Once Upon A Time...

Though previous trips and destinations have been rather easy to describe, the city of Copenhagen is a bit more perplexing. It is almost like a storybook without a proper ending. The setting is reminiscent of Amsterdam - interlocking canals, streets draped with bicycles, and waterfront buildings with fairytale windows, almost as if one should be dropping bread crumbs along the way. The local characters are quite Nordic - light-skinned, blonde, and speaking a language that sounds like a distant, yet obvious blood-relative of Swedish. The city's chapters are short and clearly defined - North, South, and Central, all compact and within close walking distance. It has the iconic features of a storybook - the palaces, the horse-drawn carriages, the bustling town squares, and the wistful town maiden, a bronze Mermaid sculpture that sits perched on a rock in the harbour (which, unfortunately, is currently on exhibition outside the city). Somehow though, Copenhagen is lacking a bit in charm, as if the Prince has yet to arrive on scene. Or perhaps he has arrived, but no official transformation has taken place - the beast remains the beast, and the mermaid remains, well, a mermaid.

But, as we all know, the beauty still loved the beast - his princely transformation was merely an afterthought. How is this possible? Perhaps because the not-so-obvious moral of the story is this - a fairytale is only as good as the voices of those who read it aloud, and the people with whom it is shared, regardless of the written ending. Even children realise that a ho-hum bedtime story can become magical when read with excitement, and meaningful when one is curled up next to Mum or Dad. Similarly, we read each chapter of our weekend in Copenhagen with passion, as the day we arrived, 15 October 2010, marked our one-year anniversary of moving to London! An anniversary such as that one breathes passion, passion for our lives abroad and our ability to travel. We also read each chapter in the pleasurable company of Ingrid, our American friend who lives in Stockholm, who we have not seen since New Year's. Copenhagen was the perfect setting for a meet-in-the-middle rendezvous point, an opportunity to meander through the streets, window-shop, eat at canal-side cafes, explore contemporary Danish art and design, and swap stories about living abroad in London and Stockholm. Below are a few of this storybook's illustrations...

Bundled up in Nytorv Square,
along Stroget street (Central)

In Hojbro Plads square, near Stork Fountain,
along Stroget street (Central)

Kongens Nytorv square (Central)

Nyhavn canal district (Central)
Inside Kunstindustrimuseet,
the Danish Museum of Art & Design (North)
Outside the entrance to Tivoli,
an amusement park/cultural venue,
considered by the Danes to be a national treasure
Out for the night, in a Scottish Pub
Christianshavn, otherwise known as the
"Little Amsterdam" district (South)
Vor Frelsers Kirke, Our Saviour's Chuch
(notice the exterior spiral staircase!) (South)

Cityscape view from Vor Frelsers Kirke
Heading back to the train station

Though Ingrid's husband David was not able to join us, and we missed him so, all in all, it was still a lovely, fairytale-of-a-weekend away...

--THE END--
B&B

"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale." - Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author and inspiration to Copenhagen, most known for writing storybooks such as the Little Mermaid and Thumbelina

3:33:33

Almost one year ago, just after we moved to London, I boldly went on my first blind friend-date. I was to meet up with a girl named Jen, whose uncle is my parents' neighbour in Hawaii (such is the nature of meeting new people! Everyone knows someone...). After a few introductory emails, we met at a pub one night last October, and have been instant, close friends ever since. For several months now, Jen and I have been meeting up at least one evening per week, to go on a walk in the city - it's an opportunity to catch-up, vent about work, explore new areas, and exercise together. Our walks have become a stable part of my weekly routine, much like Jen has become a stable part of my life here in London.

About a month ago, we decided to take our walking to a new level, and signed up for a half-marathon walk in London. Since then, we have been increasing our walking distances in preparation. Last weekend, we completed a 10.5 mile walk along the Regents Canal in London, starting at Paddington Station and ending near Canary Wharf, passing through Little Venice, Regents Park, London Zoo, Camden Town, and several other unique pockets of the city.

