I'm just trying to walk myself home.
Castles near Aberdeen and Beyond Oh Scotland, Land of Castles. Castles that are old estate homes. And castle ruins by the sea. Today I’m sharing a collection of photos of castles in Scotland. Like Dunnottar in Stonehaven, there are a few castles we return to with friends again and again because of their proximity to …
An Ode To Aberdeen Beach Oh, Aberdeen Beach. You are sometimes called “Fun Beach,” which makes us smile. You are the first place we visited when we came to Aberdeen. And you are the first place we bring our visitors. Usually as soon as they arrive. It’s the North Sea! I say to my family …
Sand Dunes in Scotland I took this picture of Mary Polly in September 2013, less than a month after we moved here, and it pretty much captures how I feel about the Sand Dunes in Scotland. The wind is always blowing the grasses that grow on the sand dunes so that you feel like you’re …
Santa Fe Spinach Dip Recently Ben asked me to make his favorite hot spinach dip for his birthday dinner. It’s a recipe I give out a lot because it’s pretty much a bowl full of comfort food. We usually eat it with chips or pita chips, but lately, we’ve been spreading it on toast as …
My Favorite Red Phone Booths in Scotland The bright red phone booths across the UK are always catching my eye! I have about a gazillion photos of these booths from hikes and walks and travels in the last three years. This one is from the Coast to Coast walk in Grasmere with Diane. But there …
My mama has now been to Scotland to see us four times in three years!
Happy May, dear friends!! Oh the bursting of colors everywhere makes me so happy! The last month has been so full of lovely days that I’m practically bursting into color myself. The kids and I spent a week of their spring holidays in Italy. (Be still my heart!) Then we came back to snow and …
Visiting Aberdeen: Dunnottar Castle and Stonehaven Our first excursion out of Aberdeen after our overseas move to Scotland was to a castle just outside of Stonehaven. We walked two miles down King Street from where we were staying as guests of a family who were back in the US at the time to Aberdeen’s city …
Perfectly Poached Eggs in A Happy Thick Minestrone Verde This past winter I engaged in a form of torture for thirty days. I did it in the name of health and post-holiday cleansing and camaraderie. Also, I hoped I would lose a few pounds. I did not lose weight. I did not feel great. I actually …
Snapshots of Grasmere: Hike To Easedale Tarn From my bottom bunk, I couldn’t see the mountains that were visible the day before. No one was awake yet, so I let them all sleep while I got up to contemplate the wisdom of dragging my mom and two boys up a misty hill. “The weather looks …
Happy Spring Friends!! Daffodils are creeping up all over Aberdeen. The shops are full of bright blossoms. The sun is hanging around longer and longer. Soon there will be fields of yellow. I am a big fan of spring! The coming of a new season and the resurrection of life out of the darkness of winter reminds …
A Winter Visit to the Palace of Versailles I’m pretty sure there are three main reasons it took me five trips to Paris to finally make it to Versailles: Number 1. My first four visits to Paris were really short. Number 2. On three of those occasions I had children with me who would have whined …
In a corner of a massive gothic church in the heart of Paris is a monument to the fruit and vegetable sellers who, after 800 years of selling goods in front of this church, were relocated to a suburb in Paris to make way for a train station and a giant shopping mall. Until 1969, …
Snapshots of Shopping in Paris Mama was lagging behind as we made our way through the Tuileries. Jet lag had caught up with her on our first full day in Paris, and we all needed re-fueling after a morning of walking and sightseeing. But then, we hit the Champs-Élysées. The Grandest Boulevard in all of …
20 of my favorite Snapshots of Paris! I’m sharing a few highlight Snapshots of Paris today! This is just a little taste of our fab week in Paris. I’ll have to dedicate several posts just to the glorious food we ate, so look for la gastronomie themed photos next! Every time I go to Paris I …
Bonjour Mes Amis! I have have just returned from Paris where I spent the week with my mom and sister eating ALL THE THINGS. I am still full. Full of gorgeous pastries. Full of rich sauces. Full of new experiences. Now my mom and I are back in Scotland, where we are taking long walks …
Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland, is often overlooked by guidebooks and tourists, and there are good reasons for preferring Edinburgh and Glasgow to Aberdeen. However, now that I’ve lived here for a season and shown the area to countless friends, I would vouch for Aberdeen as a decent weekend getaway. Last month I went on …
Ten Days in the UK by Car This is a whirlwind tour of the UK in a rental car, and if you have more time, I would recommend doing a full week in England and a full week in Scotland, but like I said in my itinerary by train, 10 days seems to be about …
Ten Days in the UK via Train Friends, I have been playing a lot this month with creating itineraries around the UK, partly because I am still trying to fit in a few last wanders through the Britain before our time is up and also because I often find myself making recommendations to others about where …
Packing Light Weekend Edition Since I usually travel with my backpack whether I am on the road for five days or fifteen, I wondered if I could get it down even smaller the last time I went to London for the weekend. I set myself the challenge of carrying just a small handbag. And guys! …