Life since Amsterdam has been without complaint, I must say. Claire is closing in on end of school year and First Holy Communion classes. She seems to be enjoying both.
Ava is on break this week for mid-term. I like the British school year; kids coast along, do the show and tells, work on their maths, learn their 200 words and read their weekly books, perform a couple concerts per year, swim on Mondays, wear their red uniforms, park their scooters in the overflowing scooter parking and when they’re worn out, suddenly, voila! The mid-term break.
After a few days of recovery, they’re back at it…and don’t worry, they get plenty of summer vacation – 8 weeks. Frankly I think it’s perfect.
Whereas at Claire’s school all the type A parents (that would be everyone at ASL) ponder how to make sure our children don’t fall behind during the long summer break…
Which of course is sacrosanct…3 months of long, sunny, relaxing days spent in leisure. Think pool, beach, books, games, puzzles… Norman Rockwell. Throw in some whining, fighting and boredom and that’s probably a more accurate picture.
What’s new with us aside from June rapidly approaching? I had my Cinco de Mayo event w/ the ladies…I was recruited by the host because my email has the word “Texan” in it. This engendered me with Tex Mex food expertise.
For the love of food, I rose to the occasion and made corn salsa and Mexican wedding cakes (which my children and I believe are to DIE for warm out of the oven, happily rolled in powdered sugar).
We had a rocking Cinco de Mayo with plenty of margaritas and some kind of tomato juice shooters. Bring on the homemade salsa!!!
Also that day I had the honor of participating in Ava’s school’s spring fundraiser. My contribution was to show up and contrive incorrect answers for the quiz bowl. No door prizes for our table.
What did rock was an event later that week…”Stomp.” Which I really hadn’t much interest in until recently, when two for one tickets were available. Yes, it is so worth going. Two hours of solid, unique, creative entertainment. Fun, funny, unexpected. That, preceded by excellent cheap Chinese food (when you’re the only Caucasians in the restaurant it must be good, or the shop owners have a really large family. Maybe both?) and the company of a good friend, made for a great evening out.
We ended the first week of May with our guests, Joe’s sister and husband, at Rules, London’s oldest restaurant. A lovely place with a rich sense of history and some quite proper British décor, it’s known for its “game-y” menu. I no doubt will long be remembered for eating pigeon. (Squab on some menus.) Frankly if you’re dabbling in chicken the old pigeon isn’t far off…or maybe I’ve seen the inside of one too many chicken houses?!?
Over the weekend we hit the Real Food Festival (year 2 for the kids and me). I love that stuff. I suspect everyone else was along for the ride, but they seemed willing company. We left with a few goodies and had pork belly and asparagus for dinner; can’t beat that. Claire had her first non-family sleepover and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.
Sunday our guests took off and Ava and I prepped for “Star of the Week” (this involved gathering up photos and creating captions so Ava could be showcased as class star M-F). She shot off to school on Monday with the goods and a ready smile for class photo day.
I spent a couple hours on Monday w/ the Italian ASL ladies (mix of women who are either from Italy or interested in Italy – who isn’t?!?) at a FABULOUS pizzeria in Notting Hill. Will be dragging my family there sometime in the near future. We were well spoiled with all kinds of seafood, cheese, sliced meat appetizers. Then they brought on the big pizzas. I’m stuffed just thinking about it.
The day after that I spent a couple hours wandering around the St. Paul’s area, as I joined the last London walks tour of the school year. This one was Shakespeare/Dickens walk. Where they wrote, places cited in their works, what was happening in various parts of London when they were writing, etc. Great walk except we were all blue at the end, even the guide. Only in May in London would I need to go home and take a hot bath to warm up.
That day was Ava’s trip to the Tate Modern to look at paintings like Pollock’s, who she’s been studying. Sounds like it was a great outing – kids make better sense of modern art than adults, I think. This was one of those field trips I would have loved to go on, but alas Abercorn didn’t invite me (control the parent involvement…gotta love that).
Another recent highlight on my end: tooling around Islington w/ a friend. We had an amazing brunch. Amazing. The quiche I had was beyond belief. Great bacon, cheese and butter. Did I mention great bacon, cheese and butter…
As we’re winding things down, the St. Johns Woods Women’s Club is calling it a halt for the year, so I attended their finale luncheon recently. Freemason Arms in Hampstead. Highly recommend their duck. And brownie. Always lovely to spend time with these ladies – nice mix with diverse interests. Good thing I like them as I am moving into a position on their 2010-11 board shortly…
Joe and I enjoyed the theatre performance of “Chicago” last week, too – I liked it much better than the movie. The depth of talent here never ceases to amaze.
And to end that week, which was clearly action-packed, I had the opportunity to fit in one last “local travel” activity – a tour of Chiswick House in, you guessed it, Chiswick.
Chiswick House is a magnificent neo-Palladian villa set in beautiful historic gardens in west London.
Built by the third Earl of Burlington in 1729 to showcase his art collection and to enthral his guests, the house continues to display many spectacular works of art and provides a stunning venue for entertaining.
The gardens at Chiswick are the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement and have inspired countless gardens including New York's Central Park.
Completed by 1729, the villa, which echoes classical temple design, was never conceived as a private residence. It is instead, a bold architectural experiment by Burlington, a grand pavilion where he could display his art and book collection and entertain small groups of friends.
During his travels Burlington met the architect William Kent and invited him to collaborate on the design of the villa. No expense or creativity was spared on the interior and Kent designed the luxurious and colourful velvet rooms with red, green and blue velvet walls, that interconnect with a magnificent domed central saloon.
The day after Chiswick, a Saturday, I spent cooking and getting ready for a visit from my German friends! They were in town on a whirlwind London tour – people I hadn’t seen since our wedding. Great fun! They and their two boys came late in the afternoon; we had a lovely time catching up (in spite of language barriers). I’d picked up some Fullers brews for Udo to try (he’s a very tall, mustached German who enjoys Kolsh beer very much). I asked if he’d tried any English beers since arrival; he responded he’d tried Guiness (wrong country) and Foster’s (wrong again).
So he made his way through 3 or 4 big bottles of Fullers, various types. Without complaint!
I had to laugh as I sent them home w/ some fun little British items, one being tea (of course). When asked if they drink/like tea, Udo said they drink it when they're sick...which is generally my approach, too (other than the occasional special tea outing which involves all kinds of yummy goodies!).
This all brings us to last week…which wasn’t so frantic with last minute London outings. I did manage to power through Gladwells What the Dog Saw for a non-fiction book group I was recruited to attend by my friend Sczerina recruited. I like Gladwell, liked the group and the discussion so am now a willing non-fiction reader. Next up: The Genome (or something to that effect).
Late in the week I hit a cooking class with a friend – this time French technique. Gotta love the French; they know food. All the recipes were fabulous and appear to be very user-friendly; the food didn’t feel as heavy as lead and the instructor was fabulous. She is also I swear is no more than 25, with staff of 19 or 20, if that – how did they all get to be so poised, professional and talented at such a young age?
I’m sure I was still trying to make it look like I ironed my blouse for work when I really was far too late (or lazy or both)…
After frantically unloading my groceries that afternoon, I jetted off to a little wine bar in a pedestrian area of the West End for appetizers and wine with a friend before our theatre event, “Sister Act.” (Another of those “why not go? It’s 2 for 1 and got surprisingly good reviews.) Great fun, feel good show with wonderful music.
And the wine bar? Fabulous little find and a great evening for it – breezy and warm, windows and doors of the place open to let the outside in.
On the 21st I hit another book group – this one the monthly fiction meeting, wherein we discussed The Other Hand. Ok book. Not great. But made for a good discussion. Unfortunately our host had to run shortly before we wound up, so we closed her house down and headed to…the bar. The bar? Yes, the bar. How decadent. How fun. How…British. Pimm’s on a sunny Friday afternoon in London.
Oh I’m sure we could have done something “more productive” with our time but who wants to miss pimm’s on a sunny fri afternoon in London w/ friends?
In the evening Joe and I wandered down to Marleybone and it was such a nice evening we vetoed plans to watch Russell Crowe exude Robinhood-ness for dinner at a fabulous Turkish restaurant. We sat outdoors and ate a long, slow, tasty dinner…love all the eggplant, hummus and tziki (sp?) sauces and bread. We shared a lamb dish and an asparagus dish. Ended our meal w/ a meandering to a nearby café and an apple tart and coffee.
Over this past weekend we again had some friends over for dinner, enjoyable by all, and soaked up the sun. The backyard garden is ideal – tranquil and lovely, great place for the kids to romp and NO MAINTENANCE on our part. I do love a yard but I admit I don’t like gardening and yard work. (Well, that’s not 100 percent true; I like to plant things, but then I just really want them to be self sufficient. Independent plants; do they make them? I guess maybe the plastics dept. at Michael’s. Cacti?)
Monday Ava and I had a lovely catch up day, picnic in the garden, ice cream at the new gelato place in SJW…
And yesterday I got to go to Wimbledon! Great trip…
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which is responsible for staging the world's leading tennis tournament, is a private Club founded in 1868, originally as 'The All England Croquet Club'. Its first ground was situated off Worple Road, Wimbledon.
In 1875 lawn tennis, a game introduced by major Walter Clopton Wingfield a year or so earlier and originally called Sphairistike, was added to the activities of the Club.
By 1882 activity at the Club was almost exclusively confined to lawn tennis and that year the word 'croquet' was dropped from the title. However, for sentimental reasons, it was restored in 1899 and the club has been known as 'The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club' ever since.
Wimbledon is acknowledged to be the premier tennis tournament in the world and the priority of The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which hosts The Championships, is to maintain its leadership into the twenty-first century.
One highlight of our 2 hour tour: the roof was raised while we sat in Centre Court…
And of course I must note that my cioux (sp?) for the month was arrival of my updated driver's license! So when I jet off to Salt Lake this summer I will actually be able to rent a car...I did have a moment or two of wonderment as to how I was going to handle arrival in SLC w/ two kids no car...
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Amsterdam Rocks
I’m finally getting around to writing about our recent Amsterdam excursion, which happened over the first weekend in May.
With our Bank Holiday weekend, we laid out a plan to see the infamous tulips there…
Friday, April 30, we made our way to the train station via the Heathrow Express. Train to the airport is so much better than the cab, in my mind. After the airport process we had plenty of time for wings and potato skins at Garfinkel’s.
Upon arrival in Amsterdam we picked up the right bags, navigated the airport and popped over to the train and a packed platform. Once on board it was a short 10 minute ride to chaos – Central Station was packed with drunk 20 somethings.
Travelers like us were clearly in the minority as we fought our way out of the station. Not easy in a drunken crowd w/ kids and suitcases!
Once outside it was just as crowded and rowdy (but in a happy way) on the streets. Thankfully our friend at the fine Crowne Plaza downtown Amsterdam hadn’t lied; the hotel was just across the bridge.
Inside it was quiet, no beer smells and litter-free. (We later learned that in addition to Friday being Amsterdam’s biggest celebration of the year for the Queen’s birthday, the street cleaners had recently been on strike). So as Ava put it, the streets did look a bit India-ish. Minus the cows.
Saturday
I took an early morning walk to check out Amsterdam (over the years this has become one of my most treasured aspects of travel and/or vacations – so nice to explore a place before or as it wakes up). This morning Amsterdam was decidedly quieter than when we arrived and naturally smelled of stale beer. I did walk judiciously to avoid the vomit.
It was great to wander the canals and narrow streets, marvel at the masses of bikes here, there and everywhere and enjoy the architecture. Narrow brick houses, many w/ flowerboxes.
We breakfasted at our hotel – a buffet that was fine but didn’t measure up to the CP Gurgaon (but then will there ever be one that does…).
Our first outing in Amsterdam was to the Keukenhof, which...
• Is one of the most popular attractions in the Netherlands and has clocked up more than 44 million visitors in the last 60 years
• Is the largest bulb flower park in the world
• covers an area of 32 hectares 4.5 million tulips in 100 varieties
• is the most photographed place in the world
• has15 kilometers of footpaths
• is the largest sculpture park in the Netherlands
• has bulbs supplied by 93 Royal Warrant Holders
• boasts 7 million flower bulbs planted by hand
• has more than 2,500 trees in 87 varieties
• has a Walk of Fame with tulips named after famous people
History:
Where Keukenhof is situated now was a hunting area in the 15th century. Herbs for the kitchen of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren were also collected here; hence the name Keukenhof.
The current park was a section of the sizeable estate of Slot Teylingen, with beautiful untamed bushes and dunes. After the decease of Jacoba van Beieren, Keukenhof fell into the hands of rich merchant families. Baron and baroness Van Pallandt invited landscape architects J.D. and L.P. Zocher, designers of the Amsterdam Vondelpark, to make a design for the garden around the castle. This design, in the English landscape style, has always been the basis of Keukenhof.
On the initiative of the Lisse mayor and a number of leading flower bulb growers and exporters, an open air flower exhibition was organised at the Keukenhof in 1949. This expanded to an annually recurring event that has always drawn great numbers of visitors from all over the world.
En route to the Keukenhof we passed through Amsterdam and into the countryside, with its lovely green meadows and canals, then past acres of flowers in perfect rows. A menagerie of colors, my favorite were the red ones; they create a lovely carpet.
The park itself is beyond amazing -- incredibly displays and arrangements everywhere, with fountains, statues, bridges, waterways, paths, stones, trees…huge place with five or six greenhouses interspersed throughout. Cafes and shops, too. The greenhouse displays were very different from the outdoor flowers. In one greenhouse we could climb up to a landing to look out over the all the flowers within.
In our wanderings we ended up along some flower fields around the park – lovely view. And we were able to climb up a windmill, an incredibly scenic experience. So Dutch, right? The smells, too, were fabulous.
At one greenhouse we walked into entertainment. A band was playing with a choral group – lively tunes that captured the crowd’s attention. Their finale was a song for a bride ang groom. Pretty place, though very busy, for a wedding.
To end our morning we had a snack at a water fountain, with organ music playing off to one side and flowers surrounding us.
Upon return to Amsterdam our efforts to hit the Pancake House were thwarted so we settled on sandwiches at a nearby café, then hit the Tulip Museum, where we got a few bulbs. (Not tulip bulbs, mind you, because while they are sold around town, the good ones are only available in the fall.)
We’ll see if we can get these bulbs to do their thing; they’re supposed to be planted now for blooming in summer. We asked to be directed to 3 bulbs of the low maintenance, planted pot variety…
We then visited the Anne Frank House.
As most know, the House was used as a hiding place for a Jewish family trying to escape Nazi persecution. It’s a somber experience, naturally, but one well worth doing. We’d read several books about Anne and her family so I think the kids got something out of the visit.
Anne Frank was one of the Jewish victims of Nazi persecution during the second world war. After Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, increasingly severe anti-Jewish measures began here as well. The Frank family tried to escape by going into hiding. On July 1942, Otto Frank, Edith Frank-Hollander and their daughters Margot and Anne hid in this building on the Prinsengracht. They where later joined by Mr. and Mrs Daan, their sun Peter and Mr. Dussel. The building consists of two parts : a front house and a back annex. Otto Frank's business was located in the front house. The uppermost floors of the back anexe became the hiding place. After more than two years the group was betrayed and deported. Anne and Margot died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, only a few weeks before this concentration camp was liberated. Otto Frank, the only member of the group to survive, returned after the war.
During the hiding period Anne Frank kept a diary. In it she described daily life in the back anexe, the isolation and the fear of discovery. Anne's diary survived the war: after the betrayal it was found by Miep Gies, one of the helpers. When it was confirmed that Anne would not be returning, Miep gave the manuscripts to Otto Frank. In 1947 the first Dutch edition appeared. Since then the diary has been published in more then 55 languages.
From Anne Frank we stopped for photos at her statue nearby, then decided to relax outside for a drink as it was sunny and warm. It’s a great city to people watch – we saw more multi-tasking on bikes than imaginable. One man smoking a cigarette while riding w/ his daughter on the front of the bike. Another woman pedaling up hill in front of a car with umbrella in one hand, phone in the other.
All kinds of things here are transported by bike – rivals India in the level of use and creativity of transport mechanisms. I loved the wheelbarrow shaped basket in front for child (and object/shopping) transport.
After a short respite at the hotel we set off to find Café de Waag in Neumarkt. We had to pass through the Red Light district en route. At that time of day it was pretty tame, a few scantily dressed “ladies” hovering in windows, which of course invited questioning.
The café’s food was very good, and it’s quite the interesting building:
Originally built in 1488, this this magnificent historic building is lit by 300 candles. It was first constructed as a gate for the city's fortified walls, then transformed into a 'weigh house' where goods brought back by ships from overseas were weighed. In later years it served as a guild house for local professions and has also been a museum, fire station and more. In its most recent incarnation, the Waag houses a well-received café-restaurant as well as space (the former anatomy theater) for various types of exhibits.
Over our heads was a lovely chandelier featuring a good number of the 300 candles lighting the place up. Lovely brick interior. For food, I had the open seafood ravioli, which was excellent, kids had croquettes (fancy name for fried food) and Joe had a steak kebab that looked wonderful. The kids got chocolate fondue for dessert, Joe and I shared trio of chocolate (the mousse was decadent).
Sunday dawned rainy and a bit cooler. I walked down toward the Van Gogh museum and determined it better for us to cab it so Claire and I had a quick breakfast and headed off to Coster Diamonds, which offered a free 30 minute tour. Couldn’t say no to that. We got to see some gems being polished, the tools of the trade, examples of different cuts and grades, etc. Then of course we were shown wares upstairs but no hard sell. Next we went next door to the Diamond Museum, which is really interesting, interactive, etc. (Info on how diamonds are mined, geography, modern uses of diamonds, etc.) Copies of crowns, swords and other high profile garments featuring diamonds were on display.
Info on diamonds and Amsterdam…
Amsterdam's illustrious city of diamonds dates back from the 16th century. Fleeing persecution, many Sephardic Jews left Portugal, Spain and the Southern Netherlands during this period. Many of them ended up in Amsterdam, where they came up against the strict trade protection imposed by the guilds. Trading and cutting diamonds, however, was a free profession, and many Jews found work in this trade.
Several centuries later, mass finds in the Dutch colony of South Africa caused Amsterdam to develop into the world’s diamond epicentre. The persecution of the Jews during the Second World War was a big blow for the industry, although Amsterdam still enjoys an excellent reputation in the diamond community.
About Coster:
The Amsterdam diamond cutter Moses Elias Coster moved into factory premises at Waterlooplein in 1840, and Coster Diamonds was born. During that time, diamonds were still cut by machines literally powered by horses. Thanks to Moses' pioneering spirit, Coster Diamonds was the first diamond cutting factory in the Netherlands to introduce steam as the source of power.
