About a month ago I saw a sign advertising Botanic Lights at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens. I went online and bought tickets for Sam and I to go this past Friday figuring it was something to do. I was not sure what to expect, maybe some Halloween themed decorations with orange lights or just some… Continue reading Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens: Light Up the Night

Our quiet Sunday a few weeks ago could not have been better spent than walking around Dean Village in Edinburgh. Located along the Water of Leith, not far from Princes Street and Edinburgh’s New Town area. Dean Village is an old grain milling and weaving area dating to the 12th century. Remnants of that heritage… Continue reading Step Back in Time: Edinburgh’s Dean Village

No trip to Japan is complete without a visit to a theme restaurant or cafe. There are tons of them, especially in large cities. Having lived outside Tokyo for two and half years you become aware of many different themes. There is a robot restaurant, an Alice in Wonderland restaurant, vampire cafes, lock up or… Continue reading Japan’s Quirky Cafes: Lunch with a Hedgehog

Is everyone familiar with a drink called a lassi? If not, a lassi is delicious tangy yogurt drink often found in Indian restaurants. It can be savory, or sweet, if fruit is added. It is the perfect accompaniment to spicy food. When the spice gets to you, take a sip of a cooling, creamy yogurt… Continue reading Lassiwala! A Must Do in Jaipur, India

We lived in San Francisco for five years. One thing that I realized as a result is that it is easy to take for granted where you live. San Francisco is an amazing world class city that many people would love to visit, and many do! That being said, I did not take a lot… Continue reading San Francisco Fortune Cookie Factory

One of my usual “must dos” on any trip is doing some vintage shopping. Research on vintage shopping in Oslo leads you to Gurnerlokka. Originally a working class neighborhood, it has become a trendy hipster area appealing to a younger crowd. In addition to vintage shopping, there are small boutiques, artsy shops, independent cafes and… Continue reading Oslo’s Grunerlokka: Vintage Shopping in a Hipster Neighborhood

Ok, we did not go to Lillehammer from Oslo just for the pancakes, but we did happen to find a good pancake place there. Lillehammer is an easy two hour train ride from the Central Oslo Train Station.The station is very modern and easy to purchase tickets at and navigate. We made sure to stock… Continue reading A Trip to Lillehammer for Pancakes

It got cold in Oslo. I know that may seem obvious, it is October in Norway, but the first two days we were there, it was barely cooler than it was here in Scotland. The second two days were a different story as temperatures went down to a daily high of 41 degrees. Oh, and… Continue reading A Perfect Saturday in Oslo…..Flea Market and Sculpture Park

I am glad we decided to make today our day to check out some museums in Oslo since there was a light drizzle most of the day. I always find deciding what museums to visit a painstaking exercise. There a lot in Oslo and many other destinations have the same situation, many museums, too little… Continue reading Oslo: Some Museum Top Picks, Mostly Kid Friendly, Too!

It was a rough start to our Oslo trip for Sam and I. The train from the airport was not running so we had to take the bus, which takes an hour. That bus ride turned into over two hours due to a horrible traffic jam on the highway. The automatic key for our room… Continue reading Oslo, Norway: Design, Reindeer Meat, and Oh Yeah, the Nobel Peace Prize