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Jocelyn Cooper
Jocelyn Cooper

Jocelyn Cooper

traveled in 22 countries Read more
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  • Croatia and Hungary
    1

    Korčula Town & Vrbovika, Korčula

    July 17, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    Tuesday we woke up to our beautiful new place and Lucy (the owner) dropped us in town to explore. We shopped and walked the streets of old town, which is also a walled city. Gideon needed a Croatian football kit and Elliot found some local coral earrings. We had lunch on the water- yummy mussels, calamari, risotto and sandwich and enjoyed the view. Gelato and a walk up to more shops where we picked up some balls for the water and food to grill for dinner. We came home and swam until dinner. I think we all had the best nights sleep that we have had in weeks.

    Today was a chill beach day, much needed by all. Even the kids said that this was one of the best days so far. We had brunch and then spent the day at the beach. It was much more quiet today which was perfect and we each had nice paddle boarding rides, snorkeling and swimming. Gid found a sea urchin and we enjoyed the coral and fish swimming around us. It is difficult to capture the color and clarity of the water. Everywhere you swim, no matter how deep, you can see clear to the bottom. So beautiful. We had a picnic lunch and read and hung out.

    For dinner we went to the other little spot by our house. Homemade noodles and beef, chicken burgers, hamburgers with house cut fries and homemade buns as the sun set on our last day in our little off the beaten path place. Home for showers and snuggles before bed.    Read more

  • Croatia and Hungary

    Korčula

    July 15, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ 🌙 84 °F

    We had another full day today. After breakfast, we packed up our bags for a 10 am checkout and walked to Bellevue Beach about 10 minutes away in Dubrovnik. It was a secluded beach behind a hotel off the rocks and was just what we needed early in the morning. It was 90 by the time we got in the water and the temperature was perfect, just like yesterday. It's surprisingly easy to float in the sea too. We got to spend about 90 minutes before we headed back to pick up our luggage at our Airbnb and took an Uber to the ferry port. We had a wonderful lunch across the street (pizzas and a burrito and tuna salad) before boarding the 2.5 hour ferry to Korčula island. Between the sun and meclizine, most of us fell asleep on the calm boat ride. We arrived in Korčula at about 1630 and took a cab to our Airbnb 10 minutes away. We pulled up to meet the owner who owns the house next door and she showed us around one of the best Airbnbs we have been to. We found it at a discount since it had no reviews but it is perfect for us and even nicer than the pictures with great finishes and even a garden with swings and a firepit grill and then she gave us a brand new bike and a stand-up paddleboard to use while we are here. The best part was when she walked us 100 meters down to the beach with a restaurant shack for dinner and drinks. After unpacking and shopping, we changed back to beach clothes and took the kids down to the water. It is a great spot with lots of kids and an entire campground with lots of tent campers nearby. The SUP was a hit with all three kids and it was hard to pull them out of the water for burgers for dinner. We let them get back in afterward for 15 minutes as the sun went down. Home for showers and straight to their (bunk) beds while we watch the Bear before falling asleep. Apparently, a donut and fresh fish truck is coming by tomorrow... should be an interesting combination.Read more

