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turning a new page on the iceland book
have you ever flown into keflavik airport? on the way into reykjavik city, there are miles and miles of nothing but volcanic rock, just like those on which i am “comfortably” perched in the photo above. it’s like a moonscape, otherworldly, like nothing you’ve ever seen anywhere else. i remember staring out at these rocks during much more uncertain days and under grayer, colder skies and started getting all of the same feelies. i wondered, will this time be different? will i learn to really like this country as i’ve always hoped i would? we were shuttled to the blue lagoon, which, say what you will, i think it is marvelous. geothermal water,…
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thirty by thirty: my oslo stopover
thirty countries by thirty. i suppose it’s a silly distinction, and not one that i actually achieved, having gone to my thirtieth country, norway, at about three months past my thirtieth birthday. so the term “thirty during thirty” is reallymore accurate. (prepositions are so pesky, aren’t they?) this is one of the things that brought me to norway, not to mention that i’ve been hoping to go there for awhile and it is the last of my ancestral homelands to be checked off the list. the other major reason is that it cost the same to obtain a ticket with a stop in norway (if not cheaper) as it did to fly directly…
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sunday cookin’: spicy & sour zucchini stir-fry
(okay, i’m aware it’s not sunday this time, but i hope this brings a bit of that sunday feeling to your day!) last summer, we started getting loads of zucchinis in our csa share box “bedynka”, as it’s called here in czechland. they are definitely not one of my favorites, in fact, they induced a few groans to see them week after week. alex was pretty happy, having no problem with this vegetable, because i would never buy them before. so i thought: how can i make these as appetizing as possible? answer: sauté them in soy sauce and some other delicious ingredients and serve with asian-style noodles. so, i…
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july: friday things
hi friends, have you been enjoying july? i look forward to this month every year, and although we’re not livin’ it up in santorini as we were this time last year, it’s been a great one with days that are not as typically hot as the usual central european summer and plenty of thunderstorms and rain. (times i’ve been caught out in a storm this summer without proper gear and soaked: 2) but what’s better than being cozy and inside while the windows are open listening to the rain on a warm summer’s night? besides being in a forest hunting for wild blueberries, that is? here are five things that…
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loket? i love it!
it only took seeing one photo of this beautiful little town in northwest czech republic to get me to add it onto my trip, and i’m so glad i made it up there!we spent our fourth of july this year in loket, a sort of “český krumlov of the north”, checking into our cozy little pension facing the long main street. to spend one night here is the perfect amount of time, even more if you are planning to go boating on the ohře river or mountain biking in the lush surrounding forests. as castles go, this one was both beautiful to look at and fun to visit, housing many…
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dispatches from vary
karlovy vary film festival – the stretch of days that threatens to consume and swallow you whole, deep in the mire of film viewing where you might never crawl back out again! in the best way possible. in any case, it was our third year at our favorite annual festival and we both had so much fun over the past week. some days were pretty lovely, some days were a little nuts, but all were good. in the past when i visited karlovy vary, i posted a lot about the hilly spa town that is certainly one of the most beautiful places in the country. however this year, i’m not…
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maybe i’ve made it
happy july, friends! alex sometimes makes fun of me about how much i love the changing of the months and the seasons… and i guess there’s some things to make fun of. i am so excited i do get up early to go change the page on the calendar (and god forbid i’ve actually looked at what the next picture will be before the month is through; that would ruin everything). i’ve been known to take the first of december off work just to decorate the house before; that has happened. but it’s especially july that i’m excited about… the beginning of summer. so much possibility! everything’s just getting started!…
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loving local: at june’s end
do you ever plan things way in advance only to realize, when the day gets closer, you don’t really want to go through with that plan anymore? that’s what happened to us this week, as was the first really “summer holiday” week for the both of us, we had talked about going camping ages ago until the week got here and i started having major decision anxiety. (holler to all of my fellow indecisive friends; the struggle is real) really, all i want is just to spend a little downtime at home or puttering around budějovice. it has happened: that sobo life has taken hold of me. (but watch in…
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june noms: what’s on the table
with june comes the end of the school year, loads of beautiful bouquets gracing every room, more free time, and the best and freshest local produce that we’ve been waiting all year for! truly an amazing time, this late june. thanks to reading both animal, vegetable, miracle and how not to die in the spring months, i am completely pumped up to put my apron back on and take advantage of the flavors only available this season! (both books highly recommended, by the way, if you want to get more into either local or more healthful eating) i’ve been waiting eeeeevvver so patiently for the arrival of the first csa…
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talk is small
“hey, what’s up?” to be asked this question asked is the nightmare of most people who don’t know how to respond to it. (by the way, the only possible answer to this question: “not much, and you?”) even though i’ve lived here a little while now, i still like to ask people “how are you?” as one of the first questions. not strangers, but really, friends… people i know. i will usually get one of two responses. the first: “uhhhhhhh, fine! (that’s what you expect me to say, right?)” or the second: “terrible. the kids are behaving badly, the dog has got into the garden again, and the weather is…