In addition to being ahead of his time, Coster was also an incredible perfectionist. Only the very best was good enough, and it soon rained orders from Dutch and foreign customers. One of these represented an invitation by Queen Victoria to re-cut the Koh-i-Noor. This immense challenge established Coster as a master diamond cutter.
In 1970 the old diamond factory had to make way for the construction of the underground. Coster Diamonds moved to its current location at the Paulus Potterstraat. In three grand mansions, beautifully situated between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the heritage of Moses Coster is being done proud.
After perusing the museum we met Joe and Ava across the street at Van Gogh and did the audio tour. Great collection.
For lunch we stayed close to VG as it was rainy and we were scheduled to re-convene at the Diamond Mine for an afternoon tour. Lunch was at a cute little Mediterranean place that smelled great and was humming w/ locals. The French oinion soup was to die for or the combination of hunger and cold glamorized it…not sure which.
Our afternoon tour was to Voldendam and Marken:
We were driven through typical Dutch scenery and the picturesque town of Monnickendam to Volendam, a traditional Dutch fisherman's village situated on the shores of the former Zuiderzee. En route we stopped at a cheese farm to watch a Dutchman wearing brightly colored wooden shows take us through the steps of how Edam cheese is made.
In a nutshell: milk heated to a certain temperature, rennin added, churned, curds formed, liquid removed for re-use in animal feed, curds pressed and voila – cheese (after some time of course). Some cheese aged longer than others, some smoked, etc.
After the demo we were shepherded into the gift shop, where we tried 6 or 8 different types of cheese make from cow and sheep milk. Naturally no one left without a hunk of cheese or some other Dutch touristy item.
BTW our guide was the first person into the cheese place and apparently he hadn’t had lunch, as he made a beeline to the huge wheel of cheese on display and proceeded to consume several chunks…
Back on the bus, we ended up at Volendam for some time to wander around the picturesque former fishing village (fishing industry now defunct in the area since the sea was turned into a lake and the “interesting” fish no longer inhabit the lake). The weather sucked, particularly at the edge of the water – think high winds and cold rain – so we spent our 40 minute break racing from tourist shop to tourist shop and drinking hot chocolate. We then boarded our boat for a nice, though choppy, ride to Marken, an island linked to the mainland by a dike.
Upon arrival we spent a few minutes in this tiny town, which just boasts a handful of businesses, windy little streets, picturesque houses. Our bus warmly delivered us back to Amsterdam, through gorgeous, green countryside with fluffy white sheep and neatly formed ditches and dykes.
After re-grouping (aka warming up) we headed off to Café De Prins. It’s a very comfortable “brown café”, a canal house with relaxed relaxed ambience. Felt very Amsterdam with big candles, wooden tables, upbeat music, mixed crowd. We went for the fondue and pork chop, both good, kids scored on pasta.
For dessert we stopped at a bakery en route to the hotel – Claire and Ava polished off chocolate waffle and donut, Joe and I shared a big piece of mocha chocolate cake.
Monday
On our last day here it was again cold and rainy so we made off to Sarah’s Pancake House for the biggest crepes we’d ever seen. The menu options went on forever; Claire went for standard syrup, Ava nutella (hers WAS dessert), Joe and I split one w/ Calvados and apples, another with ham and cheese. All served by Sarah. No doubt these places are popular post night-out food stops.
From there we cabbed it to NEMO, a great science museum the kids thoroughly enjoyed. After two hours of huge bubble-making, getting stuck in a wind-down lift, all kinds of water experiments, genealogy displays, electricity exhibits and more, we gathered our things, make off to the train, plane and home!
With our Bank Holiday weekend, we laid out a plan to see the infamous tulips there…
Friday, April 30, we made our way to the train station via the Heathrow Express. Train to the airport is so much better than the cab, in my mind. After the airport process we had plenty of time for wings and potato skins at Garfinkel’s.
Upon arrival in Amsterdam we picked up the right bags, navigated the airport and popped over to the train and a packed platform. Once on board it was a short 10 minute ride to chaos – Central Station was packed with drunk 20 somethings.
Travelers like us were clearly in the minority as we fought our way out of the station. Not easy in a drunken crowd w/ kids and suitcases!
Once outside it was just as crowded and rowdy (but in a happy way) on the streets. Thankfully our friend at the fine Crowne Plaza downtown Amsterdam hadn’t lied; the hotel was just across the bridge.
Inside it was quiet, no beer smells and litter-free. (We later learned that in addition to Friday being Amsterdam’s biggest celebration of the year for the Queen’s birthday, the street cleaners had recently been on strike). So as Ava put it, the streets did look a bit India-ish. Minus the cows.
Saturday
I took an early morning walk to check out Amsterdam (over the years this has become one of my most treasured aspects of travel and/or vacations – so nice to explore a place before or as it wakes up). This morning Amsterdam was decidedly quieter than when we arrived and naturally smelled of stale beer. I did walk judiciously to avoid the vomit.
It was great to wander the canals and narrow streets, marvel at the masses of bikes here, there and everywhere and enjoy the architecture. Narrow brick houses, many w/ flowerboxes.
We breakfasted at our hotel – a buffet that was fine but didn’t measure up to the CP Gurgaon (but then will there ever be one that does…).
Our first outing in Amsterdam was to the Keukenhof, which...
• Is one of the most popular attractions in the Netherlands and has clocked up more than 44 million visitors in the last 60 years
• Is the largest bulb flower park in the world
• covers an area of 32 hectares 4.5 million tulips in 100 varieties
• is the most photographed place in the world
• has15 kilometers of footpaths
• is the largest sculpture park in the Netherlands
• has bulbs supplied by 93 Royal Warrant Holders
• boasts 7 million flower bulbs planted by hand
• has more than 2,500 trees in 87 varieties
• has a Walk of Fame with tulips named after famous people
History:
Where Keukenhof is situated now was a hunting area in the 15th century. Herbs for the kitchen of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren were also collected here; hence the name Keukenhof.
The current park was a section of the sizeable estate of Slot Teylingen, with beautiful untamed bushes and dunes. After the decease of Jacoba van Beieren, Keukenhof fell into the hands of rich merchant families. Baron and baroness Van Pallandt invited landscape architects J.D. and L.P. Zocher, designers of the Amsterdam Vondelpark, to make a design for the garden around the castle. This design, in the English landscape style, has always been the basis of Keukenhof.
On the initiative of the Lisse mayor and a number of leading flower bulb growers and exporters, an open air flower exhibition was organised at the Keukenhof in 1949. This expanded to an annually recurring event that has always drawn great numbers of visitors from all over the world.
En route to the Keukenhof we passed through Amsterdam and into the countryside, with its lovely green meadows and canals, then past acres of flowers in perfect rows. A menagerie of colors, my favorite were the red ones; they create a lovely carpet.
The park itself is beyond amazing -- incredibly displays and arrangements everywhere, with fountains, statues, bridges, waterways, paths, stones, trees…huge place with five or six greenhouses interspersed throughout. Cafes and shops, too. The greenhouse displays were very different from the outdoor flowers. In one greenhouse we could climb up to a landing to look out over the all the flowers within.
In our wanderings we ended up along some flower fields around the park – lovely view. And we were able to climb up a windmill, an incredibly scenic experience. So Dutch, right? The smells, too, were fabulous.
At one greenhouse we walked into entertainment. A band was playing with a choral group – lively tunes that captured the crowd’s attention. Their finale was a song for a bride ang groom. Pretty place, though very busy, for a wedding.
To end our morning we had a snack at a water fountain, with organ music playing off to one side and flowers surrounding us.
Upon return to Amsterdam our efforts to hit the Pancake House were thwarted so we settled on sandwiches at a nearby café, then hit the Tulip Museum, where we got a few bulbs. (Not tulip bulbs, mind you, because while they are sold around town, the good ones are only available in the fall.)
We’ll see if we can get these bulbs to do their thing; they’re supposed to be planted now for blooming in summer. We asked to be directed to 3 bulbs of the low maintenance, planted pot variety…
We then visited the Anne Frank House.
As most know, the House was used as a hiding place for a Jewish family trying to escape Nazi persecution. It’s a somber experience, naturally, but one well worth doing. We’d read several books about Anne and her family so I think the kids got something out of the visit.
Anne Frank was one of the Jewish victims of Nazi persecution during the second world war. After Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, increasingly severe anti-Jewish measures began here as well. The Frank family tried to escape by going into hiding. On July 1942, Otto Frank, Edith Frank-Hollander and their daughters Margot and Anne hid in this building on the Prinsengracht. They where later joined by Mr. and Mrs Daan, their sun Peter and Mr. Dussel. The building consists of two parts : a front house and a back annex. Otto Frank's business was located in the front house. The uppermost floors of the back anexe became the hiding place. After more than two years the group was betrayed and deported. Anne and Margot died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, only a few weeks before this concentration camp was liberated. Otto Frank, the only member of the group to survive, returned after the war.
During the hiding period Anne Frank kept a diary. In it she described daily life in the back anexe, the isolation and the fear of discovery. Anne's diary survived the war: after the betrayal it was found by Miep Gies, one of the helpers. When it was confirmed that Anne would not be returning, Miep gave the manuscripts to Otto Frank. In 1947 the first Dutch edition appeared. Since then the diary has been published in more then 55 languages.
From Anne Frank we stopped for photos at her statue nearby, then decided to relax outside for a drink as it was sunny and warm. It’s a great city to people watch – we saw more multi-tasking on bikes than imaginable. One man smoking a cigarette while riding w/ his daughter on the front of the bike. Another woman pedaling up hill in front of a car with umbrella in one hand, phone in the other.
All kinds of things here are transported by bike – rivals India in the level of use and creativity of transport mechanisms. I loved the wheelbarrow shaped basket in front for child (and object/shopping) transport.
After a short respite at the hotel we set off to find Café de Waag in Neumarkt. We had to pass through the Red Light district en route. At that time of day it was pretty tame, a few scantily dressed “ladies” hovering in windows, which of course invited questioning.
The café’s food was very good, and it’s quite the interesting building:
Originally built in 1488, this this magnificent historic building is lit by 300 candles. It was first constructed as a gate for the city's fortified walls, then transformed into a 'weigh house' where goods brought back by ships from overseas were weighed. In later years it served as a guild house for local professions and has also been a museum, fire station and more. In its most recent incarnation, the Waag houses a well-received café-restaurant as well as space (the former anatomy theater) for various types of exhibits.
Over our heads was a lovely chandelier featuring a good number of the 300 candles lighting the place up. Lovely brick interior. For food, I had the open seafood ravioli, which was excellent, kids had croquettes (fancy name for fried food) and Joe had a steak kebab that looked wonderful. The kids got chocolate fondue for dessert, Joe and I shared trio of chocolate (the mousse was decadent).
Sunday dawned rainy and a bit cooler. I walked down toward the Van Gogh museum and determined it better for us to cab it so Claire and I had a quick breakfast and headed off to Coster Diamonds, which offered a free 30 minute tour. Couldn’t say no to that. We got to see some gems being polished, the tools of the trade, examples of different cuts and grades, etc. Then of course we were shown wares upstairs but no hard sell. Next we went next door to the Diamond Museum, which is really interesting, interactive, etc. (Info on how diamonds are mined, geography, modern uses of diamonds, etc.) Copies of crowns, swords and other high profile garments featuring diamonds were on display.
Info on diamonds and Amsterdam…
Amsterdam's illustrious city of diamonds dates back from the 16th century. Fleeing persecution, many Sephardic Jews left Portugal, Spain and the Southern Netherlands during this period. Many of them ended up in Amsterdam, where they came up against the strict trade protection imposed by the guilds. Trading and cutting diamonds, however, was a free profession, and many Jews found work in this trade.
Several centuries later, mass finds in the Dutch colony of South Africa caused Amsterdam to develop into the world’s diamond epicentre. The persecution of the Jews during the Second World War was a big blow for the industry, although Amsterdam still enjoys an excellent reputation in the diamond community.
About Coster:
The Amsterdam diamond cutter Moses Elias Coster moved into factory premises at Waterlooplein in 1840, and Coster Diamonds was born. During that time, diamonds were still cut by machines literally powered by horses. Thanks to Moses' pioneering spirit, Coster Diamonds was the first diamond cutting factory in the Netherlands to introduce steam as the source of power.
In addition to being ahead of his time, Coster was also an incredible perfectionist. Only the very best was good enough, and it soon rained orders from Dutch and foreign customers. One of these represented an invitation by Queen Victoria to re-cut the Koh-i-Noor. This immense challenge established Coster as a master diamond cutter.
In 1970 the old diamond factory had to make way for the construction of the underground. Coster Diamonds moved to its current location at the Paulus Potterstraat. In three grand mansions, beautifully situated between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the heritage of Moses Coster is being done proud.
After perusing the museum we met Joe and Ava across the street at Van Gogh and did the audio tour. Great collection.
For lunch we stayed close to VG as it was rainy and we were scheduled to re-convene at the Diamond Mine for an afternoon tour. Lunch was at a cute little Mediterranean place that smelled great and was humming w/ locals. The French oinion soup was to die for or the combination of hunger and cold glamorized it…not sure which.
Our afternoon tour was to Voldendam and Marken:
We were driven through typical Dutch scenery and the picturesque town of Monnickendam to Volendam, a traditional Dutch fisherman's village situated on the shores of the former Zuiderzee. En route we stopped at a cheese farm to watch a Dutchman wearing brightly colored wooden shows take us through the steps of how Edam cheese is made.
In a nutshell: milk heated to a certain temperature, rennin added, churned, curds formed, liquid removed for re-use in animal feed, curds pressed and voila – cheese (after some time of course). Some cheese aged longer than others, some smoked, etc.
After the demo we were shepherded into the gift shop, where we tried 6 or 8 different types of cheese make from cow and sheep milk. Naturally no one left without a hunk of cheese or some other Dutch touristy item.
BTW our guide was the first person into the cheese place and apparently he hadn’t had lunch, as he made a beeline to the huge wheel of cheese on display and proceeded to consume several chunks…
Back on the bus, we ended up at Volendam for some time to wander around the picturesque former fishing village (fishing industry now defunct in the area since the sea was turned into a lake and the “interesting” fish no longer inhabit the lake). The weather sucked, particularly at the edge of the water – think high winds and cold rain – so we spent our 40 minute break racing from tourist shop to tourist shop and drinking hot chocolate. We then boarded our boat for a nice, though choppy, ride to Marken, an island linked to the mainland by a dike.
Upon arrival we spent a few minutes in this tiny town, which just boasts a handful of businesses, windy little streets, picturesque houses. Our bus warmly delivered us back to Amsterdam, through gorgeous, green countryside with fluffy white sheep and neatly formed ditches and dykes.
After re-grouping (aka warming up) we headed off to Café De Prins. It’s a very comfortable “brown café”, a canal house with relaxed relaxed ambience. Felt very Amsterdam with big candles, wooden tables, upbeat music, mixed crowd. We went for the fondue and pork chop, both good, kids scored on pasta.
For dessert we stopped at a bakery en route to the hotel – Claire and Ava polished off chocolate waffle and donut, Joe and I shared a big piece of mocha chocolate cake.
Monday
On our last day here it was again cold and rainy so we made off to Sarah’s Pancake House for the biggest crepes we’d ever seen. The menu options went on forever; Claire went for standard syrup, Ava nutella (hers WAS dessert), Joe and I split one w/ Calvados and apples, another with ham and cheese. All served by Sarah. No doubt these places are popular post night-out food stops.
From there we cabbed it to NEMO, a great science museum the kids thoroughly enjoyed. After two hours of huge bubble-making, getting stuck in a wind-down lift, all kinds of water experiments, genealogy displays, electricity exhibits and more, we gathered our things, make off to the train, plane and home!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Hair! The Market and Ballet
April 19 - 30
I'm happy to report we had SMASHING weather for a couple of weeks -- sunny and warm, lending a cheery demeanor to most everyone, it seemed. But that came to a halt as the first weekend of May arrived...here's hoping it warms up again! 50 and gray/rainy make for great sleeping/coffee drinking weather.
Post ash hold ups found us whipping through school stuff, after school activity stuff, homework stuff, the norm. Claire's international committee at school pulled me in for Tex Mex festivities, as apparently living in Texas for six years qualifies one to be an expert at whipping up Tex Mex favorites.
So I huddled with several other cook types to plan a Cinco de Mayo fest. Can't go wrong with margaritas and chips/salsa, can we?
I also enlisted the babysitter for an evening performance of "Hair," a musical I'd arranged to see w/ the ladies. Unfortunately my "date" for the evening was trapped in Cincinnati due to ash issues so Joe got to attend (not necessarily his first choice theatre entertainment). The synopsis:
'A story of love, friendship and very long hair...'
HAIR is about a group of young New Yorkers in the 60's struggling to balance their lives and loves, rejecting the lifestyles of their conservative parents and rebelling against the looming draft. As the plot develops, each tribe member tells their story although two become increasingly compelling: Berger the tribe’s ring leader and Claude its conscience.
Claude is enrapt by his new life, in awe of Berger and in love with university student Sheila. But he's faced with an unbearable decision - resist the draft as his friends have done, or compromise his pacifist principles and step up for his country...
Infectious, outlandish and exuberant, HAIR has gained iconic status since erupting onto the musical theatre scene in 1967 and is responsible for many era defining songs that have become part of the twentieth century pop landscape. And as critics and audiences have found, the messages of HAIR are as relevant today as they have ever been.
While it certainly held my attention, there just isn't enough hippie in me to say I enjoyed it that much. And I'm out of the loop on the music so there you go. I was thankful not to be in the front row as one of the hairy cast members took off his shoes and enlisted a member of the audience in a foot rub. You could say the Hair cast definitely interacts w/ the audience, at times creeping across chairs as they perform.
In other news...
Claire's student led conference took place in late April; she did a great job presenting her portfolio, which showcases her 2nd grade work up to this point. She's enjoyed the year and done well in class, we can proudly state!
On the 23rd I got to put on my foodie hat and spend a few hours touring Borough Market. About the place...
Borough Market is London’s most renowned food market; a source of exceptional British and international produce.
Since its renaissance as a retail market just over a decade ago, it has become a haven for anybody who cares about the quality and provenance of the food they eat - chefs, restaurateurs, passionate amateur cooks and people who just happen to love eating and drinking.
The market is populated by a community of remarkable individuals from all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
As far back as 1014, and probably earlier, London Bridge (near where the market is located) attracted traders selling grain, fish, vegetables and livestock. In the 13th century traders were relocated to what is now Borough High Street and a market has existed there since.
In 1755 the market was closed by Parliament, but a group of Southwark residents raised £6,000 to buy a patch of land known locally as The Triangle, once the churchyard of St Margaret’s, and reopened the market. The Triangle, where you’ll find Northfield Farm and Furness Fish and Game, is still at the heart of the market today.
