The people you meet

Traveling is about many things. Experiencing the country you are visiting, exploring the sights and culture, and sampling local cuisine. And it is also very much about the people you meet along the way. Whether locals or fellow travelers, they very much help to shape your experience. Here are some of the people we met along the way and how they are very much a part of our memories.

Steve and Lily. What can I say? We met them early on in our trip in Chiang Mai. We were fast friends with these belated honeymooers and enjoyed hanging out in the evenings after Simon was asleep. Lily was high energy and very outgoing, and Steve was all about the subtle wit. We also went to the very memorable Ying Pi lantern festival together. We only wished they could have traveled with us longer!

Don't they just look like fun?

In Chiang Mai we met up with an entire group of traveling families, many of whom have already been on the road for years! It was fascinating to see how and why other families travel the globe. We were even able to meet up with the Lybbert family again more than a month later in Vietnam. We also virtually connected with loads of traveling families through a Families on the Move Facebook page that was incredibly helpful and supportive. Inspirational!

Thanksgiving in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

An ordinary boat ride to check out the Pak Ou caves two hours upstream from Luang Prabang in Laos turned into a very memorable journey with a very friendly family from NYC. The parents were visiting their son and girlfriend who were traveling more extensively around SE Asia. Simon drew pictures and sang songs with the mom on they way there, and pretend fished with the son and girlfriend on the way home. It was just a few hours, but it was memorable. (Plus, we kind of got a break!) We talked about raising families, traveling, raising families and traveling (which they did extensively). I don't know their names and will probably never see them again, but they have a permanent place in our vault of memories.

Boat ride along the mighty Mekong.

Three days on a boat with just 17 people, you are bound to make some new friends. Simon was happy that there were two other young boys on board. A family from Seattle, Washington, they pulled their kids from school a few weeks every year to travel and see the world. Their dad, an app developer, created this very cool app for kids learning to tell time, with lots of different languages.

Cruising Halong Bay

We found Christmas spirit after spending some time with the fabulous Felix, a young German boy who spoke English and knew his Christmas carols in English! He could also carry a tune, so he really helped bring the Christmas spirit to Vietnam, where it was hard to remember that Christmas was just around the corner.

At Paradise Cave, Phong Nha National Park, Vietnam.

Mike was a really special find. A true local who showed us the ins and outs of not just Georgetown, but the entire island of Penang in Malaysia. We saw, tasted, and experienced this scrumptious island much differently thanks to his kindness.

Penang, Malaysia

When traveling with kids, it's great to meet other families traveling with kids of at least somewhat similar ages. We hit jackpot on Koh Lanta in Thailand when we landed at a budget resort with 3 other families with small kids. Two of the families were from Amsterdam, which was an added bonus as we could pepper them with questions regarding our upcoming move AND we now have someone to grab a beer with when we get there!

Little ones occupied during our seafood BBQ.

We enjoyed a night of grilling fresh seafood picked up at the local market and watching the sunset from the each in front our temporary home. When we parted ways Simon begged to go with them (I thought it sounded great - we could just meet in Amsterdam in a month), but was comforted knowing that this goodbye was not forever! In fact, we met Sabine, Sander, and Malin again just a week later on Koh Mook. I look forward to hanging out with Sabine in Amsterdam and she has promised to show me her favorite yoga studio - in English nonetheless!

(Update: As I am posting this weeks after our return to Europe, Simon and I are already regulars at Sabine's twice-weekly play group and we are planning a spring "garage sale" of sorts for kids stuff in the spring! Life has a funny way of just working out...)

And we were so fortunate to hijack the Danielsen's family vacation and spend a very memorable week with them in Khao Sok National Park and at the jungle island of Koh Ra. Simon was is absolutely enamored with Hannah and Rebecca, and we hope that our paths cross again some time soon.

These are just some of the wonderful people we met along the way who helped make our journey extra special. Hope to see you all again some time soon, somewhere in this crazy world!

 

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Cambodia: A Walk Through Their Tragic Past

After 3.5 weeks in Vietnam we were ready for a new country, a new landscape, and a new experience. Cambodia was definitely all of the above. Upon arriving in Phnom Penh we were immediately impressed with the level of English spoken and the friendliness of everyone, especially the tuk tuk drivers. They smiled amiably as we negotiated prices, and gave a friendly laugh at the low prices we were going for. It was just so pleasant.

