Persian travels - part 1

Got the visa - will travel

Got the headscarf - can step off the plane

Meeting a global child protection colleague & friend's inspirational parents. They run 2 NGOS - one for disabled children; the other working with people with HIV & AIDS.

The current and previous mayors of Tehran have really tried to beautify & plant the city. This is an amazing 3 level bridge over a highway that connects two parks for strolling. It was packed on a Tuesday night

The food! 

The mountain range looming over Tehran

and the next morning after snow

2 lovely colleagues  - and now friends - at a delicious and cozy "knit cafe"

Our newly-minted teenager

13!

Great gift from Grandma

The long-awaited smartphone (heaven help us), new headphones from his sis, a Jays cap from dad

Happy lad

Loving sister

Goofy sister too

Jump for joy

J-O-Y

swinging in High Park

Dinner at the Saucy Pierogie

Some photos of our quirky girl

She recently stated that she plans to never lose her quirkiness. love it !!

Doing what he does best

Listening

Broadcasting what he has distilled

And goofing about a bit too.

Hallowe'en 2016

The porch was readied for Hallowe'en

Our gal was transformed into the Mad Hatter

The great work of her dad

To smile or not to smile

He claims that he doesn't smile as much any more

 So for the rest of 2016, I am going to post every single smile that I capture...

And for the record, at his last physical, he was 50th percentile height and 50th for weight - which means absolutely average according to the doc. though he wasn't thrilled by that news.

Our weekend in Prince Edward County

We ate a lot. We browsed a a lot. We drove aimlessly and pleasurably a lot. The weather was mixed - but that meant hours of bookshops and cafes, hours of bracing walks in the wind, and even an hour of cycling in some sun. We stayed at the The lovely Hayes Inn

Thanks to all 3 grandparents for helping in their own ways. We had a lovely time and came home ladened down with edible treats.

The light that guides you home

I am quite pleased with how our porch is shaping up. Still on the look out for a recliner but love the pillows and hanging lantern.

And here is one of my favourite songs to hum along to :  

Dining out with my gal

 Took my gal pal out to lunch last week.

 While waiting for our order, she got up

 and started to sway

 and whirl

Mild autumnal days in Zagreb

I was ever so fortunate to nip to Zagreb last week AND to have two 3-4 hour chunks of time to wander the heart of the old city.

They take hats seriously

The beautiful cathedral with tasteful restoration hoarding

The old town's defensive wall and turrets

autumn in northern and central Europe!

A elegant and delicious restaurant where I was taken

The world's shortest funicular. Supposedly it's 55 seconds but it felt like 30.

One of the work's most unusual museums - of broken relationships. I had heard about it when it toured a few years back and was so thrilled to see its current exhibit. 

It wasn't only romance gone wrong...

Where it has toured

All the edible goodies I brought home - plus a bottle of Croatian wine and one from Germany.