And now, I've propped up my sore feet, literally, as we successfully completed the half-marathon walk (13.1 miles) this afternoon! As walkers of the inaugural Royal Parks Foundation Heritage Walk, we trekked through 4 Royal Parks in the city, up and down both sides of the Thames River, and passed by London's most iconic sights. At each mile-marker along the way, we received information leaflets, providing interesting trivia about the sights we were going to pass within the next mile. Without a cloud in the sky, we couldn't have asked for better weather today, and even had a mutual moment of awe along the Thames, thinking, "We can't believe we actually live here!" While the last couple of miles were brutal, the homestretch was livened up by a star-sighting in Hyde Park - actress Rosamund Pike, most known for her role in Pride & Prejudice alongside Kiera Knightley. With a walk completion time of 3:33:33 (no joke!), we have plenty of photos, fun facts, and sore muscles to show for it...

Heading to the Start Line

Outside Westminster Abbey

Trivia: Westminster Abbey, founded in the 11th Century by Edward the Confessor, has seen the coronation of every English monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066. It is the resting place of many famous names, including Charles Dickens.

Outside the Tower of London

Along the Thames (my favourite part of this city)
Trivia: It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament! It's been suggested that this is because the State would have to pay for the funeral, just as it would in a Royal House.

The 10-mile marker in Green Park
Trivia: It is believed that The Green Park owes its name to the notorious wandering eye of Charles II. King Charles reputedly picked some flowers in the Park to give to a beautiful lady and when his wife, Queen Catherine, realised that they weren't a gift for her but for his mistress, she was furious. So furious that she had all the flowers removed from the Park, leaving nothing but green grass and green trees!

The Serpentine, Hyde ParkTrivia: The Serpentine was one of the earliest artificial lakes. Its 40 acres were specifically designed to appear natural. In the mid-19th century more than 10,000 swimmers at a time used to enjoy its waters.

Just Crossed the Finish Line! 3:33:33

Also, for those of you who plan to visit us sometime, I've saved the trivia leaflets and the route map, in case you fancy a walk :). It really is the best way to see, explore, and appreciate this majestic city.

-Brandina

The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose. - Charles Dickens

Our New P[a]lace

Living and traveling around in
Europe, we've seen the homes of a long list of royalty - ancient emperors, modern queens, and heaps of wealthy men in between. From Palantine Hill in Rome (from which the word "palace" originates), to Windsor Castle, to the Napoleon Apartments, these homes are adorned with rich tapestries, crystal chandeliers, and tiled murals, boasting enormous kitchens, spiral staircases, and luxurious gardens. They are ornate and expansive, delicate and yet completely grandiose.
Fit for a king, as the saying goes.

Well, rest assured, none of these palaces seem nearly as spacious, to us, as our new one-bedroom flat! That's right - after officially surviving 328 days living together in a studio (alternatively known as 10 months-24 days, or approx 46 weeks, or 7872 hours, or 472,320 minutes, or 28,339,200 seconds), we moved into a new place just a few weeks ago. Turns out the word "palace" is actually quite relative, and it doesn't take a whole lot of space to feel completely free and unrestricted after living for so long in a walk-in-closet-sized-studio. Here's a virtual tour of our new flat (a quick warning - this flat tour video is considerably longer than the last one, for obvious reasons)...

As cliche as it sounds, in all seriousness, the upgrade to a one-bedroom has completely changed our lives...

• The Washer/Dryer: given us a completely new lease on life, and made the chore of laundry much less cumbersome. Laundry Saturdays are a distant memory....
• The Full Kitchen: allowing us to properly cook dinner together, without having to resort to the DVD player as a flat surface for mixing ingredients.
• Interior Walls: enabling us to have our own separate morning routines, something we definitely used to take for granted when living in San Diego.
• The Stairs: or rather, the complete lack thereof. Need I say more about this?
  
• The New Neighbourhood: fit with plenty of new restaurants, pubs, shops, and a local play theatre, all begging for exploration and attention.
• The Morning Commute: with Brandina being able to walk to work, and Bryan now only having to take one tube line to work (as opposed to two), the days are starting off with a bit more serenity.
• The Grocery Shopping: living about twice as far from a grocery store as we did before, we've had the perfect excuse to buy, and sport, this lovely invention (horribly tacky, but so convenient!):

The challenge now, of course, is to not take these new-found freedoms for granted. As memorable of an experience as it was to climb 93 steps up to our studio flat every day, it is an experience that is so easily (and pleasantly!) forgotten. As an exercise of thanksgiving for our new upgrades, we'd like to revisit, and comment upon, "The Top 5 Reasons You Should Try Living in a Studio," which we posted on our blog last October.