We were in Cambodia for only 9 full days and spending time in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, so we had to make the most of our time. Cambodia is most famous for the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, but Phnom Penh was a worthy destination as well. The city was dirtier and grungier than other cities we had been to. We were staying in a hotel a bit outside the center which had the advantage of tuk tuk rides thought the streets of the city that we would have otherwise missed had we stayed closer to the tourist heart. And there was a lot to observe. Like a ridiculous number of Lexus SUVs. Posh, high end shopping streets. A stark contrast between the rich and poor.

Cambodia's recent history is marred by the mass genocide that took place in from 1975-1979 under the hands of the Khmer Rouge. During this time an estimated 2 million Cambodians were killed by execution and starvation. The rest of the world was seemingly unaware of this reign of terror and the UN even recognized the Khmer Rouge as the official government of Cambodia giving them seats at the UN in New York, which they maintained for over a decade after the killings stopped.

Just outside of Phnom Penh the Choeung Ek killing fields has been created as a memorial to the millions who died during the Khmer Rouge. The memorial is set up very well. Headsets come with admission ($5) and visitors are guided by the numbered signs through what was once a horrific execution camp. This creates a very peaceful setting as there is very little talking and people experience everything at their own pace. The tour is thorough, with background on the Khmer Rouge, the camp, and stories from survivors of the Khmer Rouge. It is a sad testament to the ability of humans to hate.

More than 120 mass graves were discovered at the killing field, and 80 were exhumed. Fragments of bones continue to surface with new rains, so it's not uncommon to see them while walking around the grounds.

While it is not an uplifting experience, it is well worth the visit.

Traveling with kids? Before going to the killing fields with children consider the age appropriateness of bringing them. For small children, it is not a playground and not appropriate for children to be running around on a sacred site that still holds the remains of those killed under the Khmer Rouge. We brought an iPod touch for Simon so that he would remain quiet and happy while were there and that worked fine. For older children, parents simply have to consider how much they want their children to hear and see about the genocide that took place there.

Further reading: There are many books out there about the Khmer Rouge written by survivors, scholars, and journalists about what happened during and after the Khmer Rouge. I read and can highly recommend the following two memoirs and plan on reading more when we get back.

First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung

Lucky Child, Loung Ung

 

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Where are you from?

Where are you from?

This simple question has no simple answer. Is it where you are currently living? Where you were born? This question is increasingly complex for people to answer, as careers, families, and life take people from one place to another, to settle in a foreign place, or continue moving constantly.

Where are you from? is a common question amongst travelers. We have several responses that vary in depth, depending on how much we want to go on.

The basic - I'm from the states and my husband is Swedish.

Just a little more - ...and we live in Germany right now.

All the details - ....and we will be living in Amsterdam when we get back.

Sometimes Simon chimes in, and his response is clearly Germany. So here you have one family, 3 different members, and they each identify as being from 3 different countries.

So where is home? What defines home? This is a good question for the Oppenwig family.

I remember the first time I really considered the concept of home. Martin and I were living in Louisville, Kentucky and I was working a Kentucky Refugee Ministries, a refugee resettlement agency. Every year on June 20, the United Nations celebrates World Refugee Day to honor refugees around the world. And that first year, it must have been 2004, the theme was home. Part of my job was to teach citizenship classes for refugees preparing to become U.S. citizens. So I asked them, where is home for you?

I can't imagine a harder question for a group of people that were forced to leave their homes and lives behind, because staying would be far worse. They then resettle in a completely new country with a new language and culture, in search of safety and hope. As they were preparing to take this next step to become U.S. citizens, many considered the U.S. home. It wasn't where they were from, but it was where they now belonged. They were raising their children in America, never mind the lives they left behind. Those lives were painfully gone. Home was the United States.

For me, the word home is fluid. When I am getting ready for a trip to Minnesota to visit my family, I am without doubt going home. But I also have a family of my own now, and, cue the sappy music, they are my other home. Home is not always defined by a space or a place. For some it is, but for many I know that's just part of the larger concept.

I always feel at home with these guys around.

