Summer Vacation Crammed Into One Day

With no possibility of a summer vacation this year, my husband took today off from work, and the four of us went to a small Norwegian town near us. My husband and I are early wakers. At 5 we were both up, so we decided to try for an early ferry.

We brought coffee with us, and then once in Poulsbo, we made a beeline for Sluy's bakery.

There's a park on the waterfront with plenty of seating. It's just a 2-minute walk from the bakery. So we enjoyed our pastries and coffee al fresco overlooking the marina.

Our favorite post-breakfast stop is the Marina Market. It's also the only store open so early. Marina Market is filled with interesting international foods. They're also know for their selection of licorice. We chose a container of salty black licorice, both a Scandinavian and Dutch confection.

We explored the town,

visited shops, 

had to stop in the children's book store for my daughter
who is a children's book illustrator and writer

took a walk on the boardwalk along the bay, and soon found it was time for a picnic lunch at the gazebo. We packed turkey and cheese sandwiches on homemade bread, apple slices, homemade pasta salad with garden vegetables, homemade cookies, and fruit juice and iced tea. It was nice to have some shade and a moment to rest our feet.

After lunch we visited the maritime museum and made a purchase to support this wonderful free exhibit.

We visited several art galleries that featured local artists 

and a few more interesting stores.

At the end of the afternoon, we stopped for ice cream cones for the other three and an iced coffee for me.

We made it home before sunset and had a simple dinner of peanut butter sandwiches and fruit. Our feet are plum worn out, putting over 9000 steps in for the day. It was a lovely time that felt like an entire vacation crammed into one day.