In wandering around in a grocery store in Helsinki and in talking with our Finnish ambassador in the sauna (see previous post about Finland's sauna culture), we found out some very interesting things about the Finnish cuisine. Mainly the biggest difference between us (in Southern Louisiana) and them is that they eat reindeers. And moose. …
Continue reading Rudolf the Red Nose Entree and Crayfish in Finland
So it seems that Germans (and Europeans in general) are more comfortable with their bodies than us Americans. I make that assumption based on the observations I've made on the beaches and surrounding waters in and around our home in Croatia. And it's not Croatians for the most part, but rather the German tourists who …
A Needle in A Haystack Our visit to Helsinki started slowly last week as we had a hard time getting acclimated. Mike wasn’t feeling well and I was tired because of pre-trip insomnia, as I tend not to sleep the day before we go on a trip out of nervousness and anticipation. We got to …
Continue reading Finding Jemina in Helsinki and Meeting the Finnish Ambassador in the Sauna
Olive oil production in Croatia is often done on small family farms in the Istrian region. This article is about stumbling upon a small olive oil production facility in Croatia and its friendly owner.
"The city is sleeping," said the young Russian boy. We all closed our eyes. As I sat around the beach blanket with six children from Russia, Italy and Croatia still dripping from the salty Adriatic Sea and playing the card game Mafia, I wondered, how did I get here? We had just been swimming off …
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Yes, Dickens said it best. It started with a journey to Split in September for a charter adventure to the islands of Brač, Hvar and Vis with my husband Captain Mike, and our friends James, Carolyn and Karl. It ended with with a …
Continue reading Getting out of Split: A Cautionary Tale of the Infamous Croatian Bura
Some friends and I visited the beautiful sea port city of Trieste in Italy yesterday, just a short ride from our home in the Istrian part of Croatia. As rustically charming as Istria is with its tiny hilltop stone villages and ubiquitous olive groves and vineyards, Trieste is charming in a whole different way. …
Happy Birthday to Dimitra!!!!!!!! Liz, Suzan and Dimitra pose for a photo on the beautiful island of Antiparos. June 15, 2019 It's our third day in Paros but even more special because it is Dimitra’s birthday. How lucky are we to spend this day with her! She is such an inspiration with her vibrant personality, …
What a dream this is! My niece is in Florida with her very newborn baby, and I am on the beautiful Greek island of Paros. A Greek lady is singing a beautiful love song to me in her native tongue as I lay on the beach tanning and napping. No, she hasn’t been hired to …
It's Wednesday and I have made it to Athens after a long journey that started from my home in Croatia at 2 o'clock in the morning to a whirlwind of excitement of fun and food! I've traveled here to meet my friend Liz, who is meeting her Greek relatives for the first time. And Liz’s …