Just like for refugees who now call the U.S. home, safety and hope are important elements of home for all of us. It's as much a feeling, a sense of security, of belonging, that defines home. That's why when we are homesick, we conjure up images of places, people, and smells that give us those warm fuzzy feelings. Home can be many places all at once. I know it is for me.

I will always be from Minnesota. But home? Well, it's always with me.

Check out how other traveling families conceptualize home. (Technical difficulties, will update soon.)

Bohemian Travelers: Home is Everywhere

Nomadic Family: I Hate Home, and That One, and That One

Flashpacker Family: My Heart Doesn't Lie At Home

A Lifechanging Year: I Never Thought We'd be Home for Christmas

A Minor Diversion: A Minor Diversion Comes Home

Grow in Grace Life: Home...Where Ever We Are, There We Are

Witness Humanity: Things I Will Miss About Home..

Discover. Share. Inspire: How to Always be Home for the Holidays

The Barefoot Nomad: Where's Home for a Barefoot Nomad?

Gypseekers: Are we home yet? Re-entering society after a round-the-world adventure.

Expat Experiment: Traveling Home

 

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Division of labor

In case you are wondering, these pictures, taken on our flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, capture the division of labor on this trip rather well. ;)

 

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Dune bashing in Dubai - Silly sand!

The highlight of our trip to Dubai would have to be the desert safari. Because Nidhi had booked it for us, we really had very little idea as to what to expect. We knew there would be some "dune bashing'" but we honestly didn't know what it was and hadn't decided if it would be safe for Simon. I guess we thought it was optional. It wasn't.

.

We arrived in the desert and met up with a caravan of other cars, and suddenly our driver said "buckle up." Holy sh&#! At this point I was a little prepared for some chaos, as the Indian family in our vehicle had taken motion sickness meds when we stopped at the gas station. I would describe it as kind of like riding a roller coaster, except that I was not at all certain that we weren't in serious danger. At least on a roller coaster I have faith that we will stay on the track. In the dunes I was not so certain there were any guarantees.

It helped to have Simon with us, who immediately started laughing hysterically and yelling, "Silly auto" and "Silly sand." Although I did consider what a horrible parent I was as I pictured our car rolling over and over on the sand dunes. We would speed up and down the dunes, flying over peaks, turning sharply so that the car slid sideways the entire way down the dune. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but we survived to tell the tale. And it was really fun.

Then we headed to a little fake camp in the desert where camels, food, and dance awaited us. Simon had been looking forward to seeing and riding the camels for a long time. But up close and personal was not nearly as thrilling as he had anticipated. So Mama and Pappa took turns while Simon watched.

Before dinner we watched a traditional belly dancer as well as a male dancer, who was something like a whirling dervish but I believe they used a different name. Both were very impressive, and I guess I hadn't realized there was so much more to belly dancing than shaking it like Shakira. The belly actually dances. Really cool. And the male dancer whirling around so fast for I don't know how long. They supposedly go into some sort of trance to be able to twirl continuously like that. It was quite beautiful to watch.



We left the camp and drove home. Simon, miraculously, did not fall asleep. So we went to bed quite late, ready for an early start the next morning as we headed on to Bangkok!

 

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On the road...

After a whirlwind week, we finally boarded a jet plane to Dubai! It was a very chaotic week, making it all the more exciting to get out and get started. Martin finished work on October 31, and movers came bright and early the next morning. We moved out, moved in with friends (thanks Katrin and Oscar!), sold our kitchen and got rid of everything in the apartment (including all light fixtures). We also had all sorts of miscellaneous things to do, such as canceling Internet, cable, etc. But it's done - and we are gone!



Packing was not quite as tough as we thought it would be. We know that we will want to buy things along the way, so we packed sparingly. We have 2 backpacks (1 big, 1 medium), 1 daypack, and a stroller. When we left my bag was quite full, but Martin's had plenty of space, and he was carrying 2 packs of diapers. Yes, diapers. Sigh.

The flight was pretty uneventful. Simon took a nap, falling asleep to The Lion King - his first movie. We flew Emirates, which was fabulous. We each had our own screens, a large selection of movies, good food, and Simon got lots of toys (and chocolates). Why can't US airlines be a little more like them?

