The last blog I kept was for my trip to Ireland with Troy in the autumn of 2010. I was really devastated after he ended the relationship two weeks before Christmas. So when I travelled to Europe again in May 2011, accompanied by my cousin Susanne and her daughter Chelsey, I had no desire to keep a blog, which only would have reminded me of him. Part of the 2011 trip was to celebrate Susanne's 40th birthday in Paris, France. I then spent a week doing genealogy in Provence (Marseille, Aix and Martigues), and a last week in Brussels, Belgium, visiting with my good friend Nick, his wife Isabelle, and their son Amaël. I also had the opportunity that time to make a quick one-day trip to London, England for the first, and so far only, time.
Shortly after my return to Gatineau, my close friend and colleague Geneviève died in her sleep from a massive heart attack. She was just 40 years old. For more than ten years, she had talked to me about her dream trip to Egypt she was going to make to celebrate her 40th birthday. She died before she had the chance to travel there. Following her death, I got this crazy urge to go on a trip abroad for her -- not necessarily to Egypt, but just to travel in memory of her.
The summer after Geneviève died, I consulted a clairvoyant in Bouctouche, N.B. I like to do this from time to time just to see what he has to say. That time, when I saw him, he told me that I had not entered his house alone, that there was a female spirit with me, and that she had a blood clot around her heart. I was really surprised because I had not told him anything about Geneviève. When I asked him if she had a message for me, he said she always thought I was "fin" (meaning "sweet", a word she always used to describe me), and that I should go on that trip.
For several different reasons, I did not get the opportunity to make that trip before now. And as I get ready for my 8th voyage to Europe, Geneviève is front and centre in my mind.
Last December, news broke that ABBA The Museum would open in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2013. It didn't take me very long to decide to buy a ticket for opening day, in the hopes of seeing my lifelong idols, Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad von Reuss, in the flesh. Knowing that the central focus was the museum, and that I could likely afford three weeks in Europe, I slowly began to plan my travel itinerary. The first thing that came to mind was that the Benny and Björn musical, "Kristina från Duvemåla", is currently playing in the neighbouring capital city of Helsinki, Finland. And then I thought of my friend Nick from Brussels, and how he mentioned he would like to meet up with me in the Netherlands. So it seemed natural that I travel from east to west, making my way from Helsinki to Amsterdam, with stops along the way in Stockholm, and also in Copenhagen, Denmark. Then, I discovered that the capital city of Tallinn, in Estonia, is an easy day-trip from Helsinki, so I decided to add that to the mix, and my trip was born.
I have to say that I am really looking forward to these adventures, first and foremost, obviously, for ABBA The Museum, but also because I cannot wait to see my Swedish friend Hans again. And I love the idea of being able to set foot for the first time in 4 new countries I have never been: Finland, Estonia, Denmark and the Netherlands. And since I am now over my relationship with Troy, I no longer feel haunted by his memory in keeping a blog. I just hope that I will be disciplined enough to keep it for the whole three weeks I am travelling.
