Life in London

When in Rome…

The end is near. Rome was our last stop on this wild ex-pat journey we embarked on two years ago. We had 24 hours to live out our final candy land adventure before boarding a plane to our new home in San Francisco. With a jam packed itinerary and eagerness to soak up as much of the city as possible, we loaded up the car and set out from Tuscany to Rome. All was merry and bright until we couldn’t…

Under the Tuscan Sun

A few slow days in the Tuscan countryside was just what we needed after a whirlwind Florence city tour. There are a TON of small towns in the region, and narrowing down where to stop seemed impossible until I came across this great site for reference. If there aren’t enough towns to choose from, the number of vineyards should really overwhelm you. Fortunately, these three sites (1, 2, 3) helped…

A Few Fiascoes and a Lot of Food in Florence

The day we drove from Cinque Terre to Florence started out with a little drama. Rain was on the way and our favorite waitress, Stella, was dramatically waving her hands and babbling off warnings in Italian. We could not understand what her concern was for, it was starting to rain but didn’t look like anything severe. Eventually, we talked with our B&B owner who warned us that the town parking…

Five Heavenly Lands – Cinque Terre

Our last trip as expats was a big one; we went out with a real bang. I’d tossed out the idea to the hubs and my parents to do a little big tour de Italy before our return to the U.S., and somehow my wild plans came to fruition. After packing up our London flat, we met my parents at the airport and picked up the last leg of their travel to Pisa. From there, we rented a car for our nine-day…

I got a tan in Cannes

London’s summer has been seriously lacking in sunshine. An escape to Cannes for the weekend was just what the doctor ordered to salvage the last remains of our Hilton Head tans. Our friend Brian was in town visiting and jumped at the chance to spend a few days swimming in the sea and soaking up the sun. After only a few wrong turns and loops around the town to find our parking garage, we arrived…

Weekend Wine Shopping Spree

In planning what we knew we be our last few trips, one of the hubs’ main requests was to go somewhere to buy really good wine. Easy. Saint Emilion is the capital of wine country, and coincidentally, exceptionally charming. We arrived late Thursday evening, and after a good night of sleep, woke up to this spectacular view at Le Relais de Franc Mayne. I just wanted to let down my hair like…

Beaches Galore in Cornwall

Ages ago, my friend Jean sent this article around and Cornwall was stuck in my head ever since. Pictured are beautiful (and unheard of in most of Europe) WHITE SAND beaches in several towns throughout the county. This heavenly peninsula bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea and to the south by the English Channel boasts serious scenery. Lesson learned from our 5 turned 8 hour drive to…

My Little Sister’s Wedding

Our latest adventure took us to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, for my little sister’s wedding. The Gibbs’ family vacation spot of choice, Katie and Russ treated us all by tying the knot at this beautiful, ocean-side destination. We spent 10 days celebrating the last Gibbs girl wedding, and it was GLORIOUS. Katie and Russ’ wedding photography is some of the most gorgeous I’ve seen, so it…

A Hike Worth The Views

If you are lucky enough to spend a sunny day in the Lake District, you will be handsomely rewarded with the bluest and greenest views imaginable and an ample supply clean, crisp air. For the long May Bank holiday weekend, the hubs, MIL, FIL and planned an escape from the cigarette smelling city streets for a little R&R. The Lake District, a National Park that sports 21 large bodies of water…

Givery with a Side of Paris

For Christmas, MIL gave me a picture frame with the spot on quote from Audrey Hepbrun, “Paris is always a good idea.” So when she and FIL were planning their 2015 Eurotrip, I strongly suggested to the hubs that we meet them in Paris, because YOLO. He got on board after finding über cheap Eurostar tickets, and I got to plotting a weekend in one of my favorite European playgrounds. A visit to…

A Little Piece of Heaven Called Positano

Somewhere in southern Italy, tucked away in an alcove along the coast, exists a little piece of heaven called Positano. Chosen as the spot to ring in 30, the hubs and I arrived in time for a late dinner at Max followed by limoncello sipping on the steps of Santa Maria Assunta.

The restaurant, set inside an art gallery and adorned with racks of wine, was without a doubt our favorite of the trip.…

The Easter Bunny made it all the way to the Isle of Skye with gourmet eggs, both sweet and savory, just what the we needed for another action-packed day in Scotland.

Coming off of seven long hours of demanding driving from Edinburgh to Skye, the hubs was all but ready to head straight to our next destination, Oban, and settle in with a scotch (or two, or three, who’s counting?). But, buttered up…

Scotland: The Drive to Skye

Whoooo woulda thought!?

We woke up to a forecast of sunny skies and a long drive to Skye ahead. With detailed scenic route directions, snacks, and planned pit stops, we were off! Here’s how it went:

8:00 AM – Wake up, pack up, ship out.

9:40 AM – Eat too much breakfast, we’ve got quite the journey ahead.

10:15 AM – Bid farewell to Edinburgh and taxi to the airport to pick up our rental car.

11:0…

Scotland: The City Part {Edinburgh}

It’s been 10 years since I’ve been to Edinburgh, and it hasn’t changed much. In fact, some parts haven’t changed in the last 10 centuries. After a 6pm arrival, we hightailed out of the airport, checked into the fabulous Waldorf Astoria, and took advantage of the long hours of daylight before dinner.

The arresting views of the skyline dominating castle are mind boggling; you can’t help but be…

Grown up spring break is a real treat when you sandwich skiing, shopping and scrumptious family lunches and dinners in between your little sister’s bridal shower and bachelorette party.

I didn’t mind the uber early jetlag wakeup the first morning when I saw this stunning sunrise.

Slowly but surely, the snow melted away just in time to rock our spring looks at Katie’s shower.  

Mimosas and…

What I Saw of Warsaw

Our company’s annual regional sales meeting took us to Warsaw for six days earlier this month. While the trip time was double the time of most, we didn’t even scratch the city’s surface. The capitol of Poland dates back to the 1300s and its arresting Old Town is unsurprisingly a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Warsaw braids its turbulent history, rich architecture, and creative culture in a way that…