Travel seems to be ramping up after two years of pandemic hiatus. People are making plans to go new places and see new things, even as the number of COVID-19 cases are once more increasing.

I think the difference is that the latest variant doesn’t hit as hard, even as it is more easily transferred from one person to another. I have seen some suggestions that we are all going to get this one, but that for most of those fully vaccinated it won’t be a big deal.

I’m hoping to travel again this year, a mix of business and pleasure. Six countries on the probable list so far, though at this point none are guaranteeed. (These days I don’t consider a trip to be definitely “on” until I am sitting in the plane.)

So today I thought perhaps a couple of pictures of carriages used by the Swedish royal family that are on display in the Royal Stables in Stockholm. I spent a day in downtown Stockholm in 2017, just wandering around. The conference I had been attending was over, and while there were still some ongoing meetings, they were in Arabic with no translation, so I took the day off.

That day of wandering was not enough. I definitely want to return at some point, but I also am suffering from the traveler’s curse: so many places, so little time.