Barcelona Adventures

This post is a bit for me, actually. This city immerses you in art, and I'm always curious to learn more. So I did a little research project to highlight some of the main influential artists who were touched by Barcelona. Then I realized it…

12 from Closed for August

So, during the month of August, just assume Spain is closed. You want to go to your favorite coffee shop? "See you in September!" Need a new outfit? "We return September 1st." The fish market? "We are on vacation." The pharmacy?!?!…

A Bunch of B&W in Poland

For fun, I packed a portable camera and set it to black and white. This turned out to be a perfect way to see Poland—timeless streets, heavy history, and everyday life all seemed to belong together. …

20 from Poland

An August getaway to Poland to (try to) escape the heat turned into a wonderful patchwork of family history, sightseeing, card games, and at least one questionable negotiation strategy. In Żywiec, we found the church where my great-grandfather…

14 from the Baltic

A little Baltic getaway for Kate and me while Cameron was off visiting Lilly in LA. Stops in Riga, Tallinn, and Pärnu—some great meals and cocktails, some medieval streets, some sandy hikes, and more than one topiary elephant. Both Latvia…

9 from the 4th of July

A fourth of July party at Can Petsolt—grill fired up & friends packed in for a little Americana.

Barcelona, España Travel, Photo Blog

20 from Spring ’25

Family visits, vermut in hand, and Barça winning basically everything except the ones stolen by refs. Copa del Rey, Supercopa, La Liga—what a fun season to be a fan! 400,000 fans showed up for the parade, which felt about right. The Vuelta…

12 from new parts of España

While the kids were off in Cali, we snuck in a road trip birthday getaway—first to the Guadalest Valley, then up to Matarraña. Both were quiet, beautiful, and just far enough from real life to feel like we’d gotten away with something. Stayed…

A Calendar for the Curious

A Calendar for the Curious (and Mildly Overstimulated) Now live: Barcelona Events Calendar One of the great things about living in Barcelona is that there’s always something happening. One of the confusing things about living in Barcelona…

Barcelona, Projects

52 Citas

For Christmas, Kate gave me a spiral-bound book and a yearlong reservation. Not to one place, but fifty-two. The gift was a plan—her plan for us—to explore a new corner of Barcelona every week via lunch or dinner from our “Want…

Africa Travel, España Travel, Photo Blog

11 from Spring Break in Tenerife

Spring Break in Tenerife, where we all got some much-needed deep breaths & relaxation. Plus I won the Wiki bet on The Canary Islands being Spain, but also Africa. Mostly tennis, beach, pool, and just enough sunburn to feel like we earned…

España Travel

Extra Time in Valencia

Penalties, Vermut, and a bit of embarrassment in Valencia. We took a quick weekend hop down to Valencia to catch the UEFA Nations League match between Spain and the Netherlands (Países Bajos – the Low Countries) and had an awesome time.…

Barcelona, España Travel, Photo Blog, US Travel

19 from Winter ’25

Winter in Barcelona with Paquito Homie—walks around the city, some light FCB brainwashing, and encouragement of his street art tendencies. Quick trip to the U.S. to give my dad some love. A Superbowl weekend in Costa Brava with the boys.…

US Travel

A Celebration of Life

Some very sad days, but some amazing bonding and celebration. Our trip to Minnesota to celebrate my Dad and Mom was a very bitter-sweet trip. I want to share a little bit about my dad and what it meant to grow up with a man who saw life…

30 from a Chamonix Christmas ’24

Christmas road trip to Annecy and Chamonix. A snowy, gorgeous time skiing and snowboarding, and spending coveted family time on excursions to glaciers, Mont Blanc vistas, and a really memorable Christmas Day.

30 from Fall ’24

What a great time with family in Barcelona! First-time visitors, repeat visitors, and long-term visitors! Absolutely amazing. We were so excited to have Anna and her family become locals along with us for a while, and hopefully, just the start…

16 from a Tuscan Wedding ’24

They got engaged in Barcelona and married in Tuscany... that's how you do it! A quick road trip to Florence to see family and celebrate Dan & Ashley. And a little side trip to see some really fast cars.

31 from Summer ’24

New friends, old friends, family, America's Cup, Costa Brava, and settling into our new home made for an unforgettable summer.

Barcelona, Photo Blog, Projects

The Block Project

As I was enjoying oysters, a glass of wine, and a good book, my mind began to wander. “I feel like I’ve been here before.” I set down my book and pulled out my phone to look at our family “Been There Done That” Google Maps list. And…

19 from Kate’s 50th in Portugal ’24

We got to meet our dear friends and celebrate multiple 50s in Porto and the Douro Valley. The Douro was spectacularly beautiful, and Porto and Gaia is a new destination favorite.

