Small Space Love: Uno Mas Tiempo

My sister, who graced this blog with her presence just a few months ago during her stint in France and Spain, has left again for the beautiful country of España to get her Masters in interpretation. Some of her sweet friends threw her a going away party and because authentic Spanish decor is not readily available in the States, the theme slanted to more Mexican than anything, much to Katie’s chagrin. In an attempt to keep things on track, she did make an authentic Spanish dip to temper the wide variety of salsas available for snacking. It was also a costume party, complete with mustaches and castanets. So fun. And yet, I already miss her so much. How courageous she is to pursue her degree in a different country! I can’t wait to get updates from Madrid…

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City Dwelling: Life Lately, According to my iPhone

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind. I could not be more grateful for cool weather and gorgeous blue skies than I am right now. Carry on, beautiful autumn weather!

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On the Road: Birthday Bonanza

Do we celebrate enough birthdays on this blog? My word, I looked through the archives and goodness it seems like every other week there is some sort of celebration. This summer also seems to have generated a great deal of travel, a welcome portion of it to the mountains.

This past weekend we traveled to the mountains of east Tennessee to camp, raft, and celebrate Lori’s boyfriend Craig’s birthday. We left Saturday morning, but stopped in Chattanooga to eat lunch and walk the streets. From there we headed up to Thunder Rock campgrounds to set up tents and settle in for the evening. That night we grilled chicken, quail, and hobo packets (steamed garden veggies, yum!) and followed it up with some reese’s cup s'mores. After a few hours of staring into the red orange glow of the fire, we went to bed with tummies full and stars overhead.

Sunday morning found us gathered around a kettle of water on the campfire, waiting for that glorious moment when heat causes water to boil so we could make some french pressed coffee. After everyone had a cup and yet another round of s'mores, we packed up the campsite and headed to our rafting outfit of choice. Brought in by a groupon-like deal, we were prepared for the worst, but it turned out we had one of the best guides/trips I have ever had on the river. We floated on the Ocoee for nearly 6 hours, pulled out for lunch, and played the entire time. Craig generously bought all the photos, so we now have our adventure captured forever. It was a great day on the river; perfect weather and surprisingly high tide for this time in the season. Unforgettable.

I think it’s safe to say that this weekend was sort of the last hurrah of the summer.  But I’m ok with that. SEC football has just begun and I am more than happy to look forward to gameday Saturdays and a bit of cooler weather. Lord knows I love a crisp morning with a mug of coffee in my hand…so let’s hear it for an awesome summer and a little War Eagle action in the near future!

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Have Passion, Will Travel: Farming in France

*guest post by Katie*

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I mentioned that post-Nice would be a bit different; you had no idea I meant a farm! That’s right, through a program called WOOF, I spent just over a week on a farm living with a French family. This farm is entirely organic and raises sheep, rabbits, chickens, and pigs, all for eventual consumption. They also have a bed and breakfast, which meant some wonderfully delicious dinners with French people from all over l’Hexagone.

Anyone who knows me will exuberantly tell you that my area of expertise is not farming. I enjoy the outdoors and I enjoy some good manual labor, but co-existing peacefully with dirt is not ever going to happen for me. However, my morning tasks at the farm included feeding the rabbits and the chickens, which ended with one rabbit bite and several chicken pecks. As I mentioned, my farm experience is limited. I did help tag the lambs, of which there were about 58. They ranged from tiny and pretty adorable to bigger and not so cute. Sheep are dumb, it’s true, but they’re also dirty! Wipe the image of spotless fluffy white lambs from your minds, they like to roll in the dirt!

Nevertheless, I enjoyed my stay there immensely! The region where I was is called the Drôme des collines, or the Hilly Drôme region. There were definitely hills, and in the distance, I could see the sharp cliffs of the Vercours mountain range. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, as across the valley the hillside was divided into differing shades of green dotted with cattle and sheep.

I had 2 days off, and in those days I went to the tiny town of Romans-sur-Isere, where I wandered the medieval Old Town and took refuge for my weary feet in the most magically French café. On my second day off, I biked to the village of Hauterives, where I ate some pastries, saw the regional attraction (le Palais Ideal) and stuck my feet in the stream until the siesta was over and I could get a snack. As I mentioned, this region is known for its hills, and I met every one trying to get back to the farm!! I took a backwoods, “shortcut” route on my way back, and as I wandered through the hidden woods of someone’s farm, I wondered how I ended up in the middle of France. It’s amazing where life can take you!

When I left le Bouretiere, it was with fond affection that I parted with the chickens, rabbits, sheep, and my faithful border collie friend Callie. It may have been brief, but the memories of my stay on the French farm will always be remembered!

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anthropologie:
“ Who doesn’t want to be this girl? Summer never fails to deliver a sense of freedom and pure delight, one felt all the way from straw-topped head to neon-painted toes.
Via: Habitually Chic
”

anthropologie:

Who doesn’t want to be this girl? Summer never fails to deliver a sense of freedom and pure delight, one felt all the way from straw-topped head to neon-painted toes.

Via: Habitually Chic

Have Passion, Will Travel: Parasols and Piping Hot Rocks

*guest post by Katie*

First off, I am so excited and honored to be a guest blogger on Birmingham’s most amazing blog. I always enjoy reading the newest events and happenings going on in our town, and the pictures always make me want to be where the action is! However, I hope to take you all with me to Europe over the coming weeks.

First Stop: Nice, Côte d’Azur, France.

