All tagged Europe

Bergen

Bergen

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

On our recent trip to Norway we split our time between Olso and Bergen. Bergen is known as the gateway to the fjords and is truly a remarkable place to visit. Bergen is also the perfect place to use as your base for exploring Norway. From Bergen you can easily access the city, coast, and fjords for an all encompassing experience of Norway. Aside from prime location and breathtaking scenery at every turn Bergen also has a lot to offer in the way of culture and history. Our first stop in Bergen was the Tourist Information to pick up our Bergen card. The Bergen card gives you free or discounted admission to most of the city's museums, attractions, sightseeing, cultural events, bus travel and even parking! 

Scandic Vulkan

Scandic Vulkan

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

When planning our trip to Oslo we knew we wanted to stay somewhere fun, hip and with a local flair. Making certain there were cool places to eat and fun shops nearby was also very high on our priority list. So when I stumbled upon Scandic Vulkan it was a match made in heaven. The Scandic Vulkan is located in the up and coming Vulkan neighborhood, surprisingly the area and its recent growth reminded us a lot of Seattle. In just a two minute walk from the hotel you are inside arguably one of my favorite spots in Oslo- Mathallen Oslo. Mathallen Oslo has an endless array of delicious things to eat and pretty things to look at. Eating out is admittedly one of our favorite things to do and food is consistently at the top of our souvenir list. 

72 hours in Olso

72 hours in Olso

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

When traveling with a toddler the first thing you might try to avoid is taking a city vacation. However, Oslo proved to be the perfect blend of natural beauty, history, and intrigue for the whole family. Both my husband and I love being close to the water and love to make it a point to learn a little bit about the history of the places we visit.  My son, Jasper, is currently obsessed with boats, so spending time down at the harbor, the Fram museum and the Viking museum were definite high points for him. 72 hours might not seem like a ton of time to explore a new city, but with the Olso Pass we were quickly able to create a game plan for our stay which involved museums, taking as much local transportation as possible, a few boat rides and a ton of walking. 

Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

Reykjavik will always be one of those places that feels like a friend; familiar and yet endlessly interesting. While we were in Iceland we spent a couple of days exploring the city. We enjoyed shopping in the brightest and cheeriest children's store called Iglo + Indi as they were incessantly patient with our enthusiastic little shopper, enjoying some of the best fish soup and fish and ships we have ever had in our lives at Reykjavik Fish and Chips, visiting Hallgrímskirkja, and enjoying an ice cream break amidst all our wandering.  

#mystopover

#mystopover

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

People are always a bit intrigued when we tell them we are going to visit Iceland again. And up until recently, Iceland has not been on the radar of most people as a tourist destination. The reason we continue to return to this beautiful place is also the quality I most appreciate about Iceland and that is: diversity. In one day, you are able to see glaciers, lava fields, bubbling sulfur pits, red rock hiking, icebergs, epic waterfalls, sandy beaches and one of the most adorable colorful little cities in Europe.

In my opinion, it is worth it to take advantage of the free stop over in Iceland from IcelandAir and check it out for a few days for yourself. The flight from Seattle to Iceland is a mere six and a half hours and gets you to Europe the fastest way I know how. On our flight to Iceland we even had the opportunity to fly there in Helka Aurora which is their new aircraft dressed up in the beautiful colors of an Icelandic winter landscape. Not only is the Boeing 757 wrapped, but the interior is illuminated with one-of-a-kind mood lighting to recreate the Aurora Borealis. 

Bright and bold in Bergen

Bright and bold in Bergen

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

Vacations much like life are often punctuated with a few hiccups along the way. When our accommodations in Bergen fell through at the last minute I was elated when I found out this bright and airy apartment was still available. David, the owner, was easy to work with and was kind enough to procure a portable crib for us. Our entire experience from booking to staying was as lovely and laid back as his apartment.

A modern home in South Iceland

A modern home in South Iceland

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

When planning our third trip to Iceland we knew we wanted to do things a little differently this time around. On our first trip to Iceland we spent ten days driving around the entire country. On our second trip, we made a quick stop over in Iceland before heading onto Amsterdam and Paris. This time we knew we wanted a home base to spend several days in one place. Since we were traveling abroad with a toddler for the first time we were uncertain how jet lag would treat him. The thought of a small hotel room while a toddler adjusted to a new time zone was not appealing. During my search for houses to stay in, I came across this beautifully modern home. At first glance, the covered outdoor space, idyllic location and wrap around deck immediately grabbed my attention. In addition, the house had three bedrooms which meant Jasper would be able to nap or go to bed early while we stayed up and enjoyed the sauna, hot tub or just relaxed.

