I had a little too much fun when I visited Stockholm at the end of last summer. After sampling more than my fair share of Swedish meatballs, downing some aquavit and partaking in the city's surprisingly debaucherous nightlife, my liver and my body needed a break.

My salvation came in the form of a wonderful five-syllable word you might remember from grade school geography class - the archipelago. For those not familiar with the term, an archipelago is a word typically used to describe a small cluster of islands (extra points if you pronounce it correctly). The city of Stockholm sits on a string of 14 islands that form a small part of the vast archipelago that stretches out into the Baltic Sea. For no more than the price of a Swedish crayfish lunch, a fleet of ferries will transport you to one of the many sparsely populated, pine-tree covered islands that populate the chain outside the city center.

I decided the island of Vaxholm sounded interesting and hopped on a late morning ferry. The ferry trip is a pleasant one, offering a visual smorgasbord of the many sights that make Stockholm famous. As our ferry steamed out of Stockholm, I was treated to panoramic vistas of the harbor behind me, the city's brightly-hued orange and yellow structures glowing against a luminous sky dotted with clouds. Along the way, we passed all manner of sailboats and cruise ships, each one flying the famous blue and gold cross of the Swedish flag. The views on the ferry trip alone made the journey worthwhile.

Less than an hour later, we arrived at Vaxholm. Vaxholm is one of the more populated islands in the archipelago, boasting its own fortress and a small city center. The visit proved to be the perfect antidote to busy Stockholm. I strolled around Vaxholm's tiny downtown with a few friends, stopping to return some Swedish fish to their native habitat. After a leisurely lunch at a cafe along the island's rocky shore, we were ready to head back to the city.

This non-event of a day trip is exactly why I liked Vaxholm so much. Just like my ferry trip, I found the island visually striking, dotted with colorful wooden cottages and scenic views of the sea beyond. And unlike Stockholm, there's no must-see tourist site, making it the perfect spot to find a nice rock in the sun, grab a cold beer and watch as the sailboats pass you by. If you're really looking to get away, you can even head farther to the north or south, where you'll find plenty of wild, sparsely-inhabited islands where you can live out the Walden fantasies of your dreams.

If you find yourself in Stockholm this summer, set aside a day trip to visit the archipelago - you won't be disappointed.

I've always had a strange desire to be in a Jurassic Park film. The last time I was at Universal Studios, I remember seeing the dinosaurs in an utter state of awe as I imagined how life would have been if these creatures still existed.

Dragons on the other hand, I've only read about in story books and would never have imagined that there are 2,500 of them walking freely on Indonesia's Komodo Island. Yes my friends, there are humongous carnivorous lizards -- some that are 10-feet long -- walking at their own liberty, on our planet!

17,000 people visited Komodo National Park last year, a number not too high perhaps only because of the lack of tourist facilities on the island. (I imagine if you are visiting an island with dragons, the more tourist facilities around, the higher your likelihood of visiting, no?). As for me, my explorer spirit doesn't include being dragon-fearless: I'd jump out of my skin and run for my life if I ever encountered one.

Also, according to National Wildlife Magazine, the thick saliva of the dragon is known to kill the animals it bites and some researchers are risking their lives to find out what is in the saliva that kills other animals, and not the beast itself. They think that perhaps it's saliva has strong immunity properties or some natural antibodies in it's blood that could be harnessed for human health.

The wonders of nature often leave me speechless.

As if building islands in the shape of the world weren't enough, Dubai has just announced the construction of islands representing the Universe. The islands will take the shape of the sun, moon, planets and other elements of the solar system.

Most new projects in Dubai sound wow, and most of the times they are. But when they are not, they are totally not, like this Universe project for example. Look at the picture and tell me which part of the islands are supposed to be the Universe.

Clueless? Confused? So was I. It's the section in the middle-right, between the two Palm Islands, surrounding the islands that form The World. From which angle does this look like the Universe?

I had to laugh when I read that Dubai has been dubbed "Donald Trump on Acid." The problem with all this crazy construction in the city is that Dubai doesn't know when to stop. Oh well.

Most people wouldn't consider the Caribbean for a three-day weekend, but surprisingly, it's entirely possible--providing, of course, you can get there on a nonstop flight.

Nonstop Caribbean: Fly Right to the Beach, is a great Budget Travel article which, you guessed it, highlights those sunny tropical destinations that can be reached on a short(ish) flight from either Canada or the U.S. that doesn't involve a grueling, vacation-ruining stop-over in someplace like Florida.

The article lists those Caribbean destinations which meet the criteria and then succinctly sums up the "must-do's" and "places to stay."

With winter in full force in North America, it's very tempting to pick a nice, warm island, call in sick on Friday and disappear for three days. My only problem is that I live on the West coast where nonstop flights to the Caribbean do exist, they're just too long for a three day weekend.

