på semester

some places we've visited so far

maui, hawaii
The day we got home, we started saving for our next trip. See my blog entry
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.

July 10, 2006

på semester

I'm on vacation ... and boy do I feel lazy. I wonder if that's what happens when you get old. (Yup, 36 is just around the corner.) Anyway, Lewis has been busting his butt with all these kitchen renovations, and I feel like I can put in 3 hours of manual labor and then I'm just whiny and cranky. Or, maybe I just want to spend my vacation relaxing instead of construction! :)

We did manage to get some R&R in during my first week of vacation. We drove up to Dalarna, an area about 6 hours north which is known for its natural beauty and Swedish folk traditions. It's where they make the Dala Horse, Sweden's national symbol. We bought a really beautiful one for the house. It's big enough for Harley the cat to ride.

So we hung out for a few days there, saw Sigur Ros play in a quarry and then drove over to the High Coast to get some beach time, a few hours north of Stockholm. The beach was nice, but we preferred the atmosphere of Dalarna better. We're hoping that we can make the drive up to the area again before we move back to the U.S. or wherever life takes us.

Attached are some photos of the journey ... dude hand-carving some dala horses, Tilly playing with her ball on the beach, Lewis taking a picture of a cute coastal island town.

The next blog post will be the unveiling of our new stylie IKEA kitchen. The final touches of the install are happening as I write this. The stove, oven and sink are installed. And now the dishwasher is going in. Lewis and I finished almost all the wallpapering yesterday. Good thing we did before it broke up our marriage. It's pretty exciting to see it all come together. I think you'll be pretty shocked to see the before and after.