  • Croatia and Hungary

    Dubrovnik

    July 14, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ 🌙 81 °F

    Today was a good day. We discovered that we have completely lost our Texas bred heat tolerance. So hot today. I could only bring travel size sunscreen (to get started) because we just carried on and we slathered up and headed out around 830. We are a 30 min walk from the old city and headed there to meet for our Game of Thrones tour. We watched all 8 seasons and a lot of it was filmed in Croatia. The locations were very cool to see (but the kids were a bit lost). Still cool to see the forts and fortresses around the city. Your guide was great but it was so hot! The old city has cool old huge fountains for water refills and we definitely drank our share. After the tour we found delicious gelato (mango and coconut were highlights per usual) and then we went to the maritime museum included on our pass to escape the heat. No air con, but a bench will do. They had a cool kids area that the boys loved. After we left there we went to lunch at a delicious Mediterranean spot called
    Dubrovka 1836. The kids had pizza and a schnitzel and Tige and I shared an octopus salad and hot veggies that were super yummy. Bread, beer and an aperol spritz rounded out the meal. After lunch we made our way to Banje beach and spent 2.5 hours in the Adriatic Sea. So lovely and refreshing. Kids were desperate for the water. We changed and headed back to town to climb the stairs to the wall around the town. A very cool 2km walk around the old town. I will admit that I was 100% done by the end (esp after having Covid last week) and demanded a cab home. We made it back, had showers and Tige went out for groceries. Kids ate and passed out and we finished what is at this time a heartbreaker for England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 tomorrow we head to our island hang!    Read more

  • Croatia and Hungary

    Croatia

    July 13, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Elliot finished school last week and the boys' last day was Thursday so we have been counting the days until we could travel again. We had plenty of time to pack yesterday and this morning for our 1500 flight out of Heathrow. The direct flight to Dubrovnik was smooth and we took a waiting van to our Airbnb about 30 minutes north into Dubrovnik. It was 88 degrees when we landed! The kids said they felt like they were back in Texas.
    After dropping our things at our Airbnb, we immediately headed out for the local market before they closed and then went out to dinner for some seafood. Back home to sleep before an early day tomorrow - it's going to be hot! Excited to see the Old Town... and the beach!    Read more

  • The Cotswolds

    Hikes and views

    May 31, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Day 3 and 4 did not disappoint. Yesterday we set out on a 6 mile loop hike through open fields, forests and ending on the high street in Burford. It was an “epic” hike per Hudson. We wandered through a huge field/hill, eventually found the path and then stumbled on a small church called St. Oswald’s in Winford out in the middle of the forest part of the walk. No town around, no houses anywhere. We went into the church, which dated back to the 12-13th century and saw preserved paintings on the walls that were just as old. Such a cool find. After a few miles we ended up on the high street, enjoyed the shops and lunch at a pub called The Angel. We headed back home for movie night and much later, pizza and some much needed rest.

    This morning we slept in and cooked breakfast and headed up to Bourton-on-the-water. Supposedly the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds,’ but I don’t think that anyone who thinks this has ever been to Venice. This was the most touristy town so far with tons of people in the streets and along the banks of the river that runs through the high street. We first stopped at the Dragonfly maze, which was surprisingly fun and the man who owned it a true delight. We walked around town, in and out of shops and then grabbed a snack at a pub on the river.

    Next we backtracked to a National Trust property called Sherborne Park Estates that we stumbled upon on the way to town (bc our Huddy Buddy was carsick). It had nice reviews and we ended up doing a nearly 4 mile hike through the property. A lot of it was forest hiking, which is Joce’s favorite. After the hike we ditched the car at home and walked the river to town and had dinner at the Bull Hotel. Very nice food, meh service. Back home to hang out on our last night and heading back tomorrow. We all agree that this was the relaxed, outdoor trip that we all needed. June is full of concerts (TAYLOR, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam and the National) and the kids will be done with Summer Term before we know it!    Read more

  • The Cotswolds
    1

    Bibury trout and Cotswold Wildlife Park

    May 30, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    It was typical English summer weather - low 60s and windy - this morning but we decided to go fishing at a trout farm in Bibury, a short drive away. We got to feed the farm fish before fishing for our dinner. It was a little like picking your lobster out of a tank but the kids had fun. Joce landed a whopper - 4.2 pounds! It was a little strange beating them over the head with a stick but it got the job done. After the boys got to learn how to clean the trout (Elliot wasn’t interested), we picked up a grocery store lunch and made our way to the Cotswold Wildlife Park. We ate lunch at some picnic tables before walking around the wide open zoo like park. Rhinos and zebras and giraffes were the highlights along with a big playground. The sun finally came out and it was a pleasant afternoon. After seeing the whole park, we came home and Joce cooked up the fish for dinner while the kids played games. After a filling dinner, we snuggled up for the 9th Star Wars movie before bed. A good day together.Read more