The market continues to feed this core community and has grown to include about 130 individual stalls.
With a group of fellow foodies of all ages and from various parts of the world, I followed our guide, Celia, around the market -- first starting with "elevenses" at Roast, a well-known, well-loved restaurant in the middle of Borough Market. Elevenses is a small, late morning meal. Ours featured a few British specialties (rarebit, sausages, carrot cake). All delicious!
From Roast we wandered the market, stopping at various stalls -- mostly favorites of Celia for various reasons -- great produce or purveyors of exotic foods. She pointed out vegetables and fruits currently in season, gave tips for preparing them, etc. (Celia is a chef, cookbook author and has her own garden plot.) She has developed relationships with various vendors at the market, so we got to do some tasting at some of the stalls -- the scallops, harvested south of us, were incredibly tasty, as were the roasted lamb/beef and pork at another stall. We got to hold an ostrich egg and learn about ostrich meat (which led me to pick up ostrich burgers for the weekend -- tasty and quite like beef).
Other stops were to taste olive oils and balsamic vinegars, chorizo and Spanish cheese and olives, tomato relishes, flan...
We took a break mid-way through and tasted two wines, white and red, with nibbles in a lovely, rustic old cellar converted into a tasting room for a little wine shop.
When we parted company I picked up a few fresh items and retrieved the kids -- great day out!
The next day we took the kids to see "The Ballet Shoes," a children's ballet performance. It was very well done; the talent is amazing, particularly considering the ages of the performers. The kids seemd to enjoy it, and Claire read the book prior to attending so she had a very good understanding of the story.
To kick off the following week, I went along on a tour of Leighton House with our fearless leader, Alice Leader (no pun intended).
About Leighton House:
The house was the former home and studio of the leading Victorian artist, Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896). Built to designs by George Aitchison, it was extended and embellished over a period of 30 years to create a private palace of art.
The Arab Hall is the centerpiece of the house. Designed to display Leighton's priceless collection of over a thousand Islamic tiles, mostly brought back from Damascus in Syria, the interior evokes a compelling vision of the Orient.
The opulence continues through the other richly decorated interiors, with gilded ceilings and walls lined with peacock blue tiles by the ceramic artist William De Morgan. On the first floor is Leighton's grand painting studio with its great north window, dome and apse.
It's a lovely place, the Arab Hall particularly auspicious with brightly colored tiles and extraordinary detail.
For lunch we ate at the Orangerie at Kensington Palace, a lovely lunch in a lovely room with a lovely view! Then I stopped at Whole Foods, which is always a fun experience though spendy.
And to top off the week, my Italian friends and I hit a very odd movie -- "I am love." I'm not sure any of us really enjoyed the movie BUT we did enjoy our time together and it did hold our attention (well other than Bernadette's 10 minute snooze mid way through).
I also got in a lunch with the Abercorn ladies at a WONDERFUL Turkish restaurant in Marleybone. Superb food, supposedly very authentic (can't say I would know) and very reasonable. Nice combination, I'd say...
I'm happy to report we had SMASHING weather for a couple of weeks -- sunny and warm, lending a cheery demeanor to most everyone, it seemed. But that came to a halt as the first weekend of May arrived...here's hoping it warms up again! 50 and gray/rainy make for great sleeping/coffee drinking weather.
Post ash hold ups found us whipping through school stuff, after school activity stuff, homework stuff, the norm. Claire's international committee at school pulled me in for Tex Mex festivities, as apparently living in Texas for six years qualifies one to be an expert at whipping up Tex Mex favorites.
So I huddled with several other cook types to plan a Cinco de Mayo fest. Can't go wrong with margaritas and chips/salsa, can we?
I also enlisted the babysitter for an evening performance of "Hair," a musical I'd arranged to see w/ the ladies. Unfortunately my "date" for the evening was trapped in Cincinnati due to ash issues so Joe got to attend (not necessarily his first choice theatre entertainment). The synopsis:
'A story of love, friendship and very long hair...'
HAIR is about a group of young New Yorkers in the 60's struggling to balance their lives and loves, rejecting the lifestyles of their conservative parents and rebelling against the looming draft. As the plot develops, each tribe member tells their story although two become increasingly compelling: Berger the tribe’s ring leader and Claude its conscience.
Claude is enrapt by his new life, in awe of Berger and in love with university student Sheila. But he's faced with an unbearable decision - resist the draft as his friends have done, or compromise his pacifist principles and step up for his country...
Infectious, outlandish and exuberant, HAIR has gained iconic status since erupting onto the musical theatre scene in 1967 and is responsible for many era defining songs that have become part of the twentieth century pop landscape. And as critics and audiences have found, the messages of HAIR are as relevant today as they have ever been.
While it certainly held my attention, there just isn't enough hippie in me to say I enjoyed it that much. And I'm out of the loop on the music so there you go. I was thankful not to be in the front row as one of the hairy cast members took off his shoes and enlisted a member of the audience in a foot rub. You could say the Hair cast definitely interacts w/ the audience, at times creeping across chairs as they perform.
In other news...
Claire's student led conference took place in late April; she did a great job presenting her portfolio, which showcases her 2nd grade work up to this point. She's enjoyed the year and done well in class, we can proudly state!
On the 23rd I got to put on my foodie hat and spend a few hours touring Borough Market. About the place...
Borough Market is London’s most renowned food market; a source of exceptional British and international produce.
Since its renaissance as a retail market just over a decade ago, it has become a haven for anybody who cares about the quality and provenance of the food they eat - chefs, restaurateurs, passionate amateur cooks and people who just happen to love eating and drinking.
The market is populated by a community of remarkable individuals from all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
As far back as 1014, and probably earlier, London Bridge (near where the market is located) attracted traders selling grain, fish, vegetables and livestock. In the 13th century traders were relocated to what is now Borough High Street and a market has existed there since.
In 1755 the market was closed by Parliament, but a group of Southwark residents raised £6,000 to buy a patch of land known locally as The Triangle, once the churchyard of St Margaret’s, and reopened the market. The Triangle, where you’ll find Northfield Farm and Furness Fish and Game, is still at the heart of the market today.
The market continues to feed this core community and has grown to include about 130 individual stalls.
With a group of fellow foodies of all ages and from various parts of the world, I followed our guide, Celia, around the market -- first starting with "elevenses" at Roast, a well-known, well-loved restaurant in the middle of Borough Market. Elevenses is a small, late morning meal. Ours featured a few British specialties (rarebit, sausages, carrot cake). All delicious!
From Roast we wandered the market, stopping at various stalls -- mostly favorites of Celia for various reasons -- great produce or purveyors of exotic foods. She pointed out vegetables and fruits currently in season, gave tips for preparing them, etc. (Celia is a chef, cookbook author and has her own garden plot.) She has developed relationships with various vendors at the market, so we got to do some tasting at some of the stalls -- the scallops, harvested south of us, were incredibly tasty, as were the roasted lamb/beef and pork at another stall. We got to hold an ostrich egg and learn about ostrich meat (which led me to pick up ostrich burgers for the weekend -- tasty and quite like beef).
Other stops were to taste olive oils and balsamic vinegars, chorizo and Spanish cheese and olives, tomato relishes, flan...
We took a break mid-way through and tasted two wines, white and red, with nibbles in a lovely, rustic old cellar converted into a tasting room for a little wine shop.
When we parted company I picked up a few fresh items and retrieved the kids -- great day out!
The next day we took the kids to see "The Ballet Shoes," a children's ballet performance. It was very well done; the talent is amazing, particularly considering the ages of the performers. The kids seemd to enjoy it, and Claire read the book prior to attending so she had a very good understanding of the story.
To kick off the following week, I went along on a tour of Leighton House with our fearless leader, Alice Leader (no pun intended).
About Leighton House:
The house was the former home and studio of the leading Victorian artist, Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896). Built to designs by George Aitchison, it was extended and embellished over a period of 30 years to create a private palace of art.
The Arab Hall is the centerpiece of the house. Designed to display Leighton's priceless collection of over a thousand Islamic tiles, mostly brought back from Damascus in Syria, the interior evokes a compelling vision of the Orient.
The opulence continues through the other richly decorated interiors, with gilded ceilings and walls lined with peacock blue tiles by the ceramic artist William De Morgan. On the first floor is Leighton's grand painting studio with its great north window, dome and apse.
It's a lovely place, the Arab Hall particularly auspicious with brightly colored tiles and extraordinary detail.
For lunch we ate at the Orangerie at Kensington Palace, a lovely lunch in a lovely room with a lovely view! Then I stopped at Whole Foods, which is always a fun experience though spendy.
And to top off the week, my Italian friends and I hit a very odd movie -- "I am love." I'm not sure any of us really enjoyed the movie BUT we did enjoy our time together and it did hold our attention (well other than Bernadette's 10 minute snooze mid way through).
I also got in a lunch with the Abercorn ladies at a WONDERFUL Turkish restaurant in Marleybone. Superb food, supposedly very authentic (can't say I would know) and very reasonable. Nice combination, I'd say...
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Since Austria...
After screaming in on the Saturday before Easter (this time with the right baggage) we opted for the more reliable Gatwick Express to take us home.
Once there we switched gears, left kids with pizza and sitter and headed off to the pub for dinner with our visitors. After a lovely meal and good company, we enjoyed the ambience and an after dinner drink at the Warrington.
Easter Sunday donned with sleepy kids (and then of course the Easter bunny had visited, hid eggs, etc.) so our Mass plans moved to noon and we arrived 10 minutes prior to beat the rush for a pew. No need to worry; the place was practically empty.
As we waited we felt a presence close behind and low and behold, it was Father hitting me up to read. Apparently his Easter Mass Lector had just emailed to cancel. (Who cancels on Easter without finding a backup? It’s only the most important day of the year in the Catholic church…).
So there you have it: my lecturing opportunity came through in a big way. I was the first and second reader. And as I glanced up from my spot on stage I did notice the pews filled up, so the level of apathy isn’t entire.
From Mass we hit the Clifton Pub. Doesn’t that sound great…a belt of religion followed by a pint. And one wonders why more people aren’t Catholic.
There we met Mike, Liz and boys and had a lovely traditional English Sunday roast for our Easter meal. We were offered a choice of roast beef or lamb with roasted or mashed potatoes, veggies, etc. All good. And we shared a couple desserts – sticky toffee pudding, banofee pie.
Then we wandered to the famed Beatles crossing to snap photos of the Wilcoxes. Actually this was our first time contributing to the traffic backlog; generally we just breeze through the crossing and no doubt spoil plenty of photos and video footage en route.
Easter Monday found the Wilcoxes en route to Paris while we headed down to the Quilt Exhibit at the V&A. It’s a great exhibit; we all did the audio guides and learned about quilting throughout the ages – its artistic applications, contributions to the home and economy, décor, status, craftsmanship, preservation and more.
Then we mosied over to Covent Garden area for Tex Mex at Wahaca. First time we’ve had decent Tex Mex cuisine in nearly two years, I think. It was cheap, cheerful and kid-friendly, too.
The rest of the week both kids were off school so we plugged in some Swiss Cottage swim lessons (I’m determined to work that credit down!!!).
And Claire did pony day on a lovely, warm day; she was one of a very small group so got to be more hands on, which she loved. She’s been sporting a wealth of information about the various horses, their personalities, habits, roles, etc. at Westway Stables.
We ended the day dyeing eggs. (This we would have done earlier but I had a difficult time finding non-brown eggs. Eventually Ava and I landed some pastel-colored eggs; these are produced by some rather artistic chickens, I guess. They worked quite well for the dyeing, actually resulting in more vivid hues.)
On Wed. we headed to Islington, a new part of town for us, where we attended Little Angels Theatre, a very intimate venue with wooden benches. We got to pick our own seats so found ourselves in the front row. The kids loved it – a production called “Who’s been sitting in my chair?” based on Goldilocks. One very talented actor did all the speaking parts, effects and puppets, using a very cleverly designed stage to make seasonal and scene changes throughout. The level of talent for such a wide array of theatre is astounding in this town.
For lunch we hit Giraffe, which is great fun for the kids, then to the library for a load of books as the day had become rainy, good reading weather.
Thursday our friends returned from what sounds like a great visit to Paris. We made our way to swimming and then McDonalds for the promised once-in-a-blue-moon fried lunch (bribes for swimming!). We took our food to go after listening to a nasty attack on the staff by two young men with their pants hanging down practically to their knees. (Who deemed that style attractive and when is it going to die?)
The two threw racial slurs at the staff, then trash. I’ve yet to figure out why no one called the cops. Given we’d already committed to the food we moved as far away from these weirdos, grabbed our bag and ran.
Our afternoon entertainment was “Legally Blonde” – the kids’ 2nd West End production. And great fun. The two dogs featured in the production were highlights.
After scoring stuffed souvenirs priced entirely too high we made our way home for a farewell dinner w/ the Wilcoxes.
On Friday they departed early, the kids and I had a relaxed lunch and park time with friends. Nice to soak in the sun.
Joe and I ended the week at the National Portrait Gallery with the Irving Penn (an American photographer well known for his portraiture) photography exhibit. We then caught a very informal bite at the Stockpot, a local Soho joint that’s very cheap and cheerful, and clearly popular among the non-heterosexual crowd. We followed that with dessert at another similarly diverse spot.
And on Saturday, which boasted spectacular weather, we took a picnic to Primrose Hill and perched on the hillside with numerous other Londoners. We then hit a very busy playground and stopped at St. Johns Wood High Street’s new gelato shop for free ice cream!
Sunday I read at Mass…common theme of late. Then onto Marleybone market with Ava for lots of spring produce, some free flowers (always good to shop with the 5-year-old crowd) and plenty of samples.
Monday it was back to school/work for Joe and Claire. Ava and I got to play a bit more as Abercorn kicked back into gear on Thurs. On our list: bike and shoe shopping, carpet cleaning. The latter was critical given Ava and her friend Ava managed to leave hand prints on the stairs after a recent paint fest. NICE.
I went to “The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters” exhibit with a friend last week. It was fabulous, with “over 35 original letters, rarely exhibited to the public due to their fragility, on display; together with around 65 paintings and 30 drawings that express the principal themes to be found within the correspondence.”
We were there forever given it was a mob scene (pretty much the same as when Claire’s class went, though they had 30 minutes and we had three hours).
On Friday I hosted my book group, wherein several of us discussed Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. And over the weekend my dear friend Patty visited so we got to catch up. We spent some time wandering Greenwich on Saturday, and on Sunday we all trooped up Tower Bridge for great views of London and insight on the building of the bridge, its use, how it works, etc.
This week ash continues to keep planes out of the air, which has us wondering about guests and our upcoming plans to visit Amsterdam…
Once there we switched gears, left kids with pizza and sitter and headed off to the pub for dinner with our visitors. After a lovely meal and good company, we enjoyed the ambience and an after dinner drink at the Warrington.
Easter Sunday donned with sleepy kids (and then of course the Easter bunny had visited, hid eggs, etc.) so our Mass plans moved to noon and we arrived 10 minutes prior to beat the rush for a pew. No need to worry; the place was practically empty.
As we waited we felt a presence close behind and low and behold, it was Father hitting me up to read. Apparently his Easter Mass Lector had just emailed to cancel. (Who cancels on Easter without finding a backup? It’s only the most important day of the year in the Catholic church…).
So there you have it: my lecturing opportunity came through in a big way. I was the first and second reader. And as I glanced up from my spot on stage I did notice the pews filled up, so the level of apathy isn’t entire.
From Mass we hit the Clifton Pub. Doesn’t that sound great…a belt of religion followed by a pint. And one wonders why more people aren’t Catholic.
There we met Mike, Liz and boys and had a lovely traditional English Sunday roast for our Easter meal. We were offered a choice of roast beef or lamb with roasted or mashed potatoes, veggies, etc. All good. And we shared a couple desserts – sticky toffee pudding, banofee pie.
Then we wandered to the famed Beatles crossing to snap photos of the Wilcoxes. Actually this was our first time contributing to the traffic backlog; generally we just breeze through the crossing and no doubt spoil plenty of photos and video footage en route.
Easter Monday found the Wilcoxes en route to Paris while we headed down to the Quilt Exhibit at the V&A. It’s a great exhibit; we all did the audio guides and learned about quilting throughout the ages – its artistic applications, contributions to the home and economy, décor, status, craftsmanship, preservation and more.
Then we mosied over to Covent Garden area for Tex Mex at Wahaca. First time we’ve had decent Tex Mex cuisine in nearly two years, I think. It was cheap, cheerful and kid-friendly, too.
The rest of the week both kids were off school so we plugged in some Swiss Cottage swim lessons (I’m determined to work that credit down!!!).
And Claire did pony day on a lovely, warm day; she was one of a very small group so got to be more hands on, which she loved. She’s been sporting a wealth of information about the various horses, their personalities, habits, roles, etc. at Westway Stables.
We ended the day dyeing eggs. (This we would have done earlier but I had a difficult time finding non-brown eggs. Eventually Ava and I landed some pastel-colored eggs; these are produced by some rather artistic chickens, I guess. They worked quite well for the dyeing, actually resulting in more vivid hues.)
On Wed. we headed to Islington, a new part of town for us, where we attended Little Angels Theatre, a very intimate venue with wooden benches. We got to pick our own seats so found ourselves in the front row. The kids loved it – a production called “Who’s been sitting in my chair?” based on Goldilocks. One very talented actor did all the speaking parts, effects and puppets, using a very cleverly designed stage to make seasonal and scene changes throughout. The level of talent for such a wide array of theatre is astounding in this town.
For lunch we hit Giraffe, which is great fun for the kids, then to the library for a load of books as the day had become rainy, good reading weather.
Thursday our friends returned from what sounds like a great visit to Paris. We made our way to swimming and then McDonalds for the promised once-in-a-blue-moon fried lunch (bribes for swimming!). We took our food to go after listening to a nasty attack on the staff by two young men with their pants hanging down practically to their knees. (Who deemed that style attractive and when is it going to die?)
The two threw racial slurs at the staff, then trash. I’ve yet to figure out why no one called the cops. Given we’d already committed to the food we moved as far away from these weirdos, grabbed our bag and ran.
Our afternoon entertainment was “Legally Blonde” – the kids’ 2nd West End production. And great fun. The two dogs featured in the production were highlights.
After scoring stuffed souvenirs priced entirely too high we made our way home for a farewell dinner w/ the Wilcoxes.
On Friday they departed early, the kids and I had a relaxed lunch and park time with friends. Nice to soak in the sun.
Joe and I ended the week at the National Portrait Gallery with the Irving Penn (an American photographer well known for his portraiture) photography exhibit. We then caught a very informal bite at the Stockpot, a local Soho joint that’s very cheap and cheerful, and clearly popular among the non-heterosexual crowd. We followed that with dessert at another similarly diverse spot.