5. Only takes about 2.5 minutes to heat up the entire place. - Very true; but it turns out that when you live in a space the size of a shoebox, it is always hot, even without the heating turned on. Lack of cross-ventilation + 5 stories above ground = a recipe for unpleasantly warm temperatures pretty much year-round.

4. You can see the gorgeous city view, from just one window, standing almost anywhere inside. - True indeed. Now we just have double the amount of windows from which to take in a view.

3. By the time you are finished cleaning the bedroom, the whole house is basically clean. - Probably still the biggest upside of living in a studio. Simply can't argue with having only one room to clean.

2. You can brush your teeth (and spit), wash your face, and almost turn on and warm up the shower, all while sitting on the toilet (not necessarily recommended practice, but nevertheless still possible). - Great for one person....VERY tricky to pull off when two people are trying to get ready!

1. And, our personal favorite - Not only can you eat breakfast in bed...but you can literally just about make breakfast from bed! - The flipside, of course, being that when your bed is right next to the kitchen appliances, your bedding constantly smells like whatever you've cooked recently.

We all know that hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, if we were to do it all over again, would we live in a studio? Hard to say really. What we can say is that living in a studio, in Notting Hill, did enable us to explore a lovely neighborhood, where we could be at Kensington Gardens in less than 5 minutes, go to £3.50 movies on Tuesdays, and visit Portobello Market with ease. It is an experience we truly will never forget.

So, on to bigger things! We apologise for the massive delay since our last blog post - September was an extremely busy, at times stressful month. We have ushered in October with open arms, and look forward to a gorgeous start to the Autumn season, where we can view the changing colours from our modest palace windows.

Lots of love to you all!

-B&B

"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Home: A Working Definition

As our British Airways plane circled for an extra 45 minutes over London last Thursday, at the end of an already brutally-long 10 hour flight from San Francisco, I took a few minutes to contemplate the word "home." What is home anyway? Is it a place? Is it people? After a two-week solo trip to the West Coast (Bryan had to stay in London and work), spending a total of 14 nights in 8 different beds, in 5 different cities, visiting family and friends from various periods of my life (childhood, college, graduate school), clocking over 25 hours in the air, I am now home in London. But just last week, I was home in California, 5,000 miles from where I sit now, with a vast ocean in between. Home is a tricky thing, I've decided. Webster's Dictionary has several definitions for the word "home" - a place of residence, the social unit formed by a family living together, a familiar or usual setting, or a place of origin. London is my current place of residence, though my family lives in a few different states, all the cities I visited in the past two weeks were familiar, and California is my place of origin. Alas, perhaps home is none of these places, but simply all of these people. Home may well be, as the cliche goes, where the heart is.

So, there you have it. Home is where my heart is - all over the place. Just like my 2-week itinerary - all over the place. I began my trip in Seattle, for a good friend's wedding, where I spent time getting pampered (yay for my first pedicure since October!) and catching up with friends from college. I then flew to San Diego, for a quick four days, attending various medical appointments and visiting with friends, eating meals at my favorite restaurants, and having wine night with the girls, breakfast at the beach, and late night slumber parties with my mom. I ended my trip in Northern California, spending time around the pool with friends, visiting with my grandparents in the Bay Area, having a Morrison family dinner in San Francisco, helping my brother organise his new apartment, and seeing family during an overnight in Sacramento. And of course, throughout the course of the trip, I stocked up on various cosmetics and food (such as Secret brand Deodorant, Healthy Pop Kettle Corn, and Tide stain pens), and spent a couple lovely hours roaming around Target (ahh...bestill my heart) and Trader Joe's with my mom. A few of my favorite pics from the trip (regrettably, my camera did not make it out of my purse for all of my dates with friends and family...so for those of you that I saw, but don't have pictures of, I'm so sorry!)....

