Whirling Dervishes of Lefkosa, Cyprus

It's time to start blogging about our week in Cyprus.  Honestly, I'm having a difficult time writing currently.  Lots of changes and my free time is limited.  Not to mention all of the "stuff" I'm processing.  But I'm just going to get started with the photos and hope the words eventually catch up.  This seems like the perfect place to start.  Seeing the whirling dervishes in Lefkosa was a definitely highlight of the trip for me.  Moving as an act of worship and meditation has been around for centuries.  This particular ceremony was mesmerizing and so peaceful to watch. 

Budapest Bastion

I'm off today on my first trip since moving back and also my first US city break.  I loved all of our city breaks in London and it's something I hope to continue here.  So in honor of that here are my last bit of photos from our Budapest trip.  The Fisherman's Bastion was a great place to take in the views of Budapest, Hungary.  Up, up, up in the furnicular to stroll around in the sunshine. Budapest was definitely one of my favorites. 

Time out in St. Petersburg, Florida

Well, I guess it's official.  I've lost my words.  I can't, for the life of me, write a blog post.  My mind is constantly going, but I can't seem to organize any thoughts.  Meanwhile, over a year's worth of photos sit on my computer taunting me.  So I'm just going to start posting them without the words to give them context.  It makes me sad, but so much has changed in the past six months, that I guess it's no wonder.  I'm also not going to worry about going in chronological order.  Gasp.  But sometimes, forward momentum, even at the slowest pace, is what's needed. 

Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest

Everyday I want to blog and every day I don't have the words.  I'm sure they will come back to me.  In the mean time, I'll just post photographs.  These are from our visit to Budapest, Hungary.  On our last day before heading to the airport, we took the tube to the City Park to visit the Vajdahunyad Castle.  In 1896, the castle was constructed for the 1,000th birthday of the Hungarian State.  It was a temporary structure for the Millennial Exhibition.  The castle was built to showcase the history of Hungary through its architecture.  The people loved it so much that it was eventually rebuilt to be a permanent structure and now houses a Museum of Architecture. 

Homecoming

I think most travel bloggers have a folder of photos to use in those random posts when you're not sharing a place but maybe something else.  Something that doesn't lend itself to the perfect photograph.  These gorgeous peonies came from that folder of random photos.  Because how do you photograph the end of a marriage?  That's probably way too blunt, but I just need to write this post. I need to put it out there so that I can move on with this blog.  And with life. 

My Sweet Boys

So much has been going on since I last posted in early May.  I don't want to get into the details today, but a lot of changes have been happening. I feel like I'm now on the other side (literally and figuratively) so it's time to start blogging again! First things first, I want to show you my grandbabies.  I was in Texas in May for two giggle-filled weeks.  Of course, I took a gajillion photos because just look at those faces!

Budapest City Break Photo Journal

Matt and I would probably travel full time if we could.  Alas, we have to work to be able to afford to travel.  If only we could win the lottery.   So city breaks are sometimes our only outlet.  As often possible, we leave on a Friday night and explore a new city for the weekend.  Our general criteria is a direct flight of less than 3 hours and good value for money.  That's pretty easy to do from London, tons of options.  I'm planning a future post of our favorite city breaks as well as some tips.  We're still settling in from the move  and I'm leaving for Texas on Monday. So for now I'll just post some of the photos from our Budapest city break.  (If I call it a "photo journal" will you forgive me for not writing much?)

Six Things About Me - Updated

When I first started blogging, I joined such a special little community.  This was before it became such a business.  Most of us were just finding our way and had no idea what SEO, DA or MOZ meant.  Follow links and Google Analytics meant nothing.  Just pick a pretty template, start writing and connecting.  We all had a blog roll in our sidebar featuring our favorite blogger friends.  We sent each other awards and shared guests posts.  All without expecting a fee.  It seemed so much more interactive than now.   I miss those days, don't you?  Linkys, blogs hops and questionnaires.  There was one called "Six Things About Me" that made the rounds.  I think because of the personal nature, it's still one of my most read posts.  I revisited it recently and decided to do a little update.  

Gloucester Cathedral & City Break

Not all city breaks require a trip to the airport, right?  Sometimes a road trip is in order and England has plenty to see and do.  Gloucester offers a cathedral, a city center and a revitalized Victorian port to explore.  It's only a 2.5 hour drive from London so it's an easy one.  Gloucester is in Gloucestershire, neither of which is pronounced like it looks.  Kind of like Worcestershire sauce.  It's "glaw-ster"  and the county is pronounced kind of like "glaw-sta-sher".  Matt will probably tell me this is still completely wrong because of the American accent in the mix, but it's close enough.

