To be able to spend a few days in a part of the world that is so beautiful and has meant so much to me, that has shaped an essential part of who I am today, is undoubtedly a privilege of the highest order.

I don’t know, but at 61 years old, it feels important to return to places like this.

I’ve tried to share my genuine and hopefully contagious joy and enthusiasm for being back in this extraordinary part of Sweden with many of the folks I’ve spoken with during yesterday’s hike along a stretch of the King’s Trail, Kungsleden, the very last part of the trail that has its grand finale here in Abisko (if the hike started in Nikkaluokta).

During last night’s dinner at Abisko Mountain Lodge, where I’m once again staying for a few nights, I enjoyed moose tartare, smoked Arctic char, and a delightful dessert called Crushed Dreams with crunchy cookies, blueberry jam, rhubarb, and a generous scoop of ice cream. Next to my table sat an American couple who also felt recharged and fueled up with inspiration from the fresh air and beauty of Lapland’s understated landscape.

Like most visitors, myself included, the couple were positively amazed by the vibrant colors and warm weather we are all enjoying right now. But perhaps most importantly, they were struck by the tranquility and inner respite they had experienced here in the very far north of Scandinavia.

In fact, that couple, both from the great state of Indiana, were so entranced that they had already started planning their next trip here.

And who hasn’t already done that?

It’s been a long time since I was a Silver EuroBonus Member, but I still have some Star Alliance points to use up before SAS’s new SkyTeam frequent flyer miles program kicks in. It was kind of strange hearing the kind cabin crew mention the new cooperation, which I assume is part of the 20% ownership stake Air France/KLM has bought.

I shot this earlier today as the sun was rising somewhere just south of Stockholm. I was equally impressed with the beautiful landscape as I was with how surprisingly accurately my two-year-old phone was able to capture it.

If you ask me, this is what happiness looks like. Believe it or not, I’m relatively easy to please. Give me a sunny day by the sea, a delicious shrimp sandwich with mayo, onion, and avocado, and a tall glass of chilled beer. +++ =

Photo @charlotteraboff

#shrimpsandwich #livetpåenpinne #räkmacka #räkor #västkusten #kajkantenvrångö #göteborgsskärgård #bohuslän #hotel #hotellife #rayban #coldbeer #draftbeer #prippsblå #kallöl #openfacedsandwich #picturesque #sweden #västsvenskaturistrådet #lotshuset

Gothenburg. Friday. Afternoon. Nostalgic.

After almost a week’s stopover in Malmö, it was time this morning to strap on the backpack again and board SJ’s express train to Gothenburg. Despite an almost empty train car, I got a seat facing backward, looking back – almost poetically symbolic – at what had already passed.

I was lucky enough to check into my hotel room extra early, so with my camera in hand, I set out on a long walk through Gothenburg, pleasantly warmed by the late summer sun and eager to capture some of the city’s most iconic spots in a beautiful morning light.

It would almost be a gross oversight if I didn’t eventually produce a beautiful photo book about Gothenburg. After all, I’ve had such a special relationship with this city – where I lived on and off for 20 years before moving south to Skåne and Malmö in the spring of 1998.

I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic when I return and the sun is shining. What I don’t miss, however, is the persistent, gray drizzle that dominates the city’s weather for much of the year.

It was to my Aunt Lillemor in Gothenburg that I moved in 1978 when my mother passed away at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. And it was during those very first years in “Götet” that I got to know some of my oldest friends, three of whom I’ll be breaking bread with later tonight during this year’s second TWTD* reunion.

Some of our little group have known each other since childhood, but it was during our time at Munkebäcksgymnasiet that the bonds between us were truly forged. And despite living in different parts of the country, we’ve managed to meet up –albeit with varying frequency – for at least a couple of decades now.

Earlier this year, we ended up at Restaurant Lai-Wa, a classic Chinese restaurant in Göteborg that has been serving Szechuan Chicken and Fried Shrimp with Sweet and Sour Sauce since November 1975.

Tonight, it’ll be Greek food somewhere between Masthugget and Majorna.

It’s hardly going to be surprising that there will be many lively topics, varying in height, breadth, and depth. Above all, there will be plenty of laughter – often and hard. At each other, about aging, and about life’s countless absurdities. Hopefully, the restaurant’s other guests will be understanding.

Provided I survive tonight’s gathering… tomorrow it’s off to the cliffs, islets, and skerries.

I’m planning to spend a couple of nights in a converted boathouse on an island in the archipelago. Hopefully, there will be some salty dips in the Atlantic and at least one delicious shrimp sandwich while I’m there.

TWTD* = Those Were The Days

After a most eventful month characterized by detoxing and training Bikram Yoga, we had a very uneventful flight home from Phuket/Thailand via Abu Dhabi. It’s great to be back and once we passed the bridge (above) on the train yesterday morning, I realized that I have a ton of stuff to look forward to this fall. Including several book projects – as well as some short and longer trips.

