Opa! Getting Away in Greece!

We finally made it to Greece! And after all we went though to get there we were pretty excited to say the least.

I’ve always dreamed of going to Greece. Ever since I was very little I’ve had this romanticized image of what Greece would be. It had been drilled into me over the years though textbook pictures and endless history classes. But to be honest it was completely different than I had imagined it to be.

I came to realize that my expectations of what Greece as a whole would feel like came mostly from images and movies that highlight the scenery of the Greek Isles. I thought it was all white cliff-side houses with bright blue roofs where daily fish venders ride donkeys up the steep and narrow  streets. I soon realized that this may have been the case if we had visited Santorini, but not Athens. Unfortunately, the Isles didn’t make the itinerary this time around but it gives us a reason to return. I still want to see those blue roofs.

When you say Athens you think history. The Parthenon, the vases, the sculptures all come flooding to mind, and yes, these are all still a very key element of the culture, but there is so much more. With all the economic hardship lately that Greece has been battling through, I was beginning to fear that this city might just be buried in the overshadowing allure of its past. But all you have to do is strike up a conversation with a local vendor, take one bite of the food, and inevitably take part in the never-ending night life for proof that this city is still very much alive.

The Great Train Trip

For the next leg of our journey we took advantage of our EURail pass and took a series of overnight trains through Eastern Europe. Our end goal was eventually to get to Greece and we thought that this would be an easy way to see a little of Eastern Europe and not have to pay for accommodations at night since we would be traveling via train.

Riding Down the Rhine Valley & Perusing Prague

The next leg of our adventure took us to Koblenz, Germany. Here we took full advantage of one of the many perks of our EURail pass and spent a whole day riding the Köln-Düsseldorfer paddle steamer all the way up and down the Rhine River Valley. We spent the day admiring the quaint little riverside towns, the beautiful vineyard covered vistas, and the historical hilltop castles once belonging to the wealthy robber barons of the area. It was nice to be able to do some sightseeing from a different perspective.

Chocolate in Bruges & Art in Amsterdam

We decided it was time to slow down a bit so we headed off to Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Our first stop was Bruges. Bruges was more than I expected. It was a quaint little town with an old Europe flair surrounded by canals and windmills. The people were friendly and welcoming. At one point on our walk around town we were looking at our map trying to figure out where to go next and a nice elderly man we could barely understand wandered up to help us. What started out as just directions turned into quite a long conversation about the meaning of love. I could only assume he seemed taken by us as a couple. And even though it was unexpected it kind of gave Bruges a sense of old school European romance that has been missing elsewhere. Our primary goal in Bruges was to consume as much fine Belgian chocolate, cheese, and beer as we could. We succeeded! Everything in Bruges tasted delicious! By the time we left for Amsterdam I had to loosen the belt just a bit but boy was it worth it! 

Finally Putting On Our Sandals in Saint Malo!

Walking along the city wall of Saint Malo with Fort National in the background.

After Paris we headed off to spend a few days enjoying the beautiful beaches and exploring the walled city of Saint Malo. We had had enough of the city and were told that this is where some of the locals go for holiday in France. According to Kathy, it is a great place to spend all day just lying on the beach and turning yourself into toast. We thought, “great! We could use a little toasting after all the rain we’ve encountered so far!” It proved to be just what we could have hoped for!

We say “Oui” in Paris!

Enjoying the beautiful Paris skyline form the top of the Arch de Triumph.

The tiny not so pleasant smelly elevator to Kathy's 7th floor
apartment. We dubbed it "The Smelly Elly". I'll just say
it...it smelt like urine but it beat walking up the stairs!

The Chunnel Tunnel did not collapse and we arrived in Paris safe and sound! We were greeted with open arms and a smile by Kathy, a long time family friend of Matt’s, who kindly hosted us in her quaint Paris apartment for the week that we were there. Her hospitality and in-depth French know-how were greatly appreciated. We spent most evenings drinking wine and eating home-cooked dinners with bantering conversation until the wee hours of the morning. We even became quite close to PT the cat as we spent those long conversations with a hairbrush in hand. Needless to say by the time we left we thought PT might just come with us when it was time to leave. I have to say that it was nice to spend the week with family (Yes Kathy, you are family now!).

Making Our Way Through the UK!

Walking along the River Thames and admiring the Tower Bridge.

The next stop on our adventure was the United Kingdom! We packed in as many sights and museums as our feet could handle. Though we came back to London multiple times we took the opportunity to explore as much of the out-of-the-way sites as we could. It was nice to see a bit of the UK that wasn't bustling with cars, double-decker buses, and a constantly rising skyline. London has lots to offer but for us it just felt a little too similar to what we are used to and didn't have much of the charm of the old picturesque European city we both had hoped for.

