to see in finland, naantali map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, matkailu, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in naantali, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, finland google map, finland travel guide, naantali road trip, cities in finland, finland self drive, helsinki to naantali, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland, time in finland, visit finland, finland naantali itinerary, blogger road trip, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to turku, day trip to moominworld finland, travel finland moomin world, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to väski, finland visiting places, finland driving, finnish trains, motorhome finland, helsinki to ahvenanmaa by car, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres moominworld, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in june, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki summer itinerary, touring suomi by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to kultaranta finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, two weeks in finland, travel in finland with car, mom travel blog, is it safe to travel in finland, safe travel in finland, best places to visit in finland, nordic travel sites, scandinavian travel sites, scandinavian travel website, scandinavian travel magazine, scandinavian travel news, nordic travel news, finnish travel news, finland travel news, visiting finland in august, getting from helsinki to naantali, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, naantali travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland children trip, finland moomin trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children
NordenBladet – There’s a misconception that Silicon Valley is all about creating frivolous apps and getting paid buckets of money to do it while working in a frat house. Some of the brogrammer culture does exist in pockets, but it doesn’t define the cradle of innovation where thousands work and create in Silicon Valley. Here is Silicon Valley´s TOP 10 most amazing and inspiring people in tech right now.
It has been a big year for Zuckerberg. At Facebook’s annual F8 developers conference in April, he laid out a 10-year road map for Facebook, detailing short-term plans to ramp up video, search, and apps, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, in the next five years. The company’s long-term focus will include bigger projects like drones, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality.
Zuckerberg also became a dad last fall, prompting him to pledge to give away 99% of his $50 billion fortune throughout his lifetime. He will do so primarily through a new organization he cofounded with his wife, Priscilla Chan, called the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which is aimed at making long-term investments in causes and organizations that will improve health, education, and equality.
Once just a search engine, Google has grown so tremendously that its cofounders felt it was time to restructure the company. In a letter last summer, Page announced the creation of Alphabet, a holding company that oversees Google and numerous other subsidiaries. As Alphabet’s CEO, Page can focus on acquiring new technologies, fostering “moonshot” projects, and developing talent — his first move was promoting Google’s Sundar Pichai from senior vice president to CEO.
In June, Bloomberg Businessweek reported that Page had personally acquired two companies working on creating a flying car, an investment unaffiliated with Alphabet.
Worth $68 billion, the ride-hailing service Uber, helmed by Kalanick, holds steady in its place as the most valuable private tech company in the world. Under Kalanick’s leadership, the startup also raised the largest round of venture capital ever, bringing in $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in June.
Uber continues to expand and innovate, particularly through new services, such as UberEats, which brings meals to New York City customers, and UberRush, which helps businesses make deliveries. Kalanick leads the charge as Uber expands and conquers new markets, even as it faces fierce competition in China.
4. Elon Musk
CEO, Tesla; CEO and CTO, SpaceX; chairman, Solar City
Musk continues to be one of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs — and preeminent multitaskers. Musk has his eyes set on dominating land and space through Tesla Motors and SpaceX, two of the hottest and most progressive companies of our generation. In April, Musk unveiled Tesla’s mass-market Model 3, racking up 375,000 preorders in one month. The company is reportedly struggling to meet demand.
In June, Musk made a highly criticized all-stock offer for Tesla to acquire the floundering solar-energy company SolarCity; Musk owns 22% of the company and serves as its chairman. And if that weren’t enough, he also envisioned a futuristic transporation system called the Hyperloop that would take people from LA to San Francisco in less than an hour. One company building a system based on that idea has now secured $80 million in series B financing in May and has begun testing its technology.
5. Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner
Cofounder and executive chairman (Hoffman), CEO (Weiner), LinkedIn
In March, Weiner gave his $14 million stock bonus back to LinkedIn employees after the company’s stock tumbled 40% following the company’s tepid February earnings report. Weiner hoped the move would help reinvigorate employees and improve morale.
