Alas, finally out of London

We recently ventured out on our first family vacation here in England. It was a lot of fun to get away from the city and see a little bit of the English country-side. We saw a lot of interesting places, rich in history and mythology. I am a little biased with how much I enjoyed myself, because I didn't have to, 1. drive on the uncomfortable side of the road, and 2. spend the whole time viewing things from a pram, car seat or baby carrier (although at times, it looked quite nice and warm). Brett and Maya had fun as well...but needless to say, Maya was more than ready for a large floor to crawl around on, and Brett very happily welcomed public transportation back into our lives.

Here are some highlights of the things we saw...

1. 1st stop...Glastonbury. So cool! We hiked to the "Tor" (Maya was such a trooper in the cold) and walked around the Abbey remains, where we stopped to see where King Arthur and Guinevere's tombs were said to have once been. Maya enjoyed some geese and ducks and talked the whole time.

Our hike up to the Tor. She finally liked the Ergo! I couldn't get enough pictures of Brett and Maya with the picturesque background.

It was windy and so cold, her nose and cheeks turned red.

Remains of the Abbey. The original location of what was believed to be the first Christian church in all of Europe.

-Drove to Wells, England. It turned out to be quite difficult navigating, especially in the dark, but we made it. Brett was seriously GOOD at driving despite the narrow, winding roads, the vast number of roundabouts, and road signs that confused us more the longer we tried to decipher them.

2. Wells Cathedral=stunning! So quiet and peaceful in a small little English town with beautiful landscape surrounding it. We soaked in the architecture and history for a while, drooling over the intricate details and beauty, then grabbed dinner before leaving Wells.

Wells Cathedral

-We stayed the first night in a place called Clevedon, which is right on the coast. Our room even had a view of the sea!

The Clevedon Pier

Maya enjoying the view from our room

3. Bath, England. Bath was a beautiful city. It obtained its name from the Roman Baths. It was interesting to learn how important bathing was to the Romans. They traveled from all over Europe to bathe in the hot spring in Bath. Possibly due to the influence of the Romans, Bath has continued to have a rich architectural heritage. An example of which is the beautiful Bath Abbey.

Views of the city Bath

The Bath Abbey

The Roman Baths-

As you can see, Maya hung out in a back-pack the museum provided because we couldn't take the pram inside.

-We stayed the second night outside of Bristol at a Holiday Inn, and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast and swim.

4. Avebury, England. The Avebury Ring, which encircles the village of Avebury, is a stone monument older than the famous Stonehenge. It was incredible how large these stones were (up to 40 tons) and to think about how the people living 5,000 years ago would be able to create the structure. The origin and purpose of the Avebury Ring remains a mystery, but like Stonehenge, scholars believe that the structure was built for worship.

-We quickly realized just how tricky it was to rent a car and drive here in England. It is not just about being on the other side of the road. We found ourselves stuck on Motorways, passing where we wanted to exit, trying to maneuver on the tiniest roads barely wide enough for one car and lost in a sea of roundabouts. I navigated for most of the trip and must say I became quite good at it by the end. We also came to the harsh reality that it is not as easy traveling with a little one in the back seat. She is only one little body, but so much work.

We're glad we were able to go, and came home just in time..right before the massive snowfall (only massive by London standards). There were about 4 inches on the ground and it was beautiful. We are enjoying the break from school and being able to spend more time together. We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas holiday!

thanksgiving treat

As a Thanksgiving gift to family members across the pond, here are some videos of Maya, long overdue :)

We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

*Our theory is that she developed this method of opening doors after having fallen on her face by pushing the door open while on her knees...

the tube

Disgusting.

Crowded.

Smelly.

Cramped.

Hot.

Dirty.

Necessary.

Efficient.

Fast.

Easy.

All words I've thought of while riding the tube. While mostly reliable (other than when the strike or maintenance happens) and highly necessary, I do not enjoy journeys on the tube. I have not mustered up the courage to venture out into the city via tube by myself, with Maya. Even with all of us, people usually help Brett carry the stroller up/down stairs, which has been convincing evidence and increased my motivation to try it solo.

What Brett thinks,

Claustrophobia .

Rush hour.

Mind the gap.

Delay due to person under train.

Oyster card.

Northern Line.

Study time.

And here is what Maya thinks of the tube,

Exciting.

Loud.

Lots of people to make friends with.

Bright colors.

Her reaction in this video is very subdued from being worn out and just plain exhausted!

