...the Rest of the Summer

As creatures craving warmth and leisure, summer is the golden season of holidays, day trips, and beach time. In our case this year, it was a whirlwind of working overtime and making ridiculous travel plans to fit in seeing everyone.

Anniversary Tea and Sandwiches in Sandwich, MA

While our anniversary has moved since we got married, I still like to celebrate our 'original' anniversary. I don't need an excuse to day trip!

We headed to Sandwich on Cape Cod to have afternoon tea and take in the sea airs. The weather actually cooperated and the earth was in bloom.  

We cruised the colonial (early American) sites, like this grist mill from the revolutionary days that still grinds corn in season to this day. 

It was warm enough I only had to wear three layers. Success.

We had tea at Dunbar Tea Room which is housed in a carriage house of a colonial home from the mid-1700's. We took no time before diving in...

After tea we headed to the Sandwich glass museum to see a glassblowing demonstration. 

Whilst in the neighborhood we came across a turkey vulture plucking at a cute fuzzy thing. Everything's got to eat and he was quite the majestic creature.

Before leaving the cape we stopped at the shore and walked the longest boardwalk in the history of boardwalks:

...finally the Atlantic lay before us. Beautiful, windswept, and cold - as usual!

April Showers bring May Flowers and Mayflowers bring Pilgrims

I love New England, but sometimes I wonder how we all managed to stay here when winter rolls around. It is brutal and this year was especially brutal, we're still shaking off the cold in May.

But then, spring arrives. When the first dogwood blooms, the birds return en masse, and the tulips emerge, I remember. This kind of beauty can make you forget the worst of Nor-easters.

Happy - almost - Spring!

A meander around town

When the sun is shining, there is nothing nicer than a walk through the Public Gardens,

snake your way through the cobblestoned streets of Beacon Hill.

Stop by a historic 19th century house museum for a private tour, 

and admire the butler's pantry; it's just as interesting as high society's tapestried rooms.

And when you feel a bit peckish, join the party in the North End (Little Italy) in honor of St. Anthony.

I'd recommend the pasta.

City Series: Amsterdam Revisited

After going back to Amsterdam last October, I intended to write a few bits about why I love my second city...and then, I didn't. I only realized this when I stumbled upon another new bloggers post about Amsterdam and decided to rectify it. Sometimes I get caught up in having to do things at the 'right' time or not at all, but it's always a good time to talk about travel!

I love to walk: in new cities, my cities, open fields, pretty much anywhere is good place for a stroll. But Amsterdam leads cities not only for walk-ability but for things to see. I have yet to find a boring part of Amsterdam and I've spent over six months of combined time there. 


One pleasant walk is through the floating flower market or Bloemenmarkt. It is not far from other sites, there's food vendors in and near the markt and there's some of the best shops for silly souvenirs you could ever wish to find. 

The floating flower market is made up of moored barges brimming with tulip bulbs of every variety. Note some are specially marked and will clear U.S. customs, while others will not. I presume it's less strict within the EU. There's tons of bulbs, cut flowers, and tulip paraphernalia - yes, that is a thing - available for purchase and often at rather good prices. Along the street are several cafes serving a mix of Americana/British breakfast foods, sandwiches, and beverages and while the food is not that exciting these places have front row seats for people watching. 

Tulips are hugely iconic in Amsterdam and the Netherlands and it's only proper to appreciate the rich variety of the flower that inspired the first market crash in history!

We'll always have spring in Boston

 They always say it’s springtime in Paris to dream of, but the arrival of the sun in Boston is pretty spectacular too. In the Boston Gardens, tulips reign supreme:

Every space unoccupied by stone or metal is awash in new green and fluttering colors. Boston is a city that respects and guards it’s green-space and does not skimp on showcasing it in the Gardens, the Commons, the Emerald necklace, and along sidewalks and down medians throughout downtown. The flowering trees rain petals softly over passersby:

And finally, amongst the noise and the traffic, the trains and the rushing urbanity of it all, comes the wildlife:

Bunnies may not count as big game to anyone, but the rabbits and the squirrels, the fearless raccoons and the rare bear keeps nature in Boston just in case us people start to think we’ve got it sorted.