Tagged: holidaze

20
Jul
2015

HEATING UP: CROATIA (PART 1)

We had plans to do a lot more while we were in Croatia, but the heat flattened us. Okay, okay, it flattened ME. I knew it was going to be warm down there…intellectually, but I wasn’t really prepared for just how hot and humid it actually was. The day we arrived it was 38 degrees Celsius (damn hot). Barky promptly curled up and died. The other thing that flattened us was my brother’s ambulance ride to the hospital during the night of our arrival. I don’t think our heart was in Croatia. I know mine wasn’t. Maybe someday I’ll go...

19
Jul
2015

PALACES, PARKS AND POMP: VIENNA

We didn’t give Vienna a chance, really. I don’t know if we just weren’t in the mood or what. We spent three nights there which equaled 2 full days and we barely scratched the surface. No one wanted to pay the money to go see a concert (and frankly, it was only me that was really interested), and the Spanish Riding School is closed for July (drrr) so no dancing Lippizaner horses for us. After Prague’s lovely candy-colored and Old Europe impression, Vienna struck us as too big, too modern, too OVERDONE, somehow. People there were rude to us for...

18
Jul
2015

REST IN PIECES

I imagine it must be pretty peaceful at night when the doors are closed and the lights are off and the line of tourists has ebbed and gone but it doesn’t strike me as much of a RESTING place, despite the fact that it’s estimated that the remains of more than 40,000 people are interred here. We left Prague on Wednesday morning and headed toward Vienna with a little detour in mind: the suburb of Sedlec in the town of Kutná Hora. The Ossuary Chapel attracts over 200,000 visitors annually. The bones date all the way back to the 14th...

17
Jul
2015

COBBLESTONES, BRIDGES & SPIRES: PRAGUE

We tried to plan a trip to Prague several years ago. I’ve always wanted to go, though I’m not sure why. Prague doesn’t have the same call for my heart the way Edinburgh does, but I’d heard so much about it, all good, that it was high on my list of destinations. The kids were much younger then and the more research I did, the more I realized that the Prague I wanted to visit wasn’t necessarily one that my children would want to go to…and we ended up changing our plans that year. But, it’s always been in the...

13
Jul
2015

NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD IN MIND

We left on June 27th and got back yesterday. It was 2 weeks away but it feels like more. It feels like we were gone FOREVER. I love our bed. I love our shower. I love our laundry room. I love our towels. I love our TEMPERATURE (everyone else who complains about Sweden can suck it). I love our wifi. (hahahahaha) AND I love our medical system. I was a little skeptical about the whole road trip idea, to be quite frank. I went on a gazillion road trips, mostly with camping involved, when I was a kid, and UGH....

23
Jun
2015

A GOOD WEEK

This is SUCH a relaxing week! I mean, apart from the stuff on my (numerous) to-do lists, I’m doing NEARLY NOTHING. Like today, for example! NEARLY NOTHING. Only one load of laundry. And wrapping presents. And ironing 2 shirts (I hate ironing, so this was a pat on the back for me). And researching places to go and things to do and see in Prague and Vienna. But that’s like it! Apart from reading. I read a lot. And watching 3 episodes of Orphan Black with Martin. And driving to Malmö with Anders to get his car (we’re getting another...

20
Jun
2015

HALF TIME

Yesterday was midsummer. The longest day of the year, and in Sweden at least, the official start of summer. The temperature? 12 degrees Celcius. The weather? Buckets. Clouds. Umbrellas. Gusting. We spent the entire day with the friends that we usually spend Midsummer with, starting at noon (!). We haven’t always spent midsummer with them but of the past 19 midsummers we’ve probably spent at least half. They are a group of old Scout friends of Anders’ and their wives and children. Nowadays, some of the children are disappearing from the get-togethers. My kids would have been some of them...

05
Jan
2015

COMING DOWN

One more day of freedom and possibility. One more day to do whatever I want. One more day to fill up on relaxing, reading and lying about. The trees are bare but for the lights. Anders is in charge of the lights, so I will nag him to do them tomorrow. All you have to do is look hard at the tree and needles shower to the floor. Several branches are completely bare where the pull to remove an ornament left only the stick in its wake. Sad trees. The dining room table is COVERED in ornaments. It always take...

31
Dec
2014

RETROSPECTIVE

ust went back and checked and it seems I started writing my year-end retrospective in 2007. Seven years of looking back at my year and seeing what I’ve done and read and listened to. It’s nice to have a record for posterity, don’t you think? And since today is the last day of 2014, this week I can start formatting 2014 into a book for print. One more green-spined book to add to my collection of printed obiter dictums! Family & Personal Highlights of 2014 Being promoted to Senior Corporate Graphic Designer at work Martin breaking his arm Karin being...

30
Dec
2014

CHOCOLATE RESURRECTION

One of the things I really miss about the time we spent in Belgium when I was a teenager was the food. Not everything, of course, but it was our first experience with European cuisine and I’m sure any Belgian and Dutch friends of mine will be horrified to hear how much I miss frikandels. It’s a taste I can still conjure up in my head. Mmmmmmmm! I still eat mayo with my french fries pommes frites whenever I can. Ketchup is for you vulgar Americans who don’t know any better. I missed Napoleon lemon balls too, for years, until...

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