And on Saturday, which boasted spectacular weather, we took a picnic to Primrose Hill and perched on the hillside with numerous other Londoners. We then hit a very busy playground and stopped at St. Johns Wood High Street’s new gelato shop for free ice cream!
Sunday I read at Mass…common theme of late. Then onto Marleybone market with Ava for lots of spring produce, some free flowers (always good to shop with the 5-year-old crowd) and plenty of samples.
Monday it was back to school/work for Joe and Claire. Ava and I got to play a bit more as Abercorn kicked back into gear on Thurs. On our list: bike and shoe shopping, carpet cleaning. The latter was critical given Ava and her friend Ava managed to leave hand prints on the stairs after a recent paint fest. NICE.
I went to “The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters” exhibit with a friend last week. It was fabulous, with “over 35 original letters, rarely exhibited to the public due to their fragility, on display; together with around 65 paintings and 30 drawings that express the principal themes to be found within the correspondence.”
We were there forever given it was a mob scene (pretty much the same as when Claire’s class went, though they had 30 minutes and we had three hours).
On Friday I hosted my book group, wherein several of us discussed Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. And over the weekend my dear friend Patty visited so we got to catch up. We spent some time wandering Greenwich on Saturday, and on Sunday we all trooped up Tower Bridge for great views of London and insight on the building of the bridge, its use, how it works, etc.
This week ash continues to keep planes out of the air, which has us wondering about guests and our upcoming plans to visit Amsterdam…
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Austria!
Happy Belated Easter, all! We hope everyone had a nice holiday. Plenty of chocolate, I trust.
All is well in our corner of the world. We thoroughly enjoyed Austria, though day 1 I told Joe it was trying to kick us in the tush. Well maybe I used a little stronger language…
First, we learned our Lipizzaner performance had been cancelled due to continued cough issue. BUMMER.
Then we left our hacienda. We were picked up by cab because we thought that would be easiest/most expeditious. In future, Gatwick Express all the way… Cab rolled right along until we got a few miles from Gatwick and then it took 20 minutes to go one mile. Ugh.
So we got to the airport 1 hour 20 minutes before flight. Still ok if you hustle, keeping in mind customs and security. BUT there are north and south terminals at this particular aeropuerto and we had no instruction for either SO rolled the dice and tried north. Wrong. This entailed getting back in cab and driving to south terminal (big airport).
You people who make fun of small airports like Bozeman’s would be the first ones begging for something you could traverse on foot quickly in such circumstances.
Once in the correct terminal the line to EasyJet was ominous. BUT thankfully we did have speedy boarding so were able to skip the line, hit security and eat. Then I noticed the sign that said it takes 20 minutes to get to gate 30, which was our gate. At that time the departure list said our flight was boarding.
So we hustled it to 30. Thankfully the 20 minute walk was clearly estimated for someone out of shape and heavily burdened with luggage sans wheels. We had no problem getting there in a timely fashion and on board to find seats. EJ does the old Southwest maneuver: make a mad dash for a seat and it’s yours.
A short while later we were in Salzburg, grabbed our bags, which came off together and were on our way.
Once at Hotel Auersperg we putzed around a bit, decided to unpack before heading into the city centre and low and behold found a lock on one of our suitcases…Not our suitcase.
So Joe headed off with the twin of our bag back to the airport; the kids and I unpacked the other bag (which had all of Joe’s clothes; kids and I were of course packed in the one MIA).
And yes, kids’ stuff and my stuff fits in one big bag and Joe’s stuff, well, it fits in another big bag. What is wrong with this picture? Now I can see you all imaging we three wearing same clothes day in, day out. While I do pack light – sometimes to a fault – we do all have clean clothes to last and given we were doing one week in Austria, we were in good shape. That is, had we had bag in hand.
From our room the kids and I wandered down through Salzburg, over the bridge, through the old sections of town and to our restaurant. It was carved into the side of a mountain, as are many of Salzburg’s buildings. Very cool cave interior, very cosy and warm with wooden tables, candles and the like.
A short while later Joe showed up with the right suitcase in tow. Let’s just say the other one was chauffeured courtesy of Weber family to its rightful owner in some city miles from Salzburg.
Our waitress didn’t speak much English; we have a deficit of German. Therein were we surprised when the kids’ food showed up. We expected salami, cheese and ham (all served separately). Instead we got a pizza with said ingredients. Kids adjusted.
I ordered the goulash, one of the area’s specialties (very tasty). Joe had the best dish – stuffed pork dumplings.
First day in Austria: no disasters but definitely bemusing.
Second day in Austria: nothing like the first.
After a buffet breakfast ranging from bacon, croissants and freshly squeezed carrot/apple juice (that’s way too healthy for me) to pickles, olives and several different types of REALLY good cheese, rolls, salami and prosciutto, plus cereals, fruits etc., we were picked up and delivered to a tour bus for our “Sound of Music” tour. Having just watched the movie, we were all prepared to burst into song and climb the hills. Well ok, listen to some music on the bus and get out periodically for photos.
Some of our stops included the gazebo (which Hollywood made look much bigger), the Von Trapp houses (the real one and the Hollywood one), the train station where which they departed (as opposed to the Alps they hiked over), the church where they got married, the Abbey where Maria lived (different building than the site of the wedding), the lake the kids fell into…
It was a gorgeous day, we got to see great views and sites around Salzburg and in the countryside and we sampled the famed Sacher Torte.
Afterward we wandered through the Mirabelle gardens (see below)
The Mirabelle Palace was built by Prince Arbishop Wolf Dietrich in 1606 for his mistress, Salome Alt, and her children. It was converted to the baroque style in two stages. First, in 1689 a new palace and garden were designed by Fischer von Erlach. Second, Lukas von Hildebrandt remodelled the garden between 1721 and 1727. The central axis of the garden is aligned on Hohensalzburg, the castle on the other side of the River Salzach. It has a central fountain, an outdoor theatre and a marvellous sculpture collection. Mirabelle has a key position in the town, near the river and between the old town and the commercial new town. It is also, as Jellicoe observed, draws upon the surrounding landscape. It is a beautiful place, always full of people and more redolent of the atmosphere of a Court Garden than most of old Europe's extant Hofgartens. Mirabelle Palace is used as a registry office and elegantly dressed couples contribute to its courtly air. Mirabelle Garden and the summerhouse at Hellbrunn were used in the film of the Sound of Music about the von Trapp family.
We then hopped on a different bus for a tour of one of the area’s Salt Mines. This one was a working mine in Bavaria, Germany, so we crossed the border and enjoyed the scenery en route. We soon found ourselves donning navy blue overalls with stripes that light up under fluorescents.
Next, we piled on trains with numerous other tourists, going down dark tunnels into a mountain.
After disembarking we went through various parts of the mine, listening to presentations about salt mining. At two junctures along the way we got to slide down wooden slides – were schooled to lift our feet and let go, and that we’d automatically come to a halt at the bottom. Sure enough, we slid rapidly down and came to an abrupt end. Rivals the Disney experience (well the slide part anyway).
At another juncture we crossed a pool of water on a boat. And to return back up to catch the train we took one of those caged mine elevators. In between we got to see a laser light show depicting salt crystals in layers of sediment, various pieces of equipment (modern and retired) used for different aspects of the process, demonstrations of how much salt an average adult consumes in a year, etc. We even got to taste a bit of VERY salty water. Which Ava loved. Each of us left with a tiny shaker of salt for a souvenir.
From our mine we were retrieved by bus and taken to a little Bavarian mountain town for a little free time. The kids found some painted wooden eggs for souvenirs and we wandered around the shops, took photos, etc. Spectacular setting: mountains all the way around, one of which plays host to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus).
About the Eagle’s Nest – it’s a chalet-style building which was an extension of the Obersalzberg complex built by the Nazis in the mountains near Berchtesgaden. The Kehlsteinhaus was an official 50th birthday present for Adolf Hitler. Nicknamed Eagle's Nest by a French diplomat, it was meant to be a retreat for Hitler and a place for him to entertain visiting dignitaries.
The Kehlsteinhaus is situated on a ridge at the top of the Kehlstein mountain (6,017 ft), reached by a spectacular 4 mile long and 13 ft wide road that cost 30 million Reichsmarks to build (about 150 million euros in 2007, adjusted in line with inflation). It includes five tunnels but only one hairpin turn and climbs 2,300 ft.
The last 406 ft up to the Kehlsteinhaus are reached by an elevator bored straight down through the mountain and linked via a tunnel through the granite below that is 124 m (406 ft) long. The inside of the large elevator car is surfaced with polished brass, Venetian mirrors and green leather (the elevator is still used daily). Construction of the mountain elevator system cost the lives of 12 construction workers. The main reception room is dominated by a fireplace of red Italian marble, presented by Mussolini.
A significant event held at the Kehlsteinhaus was the wedding reception that followed the marriage of Eva Braun's sister Gretl to Hermann Fegelein on June 3, 1944. The event was filmed and amongst others Martin Bormann can be seen there. The building is also often called "Hitler's Tea House", but this is a misnomer. Hitler did not treat the Kehlsteinhaus as a tea house, and the location he visited daily for afternoon tea was actually the Mooslahnerkopf Teehaus.
Although the site is on the same mountain as the Berghof, Hitler rarely visited the property. It has been suggested he only visited the Kehlsteinhaus around 10 times, and most times for no more than 30 minutes. However he did receive the departing French ambassador to Germany André François-Poncet there on October 18, 1938. Perhaps because of the lack of close association with Hitler, the property was saved from demolition at the end of the war.
The Kehlsteinhaus was subsequently used by the Allies as a military command post until 1960, when it was handed back to the State of Bavaria.
After leaving our bus behind we regrouped at the hotel, then sought out the Stiftskeller St. Peter, another restaurant carved into the mountainside. Great food, lovely setting – beautiful, ornate rooms where frequently Mozart concerts are performed for diners.
I had the spring menu – lovely goat cheese appetizer, soup with stuffed beef pasta (probably my favorite course), pork and melted chocolate torte for dessert.
Tuesday
Today we had another delicious breakfast; I’m all about the cheese. I’d also taken my second early morning walk – lovely city to wander early in the day, while Joe and kids snoozed.
Yesterday I’d gone up to the Fortress overlooking the city, today up to a Nunnery on another hill. (Salzburg’s history is steeped in Catholicism, including some powerful and big spending Archbishop whose mistress had more than a dozen children. Ah there’s no end to scandals in the Catholic church is there? I can say that; I am one. A Catholic, that is. Maybe scandalous, too.)
After breakfast we were picked up for a tour around town – this time in a van. Our driver gave us a good historical sense of the area, we drove by all the key historical sites, particularly those related to Mozart and were left at the bottom of the funicular.
Before going up in it (elevator type thing on tracks that would take us quickly up to the fortress without any complaints from 5-year-old legs) we stopped for a pretzel (in Austria a pretzel is like a loaf of bread w/ salt on it – fabulous) and checked out the Dom:
This site has hosted a Christian church since 774. The original was replaced with a late-Romanesque structure built in 1181-1200.
The Romanesque cathedral burned down in 1598 and Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich took advantage of (some would say caused) the destruction to demolish the rest and make plans for a grand new cathedral to reaffirm Salzburg's commitment to the Catholic cause in the face of the Reformation.
However, Dietrich's overthrow prevented the completion of this project. The present cathedral was commissioned by Archbishop Markus Sittikus Count Hohenems and designed by the Italian architect Santino Solari. It was consecrated in 1628 by Archbishop Paris Count Lodron.
Then up to the Fortress, where we checked out some great views, the marionette museum and state rooms. Huge museum with tons of treasures:
Salzburg Fortress (Hohensalzburg) is the icon of Salzburg and the largest fortress of its kind in Europe to have survived intact in its entirety.
Hohensalzburg was built by Archbishop Gebhard in 1077. Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (1495-1519) presided over an extensive expansion of the fortress. Its greatest attractions for today's visitor include the medieval Princes' Chambers and the Fortress Museum.
The origins of the building, now almost a thousand years old, can be traced back to the time of the Investiture Controversy, the dispute between the kings and the Papacy over the investiture of bishops. In the course of the conflict, Archbishop Gebhard von Salzburg, who sided with the Papacy, ordered the construction of the defensive installations of Hohensalzburg, Hohenwerfen, and Friesach in his territory. This first stage in the development of Hohensalzburg Fortress came to an end under Gebhard's successor, Archbishop Conrad I (1160-47).
For centuries, the archiepiscopal fortress retained its role as a refuge for the ecclesiastical rulers of the diocese of Salzburg. For example, the archbishops withdrew to the fortress when Salzburg and its lands were caught up in the upheaval of the Hungarian War and the Peasants' War. It was during this period that the main building was extended and the arsenal and granary created. The fortress owes its modern appearance to Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (1495-1519), who had it extended and commissioned the lavish decoration of its interior. Ornamental paintings and skillfully crafted Gothic carvings can be admired in the Golden Hall and the Golden Room. Fifty-eight inscriptions and the famous coat of arms are additional reminders of his rule. Since the days of Leonhard von Keutschach, the lion that is the symbol of the fortress has held a beetroot in its paws. The last significant structural modification to the fortress was the construction of the impressive Khuenburg bastion.
Throughout its long history, Hohensalzburg has never been captured or successfully besieged by its enemies. The only damage suffered by the fortress was relatively insignificant and occurred during the Peasants' War. Malevolent peasants managed to gain control of a cannon and fired straight at their overlord's residence from the Kapitelplatz square in the city below. To this day, the dent left in a thick column of Untersberg marble bears witness to the only direct threat to leave its mark on the building.
During periods when there was no direct military threat to the city, it was used as a barracks and prison.
After heading back down the mountain we stopped at an outdoor café to soak up the sunshine and share a wienerschnitzel. I then peeled off to hit the museum of modern art, kids and Joe sought out some ice cream.
We met up a bit later to attend a marionette performance of “The Magic Flute.” Too bad I didn’t realize until well into it that the story was relayed in the abridged version on a screen to the side…(I thought Joe had a twitch which made him keep turning to the right).
Before dinner we collapsed at the hotel for a bit, then hit Alt Salzburg for our last evening meal in the city. A very traditional, quaint little restaurant in the heart of Old Town where we had great service and very good food. Again, weinerschnitzel for Claire. I had stuffed nudeln (sp?) with crayfish – very nice dish, Joe had duck. We all left happy and made our exit as a big group of what looked like concert attendees made their way in.
Wed.
This a.m. I got up for a final walk around the city, stopped in at the Church of St. Sebastian. Lovely. Behind it is the cemetery where Mozart and others of fame are buries so I walked through. It’s also lovely, packed with markers, family plots, statues and memorials.
And then we left for the train station, which is in a state of repair. After discerning we were waiting for the wrong train to Vienna (the slow one) we hightailed it to a different bin and a couple hours later arrived in the big city.
Our Turkish cab driver had only good things to say about Vienna, gave us an overview on the sites around our hotel and told us which cafes to hit.
After settling in we made our way to the center of town and took a carriage ride. Nice, relaxing, if a bit bumpy way to see many of Vienna’s gorgeous buildings and streets. From there we hit St. Stephansdom, checked it out then climbed the 340 or so steps up the North Tower.
The motivation for climbing all of these European towers, domes and monuments is of course due to the great views, appreciation for the work that went into some of these historic buildings, etc. And frankly because we can. Let’s face it; if we end up back here in our 70’s we’ll be doing bus tours and climbing a max of 30 stairs while moaning about the impact on our knees.
About the church:
The Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) in Vienna has survived through many wars and has become a symbol of Vienna's freedom. The Gothic cathedral was first built in 1147 AD and its most recognizable characteristic, the diamond-patterned tile roof, was added in 1952.
The first church to occupy the site of St. Stephan's Cathedral was a Romanesque church, which was replaced by a larger Romanesque basilica in 1147. A major fire in 1258 destroyed the basilica and construction on the present Gothic cathedral began in the early 14th century.
The cathedral suffered damage during the Turkish seige of 1683 and again in the closing days of World War II, when fire from street fighting leapt to the rooftop.
The cathedral was reopened in 1948; the roof was repaired and decorated with ceramic tiles donated by Viennese citizens in 1950.
Among the important events that have occurred at St. Stephen's are Mozart's wedding in 1782 and his funeral in December 1791.
The tower we climbed rises to 450 feet and is named Alter Steffl, "Old Steve." Originally built between 1359 and 1433, it was reconstructed after severe war damage.
The Dom’s Pummerin bell is one of the largest bells in the world, cast from a cannon captured from the Turks in 1683. It rings out over the city on New Year's Eve.
The "O5" carved into the stone outside the cathedral's massive front door has important historical significance. The 5 stands for the fifth letter of the alphabet, E. When added to the O it makes OE, the abbreviation for Österreich (Austria). It was a covert sign of resistance to the Nazi annexation of Austria.
After our climb we all needed sustenance so we found the acclaimed Café Central and had coffee/drinks and desserts – apple strudel for me, chocolate cake for the kids, some decadent chocolate drink for Joe.
Sugared up we wandered a bit, then had dinner at the Palmenhaus, a wonderful restaurant in an arboretum. Gorgeous, lofty place with lovely palms here and there – very good food, too – we shared the Palmenhaus starter (big capers, prosciutto, cheese and salad) – lovely olive tapenade. And we also shared the mixed seafood grill. Fabulous fish and grilled veggies.
Thursday
This morning I took a walk around Vienna, found myself on the city’s major shopping street. A little window shopping and some great smells wafting from all the bakeries.
Back at the K&K Maria Teresa we started with another breakfast of plenty; Claire was happy: crispy bacon, croissants and nutella. Ava’s again gone in for the sliced peppers, salami and pickles.
Lovely blue sky day and we were off by bus for a tour around the city, then to the Schunbrunn Palace (summer palace of the Hapsburgs). It’s immense and painted in the color of royalty – gold.
Our guide took us through several of the rooms, gave us some great sound bites, we all oohed and ahed over the fancy furnishings, décor, etc.
In our free time we wandered the market out front of the palace and the gardens in back. Back on the bus we got some insight on life in Austria today…kids go to school until noon, lunch at home, university is paid for, as is healthcare. Retirement at 65 and 50 for women and men, respectively, paid at 80 percent of salary. We’ll move here when we’re decrepit. Of course none of this is free – taxes up to 50%.
After being dropped off at the Opera House, center city, we walked to Nashtmarkt for lunch – a long strip of market shops (lots of food) and restaurants. With the nice weather we opted for a German sidewalk café and had bratwursts and more schnitzel. Then we wandered through more market stuff and hopped a cab down to the Danube. No boat cruises just yet so we headed to nearby Prater Park for the infamous Giant Ferris Wheel.