By June, the company’s stock-price woes had become moot. The tech world shook after Weiner and cofounder Hoffman oversaw the professional social network’s sale to Microsoft for a stunning $26.2 billion in cash. The deal marked Microsoft’s largest acquisition ever, with the software giant paying a 50% premium to close the deal. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella plans to eventually sync LinkedIn’s network with Microsoft Office, ideally bolstering the overall user experience on both sides.
6. Jack Dorsey
Cofounder and CEO, Twitter and Square
As CEO of both Square and Twitter, Dorsey has his fingerprints all over Silicon Valley. In November he took the mobile payment company Square public, opening at $9 a share, lower than the $11 to $13 originally proposed. Though some outlets called it a flop, many entrepreneurs would kill for the company’s $3 billion market capitalization and $1.3 billion in revenue.
And after returning to Twitter as interim CEO last July (and officially appointed CEO in October), Dorsey has spent the past year turning the struggling social network around by solidifying its mission and making product adjustments, including plans to incorporate more live video and crack down on the hateful abuse many users complain about.
In the past 12 months, Cook guided the tech giant through the launch of Apple Music, which garnered 6.5 million paid subscribers in the first month after the service’s free-trial period; released the Apple TV 4, which can run third-party apps and access Siri; and introduced the iPad Pro, the company’s largest tablet, boldly declaring the end of PCs with it.
Under Cook, Apple also recently invested $1 billion into Didi Chuxing, the Chinese ride-hailing service that is blowing Uber out of the water in China. The deal was Apple’s first major investment since it bought Beats Electronics in 2014.
It might not be a shiny, consumer-facing product, but the cloud computing software company Salesforce is crushing it and remains one of the hottest tech companies in the world. Helmed by Benioff, the $50 billion business boasts a 22% compound annual growth rate and is expected to rake in more than $8 billion in revenue this year.
Benioff has become a model CEO not just for financial success but also for social involvement, standing up for gender equality, workplace diversity, and LGBT rights. He has openly criticized legislation that could be used to discriminate against LGBT workers and publicly pledged to guarantee equal pay for men and women.
9. David Marcus
VP of messaging products, Facebook
It has been nearly two years since Marcus left his cushy job as president of PayPal to join the Facebook team as vice president of messaging products, a move he has called a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” Under his rule, Facebook’s Messenger has grown into a beast of its own, with 900 million monthly active users as of April.
This year Marcus built out Messenger’s AI capabilities to include Spotify song sharing, Uber and Lyft ride hailing, food ordering, and flight tracking. And with the recent unveiling of chat bots for businesses, Messenger aims to make sure you never have to deal with human customer service again.
Previously a Goldman Sachs vice president and a senior scientist at OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, respectively, Slingerland and Dylla publicly launched Stemcentrx in September along with Reiner, a serial investor and former telecom executive. Their mission: to end cancer by targeting cancer-specific stem cells.
Less than a year later, the pharma giant AbbVie bought the biotech startup for $10.2 billion, when the company was valued at $5 billion, in one of the largest tech acquisitions ever. AbbVie showed special interest in Stemcentrx’s lung-cancer-fighting drug Rova-T, which could grow the company’s oncology business. AbbVie hopes to bring the drug to market by 2018.
NordenBladet – This year’s summer is so loaded with life events and work that planning just a few days off with the family of four can be quite a challenge. Everyone in the family has a hectic schedule – either a secondment, a summer camp, scheduling the kids to spend time at grandparents’ home, then again the guests coming over, a theatre evening now, a concert night then – trying to make all the plans match is rather complicated! I have been web searching for information about a place suitable for a family vacation, so that everyone of us would be excited about it and so that it would also not take more that just a few days. The customary one week „summer holiday” travel was off the table due to this and hence my thoughts soon drifted towards Finland.
