Glamping

Our bedroom: air mattress, bins, and suitcases

Contrary to what I wrote in my last post about our move, we decided to postpone our movers and to leave our house looking "lived in." After my post, we received several cautionary messages and phone calls about the risks of showing an empty house.

Next Stop: Almonte

The back of the house, viewed from the park.

In fall 2016, on our way back from a road-trip, Stephen and I decided to start looking for a rural property. We wanted waterfront. We wanted to build our own compact, energy-efficient home. And we wanted to be mortgage-free.

Oh, Interwebs!

Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, Scotland
More reasons why Scotland needs to be on our vacation bucket list on EarthPorm

Welcome to my periodic round-up of things I've found online that make me smile, cry, laugh, think, shout, or drop my jaw. 

Take-aways from My Trip to Europe

Winkie, me, Pat at le Château de Gruyères, Switzerland

It's been almost two months since I returned from my big European adventure with my Aunt Winkie, and three things that I discovered on that trip have become part of my everyday life.

A-glamping we did go!

Almost immediately after my return from two weeks in Europe, my husband Steve and I took off for a little retreat together. Earlier in the fall, I had stumbled upon a Groupon deal for "glamping" (a portmanteau word for glamour + camping).

On further investigation, it turned out that this experience was for a stay at les Refuges Perchés, which literally translates to "perched shelter."

A Traveller in Her Own Land

Captivating skies over highway 407, heading east.

Although I've written about my last full day in Switzerland, I still haven't brought you up to speed on our (relatively) local travels since then. There's something about visiting another country or region that casts a real contrast with what you're used to.

The Last Day

Swiss countryside as seen from a moving train.

On our last full day in Switzerland, we spent a lot of time in moving vehicles. We took a train from Nyon to Lucerne (and back) and a ferry around Lake Lucerne. It was foggy and sometimes rainy, and I took a lot of pictures through the windows of moving vehicles.

I really need to stop doing that. Although the human eye can ignore specks, drops, and reflections on windows and adapt for some of the movement and actually see the magical scene, the camera cannot. But it's so hard to resist!

Not at all lost.

This was our welcome to Geneva on the day we went to visit the Geneva home of the United Nations, and it should have been a warning.

Day of Rest

Flowers on my sister's balcony.

By September 28th, Winkie and I had been travelling for 11 days.

Our hosts, both in Holland and in Switzerland, had been very thoughtful about giving us time to lie down on comfortable beds and feeding us healthy, hearty meals, but we'd had a steady stream of full days, so it was very welcome to spend a day mostly at home.

The Long Way Home

You lookin' at me, biotch? 

Dairy herds in the Swiss Alps only stay up in the mountains during the warm months. With the cold weather of autumn, the cattle are herded down the mountain passes to lower fields, where they are kept in barns and fed hay. The alpages have become seasonal festivals in these rural villages, celebrated in local folk art and are referred to as la Poya.

Ineffable*

There is something about being on a peak in the midst of a vast mountain range that evokes a feeling that defies being put into words. That is what it was like to be in the Swiss Alps.

Medieval Meanderings

Yvoire, France calls itself "village fleuri" which roughly translates as "flower-bedecked village,"* and it is an apt description. For someone like me, who is inordinately fond of flowers, it was a real treat.

Switzerland: Chocolate, Cheese, Churches, and Châteaux

Puccini chocolates, Amsterdam 

Those four words cover many of the highlights of my trip to Europe with Winkie; luscious chocolate, piquant cheese, massive churches, and spired castles seemed to be just around every corner. In Holland, every morning began with large wedges of cheese served with toothsome bread; every evening finished with wine and a small bit of exquisite chocolate.

It was not much different when we got to Switzerland. There, a fresh loaf of crusty bread was always on the table, and cheese, "double" cream, and chocolate were never far away.

Road trip!

Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of Our Lady), Antwerp, the Netherlands

One of the things many North Americans can't get over when they visit Europe is how close everything is. Drive for an hour or two, and you can be in a different country from where you started, not a different state.

A-maze-ing Amsterdam

This road was used for two-way traffic, including delivery trucks, bicycles and pedestrians.
Wise pedestrians stayed off the road.

One of the idiosyncrasies of old cities is that they are not constructed on rectilinear grids. This makes them both charming and incredibly disorienting.

Utrecht

From Willem and Els's garden 

Rather than going in strictly chronological order, I've decided that, at least for the Netherlands portion of the trip, I'll group my comments and pictures by city or theme. Since Utrecht was our home base, I'll start there.

