Currently • June 2021

“Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.” — Pablo Neruda

READING:

• The Paris Library — “Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together” (Goodreads). I have grown tired of the whole “women in WWII” genre, but this book’s focus on literature tempted me.

• The Book of Lost Names — “Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in this unforgettable historical novel.” Well, ok, maybe one more. I did like this one better.

• The Address — Dual stories of The Dakota in mid-1880s and mid-1980s. This is the third book by Fiona Davis that I’ve read this year. The verdict is still out…

WATCHING:

• L’Agence aka The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties on Netflix — “This reality series follows the Kretz family and their luxury property business as they help clients buy and sell fabulous homes in France and abroad.”

• I miss going to the movies, but, even though the cinemas are open again, there are few new releases and none entices me.

LISTENING TO audiobooks. Two of the books I read recently were also available on Libby as audiobooks. It is nice to be able to continue making progress through a book while doing chores or running errands, but I’m not complete sold on the idea. The voices can be distracting with their mispronunciations and affected accents.

ENJOYING:

• The slower pace of “summer vacation”: I still get up with Eric, but when he leaves for work, I enjoy my coffee while catching up on email and social media. I row every morning and take my time getting ready for the day. I tidy up the house, deck, and yard everyday so that our home feels beautiful and comfortable. I take time in the afternoon to read or blog while Piper takes her afternoon naps. Despite the gentle pace, my days still feel productive.

• Catching up with friends: After a year of Zoom meetings and masked faces, it is so nice to be able to linger over lunches and conversations.

FEELING strong and accomplished: Since I started rowing on March 12th, I’ve it quite a few milestones: 100K meters on April 1st; 250K on May 1st; and 500K on June 19th (2 days before my July 1st goal). It took 17 weeks to get here, so planning for 1MM club before the end of October.

LOOKING FORWARD TO getting away. Although we can’t go far this summer, we are excited to spend a weekend in the North Woods visiting friends. We also hope to return to Door County before summer ends.

Links I Love • June 2021

“One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by.” — Jeanette Wells, The Glass Castle

• What It’s Like to Visit Paris Right Now — International borders have reopened. Here’s what to expect when you get there.

• 7 French Cocktails to Order on Your Next Trip—and Recreate at Home (according to experts from Paris' most creative bars.) The French 77 is my favorite.

• The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties (Netflix) — This reality series follows the Kretz family and their luxury property business as they help clients buy and sell fabulous homes in France and abroad.

• French Vogue’s Guide to the Best Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, and Boutiques en français

• ‘A love affair with Le Creuset’: How a staple of the French kitchen turned into a global hit

• How to Build the Ultimate Picnic Basket, According to Chefs Around the World

• 11 Things To Know About Audrey Hepburn’s Beauty Regime

Early Summer 2021 in My Garden

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” ― Audrey Hepburn

May 2021 in Pictures

“All things seem possible in May.” — Edwin Way Teale

Travel Bucket List: Scandinavia

“The heavens seem to be nearer the earth. The elements are less reserved and distinct. Water turns to ice, rain to snow. The day is but a Scandinavian night. The winter is an arctic summer.” — Henry David Thoreau

[Since I haven’t been to Scandinavia (YET), all photos courtesy of pixabay.com]

NORWAY

Norway is at the top of my Scandinavian bucket list. Both my Larson and Olson great-grandparents came from Norway and settled in Sturgeon Bay, WI. I would love to visit the land of my ancestors, including:

• Oslo

  • Take a ferry and island hop around Oslofjord

  • Stroll and shop down Karl Johan’s Gate

  • Visit the Viking Ship Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum

  • Stroll around the Vigeland Sculpture Park

  • Walk along the Akerselva river

  • Walk up the roof of the Oslo Opera House

• Bergen

  • Take a fjord cruise - This is #1 on my Norwegian bucket list

  • Take the Ulriken cable car overlooking the sea, islands, mountains and fjords

  • Stroll around Bryggen with its jewelers, artists, and textile designers along narrow passages between the rows of historic houses and the wharf

  • Discover the KODE art museum and composers homes featuring the work of Grieg, Munch, Dahl, Astrup, Ibsen, and others

