Junibacken: Children's Museum in Stockholm

When in Stockholm, you might skip over the children's museum in favor of something a bit more grown-up. You'd be mistaken. Junibacken was one of my favorite sites in Stockholm. Perhaps it has to do with my Peter Pan syndrome or affinity for Pippi Longstocking but nevertheless, I highly recommend Junibacken for people of all ages. As I walked up to the entrance, I couldn't help but be amazed by the orderly line of strollers outside. No one seemed too concerned about theft and they were organized in a perfect row. Inside, the museum was filled with gleeful young children and fatigued parents yet I felt no shame in being there. An admission ticket includes a ride on the "story train," an enjoyable experience into a Swedish literary wonderland. It's a magical journey through orchards, snowy villages, and larger than life scenes.

The other highlight of the museum is the replica of Pippi Longstocking's house. Head on over to the museum and transport yourself back in time, if only for a day.  

Junibacken is located at Galärvarvsvägen 8, 115 21 Stockholm, Sweden

Santon Museum in Fontaine de Vaucluse

 I highly encourage you to visit the Santon museum in Fontaine de Vaucluse.  Santons are a rich Provençal tradition that started with the French revolution.  In 1789, churches became state property and in 1792 the National Assembly decided to close them all.  With this act, the people were no longer able to enter churches and missed seeing nativity scenes at Christmastime.  And so people in Provence began to make santon figurines in their homes since they were forbidden.  The reason they were so small was that they were easy to hide as being caught could result in the guillotine.  Santons got their name because the first figurines were saints.  As time went on, the santons grew in size and now there is a wide variety.  Today there are about 100 santon makers in Provence.  They represent not just nativity scenes, but the people of the villages, and the old trades and occupations.  The museum can be found at Place de la colonne in Fontaine de Vaucluse.  Tel : +33(0)4 90 20 20 83 

Quick Trip to LA

When I noticed a three-day break in my work schedule, I ran to the computer and snatched up a decent fare off of Virgin America's website. We booked a hotel T. told us about just off of Doheney Drive in Beverly Hills. Since this was my sixth or seventh trip to LA, I wanted to see some of the sights we had never seen before. First stop: Getty Museum. We wandered around the beautiful courtyard since it was a sunny (warm) late January day. Lunch at the museum's restaurant provided a filling (albeit overly rich and creamy) meal with a spectacular setting. We spent most of our time in the beautiful gardens, topping off our visit to the Impressionist Room continuing our quest from France.

Other fun moments this trip:

-Hike up Runyon Canyon (amazing view, great workout, fun people-watching)

-Yummy weekday sidewalk "brunch" at BluJam Cafe

-Crashing a Hawaiian-themed tech (read: nerd) party complete with Tiki-torches at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica after a lackluster Happy Hour at the hotel's restaurant FIG