So now we are officially on the road. Lots of unknowns ahead of us. Simon still sleeps in a crib, take 2-3 hour naps (which were largely absent this last week - he's getting a head start on what's to come), and isn't potty trained. We brought a yoga mat and I made him a sleeping bag so he can sleep on the floor (although he'll probably sleep with us), we hope he'll occasionally nap in the stroller, and we'll just have to always make room for diapers. We'll keep you posted!

 

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Moving to Engelberg...

Don't be fooled by the title. We are not moving to Engelberg. Yet. I was thinking maybe we should though, and I want to figure out how. It's kind of amazingly beautiful. Like really, really, really, beautiful. One of the more beautiful places I have ever been. Hands down.

The glacier Titlis is the rocky mountain face on the far right - the other side has snow.

I love the mountains, the great outdoors. I feel invigorated by their presence, energized by the fresh air, ready to take on the world! We woke up after our first night at Ski Lodge Engelberg (a hotel on of Martin's old buddies helped start), with Martin hacking up a lung (turns out he had bronchitis) and I had a really sore lower back. Not to mention our son weighs 35 pounds (nearly 16 kilos), so that's a lot of weight to carry around those rather large hills for 2 sadly out of shape parents. So we did things the really easy way (took the cable car up and down), and spent our time enjoying the views rather than putting our delicate health at even more at risk.

Simon bouncing a mile high!

Beyond the magnificent views, there is one other thing that stands out about visiting Switzerland - the prices. The Swiss franc is strong against the Euro, which means that it's expensive for those living and working in the Eurozone. (But not so for Swedes, for example, who use the Swedish kronor.) This might partly explain why we hardly noticed any other Eurozone tourists. It's easy to distinguish the Swiss as they speak their own Swiss-German dialect. But other tourists were few and far between. Given that Germany, Austria, Italy, and France all have pieces of the Alps, it does make sense to travel in the plethora of other amazing mountain villages that are more affordable. And maybe it was the absence of such tourists that made the place all the more pleasant....

The weather was ideal, with clear views and warm mountain sun. I really didn't want to leave. I wanted to traipse through the woods, huff and puff and be rewarded with magnificent views, discover crystal clear mountain lakes. Instead I left kicking and screaming with promises that we will some day return, sans kids.

More pics are part of this album here.

Built for the road

Some people are built for the road. Simon is one of them. I don't even know what he does back there in his car seat most of the time, but he's quiet and he's happy so I don't ask questions.

We started the trip out by dragging him out of bed before 6am and hoping to get him to stay asleep. He stayed asleep until I had him all buckled into his car seat and then he opened his eyes and smiled. For the entire first hour on the road he didn't make a peep, and he didn't have a single toy. Just resting, I guess. I was giddy with optimism about how far we would make it on Day 1. Then he had a small coughing fit that resulted in him puking all over himself. We pulled over, cleaned him up, and he was ready to soldier on. (We made it to Bologna by 6pm, where we were able to explore and enjoy the city a bit before going on to Tuscany the next morning.)

I would have expected that he slept more in the car, but I guess it's not his thing. On our long trips he would sleep for only a little more than an hour. After long days in a Tuscan village he would fall asleep in the car and then we would put him down for a nap, and get a little break ourselves.

Totally relaxed.

To keep him occupied in the car, we had small cars, a few books, and......an ipod touch in case of emergency. He had a few games and a few videos on the ipod, and we let him play with it when his patience with sitting in his car seat ALL DAY was starting to fray. Everyone was happy. We also listened to some new Swedish music we got with Astrid Lindgren songs, including Pippi. We got a lot of Pippi requests throughout the trip, and I think Martin thoroughly enjoyed singing along to his childhood favorites.

My attitude going in was that we would probably have to take some long stops to let Simon and out and stretch his legs. On our way down (12 hours) we stopped twice. On the way back (2 6 -7 hour legs) we stopped once. He definitely has the Herwig road trip genes. We took long road trips growing up (ie. MN-> Key West) and we too were built for the road.

Looking forward to the next one with my road trip ready family!

Ciao, Bella!

For the second time in less than a year we packed up the car and headed off to Tuscany. We were meeting college friends Palm, Hanna, B, & E at Al Gelso Bianco, the same beautiful place we stayed last year the hills of Barberino between Florence and Siena. We were not disappointed.