  • The Cotswolds
    1

    Chipping Campden and Fairford

    May 29, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    As usual, we waited until the last minute to pack and headed off from Beaconsfield at around 11am. We headed to Chipping Campden- a beautiful village filled with houses using the gorgeous Cotswold stone, a light yellow/amber local stone. We saw a market hall from the 1600s and ordered the weirdest sandwiches ever (Grandma’s kitchen looked like a professional operation compared to this spot). But the owner was lovely and the sandwiches did the trick. We found the stone that labels the start of the Cotswold Way, a 100 mile path from here to Bath. We took a short 2 mile hike to Dover’s Hill. Gorgeous views of sheep-filled green hills. Next we drove for a quick view of Broadway tower, but decided to head to our bnb rather than stop. About 45 minutes later we found our cottage in lovely Fairford. The host had made us brownies and homemade bread and left eggs, butter and milk for us which was a nice surprise. We walked the 10 min to the high street and found the local market and got what we needed for breakfast tomorrow. We walked back to a local Italian restaurant and had lovely pasta, gnocchi and pizza. We peaked through the windows of the shops and the found a path along the river Coln and wound our way back home. This sleepy village is just what we needed. Home for a game of battleship and a fire and tucked in for the night.Read more

  • Amsterdam

    Home

    April 7, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 54 °F

    5am (4am UK time) Uber was waiting for us when we got down stairs. No bikes to dodge this morning and airport was empty. Flight was smooth and then a 1hr drive home to find our own taste of Holland that Joce and Hudson planted last fall. Looking forward to a nap but Amsterdam lived up to the hype!Read more

  • Amsterdam

    Last Day in Amsterdam 😪

    April 6, 2024 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    No sleeping in Amsterdam! Up early to hit the Rijksmuseum. The audio tours were down so we were a bit on our own today. We saw the highlights almost had a Deja vu of losing a kid (Hudson) like we did in Cinderella’s castle this past summer (Elliot). He somehow worked out how to find a restroom 2 floors down. We spent about 2 hours there (enjoying the museum, not looking for H) and went off in search of a fabulous Indonesian lunch (Indonesia = Netherlands like India=England). We found a great spot and Tige, H and I had a rice table that included 12 delicious meat/fish/veg dishes. Other kiddos had a bright, brothy chicken soup.
    So yummy! Happy they let me go for it. Next we went through the bloomenmarket and saw so many flowers, and souvenirs. We crossed off the magnets and wooden shoe items and headed to try the delicious homemade Stroopwafels. Two thin waffles with caramel between, dipped in chocolate and Oreo, caramel cubes, blueberries. They made them fresh in front of you which was pretty cool. We tried them all and all were delicious. Next we shopped around the 9 streets and headed eventually to Vondelpark. Imagine the first 75 degree day in any cold midwestern city. Everyone outside on blankets and playing and enjoying the day. Found a sweet playground, did a crossword and had some Heinekens and relaxed. We went back to a yummy Mediterranean place we saw yesterday for dinner and walked back and packed up. Headed back tomorrow very early, need to be in the Uber at 5am.    Read more