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Nice has been around since approximately 350 BC, making it one of the oldest known settlements in Europe. Clearly, most of those remnants have taken their place in the past, and today, Nice stands as one of the most luxurious vacation destinations for the wealthy. Yachts are anchored in the port, and casinos both here and in nearby Monaco require top-notch dress and a significant down payment to play with the high rollers. It’s an expensive city all around, but the Mediterranean waters and beautiful weather make it all worth the extra few Euros.

Nice gets about 300 days of sun a year, which would explain why one of my 2 full days in the city was cloudy. Nevertheless, the temperature was perfect during my stay, and as you can see from the pictures, I got my sun time in. The most interesting thing about these beaches is the lack of sand. The beach is actually rocks, worn smooth from years of movement by the ocean. The sound of the waves is different, because right after the initial crash, there’s a sound similar to the rainsticks we used to play with at the bookstore. It’s the shurring sound of the rocks rolling against one another. It’s quite soothing after you identify what it is.  The rocks themselves are smooth and seem deceptively easy to walk on. False. These rocks are vicious. They will rip your feet to shreds, despite their soft, rounded appearance. They can also get quite warm in the sun, making sunbathers walk to the water appear something akin to coal walking.

My first stop was, of course, the beach. After 27 hours without sleep, though, my visit was short-lived before I returned to my hotel to sleep off the jet lag. The next day my plan was a walking tour of Old Nice. The city was Italian for a long time, and the architecture, especially in this plaza, as well as the paint colors appear more Italian than French. The city also gained popularity in the late 1800s, early 1900s as a gathering for Europe’s finest. In fact, the beachside boardwalk is named the Promenade des Anglais (The Englishman’s Walk) in a tip of the hat to the English that flocked here. Imagine Downton Abbey taking a stroll along the Mediterranean with their parasols…

To appease the cultural needs of these elite, Nice built an Opera house. Not near as fine as Paris’s (which is my favorite building in Paris by far), the four statues on the top of the edifice represent theatre, dance, music, and singing. Just down the street on the Cours Saleya is a market, where farmers bring produce, salts, herbes de provence, soaps, and other goods for tourists and locals alike to peruse.

No trip to France could be complete with at least one stop in a bakery (pâtisserie). For me, it usually averages once a day, but it’s part of doing as the French do, though I doubt they buy something sweet every time (their purchases usually include baguettes, baguettes, and more baguettes).  After wandering in the streets for a while, I got a mini quiche Lorraine from a bakery known for the Best Bread in France and after making quick work of that, I sat in the Palais de Justice plaza to eat the ice cream I soon devoured. The best part of traveling alone: no judgment on the amount of sweets I have eaten here.

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My last stop in my journey here was the ruins of the old castle, set high on the hill where Nice was first founded. Though the term “ruins” is quite loosely used, the views were phenomenal and it was the perfect ending to a lovely stay. My next stop on the Europe tour will be quite different! I will keep the suspense up about the next location; let’s just say it will be the opposite of wealthy Nice!

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We Interrupt this Program For…

some guest blog posts by my very own beloved sister! She has graciously agreed to check in a few times over the next few weeks, as she will be traveling across France and Spain. Her previous international jaunts are documented here. So get excited, folks, and prepare yourself for 375 square feet’s newest column: “Have Passion, Will Travel.”

adieu. err, adios.

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Tags: sister travel new

City Dwelling: Welcome Home

My family sort of gets into traveling, especially world travel, so naturally, we also get into welcoming each other home. This time it was Mark who had left for his world tour. He was in France studying abroad for the semester, but of course managed to see and befriend most of western Europe while he was there.

We are thrilled to have him back! Before he left, Katie and I took him shopping to fill in some gaps in his collegiate closet. We couldn’t resist getting him a Captain America tshirt from Target, though, which made for the perfect welcome home theme.

Wonder who we’ll be welcoming home next?

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WILL DO.
anthropologie:
“ Great, if not daunting, advice. It reminds me of another great quote from Yvon Chouinard’s book Let My People Go Surfing:
“Don’t spend money on gear. Spend it on plane tickets.” – Audrey Sutherland
Via: Observando
”

WILL DO.

anthropologie:

Great, if not daunting, advice. It reminds me of another great quote from Yvon Chouinard’s book Let My People Go Surfing:

“Don’t spend money on gear. Spend it on plane tickets.” – Audrey Sutherland

Via: Observando

On the Road, Boston, part 2

Day 2 found us walking and exploring more, riding the subway and following the Freedom Trail. I love riding the subway in Boston because it’s so intuitive and well laid out. After trying to navigate the unorganized chaos that is Italy’s public transportation, Boston’s network of trains and buses is a piece of cake. Not to mention clean.

We started the morning at Capitol Coffee House, shopped a bit on Charles Street (found a great store called Black Ink that is now on the favorites list), walked by the original statehouse, visited Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (grabbed some clam chowder at the Salty Dog), and then headed on to the North End.

The North End is famous for being the “Little Italy” of Boston, as well as the home of Paul Revere. So after snacking on some cannoli, we went to his house and then on to the Old North Church, where he historically took the message to light the lanterns. This church was actually pretty cool…the pews were more like horse stalls, in that every family had their own box with a door.

By the time we ended our Freedom Trail tour, we were exhausted, so we took the train back to the Back Bay and our hotel, freshened up, and settled into finding dinner. Along the way we saw a fantastic antique sewing machine exhibit in the storefront of a designer clothing boutique. About 100 Singer sewing machines were on display in a perfect grid–truly lovely.

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