Considered to be one of the largest museums in the world, the British Museum is truly magnificent. With free admission, it’s a must-see stop on your first trip to London. People cherish a chance to visit the British Museum and dedicate an entire day or two to admire its vast treasures. Be it the Rosetta Stone, Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs, Parthenon Marbles, Egyptian Mummies, Hoa Hoakananai’a (The Easter Island statue below), or more obscure ones, like the artifacts we were after. With over 80 MILLION items in its collection, only one percent is currently on display – that’s 800,000 things to look at, and you don’t want to miss a…
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Foothills Park: Outdoor Adventures in San Francisco Bay Area
Foothills Park has been accessible solely to residents of Palo Alto, a posh town in the San Francisco Bay Area. Actually, you could earn yourself a fine of $1,000 if caught on the property without an accompanying resident of Palo Alto. No kidding! But in December of 2020, after half a century of exclusivity, Foothills Park finally opened its gates to the general public (non-residents of Palo Alto). Recently, our local news has been reporting about the park and its history. Naturally, we had to see what all the hoopla was about. Is Foothills Park worth visiting? And what is so special about this once-private park in the foothills of…
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Oddball Day Trip in Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains is not the direction most people think of while visiting this eccentric coastal town in California. Visitors flock to its famous Boardwalk to chill on the beach, soaking in the scenic views of the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes it is forgotten that Santa Cruz also borders Big Basin and Henry Cowell Redwood State Parks. Two of the largest in the state! And, of course, the Pogonip Open Space where our Sunday trip started. Pogonip Open Space Our neighbor and former long-time Santa Cruz resident recommended checking out the old lime kilns and the rock garden in Pogonip. Now we understand why. After chatting with a couple of students…
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Stonehenge: A Mystery, History, and Magic Day Trip from London
Stonehenge was the number one destination during our first visit to the United Kingdom. And how could it not? Shrouded in mystery, popularized in literature and movies, it’s like the Holy Grail forged in Stone. However, our friends in the UK proclaimed our visit to Stonehenge to be “the last time they take anybody there again.” Why, might you wonder? Well, let’s start with this tidbit of information on transportation options and what to expect when you visit this 5,000-year-old mystical site. DISCLAIMER: We visited Stonehenge before Covid-19. Check their website for opening times and tours. Transportation We piled into our friends’ car in Twickenham, a charming suburban town southwest of London…
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100 Things We Want to Do in 2021
As many of you know, a few years ago we created our first list of “100 Things We Want to Do This Year”. It’s become a family tradition to sit down together on New Year’s Eve and cross off all the items we accomplished in the past year. Then, on New Year’s Day, we compose a new list of goals and activities for the next twelve months. Usually, this is a lot of fun, except for reviewing the 2020 list. 😊 But guess what? We are SO looking forward to creating a new one for 2021, and, hope you do too! This year we are gifting you FOUR templates. There…
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Quick and Easy Baby Bok Choy Recipe
This quick and easy baby bok choy recipe makes a great side dish with virtually any main protein, especially when the main dish requires a longer time and more effort to cook. Ready in 10 minutes, this sauteed baby bok choy is easy to prep and impossible to mess up (trust us — we tried 😊). By the way, bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable (like cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli), tracing its origins to China. Low in calories, it packs a TON of good stuff in a small package: vitamin A, C, K, B6, E, calcium, folate, and beta-carotene. Bok choy is at the top of multiple lists of ‘healthiest…
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Barnyard Cutlets
A few years ago, we traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the City history, culture, and of course, the food scene! One of the dishes we tried there was called курячі котлети (or kuryachi kotlety). When translated, it means ‘chicken cutlets’ — tender, juicy, flavor-packed mini meatloaves! But for now, let’s just call them cutlets. In the San Francisco Bay Area, California, there are a few stores that carry ingredients and food (including home-made) from Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union Republics, including Ukrainian and Russian. One of the stores we frequent offers borscht, caviar, and these round chicken cutlets, just like the ones we had in Ukraine.…