  • Amsterdam

    Walking tour, canal ride and Van Gogh

    April 5, 2024 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Today was a full day. Still not fully recovered from our late night arrival on day 1, we ate in and took the tram to central Amsterdam for our walking tour. It was wet and windy and cool today but we had a good guide. We got to see the crooked/sinking houses, Anne Frank’s house, a 500 year old wooden house painted black and the beautiful canals and even a boat fishing bikes out of them. We also learned that the ‘XXX’ that is everywhere in Amsterdam is actually three crosses. We ended at a coffee shop which the boys fortunately didn’t seem to understand. We then made our way to lunch - Joce found a delicious Dutch place called the Pantry with an amazing pea soup and pork chop and delicious sausage and mash. After lunch, our boat tour was slightly delayed because of the weather but it ended up being the highlight of the day. Not only did we have SUN! but also a great guide and snacks and drinks were included. While Joce and I enjoyed Heineken and wine, the kids all got two sodas and so much Gouda that they almost ran out. We even got to see the bridge and houseboat from Ted Lasso. It was a good afternoon. After the canal tour, we had reservations at the Van Gogh museum. There was a treasure hunt for the kids which they always enjoy. The museum was large and it was a nice break from the wind. We spent two hours before making our way back home in the evening. We dropped the kids off before picking up pizza from across the street and eating in while watching Mission Impossible. Showers and bed - we are all tired. Looking forward to some beautiful weather forecasted for tomorrow.Read more

  • Amsterdam
    1

    Keukenhof and Zaanse Schans

    April 4, 2024 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Today was a super fun day outside of Amsterdam. Tige had the great idea to rent a car for the day and got up early to tram over to get it while I went to the market and handled breakfast. Our place is so cute and the kitchen is one of the best stocked that we have ever stayed in. He picked us up and we headed to Keukenhof (the amazing tulip/flower farm about 45 min away). It is the 75th anniversary this year and each year the gardens start in October and plant 7 million bulbs over 3 months. They get 8 weeks of flowers. They did not disappoint! Absolutely gorgeous. Pavilions filled with roses and orchids and more varieties of tulips than I ever thought possible. Kids love it too. Also had a cool playground, the most delicious mini Dutch pancakes with powdered sugar and Nutella, a maze (girls rule, boys drool) and beautiful lambs and baby goats to pet. We had a great food truck lunch of croquettes, pasta and fries (w/mayo of course) before heading out.

    Our next stop was Zaanse Schans museum of Dutch history, a Verkade chocolate factory exhibit complete with biscuits and games and a long walk through the 11 windmills along the path. We made it just in time to see the cheese house and tried many samples (but not the ones Hudson coughed on) and settled on a truffled cows milk cheese and a spicy chili cows milk cheese to take home (family agreement:).

    We drove to the next village and had a delicious Indian meal in a family run spot (other than looking over and seeing H crying because his chicken curry was too hot😬). We solved it with butter chicken and all was well. Headed home to the apartment and then Tige took the car back and we are in for the night. Looking forward to heading into the city tomorrow.    Read more

  • Amsterdam
    1

    Amsterdam!

    April 3, 2024 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Joce and I skipped out of work early and picked the kids and luggage up at home before making the 90 min drive to Stansted airport. After parking and walking to the terminal, bag drop and security were a breeze and we had 2 hours to kill. Dinner at BK (Joce’s favourite) before making our way to the gate for our delayed flight. (Flashbacks to our last time here when we had to sprint through the airport on our first summer trip flight to Venice - much better this time around). An easy 40 min flight and then an Uber to our flat. The stairs to the 3rd floor were quite intimidating! The flat extends to a 4th floor with a beautiful sitting room and kitchen (and window rope swing!) and then to a rooftop deck. Looking forward to checking that out in the daylight. After midnight here so kids off to bed while we prepare for tomorrow - tulips await!Read more

  • Iceland

    Home

    February 17, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 39 °F

    We made it home without issue (though a little scare when a passenger collapsed half way through the flight). Much warmer here. Sad our trip is over but looking forward to our own beds tonight! Lots of good times and can’t wait to go back in the summer.Read more

