Portobello Road and Stuff

Oh, Portobello Road...filled with people and shops and everything in between.  If its available to buy, you can find it somewhere on The Road.  We walked the shops, saw street performers and endless Nutella crepes as well as every kind of London souvenir.  We even ventured into an antique map store that had 300 year old maps for sale (slightly out of our price range).  We ate a delicious lunch of bruschetta, hot dogs, donuts, and crepes...not necessarily all at once or in that order.  ;)  Delicious!  

On Fridays Elle had the day off of work, so one Friday we were true tourists for the day...we walked on Queen's walk along the Thames River, across the incredible Tower Bridge, and through the Tower of London.  I can't begin to tell you how nice it was to have Elle there- not only is she gorgeous, talented, super fun and great company, she is so helpful and was the best pair of extra hands a mom could ask for.  Checked some major stuff off of the London tourist to-do's today, but even before we did that...

Have you been to the oldest outdoor market in Europe?  Borough Market is brimming with every kind of fancy food your mind can imagine.  Zebra, alligator, ostrich, giraffe meat anyone?  Every kind of cheese ever invented, all kinds of fresh fruit, chocolate in all of its delicious forms, fresh smoothies and breads of all varieties (did someone mention donuts, because they have custard-filled confections from your dreams).  Yes, its a feast for the eyes and stomach.  We've been there 3 times, each time discovering something new that we have to try.  It's a London must!

We've also spent a couple of perfect FHE's in the park across from our flat.  The sun doesn't set until about 10 PM and rises before 5 each morning, so the daylight hours are most definitely not in short supply.  For FHE,  we played soccer and then next week had Kate and Taylor each teach a lesson .  Surrounded by a wonderful London neighborhood, the setting sun, a perfectly overgrown cemetery, flanked on all sides by trees, and the green grass...life is so good.

This Italian restaurant/cafe/shop/bakery is at the bottom of our apartment building.  We spent many nights here using their free wi-fi before we had our own internet.  Already nostalgic about this charming place on the corner of our block.

A Weekend in the Cotswolds

Our very first trip as a family was north to the Cotswolds and Oxford.  We stayed in Oxford, at the Macdonald Randolph Hotel, directly across from the Oxford campus.  The weather this weekend was very English...overcast, cold and rainy. But, it made the Cotswolds more old and magical because it looked dewy from every point and added to the incredible charm.  

We rented a car and drove all over the Cotswolds (even getting completely lost, per the general recommendation) until we settled on exploring the Upper and Lower Slaughters...as you can see, it was amazingly gorgeous and totally picturesque.  We walked up and down hills, through mushy green fields, and saw sights that are hard to capture because they are just too perfect and too beautiful.  The greenery and flowers were stunning-- it seemed as if these homes, gardens, hotels and churches had been here forever.  

We drove on to Chipping Camden, a town that dates back to Roman times and has some buildings to prove it! We walked down the totally charming high street and explored back roads and courtyards, taking the beauty in as much as possible, every turn a new sight to see.  I believe we might have witnessed more varieties of flowers in this one place than we have in our entire lives! 

This trip would have been close to impossible without Elle...she pushed strollers, cheered on the kids, and lugged baggage all over London to make a train that we were sure we were going to miss.  My girls look up to her so much.

Of course we found an old cemetery by an equally old church and had to explore the headstones, trying to find the oldest one in the lot.  There is something so fascinating about reading headstones and trying to imagine the lives these people might have led.  But, seriously, doesn't this graveyard look magical?  That old building in the background is what is left of an old Roman fortress (read: VERY old!). Next stop: Oxford!  

There are actually 33 colleges in Oxford, but there's really only one you've heard about.  We went on a walking C.S. Lewis tour of the town- we saw where he spent his first night, where he lived, where he dined and pondered with JRR Tolkien, and where he studied and converted to Christianity.  It is an amazing and inspiring story!

From the words of CS Lewis during his time at Magdalen College:

“You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England.”

Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with tremendous difference that it really happened…. Does this amount to a belief in Christianity? At any rate I am now certain (a) that this Christian story is to be approached, in a sense, as I approach the other myths; (b) that it is the most important and full of meaning. I am also nearly sure that it happened…. ”

— C.S. Lewis

Blackwell's is a famously massive and very old (1879) bookshop.  

Walking the streets of Oxford makes one feel smarter.

My very captive audience ;)

Views from the top of the University Church in Oxford provided stunning 360 degree views of the city.  Houses of every color prompted a new nightly question from Tessa, "which house was your favorite color today?"

First Days In London

Our first few days in London were a mix of excitement, nervousness, jet-lag, and pure bliss.  I had a mental checklist of things I wanted to get done before the first weekend was over and quickly realized that things move at a much slower pace in the UK.  Brian and I also wanted to take advantage of a few days of no work and really trying to soak in the city...we were so happy to finally be here with our kids in this busy world that is so very different from the only place they've lived.

We met with a relocation consultant, Nina, that showed us around our new town on Friday afternoon.  The high street (or main street, as we would call it in America) is so charming.  The red-brick buildings with interesting and varied designs immediately drew me in. Cute boutique shops, outdoor cafes, pharmacies, and bakeries that I'd never heard of lined the streets that were quietly bustling with residents.  Another gorgeous day welcomed us as we walked around and oriented ourselves.  As the English say, it was lovely.  Very, very lovely.  

On Saturday we were able to move into our flat, met our friendly porter, bought some groceries and ate lunch at a cafe on the high street.  On Sunday, Brian and Tessa weren't feeling well, so they stayed home to rest while the rest of us braved this new system of transportation in order to make it to church on time for its 9 AM start.  We made it by 9:40, but we lucked out because it ended up being a special broadcast from Elder Holland that started at 10, so we were more than punctual after all.  

After church, and when Brian was feeling better, we got out to explore some more.  We walked to Buckingham Palace (wish I had recorded Taylor's reaction to it), which the kids loved.  Then, we kept on going until we saw Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, the Thames River and Big Ben.  We have been feeling so lucky to live in a place that offers so much to do and see and learn.  It just never gets boring!

We have decided that buses, although slower, are our favorite way to maneuver the city.  Every ride is like a tour if you look out of your windows!  If we are going to be on for a while, Tessa will run up to the top and get as close to the front as possible.  She loves the double-decker buses. But, she absolutely despises walking...which we do a lot of.  Her stroller is our new best friend.

Taylor in the park across the street (above) and the super old cemetery (below) at the same park

On Sunday night, we had our very first guest come to our new home...Elle!  We had been talking for a few weeks about this new visitor/sister, who quickly became a part of our family.  Elle made our first month in London so much better!  And, our girls absolutely adore her.  (Elle is a family friend that we met through her mom's amazing blog www.71toes.blogspot.com.  Check it out if you have the time!)

On Monday, we explored Kensington Gardens and Palace with Elle before she started her London internship with a local architectural firm.  The gardens were beautiful (but cold!) and we covered a lot of ground on our feet.  We loved seeing all of the beautiful dresses that different royalty have worn through the years, as well as seeing the inside of Kensington and learning more about the royal family.  Afterwards, we met Brian for a family dinner in Notting Hill at a favorite restaurant.  

I took Elle and the girls for a GNO at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre for "Peter Pan" and it was one of the coolest things we've done.  The theater is exactly what is says it is...open, and surrounded by trees in the middle of a massive public park.  The play was sooo good too- it was a completely new British take on the familiar story and it was so charming and patriotic.  I was enthralled with the costumes and creative sets as well as the totally believable puppetry. Its so nice to get out and spend time with my girls.  What a fun night!  

This was at a fair (or fayre, if you're English) that was on our street the first weekend we moved in.

The next couple of weeks have been busy sorting things like bank accounts, cell phone service, grocery delivery, and TV/internet.  We've also tried to get out and do things as much as possible.  The weather has been perfect most days, so its hard to justify sitting at home checking off a to-do list.  We got a membership to the London Zoo, which is a 10 minute walk from our house.  We have been 3 times and love it because you can get so close to all of the animals- they have a petting zoo with goats and sheep, which the girls love to ride on (no, its not allowed).  Tessa begs to take the tiny goats home with us each time we go.  She also loves to see the pigs, due to her recent obsession with Peppa Pig (good timing, right!?).   

