The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

After a whirlwind fall of European business trips and Hurricane Sandy/Early Snowfall, we packed up the car to the gills and took our yearly Thanksgiving roadtrip to Maine. Thanksgiving came early this year and we felt it. As much as we felt like we hadn't been home as family in our own house for more than a few days at a time, packing up the ole suitcases felt like business as usual so off we went.

And it was great.

First we had Thanksgiving.























Then my birthday!





















And now Christmas is a'coming.
(As signalled by my newly acquired vintage Christmas candles.)
Cheers to you.

The European Makeover Continues...

Crazy boots, dramatic hat, neon jewelry, sparkly sweaters. Picked up the sweaters at a store called Reserved, while the rest was found at good old H&M. Sure we have it back home, but being here brings out another side of my identity.

Now to fit it all in my suitcase!!

P.S.
Went to their T.J. Maxx, T.K. Maxx here. It was a madhouse! I was able to understand how people who don't like T.J. Maxx back in the states feel.

Wroclove

Was visiting Southwestern Poland in a city called Wrcolaw (sounds like Vrotsloff) and got to see a bit of the countryside. It's a golden fall out here which is so nice, since I'll probably miss it at home.

All Saints Day is coming up on November 1st so I'm pretty sure the massive amounts of fake flowers are to leave at the cemetery when the party is over.

On the road, dusk.

Golden fall.

In case you don't find the flowers you want here...

You can find them here.

Varshava

That's kinda what it sounds like when the Poles say Warsaw. Things I've learned about the Polish language:

V=w
W=v
Sc=sh
Sz=zh
L with a slash through it=w
Et al.

Incredibly crafted parquet floors.

Hanging in Old Town, which was actually rebuilt after WWII.

After finding this wall of keys, I've seen many of these "skeleton keys" in action.

A beautiful restaurant that felt like an old mansion.

Beautiful church, one of many.

U Fukiera

Our Polish colleague recommended an amazing and magical restaurant in the old town called U Fukiera. The food was delicious and mostly authentic with notes of Spain and Hungary.

The ambiance was unreal. Candlelight, roses, old photos, vaulted ceilings, and pumpkins. As it says on the business card about the owner and founder, Magda Gessler, "she's cooking, decorating, but not singing." The menu copy was just as charming.

I had to get the Soup of Nothing. It was definitely something.

Soup of nothing.

Even the bathroom was awesome!