Maintaining the birthday mood all day long wasn’t difficult, but the best part of a birthday is still the cake and the gifts! Rú and I could hardly wait for evening to arrive and for the (slowly roasted over many hours based on perfect tips from Laci’s mom) marinated beef roast to be ready, while we were already deep into baking the cake alongside it. I have a very reliable recipe that I heartily recommend even to beginner cake makers (I don’t consider myself a great baking wizard, just a joyful baker at most), because it’s truly simple, the batter behaves well—at least every bake so far has turned out…

We’ve been preparing with Rú for weeks to pamper this wonderful man all day long, feeding him delicious treats and showering him with gifts we secretly sourced, carefully selected together, and meticulously wrapped behind closed doors while whispering…! And the day turned out beautifully, just as we planned. It started with blueberry-vanilla pancakes, continued with a pork knuckle lunch, and we geared up for the evening celebration with more of Laci’s favorites and the grand finale: the birthday desserts…! Laci, we can’t thank you enough for who you are.For everything you do for us, and for how naturally you create everyday life for us that far exceeds our wildest imaginationFor…

Verona is a slow city. Not slow like when you have to wait, but slow like when there’s time for everything. The cobblestones make a dull sound under my steps, and sunlight sits deeply between the houses. A creamy espresso macchiato here isn’t anything special, just a natural part of the day — like the air or the noise. In some shops, handmade Italian hats or leather shoes line the shelves, yet my favorites are still, hopelessly, the bakeries, cafés, and bookstores. We peeked into the courtyard where Romeo and Juliet’s names meet on the wall, but for me, the best parts of Verona are somehow the balconies heavy with…

Anyone who’s been reading me for a while knows how easy it is to sweep me off my feet with anything watery…Well, welcome to Venice…!!! ♥