A Coo & a Castle in Oban, Scotland

Look!  It's a Wee Coo!  They are adorable and I must have one.  It will fit in perfectly with my dream menagerie that includes a hippo, giraffe and camel.  Matt continues to tell me NO, but I think I'm wearing him down.  Someday.  This gorgeous Highland Cow was spotted as we explored the area around Oban, Scotland.  Scotland continues to be a top three favorite destinations for me. Everything about it is perfect including these shaggy beasts.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah Dubai

Here are my last few photos from our time in Dubai.  Unfortunately, I never made it to the beach but I did manage to get a view of the fabulous Burj Al Arab hotel.  I enjoyed my time at the old souks so much, I thought it would be fun to visit one of the modern versions.  The Souk Madinat Jumeirah is a posh version of a middle eastern marketplace offering shopping, restaurants and entertainment.  You can even ride in a traditional abra along the waterways. 

Bur Dubai Hindu Temple Complex

I still haven't figured out how to keep up with the blog while working.  I apologize for the sporadic postings.  In truth, I don't think many people are even reading blogs these days.  We can get such a quick fix of travel inspiration on Instagram, reading a blog post can feel like picking up an encyclopedia in comparison.  Although having said that, I was one of those kids that would sit and read an encyclopedia from front to back.  Regardless, I want to keep blogging.  This is my scrapbook of our travels and our life.  It makes me happy to go back and read about our adventures.  So I shall keep blogging.  I've taken thousands of photos and the thought of them just sitting in a folder on my desktop is just unacceptable.  So (most overused word in the English language lately, has even exceeded the word "like") today I'll share some more photos from my Wander with Nada Dubai walking tour.  Down a little alley in the Bur Dubai old souk, you will find the only Hindu temple complex in the UAE, 

Dubai Mall & Burj Khalifa

Can you feel spring in the air?  I can and I'm so thrilled and so ready.  This Texas gal needs some warmth.  A little update on us... we're moving back to London just in time for spring.  Surrey has been lovely, but we miss the city and are eager to get back.  Speaking of warmth and cities (see what I did there?), here are some more photos from our visit to Dubai.  

Museums of Dubai - Wander with Nada

My previous post included photos from the souks I visited with Nada from Wander with Nada.  Not only did we visit several markets, but we also visited two museums and took a little boat ride.  Dubai isn't really known for its museums.  I definitely recommend a stop at The Women's Museum at Bait Al Banat and The Dubai Museum and Al Fahidi Fort.  Both of these are small but important.  Throw in a boat ride on a traditional abra across the Dubai Canal and you see why this walking tour was the highlight of my time in Dubai. 

Souks of Old Dubai - Wander with Nada

I've been eager to visit the Middle East and I finally got my chance.  I tagged along with Matt on a work trip to Dubai.  He was working all day and I was happy to enjoy the hotel pool or walk around the famous Dubai Malls by myself.  But I also wanted to see a bit more of the city.  I was reluctant to set out on my own so I booked a morning tour with Wander with Nada.  It was the perfect way to explore beyond the skyscrapers and shopping.  This tour was the highlight of my time in Dubai.  I came away from it buzzing with information and a new appreciation for a different side of the city. 

Oh, the places we will go in 2017!

Good grief, how the years fly by!  It's no lie that the older you get the faster they go.  Can you believe it's that time again already?  A quick recap of the previous year and making travel plans for the new. This blog of mine is now five years old and when I look back, I just can't believe the wonderful places that we've managed to visit.  I'm so thankful for the beautiful people we get to go through life with.  If I'm ever feeling blue, I just have to read a few old posts to cheer me up and get me excited for the future (in spite of recent political events that have set my head spinning).  What a fabulous world we live in. 

Starting 2017 with a Walk & a Word

I like to start the new year off with a walk and a good think.  I don’t really do New Year Resolutions. (It’s January so I can still talk about this stuff , right?) Not only am I never successful with resolutions, but I can’t even remember them come February. Last year at the encouragement of a few friends, I picked a Word for the Year. A word to guide and encourage. Something to focus on. They all expressed that this was a positive thing for them, that it made a difference. So I went for a walk on New Years Day in Folkestone to come up with my Word for 2017.

Christmas with the Grandbabies

Yep, I'm going to be one of those grandmas.  Because the  39 photos that you saw in my last post just weren't enough, I have a whole bunch more.  I realize that most of you might have little interest, so I promise to get back to more bloggy stuff next week.  But, for today it's Christmas with the grandbabies. 

Those Grandbabies of mine!

Like most bloggers, I'm trying to get this blog buzzin' again for the new year.  I still have several trips to write about so I've been editing photos and planning posts.  Of course, I'm working on one of those What We Did last Year and What We Wanna Do This Year posts.  It just has to be done.  But, first I just have to tell you about my two sweet grandbabies!  I was so excited to become a grandma (or Gigi as I'm called) but I mean... I had no idea the piercing love that I would have for these little nuggets.  It's indescribable, really.  So let me show off some photos from my recent visit and tell you just a little bit about them both.