Playing with Dad and the Christmas lights in Covent Garden

Fun in the tub with ducky

Me, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Boo at Bermondsey, Easter Island, Guy Fawkes, etc.

I've been wanting to update this for a while now, but have had a hard time getting started on what to write about. Brett just told me to give the people what they want: pictures... so here are a lot of pictures that are mostly self-explanatory. Know that we are doing well, staying busy, and that Maya, now 9 months old(!), is having fun exploring anything and everything she's not supposed to.

Yummy food at the Borough Market (my first attempt at paella...don't ask what Brett had)

It's just a better hot dog, Hyde Park style.

Our Halloween at "Boo at Bermondsey" (turns out you can't do much for Halloween with a baby)

Here is Maya in her make-shift Halloween costume: Dark Fairy, inspired by the muesli lady at Borough Market.

The tower bridge

Views of St. Paul's Cathedral

The Rosetta Stone and Easter Island statue at the British Museum- which is right by LSE, meaning Maya and I will spend a lot more time here! It is so huge, it will take several visits.

On a side note, this weekend was Guy Fawkes Day. A crazy holiday to "remember, remember the fifth of November." Fireworks started heavily on Friday and went on well until Saturday night. It has been an intense weekend. We didn't have pay to go anywhere to see fireworks, we watched from our window!

Meanwhile....we're planning a British Thanksgiving!!!

perspective

Time is going fast. We came to the realization that we've been here almost one month. Wow. We are settling in to our new life here and becoming accustomed to everything.

My days begin with Maya, are filled with Maya and end with Maya. We go to the shops down Holloway road often to stock up on food and other necessities. She's always a trooper and loves all the different people to look at and try to make friends with. On a nice day we make our way to the Heath and enjoy the trees, ponds and ducks.

Brett's days begin with homework, are filled with classes and seminars and end with homework. He is working very hard and usually comes home to Maya and me in the kitchen making dinner and pulling faces at each other. I've never seen a happier face than hers when he walks through the door...priceless.

The building our flat is in was supposed to have access to a laundry facility, but due to some leaky roofs, it has been down. Now, we are being told that the repairs may be too expensive to fix. Well, with a baby and two of us, you can imagine the pile of laundry that grows exponentially every day. So we had to do something about it. Our neighbors told us about a plastic washing machine that they bought, so we researched. We found one for 60 pounds and decided to go for it. It is called a twin tub and has two sides: one for washing and rinsing, and another for spinning. It's not the most ideal way to clean your clothes, but it gets the job done and has been a huge relief from the pricey launderette.

I've been thinking a lot about perspective. How my perspective of our flat, neighborhood, and even London in general has changed dramatically from when we first arrived. I realized that things are not so foreign, the streets not so confusing, our flat not so drab and plain. I'm starting to feel more at home and a lot more comfortable. I don't know if it is from time, from some simple decorations we picked up on our long journey to IKEA, or just having a better attitude, but I'm glad that my perspective is changing.

Our IKEA adventure

There have been four things on my mind that have helped with the transition. 4 lifesavers.

1. Skype...I love being able to talk to my family and friends whenever I want. It is amazing how close you can feel being so far away. It's even better than a cell phone...we can actually talk face to face!

2. Baby Jogger...we invested in a really nice, easy to fold, somewhat lightweight stroller (or buggy) before we left. All I have to say is that one standing-room only, crowded bus with 3 other buggies made me so grateful that I was able to unbuckle Maya, fold up the stroller, squeeze my way off of the bus, unfold the stroller and buckle her back in-holding her and the diaper bag the whole time. GENIUS!

3. Surf The Channel...I can keep up on all my favorite shows from home as well as seasons and seasons of older ones-(as long as you know the tricks)

4. The Heath...a place where I can feel like I'm in the beautiful outdoors hiking, yet see the city skyline and watch the ducks and geese with Maya.

The Somerset House

Recently...we visited Trafalgar Square and the Somerset House (on Last Chance Harvey...see it if you haven't) and Covent Garden, again. I also took Maya and registered with a GP (general practitioner). You can imagine my face when they didn't ask for my insurance card, a co-pay, or any form of money whatsoever. I sort of just stood there, confused, until the lady finally said, "that's all, you can leave." This week we were very grateful we were registered when Maya broke out with a rash and a fever. I called the office, the doctor called me back promptly and told me to come in. She gave Maya a prescription for antibiotics, which I received in 5 minutes...again, with no payment, insurance or any information other than my address. The doctor said she probably has strep. Poor girl...still so happy and smiling. Oh we love her!

(for the grandmas)