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…

Our next stop on the “commonwealth tour” was Bath, where Tom and Fleur live in a beautiful village called Batheaston on the outside of town. They have a festive terraced garden with a view of exceptionally green British farms and hillsides. Fleur set up Lucille with bubbles, toys and a bucket of water to splash in.…

We spent our last few days in England on a sort of “commonwealth tour” –making visits to guys from Rob’s team around the country. Our first stop: Brighton! Anyone familiar with Pride & Prejudice knows that Brighton is the end all. A gem where a little sea bathing would just set you up forever. We drove in…

We spent the weekend in Lymington celebrating Josh’s 40th birthday and having fun with Rob’s work team. Josh is an amazing vegetarian cook and I jumped in to help with my party-planning expertise. Together, we cooked delicious dinner and brunch for 22 people.  The weather had been sunny and hot all week, but turned rainy…

Lymington is right outside the lush New Forest, packed with oak trees, ferns and wild ponies. It was a must see during our two week stay in Hampshire. We approached it two different ways with Lucy in tow. Balmer Lawn by Rail A £4 return ticket takes you from Lymington to Brockenhurst on a train line that…

A trip to a National Trust estate is an absolutely must-do for me when in England. The closest house to us in Lymington was Mottisfont – a historical priory, garden and country estate in Hampshire on the other side of the New Forest. We had absolutely perfect weather for our day trip there. We had absolutely…

Rob and Josh had a lunch meeting in Portsmouth last week. Lucille and I tagged along for a couple hours to explore. The island city is a famous navy port and full of old brick military buildings. Also famous as the birthplace of Charles Dickens and the site where Arthur Conan Doyle practiced medicine. It is…