Photo Blog, US Travel

15 from Camp USA ’24

What happens when you turn 16? You get on a solo international flight the next day (because you can!) and visit your family in Minnesota and California!

The Barcelona Tiles

When you're walking around Barcelona, first, make sure to look up. The architecture is amazing and it is easy to miss a beautiful building or view. But don't forget to look down too. Barcelona sidewalks are created with different tiles in different…

Africa Travel, Asia Travel, Photo Blog

32 from Zambia & South Africa ’24

We got to show Kate's Dad his first safari with a celebration of his 80th! I've never heard Happy Birthday more -- people so happy to celebrate Denny's visit. A quick stop in Doha, then starting on the Zambezi River in Zambia (and a sneak across…

España Travel, Europe Travel, Photo Blog

16 from Spring Trips ’24

Austuras was unexpectedly spectacular, a spring-break getaway to some chillin' in France, and visit to Uni in London, Spring had a lot of really special moments.

Barcelona, Photo Blog, US Travel

32 from Winter & Spring ’24

Spring was full of festivals and visitors-- it was amazing seeing so many of our friends. Oh, and we bought an apartment! Always a random festival somewhere in town.

16 from Christmas Time ’23

Christmas in Barcelona before heading off to Bad Gastein, Austria for some snowboarding, skiing and very Wes Anderson views.

12 from Thanksgiving ’23

Enjoying Thanksgiving with friends from the state and friends from Barcelona.

35 from Disfrutar ’23 🙂

We were lucky enough to visit the Living Table (Chef's Table) at Disfrutar twice in the fall of 2023 -- with two sets of amazing friends. Barcelona is home to countless great restaurants and lots of Michelin stars, but Disfrutar is something…

17 from Summer ’23

A proposal! Some time in the city before a quick trip to the Costwalds & Wales before dropping Lilly off at school in London. Then back to Barcelona for an exciting proposal! Go away or I shall taunt you a second time

Africa Travel, Photo Blog

28 from Botswana & South Africa

We take a trip to Botswana and Phinda in SA for some chill, scary, fun safari time.

24 from Fall ’23

Priorat, boating and watching the America's Cup practices, a quick trip to Minnesota, a rental on the Costa Brava, and wonderfully long visits from family and friends.

12 from Spanish LAX in Praha

Q plays on U20 Spanish National LAX team, and we all go to Prague to watch!

13 from a Tuscan Villa with the Cameron Family

A special trip with the Cameron Family to our favorite part of Italy.

11 from Spring ’23

The Beach, F1, Barça wins La Liga!

12 from travel & visits with friends

We love when friends visit -- or ask us to meet them somewhere. We're always game.

Barcelona, Projects

BCN BCnB

Please, don't come to Barcelona and drink Starbucks! This place is loaded with great coffee shops. If you're like me and want to start your day with a Flat White, grab an Iced Latte or Espresso in the heat, or end your evening with a Cortado,…

Barcelona, Photo Blog, US Travel

7 From Family & Friends in Cali

An amazing wedding a a trip up the PCH to see family & friends.

Asia Travel, Photo Blog

60 from SE Asia

Wow! Our first trip to Southeast Asia, and we covered a lot of ground. Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia. We saw everything -- Thai Boxing, SO MANY Buddhas, an Elephant Sanctuary, Angkor Wat, a boat trip on The Ginger, crossing the street…

11 from Summer & Fall ’22

LAX, tattoos, & friends in Catalunya.

11 from a trip North

A last little trip before returning to Southern Pines... Paris, London & Amsterdam.

Barcelona, Photo Blog, Projects

Street Art Project

Not just Barcelona. Not just walls. This is a grab bag of finely-tuned spray paint, clever stickers, cryptic stencils, and the occasional pure graffiti with something urgent to say. I take pictures of street art that catches my eye—usually…

9 from Spring in España

Visitors, coffee La Marzocco training, and Formula 1 brings in the Spring in Barcelona.

40 from South Africa

Some color photos and a couple videos from our trip to Cape Town and Safari. Lions on the hunt Our Hyena friend Elephants at the pool

Africa Travel, Photo Blog

27 B&Ws from South Africa

Spring break in South Africa, and a little fun with the camera.

16 from Winter in España + a bit in NC

Lilly moved to NC for 2nd semester with Auntie Sue, and got to take classes at Pinecrest & play lacrosse. Then a visit back to Barcelona to play again with the Barcelona Dracs in a tournament.

17 from Belgium

A quick trip to Belgium to see the old house, and show the kiddos where the Petsolt clan spent a few great years so many years ago. Lots of Waffles & beer, the Manneken Pis & a bit more of Christmas decorations.

