Brightening it up

Happy December!

It's already dark, drab and dreary here in the Pacific Northwest. 

At least it's not snowing. 

So I'm trying to find ways to brighten things up. 

Thank goodness for Christmas which adds lots of lights and cheer to everything. 

I told The Ed the other day that I can't wait for winter to be over

and he reminded me that it hasn't begun yet. 

 So I told him I'm just pretending that we live in Scotland

and he says we're enjoying a lovely Scottish summer! 

I've gotten out my happy light.

I've started making one of my writing days at this charming place,

the recently revamped Coburg Pizza Company

(which is also Nana's Cafe with a full list of coffee & tea drinks).

It's like a giant upscale barn with a stone fireplace

and old Betty Boop cartoons or Charlie Chaplin movies 

on the big screen above the fireplace. 

I'll try to come back another time with more photos of the interior. 

Just wanted to wish you a happy end of 2019

and a joyous beginning to the new decade. 

This year was by far better than last year

and things are looking up. 

Hope you're finding ways to brighten your Scottish summer!

xoxo

***********************

Coburg Pizza Company
(Nana's Cafe)

90999 S. Willamette St. 

Coburg, OR 97408

541.484.6400

Open weekdays 6:30-9

Fri-Sat 6:30-10

Sun 7:30-9

Nepenthe at Big Sur

Seems so long ago and far away now.

But here are a few promised photos of 

one of our stops in Big Sur. 

The lovely Nepenthe

where we had lunch overlooking the California coastline...

...and its spectacular views. 

Open since 1949,

it's basic pub fare

with a sweet interior

even a fireplace in the middle of the room

(surrounded by windows)

for those foggy, cool coast days. 

Since it's always busy

they have plenty to keep you occupied outdoors 

while you wait, 

including a chess square and ping pong table

so you can play while waiting for a table

and tiered stone seats covered with colorful pillows

for basking in the sun with something from the bar. 

The definition of Nepenthe:

"A drug described in Homer's Odyssey 

as banishing grief or trouble from a person's mind." 

"A fictional medicine for sorrow."

"A drug of forgetfulness."

Um... I'd say so! 

My photos don't do justice to the breathtaking views. 

Click the link below to see the website's photos. 

And stop in for a little medicine for your sorrow. 

******

Nepenthe

Open Daily 11:30am-10pm

831.667.2345

Big Sur beauty

I just recalled that I promised a few photos 

of the gorgeous Big Sur coastline. 

So here are a few more 

from the beginning of summer. 

A beautiful day for our drive

and we started early enough 

that it wasn't as crowded as in the afternoon. 

Some friends had mentioned a place in Big Sur

where you can sit in the river and sip your wine.

And THIS is the place. 

Big Sur River Inn. 

Does that not look inviting?! 

It was a bit too cool this day for it.

Some day will come back to stay

and do just that! 

And from the road is a view

up to our lunch spot

NEPENTHE! 

Will save this treasure for next time. 

It was well worth the stop. 

Hope you've all had a lovely summer

and looking forward to the final big weekend. 

Pour Toi France

Just a quick photo today for Missing Paris Day 

which has been absent for a bit.

This memorial happens to be in the Passy Cemetery 

in the 16th arrondissement but

most little villages in France 

have one of these somewhere along the road 

memorializing the villagers lost to the 

"Great War." 

Most churches in France, 

somewhere within,

have a list of names of the lost souls 

inscribed on its walls

with the dates 1914-1918.

Inevitably, on these walls

we usually find The Chef's family name

often with a slight variation of letters. 

When you see these memorials 

standing alone on the side of the road 

at the entrance to a small village, 

often with a little pot of flowers,

it evokes a sweetness but mostly a sadness. 

Yesterday, July 28th in the year 1914

marked the beginning of "The War to End All Wars."

Would that it were so. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Mary Magdalene Revealed

Happy MM Feast Day! 

It's July 22nd again where priests, monks and sisters 

carry Mary Magdalene's remains throughout the streets of Provence

and elsewhere to celebrate her.

And I have been waiting for this book by Meggan Watterson! 

It's one of the few books I've ever pre-ordered

so it was even more of a gift when it showed up in the mail. 