We landed on a foggy morning. As a photographer, I actually really like fog; it softens things and adds mystery.

The adventure begins!

Lily pads, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
(I think I may want to have this picture framed.)

Oh, I have so much to show you and tell you!

It's been three full weeks since I blogged, and in that time, I've been to Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, France -- and even a couple of special places in Canada. But I am finally home and almost caught up on laundry, so it's time to get to work before I begin my next adventure.

Suitcase OCD

I'm going to share with you something that I have never done before: obsessively plan a wardrobe for a trip. In an effort to pack more efficiently, I've actually planned out twelve outfits using a fixed number of interchangeable pieces. And, because I love seeing those "Twelve pieces for a month of fashion" pictures on Pinterest, I decided to make my own!

CRITERIA

Before I started I decided that comfort was the main priority, which means loose-fitting.

Since I still break a sweat at the drop of the hat, they needed to lightweight and layer-able.

Shape-wise, I needed tops that would cover my tummy. :-(

I had the luxury of not having to plan for any fancy occasions or business engagements, so I could stick with casual. However, I did want to have a little flair, and I wanted an option or two that would be suitable for an evening dinner out.

I also checked the weather forecast for the Netherlands. (It's too far out for any degree of reliability for Switzerland, I think.)

We arrive on the 19th and depart on the 24th for Switzerland.

Not surprisingly, there's a good bit of rain in the forecast, so I'll be bringing an umbrella, but it looks like I won't need heavier clothes.

Here's what I have decided on.

START AT THE TOP

From top to bottom, left to right:

• A loose-fitting, very lightweight printed, long-sleeve shirt
• A faux-wrap, sleeveless T-shirt
• A moss green tunic
• [A long-sleeved faux-wrap blouse] After reviewing my outfit options, I decided that this element was redundant, so I won't be bringing it. 
• A black camisole or tank top (not shown)
• A silk tunic in a dramatic print
• A grey cotton shawl-collar sweater (I used to have the same sweater in black. I wish I still did.)
• A brown leather biker jacket

In truth, a tidier person could get by with only the one white top, but I am planning for calamity.

BOTTOMS

The black square in the middle represents black leggings.

Left to right:

• Grey "jeggings" (I know, I know; but they look really cute!)
• Black leggings (no picture)
• Boot-cut jeans

SCARVES

Scarves can be a god-send if you, like me, have a knack for spilling coffee (or toothpaste, or chocolate, or, well, ANYTHING) on your chest. They also work really well to tie an outfit together. (When they aren't around my neck, they can be tied to my purse strap.

Left to right:

• Loose, very light cotton scarf
• Large, square silk scarf
• Large, burn-out velvet lined shawl (too big to wear as a scarf)

SHOES

Unfortunately, the shoes I had bought specifically for the this trip have caused blisters, so they will be staying home. Instead I'm bringing my tried-and-true running shoes and a pair of black leather flats for slightly dressier occasions. (I also like slip-ons at airports in order to move through the security line quickly.)

AND NOW . . . THE OUTFITS! 

1. Grey ties this outfit together, but the splash of lavender keeps it from being boring. Lots of layers to add or remove as temperature requires.

2. A flattering, loose-fitting top with an optional sweater.

3. The tunic top is actually longer than it appears, and makes a cute slightly dressy option.

4. Another dressy option. 

5. Back to casual, with lots of layers (sometimes even the scarf is too hot). Can wear this on days when rain is not expected.

6. Relaxed, slightly rocker chick. (As "rocker" as you'll ever see me, unless you're talking about a rocking chair.)

7. Almost the same as option 1, but with the blue jeans and the scarf with the blue tones in it.

8. This option uses the silk tunic as a jacket, unbuttoned to show the tank top underneath.

9. Layering the two tunics (silk one unbuttoned) with the black leggings spells dressed-up comfort.

The interesting thing is that by doing this, I actually eliminated three tops that I had planned to bring. I'll be gone for two weeks; I think this packing list gives me plenty of options.

If the shoe fits . . .

The funny thing about planning a big trip is that it seems to take so long to work out the details and then, all of a sudden, it's time to pack your bags! Or at least plan your packing list.

Ordinary Surprises

A while ago, I realized that if I never left home, I would never take any of the pictures that I so admired, taken by people who ventured far and wide. Who trekked the high north, the far east. Who meandered on untrodden paths.

Over the course of this past six months, however (as I've been out and about with Kane), I've come to realize that there are many exceptionally beautiful sights not so very far from home.