We had a full day in Helsinki so headed out early (some may dispute the definition of early but i felt very rested!) to do a lot of sightseeing. First we stopped at a cafe for some breakfast where I learned that ‘toast’ on a menu means toasted cheese sandwich!…

We had a very smooth flight to helsinki, and from the airport took a train from the airport to the downtown train station, and then had a short walk to our hostel. Once checked in to a very nice private room there (just in case anyone though we were sleeping…

By the charts, we’re coming up on the halfway point of summer, so I thought it would be a good time to do a post about some swim and gardening highlights so far. And ice cream! First, our front garden. I was much more diligent this year in identifying plants…

Miles has had a busy couple of months since graduation, including moving into a new apartment with new roommate (hi, Vinny!). They moved to the northeast quadrant of Portland, from the southwest, so it’s definitely new surroundings. And Miles adopted a cat! I’ll let Miles take it from here, here’s…

A couple of weeks back I got a chance to visit the wine-growing region of California called Sonoma, with a couple of old friends. It was hard to say no, the region is pretty famous for its wine and great food, and because of the time difference, I could get…

We also got to see Hillary Clinton speak in Chicago in May. Mary took the train in for it and we all really enjoyed it .

Back in Chicago now and readers will be forgiven for looking at Lake Michigan below and thinking it looks a lot like the Pacific Ocean! Here a few photos from a visit to northerly island this morning. After coming back Kathleen had a latte in the big comfy chair, and…

Day 3 at the coast started early with John catching the bus from tillamook back to Portland for a flight back to Chicago so he could attend an important meeting on Thursday. The last 3 standing on this trip 😀 spent the morning at the Oceanside beach then visited the…

Day 2 morning started with a walk on the beach with tide out. We walked through the tunnel to the Ricky side of the beach, then back through for the sandy stretch. The afternoon of day 2 on the coast was dedicated to exploring 2 of the 3 nearby scenic…

Sunday morning, we had another flurry of activity, with Liam and Mary heading to the airport, me and John meeting our Portland-based friends Alex and David for breakfast, and Paddy and Kathleen taking a stroll around the neighborhood to again admire the lovely gardens. I have a few photos not…