37 from Fall in España

Family and Friends keep coming! Beyond Thanksgiving, it was a great time in Barcelona with so many friends from the states and those we've made in Barcelona. Nothing like winning the draw then scoring on the short filed.

Not great at blogging

So, I think it is pretty apparent that I'm not that good at...

Asia Travel, Europe Travel, Photo Blog

59 from Turkey

My sisters join us in Turkey for an incredible trip in a stunning country. Sharing our experiences in Istanbul & Cappadocia was perfect. We can not wait to go back!

16 from Naples & Vesuvius

Herculaneum & Pompeii with an archeologist guide--what they accomplished 20 centuries ago was jaw-dropping.

12 from Thanksgiving Visitors

Family for Thanksgiving!! Around town and really special trip to the Pyrenees for a wine tasting 🙂

22 from Normandy Road Trip

With Kate's Dad in tow, we hit the road to visit Normandy--which is incredible. We make lots of stops in France along the way, but the most unbelievable are cave paintings from 17,000 BC. However, we were NOT allowed to take photos of thos…

19 from Summer in España

Borders open up, and friends and family visit! We are so happy to see everyone! Also catch the Tour d'France again in Andorra this time where an American who lives outside Barcelona wins the day.

70 from an August European Adventure

Hiking & Via Ferrata in the Dolomites, sailing with friends in Croatia, learning important history in Sarajevo & Dachau, the Sound of Music Tour, and a lots of spots along the way. Unbelievable.

31 from Portugal

Lilly joined the Madrid Osas for the Lisboa Cub Lacrosse Tournament in Lisbon--she was AMAZING! Then we rented an RV and camped along the Southern Portugal coast to celebrate Cameron's 13th birthday. The go-ahead goal on the broadcast…

11 from Spring in España

Warming up with more events in town, a few small road trips and new friends!

6 from Mallorca

Mallorca is a very short flight away--great weekend!

25 from Winter in Barcelona

Lots to see and do... Paella, Priorat and events around town. Vamos Rafa! (It was fun seeing him win a tournament on his home court.)

5 from Madrid & Toledo

We went to the US for vaccines, then hit Madrid and Toledo on the way back.

8 from Girona Region

Hiking in the Pyrenees again - this time with Blaze (a dog that found us and led us for hours). Then a few stops at medieval Spanish towns.

A day in the life.

I'm on a roll - two posts in one day! Had some thoughts so going somewhat stream of consciousness on my Wednesday. Had class from 9 - 1. Four hours is a lot each day but still loving it thanks to an amazingly patient, kind, dedicated and…

Climbing Tibidabo! A nice little Sunday.

I realize the reason I don't post on a regular basis is that uploading photos isn't intuitive, and it's a bit clunky. I want to share what we are doing so I am throwing up my hands on the photos for now. Too many days have passed where I…

Residency Card Experience

This is the strange story of how I sort-of got my Spanish residency card (it still isn't ready to be picked up). When I went to go apply for my residency card, all my papers were good but the passport-style pictures we had taken at Walgreens…

Barcelona, España Travel, Photo Blog

28 from Fall in España

Cooler days in Barcelona. Lockdowns aren't so bad here.

España Travel

Surf’s Up!

This is yet another post I drafted weeks ago. Busy days continue. Not sure if I mentioned it in an earlier post, but Lilly has started practicing with the only lacrosse team in all of Cataluña, the Barcelona Dracs. She is the youngest…

España Travel

Weekend in the Pyrenees!

Time continues to fly by for us here in Spain. Can’t believe it will be a month on Monday that we’ve been here. UPDATE: This is all old news. It is now NOVEMBER 6. This story happened weeks ago! We snuck away to the Pyrenees to see…

Europe Travel

Rome and Stuff

While many people stay at home or go to school in this crazy pandemic, we instead went to a couple places in Italy. It has been my dream since the 6th grade to travel to Rome and see the ancient ruins. We drove 12 hours to Florence on a Wednesday…

44 from Italian Road Trip

Celebrating Lilly's Sweet 16, we road trip to Florence, Rome, Cinque Terre and Lake Ballagio. Everywhere we go we have the place to ourselves.

29 from Burgundy

We learn all about Burgundy wines (love 'em!), and take a cooking class.

10 from Summer in Barcelona ’20

Our first summer in Barcelona.

12 from Roman France

Yep, France again! This time we're visiting amazing Roman ruins in in amazing French towns.

12 from Basque Country

We love San Sebastian and both Spain & France's Basque Country where Cameron learns to surf

Guess what I just found!