  • Iceland

    Last Day in Iceland

    February 16, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 36 °F

    We had a great last day in Reykjavik. Elliot and I went to the best bakery in town to get Snúður - the popular Icelandic cinnamon roll. The place was packed (a good sign) and we got a batch fresh from the oven... they lived up to the hype and didn't last long. Then we walked around Reykjavik and did some tourist shopping. I found an amazing raincoat at Reykjavik Raincoats which should come in handy back home. Jocelyn found an Icelandic wool sweater at the same shop before we get to a souvenir shop to score t-shirts, coffee mugs, sweatshirts and magnets to bring home. We decided to walk down to the sea to see the Sun Voyager - a beautiful Viking ship sculpture. That walk took us along the seafront to our lunch destination at the popular hot dog stand Baejarins Beztu Pylsur. Another long (and this time, much colder) line and, again, another hit. Fried and fresh onions along with a special sauce made it worth the wait. On our way back into town, we walked up the famous Rainbow Road (or Skólavörðustígur) on the way back to the church where we had parked. We then made the drive to the Blue Lagoon. This was the first thing we planned on the trip and one of the more popular destinations in Iceland but it has been closed for the last 10 days because of an eruption. Even after our AirBnB host recommended we not go because of the lava flows, we made the trip in about 75 minutes since we had to detour around closed roads from the lava. It was certainly a good decision as we had a great time. Everyone had face masks while soaking in the briny mix which has a strong light blue color from the algae and minerals. The place was enormous and even in 2.5 hours, we didn't explore the entire pool but we all had a drink from the bar and had a very relaxing afternoon in the steam clouds coming out of the pool. After the drive home, we were starving and immediately went to dinner. Unfortunately, our day ended on a sour note with probably the worst food on the trip. But we had a great and full day and now home to pack up for our flight tomorrow. No aurora expected tonight but we are so fortunate to have seen it on Tuesday. We had an amazing stay but all good times must come to an end and tomorrow we fly out early.Read more

  • Iceland

    Reykjavík

    February 15, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 36 °F

    We woke up and had a delicious pancake breakfast, packed up and headed toward Reykjavík which was a 2 hour drive. We had tickets to an interactive museum called Perlan, which was actually very cool. They showed a cool planetarium film about the auroras and another about the volcanic eruptions of 2021 that lasted 6 months. We learned about wildlife and visited an ice cave that was surprisingly accurate. We learned about glacier formation and speed of changes. The latter was pretty sad actually as it highlighted how fast we are losing glaciers worldwide. We tried some Icelandic ice cream (delicious) for lunch. Next we went to the iconic Lutheran church Hallgrimskirkja. We made it just in time to see the tower and had amazing views of the city.

    After the church we went back to our AirBnb and checked in. It is right above a busy shopping area with plenty of places we planned to check out tomorrow. Tige surprised me with Icelandic cinnamon donut holes drizzled with honey and sesame seeds and a musical candle like one we had for a birthday that sang for weeks in the garage in Texas.

    We fixed dinner for the kids and went out for a delicious birthday dinner at the Icelandic restaurant called Kol. Super yummy tasing menu for the restaurant’s birthday, def recommend. After dinner we walked for a bit before we headed home. A memorable birthday for sure.    Read more

  • Iceland
    1

    Into the glacier

    February 14, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ❄️ 32 °F

    Today we were up with the sunrise to get ready for our excursion for the day. We booked a tour called Into the Glacier and drove to a nearby town called Husafell to meet the group and get into our crazy big super jeep (it holds about 50 people and has enormous tires). We even met a woman from Texas who was from SA and lives in Spring Branch. We drove for about 1 hour and 15 minutes around the surface of the glacier Langjokull. There are 13 glaciers in Iceland (including offshoots 269 named glaciers). One glacier has already died in 2015. Langjokull is the second largest glacier in Europe. The drive up the surface of the glacier was breathtaking and we stopped halfway (it was a bathroom break but there was snow covering the building so only the boys could take advantage of the break:)

    The tour takes you to a man-made tunnel into the glacier. The tunnel is 900m long and at the deepest you are 50m under the ice. It was crazy to experience being inside the glacier and they even had different little rooms in various states of compression from the weight of the glacier as it changes. They asked for a volunteer to sing and Gid bravely sang a verse of Imagine Dragons’ I bet my life. This was followed by Happy Birthday for me, which was very sweet. The tour lasted about 4 hours.

