Heavy Petting: How many strange pets can one family have?

When our nest emptied, it emptied it not only of kids, but of pets too. We have nothing against pets. We’ve had both dogs and cats and loved them, but the GypsyNester lifestyle of no-plans and go-anywhere isn’t very conducive to taking an animal along. So, for now at least, we are finished with being pet parents.

But pets are often a part of parenting and I got to thinking about some of the colorful characters that were a part of my family through the years. When I was a little kid, our first pet configuration was a… CONTINUE READING >>

When our nest emptied, it emptied it not only of kids, but of pets too. We have nothing against pets. We’ve had both dogs and cats and loved them, but the GypsyNester lifestyle of no-plans and go-anywhere isn’t very conducive to taking an animal along. So, for now at least, we are finished with being pet parents.

But pets are often a part of parenting and I got to thinking about some of the colorful characters that were a part of my family through the years. When I was a little kid, our first pet configuration was a… CONTINUE READING >>

How to Smörgåsbord (like it’s your job) in Sweden!

One of the experiences we were most excited about when visiting Stockholm was the chance to tackle a traditional Swedish smörgåsbord.

The idea of a smörgåsbord has a humble background. The name is a combination of the words smörgås, meaning sandwich, and bord, which means table, but in practice there is a whole lot more than sandwiches going down.

In fact, there is an entire method to properly approach… CONTINUE READING >>

One of the experiences we were most excited about when visiting Stockholm was the chance to tackle a traditional Swedish smörgåsbord.

The idea of a smörgåsbord has a humble background. The name is a combination of the words smörgås, meaning sandwich, and bord, which means table, but in practice there is a whole lot more than sandwiches going down.

In fact, there is an entire method to properly approach… CONTINUE READING >>

The Best and the Würst of Passau, Germany

The German city of Passau had plenty of interesting attributes to explore, but it shall be forever etched in David’s memory as The Home of The Half-Meter Würst.

In his mind, the best würst ever!

But before we dig too deep into his obsession with this supreme sausage, let’s take a look at the city from whence it came… CONTINUE READING >>

The German city of Passau had plenty of interesting attributes to explore, but it shall be forever etched in David’s memory as The Home of The Half-Meter Würst.

In his mind, the best würst ever!

But before we dig too deep into his obsession with this supreme sausage, let’s take a look at the city from whence it came… CONTINUE READING >>

Tricking the Eye in Ovada, Italy

Trompe l’oeil, or “trick the eye,” is an art form that is ultra realistic, creating a three dimensional illusion from a two dimensional painting. Think of Wiley Coyote painting a tunnel on a rock for the Roadrunner to smack into. Then imagine a whole little village with that kind of fake stuff everywhere. That’s Ovada. It’s really cool.

We began our walk along the streets of Ovada, a quaint little town between Genoa and Alessandria, with our beautiful friend, Claudia, hostess extraordinaire. She has introduced us to so many of the most wonderful, out of the way Italian treasures and… CONTINUE READING >>

Trompe l’oeil, or “trick the eye,” is an art form that is ultra realistic, creating a three dimensional illusion from a two dimensional painting. Think of Wiley Coyote painting a tunnel on a rock for the Roadrunner to smack into. Then imagine a whole little village with that kind of fake stuff everywhere. That’s Ovada. It’s really cool.

We began our walk along the streets of Ovada, a quaint little town between Genoa and Alessandria, with our beautiful friend, Claudia, hostess extraordinaire. She has introduced us to so many of the most wonderful, out of the way Italian treasures and… CONTINUE READING >>

San Diego, Padre

San Diego could have a massive inferiority complex, being overshadowed by its giant neighbor to the north — like a redheaded stepchild, but it doesn’t. No need to — the beauty and attractions have so much to offer.

We discovered San Diego while driving down from that sprawling metropolis above, our buddy Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo found it by sailing up from Mexico.

Although Portuguese by birth, Johnny C. was working for Spain on a find-a-shortcut-to… CONTINUE READING >>

San Diego could have a massive inferiority complex, being overshadowed by its giant neighbor to the north — like a redheaded stepchild, but it doesn’t. No need to — the beauty and attractions have so much to offer.

We discovered San Diego while driving down from that sprawling metropolis above, our buddy Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo found it by sailing up from Mexico.

Although Portuguese by birth, Johnny C. was working for Spain on a find-a-shortcut-to… CONTINUE READING >>