Finland as a holiday destination has already been often visited. However, since the country and its people are close to the heart and since crossing the Gulf is quick and easy, it wasn’t really much of a trouble to decide. „Finland… well then… but which part of the country?”, was my next question, since I hoped that my children would find it amusing and that I might also enjoy a pleasant stay in a lovely SPA …a very common wish for many a mother, I would say… Back in January when I visited a tourism fair in Finland I returned with dozens (hundreds!) of visit cards and booklets, the majority of them introducing places of interest in Finland. So there I were, browsing the materials, and voila! – NAANTALI. Precisely what I wished for at the moment, precisely what I had been looking for.
THREE main reasons why we chose Naantali this time:
#1 Very close – Naantali is only a few hours driving from Helsinki (the distance by air is 164km and 182km via E18 road. Starting off from Estonia, Tallinn, you actually need just 4-5h to reach this destination. An enormous bonus is that you can go by car – because what I really like is taking piles of luggage with me without much concern what exactly I might or might not need. Especially when we travel with children – whoever has got children certainly knows that 80% of the total luggage is usually made up of kids’ stuff. Packing this way just takes a moment – you simply heap everything in the suitcase and the car will do the rest. Besides, with the car you can take a break whenever you please, either for a toilet stop, either for taking pictures of the beautiful landscape, either for spontaneous shopping if there is an outlet, either just out of curiosity, either for a meal – you can just stop the car and take care of everything. I choose this! No distress, no restraints, convenient schedule!
#2 Children have a lot of great activities – I trust that Naantali is a good choice for a holiday, since the surrounding tourism is designed to invite children and parents alike. The travel booklet lists all ongoing events and holiday activities (see naantalinmatkailu.fi). Furthermore, there is a theme park after the writer Tove Jansson’s beloved children’s book „The Moomins”. It is supposedly this fiction theme park, the Moomin world (see muumimaailma.fi) in Naantali that attracts the most tourists. Probably just as thrilling for the youngsters is the Adventure Island Väsk (see vaski.fi), a boat trip away, and even the journey by boat to the island is already just as great an adventure for the kids. Full day card to the Moomin world is 28 euros and attending for two days in a row is 38 euros. Väsk tickets are 24 euros for each visitor (this includes the boat trip to the island and back).
#3 Luxurious style – Naantali has a most delightful five star spa hotel „Naantali SPA”, a branch of Sunborn hotels chain (see naantalispa.fi and sunbornhotels.com). I really enjoy adding a splendid luxurious style to the simple virtues of a good night’s rest. Therefore I am often extra emphasizing the hotel selection procedure. Concerning hotels – a rather modest choice can completely ruin the chances of creating a pleasant emotional foundation. Certainly there are the exceptions where precisely the somewhat crazy conditions are a part of the very agenda of the holiday… in this case I might consider a camping site, however, I would skip a snooze in a tent, since I find this more suitable for younger holidaymakers. A beautiful hotel room creates good feelings – luxurious hotels as well as edgy airports – these two are the nuances that add extra colour to the holiday experience. This particular holiday does not include the airport pass, nevertheless, the hotel is super spectacular. Naantali SPA hotel has got the biggest swimming pools and greatest sauna world, pleasing the highest expectations of kids and grown-ups. Not to mention the magnificent restaurants and the real essence of this holiday option – the charming family rooms! By the way, finding cozy family rooms in a hotel are definitely not an easy task to solve, if you don´t quite look for the president´s suite. Most hotels offer 2+1 options… thus travelling with two kids is already a lot more tricky. I wonder what would be the choices for even larger families?!
To illustrate this advantage, I copy here some of the pictures from the hotel´s home page – for example this is what the hotel is like from the outside like and here is what you can further find behind the facade: the Deluxe double room in the main building (32m²) that I have booked for three nights along with the SPA visit. As I have understood, our room has extra beds. The price for this room for three nights is 762 euros. Family ticket for the SPA (2 grown-ups plus 2 children aged between 4 and 12 years), Sun-Fri 50 euros, Sat 65 euros (complimentary for hotel residents!).