The Sheep Roam Freely in Dingle...

For the second half of our time in Ireland we decided to rent a car and see some of the beautiful countryside. We both were a bit nervous about the whole driving situation because not only do you drive on the other side of the road but you have to drive a manual with the opposite hand as well. Needless to say I left the driving up to Matt and happily played the role of navigator with a little help from "the lady" in the GPS. I did say a little prayer as well before we started. It gave me peace of mind... but it made Matt a little more worried. 

Even though the streets are incredibly narrow, there are sheep and crazy bicyclists to veer around, and you have to drive at least 60 mph almost all the time... we survived and I have to say we had fun too!

Welcome to Europe! First Stop...Dublin, Ireland!

We have done so much and yet it feels like we just arrived. After 3 weeks now in Europe we are in the heat of the big adventure!

It's hard to explain what it's like for me to travel - to put into words the sights, sounds, and smells of a place or even the people and how they look and speak or how their mannerisms illustrate their ingrained history. For me, traveling in Europe is all about how it feels to pass through the same door or walk on the same stone floors that others have also walked on for hundreds of years. You can just feel the stories, the history, surrounding you. Even though sleeping on a bunk in a hostel or taking an all-night bus ride might not be the most glamorous travel 
accommodations, it is all worth it when you step foot into the Trinity Library, or stare in wide-eyed wonder at the perfection within in the writing of the Book of Kells. It puts even the small everyday things into perspective!

The internet availability has been sketchy and the way that Matt packs our schedule makes for little to no time to update you all on the things we've seen and done so far. It truly has been an eye opening and amazing experience. I'll do my best to highlight and share with you my favorite parts as often as I can as we continue our journey!

Let the Adventure Begin...

Leaving the Portland Airport for Dublin.

The adventure started this morning bright and early at 4am. In 19 hours we will arrive in Dublin, Ireland! Let the fun begin....

At Home with the Habjans! PART1

This last week we spent some time with Matt's family in Lebanon, Oregon. I thought life was good...but what I've learned over this last week is that it's even better when you're riding a tractor! I may have been raised in the city, love foreign cultures, and live to travel but I was born to be a country girl!

Feeding apples to Lauson the goat.

While riding out in the pasture I have come to the realization that there is something right about how the grass smells and the fields glisten.There is something special about how you will be riding along alone and the sun rays will warm you while the cool breeze makes it feel so comfortably natural. In the distance you can hear the sounds of the birds or sheep and it's like they are telling you from a distance this is where you are supposed to be. For me, being out in the Habjan pasture riding around on my father-in-law's tractor just took all of life's worries away. But I will get more into my new found love for tractors in Part 2 about our weekend at the Antique Powerland Steam Up.

Fun Times With the Flanerys!

Ellie kind of likes Portland and her new best Friend, James Brown....most of the time.

Dad enjoying a double cone of Fresh Strawberry and
Blueberry Marzipan ice cream at Ruby Jewel.

It sure does feel good to be home!

Truckin' in Baby Loaf Bus at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
Tillamook, OR

It's amazing how green and small everything feels when you've been living in a big open desert for the last 4 years. We are happy to be back where you can always be surrounded by real trees! The first week back in the Northwest we spent with my folks in Milwaukie, Oregon. It was an eventful week that included building a new chain link fence for my folks (to keep Ellie from escaping the backyard), unpacking all of our stuff out of the U-Haul and then repacking it into my basement bedroom, eating lots of homemade pulled pork sandwiches, enjoying a few scoops of ice cream at our favorite Portland ice cream place Ruby Jewel, riding rides at the Pacific Seafood Company Picnic at Oaks Amusement Park (skating included) and, best of all, a day trip the Oregon Coast. It has been so long since both Matt or I have seen the ocean that it was a much needed and anticipated reward after two long event filled weeks. 

So Long New Mexico...

Ellie was a little nervous about the whole packing thing
and all too happy when we took her out of the box.

Making our way on our own Oregon Trail!  

After quitting our jobs and a week of solid packing, we loaded up everything we own into one small U-Haul and 2 cars. Matt was a little worried about everything fitting but with his tetris packing skills we had little to no problem. The ride home on the other hand was another story. 