The Santa Clara Girls at the Pre-Wedding BBQ Seattle

An Amazing Pic of the BBQ Backdrop (Great pic Tyler!)
At the Wedding Reception
With the Bride
Ladies Wine Night Reunion in San Diego
My Family in San Francisco

Poolside with Dad
Mother Like Daughter
With Jana (Bryan's Mom) & My Mom
My Two Lovely Grandmas

Though the teary-eyed farewells in each city were reminiscent of those we experienced just prior to moving in October, the emotions and discussions were vastly different this time around. A lot has changed in the past 10 months:

• What I lack now in concerns about the unknowns of starting life in a new country, I've made up for in excitement about my work, my life overseas with Bryan, and all of our past and future travels.
• The internal dialogue is different, and I have new answers to my own questions. Turns out we are not crazy for giving up two steady jobs and a familiar, comfortable existence in San Diego. The months of unemployment and challenges of starting over and living abroad have been well outweighed by the sense of accomplishment we now have, turning our dream idea into reality. That being said, the internal dialogue is still running - there are always new questions to answer and mysteries to solve when living abroad.
  
• Your questions are different now too. Though the questions "where will you live?" and "how will you find jobs?" have ceased, new questions have arisen with great fervor and intensity. "Are you ever coming back?" "How have you and Bryan not gone crazy living together in that studio?" "How are things with Bryan?" Yes, we are coming back, eventually (hoping to stay through the end of our visas - September 2012). Yes, living in a studio with someone else does make us crazy at times, but we've learned how to handle it (and have decided to upgrade to a one-bedroom place next month!). And, as for the third question, we're absolutely loving our adventure together abroad, with all its challenges and opportunities, and have successfully survived 10 months together in a studio, which is a massive accomplishment for any relationship... :)
  
• As some of you noticed (and teased me about), my vocabulary has expanded to include some British-English. Yes, vacations are now holidays, lines are now queues, fries are now chips, restrooms are now toilets, and I adore the adjective "lovely." It's all part of learning and leading a new routine in a new country, and being able to communicate effectively with the locals. It won't last forever, but it's a necessity for the time being. Speaking of which, at what point do we become locals? :)
• I am a true Cadbury girl these days (sorry Hershey's), and have a new appreciation for the concept of working hard to live (versus living to work hard). I'm guessing no explanation is required for either of those!
  

But, some things will never change. Girls in San Diego still wear Ugg boots with mini skirts - perhaps I've taken for granted the fact that Londoners tend to dress more weather-appropriate. I suppose four distinct seasons will do that to people. Target still smells the same - that's right, Target has a distinct smell when you walk in the door, something I've just discovered after a 10-month long hiatus (let the withdrawals begin again). Perhaps it's just the first time I've ever walked into a Target, and paused to take a deep breath! Trader Joe's is just as fabulous as I remember - too bad only one bag of baked blue chips could fit in my carry-on bag. Like a fine wine, those will be saved for a special occasion. My place of origin will always be Northern California, regardless of where home is (or isn't). And, most importantly, good friends and family will always be good friends and family, no matter the distance - it just takes more effort to keep in touch. Fortunately, effort is something I'm so eager to give.

Much love, and many, many thanks. Hope to see you on our side of the pond soon!

-Brandina

"Where thou art - that - is Home." ~Emily Dickinson

An Adriatic Retreat

Charming, Romantic, Optimistic, Antiquated but Trendy, Inviting, and Azure

Croatia, for a lack of better words, is simply divine, and certainly fit for a Roman Emperor who once retired amongst its shores. Having just returned from a 5-night holiday in the beautiful Dalmatian islands, off the mainland coast of Croatia, we are slowly readjusting to the busy city life. After all, we spent 5 full days walking and hiking at a leisurely pace, basking in the sun on the rocky Croatian shores, eating local cuisine (fish, cheese, roasted vegetables, gelato), and enjoying the Croatian atmosphere, a fine mixture of terracotta roof tops, ancient Roman walls, palm trees, humid air, and boats of all kinds. Though we brought along a small guide book for good measure, our minimalist goals for this trip involved plenty of rest, relaxation, and sunshine. With the current exchange rate of British Pounds to Croatian Kunes at 8:1, we managed to squeeze in professional massages on the Island of Hvar, a bit of intense bargain shopping/bartering with the locals, and rented lounge chairs on the rocky beaches. We spent our 5 nights in 3 different cities, commuting via ferry and excursion boats, and found each to have its own unique ambiance....