  • Visit the Fantoft stavkirke built in 1150

• Lillehammer and its arena and sporting venues from the 1994 Winter Olympics (my favorite Olympic games ever)

• Trondheim

  • Bakklandet and Nidelva with their colorful, wooden houses

  • Take photos from Old Town Bridge

  • Visit Nidaros Cathedral

  • Take the tram up to Lian

  • Enjoy the view from Kristiansten Fortress

• Ålesund (I learned about this beautiful Norwegian city via heartmybackpack.com)

  • Admire the Art Nouveau architecture — Ålesund is built on a row of islands extending out into the ocean. After a fire destroyed the city in 1904 it was completely rebuilt in vibrant Art Nouveau.

  • Walk up to Fjellstua for a view over Ålesund

• Lofoten Islands (featured photo)

  • It is suggested that you have no itinerary when visiting Lofoten (That would be hard for a planner like me, but I have not expectations so why not?!)

  • See the Northern Lights (travel in August and September are your best opportunities)

• Tromsø and Svalbard: I would like to go above the Arctic Circle, to literally be on top of the world. Maybe I could even hang out with Ceclia, Christoffer, and Grim.

• Try brown cheese, salty licorice, and sour cream porridge and sip aquavit — Norwegian cuisine isn’t fancy, but I love to sample local delicacies

• Bonus: Go to Hell — chances are that Hell will even freeze over!

SWEDEN

Yes, I am half Norwegian, but being adopted, I am also the only person in my family that is also Swedish. For me, Norway’s allure is mostly natural (fjords, mountains, the sea) while Sweden’s is more cultural. Here’s what’s on my Swedish bucket list (Some ideas are a result of listening to the Earful Sweden podcast — Thanks, Oliver and Lina!):

• Stockholm:

  • Explore Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town with its winding cobblestone streets, ancient churches, medieval squares, royal palace, and gabled houses of Stortorget

  • Shop in the Norrmalm district

  • Visit the Vasa Museum built around the ship that capsized and sank in Stockholm 1628. After 333 years on the sea bed the mighty warship was salvaged and preserved.

  • Discover the modern art in the Moderna Museet and the photography of the Fotografiska

  • Tour the Swedish Royal Palace

  • Take in the panoramic view of Strandvägen

  • Experience ABBA The Museum because who wouldn’t love an interactive ABBA experience (“Walk in. Dance out.”)?!

  • Take a canal trip to see the islands and the lovely architecture from the water

• Go vintage shopping in Malmö and then travel to Copenhagen via the Øresund bridge

• Go sailing in Marstrand

• Discover the museums and culture of Gothenberg

• Taste köttbullar and pannkakor (Swedish meatballs and pancakes — and compare them to my own) with lingonberries

• Experience lördagsgodis (Saturday sweets)

• Enjoy a fika perhaps with a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun), or a semla (cream filled sweet roll), or even a slice of Prinsesstårta (the beautiful Princess Cake

FINLAND

Eric is Finnish and Norwegian too, so between the two of us, we represent a lot of Scandinavian heritage. I don’t know much about Finland (other than its outstanding education system), so I had to do quite a bit of research to build a Finnish bucket list. Here’s what I found:

• Helsinki:

  • Take a walking tour of the town and marvel at the juxtaposition of Scandinavian and Russian architecture and culture

  • Visit the Helsinki Cathedral built in the 19th century as a tribute to Czar Nicholas I

• Learn about the Sami culture at the Sami Museum in Siida

• Visit the old wooden, medieval town of Porvoo

• Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights

• Sweat in a sauna and hop into a glacial lake

DENMARK

Although Denmark is perhaps the most accessible Scandinavian country due to its position on the European mainland, it has never really been on my bucketlist. Perhaps you can persuade me to go. If someday I do, here are a few things I might enjoy:

• Strolling around Copenhagen and see the Little Mermaid in the harbor

• Exploring the Viking burial grounds of Lindholm Høje

• Visiting the Hans Christian Andersen Museum

• Castle hopping: Christiansborg Palace, Egeskov Castle, and Kronborg Castle aka Elsinore in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

ICELAND

Of course, I would also visit the capital city of Reykjavik including the Hallgrímskirkja church.

