red is the (not so) new green

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.

September 11, 2009

red is the (not so) new green

One of my new favorite retailers is a company called Howies – the Welsh version of Patagonia. Their autumn catalogue was shot in Sweden and includes some nice features on Swedish life, including one about the use of red paint on houses and how eco-friendly it is.

I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this before on the blog, but there are three main house colors in Sweden: red, yellow and white. And just to prove it, here's a picture from our ferry ride outside Stockholm.

It's part of the reason why we kept our house yellow (our combo looks a lot like the house that's furthest to the left and cut off). A Swedish friend told us that back in the day, red was the cheapest color to buy and that you had to pay more for yellow or white. People with yellow houses, in particular, were seen as wealthier. And now it turns out we're also not as friendly to the Earth. We suck.