Book Giveaway~Happy Spring!

It's 50/50 Day! Equal parts light and dark.

And in honor of magical Spring,

(and my birthday!)

I've decided it's time for a book giveaway

because... because...because...

it would make me happy.

My birthday gift to you!

On April 3rd, I'll be giving away a copy of

'The Best Travel Writing 2009:

True Stories from around the World'

(2010 isn't available yet or I would have gotten it for you!)

So in honor of joy and rebirth,

giving and growth,

please join me in my first book giveaway!

To Enter:

1 Chance~ Leave a comment and tell me what you love most about Spring.

(Don't worry~ It can be one word if you are time challenged!)

3 Chances~ Become a Follower

(If you're already a follower, you will receive this automatically!)

5 Chances~ Blog about this on your site
(and send me the link).

Winner announced April 3rd!

(US & Canada entries only and family not included, sorry!)

Good Luck!

And Happy Spring!

(Top photo courtesy of: PDPhoto.org)

Nafplion, Greece~ Travelin' Tuesday

Welcome to Greece!

Have been yearning for a place I love...

No that's not a song

or maybe it is~It might as well be mine.

Just a little something to whet your appetites...

we'll be traveling the next few weeks

to a small, beautiful town

on the Peloponnese

south of Athens...

with views that make

body and soul

sigh...

for centuries.

(Photograph copyright and property of: Kirsten Steen)

Blog Awards

A very big thanks goes to Catherine at

A Thousand Clapping Hands

for these blog awards.

The Sunshine Award is to be sent to several other bloggers

so here goes!

I'd like to pass these on to:

Anita at Castles, Crowns and Cottages
Relyn at Come Sit By My Fire

Ms. Lucy at Enchanted by Josephine

Vicki at French Essence

Michael at Oia Santorini

Judith at Paris Atelier

For the Sugar Doll award,

you are supposed to list

10 interesting things about yourself.

Don't know if they are interesting

but they are me:

1.) I am Norwegian, English, Irish, Scotch and Welsh.

2.) I love Gilmore Girls (but you know that from my last post!).
3.) I was a Hippie child in the 70's and once lived on a commune.

4.) Cake is my downfall (and I won't leave a wedding

without my cake and champagne!).

5.) I read in bed every morning (before I start my day).

6.) If I could start over again, I would probably be working in film.

(And a huge Congrats to Kathryn Bigelow!!)

7.) During a "2 Truths & a Lie" game at work, I told the crew I was

a writer of Erotic Fiction as my 'Lie'. I still have crew members asking me

when my erotica will be published.

8.) Oprah is my hero.

9.) San Francisco is my true 2nd home.

10.) I still want a Prius.

Colonyhouse~A Writer's Retreat

Welcome to Colonyhouse!

A log cabin (interior) writer's retreat on the Oregon Coast

just north of Rockaway Beach.

Just after returning from Paris,

I drove straight to the coast

for a work week of steady writing.

My first "REAL" writing retreat,

it was absolutely heavenly to live completely on one's own rhythm:

Get up when you want,

Work when you want,

Eat when hungry

and take breaks strolling on the beach!

No schedules, no cooking (for anyone but moi),

no cleaning (until the day of departure),

no worrying about anyone else's needs,

it was exactly what I've been telling the universe

I needed!

And here it was, dropped right in my lap,

offered as an invitation by my weekly writing partner who attends regularly,

and at a VERY reasonable steal...

uh...price.

A skip down the garden path

and a short jump across the street...

leads straight to the ocean.

My own private room, serving as both bedroom and writing space,

was equipped with 3 beds, 3 desks and a view

looking toward both the ocean to the right

and Lake Lytle to the left.

Exquisite!

After spending the days writing,

evenings were enjoyed laughing and sharing

with my 2 housemates,

an old and a new writing friend,

as well as a few episodes of "Mad Men"

or my nightly candy ("Gilmore Girls")

watched curled up under the covers

with my partner for the week:

my computer.

I've booked myself another week in a few months

and look forward to many more.

Colonyhouse is a retreat for members of

the Oregon Writers Colony (OWC)

and is working toward remodeling

to include handicapped access.

For more information about Colonyhouse

or to see more photos of the cabin, click here.

To join the Oregon Writers Colony

or get more information about OWC,

or to purchase the Oregon Writers Colony 2010 calendar

( 'gasp'~naked writers), click here.

(All photos copyright and property of: Kirsten Steen)

Impasse des Carrieres~ Missing Paris Day

On a walk a few weeks ago in our neighborhood in Paris,

we came upon a small street we'd never seen before:

Impasse des Carrieres.

A small, cobblestone alleyway off Passy

with this little indoor/outdoor Brocante shop

and restaurant next door.

The restaurant was under construction

so I thought it better to get a picture of the sign

as this endearing spot must look in the summer.

I'm looking forward to coming back next time

to see how it turns out.

A walk back across our Grenelle bridge

offers views of the above-ground metro...

...and the tower from across the Seine.

In all our years, we have yet to

make it to the Musee du Vin

so close by.

But that's one thing

about Paris...

there is

ALWAYS

something

to come back for!

(All photographs copyright and property of: Kirsten Steen)

Le Marais~ Missing Paris Day

Le Marais in the 4th arrondissement is

THE place to be on Sundays in Paris.

While so many stores and shops are still closed on Sunday,

the Marais, particularly Rue des Rosiers,

fills with crowds of people

looking for a place to eat.

Unfortunately these shots do not even begin

to depict the hordes of people that line the streets,

sometimes shoulder to shoulder.

Filled with Jewish deli's, bookshops, boulangeries and charcuteries,

this area is known as the Jewish Quarter, or Pletzl which means

'Little Place' in Yiddish. The Pletzl has been a Jewish community

here since the Middle Ages.

On every visit here, 'The Chef' must find the best Latke...

...or fried potato pancakes.

Then we pop into Marciano's for

a look at their sweets.

On our last visit, The Chef picked out these plain, doughnut-looking

Old-Fashioned lookalikes.

Since Old Fashioned is my favorite,

I was afraid these would pale in comparison

but let me put that little rumor

to rest!!

These are as rich

and honey-soaked as Baklava.

I wished we'd bought about a dozen!

The Goldenberg Deli, which has stood here since the 1920's,

was opened by Jo Goldenberg and his brother Albert,

both of whom lost their parents and sisters

at Auschwitz.

The famous deli, also the site of a terrorist attack in the 80's,

closed a few years ago. While it keeps the old sign,

it is, alas, now a clothing store.

Rich with history

there is so much to see and do here.

The food is only the beginning!

(Photographs copyright and property of: Kirsten Steen)