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some places we've visited so far

  • antalya, turkey
    I miss hearing the call to prayer before sunrise every morning, the sunshine and the small winding roads in the old city. But I don't miss the olives for breakfast. See my blog entry
  • helsinki
    The cruise from Stockholm was the highlight. Breathtaking, really. We found Helsinki to be down-to-earth, friendly and a just-right size. See my blog entry
  • london
    Why on Earth did it take me so long to visit London?! Rivals Paris for best city in Europe. Avoid Oxford Street and Covent Garden, and head to Chelsea and Holborn. See my blog entry
  • paris
    It was my third trip to Paris, but our first while living in Sweden. And, more significantly, our first with a baby in tow. Metro ≠ baby friendly. Centre Pompidou = 10x more fun with a little one. See my blog entry.
  • bergen and oslo, norway
    Think Colorado. Flooded. Oslo is a refreshing little city and the fjords offered beautiful views in all directions. Not love, love. But definitely like, like. See my blog entry.
  • prague, czech republic
    Yes, it has beautiful architecture. But no soul. Skip it and go to Budapest instead.
  • berlin, germany
    We only spent a night here, but I could tell immediately that this was a city I could live in. Hope we can get back there sometime soon. Loved the new architecture, friendly people and the gigantic, wooded park.
  • tavira, portugal
    A great place to relax, see endless fields of daisies, drink sangria and be surrounded by the smell of orange blossoms. See my blog entry.
  • amsterdam and delft
    Amsterdam was one of our favorite European cities and Delft is a little gem you wish you could fit in your pocket and take home. Loved the individual style and easy-going nature of the people. See my blog entry.
  • budapest
    Hurry, it's already been discovered. Wonderful cheap food and an outdoorsy mentality. See my blog entry.
  • dalarna, sweden
    Reminds us of home. Really relaxing and laid back. See my blog entry.
  • hong kong and tai pei
    Super friendly people and so romantic. See my blog entry.
  • nice
    Loved Villefranche and the whole area east of Nice. See my blog entry.
  • barcelona
    Loved the tapas and eating paella on the beach. See my blog entry.

about me



  • In November 2005, my husband and I moved to Älmhult, Sweden, for my dream job. Five years later, our little family of three moved back. Except, back turned out to be a brand new place called Portland.

    email me

« May 2012 | Main | July 2012 »

June 2012

June 18, 2012

beach landing

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Sophie's not the only one jumping for joy.

This weekend we found "our spot" on the coast. The stretch of gorgeous coastline from Gleneden Beach to Otter Rock to Newport. 

This is kind of a huge deal. We've battled the traffic on balmy summer days out to Cannon Beach, only to be wind-whipped by sand and/or freeze our butts off. Lewis proclaimed the coast "beautiful yet unusable" on our last trip about a month ago. 

But back in February, I saw a Groupon deal for Salishan Resort and Spa in Gleneden Beach and thought it would be worth checking out for a weekend getaway. Even if the weather was bad, I figured we could take the kids to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport and stuff our faces with good seafood. As it turned out, we did both of those things but also enjoyed 2 amazingly beautiful beach days to boot. Plus no crowds and no traffic. Oh, and we saw that Japanese pier that washed up on Agate Beach.

Salishan Resort has a nature trail to the beach, nice restaurants, a free 18-hole putting green course (plus a real one that's kind of expensive), a game room for kids, spa treatments and s'mores out on the patio. I was really impressed with the place and will be looking for future Groupon deals for a return visit. 

Best weekend roadtrip since we moved here!

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June 09, 2012

marching to the beat of our little drummers

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Our summer vacation plans have revolved around today. Around this parade. We were thinking of going away until I realized the date. I told Lewis that going away would mean missing the parade, and he had the same reaction I did: Sophie would be so bummed. 

So, duh. We stayed.

This time — the 100th time the Grand Floral Parade has taken place — Sophie had more fun running laps on a chalk-drawn track as we waited for the parade to start than the actual watching-the-parade part. It was Mathis who loved every loud marching band, rodeo horse and drill team (does ANYTHING ever faze this kid?!).

Last year, we thought the parade was the best thing ever because Sophie thought it was the best thing ever. 

Man, we're whipped.

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June 03, 2012

such great heights

Milestones that 4-year-olds care about: being tall enough for amusement park rides.

Thank you, Rose Festival CityFair, for making my child laugh so hard I cried.

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