Split, Croatian Mainland

Home to Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace, an international airport, and a well-serviced ferry harbour, Split is a bustling seaside town, often the entry and exit point for those visiting nearby Dalmatian islands (like us). It features several markets within the still-standing palace walls, where locals sell just about everything you can imagine, from produce, to jewelery, to handmade crafts. Bordering the harbour is a long, pedestrian boardwalk, laced with seaside cafes, dozens of white wooden benches for the devoted people-watchers, amateur entertainers, and plenty of shops:

Hvar Town, Island of Hvar

A short one-hour ferry ride from Split is Hvar Town, complete with the steep hills of Lisbon, spiced with the small-town charm of Cinque Terre, and boasting a daily routine possibly like that of Miami Beach - settled and sunny by day, vibrant and wild by night. Hvar Town smells of sea salt, sunscreen, and abundant surrounding lavender farms, and revolves around the bustling center square. Despite a lack of sandy beaches, the rugged and rocky coastline is more than suitable for afternoons of reading in the heat, combined with refreshing dips into the Adriatic. We spent our evenings walking along the water and looking for the local food hubs, one of which had no written menu, serving up two simple options of either the local fish or meat platter, furnished with rustic barrel tables. After dinner, thanks to some advice from our Kiwi friends, Ben and Louise, we found a local spot called the Jazz Bar, where we had a great time with both locals and fellow travelers. The bartender introduced us to locally-made cherry brandy, and without thinking twice, gave Bryan the bar's last Ozujsko Croatian beer pint glass as a souvenir for his collection. Hvar Town is overflowing with all things contrasting - weathered fishing boats and multimillion-dollar yachts, budget backpackers and elite party-goers, small hostels and expensive resorts, pebble beaches and rocky cliffs, sea-level attractions and aerial views from the town's hilltop castle. A simultaneous natural sea of blue water, and man-made sea of orange rooftops. Far from clashing, however, the contrasting features of this town lend to its inherent charm.

At sea-level....

Above and beyond....

Bol, Island of Brac

A longer two hour trip from Hvar Town (quicker by speedboat), Bol is most well-known for Zlatni Rat beach, a popular pebble beach that jets out into the sea, while also offering a large, wooded forest area for picnics, games, and shade. Bol seems to be less all-things-contrasting, and a bit more simple. Arriving by boat to Bol's quiet harbour feels a bit like arriving in Cabo San Lucas - the pedestrianized streets are lined with vendors selling children's toys, while fisherman are busy unloading, cooking up, and selling their catch of the day. Some children pass the time dangling their feet in the sea, while others are operating small motor boats throughout the marina. The town is invigorated at night, just like in Hvar, as ferry schedules enable youthful island-hoppers to arrive in Bol during the early evening, dance the night away, and depart for other destinations at 6:30 am. To us, however, Bol was about the simple pleasures - after all, what can possibly compete with a fisherman hauling fresh squid off the boat in tubs, tossing it into a frying vat, sprinkling it with lemon and sea salt, and selling it for less than £4.00 for a heaping plate?

As far as rest, relaxation, and sunshine was concerned - mission accomplished.

-B&B

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." - Ovid

Homeward Bound: #1

A fond farewell to Matt & Nicole, our Aussie friends,
who departed London earlier this week.

A MINI PROFILE

• Hometown: Sydney, Australia.
  
• Time lived in London: 15 months
  
• Our introduction: San Sebastian, Spain (Hospedaje Donosti B&B), May 31, 2010.
• Something we've shared: A love for tapas, both in London & San Sebastian.
• Something they've taught us: There is no such thing as too much travel, and good sushi does exist in London.
• Our newly acquired hand-me-down: A camping tent!
  
• Our next meeting place: Australia...
  

-B&B

"Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love; and then we return home." - Australian proverb