Mt Keen Scotland, Munro Bagging, Hillwalking in the UK

Climbing Mt Keen in Scotland

When you have lived somewhere for three years and you invite your friends along on what is to be your Final Walk In Scotland, apparently people feel obligated to come. Or maybe they just don’t want to miss a final opportunity to climb a munro with you. Or maybe lots of folks want to make …

Tubingen, Refugees Welcome, Street Art, Germany, Graffiti

September: In The Pipeline

When Janner hefted his pack over one shoulder and heard the familiar leathery creak and saw the dark, smooth spot on one strap where he had a habit of resting his hand, he smiled. He felt a quiet pride about the road he had traveled with this old pack–from Glipwood Forest, over Miller’s Bridge, past …

Summer grateful

Summer Grateful

Beware of feeling entitled to my good gifts. Receive blessings from me thankfully, yet be willing to release them back to be — without growing resentful.  When I read these words, out of Sarah Young’s Jesus Today this week I realized that I was holding onto the good gifts of my summer. When I arrived in Arkansas in …

In the Pipeline

In The Pipeline: August

We are baaaaack! After a summer of sizzling hot days, sodas as big as our faces, daily trips to the pool and more fun than was probably good for us, we packed up our bags and flew back to Scotland. But we won’t be here for long. We’re on the move again in less than …

Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy, AlisonChino.com

Snapshots of Manarola, Italy

Oh Manarola, Italy. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways. So, I know I wrote about the end of our trip to Italy last week, but I have one more post because I really like to save the best for last. And maybe it is just because we stayed there and we …

Pisa, Italy, AlisonChino.com

Snapshots of Pisa, Italy

One Day with Kids in Pisa, Italy After our glorious week in Cinque Terre, we were all a bit sad about leaving Italy. We had a 1pm flight out of Pisa, so we packed up the night before and left the beautiful town of Manarola at 6am. We each had a small daypack and then …

Asparagus, Potato and Ricotta Pie, Breakfast, Quiche, Vegetarian

Asparagus, Potato and Ricotta Pie

Asparagus Potato Ricotta Pie I am such a sucker for the one dish meal that a quiche or pie can be. Also I love anything, and I mean anything, that involves pie crust or pastry dough of any kind. So this asparagus potato ricotta pie called my name as soon as I saw it in …

Vernazza, Italy, Cinque Terre, AlisonChino.com

Snapshots of Vernazza, Italy

Hiking in the Cinque Terre from Manarola to Vernazza, Italy via the 506/AVT5/507  Vernazza was the only one of the five villages in the Cinque Terre we had left to visit at the end of our week in Italy. We had taken a day off from hiking to rest and enjoy Manarola and so I …

Riomaggiore, Italy, Cinque Terre, AlisonChino.com

Snapshots of Riomaggiore, Italy

Hiking in the Cinque Terre from Manarola to Riomaggiore, Italy Here’s something you should know about hiking in the Cinque Terre in 2016. Once upon a time there was a trail that ran along the coastline all the way through all five towns of the Cinque Terre. It started in Monterosso al Mare and went …

Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, Italy, Hike from Monterosso to Levanto, Italy, AlisonChino.com

Snapshots of Monterosso al Mare, Italy

Hiking in the Cinque Terre: A Hike from Monterosso to Levanto, Italy There’s just nothing like sitting in the blinding sunlight on a platform, waiting for a train to Monterosso al Mare. This is the start of a beautiful day! Steps off the train in Monterosso is the sea! We had to stop and play …

Walk from Manarola to Corniglia, Italy, Cinque Terre

Snapshots of Corniglia, Italy

Hiking in the Cinque Terre: A Walk from Manarola to Corniglia, Italy. Right outside the doorstep of our apartment in Manarola, we climbed to the vineyard trail that runs around Manarola to begin our first big hike in the Cinque Terre, a trail that goes to Corniglia via Volastra. Corniglia is the next town up …

Manarola, Cinque Terre, Alison Chino, Italy

Snapshots of Cinque Terre, Italy

A Story About Deciding to Travel To Cinque Terre in Italy Alone With My Kids In Scotland, children have two weeks off of school in April, so back in January, the kids and I had a little family meeting to make some plans for our Easter Holidays. Taido would not be coming with us this …

Asparagus Pesto Risotto, Spring Green Risotto

Asparagus Pesto Risotto

Asparagus Pesto Risotto Every month at my grocery store, Tesco, they put out a new complimentary food magazine with recipes and lately it has been my cooking inspiration. This month I made several recipes from the May issue and this spring green risotto is going into my regular meal rotation. I already love risotto, but …

Cruden Bay, Scotland, Aberdeen Coastal Cliff Walking

Visiting Aberdeen: Coastal Trails

Coastal Trails Near Aberdeen What follows is a photo series of the coastal cliff walking we’ve done while we’ve been in Aberdeen for the last three years. Coastal cliff scenery is other worldly to me. Partly because I did not grow up near the sea and partly because, similar to the sand dunes in Scotland, …

Persley Walled Garden Walk, Aberdeen, Scotland

In The Pipeline: June

Hey there happy Junebugs! If you were to come over for a cup of tea today, (YES, a cup of tea, because it is 49 degrees F here in Scotland, not 87 like it is in the rest of the world during summer), I would say to you, Welcome to our chaos. Come on in. …