Coming to Alaska: A Journey from Cheechako to Sourdough by Nicole Mölders

 

Dear friends. Today I'm  reviewing a memoir from fellow blogger Nicole Mölders. I've long been in awe of the multi-talented Nicole. She is an Emerita Professor of Atmospheric Science, an author, lifestyle blogger at High Latitude Style, and an artist. 

In this autobiography Nicole shares how she and her husband left Leipzig in Germany to live in Alaska, US. 

The story is quite surprising: the move was sudden. After interviews over 3 days Nicole was offered a job she had seen advertised in a scientific journal. 

Her husband, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kramm, readily agreed to the move, even though he had never been there and the couple knew little about the place, except that it was cold. 

Soon they, their cat and worldly possessions were on their way to Fairbanks.

I Left My Heart in Altnaharra

 And TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. Altnaharra, in the northern corner of Scotland, is a tiny hamlet we passed through on our 3 week cycling adventure from Land's End in Cornwall to John O'Groats. The region is simply breath-taking and I definitely plan to go back!

This is part 2 of my journal on our trip. Read the first part. 

I'm picking up the story deep in the north of England. For me, the last few days in England and the week in Scotland were the most spectacular cycling in the holiday. The highly populated cities and towns give way to hundreds of miles of unspoilt countryside. 

UK End to End by Bike - Part 1

 And TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends.  For the last 3 weeks I've been cycling 1000 miles (1,609km) from Land's End in Cornwall to John O'Groats in Scotland (known as LEJOG). 

Some of you may remember we did this before, in 2024. I wrote a post about the experience, From Novice to LEJOG by eBike.  I talk there about how the holiday is run and give various tips on training, packing, riding an ebike and more.

This time, I'm approaching it in a different way. I'm sharing my daily journal. You'll find all the highs plus, in the interests of authenticity, the lows:  nausea, sore nethers, bike troubles....

Joyful July Reading {2026}

 

Dear friends.  If you're looking for some holiday reading I've got you covered. There's a gentle and lyrical 5 star read about a shy boy who loses his only friend, a couple of excellent crime thrillers and an  empathetic new read from Amanda Prowse. 

Non-fiction features a delightful book about penguins, and some delicious recipes and facts about adding fibre to our diets. 

All books were provided free as digital advance copies via NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an honest review, except those marked * which I bought myself.