Estella Elisheva (10yrs) ja Ivanka Shoshana (8yrs) (2x on the pictures beneath) are already overwhelmed by the „travel fever”, longing for this holiday to begin. The Moomin cartoons that had been set aside have now been newly taken into the agenda, and Ivanka Shoshana seems to already have memorized the entire district map of the Moomin world from the Muumimaailma.fi webpage. Estella on the other hand seems even more keen on the Naantali SPA water park. We will see what gives the most wow-effect once we arrive. The detailed travel plan for these 4 days is still work in progress – a few other places of interest are also an absolute must! Myself – I am also already much looking for this great holiday! A pleasant little vacation can only do you good!
We are travelling to Naantali for four days in the beginning of July, I guess I´ll be posting more on this topic once we begin this journey. We will be hoping that the weather favours us!
OHMYGOSSIP – Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has opened the Petter Dass festival in Alstahaug, Norway, and gave a speech. The 42-year-old royal gave a speech on the first day of the ceremony, which took place on Thursday (16.06.16) in the Helgeland region of Norway, and revealed she has been “very much” looking forward to attending the ceremony.
Speaking at the event, which was reported on Norway Today website, the blonde beauty said: “I have been looking very much forward to finally experiencing this cultural festival, which in Petter Dass’ own spirit unites several artistic expressions, such as literature, music and visual arts, in wonderful surroundings. It’s a great experience to be here.”
The theme for this year’s festival is based on the Mosaic Law’s second commandment, which is: “You shall not misuse the name of God”, and organisers have been inspired by the subject of freedom of expression and cultural taboos to fit in with the theme.
Speaking about the theme, the mother-of-two – who has 12-year-old daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and 10-year-old son Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway with her husband the Crown Prince of Norway Haakon – said: “This way the festival shows how important it is to remain relevant, to interpret the textual heritage in a way that brings it into our times.”
Meanwhile, Mette-Marit enjoyed a day out at the two-day festival EAT: Stockholm Food Forum, which was held at the Clarion Hotel Sign on Tuesday (14.06.16) with Princess Victoria of Sweden, 38, where they spoke at the conference alongside ‘The Naked Chef’ Jamie Oliver.
OHMYGOSSIP – Britain’s Zara Phillips – the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II – is a talented cook, according to her husband Mike Tindall. The second eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II is a talented cook and can whip up delicious dishes like fish stew and loves to “experiment” with ingredients in the kitchen.
Mike, 37, – who wed the blonde beauty in 2011 – is great at making sweet treats but that’s about all and added: “I’m good at making chocolate brownies, sticky toffee puddings and chocolate fondants. When we have people over, I prepare deserts. But I can only cook from a recipe book. It’s Zara who’s the fantastic chef in our house. She makes a lot of fish dishes and isn’t afraid to experiment.”
The former England rugby star retired from the sport in 2014 and now enjoys spending quality time with the couple’s two-year-old daughter Mia.
He told Hello! magazine: “One thing I vowed when I finished playing was that I didn’t want to be away from home all the time. I used to leave the house at 6am and return 12 hours later, which mean I hardle ever saw Mia. But the variety of what I do now enables me to appreciate my time with her, to take her to Tumble Tots or go to swimming, cycling, or for walks in the fields with our three dogs. It’s brilliant watching her grow up, especially at this age where she’s turning into a lively little person with character.”
Meanwhile, the hunk insists his future lies with his family and being there for 35-year-old Zara, 35 – who won an Olympic silver medal in horse riding and has hopes of entering the Rio Olympics in August.
He said: “My role is to be there for her in whatever way works best.”
OHMYGOSSIP – Britain’s Princess Charlotte has a “little crew of royal” friends in her royal cousins Mia, Savannah, Isla and her brother George. The 12-month-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is great pals with Savannah, five, and Isla, four, whose parents are Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn and Mia, from Phillip’s sister Zara and her husband Mike Tindall.
Mike – whose wife and brother-in-law are the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II – says the adults in the royal family are very close and the children are growing up with the same bond.
He revealed: “Mia and Savannah and Isla enjoy being around babies and were very gentle with (Charlotte). We’ve got a good little crew of royal youngsters going on there now. They all seem to get on and enjoy each other’s company and it’ll be good to watch them grow up together…. There’s a strong bond between the royal family. We’d like that between all our little ones as well.”
