Living Deliberately in Concord

Concord has been the home of many great American thinkers and writers like Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson to name a few triple monikered locals.

From the center of town, a path weaves out to Walden Pond. While we're in the middle of another snow storm right now, there was a perfect coating of snow on the woodland trails.

It was unseasonably warm for the Northeast - over 40 degrees F - but people were still out on the pond ice-fishing. We kept to solid ground and walked the entire perimeter. 

It was a bit slippery, but we managed to make it around the Pond.

We then headed back to the site of Henry David Thoreau's cabin. The structure has been gone for centuries, but the ideas of connecting with nature and living deliberately thrives. We have one chance to enjoy as much of life as possible, so go outside, look at the stars, and eat that cake / cheese / wine.

A Walk through Mount Auburn

The U.S.' first landscaped cemetery Mount Auburn lies in Cambridge, MA and is a beautiful place filled with history, art, and testimonies to memory.  It's about a mile and half walk from Harvard Square and open to the public year around, with guided and audio tours available. Birds, frogs, turtles, amongst other small creatures fill the ponds and groves with the gentle sounds of life's constancy. 

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!