I can’t believe we’ve been here almost a month already! Wow, it is speeding by faster than I even imagined. We don’t even have a well working shower yet—ours is like a combination of getting hit with a fire hose while someone simultaneously…

The More the Merrier the More We Rice

So, based on this being a blog post about living in Spain, it is now safe to assume that I live in Spain. The day we moved was the day that most people were starting up school so people were posting on Instagram about how they went to school…

8 from the Pyrenees

Hiking in the Spanish & French Pyrenees, with a stop in Girona, is a great long weekend.

Europe Travel

Tour de France! What?

Our first road trip in Europe did not disappoint. Note: long post ahead - these blogs are to fill in family and friends and will serve as a bit of a journal for us so will include many details. We are most certainly counting our blessings…

21 from the French Riviera

Our second weekend in Spain and we decide to go to France. In Eze (one of my Mom's favorite towns) we happen to catch the Tour d'France!

You won’t get it right if you do it wrong!

I'm totally behind on posts so this is from a few days ago and trying to catch up to today... MONDAY: We seem to have trouble getting the kids up and moving in the mornings here so David set off to a nearby coffee shop to get some emails…

Getting settled in a new country…

Where do I even start with our first several days living in Barcelona? I swore I would get online and post all the goodness that happened to us as it happened. Then we just went and enjoyed all that was thrown our way…. so here I finally…

Farewell suckers!

That's what my four year old nephew shouted as we drove away after saying goodbye. Side note: it will also be the last line I use at his wedding toast someday. Love that kid. The last couple days brought with them a lot of sad goodbyes. Sisters,…

This is really happening. Barcelona here we come!

Where do I even start? This is my first official blog post for our upcoming move to Barcelona. This will be our way of sharing what we’re doing for those who want to follow along. It will also serve as a giant journal when we look back…

Cava Tour!

Today, with the best weather of our trip, we ventured out to the Pénedes wine region. Another auspicious start to the day as we came across MORE CLOSED ROADS - this time thanks to the Barcelona marathon. After getting over my disappointment…

Crafty

We learned today that our fathers had never had craft cocktails. Never. That's part of Kate and I's food triangle. This was something we obviously needed to remedy. Luckily, we have a favorite cocktail bar in Barcelona, the Collage Cocktail…

Unexpected

It turns out My dad is a big Dali fan. We started with a tour of Girona, where some cool Game of Thrones scenes were filmed. Dad had to climb a bunch of stairs, but he Lanisterred his way to the top. We then set out to Figures to the…

Epic meal. Again.

It’s no surprise that Barcelona is a culinary delight, but the dinner David and I had last night at Niño Viejo was further proof. Owned by the same chef as Bodega 1900 (remember our 14 courses from two nights ago?) and no less amazing. The…

Sidetracked.

Quick note: on our way to our paella cooking class our taxi couldn't get through because of the march for International Women’s Day...so he dropped us and told us to hoof it the rest of the way. What made this challenging was the thousands…

A bit of everything

We saw and did a little bit of everything on Friday. Kate and I started with some wandering around El Born, recreating a photo from just over a year ago. My dad was feeling a bit under the weather, so he stayed back while Denny, Kate &…

Quality Familia Time!

Today was a FULL day to say the least. We took a lovely walking tour of our neighborhood thanks to travel writer Rick Steves. I narrated and led the crew through churches, markets, alleyways, and finished at a quaint lunch spot where…

Who’s up for some team building?

Kate always finds us hidden gems. We just watched castellers practice. Denny & Lou watched from above with a beer & brandy and Kate & I hung out by the practice floor. There were over 100 people supporting this design. Amazing! Side…

Meat cone

Where can you get a cone of ice cream? Anywhere. Where can you get a cone of fries? Anywhere. Where an you get a cone of meat? Barcelona. That's where.

Tapas!

After a long but relatively straightforward day of travel we found our apartments in the middle of town. After a quick freshening up we hit the streets in search of our first local flavor. El Born (our neighborhood) did not disappoint. Since…

Troublemaker

So while boarding in Munich on our way to Barcelona, my dad was pulled aside by a very rule oriented, strict, authoritative (aka German) Lufthansa employee to weigh his bag. Apparently, it was ONE kilo over the limit. Who would have guessed…

We’re off!

MileagePlus

This post is just a little side story that gave me a good chuckle. My Dad wanted to make sure his United number is attached to the flight. (This is one of the things we talked about during our aforementioned meeting.) He didn't have the…

Oscar and Felix

My dad arrived for our pre-trip meeting (scheduled at his request) loaded with questions. We began with updates--hearing about what he's packing, the apps he's downloaded, the nuances of Lufthansa's overhead rules (1" smaller than Delta it turns…