Autumn added that her niece, Mia, is “a little wrecking ball” and “a little monkey” and the “the dynamic is great” when the girls and Princess Charlotte’s brother, Prince George, aged two, get together.
She gushed: “All the youngsters, our girls, Mia and Prince George, run down the corridors, laughing.”
Meanwhile, Mike – who wed Zara, an Olympic silver medalist, back in 2011 – revealed Mia, Savannah, and Isla, often go riding their horses together with their parents.
He told Hello! magazine: “All three of them love each other. They often go riding together on our three Shetlands. Mia has progressed to a proper saddle now. The girls are like peas in a pod and I think that closeness between them will continue for many years.”
And he thinks the Queen’s oldest great grandchildren, James Viscount Severn, eight and 12-year-old Lady Louise, who are the children of Prince Edward and his wife Sophie “will end up being the babysitters.”
OHMYGOSSIP – Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Cornwall visited County Donegal in Ireland and fans described Prince Charles as “so down to earth”.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall made their first official visit to County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday (25.05.16) and chatted to delighted residents, who said the heir apparent made everyone feel at ease.
Róisín McCool, principal of Irish speaking school Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí, said it was an honour for the children to perform Irish dancing for the royals and added: “We were absolutely honoured and privileged to be here today to be singing and dancing and playing music for Prince Charles and Camilla.
“It went fantastic and they loved it. Everybody was so down to earth he was absolutely lovely and he was talking to the kids and us.
“The kids sang their hearts out and they played so well and danced fantastically well. So I was over the moon and delighted for them all.”
And Camilla, 68, and her 67-year-old husband gave the county a “tourist boost,” according to Donegal Castle’s manager Sean McLoone.
He told the BBC: “It went very very well, the sun shone which always helps and I thought the castle looked resplendent and certainly the royal highnesses expressed their thanks, they enjoyed their tour.
“There was a lot of smiles all round. I think its very important from a tourist perspective because a lot of our visitors would be traditionally from England anyway.”
Meanwhile, the Duke of Cornwall described the county – which is home to Glenveagh National Park – as “a place of dramatic and beautiful scenery, of music and storytelling, of myth, legend and the Irish language” and a place “where the link between man and the land is still so well understood”.
OHMYGOSSIP – Coldplay will headline Britain’s Prince Harry’s Sentebale charity concert at Kensington Palace on June 28. Just two days after they take to the stage at the world famous Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, the ‘Hymn for the Weekend’ hitmakers will sing tracks from their album ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ in support of the prince’s charity and The Handa Foundation.
Coldplay were “delighted” to accept the royal invitation and said: “We’re delighted to join Prince Harry for this very special concert and to support Sentebale’s incredible work with adolescents affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana.”
The British group – which includes Chris Martin, Will Champion, Guy Berryman and Jonny Buckland – will play to a crowd of 3,000 people in the outdoor grounds of the palace next month to raise funds for the charity which helps vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa and was set up in memory of Prince Harry’s late mother Princess Diana.
The flame-haired royal founded the charity with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to continue the vital work his mother set out to do to tackle HIV and AIDS.
Cathy Ferrier, CEO of Sentebale, said: “We are ever more committed to play our part and use all our resources to support children living with HIV. The concert is about bringing people together who can make a difference.”
‘Green Garden’ hitmaker Laura Mvula, African-Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz, and spoken word poet and Sentebale’s ambassador George Mpanga, known as George the Poet, will also perform.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry, 31, previously enlisted the Coldplay frontman, 39, to write the official anthem for the Invictus Games which he also set up and enjoyed its second event this year.
OHMYGOSSIP – With the average cost of a wedding hovering around $30,000, it’s no wonder that modern couples are saving some green everywhere they can, from doing their own wedding day makeup to DIYing their bouquet. There are also money-saving honeymoon options for the cash-strapped bride and groom. Instead of choosing that dreamy international adventure, many couples are opting for a shorter “mini-moon” a little closer to home. But just because a domestic mini-moon is cheaper, doesn’t mean that it won’t be as romantic. Here are 15 swoon-worthy US destinations for every type of newlywed couple.