Meggan Watterson is one of the well-educated scholars I admire

on the Divine Feminine and Mary Magdalene herself. 

If you're interested in this subject, 

and you don't already follow her on FB or IG,

do so! 

To find the book on Amazon,

click HERE. 

And discover the Christianity the world hasn't tried yet. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Monterey Weekend

Hard to believe 4th of July is already over. 

I haven't even finished posting photos from Memorial Day weekend! 

So, as promised, here are a few.

Carmel was as lovely as I'd been told. 

And Monterey such a treat. 

Among some of the old buildings,

written about in Steinbeck novels,

there is lots of modern beauty as well.
The trip made me realize how little Steinbeck I've actually read. 

We enjoyed walking and perusing the main streets and shops...

As well as the beaches and coastline. 

We had planned to go to Yosemite

but realized the crowds were going to make it miserable

so were able to cancel our hotel room 

and get a place in Pacific Grove 

so we could explore Big Sur

and more of Carmel and Monterey. 

We would barely have had any real time 

in Carmel and Monterey so we made the right choice. 

Back next time with more coastline shots

of the gorgeous Big Sur. 

Hope you're enjoying your summer! 

We've had remarkably mild temps so far 

compared to the things I keep reading in the news.

What's the weather doing where you are? 

(All photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Weekend in Carmel

Well hello! 

It's been a while since I've been here. Thought it was time to share some photos.

We recently spent the long Memorial Day weekend in Northern California in the Carmel/Monterey area. 

I'd been there once years ago and we have friends who go frequently and keep talking about it. So we thought it was time to make our own exploring trip not too far from home since the long weekends are the only vacation time we get this summer (other than weekends in Portland).

And just like they say, 

Carmel is gorgeous. 

Filled with beautiful nooks and crannies,

there are shops and restaurants and flowers everywhere. 

We asked in one of the shops for directions to the best cafe for coffee

and she directed us to the Carmel Bakery

where she exclaimed that they had the best pastries. 

And truly, I had THE BEST COCONUT MACARON

I've ever tasted. It was huge, melt in your mouth

and partially dipped in chocolate.

The Chef took one bite to try it 

and said, and I quote,

'Oh. My. God.' 

Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of it. 

But trust me.

The bakery was established in 1899

and is considered one of the oldest buildings 

and definitely one of the oldest running businesses in the village. 

The town itself was once known as a Bohemian artist colony...

which would explain some of the funky small places along the side streets. 

We wandered about and enjoyed poking our heads in sweet little places

and snapping photos. 

We canceled plans to go to Yosemite (long lines and hotel problems) 

so we went to Big Sur that weekend instead. 

Next time I'll have photos of the coastline and Monterey to share. 

Hope you had a good holiday weekend

and kick-off to summer! 

If you go, don't miss Carmel Bakery!

Ocean Avenue (betwn Delores and Lincoln Streets),

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA. 

831.626.8885

Open 7am daily

***

Grenelle Market in the 15th

I can never get away from Paris 

without taking some photos of our 

fabulous Grenelle Market.

It's our favorite...

partly because it's close to home 

but also because it's large (several blocks long)

and runs under the metro so somewhat protected from the weather. 

And they tend to have a large array of fresh or cooked things to choose from. 

There are always colorful flowers in any season.

Fresh produce and dairy all times of the year

sometimes coming from nearby countries.

And containers filled with plenty of exquisite seafood. 

While I don't do much dairy anymore

I can't miss the cheese when in France. 

It is magnificent

even just to look at. 

I love the Christmas colors of these cheeses 

during the holidays. 

We didn't have as much time as we wanted this visit

to just wander through and people-watch.

We were usually in a hurry and on a mission.

But however you do it, 

it is a gift and a feast 

any way you look at it. 

Hope you enjoyed this Walk in Paris today. 

For more photos of the Grenelle Market,

Click HERE and HERE.

Grenelle Marché

Every Wed and Sun 7am-2pm

Boulevard de Grenelle under the #6 Metro Line

between stops LaMotte Picquet and Dupleix

(All photos copyright: Kirsten Steen

Please do not reproduce)