    After the tour we went back to the house and had lunch. The kids played outside and we tried out the hot tub (which was so hot it was even too much for me) but I let the kids play with snow and that helped. Gideon is a snow bird for sure. We have to force him to come in every time. We just hung out playing games and watching movies, enjoying our last night. It was a good day.    Read more

  • Iceland

    Chill/travel day

    February 13, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 23 °F

    Today was a relaxing day. Had a good breakfast and packed up. Apparently all of the farm’s animals were going crazy, there were horses and cows out of their fences running on the road. We headed out to the Secret Lagoon (not going to be the weirdos taking photos at a small hot spring, so no pics). It is the oldest pool (hot spring) in Iceland, used since the 1940s. It is fed by a natural hot spring that is 80-100C. Super relaxing once we got through the hectic changing and shower rooms. We stayed for about an hour, showered again and started our drive toward our next bnb in Ysatmoar. We made lunch in the car on the drive, which was about 2.5 hours in total. We stopped in Borgarnes (which was beautiful but the shops were very simple). 45 minutes and tons of Icelandic horses later we found our next farmhouse. It is super cute and we unloaded just in time for an incredible sunset.

    Big adventure planned for tomorrow so after watching half of Top Gun Maverick we sent the kiddos to bed.

    Edited at 11p: massive northern lights display tonight. E and Connie with us. Hudson kept just covering himself back up and we dressed Gid sleeping and Tige carried him out without boots and he immediately asked to go in. Pics don’t do it justice. Nothing like this!    Read more

  • Iceland
    1

    Caves and ‘sledding’

    February 12, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 36 °F

    After a late night of Joce and I hunting for Northern Lights (we did see an uninspiring faint one after driving down the road but not enough to wake the kids) and deciding on the next day's activities, we slept in today. After breakfast in, we made our way into town to see the Caves of Hella. The 90-minute tour into three different manmade caves was an interesting and very funny history lesson about (probable) Celtic settlers that predated the Vikings. The caves were mostly used for lamb and/or cow and hay storage. Besides being a great escape from the gale-level wind outside, the local tour guide did a great job of keeping our attention with his pre-historic stories. After the tour, we drove to the nearby town of Sellfoss to have lunch at a roadside sandwich shop. Very yummy. We walked across to the nearby gas station to use the toilet (and bought some snacks since we felt weird not buying anything). Elliot made the unfortunate decision to buy an ice cream cone - what looked like chocolate (but couldn't be translated by Google) ended up being some very gross black licorice flavor. We had been warned about licorice flavor here but didn't consider it extending to ice cream cones. After finding a trash bin, we drove back to Kerid Crater - this time with crampons. We hiked down to the bottom (and out of the wind) and then had fun free 'sledding' down the steep sides. No injuries occurred (except for torn pants)!

    After a pit stop where we found some pancake mix (we think, another one that didn't translate but was by some syrup) and some expensive Islandic IPAs, we headed home for outdoor play with Jocelyn and the kids while the sun set. Games and pizza dinner tonight with some Super Bowl half-time and commercial highlights (we were all fast asleep before the game started at 23:30 local time). Tomorrow, we move further north.    Read more

  • Iceland

    Vik and waterfalls

    February 11, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 27 °F

    Once again we slept in until sunrise, made breakfast and then finally hit the road to Vik which was a little over and hour from us. Roads were clear at first and then not so clear, but Tige kept us super safe. Our first stop was the black sand beach Reynisfjara which had amazing basalt columns notched out at the shore and great views of the very rough sea. The wind was high and gusts would pelt your face with sand and small pebbles. Huddy was not a fan. We then went to a pub in Vik for lunch. Yummy fish & chips, Icelandic fish stew and burgers/pasta/chicken for the rest. Probably the best fish we have had in a while. We were sitting next to a woman in an Illinois shirt and found out she was from Alton, which is not far from Troy. After that we hit another black sand beach called Vikurfjara. Finer sand and beautiful views.