Sun Seekers
1. Miami, Florida: No, South Beach isn’t just for spring breakers. This popular touristy locale is perfect for a romantic getaway, with its beautiful art deco hotels, white sandy beaches and lively nighttime entertainment.
2. Maui, Hawaii: Pretty much any island in Hawaii would be ideal for an unforgettable mini-moon, but we’re partial to the stunning island of Maui. With breathtaking waterfalls, beachy resorts and postcard scenery, it’s definitely worthy of your first few days as newlyweds.
3. Clearwater, Florida: Located on the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas County, the white sand beaches of Clearwater are a beach bum’s dream. From dolphin searching to parasailing to Adirondack chair lounging, you’ll never run out of things to do in this warm and wonderful Gulf-coast town.
Foodies
4. Portland, Oregon: With microbreweries, food trucks and coffeehouses galore — a trip to Portland is almost guaranteed to include some good Instagram-worthy eats.
5. Atlanta, Georgia: The capital city of Georgia may not be widely known for its grub, but spend a few days in the city and you’ll understand why it’s high on almost every foodie’s American dining list. From Antico Pizza to Sublime Donuts, you’ll definitely end up eating your weight in food on this stunning southern adventure.
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Home of the iconic Philly cheese steak, a mini-moon to Philadelphia is packed with delicious goodies. Whether you’re looking for savory bites or sweet treats, Pennsylvania’s largest city is just waiting to seat you in one of their thousands of yummy restaurants.
Adventure Junkies
7. Sedona, Arizona: A true desert town, this beautiful city is surrounded by nature’s playground. We’re talking red-rock buttes, 1.8 million acres of national forest land and two state parks. Whether your ideal getaway is sleeping under the breathtaking stars or hot air ballooning over the red rocks at dawn, Sedona can fulfill your dream adventure.
8. The Big Island, Hawaii: Take a helicopter ride over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, scuba dive with manta rays off the Kona Coast and walk through the 442-foot Akaka Falls. Whatever adventure you are dreaming of, the Big Island is waiting.
9. Anchorage, Alaska: The largest city in the state of Alaska, this adventurous town is overflowing with things to do with your sweetie. From dog sledding and bicycle tours to glacier cruises, let’s just say a mini-moon here will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Wine Lovers
10. Napa Valley, California: A list of the top domestic wineries to visit wouldn’t be complete without Napa Valley. With dozens of award-winning wineries and vineyards to visit (go check out Sterling Vineyards for the view of a lifetime), it’s a trip that’ll make any wine lover swoon.
11. Yadkin Valley, North Carolina: A hidden gem in beautiful North Carolina, this winery-packed region originated as a tobacco-growing locale. With a rich history and a stunning landscape, you and your partner will have the time of your lives sipping delicious reds while taking in all of the unbelievable sites.
12. Traverse City, Michigan: With over 40 wineries and vineyards in the region, Traverse City is an excellent spot for a romantic mini-moon, especially if going all the way out to sunny California isn’t in your budget.
Big City Dreamers
13. New York City, New York: You better get in a New York state of mind — and fast! From the dazzling spectacle of Times Square to the insane views from recently opened One World Observatory, the city that never sleeps is packed with things to see and do.
14. New Orleans, Louisiana: Nicknamed “The Big Easy,” the hopping nightlife, unbeatable jazz-and-blues scene, rich culture and good eats in this popular Louisiana city make it a great place to celebrate marrying your sweetie. With dozens of festivals a year, it’s always festival season in NOLA.
15. San Francisco, California: A mini-moon to the Bay Area involves much more than gazing upon the Golden Gate Bridge. From sea lion spotting at Pier 39 to catching a cable car up to Nob Hill, this sunny destination is equal parts big city and California dreamin’.
Source: Brit.co/ Ashley Macey
Featured image: Ohmygossip.com