Checking out the weather forecast in the weeks leading up to our trip I was increasingly nervous. Highs were over 100F with evenings still hovering close to 90F. This did not sound ideal for exploring country villages with 2 kiddos - we would melt. As luck would have it we arrived with a cold front, but that also meant rain. So for the first few days we enjoyed long (as in 3 hours long) lunches, and managed to explore the countryside without getting caught in the rain once - never even opening an umbrella. We even had a few peaks of sunshine. For the last few days the sun came out in full force, and we slowed down and enjoyed some time by the pool, haven gotten our fill of walled villages and cathedrals.

As a traveler I have noticed that I rely less and less on guide books. Don't get me wrong - I love to page through them to get ideas of where to go (as in big picture - as in Italy or Spain), but I don't use them to guide my day-to-day. At Al Gelso Bianco, the staff is incredibly helpful in suggesting what to do. Each morning we would wake up, check out the weather, and ask Irene or Chiara for some ideas and help making lunch and dinner reservations. I think that now I am more into experiencing a place, as opposed to checking all the major sites off the list. It's an especially practical way to travel with kids, as you have to remain flexible.

 

When people travel to Italy, no doubt food is at the top of their list. And we were not disappointed. We tried all the local specialities, including pappardelle with wild boar sauce, homemade noodles with rabbit sauce, steak florentine, gnocchi, and....oh yeah....GELATO! So much gelato. I would say that E took the gelato business most seriously, ordering the same flavor whenever possible (nutella) so that she could compare it to previous gelatos. We did eat at 2 world champion gelaterias - and we were not disappointed. I think her rankings were:

1. Gelatería di Piazza - San Gimignano
2.  l'Antica Delizia - Castellina in Chianti
3. Other place in San Gimignano, maybe E has a picture with the name?

She had an eye for authentic gelato, and was not fooled by fancy displays covered in fresh fruit. She sniffed out the real stuff and we loved her for it. Oh - and I should add that our gelato aficionado had her wedding dress fitting the day after she got back from Italy for her wedding in less than a month. Seriously. E =Awesome. (So sad to miss their wedding!)

At night, after putting the kiddos to bed, we entertained ourselves by drinking wine and grappa while playing the Swedish card game Plump, which is essentially what I know as Up and Down the River. Turns out B is a card shark. The ultimate risk-taker. It worked well for him most of the time.

And the kids. As always, I have to make a comment on traveling with kids. DO IT! I am constantly amazed at how adaptable and flexible children are. Annika - who turns one next week - was an amazing traveler. She immediately adjusted to her new time zone, took naps when she could, ate when we ate, etc. Traveling with 2 kids no doubt means you have to adjust, you move at a slower pace, etc, but it can be done. Restaurants don't start serving dinner until 7 or 7:30 - no problem! We'll just put the kids to bed at 10 or 11. I know it was a lot of work for them, but they were so stimulated by their new environments that they both did really, really well. And I should mention that B & E were amazing with the kids. They get props for traveling with 2 couples with kids and helping to make it all work!

Want to see more pics from this amazing adventure? Click here.

Lunch in Luxembourg

A group of 5 of us mamas decided to give ourselves a break and head out of town for a night. We left on Friday morning and came back Saturday night. Short and sweet, but a much appreciated (and needed) break from the daily grind.

Our destination was Trier. It met the criteria of being close and a place that none of us had been to. It is rumored to be the oldest city in Germany, predating Rome by 1300 years.

Because Trier is located near the border with Luxembourg, we decided to have lunch in Luxembourg. It just seemed incredibly awesome to have lunch in another country. Coming from Minnesota, it would be like having lunch in Iowa, except it was Luxembourg where they speak French. It just seemed way too cool of an opportunity to pass up.

Lunch in Grevenmacher, Luxembourg.

Then we headed to Trier, and we learned that we weren't the only ones. The seamless robe of Jesus (yes, the Jesus) was on display at the Cathedral, which has only happened a number of times in history and draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Legend has it that this was the robe that he wore during or shortly before his crucifixion. And we got to see it.

The Porta Nigra, the Roman gate built between 186 and 200 AD

There were old Roman ruins scattered around the city, which is located on the beautiful Mosel River. However, Mother Nature did not cooperate with us, so our sight seeing was somewhat limited. We did, however, make sure to sample the local wines of the region. I don't think many people in the US associate Germany with good wine, but they do have some very nice Rieslings that don't make it far beyond the Mosel region. And of course, we had some schnitzel.