    After that we made our way back, first stopping at Skogafos (gorgeous waterfall). Tige, H and I hiked up to the top overlooking the falls and it was even more beautiful up there.

    Our next stop was Seljalandsfoss, a partially frozen waterfall that in summer you can hike around behind. Still beautiful in winter, but our real favorite was 1/2 mile from the first falls (there was a row of waterfalls down the cliffs). The kids and T & I made our way on rocks through the side of the water and climbed a huge ice block to stand next to the waterfall. Not to be missed and thankful we took the trek in.

    We made it home around 7 and hit the hot tub for a bit. Nice to warm up, but honestly our faces are the only things that are cold and windburned. Layers and a super Mountain Hardware sale for the win!

    Mexican dinner via Costco which was great and then Tige and I made some hot toddys and went out to chase the northern lights after an app we follow had several sightings nearish to us. We saw shadows and faint aurora but not the really green vibrant deal. Lots of action in Reykjavik. Hopefully will see her in the days to come!    Read more

  • Iceland

    Geysir & Hella (snow)

    February 10, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 27 °F

    Sunrise was at around 10am this morning and we packed up and headed out. First we went to Costco (obv) to get snacks and food for dinners and headed to our first stop at the Kerid crater. It was a small but cool spot where a lake (currently frozen) formed after a magma pocket solidified 6,500 years ago. We went halfway down but since our crampons were buried under a bunch of food, we hiked up and will come back this week. It was very cold! Next we headed to the Geysir area. First geyser ever that all are named after. It does not erupt but another one close by (Stokkur) does about every 5 min. We saw some strong eruptions, several in our party fell down, but luckily no one fell into the geysir water flowing by that was 80-100C. We headed to the car to drive a bit to see the Gullfoss waterfall when we encountered our first Icelandic white-out. We didn’t think we could even see the water so we turned around to make a sketchy 1.5 hour drive to our new spot. We made it just as the sun was gone. Cool farm covered in snow with Icelandic horses. Hoping to enjoy the hot tub later! Tomorrow heading out to explore more of the South Coast.Read more

  • Iceland

    Iceland!

    February 9, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 27 °F

    We flew direct to Reyjkavik this afternoon without issue. Elliot is off of school and we took boys out early. A little hiccup when our Airbnb was cancelled for day 2 because it is unreachable due to snow so a stressful start (we finally found a new one at 22:30). We got a 4 wheel drive car (steering wheel on the left side!) with metal studded tires and made the 5 minute drive to our first Airbnb. After settling in, Joce and I made the customary trip for groceries (just a few minutes walk away). We cooked in with pasta (as everyone has warned us, Iceland is expensive - groceries included). No hot water because of pipe issues from the active volcano right down the road (you can smell the sulfer in the air) so no showers but right to bed for our first day of exploring tomorrow. Sunrise not until 9:45 so will have to rely on our internal clocks to get up. It’s cold and snowy but not too bad so far - we will see how it goes tomorrow!Read more

  • Scotland

    Last 48 hours in Edinburgh

    December 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    We had a great last full day in Scotland, starting with a visit to Camera Obscura. Super fun illusions and plasma tubes (the kids loved shocking each other after one of the guides showed them how). We have been to other illusions museums but this one was extra special. One of the highlights was that it snowed while we were on the roof deck looking out at the city- so beautiful! After we left there we had wings and beers (adults:) and stopped by the house to drop off our bags.

    We had a 2:30 booking for The Scotch Whisky Experience. Neither of us are big scotch people but we gave it our best. The tour was super fun and immersive even for the kids and we learned about regions and flavors and chose our favorite profile for a sample. The kids had a classic Scottish soda, which had mixed reviews. Our place was about 5 minutes from the tasting place, so we took the kids back and left our babysitter in charge (E) and went back to the Scotch Fair at the same spot. Basically just vendors that you could try if you went to the tour. We found some that were ok, but we are still not converts.

