Welcome!

This blog isn't just about Monaco, one of the nicest countries on earth. It's about anything: travel, experiences, fun, food, people, animals, photography, and much more. I would like it to be a place where people can come to relax, enjoy some reading and photos, and, perhaps, find some travel ideas.

If this is your first visit, please click on 'Read more' for some essential information.

Portland Head Light

Portland Head Light in Portland, Maine. The most photographed lighthouse in the US. The 1st pic is from yesterday, taken during the sunset. And the 2nd one is taken today at sunrise, 5:25 am. Had to get up at 4:30 am for that but it was totally worth it.

(Not the best composition in the 2nd pic though because my phone doesn't have a wide angle lens, and there was nowhere to step back and get more space around the edges. I could barely fit both the lighthouse and the sun into one shot.)

 

 

 

Capernaum, Israel

Capernaum, Israel, where Jesus taught at the synagogue.

 

Fiery Gehenna

And now you know what the Fiery Gehenna looked like! Outside of Jerusalem's walls was a garbage dump in a deep valley. Trash, dung and corpses of criminals were burnt there, and sulfur was added to intensify the fire. Today, people live in the houses built around the famous valley. We walked down to and through it. It felt a bit creepy...

Jerusalem, The City of Peace

Lovely blue sky makes the Dome of the Rock stand out.

 

Frankfurt, Germany

A day in Frankfurt before continuing onto Israel. Couldn't resist these donuts. I call them the "butt growers". 

 

 

Coffee!

Just relaxing at the Coffee Mine Cafe in Lviv. One of my favorite thing to do is to go to a cafe. Anywhere. I know, I'm both a coffeeholic and a cafeholic.

 

 

Sprüngli chocolate!

When you're in Geneva, Switzerland, you just can't avoid buying all that yummy chocolate. The small box of gianduja was gone almost instantly. Oh-so-good-it-was! But I still have 2 bags of chocolate left. My stash that won't last too long...
 

 

 

Coffee Festival in Lviv

Enjoying the Annual Coffee Festival!

UPDATE on the hurricane

The electricity was off for 24 hours and is finally back, so we're good now. The airport will open tomorrow, so we can fly to Europe. Phew, the stressful week is over now!

Update on the update:

What hurricane? When it reached us at 3 am, I slept like a baby and didn't hear a thing. Jeff said it was an Armageddon but I had no idea. Anyway, we are OK. No damage to the house, only the same young tree that fell last year fell again. And we lost electricity - it's been 11 hours now that we are without it. At least there is internet on my phone. We took a short ride around the area. There are some floods, fallen trees and branches, and no electricity but overall it looks better than the last year.

 

     

Irma

Does the bullet hit the same place twice? This is getting funny, really. Last year, just before we flew to Europe, the hurricane Matthew hit our area and the airport was closed, so we missed the flight. This year, just days before we have to fly to Europe, the hurricane Irma heads to Florida. Nice! And while last year's hurricane Matthew was only category 2, Irma is category 5 (the strongest).

My enjoyment from living in Florida grows by the day!

*a Homeric laughter goes here*

 

This is a screenshot of Irma approaching. 

 

My favorite berries!

Picked some blueberries today. It's almost September but the berry season in Connecticut is still on. Love it!

 

The babies

Jeff, my husband, was feeding these babies just outside our house and I took this pic. So cute! Too bad all the construction around here in Florida will soon drive the wildlife away...

 

Griswold Inn in Essex, Connecticut

The Griswold Inn in Essex, Connecticut is the oldest continuously operating tavern in the US. We took my in-laws there for lunch. Today it's a classy yachtsmen's reataurant. We came earlier than others, that's why the place looks empty. But it filled up quickly, so we were lucky to get a table without waiting.

 

Love everything yacht and ship related. A childhood dream to be a ship captain that has never transpired... ("This is only for the boys.")

 

 

The fuzz

"Snowing" in Lviv at the beginning of June. The "snow" comes from the poplar tree. Glad I'm not alergic to fuzz. I'm traveling to Lviv again. Yay!

 

Cafe Cabinet

Cafe Cabinet, or as I call it, "The Reading Room". Lviv has so many cozy cafes, it's incredible. I've been to hundreds of towns all over the world but nowhere had I seen so many cafes per square meter. Can't live without the cafe culture.

Another Monster!

Our monster birdie has just arrived. Soon to board it and fly to Europe! My favorite upper deck, as usual. 

 

The Monster

This monster is one of the largest live oaks in Florida. It is located in Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.

 

 

Feeling sad...

Our little boy was diagnosed with kidney failure today. I feel so bad for him. Poor thing...