the pink city

France...sugar coated violet candies, Basilique St Sernin, warm panini sandwiches, Victor Hugo Market, La Garonne River, bike riding along the canals, tiny cups of coffee, Bastille Day, fireworks, beach days along the river, Pont Neuf, cassoulet, sweet nectarines, Lafayette Maison, filled donuts, sleeping in, violet and rose flavored gelato (everyday!), Jardin de Plantes, dinner beneath a brick ceiling with scientists from around the world, Capitole, crepes, chocolates sprinkled with violets, morning sauna, train ride, Carcassonne....a real castle, medieval cobblestones beneath our feet, blue skies, views of Greenland from the plane and a happy safe homecoming.

Jet lag isn't so bad when you have Hermies and Ladybugs to cuddle and dreams of France dancing in your head. 

7.9 to 7.19
...

to the lion city...

Twenty four hours after leaving our house we arrived in Singapore! With two days to myself while Case attended a conference I explored the city and found that every single building has a mall inside and an endless eating area with stalls of every possible food. It was exciting and overwhelming. The people are kind and helpful, as everyone had told me it is the safest city you will visit, and yes, it was. I drank milo dinosaurs and fresh watermelon juice and took in the mixture of skyscrapers and jungle wilderness. Found Bread Society and proceeded to visit many more times.

 I wanted to take this little guy and his adorable kneecaps and ears home with me, so cute!!

We visited the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. They were both magnificent! We walked in an exhibit with free flying fruit bats and marveled at them munching away on fruit right in front of us. Otters squealed at us in a singsongy way. Monkeys played freely above us and I fell in love with slow loris and the popcorn scented binturong. Case and I patiently waited for the giant flying squirrels to fly but alas they just wouldn't when we were watching!



Two days on Bintan Island...a little resort getaway in Indonesia. We were spoiled with homemade pastries, sunny skies, sand dollars and shells along the shore, watermelon rice, sleeping in, pool lounging and plenty of time to rest up for a couple more days in Singapore before heading home.

Back in Singapore we explored Little India, Chinatown, saw more sites, walked, MRTed and found places like Tip Top Puff and the Riverwalk.

 Treasures from Bintan Island. I was very careful to make sure it was okay to take these lovely souvenirs.

Since coming home I have slept, slept some more, done laundry, gone to the movies, ate pancakes and in n out, taken two long afternoon naps, walked Hermie, watched the Oscars with my family, enjoyed Mom's tuna + noodles and started to sort through the many pictures and video we gathered along the way.

So nice to be home. Hermie, Tuna, Ladybug and Tiny Dancer were happy, too, as were my parents who took care of all the kitties and Hermie! Thank you Mom and Dad. ♡♡♡

2.15 to 2.26
...

venice of the north

pannekoekens, kitties sleeping in cafés , bicycles, cobblestones, appeltaarts with cinnamon ice cream

Schiphol Airport, Delft, Amsterdam, The Hague, Keukenhof, Scheveningen Beach, and Vondelpark



Anne Frank, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Steen, Rijksmuseum, Vermeer....The Girl with the Pearl Earring


art - everywhere, chocolate croissants, canals, bridges, gables, history, salty fries, sandwiches in the park

trains, tulips, daffodils, boathouses, red lights, trams, flower market, warm waffles and steep staircases



Case and I just got back from a week in Holland. I'm still thinking about the pancake with fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar, how amazingly Rembrandt depicted light, the sweet postcards and magazine cutouts pasted onto Anne Frank's bedroom wall, Moeder's, Steen's sense of humor, a rainbow of tulips, riding bikes through Vondelpark, and finding shells left on the beach by the North Sea ...



Just last week I was walking along the Singel canal and now I'm home with confections to remind me and share, a sleeping Hermie, purring kitties and hundreds of photographs to sort!!!

a few thank yous when a thank you in a blog post is not nearly enough...
thank you Case for making it happen
thank you Mom & Dad for taking care of the kitties and Hermie Monster
xoxo

{4.11 to 4.19}
...