But most of all, I experience the surreal beauty of Iceland including:

• Ice caves of Vatnajokull Glacier

• The iconic Blue Lagoon

• The fumarole fields of Namafjall

• The Fontana Geothermal Baths

• The black sand beaches and craggy rocks of Vik and Dyrhólaey

• The Skógafoss and Godafoss waterfalls

• The Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

• The Geysir and Strokkur

• Krafla-Viti caldera and lake

Scandinavia is right at the top of my travel bucket list. I’ve always wanted to discover the lands of my ancestors. Such a comprehensive tour of Scandinavia is probably both time- and cost-prohibitive, yet I do hope to check off many of these lovely Nordic experiences someday …

Currently • May 2021

“The mind moves in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts.” — Earl Nightingale

READING:

• World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments — “a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us” (Goodreads).

• Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child — “Bob Spitz’s definitive, wonderfully affectionate biography; the Julia we know and love comes vividly — and surprisingly — to life” (Goodreads).

WATCHING:

• …or rather, rewatching the first five episodes of Lupin before the part two drops on Netflix June 11th. We really enjoyed this action series and it’s music to my ears to hear Parisian French.

• Since we’re loving Omar Sy these days, we also rewatched Intouchables, one of my favorite French films about an aristocratic quadriplegic who hires a young welfare recipient from the projects to be his caregiver. So funny. So touching. So good.

• Friends: The Reunion aka “The One that’s Disappointing” — Still, I feel like rewatching all ten seasons.

• Halston on Netflix: “His name built an empire. His style defined an era. American fashion designer Halston skyrockets to fame before his life starts to spin out of control.” His portrayal by Ewan McGregor was disturbing — too aggressive, too camp. I did enjoy learning the connections among Halston, Elsa Peretti (who passed away last month), Liza Minelli, Babe Paley, Andy Warhol, and the whole Studio 54 scene. Fascinating as it is, the 70’s still hold little attraction for me. Although, I do love all of Elsa Peretti’s jewelry for Tiffany — the open heart, the bean, the bone cuff, diamonds by the yard…

• The Real Housewives of New York City Season 13 — Although I really like new “housewife” (i.e. single author, podcaster, producer, and attorney), Eboni Williams, I really don’t know why I still watch this train wreck.

Wow, what an eclectic list! How did I go from PBS’ Ken Burns Hemingway Documentary and Masterpiece’s Atlantic Crossing last month to Halston and RHONY this month? I’d better pull it up!

LISTENING TO:

• I Want My 80s Podcast on Sirius XM: “Each week original MTV VJs Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter & Nina Blackwood will flashback to the most totally righteous decade ever to talk about and give personal insights to the biggest 80s moments! From broadcasting LIVE AID to wearing parachute pants and seeing Dirty Dancing multiple times! Also, their part in changing how music was consumed as they were there for the launch of MTV! It’s a totally awesome pop culture exploration!”

FEELING:

• Stronger, healthier, and proud: As I write this, I have rowed 75 days in a row for 300,000 meters [100,000 meters from March 13th to April 1st (water bottle) and 250,000 meters by May 1st (white socks)]. I have donated three times to water.org (every 25 days you row). My form and speed are improving and I have earned several badges including 75-days and 10-weeks milestones, Commit to Fit Spring ’21, Earth Day Team workout, World Water Race, Land and Sea, Team Player, and Wanderlust. It isn’t easy and I’m not always motivated, but I’m committed and happy to have found a routine that I enjoy.

ENJOYING:

• Gradually getting back to “normal” — We’ve had a few lunches and dinners at some of our favorite restaurants in Delafield, Downtown Milwaukee, and The Third Ward. We even enjoyed a lovely cocktail (Manhattan for Eric and French 77 for me), spiced olives, and the amazing view at Blu on the top of the Pfister Hotel (featured photo).

• Mondays off — I had a lot of flex time this year due to the work I did last summer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a year to travel and Paris was completely off limits, but it has been nice to start the week with leisurely coffee and beagle cuddles, to read, to work in the yard, and to sit on the deck as the weather gets nicer. Not working on Mondays also makes Sundays even better.

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• June 11th — The end of the 2020-2021 school year can’t come soon enough.

• A vacation or even a long weekend getaway — soon, I hope!