    We made our way into the more local part of the city away from the Royal Mile and went to the top escape room in Scotland. We did a Jumangi-themed room that was super fun with lots of puzzles and locks and managed to escape with 3 min to go. Kids loved it! Our last stop was dinner at Vittorio’s, which was a nice Italian spot. Headed home a little after 9 and everyone fell asleep quickly after a busy day!

    This morning we were up early to check out of our AirBnb. We walked the Royal Mile (which is actually a Scot’s mile, 1.1 miles) down to the Holyrood palace and caught a glimpse of King Arthur’s seat. We had wanted to hike it, but weather wasn’t ideal. Next time! Walked back to the train station, with a quick stop to buy some heavy wool sweaters, and on our way home on the train now. We all really loved Edinburgh and can see why so many people say Scotland is one of their favorite places. Tige will be back to locum in Glasgow in a couple weeks but we will all be back for a longer visit in the not-too-distant future.    Read more

  • Scotland

    Edinburgh Castle and Hogmanay

    December 29, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 41 °F

    Today was a chilly day but nothing a few layers couldn’t handle (which is good because Gid lost his glove immediately this am). Since we are right on the Royal mile we start our day hearing bagpipes, which is super cool. We went out after breakfast and headed to Edinburgh castle and spent the morning and into the early afternoon there. Elliot has been studying Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth the 1st pretty thoroughly and she knew a lot of the history that we were experiencing. We walked the grounds of the castle, saw the Crown Jewels, the amazing views of the city and the water from above. Other highlights were the great hall and the section for the prisoners and the 1p cannon shot. The audio tour was just ok, but the castle was terrific.

    Afterward, we walked Victoria street and found some delicious pulled pork at a place called Oink (def recommend) and walked the streets looking in shops and finding the perfect wool scarves. We checked out more bagpipes and headed back to warm up and played board games.

    Headed out to grab dinner at a place called The Mussels and Steak bar. Lots of fresh seafood here and we had fish and oysters and mussels. Everyone tried Haggis and it was actually delicious😋

    Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of the end and beginning few days of the year meant to be a time of reflection (and partying). The beginning of Hogmanay kicks off with a parade of 20k people with torches and drums, and of course, bagpipes. Incredible to watch! That said, we had to blend in and cross over to get back to our place. Luckily Tige found a loose gate. The police were out enforcing the parade route and not keen on crossings! Back home to get ready for bed and get some sleep. Overall a great day!    Read more

  • Scotland

    Edinburgh!

    December 28, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 45 °F

    We had to get up early to catch our 7:40 train from Beaconsfield. Just a short 5-10 walk from the house and then into London where we took the Underground to Kings Cross for our 4.5 hour train to Edinburgh. Storm Gerrit caused havoc in Scotland yesterday and most trains were canceled but, fortunately, everything up and running today. Unfortunately, it was standing room only for most of the trip with people sitting in the aisles next to us. At least they honored our seat reservations and we got to sit together. We arrived at 2 and were able to check in early. Our flat is awesome! It's directly on the Royal Mile or High Street in Edinburgh, just down the way from Edinburgh Castle in the middle of Old Town. It feels like walking on a movie set (the kids didn't get my William Wallace quotes). We dropped our bags and made our way to a late lunch at a nice restaurant down the street (will have to work our way up to trying haggis). We then walked across town to the Christmas Market with it's lights before heading back to the Royal Mile for a tour at Mary King's Close (which was right next door to our flat, as it turned out). Close refers to the old and (mostly) no longer existent narrow streets that separated the packed in homes in Edinburgh dating back 400-500 years. The old towns have been built on top of over the years but some of the narrow alleys and old rooms are preserved underneath the city. It was an interesting history with some lessons on the Plague that the kids couldn't believe; very enjoyable. After the tour, we found a local grocery for breakfast (and a late dinner/snack) and made our way back to the flat. We are all tired so it's nice to sit down and relax but a full day tomorrow.Read more

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