Five Days in the South of France





Photos by K. Mears
Following our 5 days in Spain, we headed to the south of France for a little relaxation at a slower pace. We were so used to the go-go-go pace of Barcelona, it took us a day or so to get accustomed to the sitting-at-the-beach-all-day attitude. But once we adjusted, we were happy to have some very restful days. 

We stayed in a little town a few miles from Cannes called Theoule sur Mer at a hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was gorgeous (why doesn't the Pacific Ocean look like this?). We spent lazy mornings eating croissants on our balcony followed by lazy afternoons at the beach. After a few days of this we decided to check out a some of the inland hill towns, so we rented a car and visited Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Gourdon for a day trip. These little towns were so cute and picturesque, it seemed like each building belonged on a postcard. 

After our week of lounging, reading and eating, we were about ready to head home and get back to our regular routines. I know that travel will become much more complicated in a few months, but I look forward to sharing and exploring travels in a new way. I can't wait until our first overseas trip with our baby some day in the future!

Five Days in Spain






Photos by K. Mears

We are back in San Francisco after our two week vacation in Spain and France! It was an amazing trip but it's also good to be back. I was able to relax while we were on vacation but now I feel like I have a gigantic to-do list to attend to before our little boy's arrival. I was putting a lot of things off until after the vacation so now it's time to get to it! But before I launch into the everyday, I wanted to share a few tidbits about our trip while it's still fresh in my mind.

It was my first time to Spain and I must say, I just loved the vibe in Barcelona. We spent most of our time there aside from a quick day trip to Cadaqués where we lounged by the beach. We also visited the former home of Salvador Dalí in nearby Port Lligat which has since been converted into a museum.

As I mentioned here, Gaudi was the theme in Barcelona. We probably visited one of his creations in architecture almost every day. It's amazing that one single person had such influence on the look and feel of a city.

We stayed right on La Rambla which I would highly recommend because it's very central to much of the museums and major city sites and is also close to many metro stops. One of my favorite things to do was to walk down La Rambla and discover little neighborhoods in the Barri Gòtic down narrow winding streets to the left or right of the main street. La Rambla is also great for people watching.

Barcelona was full of energy day and night, which is why I think we enjoyed our time there so much. There was hustle and bustle all day long which made us constantly feel like we were always in the right place.

While I loved visiting sites such as La Pedrera and Sagrada Família, some of our most fun was taking breaks at cute little cafes such as El Bitxo for a quick drink and tapas. Anytime we would find ourselves a little tired of the crowds and heat, we would just stumble into an inviting cafe to reflect on our afternoon. I think that's probably what I will remember the most!

Hello from Barcelona!



Photos by K. Mears

We are spending some time in Spain and France to celebrate the halfway point of our pregnancy. I suppose you could call this our babymoon!

We've been in Barcelona for three days and I can sum up my experience in one word, Gaudi We've been enjoying the amazing art and architecture through the work of Antoni Gaudi. Thus far, we've seen La Pedrera, the Palau Música Opera House, Parc Güell and the gorgeous Sagrada Família. Above are some previews of our photos from La Pedrera and Parc Güell (more to share once we are back).

Tonight we head to Mountjuïc for some fountains and views!

Simply Us + 1

Photo by K. Mears


It's with great joy and excitement that we share, Jay and I are expecting a baby boy this fall! Our little bundle is anticipated to arrive at the end of November. I'm 20 weeks along and am feeling wonderful (thank goodness that pesky first trimester is over).


We are so thrilled and happy to finally share this news. There's much more to come as we begin to prepare our tiny apartment for our new family member. I'm looking forward to all the expected and unexpected discoveries ahead!