Paris in the Springtime

Paris in the Springtime

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

I really cannot say enough good things about visiting Paris in the spring time. We were fortunate to have spectacular weather throughout our entire stay. We relished every moment we were able to sit in the sunshine admiring all the lovely flowers and people watching. I especially enjoyed how this trip turned into a baby moon of sorts. Walking hand in hand exploring the city made me reminisce on the wonderful thirteen years we have had together. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything in the world. Sure, sometimes we disagree and get on each other's nerves, but we have learned a lot from each other and I like to think we are better together than apart. 

Keukenhof

Keukenhof

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

Keukenhof is like Disneyland for flower lovers.  It is the annual place growers get to showcase their best and brightest for the coming year. After a couple hours perusing the different displays I kept thinking about how I did not need to be taking so many photographs of flowers, but in the end it was too beautiful not to capture. 

ONA Camera Bags

ONA Camera Bags

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

I have been looking for the perfect camera bag for quite sometime. I wanted something stylish, versatile and yet something which did not scream camera bag when you saw it. When I ran across ONA camera bags I knew these were the type of bags I had been looking for. We were in the process of planning our trip to Europe and I knew it would be the perfect time to break in our new Brixton Camera bag. The Brixton camera bag is quite large and is able to hold: my camera, extra lens, iPad or small laptop, wallet/clutch and all my other camera paraphernalia (ie. charger, extra batteries, etc.) The Brixton is the perfect size to take on a photo shoot or for carrying a full day of equipment. 

Vayable Tour with Anne Ditmeyer in Paris

Vayable Tour with Anne Ditmeyer in Paris

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

Upon recommendation from a friend we booked a tour through Vayable with Anne Ditmeyer for our first full day in Paris. I liked the idea of a tour because it had been long time since I had been to Paris and this was going to be Cameron's first visit. Upon meeting Anne at our hotel I instantly knew we were going to have a good day. She was easy to talk to, full of energy and a wealth of information. She easily customized our tour to include the areas and sights which would be of most interest to us. One of my favorite take aways from our tour was the handful of photographs she snapped of us during our time together.

Paris in black + white

Paris in black + white

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

There is a certain mystic or love affair people have with Paris. While we were visiting a couple weeks ago I asked Cameron if he thought Paris was romantic. His reply, "It is just as romantic as Seattle" Ha! So for all you lovebirds dreaming of a rendezvous in Paris, come visit Seattle. As a wise man recently told me it is more about who you are with than where you are.  

Shopping in Reykjavik, Iceland

Shopping in Reykjavik, Iceland

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

Reykjavik is one of those charming little cities I wish I could fold up and put in my pocket. I would love to be able to pull it out and transport myself there whenever I am feeling blue. Although two thirds of the Icelandic population live in Reykjavik it has never felt busy or frantic like other cities we have visited. Reykjavik is a very walkable city full of interesting things to stop and take a look at. I am drawn to the rows of brightly colored buildings and I have found so many amazing places to shop while I am there. 

Windmills and tulips

Windmills and tulips

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

Amsterdam is such a delightful city, but we knew we wanted to spend some time out in the country while we were in the Netherlands. We had timed our trip just perfectly so we were able to see all the tulips in bloom, but I also had been dreaming about visiting a Dutch windmill. Windmills are the most famous Dutch icon and I was eager to see them in person.

On our day trip to the countryside we were able to explore a working windmill. This particular windmill was crushing pigments to make paint while another one nearby was grinding spices. Standing on the deck of a windmill is something everyone should experience once in their life. 

Iceland

Iceland

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

Even though our stop over to Iceland was brief, we were still able to enjoy beautiful scenery, open roads and all four seasons in two days. Oh how I love Iceland, the combination of a subtle color palette, wide open spaces and the dynamic, unpredictable weather. Iceland will always be the place of my dreams. 

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

We just returned from a two week adventure in Iceland, Amsterdam and Paris. Although I found each place to be uniquely exciting and different, hands down Amsterdam won for the most charming city. Everywhere I turned it was so delightful I found myself constantly taking photographs. I desperately wanted to document all the adorable homes, bridges and canals we were witnessing. Between the whizzing bicycles, cobblestones streets and endless canals I found Amsterdam to be different than any other place I have visited before.  

Traveling around Europe

Traveling around Europe

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

Almost fourteen years ago I backpacked through Europe. I went with my friend for a month and during that time we managed to visit France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. In my whirlwind adventure I fell in love with the world, traveling and all it had to offer. In my opinion, travel begets travel which means that trip forever left me altered. Once you take the initial leap to pack your bag, criss cross time zones and learn to navigate in a foreign country you learn how little you need and how much you have to offer the world.