Yearly Archives: 2017

Now that we have a rough and tumble one year old toddler, it is time to finally post all my recommendations for newborns. I think of myself a pragmatic minimalist when it comes to baby gear – we live in an apartment in a city and travel half the year with just carry-on bags – but this list still…

We made it! You have survived your first trip around the sun and have turned into my favorite little person. Your first word this month was “cup” and you love showing off your ability to drink water out of a glass without spilling (mostly), You also understand “ball,” “daddy,” “mommy,” “clap,” “doggy” and “dance.” You…

Technically, the Museu Coleção Berardo is in Belem, a suburb of Lisbon. It’s a giant building just 10 years old – constructed with future expansion in mind. And – importantly for mid June in Portugal – it is air conditioned! It seems like every train, light rail and bus from the heart of Lisbon takes you to…

I have a fondness for smaller museums, tiny gems that are off the beaten track. Usually housed in old palaces or mansions that are as interesting as the art themselves. Places like the Musee Ceramique in Paris. In Lisbon, a small museum a block from our apartment in Alfama fit the bill. The “Museu de…

I picked up the most gorgeous baby eggplant – the size of Cadbury Creme Eggs and almost as delicious – at farmer’s market over the weekend. This recipe started with a plan to stuff the eggplant with the lamb rice mixture (inspired by this recipe) but that seemed too fussy once I started cooking. Instead,…

What a month! You spent June in a whirlwind of pointing, crawling and charming strangers all across Europe. Oh, the pointing! You are so, so good at pointing. At it is really fun to explore this big milestone of “shared sensing” with you. You pointed in restaurants, cafes and especially at the aquarium. When you’re…

We’ve been busy! Your 10th month feels divided into two parts: the bustling weeks as we prepared to go to Europe and then a happy stay in Hampshire with friends. You had a bunch more “firsts” this month, including your first slide and first stairs at Dolores Park. You are a determined little person! You…

Lisbon is packed with so many amazing museums! One of the first on our agenda was the National Museum of tile, aka: “Museu Do Azulejo.” This museum is housed in a 16th century convent on the east side of the city. It’s a waterfront walk there from town. Only technically though, since most of the shore…

We had no idea what we were getting into when we first arrived in Lisbon, Portugal for a two week stay in the historic Alfama district in June. Within minutes of driving in, we had more questions than answers. Why is everything decorated? Are there normally barbecue restaurants covering every sidewalk? What’s with the topiaries? We…

Last post from England! On our way back from Bath, we made a small detour to see the Avebury Stones (with a sighting of the Westbury White Horse along the way) This is a less popular “henge” than nearby Stonehenge, which means you can still park in a field and get right up to the massive…