Sampling of German Rieslings

Schnitzel and white asparagus - doesn't get more German than this.

As always, I appreciate getting away for just a short while, to recharge my batteries and remind myself that there is more to life than Legos (thank god!). It's also an opportunity to deepen friendships and have conversations that go beyond potty-training and sleep schedules.

Sweet, Sweet, Sweden

I am no longer the picky eater I was a child, but going to Sweden can sometimes make me feel like that kid again, begging for chicken fingers and fries. Gravad lax, herring, dill and cream – just not in tune with my palate. But the sweets? The treats? That’s another story. I have grown to love some delicious Swedish sweets that I overindulge in every time I visit.

Luckily, Swedes have built sweets into a formal part of their day. Fika, an afternoon tradition of coffee and cake, is a common practice for most Swedes. When I’m there, I tend to have fika morning noon and night, but I figure I’m making up for all those missed fikas when I’m not there. My favorites? Princess torta is my true obsession (you can get it at Wuollet’s in MN for those of you in the land of 10,000 lakes). A great morning treat – kanel bulle or kardumumma bulle (cinnamon or cardamom rolls). On a hot Swedish day (ok – oxymoron – more like just a great treat) - mjukglass. It’s just softserve ice cream, like Dairy Queen, but I have always had a soft spot for softserve (hehe), and there’s no DQ in Germany. I love it. For my official fika, I might take a choklad biskvi. I especially like the ones they sell at the COOP in Djursholm, but I can’t figure out why they are different. So delicious…Can’t wait to go back.

But enough about food. That’s not what this trip was about. In fact, we decided to go to Sweden this summer so that we could spend some time with Simon’s great grandfather (Nonno - Martin’s morfar) at their cabin in Torsby, Sweden. Nonno is 87 years old, and a truly amazing man, for many reasons. After turning 50, he competed in the Vasaloppet 12 times (90 km cross-country ski race). Every two weeks, he takes care of his wife (Nonna), who spends the other 2 weeks in a nursing home. He doesn’t like eating in restaurants because he doesn’t trust the food. But also, he’s 87, still drives himself 5+ hours to their cabin, and then works his butt off to keep the place up.

So Martin, Simon and I were there to help. Of course, with Simon there it was more like Martin was there to help. I laid in the grass with Simon and read a book in 2 days, which felt really good. It had been a LONG time since I had done that. 

I digress. Martin and Nonno spent the better part of 3 days mowing the lawn, raking, and mowing the lawn again, as it had been 2 months since anyone had been at the cabin. Nonno, who has a bum knee and walks with hand crutches, could also be seen climbing a ladder to the roof, crouching under the riding lawn mower, raking grass, or manning the trimmer (which he eventually forbade Martin to do). 

But it wasn’t all just work. Nonno got to play and bond with his great-grandson – and they both seemed to love every minute of it. They even shared a first experience – eating their first smore together.

We actually fit quite a lot into this trip, as Torsby was not the only part. We met up with an old Mac friend at his family’s summer house in the Swedish archipelago, hung out with some of Martin’s old childhood friends, and got to see Martin’s siblings (and Simon’s cousins) in Stockholm. Even though we usually don’t have a lot of time to spend with people when we visit Stockholm, it means a lot to reconnect face-to-face for even just a couple of hours. It makes it seem like we don’t live so far away, like our lives aren’t so disconnected.

In so many ways, this was a really, really sweet trip. We hope to do it again next year.

Pics here.

Ignorance is bliss

Normally, I am not so sure I adhere to the notion that ignorance is bliss – but in this case it really worked to my advantage. When my friend Eva told me she and he daughter Ella (Simon’s buddy) were going to be staying with her in-laws in Austria for a month, we agreed that we needed to come up with a plan to see each other during that time. So Simon and I bought our tickets to Klagenfurt, Austria knowing it would be great to see Eva and Ella.