Now Mexico, on the other hand....

National Geographic has just published their newest list of island destinations, both in their Nov/Dec Traveler magazine and abridged online.

Among the top contenders are

• Faroe Islands, Denmark
• Azores, Portugal
• Lofoten, Norway
• Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK
• Chiloe, Chile

Ever been to any of them? Me neither. That's probably what makes them a cut above the rest though -- they are as yet unspoiled by tourists like you and me.

What I find interesting is the number of winners that stipulate the beauty with "as long as the cruise ships don't keep coming." As one who has experienced the tidal wave of headphone-wearing-flag-following cruise herds first hand though, I can sort of see why they're saying this. We just need to get there before they do.

There was a political cartoon I came across of two people leaving the Simpson's movie saying to each other "Who's Ingmar Bergman." The cartoon was prompted by the recent death of Ingmar Bergman, the prolific Swedish film director and the box-office success of The Simpson's movie.

Bergman's movies introduced me to Scandinavia--and deep thoughts, and later prompted my attraction to the college program I did at the University of Copenhagan in Denmark. (Okay, Denmark isn't Sweden, but it's close--just a ferry ride away.) Sometimes all it takes is a high school film class's showing of the Seventh Seal to open up the world as a place worth exploring. I think this was the first movie I ever saw with subtitles. Being an avid film-goer, friends have called me Tom, one of the main characters in the Glass Menagerie, films have connected me to many places in the world. Some places I've been to--others I have not.

Hearing that he had died got me looking for places to see in Scandinavia with an Ingmar Bergman connection. One place you can go to is Fårö Island, the place where Bergman lived. Here's a recent read "Sweden: The Director's Cut" by Oliver Bennet who headed there on a pilgrammage to bask in the influences of Bergman's world. There are wonderful descriptions and impressions that make me want to go here myself someday.

For a wonderful essay on Bergman's influences, check out "Woody Allen Remembers." Woody Allen and Ingmar Bergman were long time friends. This photo is from Lifecruiser's Fårö 2006 Summer set on Flickr. They're all gorgeous. I had the hardest time picking one.

In all my days spent on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, I never once saw this turtle or a sunrise in Mokolua. I have said many times that my days on Oahu are done, but this shot here makes me wonder if I might be missing something more. Thanks to Rob Webster for plugging this one into the Gadling Flickr pool. Very nice shot!

For me, a dream vacation involves a wide, white, sandy beach for relaxing on; bathtub-warm, blue water for scuba diving in (or sailing over); a very funny book for transporting me a bit further from home; and a bar nearby that serves frozen drinks -- for all the rest of the time. While I certainly enjoy active vacations, I also enjoy laying around a bit. Consequently, I'm always on the lookout for ideas about islands worth visiting.

According to this list, the Top 20 islands in the world -- based on Activities, Beaches, Culture/Sites, Lodging, Restaurants, and Scenery are:

• Bali
• Kauai
• Maui
• Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
• Mount Desert, Maine
• Tasmania
• Hawaii
• Galapagos
• Santorini
• Santo Stefano
• Phuket, Thailand
• Thatch Cay
• Blue Lagoon
• Grand Bogue Caye
• Allan
• Caritas
• Cerralvo
• Pakatoa
• Isla de sa Ferradura

The site provides details about what makes each island special, though some of the descriptions are as spare as the islands themselves. Nevertheless, the list makes a nice jumping-off-point if you're dreaming about island travel...

If reading the title of this post didn't give you the Vulcan mind meld, and you're still with us, then good: let's go.

Elbruz has compiled an interesting list of islands and lakes, and various mind-boggling permutations of islands and lakes. For example, they identify the largest lake, the largest island, the largest lake on an island, the largest island in a lake, and so on, until they get to the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island.

Oh...my head!

Anyway, according to them, the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island is Vulcan Point in Crater Lake on Vulcano Island in Lake Taal on Luzon. (Hint: don't zoom in and out real fast, or you're head'll spin!) If maps aren't your thing, and you want to see an actual image, check this out. Incidentally, the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake is the island in Mindemoya Lake on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron.

Happily, both these islands are casino-free, so if you head there, don't be surprised to find, um, nothing.

[Via Digg]

What I love about living in South Florida:
* I live 1 mile from the beach.
* Year-round warm weather.
* Lotsa sun.

What I hate about living in South Florida:
* Pretty much everything else.

If I win the lottery, I would keep this home, buy an island, renovate it into a ultra-laid back beach bungalow hideaway, invite chilled-out people to come enjoy it with me, and drink sundowners all day long. Naturally, I'd still write for Gadling, because the praise I receive as a result of my work here is a currency with infinite value.

Anyway, here are 5 islands that would be on the top of my list for purchase: