The Minnesota Noices

Category: adventure

  • Winter limbo

    Winter limbo

    It’s not really Winter weather but certainly not Spring. And while the days are getting longer, it’s quite dreary, with an occasional sunny hour here and there to give us hope. But then the daily crush of bad news leaves us heavy hearted, so we look for distractions and new hobbies to distract and give…

  • Saint Paul, Solo

    Saint Paul, Solo

    January flew by with a quick trip back to Minnesota. Though not a popular time to travel, the January trip offered a chance to fill prescriptions, restock some favorite products that we can’t easily get in Sweden, and catch up with friends and family. The kids were busy with the start of a new semester…

  • Madrid Highlights: IKEA

    Madrid Highlights: IKEA

    Bryant wrapped up 3 weeks of work travel with a stay in Madrid, and I was lucky enough to join him for the weekend! We had a blast seeing the highlights in the company of my friend, Laura, who drove down from Valladolid. Her daughter is studying engineering there so we met up with her…

  • Truffles, Tryffel & Trifles

    Truffles, Tryffel & Trifles

    Life doesn’t seem to slow down much at all, even in the dark, cool season. And in an attempt to distract myself from the bleak realities of human nature, I’ve thrown myself into new hobbies, clubs, travel and volunteer opportunities. I can’t see a way for American Democracy to recover from the effects of malicious…

  • All about Autumn

    All about Autumn

    Fixardag (Fix-It Day) happens 2x per year- the residents in our building gather to help do some of the communal chores such as clean the laundry room, trash room and courtyard. Ebba and Isabella (both go to Katte but in different programs) took on the job of patching. I did lots of weeding and pruning…

  • Cider and a *Guinness

    Cider and a *Guinness

    Carole invited me for a drive out to the orchard and renovated farm house belonging to transplants Simon and Sarah. Having heard lots about the orchard, I was eager to visit and catch up with Sarah (of Capellagården textiles fame). Karine, another French expat also made the journey from Kristianstad so we had many hands…

  • Riga, pt 2 Baltic Excursion

    Riga, pt 2 Baltic Excursion

    Andrea and I traveled from Vilnius, Lithuania to Riga, Latvia by LUX bus, where we met up with Stephanie, a friend from Sweden. The LUX bus is highly recommended! It left from central Vilnius, and was exceptionally comfortable. It was so easy that I may consider this type of bus for future trips. Steph traveled…

  • Nature Bathing in Bergen

    Nature Bathing in Bergen

    L and me (Bryant) were inspired by Jen and H’s trip to Bergen to visit friends. It looked beautiful, and very hike-able, so I booked a little trip to spend some quality time in the mountains with my kid. Bergen from Copenhagen is a short hour+ flight, where we rented a car and drove to…

  • Lithuanian Song Celebration: Vilnius

    Lithuanian Song Celebration: Vilnius

    My friend and former Oliver Avenue neighbor, Kristina, has always been active with Lithuanian American groups (Chicago and Minneapolis, I think) as a way to maintain a connection with her family’s culture. She teaches Lithuanian school and dances with a folk dance group which travels to various Lithuanian festivals. This year, the 100th anniversary of…

  • From linseed to linen

    From linseed to linen

    Capellagården, a folk crafts/ art school on the island of Öland, arranged with Sarah from The Tour Studio for a special course to be taught in English. I know Sarah through the International Citizens Hub and so had the opportunity for a spot in her linen workshop. The other participants all came from the US,…