Sand and swim at the Worthersee

We had gotten back from South Africa only a week before, so things had been pretty busy and hectic. And when you are going to visit a friend, you don’t really worry about what you are going to do and all that. I knew there was a  lake, but I didn’t really know too much else about where we were going. This made for a fantastic surprise on my flight as I looked out the window to see beautiful jagged peaks, some still with snow. Eventually a long and blue-green lake appeared – the Worthersee. Home for the next 4 days – woohoo!

Klagenfurt is an outdoors person’s paradise. A beautiful, clean lake for swimming in the summer, surrounded by mountains for hiking and biking in the summer, and skiing in the winter. No wonder Eva was going for a month. I wish I could have stayed for 2!

A little lower...to the right...

We spent our days watching the Ironman (always inspirational), swimming at the beach, taking a boat ride the length of the Worthersee (17 km), and hanging out in the beautiful garden of her in-laws. (They keep bees!! Respect!) We were there on the 4^th of July, so I honored the occasion by making smores, although we had to get creative. We had no fire, no gas stove, and no microwave. So we put them in the oven until they were big and puffy and then scraped them onto some crackers to make the smores. It was a great effort.

Now I am trying to figure out how I can make a living in Klagenfurt. Or maybe I will just reitre there.

Pics here.

Road Trip! - My Blended Family (Part 2)

aOne of the joys of not planning a trip, is that everything feels like a surprise. While Rebecca had diligently planned the trip and sent us great itineraries, I didn't really always know what to expect. I might know where we were going, but not what was there. Port Elizabeth was the beginning of our Road Trip, making our way (over 4 days) along the Garden Route to Cape Town! (I mapped it in google maps if you want to check it out!)

First stop: Schotia Safari Game Reserve. I was giddy! I was about to see real live giraffes and lions and warthogs! We got there at 3 in the afternoon on a chilly, overcast day. Given the weather we wisely chose the safari truck with windows, rather than totally open. Simon was snugly attached to my chest on the Ergo, where he couldn't move around but he could see everything that was going on, including the animals. Our drive started off a bit slow, although we didn't really know it. We saw a water buffalo (probably not a water buffalo, but that's what I'm calling it) and we all took tons of photos of this one single animal. We thought it was really cool. Gradually we saw big groups of different animals, antelope types, and that was more exciting. We saw some warthogs with their little warthog babies and they were so cute! Maybe it's the Lion King effect, but I really loved them. We saw some zebras - now it was starting to feel a bit more exotic! Then we stopped for dinner and had a great meal and warmed ourselves by the big, open fire.

Back into our safari truck for our night drive. Our driver had the beam flashing, and Mary with her incredible eye for animals spotted some giraffes in the dark. It was exciting, but of course in the dark we couldn't really see that much. Simon quickly fell asleep on my chest, so I was relieved not to have to worry about a screaming child disturbing everyone's safari - or the animals. Things quickly got exciting when we saw a lion lounging by the side of the road. It was soooo close, and just sat there, totally unphased by our huge beam light. We watched for a while, and then moved on to find mama lion with her 5 cubs chewing on a warthog head. It was AMAZING!! Totally unbelievable. The next morning got even better with clear blue skies and sunlight - we saw it all. A lion regally perched on a hillside roaring his morning roar. We found mama and the cubs still dragging around that poor warthog head. We saw lions and zebras hanging out. And we saw rhinos!! And by 10 o'clock the next morning, we were moving on.

We checked out elephants at Addo National Park, and then moved on to Storms River where we took a hike at Tsitsikamma National Park. We continued along the coast to the town of Wilderness, where we stayed at a beautiful B&B and wished we had longer to explore. However, Cape Town was next and we had a long drive ahead of us.

Our big stop on the way was passing through Oudtshoorn which is famous for its ostrich farms. I was not convinced that I was going to ride one, until I saw the look on Marie's face when the ostrich took off with her on its back. She was laughing so hard at the pure preposterousness of the situation that I knew I couldn't miss out. And it really was a highlight of the trip because it was so ridiculous and you felt so precarious with your legs tucked under their wings and it just running around in circles...You must try if you get the chance. (And Simon was really cute because he cried as soon as he saw me get on and stopped when I got off - he was worried about his mama!)

Yup. Riding an ostrich.

We arrived late in Cape Town to a beautiful house right on the water. We spent the next five days at Table Mountain, Cape Point, visiting the African Penguins in Simons Town, touring South African vineyards, and grilling LOTS of meat at our house. (If you know the Mazwi's, you get the idea.)

