I heard a new kind of noise coming from the pigeon lair this week:
Guys, the pigeons had a baby. Happy weekend!
geneva
DIY Apartment Decor
It’
s almost been a month since we moved into our apartment and I still have such a crush on it. I love the natural light that pours in from the skylights, the exposed beams and slanted wooden ceilings, and the sweeping views of the city from our top-floor perch. Today I’m set up at my desk in the loft since we finally procured an extension cord that can reach my little nook, happily sipping iced tea while I do some research for our upcoming travels, with fresh air filtering in from the skylight overhead. I think I may need to write a novel, simply to take full advantage of this perfect hideaway. Eh… maybe tomorrow.
In the meantime, I wanted to share a few photos of one of my recent home decor projects Continue reading
A Sunday at the Museum
Sundays in Geneva are very quiet, with nearly all of the stores, supermarkets and restaurants across the city shuttered for the day. That’s why I was super excited to discover that, not only is Geneva’s Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (art and history museum) open on Sundays, but it’s free and less than a five-minute walk from our apartment. The roof of the gorgeous building visible from the top of our loft? Yeah, it turns out that’s the museum.
Hits and Misses
“Vous parlez français?”
A confused-looking tourist had flagged me down on the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Rhone with a hopeful look in his eyes.
Pigeon Mafia
The covered walkways outside Union Station in Washington, DC, are home to a pretty sizable group of pigeons in the winter. On the coldest mornings, they fill every available perch underneath the high stone archways, covering the cement floor with evidence of their squatter status and making at least one former Washingtonian perpetually fearful of getting splattered on her daily walk to work. The “pigeon mafia,” my husband and I always called them. There they are, looking down at us with those beady, red eyes.
A blessedly pigeon-free walk through Union Station one day in December
Setting Up House
It’s been a week since we moved into our new apartment and I think it’s safe to say neither my husband nor I want to set foot in IKEA ever again (though we’ll probably realize we forgot something and be back this weekend). It was a rough ride to say the least, but things are finally starting to fall into place and our once bare set of rooms is beginning to feel like a home.
Here’s a recap of our last week by the numbers:
Camping Out
New apartment? Yes, finally! New furniture? Still in transit… Bonne nuit, mes amis!
Water Bottle Outsider
I toted a reusable water bottle around with me in Washington whenever I planned to be away from the apartment for more than a few hours, whether I was headed to work, the gym or a date with my girlfriends. I was probably one of the more devout water-bottle carriers, but I certainly wasn’t alone: If you walked through the press gallery in the U.S. Capitol on any given day, you would see rows of reporters’ laptops, notepads and, without fail, reusable bottles and mugs.
That seems to be more of an American thing than I realized. Continue reading
Weekend in Photos
Friday: Found a park with a pretty cool view on a walk before dinner after a hectic, paperwork-filled week. Also stumbled upon an enormous monument to Protestant leaders next to the University of Geneva.
That Moment When…
You cannot understand how your new favorite Swiss coffee drink could possibly be 80,000 calories, but then a frantic Google search thankfully clarifies that no, 80 kcal is just another way to say 80 dietary calories. (Phew!)
The Plaid Shirt Diaries 