We've gone to several different playgrounds too, most of which are in Regents Park- literally across the street from our block.  We also went to the Natural History Museum a couple of times, one time with some new friends from our ward who have been so nice and welcoming to our family.  They also have 4 kids  (3 girls!), so we instantly got along. We are so sad they are moving in a couple of weeks to Abu Dhabi.  

We met Daddy and Elle at Covent Garden one night for a dinner at a delicious Italian outdoor cafe right off the main square.  There are several street performers, and one came along that picked Lauren to be his helper.  His act was about 20 minutes long and she assisted him the entire time!  It was hilarious and totally awesome.  She was perfect- took her role very seriously and even "let loose" a little when he asked her to dance in front of the large audience that had gathered to watch.  It was definitely a highlight of our month here to watch her shine (and get so nervous) in front of hundreds of people.  As a reward, the performer gave her 5 pounds, which she wanted to spend immediately! On the way home, we walked through Trafalgar Square and caught a bus home through Regents Street, Oxford Street, and Piccadilly Circus- a true tour of some of the best parts of our city.  

Seriously one of the best memories of our move...such a fun experience for all of us.

OUR FAMILY TRAVEL

'Cross the Pond

(Lauren and Tessa sitting on our London flat window ledge looking across the street to the park)

Our flight to London was bumpy, to say the least.  Let me start from the top.  We had an amazing time at the Sedgwicks' home in Maryland for a Jewkes Family Reunion, but as reunions somehow always manage, there was an epidemic stomach bug that passed between most of the 57 relatives present.  We thought we had escaped it when we packed our 12 bags, 12 carryons and 6 of us into a van for the D.C. Airport on Wednesday morning.  We were so excited to begin our adventure in London!  

(Below is the video of our family's song for the big talent show...we sang "How Can I Be?"...so proud of Kate for learning the ukulele and Taylor for providing some excellent harmonies)

After boarding the plane, getting comfortable, and showing the girls the thrill of having so many movies at their fingertips for the next 7 hours, we settled in and took some Melatonin.  Brian and I were seated next to each other, Kate and Tessa were directly behind us and Taylor and Lauren were across our aisle.  A couple of hours later, I'm woken up to "Taylor is throwing up all over the aisle!"...it was everywhere.  As soon as the nicest flight attendants cleaned up her mess, Brian asked Lauren if she was going to throw up too and she said "yes" followed by an avalanche of vomit into her lap.  Taylor threw up once more but made it to the toilet.  Lauren, poor girl, threw up several more times, one of which was just as we were de-planing.  Which is also when Tessa decided to throw up all over herself.  We hustled off the plane in our sleep-deprived and sickly condition.  

Somehow we made it safely through passport and visa checks with no more vomiting- too bad because we were well-equipped with British Airways waste bags.  The kids were so tough- even the sick ones had to walk through the airport with their hands completely full of stuff.  While we were waiting to collect our bags, I took Lauren to the bathroom and as we were walking, she threw up all over the airport floor.  I rushed her to a corner to let her finish and headed off to the bathroom.  Oh my goodness.

After retrieving our bags and finding our car service, we were finally on the home stretch to our new city! London greeted us with sunny skies and perfect weather. As we approached the city center, I kept thinking "I cannot believe we get to live here"...it was such a good feeling.  

We drove to our flat in St. John's Wood, got a first (for me and the kids) look at our new home, and happily left most of our luggage there in SJW.  Too exhausted for our planned introduction to our little corner of London, we made our way to our Marylebone hotel (where we would stay for the next couple of nights until our rental furniture arrived), took baths, and then totally crashed for a few hours.  After forcing ourselves to wake up, we headed out for some dinner and then taxied to Hyde Park, where we played, relaxed, walked around and soaked in London for a couple of hours. It was so fantastic to finally be here.

The kids first taxi ride.  Poor Lauren is obviously still not feeling well and covered in throw-up.