Of course that was our first order of business – it was built in the late 1800’s so feels a bit rickety but that didn’t cause us much pause. Our rectangular “car” had a wooden plank seat in the middle, which we shared with several other Ferris wheel friends. Great views and the perfect, clear, sunny afternoon for it.
We then wandered further into the amusement park, found the ponies and stopped for rides. Then onto the train for a spin through the place – it’s HUGE. And aren’t all amusement parks the same world-over? Tacky w/ cheap plastic lights, bored attendants, deep fried food and a wide mix of visitors. I think the kids are much more excited about the thrill rides these days…bummer their parents' stomachs aren’t quite up for the excitement.
From the park we hit the Vienna underground – quick and easy to use – and collapsed before dinner. I sought out the hotel sauna. It was fiercely hot; after turning it down and (cardinal sin) letting some air out it felt less like a roasting oven.
For dinner we headed to Wiener Rathauskeller, which I guess I assumed to be a very casual publike restaurant near the hotel. Low and behold we found ourselved in the basement of the very gorgeous, stately Rauthaus and the restaurant was beautifully decorated, very elegant and ornate.
We had a lovely meal. I had the very traditional Austrian noodles and cabbage (which sounds non-descript but done by the Wiener Rathauskeller chef was amazing), Joe had steak, kids: wienerschnitzel.
Friday
This morning was chillier; thank heavens for really good coffee. Off we went to watch the Lippizaners train. We didn’t hear any of them cough though…
We watched two different groups of riders work their gorgeous, graceful white horses through various gaits and dance moves. Set to music, it was lovely and very relaxing and in a very auspicious setting – amazing chandeliers, ceilings, paintings, etc. decorate the walls of the arena.
Naturally we didn’t leave without a souvenir – a Lippizaner toy set for Claire, purse for Ava.
We then perused the Treasury – amazing amount of Hapsburg and Church wealth on display – crowns, jewelry, coats of arms, robes, decorative swords, various religious symbols inlaid with jewels.
Then we were on to the zoo! Back to Shonbrunn Palace, the time via tube, we stopped by for a bit at Ankar, Austria’s most prevalent bakery. Good sandwiches.
A few hours of admiring hippos, tigers, lions, aviaries and being grossed out by rats and insects later, we found the elephants (which true, are hard to miss) and bathroom. Thus marked our fill of the zoo. Back in our neighborhood we opted for ice cream and hot chocolate. Then we collaped before our last dinner in Austria, this time at Glacis Beisl, just a block from our hotel.
It was another good food stop. The sign outside was a bit dubious but after going downstairs and entering into a lovely area packed with outdoor tables, I was encouraged. The inside was lovely – lots of skilights and windows, lovely wooden tables and candlelight. And we had great service. I tried the goat terrine, which Ava liked. The calvados apples and berry sauce accompanying it were particularly good.
My main was a peirogi dish – very tasty. Joe had kid goat after learning the lamb included organ meats. And kids…well schnitzel all the way.
Saturday
On our last day in Austria we hurried over to the Zoom Children’s Museum for a 90 minute kids’ art workshop, where each child donned blue or red overalls and made projects in a big studio. Ava made a cool basket among other things, Claire a cool collage, also among other things. A lovely woman served as their interpreter/instructor.
And then to the airport, EasyJet and home via Gatwick Express!!! Much more predictable return.
At home we caught up w/ our guests and their adventures, then we adults headed off to dinner at a traditional English pub and dining room (literally the place is called The Dining Rooms) while the 4 kids had pizza with our babysitter.
All is well in our corner of the world. We thoroughly enjoyed Austria, though day 1 I told Joe it was trying to kick us in the tush. Well maybe I used a little stronger language…
First, we learned our Lipizzaner performance had been cancelled due to continued cough issue. BUMMER.
Then we left our hacienda. We were picked up by cab because we thought that would be easiest/most expeditious. In future, Gatwick Express all the way… Cab rolled right along until we got a few miles from Gatwick and then it took 20 minutes to go one mile. Ugh.
So we got to the airport 1 hour 20 minutes before flight. Still ok if you hustle, keeping in mind customs and security. BUT there are north and south terminals at this particular aeropuerto and we had no instruction for either SO rolled the dice and tried north. Wrong. This entailed getting back in cab and driving to south terminal (big airport).
You people who make fun of small airports like Bozeman’s would be the first ones begging for something you could traverse on foot quickly in such circumstances.
Once in the correct terminal the line to EasyJet was ominous. BUT thankfully we did have speedy boarding so were able to skip the line, hit security and eat. Then I noticed the sign that said it takes 20 minutes to get to gate 30, which was our gate. At that time the departure list said our flight was boarding.
So we hustled it to 30. Thankfully the 20 minute walk was clearly estimated for someone out of shape and heavily burdened with luggage sans wheels. We had no problem getting there in a timely fashion and on board to find seats. EJ does the old Southwest maneuver: make a mad dash for a seat and it’s yours.
A short while later we were in Salzburg, grabbed our bags, which came off together and were on our way.
Once at Hotel Auersperg we putzed around a bit, decided to unpack before heading into the city centre and low and behold found a lock on one of our suitcases…Not our suitcase.
So Joe headed off with the twin of our bag back to the airport; the kids and I unpacked the other bag (which had all of Joe’s clothes; kids and I were of course packed in the one MIA).
And yes, kids’ stuff and my stuff fits in one big bag and Joe’s stuff, well, it fits in another big bag. What is wrong with this picture? Now I can see you all imaging we three wearing same clothes day in, day out. While I do pack light – sometimes to a fault – we do all have clean clothes to last and given we were doing one week in Austria, we were in good shape. That is, had we had bag in hand.
From our room the kids and I wandered down through Salzburg, over the bridge, through the old sections of town and to our restaurant. It was carved into the side of a mountain, as are many of Salzburg’s buildings. Very cool cave interior, very cosy and warm with wooden tables, candles and the like.
A short while later Joe showed up with the right suitcase in tow. Let’s just say the other one was chauffeured courtesy of Weber family to its rightful owner in some city miles from Salzburg.
Our waitress didn’t speak much English; we have a deficit of German. Therein were we surprised when the kids’ food showed up. We expected salami, cheese and ham (all served separately). Instead we got a pizza with said ingredients. Kids adjusted.
I ordered the goulash, one of the area’s specialties (very tasty). Joe had the best dish – stuffed pork dumplings.
First day in Austria: no disasters but definitely bemusing.
Second day in Austria: nothing like the first.
After a buffet breakfast ranging from bacon, croissants and freshly squeezed carrot/apple juice (that’s way too healthy for me) to pickles, olives and several different types of REALLY good cheese, rolls, salami and prosciutto, plus cereals, fruits etc., we were picked up and delivered to a tour bus for our “Sound of Music” tour. Having just watched the movie, we were all prepared to burst into song and climb the hills. Well ok, listen to some music on the bus and get out periodically for photos.
Some of our stops included the gazebo (which Hollywood made look much bigger), the Von Trapp houses (the real one and the Hollywood one), the train station where which they departed (as opposed to the Alps they hiked over), the church where they got married, the Abbey where Maria lived (different building than the site of the wedding), the lake the kids fell into…
It was a gorgeous day, we got to see great views and sites around Salzburg and in the countryside and we sampled the famed Sacher Torte.
Afterward we wandered through the Mirabelle gardens (see below)
The Mirabelle Palace was built by Prince Arbishop Wolf Dietrich in 1606 for his mistress, Salome Alt, and her children. It was converted to the baroque style in two stages. First, in 1689 a new palace and garden were designed by Fischer von Erlach. Second, Lukas von Hildebrandt remodelled the garden between 1721 and 1727. The central axis of the garden is aligned on Hohensalzburg, the castle on the other side of the River Salzach. It has a central fountain, an outdoor theatre and a marvellous sculpture collection. Mirabelle has a key position in the town, near the river and between the old town and the commercial new town. It is also, as Jellicoe observed, draws upon the surrounding landscape. It is a beautiful place, always full of people and more redolent of the atmosphere of a Court Garden than most of old Europe's extant Hofgartens. Mirabelle Palace is used as a registry office and elegantly dressed couples contribute to its courtly air. Mirabelle Garden and the summerhouse at Hellbrunn were used in the film of the Sound of Music about the von Trapp family.
We then hopped on a different bus for a tour of one of the area’s Salt Mines. This one was a working mine in Bavaria, Germany, so we crossed the border and enjoyed the scenery en route. We soon found ourselves donning navy blue overalls with stripes that light up under fluorescents.
Next, we piled on trains with numerous other tourists, going down dark tunnels into a mountain.
After disembarking we went through various parts of the mine, listening to presentations about salt mining. At two junctures along the way we got to slide down wooden slides – were schooled to lift our feet and let go, and that we’d automatically come to a halt at the bottom. Sure enough, we slid rapidly down and came to an abrupt end. Rivals the Disney experience (well the slide part anyway).
At another juncture we crossed a pool of water on a boat. And to return back up to catch the train we took one of those caged mine elevators. In between we got to see a laser light show depicting salt crystals in layers of sediment, various pieces of equipment (modern and retired) used for different aspects of the process, demonstrations of how much salt an average adult consumes in a year, etc. We even got to taste a bit of VERY salty water. Which Ava loved. Each of us left with a tiny shaker of salt for a souvenir.
From our mine we were retrieved by bus and taken to a little Bavarian mountain town for a little free time. The kids found some painted wooden eggs for souvenirs and we wandered around the shops, took photos, etc. Spectacular setting: mountains all the way around, one of which plays host to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus).
About the Eagle’s Nest – it’s a chalet-style building which was an extension of the Obersalzberg complex built by the Nazis in the mountains near Berchtesgaden. The Kehlsteinhaus was an official 50th birthday present for Adolf Hitler. Nicknamed Eagle's Nest by a French diplomat, it was meant to be a retreat for Hitler and a place for him to entertain visiting dignitaries.
The Kehlsteinhaus is situated on a ridge at the top of the Kehlstein mountain (6,017 ft), reached by a spectacular 4 mile long and 13 ft wide road that cost 30 million Reichsmarks to build (about 150 million euros in 2007, adjusted in line with inflation). It includes five tunnels but only one hairpin turn and climbs 2,300 ft.
The last 406 ft up to the Kehlsteinhaus are reached by an elevator bored straight down through the mountain and linked via a tunnel through the granite below that is 124 m (406 ft) long. The inside of the large elevator car is surfaced with polished brass, Venetian mirrors and green leather (the elevator is still used daily). Construction of the mountain elevator system cost the lives of 12 construction workers. The main reception room is dominated by a fireplace of red Italian marble, presented by Mussolini.
A significant event held at the Kehlsteinhaus was the wedding reception that followed the marriage of Eva Braun's sister Gretl to Hermann Fegelein on June 3, 1944. The event was filmed and amongst others Martin Bormann can be seen there. The building is also often called "Hitler's Tea House", but this is a misnomer. Hitler did not treat the Kehlsteinhaus as a tea house, and the location he visited daily for afternoon tea was actually the Mooslahnerkopf Teehaus.
Although the site is on the same mountain as the Berghof, Hitler rarely visited the property. It has been suggested he only visited the Kehlsteinhaus around 10 times, and most times for no more than 30 minutes. However he did receive the departing French ambassador to Germany André François-Poncet there on October 18, 1938. Perhaps because of the lack of close association with Hitler, the property was saved from demolition at the end of the war.
The Kehlsteinhaus was subsequently used by the Allies as a military command post until 1960, when it was handed back to the State of Bavaria.
After leaving our bus behind we regrouped at the hotel, then sought out the Stiftskeller St. Peter, another restaurant carved into the mountainside. Great food, lovely setting – beautiful, ornate rooms where frequently Mozart concerts are performed for diners.
I had the spring menu – lovely goat cheese appetizer, soup with stuffed beef pasta (probably my favorite course), pork and melted chocolate torte for dessert.
Tuesday
Today we had another delicious breakfast; I’m all about the cheese. I’d also taken my second early morning walk – lovely city to wander early in the day, while Joe and kids snoozed.
Yesterday I’d gone up to the Fortress overlooking the city, today up to a Nunnery on another hill. (Salzburg’s history is steeped in Catholicism, including some powerful and big spending Archbishop whose mistress had more than a dozen children. Ah there’s no end to scandals in the Catholic church is there? I can say that; I am one. A Catholic, that is. Maybe scandalous, too.)
After breakfast we were picked up for a tour around town – this time in a van. Our driver gave us a good historical sense of the area, we drove by all the key historical sites, particularly those related to Mozart and were left at the bottom of the funicular.
Before going up in it (elevator type thing on tracks that would take us quickly up to the fortress without any complaints from 5-year-old legs) we stopped for a pretzel (in Austria a pretzel is like a loaf of bread w/ salt on it – fabulous) and checked out the Dom:
This site has hosted a Christian church since 774. The original was replaced with a late-Romanesque structure built in 1181-1200.
The Romanesque cathedral burned down in 1598 and Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich took advantage of (some would say caused) the destruction to demolish the rest and make plans for a grand new cathedral to reaffirm Salzburg's commitment to the Catholic cause in the face of the Reformation.
However, Dietrich's overthrow prevented the completion of this project. The present cathedral was commissioned by Archbishop Markus Sittikus Count Hohenems and designed by the Italian architect Santino Solari. It was consecrated in 1628 by Archbishop Paris Count Lodron.
Then up to the Fortress, where we checked out some great views, the marionette museum and state rooms. Huge museum with tons of treasures:
Salzburg Fortress (Hohensalzburg) is the icon of Salzburg and the largest fortress of its kind in Europe to have survived intact in its entirety.
Hohensalzburg was built by Archbishop Gebhard in 1077. Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (1495-1519) presided over an extensive expansion of the fortress. Its greatest attractions for today's visitor include the medieval Princes' Chambers and the Fortress Museum.
The origins of the building, now almost a thousand years old, can be traced back to the time of the Investiture Controversy, the dispute between the kings and the Papacy over the investiture of bishops. In the course of the conflict, Archbishop Gebhard von Salzburg, who sided with the Papacy, ordered the construction of the defensive installations of Hohensalzburg, Hohenwerfen, and Friesach in his territory. This first stage in the development of Hohensalzburg Fortress came to an end under Gebhard's successor, Archbishop Conrad I (1160-47).
For centuries, the archiepiscopal fortress retained its role as a refuge for the ecclesiastical rulers of the diocese of Salzburg. For example, the archbishops withdrew to the fortress when Salzburg and its lands were caught up in the upheaval of the Hungarian War and the Peasants' War. It was during this period that the main building was extended and the arsenal and granary created. The fortress owes its modern appearance to Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (1495-1519), who had it extended and commissioned the lavish decoration of its interior. Ornamental paintings and skillfully crafted Gothic carvings can be admired in the Golden Hall and the Golden Room. Fifty-eight inscriptions and the famous coat of arms are additional reminders of his rule. Since the days of Leonhard von Keutschach, the lion that is the symbol of the fortress has held a beetroot in its paws. The last significant structural modification to the fortress was the construction of the impressive Khuenburg bastion.
Throughout its long history, Hohensalzburg has never been captured or successfully besieged by its enemies. The only damage suffered by the fortress was relatively insignificant and occurred during the Peasants' War. Malevolent peasants managed to gain control of a cannon and fired straight at their overlord's residence from the Kapitelplatz square in the city below. To this day, the dent left in a thick column of Untersberg marble bears witness to the only direct threat to leave its mark on the building.
During periods when there was no direct military threat to the city, it was used as a barracks and prison.
After heading back down the mountain we stopped at an outdoor café to soak up the sunshine and share a wienerschnitzel. I then peeled off to hit the museum of modern art, kids and Joe sought out some ice cream.
We met up a bit later to attend a marionette performance of “The Magic Flute.” Too bad I didn’t realize until well into it that the story was relayed in the abridged version on a screen to the side…(I thought Joe had a twitch which made him keep turning to the right).
Before dinner we collapsed at the hotel for a bit, then hit Alt Salzburg for our last evening meal in the city. A very traditional, quaint little restaurant in the heart of Old Town where we had great service and very good food. Again, weinerschnitzel for Claire. I had stuffed nudeln (sp?) with crayfish – very nice dish, Joe had duck. We all left happy and made our exit as a big group of what looked like concert attendees made their way in.
Wed.
This a.m. I got up for a final walk around the city, stopped in at the Church of St. Sebastian. Lovely. Behind it is the cemetery where Mozart and others of fame are buries so I walked through. It’s also lovely, packed with markers, family plots, statues and memorials.
And then we left for the train station, which is in a state of repair. After discerning we were waiting for the wrong train to Vienna (the slow one) we hightailed it to a different bin and a couple hours later arrived in the big city.
Our Turkish cab driver had only good things to say about Vienna, gave us an overview on the sites around our hotel and told us which cafes to hit.
After settling in we made our way to the center of town and took a carriage ride. Nice, relaxing, if a bit bumpy way to see many of Vienna’s gorgeous buildings and streets. From there we hit St. Stephansdom, checked it out then climbed the 340 or so steps up the North Tower.
The motivation for climbing all of these European towers, domes and monuments is of course due to the great views, appreciation for the work that went into some of these historic buildings, etc. And frankly because we can. Let’s face it; if we end up back here in our 70’s we’ll be doing bus tours and climbing a max of 30 stairs while moaning about the impact on our knees.
About the church:
The Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) in Vienna has survived through many wars and has become a symbol of Vienna's freedom. The Gothic cathedral was first built in 1147 AD and its most recognizable characteristic, the diamond-patterned tile roof, was added in 1952.
The first church to occupy the site of St. Stephan's Cathedral was a Romanesque church, which was replaced by a larger Romanesque basilica in 1147. A major fire in 1258 destroyed the basilica and construction on the present Gothic cathedral began in the early 14th century.
The cathedral suffered damage during the Turkish seige of 1683 and again in the closing days of World War II, when fire from street fighting leapt to the rooftop.
The cathedral was reopened in 1948; the roof was repaired and decorated with ceramic tiles donated by Viennese citizens in 1950.
Among the important events that have occurred at St. Stephen's are Mozart's wedding in 1782 and his funeral in December 1791.
The tower we climbed rises to 450 feet and is named Alter Steffl, "Old Steve." Originally built between 1359 and 1433, it was reconstructed after severe war damage.
The Dom’s Pummerin bell is one of the largest bells in the world, cast from a cannon captured from the Turks in 1683. It rings out over the city on New Year's Eve.
The "O5" carved into the stone outside the cathedral's massive front door has important historical significance. The 5 stands for the fifth letter of the alphabet, E. When added to the O it makes OE, the abbreviation for Österreich (Austria). It was a covert sign of resistance to the Nazi annexation of Austria.
