As this season’s first snow is finally coming down outside - biking to work tomorrow sure will be interesting - it’s time to think about next year. Or what to do next summer, to be more precise. The grand plan to go to the US of A with the guys in September this year fell through for various reasons. But since that trip never happened, I’m transferring two weeks of unused summer vacation from 2011 to 2012. That gives me a grand seven weeks of free time next summer. Yeah, Norwegian vacation law ain’t that bad.

We’re still aiming for the states next year as well, but we’ll only be away for two weeks because we all have obligations of sorts back home. So, what to do during the remaining four weeks?

There’s a first time for everything. So next year Anniken and I are going on a cruise, of all things possible.

Yes, next summer we’re going on a seven day cruise of the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean Seas, taking us to Turkey and Greece, among other places. It’s an (almost) all inclusive feast and we’ve got a balcony view - getting the early bird package enabled us to upgrade to a pretty nice upper deck cabin. The only things not included are sightseeing and beverages, but I’m sure we can get some sort of pass that’ll enable us to maintain a respectable blood alcohol level without having to walk around with any money. It’ll be the most expensive vacation I’ve ever been on, but seeing all the great cruise chips that visit Oslo every summer, I’m sure it will be worth every penny.

That still leaves me three weeks of summer vacation and I hope I will be able to spend the majority of those three weeks sitting on my ass in front of my computer, or perhaps relaxing in a hammock on the balcony, with the barbecue working on a couple if nice steaks and a Summer Surprise or Awesome Autumn in my hand. Unfortunately, this kind of vacation isn’t too compatible with Anniken’s idea of the perfect vacation, but I’m sure we can agree on something.

The outlook for the summer of ‘12 is pretty damn good.