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The Swede Life

5th January 20225th January 2022 funtime65

Ah, the Swede Life… again our Scandinavian friends have been recognised as the Happiest Place To Live.

The Global Citizen Solutions’ Quality of Life index shows the Sverige passport heading the top ten for quality of life.

Now this is obviously all good for the Swedes of Swedeland.

And I’m reminded here for context of the travelling Irish Green Army and their chant towards their rival Swedish fans at a past Euros.

To the tune of The Village People’s ‘Go West’.

‘Go home to your gorgeous wives, go home to your gorgeous wives, go home to your gorgeous wives, go home…’

Let’s all move there

And talking about home, Global Citizens Solutions are reminding us here with their survey that Sweden awaits us…

Because their audience here is ex-pats yes, but also international retirees and digital nomads.

So what is it that GCS likes about ABBAland?

Well, the many beautiful landscapes, obvs.

But also its corporate culture that has fully embraced a good work-life balance.

And a country that leads in global development.

The six indicators

Pretty as a picture: And in the kitchen too

The six main indicators considered for the Quality of Life Index are

*Sustainable Development Goals (weighted at 30%)

*Cost of living (weighted at 20%)

*Level of freedom (weighted at 20%)

*Level of happiness (weighted at 10%)

*Environmental performance (weighted at 10%)

*Migrant acceptance (weighted at 10%).

Index of happiness

Flagging up Sweden: And Homer’s a fan too

And Sweden scored 87.2 in the Quality of Life Index.

So in layman’s language that means they’re high in sustainable development, level of freedom, environmental performance (pause for breath).

Happiness levels, and migrant acceptance categories.

Sweden only ranked unfavorably in the cost of living category, which is considered high.

However, the country has relatively high salaries for its population, which increases the cost of living.

The top ten

Now don’t shoot me here, they’re not my findings.

Because here they are in descending order…

1. Sweden

2. Finland

3. Denmark

4. Canada

5. Germany

6. Netherlands

7. New Zealand

8. UK

9. Spain

10. Austria

An expert writes

See, happy: The Swedish Chef from The Muppets

Mapping it out, Patricia Casaburi, Managing Director at GCS, said: ‘From kindergarten, there are 16 months of paid family leave.

‘That can be split between the couple after a new child is born, with free daycare also available.’

And though I’d never complain about rearing my family in Ireland, mmmm?

Over to Patricia again: ‘While most passport rankings focus solely on the number of countries that one can visit visa-free with a certain passport, Global Citizen Solutions believes that a passport’s true value has so much more to offer.’

And wouldn’t that just be Bra (behave… it’s Swedish for good)?

Ah, yes, The Swede Life.

Countries, Culture, Europe

Rainy Days and Songdanes and Scandis

5th July 20215th July 2021 funtime65

For the week that’s in it with England taking on Denmark in the Euros here’s Rainy Days and Songdanes and Scandis.

And before my Finnish friend Paula starts I know Finland, or Iceland, are technically Scandinavian.

Though I have seen these Nordic countries included as Scandi in places.

Scandis and Nordis are uniting in support of the Danes on Wednesday.

And much of the world after Christian Eriksen’s collapse.

Why the three countries on the British isle don’t do the same for each other is a different story.

All of which brings us to a musical tour of these lands.

Probably Denmark

And there’s a bridge to the rest of Scandi

Whigfield, Saturday Night: ‘It’s party time and not a minute we can lose.’

Now that’s a call to arms if ever. And it’ll be easy for the Danes to change the words to Wednesday Night.

A-ha there!

A-ha, Take On Me: And proof from the video that these Vikings from Norway are gods straight out of a storybook.

Although don’t take my word for what the Norwegians are like in their fjords. Oh, go on then, do!

Abba Fabba

Abba Waterloo (Swedish version): Yes I do, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do if only Agnetha had been available rhen.

You can, of course, see Sweden’s Fab Four at the Abba Museum in Stockholm.

Where Finns started

Hanoi Rocks, Boulevard of Broken Dreams: And maybe not the Finnish band you were expecting.

Hard Focks Hallelujah. Finland glam punk band Hannoi Rocks were thete long before Lordi and even inspired Bon Jovi and Green Day.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Of Monsters And Men, Dirty Paws: And we’ll finish on an Icelandic Viking mythology vibe from Iceland’s finest.

All in the setting of the Euro favourites Italy and our favourites too, though it’s for you to work out if that means football favouritism.

But that can wait… here’s to Rainy Days and Songdanes and Scandis.

Caribbean, Countries, Deals, Europe

Newsday Tuesday – Green for more go

1st June 20211st June 2021 funtime65

Don’t fret Bandanini and Bandanettes I’m incorporating Cruiseday Tuesday into a new feature as things are moving quickly…. here’s Newsday Tuesday – Green for more go.

We’ve long lobbied for Greece, and particularly its islands to be first off the block with a UK green light and now we’re pushing Cyprus.

Hype for Cyprus

My friend Diomedous in Aegeanworld has good news for us.

Pafos on the southwest coast is reporting a 0.000 rate of positive cases!

And in Cyprus as a whole there are 0.1 positive cases which is prompting the Athena Beach Hotel to open up again on June 9.

Seven nights with free half-board upgrade for July departures from £689pp, flying from Gatwick, with other airports available on request.

More ports in the storm

Obrigado: With the Scary One in Portugal Centro

Now wouldn’t it be a treat if we could all broaden our horizons from our current Green List go-to countries of Portugal, Gibraltar and Iceland?

The UK Government will be releasing their Travel review on Thursday, June 3, with the new destinations to come in on June 10.

We’re hearing on the grapevine that these ten are mooted because they’re leading the way on vaccinations and Covid rates.

And no, Cyprus, isn’t on it but I know Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps are ardent readers… imagine them in Bandanas.

The perfect ten

So let’s look at some of the ten that could get the green light.

Malta has long held a special place in our heart while we need little invitation to flag up the Caribbean.

Each have their individual merits.

Anguilla and the Caribbean

But on alphabetical order, and because their Minister got off the beach and put down his rum punch to talk to us… let’s headline Anguilla.

Antigua and Barbuda (one country),

The British Virgin Islands, The Cayman Islands, St Kitts and Nevis (again a oner) and the Turks and Caicos Islands (you get the picture) complete the Caribbean comeback.

Fiji or there would be a mutiny

Exotic islands you say? Fiji is being championed too and why not as it has been voted Happiest Place on Earth.

And I put their patience to the test when I tried going native with my Dad Dancing when they brought their show to Dublin.

The big Finnish

Let’s finish our list of contenders with, well with a big Finnish, where we all know they love a sauna and cutting ice circles in lakes to jump into.

And we suspect there will be a mass dunking if they get the nod.

It’s Newsday Tuesday – more Green for go. Go, go, go.

And Bye Bye Love Boat cap’n

And for most of us Fiftysomethings our first insight into the magical world of cruising wax The Love Boat.

So it was only natural that Princess Cruises should get Captain Stubing on board to serve as their Global Ambassador for 35 years.

May heaven be a calm sea, Cptn Gavin MacLeod.