After our climb we all needed sustenance so we found the acclaimed Café Central and had coffee/drinks and desserts – apple strudel for me, chocolate cake for the kids, some decadent chocolate drink for Joe.
Sugared up we wandered a bit, then had dinner at the Palmenhaus, a wonderful restaurant in an arboretum. Gorgeous, lofty place with lovely palms here and there – very good food, too – we shared the Palmenhaus starter (big capers, prosciutto, cheese and salad) – lovely olive tapenade. And we also shared the mixed seafood grill. Fabulous fish and grilled veggies.
Thursday
This morning I took a walk around Vienna, found myself on the city’s major shopping street. A little window shopping and some great smells wafting from all the bakeries.
Back at the K&K Maria Teresa we started with another breakfast of plenty; Claire was happy: crispy bacon, croissants and nutella. Ava’s again gone in for the sliced peppers, salami and pickles.
Lovely blue sky day and we were off by bus for a tour around the city, then to the Schunbrunn Palace (summer palace of the Hapsburgs). It’s immense and painted in the color of royalty – gold.
Our guide took us through several of the rooms, gave us some great sound bites, we all oohed and ahed over the fancy furnishings, décor, etc.
In our free time we wandered the market out front of the palace and the gardens in back. Back on the bus we got some insight on life in Austria today…kids go to school until noon, lunch at home, university is paid for, as is healthcare. Retirement at 65 and 50 for women and men, respectively, paid at 80 percent of salary. We’ll move here when we’re decrepit. Of course none of this is free – taxes up to 50%.
After being dropped off at the Opera House, center city, we walked to Nashtmarkt for lunch – a long strip of market shops (lots of food) and restaurants. With the nice weather we opted for a German sidewalk café and had bratwursts and more schnitzel. Then we wandered through more market stuff and hopped a cab down to the Danube. No boat cruises just yet so we headed to nearby Prater Park for the infamous Giant Ferris Wheel.
Of course that was our first order of business – it was built in the late 1800’s so feels a bit rickety but that didn’t cause us much pause. Our rectangular “car” had a wooden plank seat in the middle, which we shared with several other Ferris wheel friends. Great views and the perfect, clear, sunny afternoon for it.
We then wandered further into the amusement park, found the ponies and stopped for rides. Then onto the train for a spin through the place – it’s HUGE. And aren’t all amusement parks the same world-over? Tacky w/ cheap plastic lights, bored attendants, deep fried food and a wide mix of visitors. I think the kids are much more excited about the thrill rides these days…bummer their parents' stomachs aren’t quite up for the excitement.
From the park we hit the Vienna underground – quick and easy to use – and collapsed before dinner. I sought out the hotel sauna. It was fiercely hot; after turning it down and (cardinal sin) letting some air out it felt less like a roasting oven.
For dinner we headed to Wiener Rathauskeller, which I guess I assumed to be a very casual publike restaurant near the hotel. Low and behold we found ourselved in the basement of the very gorgeous, stately Rauthaus and the restaurant was beautifully decorated, very elegant and ornate.
We had a lovely meal. I had the very traditional Austrian noodles and cabbage (which sounds non-descript but done by the Wiener Rathauskeller chef was amazing), Joe had steak, kids: wienerschnitzel.
Friday
This morning was chillier; thank heavens for really good coffee. Off we went to watch the Lippizaners train. We didn’t hear any of them cough though…
We watched two different groups of riders work their gorgeous, graceful white horses through various gaits and dance moves. Set to music, it was lovely and very relaxing and in a very auspicious setting – amazing chandeliers, ceilings, paintings, etc. decorate the walls of the arena.
Naturally we didn’t leave without a souvenir – a Lippizaner toy set for Claire, purse for Ava.
We then perused the Treasury – amazing amount of Hapsburg and Church wealth on display – crowns, jewelry, coats of arms, robes, decorative swords, various religious symbols inlaid with jewels.
Then we were on to the zoo! Back to Shonbrunn Palace, the time via tube, we stopped by for a bit at Ankar, Austria’s most prevalent bakery. Good sandwiches.
A few hours of admiring hippos, tigers, lions, aviaries and being grossed out by rats and insects later, we found the elephants (which true, are hard to miss) and bathroom. Thus marked our fill of the zoo. Back in our neighborhood we opted for ice cream and hot chocolate. Then we collaped before our last dinner in Austria, this time at Glacis Beisl, just a block from our hotel.
It was another good food stop. The sign outside was a bit dubious but after going downstairs and entering into a lovely area packed with outdoor tables, I was encouraged. The inside was lovely – lots of skilights and windows, lovely wooden tables and candlelight. And we had great service. I tried the goat terrine, which Ava liked. The calvados apples and berry sauce accompanying it were particularly good.
My main was a peirogi dish – very tasty. Joe had kid goat after learning the lamb included organ meats. And kids…well schnitzel all the way.
Saturday
On our last day in Austria we hurried over to the Zoom Children’s Museum for a 90 minute kids’ art workshop, where each child donned blue or red overalls and made projects in a big studio. Ava made a cool basket among other things, Claire a cool collage, also among other things. A lovely woman served as their interpreter/instructor.
And then to the airport, EasyJet and home via Gatwick Express!!! Much more predictable return.
At home we caught up w/ our guests and their adventures, then we adults headed off to dinner at a traditional English pub and dining room (literally the place is called The Dining Rooms) while the 4 kids had pizza with our babysitter.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Austria!
Time for a Break!
Well here it is…the long awaited spring break. Actually the months have flown since Christmas but I think everyone is ready for a change in schedule, break from the routine, fresh perspective, all that good stuff.
Today we take off for Austria for the week and are very much looking forward to it. In preparation we watched “Sound of Music” last week so we can burst into song as we skip through the countryside in true Maria fashion.
I did have a moment of panic when I checked the web site of the famous Lippizaner horses, which Claire is DYING to see in their fancy show. The home page splashed red words about “horses having a cough” and “show cancellation.”
At that point the cough hadn’t bled into our week so we’ll see if the horses are up and running next Friday…
Ava finished school Thurs. at 11:10; I do wonder about the effort expended to get teachers, kids, administrators there for 2+ hours of “instruction…” But alas she did go which allowed me to have my mammogram and ultrasound (routine stuff – the former wasn’t bad; just a squashy experience with a woman who I swear was a foot shorter than me and needs a lesson in what not to say aloud to patients…to the tune of “this is difficult because you’re so small…”).
On the school side of things, Ava is the first Weber to experience the London Eye. Since I was on a bus to Van Gogh w/ a bunch of “dare you to kiss…” 2nd graders I had to opt out of the Abercorn Eye experience.
The kids had a lovely, sunny day for it, enjoyed a picnic and playtime along the Thames and it sounds like they had fun seeing Big Ben from on high.
With the 2nd graders, I must say teachers probably keep Excedrin in business. We did not have the teacher on our bus so we had some very loud, daring conversations taking place…I did intervene when the dare you to kiss…business referenced “privates.” Eight going on 14 it seems.
The conversation then turned to burps and farts. Great stuff.
Van Gogh was fabulous, though packed full of people, mostly 50+, so some canes and wheel chairs thrown in. Picture that in small rooms with INCREDIBLE works of art that everyone wants to drink in… and an influx of 2nd graders with 30 minutes to do the entire exhibit.
Oh and we weren’t the only school group.
We (the parent chaperones) were hastily thrown kid worksheets and pencils and told to have at it…one kid in my group asked, no joke, after looking at the first painting if we could leave.
(Naturally she’ll be the one kid who becomes a curator in her 30’s.)
The exhibit is fabulous and I’m dying to go back.
However, tix online/via phone are sold out so the only option is to stand in line and hope you are awarded a day of ticket, which are limited in number so you could stand in line for two hours and walk away with nothing…
My friend Allison saved the day, though. She stumbled upon a restaurant giving Van Gogh tickets away if you enjoy a 2-course lunch SO I rallied two troops and we had a lovely lunch last week. Now w/ VG tix in hand we’re set to fight the crowds!
Among other things, I also recently got to enjoy a tour of the Fuller’s Brewery in Chiswick. Lovely town, Chiswick – quaint shops, antique stores and the like.
The Brewery is immense and near the Thames, so lovely area to walk, jog etc. behind it.
We started with a little beer tasting and lunch ordering, then followed our guide through the brewery, learning how beer is made, history of the business, its evolution, etc. Here’s the Fuller’s description:
Based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick,
between the serenity of the River Thames and the hustle
and bustle of the Hogarth Roundabout, Fuller's has been
brewing quality beers and running excellent pubs since 1845.
At the end of the tour we did a bit more beer tasting, comparing their family of beers and one special holiday brew. And while I’m not a big beer drinker, I did enjoy the tasting experience and one or two brands my find their way into our fridge…
Last, we had a good pub lunch (though I think Fuller’s is better for its beer!) and headed back for the school run.
On the art end of things I was able to join a group for a tour of the Old Masters paintings at the Wallace Collection. The museum is huge, free and has something for everyone, from armor and shields to kids events to famous paintings to porcelain collections, plus a nice café.
And that same day Joe and I tried a restaurant in Notting Hill – Osteria Basilico. Fabulous food, charming interior – one I would highly recommend!
The other restaurant of interest that I hit last week after a walk of the Jewish Quarter was Rootmaster, a vegan restaurant on a double decker bus. Bizarre, I know, but very good. The bus rocked everytime anyone came upstairs, where we were perched. RM is in an eclectic part of town, great fun!
The rest of my week was filled with doctor business and Ava got out of school Thurs, so we had some down time together. Friday we swooped Claire up from school and zoomed to the zoo for a preview of the updated Rainforest Exhibit. Great tours of the upstairs with lots of monkeys, sloths, birds, toads, etc. hanging out.
Downstairs low levels of illumination for the night forest creatures and another tour guide, who gave lots of insight on various types of rats, bats and other evening critters.
We then hit the carousel and Ava’s ballet class.
And now, off to enjoy Austria for a bit!
Well here it is…the long awaited spring break. Actually the months have flown since Christmas but I think everyone is ready for a change in schedule, break from the routine, fresh perspective, all that good stuff.
Today we take off for Austria for the week and are very much looking forward to it. In preparation we watched “Sound of Music” last week so we can burst into song as we skip through the countryside in true Maria fashion.
I did have a moment of panic when I checked the web site of the famous Lippizaner horses, which Claire is DYING to see in their fancy show. The home page splashed red words about “horses having a cough” and “show cancellation.”
At that point the cough hadn’t bled into our week so we’ll see if the horses are up and running next Friday…
Ava finished school Thurs. at 11:10; I do wonder about the effort expended to get teachers, kids, administrators there for 2+ hours of “instruction…” But alas she did go which allowed me to have my mammogram and ultrasound (routine stuff – the former wasn’t bad; just a squashy experience with a woman who I swear was a foot shorter than me and needs a lesson in what not to say aloud to patients…to the tune of “this is difficult because you’re so small…”).
On the school side of things, Ava is the first Weber to experience the London Eye. Since I was on a bus to Van Gogh w/ a bunch of “dare you to kiss…” 2nd graders I had to opt out of the Abercorn Eye experience.
The kids had a lovely, sunny day for it, enjoyed a picnic and playtime along the Thames and it sounds like they had fun seeing Big Ben from on high.
With the 2nd graders, I must say teachers probably keep Excedrin in business. We did not have the teacher on our bus so we had some very loud, daring conversations taking place…I did intervene when the dare you to kiss…business referenced “privates.” Eight going on 14 it seems.
The conversation then turned to burps and farts. Great stuff.
Van Gogh was fabulous, though packed full of people, mostly 50+, so some canes and wheel chairs thrown in. Picture that in small rooms with INCREDIBLE works of art that everyone wants to drink in… and an influx of 2nd graders with 30 minutes to do the entire exhibit.
Oh and we weren’t the only school group.
We (the parent chaperones) were hastily thrown kid worksheets and pencils and told to have at it…one kid in my group asked, no joke, after looking at the first painting if we could leave.
(Naturally she’ll be the one kid who becomes a curator in her 30’s.)
The exhibit is fabulous and I’m dying to go back.
However, tix online/via phone are sold out so the only option is to stand in line and hope you are awarded a day of ticket, which are limited in number so you could stand in line for two hours and walk away with nothing…
My friend Allison saved the day, though. She stumbled upon a restaurant giving Van Gogh tickets away if you enjoy a 2-course lunch SO I rallied two troops and we had a lovely lunch last week. Now w/ VG tix in hand we’re set to fight the crowds!
Among other things, I also recently got to enjoy a tour of the Fuller’s Brewery in Chiswick. Lovely town, Chiswick – quaint shops, antique stores and the like.
The Brewery is immense and near the Thames, so lovely area to walk, jog etc. behind it.
We started with a little beer tasting and lunch ordering, then followed our guide through the brewery, learning how beer is made, history of the business, its evolution, etc. Here’s the Fuller’s description:
Based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick,
between the serenity of the River Thames and the hustle
and bustle of the Hogarth Roundabout, Fuller's has been
brewing quality beers and running excellent pubs since 1845.
At the end of the tour we did a bit more beer tasting, comparing their family of beers and one special holiday brew. And while I’m not a big beer drinker, I did enjoy the tasting experience and one or two brands my find their way into our fridge…
Last, we had a good pub lunch (though I think Fuller’s is better for its beer!) and headed back for the school run.
On the art end of things I was able to join a group for a tour of the Old Masters paintings at the Wallace Collection. The museum is huge, free and has something for everyone, from armor and shields to kids events to famous paintings to porcelain collections, plus a nice café.
And that same day Joe and I tried a restaurant in Notting Hill – Osteria Basilico. Fabulous food, charming interior – one I would highly recommend!
The other restaurant of interest that I hit last week after a walk of the Jewish Quarter was Rootmaster, a vegan restaurant on a double decker bus. Bizarre, I know, but very good. The bus rocked everytime anyone came upstairs, where we were perched. RM is in an eclectic part of town, great fun!
The rest of my week was filled with doctor business and Ava got out of school Thurs, so we had some down time together. Friday we swooped Claire up from school and zoomed to the zoo for a preview of the updated Rainforest Exhibit. Great tours of the upstairs with lots of monkeys, sloths, birds, toads, etc. hanging out.
Downstairs low levels of illumination for the night forest creatures and another tour guide, who gave lots of insight on various types of rats, bats and other evening critters.
We then hit the carousel and Ava’s ballet class.
And now, off to enjoy Austria for a bit!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Ava's birthday
Following was written on March 12 (I'm just a bit behind the 8-ball in getting this posted!)
Ava’s Birthday!
It’s a big day at our house -- Ava turns 5!
On the agenda: cupcakes at school. I went on a mission to find the mini-versions yesterday and low and behold, Marks & Spencer came through! They must be trying to make up for the return policy confusion that so did not make my day.
Now armed with vanilla and chocolate cake, the day can begin auspiciously.
Birthdays are or course huge here; I’ve noticed that at British birthday parties the slice of cake accompanies the party-goer home. So for example at the most recent party Ava attended, everyone had ice cream after lunch, then left with goodie bag and neatly wrapped up piece of dalmation cake.
I’m not sure we’d ever get away with the waiting.
Our life post Cinderella on Ice included more work on the inside of the house. Oh if only the handyman had listened when I told him I didn’t think copious amounts of rain coming in the house was normal, even if it was the rainstorm of the year…
That said, walls are coming along nicely. I did notice myself getting loopy on all the chemicals and dust from sanding last week as I attempted some writing. Maybe I should read back over what I wrote see if makes any sense.
Last Tuesday I took my 2nd cooking class at Divertimenti; this one was a fabulous two-hour course w/ an American chef who’s made her home in London for the last 20+ years.
Her recipes were fabulous (she fed them to us for lunch) and easily accessible, she was witty and engaging and of course I left with her cookbook. I’ve already used it (bonus) plus it looks good added to my rather wimpy selection of cookbooks here.
My Bronte class has now wrapped up with the last session a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Horace Walpole exhibit.
Apparently he was the most important English collector of the 18th century, bringing together and cataloging very carefully a wide range of objects belonging to people of power, fame or wealth. i.e. a hat worn by a Cardinal, gloves belonging to King Charles II, portraits of a number of the kings (he was intent on having one of each), etc.
This exhibit pulled together a representation of the original collection, which is dispersed among private owners and museums – so some of the things we looked at included tea cups, chests, suits of armor and swords, lanterns, curios, jewelry, letters, books, a vase his cat drowned in…
From Walpole we went to lunch at a lovely English pub nearby – ambience over risotto, I’m afraid.
And I then hustled it to ASL to retrieve Claire for the resumption of horseback riding lessons. Sadly, it was no warmer than our last one in December BUT one can only put off so long what one’s child’s heart is set upon.
Bouncer was in fine form, Claire worked with Miss Sarah, stable owner, and they only started 15 minutes late. So all in all, a good experience.
In other news, last week was ASL fund raiser wine tasting. Since Joe opted out, I joined a group of ladies and one token male (we made him team captain) in tasting and guessing at various wines. It was great fun and very un-pretentious, with our master of ceremonies for the night looking and acting like Richard Simmons in a red suit.
Lots of laughter, jokes and food, not much wine, so we continued the party at a neighborhood bar. And on Friday, in between grocery run and some writing work, I beelined it down for a tour of the Royal Academy of Music’s museum. It houses very valuable violins, pianos from the early 1900’s and, currently, photos and
memorabilia regarding Weber, Mendelssohn, Wagner and Richard Strauss. Our docent for the visit was a very dramatic music librarian who ooh la la’d and rolled her eyes at everything she shared with us.
That evening we ended the week with pizza from Papa Del’s, which I must say has again impressed.
Saturday Joe and I had a day-date to the matinee Love Never Dies, sequel to Phantom of the Opera. I loved it. Top notch talent, music is fabulous though not haunting like Phantom’s (this show departs from the ethereal main character). Afterward we had a glass of wine at a lovely little wine bar near the Adelphi Theatre. Very nice date and home for lamburgers with the kids!
School-wise, the past week has been busy – Ava’s 2nd teacher/parent conference, which went very well. She seems to thrive at Abercorn; the environment is cheery and nurturing and with 14 students to two teachers, she gets plenty of attention.
Claire had a Weather the Weather concert, wherein second grade sang a number of (you guessed it) weather-related songs. Great performance, fun music and intermingled were some video shots of kids reciting poetry related to weather.
The day after the concert I got to play math games with her class for an hour. Math is far more fun in her 2nd grade class than when I went to school, I think. The everyday math ASL uses makes it more approachable, at least at this age. I do hear conflicting remarks about the program as kids reach 5th grade but since I’m not in that space...
From the math games I hightailed it to the White Chapel for a quick visit to an exhibit of photography by Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi artists. Very well done.
After all that art and culture I may need to detox with some sitcom re-runs and coors lite.