By the end of our trip, we really were a blended family. We have fantastic memories - and more importantly relationships - that will last a lifetime. Mike and Simon are even planning on grabbing a drink on Simon's 21st birthday (we won't mention how old Mike will be). We hope to make this into something we can do regularly all over the globe!

Boulangerie, Patissierie....Oui, oui!

Hard to believe it's May 1st today and April is already behind us. I was talking to my sister today (Marie) and we agreed it should be March, not May. How time flies!

Anywho, I wish it was March so I could do April all over again. It was that good. It started off with a weekend in Bussum, the Netherlands, where we did a pre-birthday celebration with my cousin whose birthday is a day after mine (April6, April 7). We were supposed to check out the famous tulips, but due to a cold spring they were blooming late. So instead we checked out the crazy Dutch bike culture (ie. Mama bikes) and ate pannekoeken.

Next we headed to Antibes, France (near Nice) to celebrate my mother-in-law's 60th birthday. This meant that we arrived on my birthday, in time to have lunch in the warm sun, eat some delicious French cake, and get some shopping in. :)

The next day was Antonietta's big day - and we celebrated as a family (minus Magnus who is living in NYC) and found a restaurant with 3 highchairs. Needless to say we went back there several times as a place that could guarantee we wouldn't have squirmy, messy kids on our laps and we could maybe even enjoy a glass of wine. The whole weekend was very relaxing, filled with good food and good family. We didn't really do anything, except walk around, make sure our kids napped, and stop at every other patisserie (that was just me though). I did discover a sugar covered donut stuffed with nutella - need I say more? (Pics here).

So the only thing that made leaving Antibes easier was knowing that in just another week and a half we would be heading back to the land of patisseries to join the Stirling Palm's (is there a hyphen or what?) for a long weekend in Reims, the champagne region of France. We really managed to have the perfect weekend, with the SP's arriving early and able to kick the jetlag straight away, perfect weather, amazing food, and a great place to stay (La Parenthese). We toured champagne houses, drove through the vineyard-filled countryside of Champagne country, ate a lot, and had Easter lunch at a chateau with a MOAT! Pretty cool. (Pics here).

Simon enjoyed the late nights, where dinner started at his bed time, and he got to sample seafood risotto, pigeon, chocolate mousse, lamb - or whatever we were eating. He was so smitten with the French lifestyle that he forgot to be cranky - for which we were very greatful!

(Trooper award goes to Hanna - 20 weeks pregnant and she flew all the way over to France for 4 nights. Given her dedication to her friends, she will be a fabulous mother.)

And yes, I know what you're thinking. We are living large over here on the other side of the pond (well - depending where you are reading this from). And I am not going to argue with you on that one. But here's the thing. We don't know what the future holds for us - if we will stay in Europe or end up back in the U.S. I would have to leave a in few years and realize I didn't take advantage of all that is right at my doorstep here (4 hours to Reims, 1.5 hour flight to Nice). And for now, we only have one kiddo, and it's manageable (but not always easy) to travel with him. (Did I mention the 6 weeks of vacation - that helps too!) So we are working hard to see the sights while we can. There's lots more on our list - so stay tuned to see where we end up next. :)

In-law Land

Simon and I made another trip to Sweden in October - our second since we got to Europe! It was my first time flying alone with Simon. I had to get creative but it worked out. :)

Simon also experienced his first snow on our first morning in Stockholm (October 21!). Luckily it wasn't sticking around, as my my Farmor (Simon's Grandma), Simon and I were heading out on a 3 hour drive to Vastervik, Sweden to celebrate my nephew's 2nd birthday.

Marina, my sister-in-law, also has a 5-month old girl, Nora, so it was quite the full house. Simon LOVED being around his cousins. He was so well-behaved (during the days) while we were there that Marina finally asked if he ever cried. Simon and Nora could sit in their highchairs facing each other and play forever. Even though it was a bit hectic with all the kids, it still felt like a break. Simon and I stayed with Marina and Johan for a week before heading back to Stockholm where Pappa joined us.

We were able to dress Simon up for his first Halloween!

I have to admit, I am excited for Christmas! And watch out world - I think Simon will be crawling!

Want to see more pictures? Check then out here.