European travels
SELFOSS, Iceland
A few years ago Bryant and I spent a weekend together in Iceland. We were enchanted, and promised to return when we could, with the children. When we arrived at the airport in Reykjavik last summer, with four children in tow, we were supposed to have been met by a car service. Not sure where …
NORMANDY, France
Bryant and I have taken the children to Normandy, France before. Baguettes and carousels, aside, Normandy and its WWII beaches, is sacred ground. Our first visit, years ago, we were careful how we introduced our young children to the atrocities of war. We prepared appropriately for that visit. But our children have matured in the past few years. …
LERY, France
The children and I like to read through our family journal together every once in a while. The other night, we found a gem from several year ago: March 2011 A few weeks back, after darting into the street, little L turned to me and said, “See, Mum! I DIDN’T get hit by a car!” …
LONDON, England
Are you planning a jolly holiday in London? Our time in the City was just shy of three years. Not insignificant, to be sure. But not qualifying us as experts, either. That being said, the following is a compilation of the many emails I have sent over the years, in answer to the blog’s most frequently …
MADRID, Spain
While in the car, nearing Madrid, L called from the backseat, “Is this our destiny?” I do not know that Madrid’s our “destiny”, but it was our destination that evening, and where we spent just a short time as a family. Our Spanish flat was located above a city bakery. Score! TOP TEN in MADRID: Teleferico de Madrid. …
SCOTLAND, United Kingdom
First, let it be known: The UK is short for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Quite a mouthful! It is a sovereign state (in the same way as France or the USA) but is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A country of countries. And today …
HAM HOUSE, England
When Bryant is out of the country on a deal for work, I find myself doing one of two things with my lonely evenings: (1) on-line shopping, or (2) biding my time watching old Cary Grant movies. Guess where Bry prefers me to indulge? This past business trip, I came across a Cary Grant movie …
VIENNA and SALZBURG, Austria
Arriving in Slovenia around lunch time, we dipped our toes in Eastern Europe just long enough to enjoy a cheese pizza and some ice cream. We then drove on to Austria, with Vienna as our next destination. When we finally drove across the border into Austria, we were welcomed with “Gute Fahrt!” If the tolls …
VENICE, Italy
I met a young man named Tim. He was taking himself on a European tour. Tim asked where I was from. New York. I asked him where he was from. Wisconsin. I told him that I have family in Janesville and Sheboygan. He was so excited. “Sheboygan is beautiful!!” This young man had seen France and …
CORNWALL, England
SUNDAY. After church, we hiked up to an English Heritage site, Tintagel Castle. This 800 year old castle (800!), built on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic, is where, legend has it, King Arthur was born. MONDAY. Before our trek to Land’s End (not the popular chain store, but the southern most tip of England), we took a scenic …