This morning I had my 20th Hot Yoga class in as many days. I did a double class yesterday to catch up with Charlotte. I’ll need to do a couple more doubles until I’m on par with my ambition to do 30 Hot Yoga classes within a month. So far, I’ve reduced my body fat by 6kg.

One of the friendly waiters at the hotel restaurant prepares my two breakfast boxes each morning, and I eat them (one with fruit, the other with veggies) with tremendous enthusiasm and the appetite of a vegetarian lion.

This is what today’s box contained: cucumber, broccoli, romaine lettuce, cornichons, bell pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, egg, shredded carrots, and sweet corn.

Some reading this might wonder why we’ve traveled so far when Hot Yoga is available in Malmö and all over Europe.

Well, first of all, the main reason is that I’ve been at Kata Hot Yoga once before (2018), so I knew what to expect and could explain to Charlotte what she would have to reckon with and the results she could look forward to.

Secondly: staying at a nice hotel for a whole month and not having to deal with everyday chores like cleaning, washing clothes, buying, carrying, preparing, and cleaning up after three meals a day is, to put it mildly, an incredible treat.

Thirdly: though the vast majority of people we interact with here in Kata are not Thai (they are either expats, tourists, or migrant restaurant workers from Myanmar), we do love talking to Thais and seeing their beautiful smiles.

Fourthly, after all the many times we’ve visited Thailand – a total of 2.5 years of my life – eating an abundance of really tasty Thai food at quite reasonable prices (like everywhere else, food here is more expensive, but not nearly as much as in the EU and US) is still such a privilege. As previously mentioned, the Thai food available in Malmö (and most other places outside of Thaialnd) comes nowhere near what we get to enjoy daily here – at a cost that is 4 to 5 times lower.

Kata. Evening. Khao Pad Kratiem Jay & Love.

The other night, Charlotte and I had dinner together at the market near our hotel. We usually eat at different times since Charlotte practices Hot Yoga in the evening, and I take the morning session.

Sixteenth time in a row for me this morning, and tonight is Charlotte’s nineteenth. Crazy.

We’re doing this to feel better, to stay strong, and to keep being flexible as sixty-year-olds.

After all, it’s at this age, between 60 to 75, that we all hope to be healthy and fit – so that we can continue to travel, create, and enjoy life – without our bodies complaining too much. We know health issues will inevitably arrive, but why invite them earlier than necessary?

According to the hotel’s scale, I’ve lost just over four kilos in less than three weeks. It’s likely mostly burgers, beer, and bourbon that have been burned off – things I find a bit too easy to indulge, but much harder to shed.

My metabolism has definitely ramped up during these weeks, I can feel it. But the plan going forward is to not indulge more than what my body needs. To eat less with my taste buds and more with my brain. And to embrace the Japanese principle of “Hara Hachi Bu.”

Back to dinner.

As we sat there at the market, eating “Khao Pad Kratiem Jay,” garlic fried rice with vegetables, Charlotte suddenly said she loves me.

I looked up, smiled, and responded just as spontaneously, “And I love you because you love me.”

I’m not sure why I responded that way, but I meant it. Knowing that you are loved, and feeling loved, means so much to me. It gives me strength and security.

Sometimes, when I think about the fact that there is actually someone who loves me – despite all my shortcomings and quirky traits – I become deeply emotional.

It’s far from always that I love myself, and I tend to focus too much on all the baggage I still carry around and how it can still cast a long shadow over my dreams, ambitions, and joy in life.

In a week, we’ll celebrate our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary. I’ll be 84 and Charlotte 82 when we celebrate our golden anniversary in 24 years. I hope we make it. But if we don’t, there’s something comforting in knowing we’ve come this far.

Being an old couple, both figuratively and literally, sharing the strange turns of aging, exchanging experiences, and finding a common path forward makes the inevitable journey toward “the ultimate cliffhanger” a little easier.

Sure, I can sometimes be envious of friends who are single. That uncompromising existence without negotiations, debates, and democratic decisions must be nice. But for me, being single would probably end in disaster.

I know that I need to be guided, supported, brought down to earth, and praised when it’s warranted. And to hear that you are loved for who you are.

Just as I love Charlotte for who she is, sitting across from me at a bustling market during one of our many adventures together.

The photo is from last night’s spectacular sunset here in Kata Beach.

“Portugal” is another new photography book that was coincidently published about the same time as “The Aging Man’s Survival Guide” and “Varvsstaden”.

This new book is the first in a series from places that have had a profound impact on me visually and where I’ve spent significant time.

The series’s concept is simple: create books with 75-80 inspiring images from amazing cities and places where I’ve spent significant time. Each book can serve as inspiration ahead of a visit or a way to remember how interesting and beautiful a destination is.

Portugal is available at www.amazon.com and www.amazon.se as well as www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.uk