Ava’s Birthday!
It’s a big day at our house -- Ava turns 5!
On the agenda: cupcakes at school. I went on a mission to find the mini-versions yesterday and low and behold, Marks & Spencer came through! They must be trying to make up for the return policy confusion that so did not make my day.
Now armed with vanilla and chocolate cake, the day can begin auspiciously.
Birthdays are or course huge here; I’ve noticed that at British birthday parties the slice of cake accompanies the party-goer home. So for example at the most recent party Ava attended, everyone had ice cream after lunch, then left with goodie bag and neatly wrapped up piece of dalmation cake.
I’m not sure we’d ever get away with the waiting.
Our life post Cinderella on Ice included more work on the inside of the house. Oh if only the handyman had listened when I told him I didn’t think copious amounts of rain coming in the house was normal, even if it was the rainstorm of the year…
That said, walls are coming along nicely. I did notice myself getting loopy on all the chemicals and dust from sanding last week as I attempted some writing. Maybe I should read back over what I wrote see if makes any sense.
Last Tuesday I took my 2nd cooking class at Divertimenti; this one was a fabulous two-hour course w/ an American chef who’s made her home in London for the last 20+ years.
Her recipes were fabulous (she fed them to us for lunch) and easily accessible, she was witty and engaging and of course I left with her cookbook. I’ve already used it (bonus) plus it looks good added to my rather wimpy selection of cookbooks here.
My Bronte class has now wrapped up with the last session a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Horace Walpole exhibit.
Apparently he was the most important English collector of the 18th century, bringing together and cataloging very carefully a wide range of objects belonging to people of power, fame or wealth. i.e. a hat worn by a Cardinal, gloves belonging to King Charles II, portraits of a number of the kings (he was intent on having one of each), etc.
This exhibit pulled together a representation of the original collection, which is dispersed among private owners and museums – so some of the things we looked at included tea cups, chests, suits of armor and swords, lanterns, curios, jewelry, letters, books, a vase his cat drowned in…
From Walpole we went to lunch at a lovely English pub nearby – ambience over risotto, I’m afraid.
And I then hustled it to ASL to retrieve Claire for the resumption of horseback riding lessons. Sadly, it was no warmer than our last one in December BUT one can only put off so long what one’s child’s heart is set upon.
Bouncer was in fine form, Claire worked with Miss Sarah, stable owner, and they only started 15 minutes late. So all in all, a good experience.
In other news, last week was ASL fund raiser wine tasting. Since Joe opted out, I joined a group of ladies and one token male (we made him team captain) in tasting and guessing at various wines. It was great fun and very un-pretentious, with our master of ceremonies for the night looking and acting like Richard Simmons in a red suit.
Lots of laughter, jokes and food, not much wine, so we continued the party at a neighborhood bar. And on Friday, in between grocery run and some writing work, I beelined it down for a tour of the Royal Academy of Music’s museum. It houses very valuable violins, pianos from the early 1900’s and, currently, photos and
memorabilia regarding Weber, Mendelssohn, Wagner and Richard Strauss. Our docent for the visit was a very dramatic music librarian who ooh la la’d and rolled her eyes at everything she shared with us.
That evening we ended the week with pizza from Papa Del’s, which I must say has again impressed.
Saturday Joe and I had a day-date to the matinee Love Never Dies, sequel to Phantom of the Opera. I loved it. Top notch talent, music is fabulous though not haunting like Phantom’s (this show departs from the ethereal main character). Afterward we had a glass of wine at a lovely little wine bar near the Adelphi Theatre. Very nice date and home for lamburgers with the kids!
School-wise, the past week has been busy – Ava’s 2nd teacher/parent conference, which went very well. She seems to thrive at Abercorn; the environment is cheery and nurturing and with 14 students to two teachers, she gets plenty of attention.
Claire had a Weather the Weather concert, wherein second grade sang a number of (you guessed it) weather-related songs. Great performance, fun music and intermingled were some video shots of kids reciting poetry related to weather.
The day after the concert I got to play math games with her class for an hour. Math is far more fun in her 2nd grade class than when I went to school, I think. The everyday math ASL uses makes it more approachable, at least at this age. I do hear conflicting remarks about the program as kids reach 5th grade but since I’m not in that space...
From the math games I hightailed it to the White Chapel for a quick visit to an exhibit of photography by Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi artists. Very well done.
After all that art and culture I may need to detox with some sitcom re-runs and coors lite.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Cinders, Marks & Spencer Hates Me and Construction
Cinderella on Ice was engrossing, even if it did take a lot of creative license with the storyline. When did a lovely gypsy brandishing a crystal ball come into the picture?
We had great seats so we could watch in awe at the skaters’ moves. How, for example, do these men lift women and other men and whirl them around the dance floor for minutes on end in tight turns again and again? Repeatedly for two and a half hours? And whip out double and triple axles like there’s no tomorrow?
How is all of this done perfectly, in character, while looking absolutely effortless, incredibly graceful and in sync to the music? Let’s not forget the stage is small, with props here and there and others skating at the same time. Amazing. Some of the team are former Olympiads – all were beautiful to watch.
The kids seemed to very much enjoy it; the first scene, with Cinderella’s mother fading away, clearly got to Claire, but she didn’t shed any tears throughout the remainder of the performance.
We picked a great day for Cinderella, as it was cold and rainy.
Monday found me having lunch at La Fromagerie with a friend. I’d been dying to eat at the place, which is, as the name states, known for its cheese. The shop’s cheese department is in a climate-controlled room with a limit as to how many people are in there at any given time. Baby the cheese, baby.
Anyway, La Fromagerie offers lunch on wooden tables with stools in the back of its shop, so we dined on (appropriately) cheese plates. I enjoyed every cheese served. Frankly I haven’t met a cheese I don’t like yet, though I’d prefer never to encounter those plastic-wrapped orange things they pass off as cheese at Safeway. And Velveeta is best eaten in queso. Otherwise why bother…
From there I made a quick jaunt down to Marks & Spencer to exchange some items for Claire. Upon confirming with two clerks –not one but two – I sought out the right sizes and some dinner items, then got in line.
Eventually it was my turn, and after arranging everything on the belt, that insolent clerk informed me she doesn’t do exchanges. Wherein I said two ladies upstairs had directed me otherwise…
This would be the equivalent of waiting in a Walmart line, plopping your items on the belt and then being told you had to go to customer service for your issue. SUCH a pleasant shopping experience.
Here I received no apologies, just an emphatic, no, I don’t do returns. Take it to the 3rd floor.
I expressed my dismay, then asked which till etc. I was then told first floor.
At this point I was really annoyed; clearly no one knows who does what when where or how. Time was ticking and I’m sure the people behind me thought I would pull a uni-bomber trick, as I was rather irritated and not covering it up. Maybe next time I’ll instill more fear and tell them I’m from Montana.
Against my better judgment, I purchased what was on the belt (justification: one needs to feed one’s family), gathered up my three large bags and hit the escalator.
On the first floor I was told I needed the third floor; on three the lines were lengthy and I had to bail for the school run, bags and all.
Outside I watched as my bus went by, and with all this stuff I’d planned to return, plus my new items, there was no way I was going to be able to run to the tube and get to ASL in time.
SO I grabbed a cab, only to realize a few blocks later that I’d spent the last of my cash on that cheese board lunch. As innocuously as possible I pulled out my wallet and started counting coins while monitoring the meter.
When it hit 6.50 I told the cabbie to let me out prematurely on the pretense that it was such a nice day to walk. (Actually it was the nicest weather we’d had in months.) Too bad I had to shlep all these bags…
Naturally when I retrieved Claire she dumped her bag on me. At this point I was well and truly a bag woman, and hadn’t even gotten to Ava yet.
And may I digress for a moment and ask how in the world people who aren’t in shape parent? I feel like a mountain goat on the move most days.
So that was on Monday and I haven’t had the mental energy (or time) to return to Marks & Spencer. BUT Ava’s got a deadline; she needs a skirt in a different size for her 100 day party on Friday. Thus tomorrow is d-day at M&S. I’ll go in search of smaller black skirt/pink leggings and 100 small marshmallows. (And a clerk/till that will cooperate. Wish me luck.)
Re: Ava’s fashion plans - given she rarely gets to wear anything other than the uniform, the M&S skirt is REALLY important for Friday.
In other news, the builder did show up on Monday and has been taking paint off walls, patching things up, bringing in more and more wall fix-it stuff and generally making the guest room stink to the high heavens. As long as we can open windows and close doors, bring on the home improvement program! (Especially since the kids’ shelves got put up today, too!)
Yesterday I cranked on a bunch of house stuff and slipped out mid-day for a wonderful cooking class at Divertimenti. The chef: Jennifer Joyce, who made fabulous sausage lasagna w/ taleggio cheese, buttered shrimp, teacup tiramisu and a delicious salad. I liked the cheese in the lasagna so much I marched over to Waitrose afterward and bought some.
And because yesterday was another spectacular day, Ava and I met some friends at the park before retrieving Claire. I had big plans to do the same today but the weather turned pear-shaped again. I am reminded of last year; we arrived here in early March and I remember freezing all month. In fact, I’ve gotten a ton of use out of my long sleeved, long legged, insulated exercise gear that I purchased the first week I was here in 2009…
We had great seats so we could watch in awe at the skaters’ moves. How, for example, do these men lift women and other men and whirl them around the dance floor for minutes on end in tight turns again and again? Repeatedly for two and a half hours? And whip out double and triple axles like there’s no tomorrow?
How is all of this done perfectly, in character, while looking absolutely effortless, incredibly graceful and in sync to the music? Let’s not forget the stage is small, with props here and there and others skating at the same time. Amazing. Some of the team are former Olympiads – all were beautiful to watch.
The kids seemed to very much enjoy it; the first scene, with Cinderella’s mother fading away, clearly got to Claire, but she didn’t shed any tears throughout the remainder of the performance.
We picked a great day for Cinderella, as it was cold and rainy.
Monday found me having lunch at La Fromagerie with a friend. I’d been dying to eat at the place, which is, as the name states, known for its cheese. The shop’s cheese department is in a climate-controlled room with a limit as to how many people are in there at any given time. Baby the cheese, baby.
Anyway, La Fromagerie offers lunch on wooden tables with stools in the back of its shop, so we dined on (appropriately) cheese plates. I enjoyed every cheese served. Frankly I haven’t met a cheese I don’t like yet, though I’d prefer never to encounter those plastic-wrapped orange things they pass off as cheese at Safeway. And Velveeta is best eaten in queso. Otherwise why bother…
From there I made a quick jaunt down to Marks & Spencer to exchange some items for Claire. Upon confirming with two clerks –not one but two – I sought out the right sizes and some dinner items, then got in line.
Eventually it was my turn, and after arranging everything on the belt, that insolent clerk informed me she doesn’t do exchanges. Wherein I said two ladies upstairs had directed me otherwise…
This would be the equivalent of waiting in a Walmart line, plopping your items on the belt and then being told you had to go to customer service for your issue. SUCH a pleasant shopping experience.
Here I received no apologies, just an emphatic, no, I don’t do returns. Take it to the 3rd floor.
I expressed my dismay, then asked which till etc. I was then told first floor.
At this point I was really annoyed; clearly no one knows who does what when where or how. Time was ticking and I’m sure the people behind me thought I would pull a uni-bomber trick, as I was rather irritated and not covering it up. Maybe next time I’ll instill more fear and tell them I’m from Montana.
Against my better judgment, I purchased what was on the belt (justification: one needs to feed one’s family), gathered up my three large bags and hit the escalator.
On the first floor I was told I needed the third floor; on three the lines were lengthy and I had to bail for the school run, bags and all.
Outside I watched as my bus went by, and with all this stuff I’d planned to return, plus my new items, there was no way I was going to be able to run to the tube and get to ASL in time.
SO I grabbed a cab, only to realize a few blocks later that I’d spent the last of my cash on that cheese board lunch. As innocuously as possible I pulled out my wallet and started counting coins while monitoring the meter.
When it hit 6.50 I told the cabbie to let me out prematurely on the pretense that it was such a nice day to walk. (Actually it was the nicest weather we’d had in months.) Too bad I had to shlep all these bags…
Naturally when I retrieved Claire she dumped her bag on me. At this point I was well and truly a bag woman, and hadn’t even gotten to Ava yet.
And may I digress for a moment and ask how in the world people who aren’t in shape parent? I feel like a mountain goat on the move most days.
So that was on Monday and I haven’t had the mental energy (or time) to return to Marks & Spencer. BUT Ava’s got a deadline; she needs a skirt in a different size for her 100 day party on Friday. Thus tomorrow is d-day at M&S. I’ll go in search of smaller black skirt/pink leggings and 100 small marshmallows. (And a clerk/till that will cooperate. Wish me luck.)
Re: Ava’s fashion plans - given she rarely gets to wear anything other than the uniform, the M&S skirt is REALLY important for Friday.
In other news, the builder did show up on Monday and has been taking paint off walls, patching things up, bringing in more and more wall fix-it stuff and generally making the guest room stink to the high heavens. As long as we can open windows and close doors, bring on the home improvement program! (Especially since the kids’ shelves got put up today, too!)
Yesterday I cranked on a bunch of house stuff and slipped out mid-day for a wonderful cooking class at Divertimenti. The chef: Jennifer Joyce, who made fabulous sausage lasagna w/ taleggio cheese, buttered shrimp, teacup tiramisu and a delicious salad. I liked the cheese in the lasagna so much I marched over to Waitrose afterward and bought some.
And because yesterday was another spectacular day, Ava and I met some friends at the park before retrieving Claire. I had big plans to do the same today but the weather turned pear-shaped again. I am reminded of last year; we arrived here in early March and I remember freezing all month. In fact, I’ve gotten a ton of use out of my long sleeved, long legged, insulated exercise gear that I purchased the first week I was here in 2009…
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Saturday Feb 27
As we learn of more snow on the east coast in the U.S. and of Hawaii’s potential tsunami, we’re faced with…warm, then cold, then warm. Go figure?
It’s been a good, speedy week, enjoying my writing work, Ava’s proud to be counting to 100 and her reading is progressing beautifully. Claire’s getting ready for a concert and had fun w/ her friend Lily, who is a regular at our house of late.
I did get all systems in place for a spin class on Thursday, only to have my phone ring as I was walking up the steps of the place. The owner was on the other end to say they’d had a break-in over night so no spin.
BUMMER. I very rarely do the indoor cycling here as the studio w/ a good deal, decent occasional class time and my schedule are a bit of a challenge to match up.
Anyway, in lieu of sweating, my friend Beth and I had coffee. Can never complain about that.
Break-ins do seem a regularity here. I keep expecting to walk in one day and either find a hooligan in my house or find a mess left by one. Let’s hope for neither.
As my Bronte class nears an end we did have a lively discussion Wednesday, regarding the most unlively of Bronte books we’re read so far – Agnes Grey. Go Agnes.
After her I read The Shack. Thought-provoking but not the greatest writing, I would venture to say. Have since moved onto Blood Red Snow White. Russian fairytale of sorts. TBD on the book review per moi.
Friday I re-entered the world of art. I’d taken a bit of a hiatus since our Italy trip, wherein we saw so much Renaissance art I was a bit done in.
This time I joined the St. Johns Woods Women’s group for a 2-hour “walk” of the National Gallery, which features mostly western European art from the 1200’s up to 1900. Fabulous place that goes on forever, so you really have to focus your time/energy to avoid art overload.
Our guide was fabulous; she pulled us to various pieces throughout the timeframe represented, focusing on a few in-depth. Great tour; I’d like to follow her around the gallery regularly.
From there I zipped off to join friends at Le Boudin Blanc, a fabulous, bustling little French restaurant in Mayfair. Amazing food. AMAZING. One of the best meals I’ve had here since arrival. And great company, too.
Joe and I ended the day with dinner at a Thai restaurant up the road from us. Cheap and cheerful, it was tasty. Service sucked and the food took forever to reach our table. I think a small family runs the place, which, typically, is larger than it appears from outside. You enter a small storefront expecting to find 6 tables and the place goes on forever.
So this place that goes on forever had two waitresses and it looked like the dad was cooking and handling checks.
Ordinarily this wouldn’t phase us but we’d purchased tickets to an 8:40 film across the street. So when food, which had been ordered at 7:15, eventually showed up at 8:35 we did consult the clock.
Though I must say I wasn’t too worked up; the first movie I went to here didn’t start until half hour of previews, ads, warnings about pirating and cell phones had taken place.
The restaurant’s ambience cracked me up, too – space heaters here and there. While appreciated by the chill-baine affected types like me, they do have an impact on ambience…
And since yesterday started off smelling like spring but crashed and burned by the time we scooted off to ballet, bring on the space heater!
The bean curd and aurbergine chili-spiced Thai dish delivered a nice dose of warm spice. After throwing some cash at the cook/cashier we flew across the street for our 8:40 movie; at this point it was 9.
Never mind that. Candy/popcorn ensued. So at 9:05 we walked in…and ads were still in full force.
Eventually Invictus started. Good film, about 20 minutes too long. Or is it that my butt isn’t used to sitting still for more than an hour? That’s what happens when you don’t work in corporate America for 8 years. Your tush gets out of sitting practice.
About the film. Morgan Freeman: great. Matt Damon: not the right fit. Don’t you need to be bigger and have a broken nose or shattered cheekbone and a consistent accent to be captain of South Africa’s rugby team?
Today found me running around Regent’s Park with Debra, listening to the zoo animals squawk for breakfast. Somehow our 8:30 a.m. run got edged up to 7:30. Pretty soon Saturday will feel like every other morning of the week.
Except that breakfast at our house is good on Saturdays (M-F it’s oatmeal, toast or cheerios with bacon, which is really ham masquerading as such here in the UK). This morning: pancakes. Oh and of course Sunday is spoilage day -- chocolate brioches.
Continuing on with the food story, tonight was a lamb chop/potato meal. Sadly, in the land of lamb, I could only find New Zealand product at the grocery store. Since I had my head wrapped around lamb chops and Marks & Spencer only had the NZ version, I went for that. Paired w/ red wine from same country, it worked.
Politically, clearly, NZ has something going right w/ lamb exportation… Don’t worry, the US manages to get items like Kraft mac n cheese slipped in. Plenty of Americans living here are happy to pay the $5 extortion fee for the 50 cent product.
In other news, we’re off to Cinderella on Ice tomorrow. Claire’s skeptical, Ava’s excited and I can’t wait – it will be at Royal Albert Hall, which is spectacular and the acoustics are beyond amazing. So even if the show stinks, whatever sound is produced will be out of this world.
It’s been a good, speedy week, enjoying my writing work, Ava’s proud to be counting to 100 and her reading is progressing beautifully. Claire’s getting ready for a concert and had fun w/ her friend Lily, who is a regular at our house of late.
