Like most people on the planet, we’ve always dreamed of visiting Venice. Just thinking about Venice conjures up a sense of romance. The photos you’ve all seen are achingly beautiful. It’s hard not to imagine yourself strolling through the narrow streets, perhaps with a Classical soundtrack, and of course, at some point, you find yourself in a gondola.
Tag Archives: Europe
Milestones: Being There
One day we realized that our 9-year-old son did not know how to blow bubbles and we decided that it was time to remedy the situation. Up to this point, we weren’t purposely limiting his access to gum, but for whatever reason he’d rarely ever had it. Maybe 3 or 4 times in his life.
Anyway, one day we were at the grocery store in Rovinj and Ethan, our son, was not so subtly hinting that he really wondered what the gum at the check out stand would taste like. It was bubble gum. We bought some and proceeded to attempt to explain how to blow a bubble. It’s surprisingly difficult to explain. All you can really do it tell them to chew the gum until it’s soft, then put it just behind your teeth, push your tongue through, so that the gum covers it, then purse your lips around your tongue and blow. The *real* trick is getting the air to flow between your tongue and the gum. This is all very complex and hard for anyone on the receiving end to grasp. Continue reading Milestones: Being There
Rovinj: Go Ride A Bike
The path through the coastal forest is covered in crunchy limestone gravel, making a pleasant sound as we pedal our bikes. Everything about the experience is perfect. The weather is perfect, the bike paths are groomed and well-planned. The views idyllic.
During one of our easy hour-long rides we encounter rocky beaches with unbelievably clear water, limestone cliffs, Roman pillars, verdant forests, wide-open green spaces, and even a camping resort.
Rovinj: Our Paradise
Rovinj, Croatia is a gorgeous little town on the Adriatic Sea. The scenic beauty of this tiny peninsula is truly astounding. The rich blue sky, the crystal clear water, the vivid green foliage, the iron-red soil, the warm golden tones of the limestone are each distinct and eye-popping.
Continue reading Rovinj: Our Paradise
Why We Love London
There is so much to love about London. It’s one of the most exciting and diverse cities in the world. Some come for the theatre, some for the Royal Family, some for the vibrant nightlife, and others for the shopping. For us, it was the history and the world-class museums. Walking through the streets of London, you will encounter over 2,000 years of history. What seems even more amazing is that it’s all in such close proximity. Within a few minutes time you can be within eyesight of Roman, Medieval, Elizabethan, Victorian, Mid-Century, and Modern sites. All blending (mostly) harmoniously into the cityscape.
A REAL Full English
I had my first English Breakfast (AKA Full English, Fry-Up, or Full Monty) while visiting Ipoh, Malaysia. We were staying at the M Boutique Hotel for 2 weeks and breakfast was included in the price of the room. The hotel was very stylish and we loved our visit there. We’d definitely recommend it to others.
For breakfast we had two restaurants to choose from, we alternated between them every day. One of the restaurants served “Western Food”, which is a catch-all descriptor that you often see when visiting Southeast Asia. As an American this never fails to baffle. I can’t help but wonder, what exactly is “Western Food”? It’s roughly equivalent to seeing an “Asian Food” restaurant in the US. That’s pretty broad. In this case, it tends to mean pasta, pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches, English Breakfasts, sometimes all of the above. Rarely, is it a good representation of anything I’d order back home. In general, we avoid these restaurants like the plague.
Anyway, back to my original story… Continue reading A REAL Full English
So Many Red Trucks
While driving from Croatia to Italy we noticed that there were an unusual and surprising number of red trucks on the road. Within a 4 hour drive we counted at least 40 of them. Semi-trucks, vans, delivery trucks, you name it. You may ask why this caught our attention and why it is worth mentioning. We had plenty of time to think about it during our drive. Continue reading So Many Red Trucks
Our First Day in London
Call us crazy, but after spending 6 months in Southeast Asia, we were looking forward to the London weather… even in October. I’m sure being from Portland, Oregon helped. We aren’t fazed by a little rain or overcast skies. In fact, it feels refreshingly like home.
We arrived at our rental apartment around 10pm, after a 12 hour flight from Bangkok. We were exhausted and it was dark, so we put off exploring our new neighborhood until the next day, which with the time change meant 3am London time. Still too early and dark to do much sightseeing, but we had some breakfast and then made ourselves comfy in front of the fire while we waited for daylight.
Meandering Family: Beyond the Nest 