The first day we thought we would take a different way home and drive by Monument Valley since it would be something new to see for all of us. We read up on it via their web site, thought it would only add a few extra hours to our trip, and we'd be able to drive the loop around the monuments and then be on our way.
Once we got there we found out this so called loop wasn't the nice paved ones we're so used too. This was a serious off-road, 4-wheel drive needed, kind of trail. Ok...no big deal, we've got a Subaru we can do it. So, we transferred a few things from the Subaru to the U-Haul, packed the 2 of us, Dad, and the dog into my car and were on our way. About 100 feet down this dusty almost vertical road my dad said, "do you hear that grinding sound?" Lo and behold my back brakes are shot...I mean metal on metal shot. So, here we are out in the middle of nowhere, it's 100+ degrees outside and about 5 o'clock. Now what? 

We Are Now Officially New Mexicans!

Our Custom Made O'Farrell Hats Arrived!

Over the last 4 years here in the good Ol' New Mexico we've made several trips to Santa Fe. One of the shops we always made sure to go into was O'Farrell's Custom Hats. The gentleman who runs the shop didn't think that we were really that interested in buying one of his hats at first. Then during one visit he finally came up to me and asked "how many times have you been in here to try on that hat?" I looked at him and said, "I think this is the 7th." He replied with, "OK. I think it's about time we measure your head for one of your own." And that was that. I was sold. I had to have one! 

Green Chile, Baseball, And Pie...Oh My! The Slovenians Visit New Mexico!

This last weekend Matt's 3rd cousin and her husband from Rovte, Slovenia visited us. Although only here for a short stay of 3 days we packed in as many New Mexico sights as we could. 

We took a trip up to  Sandia Peak, learned all about the "Watermelon Mountains" from our gondola guide, and even got stuck at the top for a while because of lightning. But like they say in New Mexico...if you don't like the weather  all you have to do is wait 10 minutes and it will change. Sure enough it did and we didn't have to spend the night (although we were staking out the biggest bench for the worst case scenario). 

And So It All Begins...

We got our EURail Passes! 

I can't believe that this is really happening. It's the little things like this that remind me that it is actually going to happen - that we are in fact leaving for Europe in less than 2 months! 

It has been a long time coming. We have been dreaming of and planning this adventure for the past 5 years. It is a bit surreal to think that is actually becoming a reality.  

Over the past year we've bought plenty of maps, made many a lists, watched movies and special, and read plenty of guide books. Being avid PBS junkies we have been unitizing many of Rick Steve's suggestions and tips along with tidbits from other travel blogs we've found along the way. We also made sure to check in with AAA to get our plethora of free maps and travel insurance.  

All and all we have pretty much nailed down the itinerary. I will say that Matt has been doing most of the planning and logistics including making one kick butt spread sheet. No really, I've never seen a more detailed spreadsheet. But don't worry, I've made sure to add my advice here and there along the way. 

Many have been asking us where we plan to go so here is a peek at our itinerary.

My Bucket List - Doing My Best To Live Big!

I recently came across a blog called LivingBig. To give you a little back story, I had recently been surfing around the web looking for helpful advice for our up-and-coming trip. I randomly came across LivingBig one day on Pinterest read a few posts, thought "Wow! That was sure helpful!" and moved on not thing much about it. A bit later a friend of mine from high school linked the very same blog to her Facebook page. It wasn't until then that I put 2 and 2 together and came to the conclusion that "You know what? I know her!". Both Mary, the author of LivingBig, and I were in the same graduating class in High School. After that light bulb moment I went back and reread all her whole blog. Currently she is in the midst of a 5 month adventure through Europe herself. I would highly recommend reading along with her adventures if you have the chance. The post on losing the map was one of my favorites.

But It was a post entitled Bucket list that got me thinking the most though. It made me happy to see someone else from my Good Ol' Class of  '04 out there traveling the world, making things happen, and living their dreams. Even though we didn't talk much in High School I recently emailed Mary and told her how her adventures and stories on LivingBig inspired me to write my own bucket list. 

Life is too precious and too short to let your dreams pass you by. So, by writing them down and sharing them with all of you I am holding myself accountable to make the very best of the greatest gift God could ever give me. Remember, a Bucket List is an ever growing and changing document. As you cross things off, new things get added. It changes and grows with you!

So here it goes! Here is My Bucket List!

Welcome To Habjan Happenings!

Who Are The Habjans?

It’s just myself, my husband Matt, and Ellie the Boston…but that’s our family. We currently live in Albuquerque, New Mexico where we have been for the last 4 years. We like to get outside as often as we can and go hiking, backpacking, skiing, fishing, or just soaking up the sights of wherever the wind takes us.  We both love to travel and are fascinated by different cultures and the richness of what you can learn from them. We both are musicians, photographers, and art lovers.