I did get all systems in place for a spin class on Thursday, only to have my phone ring as I was walking up the steps of the place. The owner was on the other end to say they’d had a break-in over night so no spin.
BUMMER. I very rarely do the indoor cycling here as the studio w/ a good deal, decent occasional class time and my schedule are a bit of a challenge to match up.
Anyway, in lieu of sweating, my friend Beth and I had coffee. Can never complain about that.
Break-ins do seem a regularity here. I keep expecting to walk in one day and either find a hooligan in my house or find a mess left by one. Let’s hope for neither.
As my Bronte class nears an end we did have a lively discussion Wednesday, regarding the most unlively of Bronte books we’re read so far – Agnes Grey. Go Agnes.
After her I read The Shack. Thought-provoking but not the greatest writing, I would venture to say. Have since moved onto Blood Red Snow White. Russian fairytale of sorts. TBD on the book review per moi.
Friday I re-entered the world of art. I’d taken a bit of a hiatus since our Italy trip, wherein we saw so much Renaissance art I was a bit done in.
This time I joined the St. Johns Woods Women’s group for a 2-hour “walk” of the National Gallery, which features mostly western European art from the 1200’s up to 1900. Fabulous place that goes on forever, so you really have to focus your time/energy to avoid art overload.
Our guide was fabulous; she pulled us to various pieces throughout the timeframe represented, focusing on a few in-depth. Great tour; I’d like to follow her around the gallery regularly.
From there I zipped off to join friends at Le Boudin Blanc, a fabulous, bustling little French restaurant in Mayfair. Amazing food. AMAZING. One of the best meals I’ve had here since arrival. And great company, too.
Joe and I ended the day with dinner at a Thai restaurant up the road from us. Cheap and cheerful, it was tasty. Service sucked and the food took forever to reach our table. I think a small family runs the place, which, typically, is larger than it appears from outside. You enter a small storefront expecting to find 6 tables and the place goes on forever.
So this place that goes on forever had two waitresses and it looked like the dad was cooking and handling checks.
Ordinarily this wouldn’t phase us but we’d purchased tickets to an 8:40 film across the street. So when food, which had been ordered at 7:15, eventually showed up at 8:35 we did consult the clock.
Though I must say I wasn’t too worked up; the first movie I went to here didn’t start until half hour of previews, ads, warnings about pirating and cell phones had taken place.
The restaurant’s ambience cracked me up, too – space heaters here and there. While appreciated by the chill-baine affected types like me, they do have an impact on ambience…
And since yesterday started off smelling like spring but crashed and burned by the time we scooted off to ballet, bring on the space heater!
The bean curd and aurbergine chili-spiced Thai dish delivered a nice dose of warm spice. After throwing some cash at the cook/cashier we flew across the street for our 8:40 movie; at this point it was 9.
Never mind that. Candy/popcorn ensued. So at 9:05 we walked in…and ads were still in full force.
Eventually Invictus started. Good film, about 20 minutes too long. Or is it that my butt isn’t used to sitting still for more than an hour? That’s what happens when you don’t work in corporate America for 8 years. Your tush gets out of sitting practice.
About the film. Morgan Freeman: great. Matt Damon: not the right fit. Don’t you need to be bigger and have a broken nose or shattered cheekbone and a consistent accent to be captain of South Africa’s rugby team?
Today found me running around Regent’s Park with Debra, listening to the zoo animals squawk for breakfast. Somehow our 8:30 a.m. run got edged up to 7:30. Pretty soon Saturday will feel like every other morning of the week.
Except that breakfast at our house is good on Saturdays (M-F it’s oatmeal, toast or cheerios with bacon, which is really ham masquerading as such here in the UK). This morning: pancakes. Oh and of course Sunday is spoilage day -- chocolate brioches.
Continuing on with the food story, tonight was a lamb chop/potato meal. Sadly, in the land of lamb, I could only find New Zealand product at the grocery store. Since I had my head wrapped around lamb chops and Marks & Spencer only had the NZ version, I went for that. Paired w/ red wine from same country, it worked.
Politically, clearly, NZ has something going right w/ lamb exportation… Don’t worry, the US manages to get items like Kraft mac n cheese slipped in. Plenty of Americans living here are happy to pay the $5 extortion fee for the 50 cent product.
In other news, we’re off to Cinderella on Ice tomorrow. Claire’s skeptical, Ava’s excited and I can’t wait – it will be at Royal Albert Hall, which is spectacular and the acoustics are beyond amazing. So even if the show stinks, whatever sound is produced will be out of this world.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Winter Again
Ok, after being teased with lovely warmth over the weekend (so much so that Ava and I scooted to the park for a short outing after dumping our luggage at home Sunday) we’re back to sleety cold.
Yesterday it rained/snowed/sleeted all day…I believe today is more of same. Cold looks more glamorous on TV at the Olympics, I've decided.
Yesterday’s reigning achievements: getting everyone back to school on time and Claire landing a dance class she really enjoyed. Mondays will find her donning a leotard for ballet and a little jazz/tap.
And more achievements: scotchies and good beef.
Remember the former: rice krispy treats only better? Cheap and cheerful too – PB, corn syrup, sugar, rice krispies. Here I top them w/ 70 percent dark chocolate so they’re truly out of this world. At least in my estimation.
Pair that with Chinese beef stir fry (well ok, the two don’t pair but who cares) and you can envision the meal at our house last night.
I scoured Waitrose for a decent piece of beef, which I vaguely remember having some time ago. Not necessarily from the grocery store here, though.
BUT I was determined yesterday to fulfill my desire for really good beef so after much perusal I found organic sirloin on sale…and you know what? It was delicious and tender and the dish a cinch. Just marinate the beef, cut up in chunks, in oyster sauce (a few tablespoons).
Saute an onion and two red peppers (or whatever color you have on hand) with some garlic in a little oil in your wok for a few minutes. Add beef, sauté some more. Throw in rice noodles, a little soy sauce and a little more oyster sauce. Meal ready. And yes, kids did eat the meat and noodles.
Today: a foray back into the turf world for me…more writing projects have re-surfaced of late, no complaints except why aren’t there more minutes in a day? No doubt all of us could use some.
I’ll leave you with this final note: confusion. Friday the owner of our humble abode here called prior to flying to the US, declaring he’s firing the handyman who’s been instrumental to us having doors that work, removing curtains so I can wash them (call me anal but who wants someone else’s filth hanging on your windows…), putting on kids’ head boards, etc.
Then today I get a call from supposedly fired handyman saying he’s coming to fix the rain-damaged walls next week, and when can he do it?
No, I did not get into “gee I thought you’d been fired;” I’ll stay out of that mess.
TBD: Alan or no Alan next week?!? Cross fingers he shows -- I have shelves that need to be mounted!
Yesterday it rained/snowed/sleeted all day…I believe today is more of same. Cold looks more glamorous on TV at the Olympics, I've decided.
Yesterday’s reigning achievements: getting everyone back to school on time and Claire landing a dance class she really enjoyed. Mondays will find her donning a leotard for ballet and a little jazz/tap.
And more achievements: scotchies and good beef.
Remember the former: rice krispy treats only better? Cheap and cheerful too – PB, corn syrup, sugar, rice krispies. Here I top them w/ 70 percent dark chocolate so they’re truly out of this world. At least in my estimation.
Pair that with Chinese beef stir fry (well ok, the two don’t pair but who cares) and you can envision the meal at our house last night.
I scoured Waitrose for a decent piece of beef, which I vaguely remember having some time ago. Not necessarily from the grocery store here, though.
BUT I was determined yesterday to fulfill my desire for really good beef so after much perusal I found organic sirloin on sale…and you know what? It was delicious and tender and the dish a cinch. Just marinate the beef, cut up in chunks, in oyster sauce (a few tablespoons).
Saute an onion and two red peppers (or whatever color you have on hand) with some garlic in a little oil in your wok for a few minutes. Add beef, sauté some more. Throw in rice noodles, a little soy sauce and a little more oyster sauce. Meal ready. And yes, kids did eat the meat and noodles.
Today: a foray back into the turf world for me…more writing projects have re-surfaced of late, no complaints except why aren’t there more minutes in a day? No doubt all of us could use some.
I’ll leave you with this final note: confusion. Friday the owner of our humble abode here called prior to flying to the US, declaring he’s firing the handyman who’s been instrumental to us having doors that work, removing curtains so I can wash them (call me anal but who wants someone else’s filth hanging on your windows…), putting on kids’ head boards, etc.
Then today I get a call from supposedly fired handyman saying he’s coming to fix the rain-damaged walls next week, and when can he do it?
No, I did not get into “gee I thought you’d been fired;” I’ll stay out of that mess.
TBD: Alan or no Alan next week?!? Cross fingers he shows -- I have shelves that need to be mounted!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Moonfleet Manor!
So off we headed to Waterloo Station on Friday morning – en route to Weymouth in Dorset, the southwest coast (English Channel). (You’ll see plenty of Weymouth in a couple of years as it will host the Olympic 2010 sailing events.) The area is agrarian and tourism-driven, we were told, with the population swelling to extremes in the summer months.
After a relaxing 2 ¾ hour train ride we pulled in and cabbed it down windy streets and roads, past lovely brick buildings and patches of green mingled with coastal scenes. Our hotel was down an even narrower country lane, right on the sea. En route we passed some farms, many horse riders and plenty of horses and ponies milling about in verdant green fields (I continue to be amazed at how much green is in England).
A traditional English building, the lovely stately inn had a big foyer with a dozen pair of wellies off left for guest use. A dog was hanging about near reception – we later learned he’s the Moonfleet Dog, name of Snoopy. He was a big hit with the kids.
After ditching our luggage we passed through 3 lounges with plenty of comfy sofas, chairs, card tables and coffee tables loaded with magazines and newspapers, fireplaces…and wound our way to the restaurant. It was bright and cheery, with big windows featuring great views of the sea and countryside.
Our lunch was sandwiches, eggs, pizza – all good – then we headed off to a large indoor play area where Claire and Ava made use of the trampoline and other toys.
Eventually we checked into our room, then headed to the pool. After plenty of splashing/being splashed, I stopped into the sauna to warm up and dry off, then back to Huntington and Harlyn (love how they name rooms in these character-filled inns).
Great fun to see how these places are decorated – lots of old photos, china, bear skins and the like mounted on the walls.
After collapsing for a bit we headed down to the lounge to await our dinner call. The process here is to have a drink, place the food order and wait to be invited to sup. No complaints – nice fireplace to cozy to up and plenty of headlines to glance over.
Our food was good – Joe’s sweet potato soup was superb – my crabcake and pork belly were fine. But my trio of chocolate was superb!!! Particularly the chocolate soufflé.
Saturday dawned gorgeous – blue sky and sunny. Both Joe and I took walks. The countryside screams James Herriott – large green patches over gentle hills, farm houses here and there. The dog accompanied me as we trudged along the water and field’s edge. Claire of course loved hearing the dog went along; she’s convinced we’ll have a dog as soon as I am won over with dog love.
Lovely way to start the day – exploring a gorgeous area on a gorgeous morning.
I then enjoyed a cappuccino and the paper while Joe wandered.
Then down to a noisy, cheerful buffet. Many families were at Moonfleet – very popular with the toddler crowd.
The food: typical British breakfast – bacon, sausages (really good ones, I might add), hashbrowns, eggs, roasted tomatoes, baked beans, toast.
From breakfast I headed off to a 10 a.m. massage, which was delightful. My back and neck melted. I loved that half coma state massage delivers me into. Pity the poor souls who don’t like to be touched.
After I grudgingly left the table I found Joe and company ready to go to Monkey World:
Set amongst the woodland of Dorset lays 65 acres of sanctuary for over 230 primates. Monkey World was set up in 1987 by Jim Cronin to provide abused Spanish beach chimps with a permanent, stable home. Today Monkey World works in conjunction with foreign governments from all over the world to stop the illegal smuggling of apes out of Africa and Asia. At the park visitors can see more than 230 primates of 15 different species.
We had a great few hours there – a gorgeous day to wander through the place, which is quite large, with a wide array of indoor/outdoor facilities for primates. Big and small, busy and lazy, climbing and playing, relaxing and people-watching, they were fun to read about and observe. Some have horrid pasts – cigarette burn scars, prior addictions to valium and other drugs, inability to parent because they’d never been nurtured, etc.
Here they seem happy and according to the anecdotes about them, most have learned how to relate to their species again, after having been caged or used by humans in inhumane ways.
The park has playground areas and a nature walk interspersed throughout, so it was particularly fun for the kids. Great climbing facilities!
We eventually grabbed a late lunch of typical fast food stuff, then hit the gift shop and took our cab back to the hotel. Great views of the area on the return drive.
Back at Moonfleet we grabbed suits and hit the pool. Once everyone was pooled out, I showered the kids up, then hit the sauna. LOVE LOVE LOVE saunas.
We had a nice break before dinner, enjoyed drinks by the fire again, and this time dinner was exemplary. I had an amazing goat cheese and beet tart (again, pity the poor souls who don’t like beets) and a lovely mullet fish dish served with chorizo and gnocchi.
Joe had a duck appetizer and lamb dish which he seemed to enjoy, Ava had her pasta and Claire, chicken, mash and beans.
For dessert I had a simply amazing warm gingerbread pudding. Kids had ice cream. We all fell into bed, tired, full and happy.
Sunday -- We woke up to rain but by the time I got moving downstairs for coffee the skies had cleared and a lovely day embarked.
I borrowed a pair of wellies and squished through mud in the pastures around the hotel. Again, great views and good exercise, hefting those mud-caked willies. Joe did some wellie-hiking, too, then we enjoyed another round of really good sausages at breakfast.
Ava and I then hit the creche, where she made a mask, and Joe and Claire put some time in at the big play area for more trampoline and table tennis.
In no time it was check out and off we went to the train station for a relaxing trip home and tomorrow, back to school!
After a relaxing 2 ¾ hour train ride we pulled in and cabbed it down windy streets and roads, past lovely brick buildings and patches of green mingled with coastal scenes. Our hotel was down an even narrower country lane, right on the sea. En route we passed some farms, many horse riders and plenty of horses and ponies milling about in verdant green fields (I continue to be amazed at how much green is in England).
A traditional English building, the lovely stately inn had a big foyer with a dozen pair of wellies off left for guest use. A dog was hanging about near reception – we later learned he’s the Moonfleet Dog, name of Snoopy. He was a big hit with the kids.
After ditching our luggage we passed through 3 lounges with plenty of comfy sofas, chairs, card tables and coffee tables loaded with magazines and newspapers, fireplaces…and wound our way to the restaurant. It was bright and cheery, with big windows featuring great views of the sea and countryside.
Our lunch was sandwiches, eggs, pizza – all good – then we headed off to a large indoor play area where Claire and Ava made use of the trampoline and other toys.
Eventually we checked into our room, then headed to the pool. After plenty of splashing/being splashed, I stopped into the sauna to warm up and dry off, then back to Huntington and Harlyn (love how they name rooms in these character-filled inns).
Great fun to see how these places are decorated – lots of old photos, china, bear skins and the like mounted on the walls.
After collapsing for a bit we headed down to the lounge to await our dinner call. The process here is to have a drink, place the food order and wait to be invited to sup. No complaints – nice fireplace to cozy to up and plenty of headlines to glance over.
Our food was good – Joe’s sweet potato soup was superb – my crabcake and pork belly were fine. But my trio of chocolate was superb!!! Particularly the chocolate soufflé.
Saturday dawned gorgeous – blue sky and sunny. Both Joe and I took walks. The countryside screams James Herriott – large green patches over gentle hills, farm houses here and there. The dog accompanied me as we trudged along the water and field’s edge. Claire of course loved hearing the dog went along; she’s convinced we’ll have a dog as soon as I am won over with dog love.
Lovely way to start the day – exploring a gorgeous area on a gorgeous morning.
I then enjoyed a cappuccino and the paper while Joe wandered.
Then down to a noisy, cheerful buffet. Many families were at Moonfleet – very popular with the toddler crowd.
The food: typical British breakfast – bacon, sausages (really good ones, I might add), hashbrowns, eggs, roasted tomatoes, baked beans, toast.
From breakfast I headed off to a 10 a.m. massage, which was delightful. My back and neck melted. I loved that half coma state massage delivers me into. Pity the poor souls who don’t like to be touched.
After I grudgingly left the table I found Joe and company ready to go to Monkey World:
Set amongst the woodland of Dorset lays 65 acres of sanctuary for over 230 primates. Monkey World was set up in 1987 by Jim Cronin to provide abused Spanish beach chimps with a permanent, stable home. Today Monkey World works in conjunction with foreign governments from all over the world to stop the illegal smuggling of apes out of Africa and Asia. At the park visitors can see more than 230 primates of 15 different species.
We had a great few hours there – a gorgeous day to wander through the place, which is quite large, with a wide array of indoor/outdoor facilities for primates. Big and small, busy and lazy, climbing and playing, relaxing and people-watching, they were fun to read about and observe. Some have horrid pasts – cigarette burn scars, prior addictions to valium and other drugs, inability to parent because they’d never been nurtured, etc.
Here they seem happy and according to the anecdotes about them, most have learned how to relate to their species again, after having been caged or used by humans in inhumane ways.
The park has playground areas and a nature walk interspersed throughout, so it was particularly fun for the kids. Great climbing facilities!
We eventually grabbed a late lunch of typical fast food stuff, then hit the gift shop and took our cab back to the hotel. Great views of the area on the return drive.
Back at Moonfleet we grabbed suits and hit the pool. Once everyone was pooled out, I showered the kids up, then hit the sauna. LOVE LOVE LOVE saunas.
We had a nice break before dinner, enjoyed drinks by the fire again, and this time dinner was exemplary. I had an amazing goat cheese and beet tart (again, pity the poor souls who don’t like beets) and a lovely mullet fish dish served with chorizo and gnocchi.
Joe had a duck appetizer and lamb dish which he seemed to enjoy, Ava had her pasta and Claire, chicken, mash and beans.
For dessert I had a simply amazing warm gingerbread pudding. Kids had ice cream. We all fell into bed, tired, full and happy.
Sunday -- We woke up to rain but by the time I got moving downstairs for coffee the skies had cleared and a lovely day embarked.
I borrowed a pair of wellies and squished through mud in the pastures around the hotel. Again, great views and good exercise, hefting those mud-caked willies. Joe did some wellie-hiking, too, then we enjoyed another round of really good sausages at breakfast.
Ava and I then hit the creche, where she made a mask, and Joe and Claire put some time in at the big play area for more trampoline and table tennis.
In no time it was check out and off we went to the train station for a relaxing trip home and tomorrow, back to school!
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Jama Masjid, Old Delhi
Largest mosque in India
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