Svalbard, Norway + Málaga, Spain
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Alison is obsessed with Usual Wines, especially their Brut, which has notes of lemon, elderflower, and bergamot! She may have had multiple of the individual serving bottles in one sitting, but now that she’s disclosed that, you’ll feel okay with yourself when you do the exact same thing. (p.s.sst - you can get your first “glass” on us with code 10K at checkout!)
Lulu is re-obsessed with Jimmy Buffett’s music. Her Florida upbringing is coming out full-force, and she is enjoying the chilled-out vibes it provides during “these unprecedented times”.
Alison wants the Shine Bathroom Assistant device that automatically cleans your toilet. Simply place it anywhere nearby your toilet, snap on the sensors, and turn your toilet into a self-cleaning throne. It’s literally a eco-friendly hands-free toilet cleaner with plumbing diagnostics and help available via the app. Watch the pitch video and just try to not buy it.
Lulu wants the Mighty Mug, which somehow can not be knocked over, preventing most of your accidental spillage incidents. We can hear it saving her electronics already.
Located between mainland Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard is one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas. The Norwegian Archipelago is visa-free, and is home to people from over 50 countries, giving it a "when you're here, you're home" feel. The average temperature ranges from 6.8°F in winter to 42.8°F in summer. Can you say year-round parkas and snow boots? Alison has booked a suite at Funken Lodge in Longyearbyen. Her stay is at the top of “the Hill”, and has great views of Longyearbyen, the Lars- and Longyear glaciers. Accompanying those stunning views is a cozy-luxe atmosphere. Think fireplaces, deep chairs, Nordic minimalist decor, and a seriously impressive wine cellar.
“If the walls could speak, it would probably tell you about countless parties, and deep conversations in even deeper chairs.” The hotel has undergone a major renovation, and “new stories are ready to be told.” Okay you’ve convinced us, we’re coming!
When looking for excursions Alison found the super helpful one-stop shop that is the Visit Svalbard website. She is particularly intrigued by the offering by See & Explore that states - ”When arriving in a new place it can be difficult to find the best locations”. So true, luckily they offer an excursion with nature photography guide Oddgeir Sagerup who guarantees an arctic fox sighting!
Alison is wishing she could be in Svalbard in real life after stumbling across the Taste Svalbard Festival taking place from October 8, 2020 - October 11, 2020. It’s a weekend full of courses, demonstrations and lectures about Svalbard’s culinary history. You get to learn to salt, smoke, dry and cure meat, like from the common-to-the-area ptarmigan. She is going to poach the weekend’s “authentic and creative 6-course dinner” and make it her lunch. The curated course offerings are based on local ingredients from sea and land and is put on by Svalbard Hotel’s Restaurant Polfareren and Huset, the latter of which has one of Scandinavia’s largest wine cellars…a selection of which is paired with the meal!
An exploration of an abandoned facility is a part of this Coal Mine Tour where you get a feeling of the working conditions of a coal miner, complete with the coveralls, hard hats, and crawling through small spaces. As long as you don’t get claustrophobic, this tour would be immersive and informative.
We are determined to see the Northern Lights here at 10K Dollar Day. Both Alison and Lulu have previously planned days with the sole purpose of seeing aurora borealis, so booking this Hunt The Northern Lights excursion in Svalbard wasn’t even a question. The silent electric engine of your snowmobile gives way to “the Arctic silence”. You will see all types of wildlife - reindeer, ptarmigans, and arctic foxes - as you go in search of the magical light phenomena. It’s around $250 USD if you want to drive your own snowmobile, or $120 USD if you want to just be a passenger.
Dinner is at Gruvelageret, a history-centric restaurant whose coal mining-inspired interiors support a menu of local Nordic fare. Sweet potato soup with cod and shrimps, reindeer filet, coal-grilled leek, and caramelized pears are among the items she’ll be savoring, along with a wine-pairing, naturally.
With a history of being settled by the Phoenicians, then the Romans, Visigoths, and Moors, Málaga has a plethora of cultural influences that make it a must-see! More than just beaches and wine, the city boasts breathtaking views, stunning architecture, fantastic food and a bit of art. Lulu decides to explore the area from the Hotel Palacio Blanco. This 9-room boutique hotel is in a restored 18th century palace, each room comes in at 95 euros per night, so Lulu booked the entire hotel for the night for $2000. The hotel has a rooftop exercise swim-spa pool and a sunbathing terrace with stunning views of the town, castle, and mountains. “Here, you can relax, sunbathe, and help yourself to a drink from one of our honesty bars.”
The Málaga Feria is a week-long fair commemorating the re-conquest of the Andalusian town by Ferdinand and Isabella, known as the Catholic Monarchs. This week is essentially a street party with copious amounts of flamenco, fried fish, and other festivities! There are also Andalusian horses, free concerts, and plenty of wine to be had. Fireworks often end the evenings…so there’s that to look forward to at the end of her day.
Breakfast is at The Cereal Boom, a specialty restaurant favoring everything cereal! Not only do they decorate their lattes with cereal, they have cereals Lulu has never heard of before: Nesquik, Fruit Loops w/ marshmallows, pop tarts cereal, marshmallow fruity pebbles, Twinkies…it’s a breakfast aficionado’s dream come true!
Next up is a private guided tour of the Picasso Museum that she found while looking for excursions on Viator.com. For three hours you are taken in a group of no more than 15 persons through the prestigious museum housed in Palacio Buenavista. In case you didn’t know, Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga, Spain. On this tour you also get to go to Casa Natal, the home he was born into. All for about $92 USD.
Caminito del Rey ("The King's Little Path”) is a dangerous walkway that while refurbished, involves some effort to hike, but oh how worth it! The views are breathtaking, though to get to the gorge and main bridge, you have to watch your step along the very narrow walkways. In fact, this path was closed from 2001 to 2015 after five hikers fell to their death. Lulu spends $400+ to buy out a 20-person tour, so she has all the space and assistance available.
The Petzl Sirocco climbing helmet from REI she brought with her is going to come in handy, as is - be still, Lulu’s catholic heart - this Paul Morelli 18K turquoise and ruby rosary she got on sale for $6296.50 from luxury resale website, theRealReal. Perhaps she can have one hand on this while the other hand grips the cliff wall with all her strength.
Dinner is at José Carlos Garcia whose menu items feature “autochthonous” ingredients - meaning indigenous rather than descended from migrants or colonists. They have a very fancy, gastronomy-esque meal, then head up to the roof. The evening ends with a hang on the rooftop terrace, with a two bottles each of #Team10K’s favorites Lexy’s Toast Brut Rosé and Lexy’s Toast Brut Nature! Sipping bubbly while taking in fireworks is such a spectacularly 10K end to a day!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
Bancosol Alimentos (“Food Bank”)
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