Introductions: Reina
After much thought, debate and worry about how a dog would change our lives, we decided to bring a puppy home last February. It was not a decision we took lightly. Even once the decision was made, we had a tall order for our future dog. Due to fairly severe allergies on my part, it had to be […]
Mother and Daughter Trip to Paris
I had been wanting to do this for a long time. The first time we were in Paris together was in 2010, on a trip with extended family. She was 5 years old, yet somehow, was able to appreciate Paris’ dazzling qualities and fell in love with the city. Her memories included: Riding carousels, eating crepes, walking […]
Parks, Valleys and Abbeys
We a took a short, spontaneous trip to finish off 2016. What started out as a day-trip ended up as one night at an Airbnb in Ledbury, in Herefordshire. I came up with the route just a day or so before, which included a stop at Dyrham Park on the first day, and Tintern Abbey […]
Hiking Amberley to Arundel
Bundled up, I hopped on a train to central London to meet my hiking friends. We grabbed a cup of coffee, met our Outdooraholics group leader and jumped on the southern train that would take us to Amberley, situated in West Sussex, at the foot of the South Downs. This was a shorter hike than the […]
Hiking Longman of Wilmington and The Seven Sisters
I hadn’t planned on joining a hiking group, but when a friend told me that she had been on some enjoyable hikes through the English countryside, I was certainly intrigued. We’ve done a few short hikes with the kids, but I’ve recently had to face the fact that they aren’t going to go as far as I’d […]
Seattle – Sometimes Known as Home
Someone asked me recently if we were home for the summer. “No”, I replied, “we were in Seattle.” “Right, isn’t that home?” they asked. I laughed. “Oh, yeah. THAT home.” I suppose it depends how you define home. Usually, I do think of Seattle as my home, but the longer we spend away, the less […]
Mayfield Lavender Farm
So much beauty in one day. It may not be the south of France, but the Mayfield Lavender Farm in Surrey is worth a day-trip. Like anything seasonal and so beautiful, it was quite crowded on a Sunday afternoon in late July, but there were enough rolling mounds of lavender for everyone to enjoy. If […]
Another weekend in Madrid – 18 Years Later
When Brett said he needed to go to a conference in Madrid, we immediately started scheming a weekend getaway. I’ve mentioned our love for Spain before, and although it’s far away from our favorite sparkling Mediterranean, Madrid is no exception. What’s Not to Love? It might not have an iconic landmark, but located in the heart of Spain, the city […]
Overcoming Peaks and Valleys
I shouldn’t be writing this post. My husband should be telling you about the 26.2 miles he ran in Liverpool last weekend, in support of Alzheimer’s Research. I’m only qualified to write this because I was there, and perhaps also because I’ve completed a marathon before (albeit many years ago) and can vaguely remember the […]
Five Reasons to Visit Malta
It’s Saturday and I have a to-do list a mile long, but first I was going to make a pot of coffee and feed my creative soul with a little knitting, reading or photo editing. I was a few sips into my coffee when the bickering started from the other room. I heard the low […]