Christmas Holidays in England

Once I was home from Germany, all eyes were focused on Sunday...Christmas day!  Steve actually had to go out of town for business from the 21st to the 22nd, so that gave the kids and I some time to get shopping for Daddy completed.  I even was able to get wrapping done.  But as it is the school "hols" (short for holidays in UK speak), I felt compelled to get out of the house and "do" something.  The kids voted on going to the Tower of London.  Never one to shy away from a sightseeing adventure, I said sure and we grabbed our things (camera, snacks, backpack and internet confirmation of prepurchased tickets) and headed for the train.

We took the train into London Waterloo and two tubes to Tower Hill.  It was surprisingly not crowded.  We were able to move easily through the tower and hear costumed interpreters.  We were soon ready for some lunch and since I had purchased a membership to the royal palaces, we were able to freely leave the Tower and look outside for lunch.  We stumbled on a hole in the wall of a pizza place and managed to get pizza and drinks for the four of us for 13 pounds!  A bargain in London...or anywhere in the UK and almost a fourth of the cost of the train tickets into the city.  On our way back into the Tower we saw a sign for a free iphone app called Escape from the Tower and they even had a wi-fi hotspot right there for downloading.  A few moments later and we were armed with technology to make this visit more interactive and exciting (and don't tell the kids...educational).  Other than having to turn up the volume on my iphone to the highest level and worrying that we might be disturbing the other visitors, it's a great app.  Truth be told, the other visitors are all holding those audio wands up to their ears and listening to some tour guide and for the groups around Wardens giving tours, we would move away to be considerate.  The App has you choose one of four characters to save from the tower.  It then takes you to different places in the tower to tell you the story of the escapee as you find the tools to help him escape.  As you go, you earn coins and can go on to free the other characters.  We freed two and know we will end up going back so will vow to aid the other two on our future visit!  Two prisoners that could not be saved were the two little princes and their story is highlighted in the app and then in one part of the tower.  Katie seemed particularly disturbed by this story.  After a fun day in London, we were home in time to make dinner.

Friday and Saturday were spent baking cookies and cleaning the house.  I am always fearful that Santa won't leave me any presents if the house isn't picked up and it will look bad in the morning photos too.  We had dinner reservations for 5pm at a chain restaurant called Frankie and Benny's: New York Italian Bar and Restuarant.  We knew the kids would all find something that they liked to eat here!  After dinner we walked over to the chuch we have been visited a few times for their 6:30 carol service.  This was the latest service of the evening at this church.

Opening the traditional Christmas Crackers!

When we got to church people were gathering in the fellowship area and drinking mulled wine!  After wine at dinner, I was thinking I might fall asleep during the service if I had too much mulled wine before.  The service was nice although the kids didn't like having to keep getting up and down to sing another song.  What I found interesting was that we sang 8 carols before we got to one that I had heard before!  The 9th hymn was a Charles Wesley Hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and since it is a Methodist church, you would expect that at least that would be sung.  (For those of you who are not Methodist, John Wesley is the founder of Methodism and his brother, Charles, wrote many hymns that are common to all Christians.)  Silent Night and O Come All Ye Faithful followed.   We were home with plenty of time to relax over brownie sundaes for dessert and watch The Muppets Christmas Carol before saying good bye to our Elf on the Shelf, putting out cookies for Santa, and sprinkling reindeer food on the driveway. 

Christmas morning was the traditional craziness of presents.  Santa did in fact find us at our new address in England.  Our tradition the past several years has been to go to the movies on Christmas day, but I had investigated a few weeks earlier and learned that the theater would be closed.  Oh, well, it's a good thing the family got some new games for the entertainment systems for Christmas.  It was just the five of us until we managed to Skype family back home. 

Santa Was Here!

No opening presents until Mom gets the obligatory snapshot.

Monday was Boxing Day in the UK.  Besides being the crazy shopping day it is in the US, it is a holiday for most companies.  We decided to partake in another one of the British holiday traditions by going to a "Panto."  A Panto is short for Christmas Pantomime and has nothing to do with "mimes!"  It is when the Brits take a traditional story and spoof it up a bit and get the audience involved in the truly British comedy way.  We saw a Peter Pan Panto.  We "booed" whenever Captain Hook appeared.  We got up and sang along to the crazy 12 gifts of Christmas (you should see what the captain gave his crew!).  We had fun keeping up with the Brits and plan to keep Panto in our plans for next year.  After the show we were treated to an all American dinner of Skyline Chili at the home of friends who live around the corner from the theater.  It actually made a great end to the holiday celebrating!

Getting ready for the Panto!

We hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and know that our house is open if you feel like celebrating the holidays next year in a British way!

Christkindlmarkt in Munchen (Munich)

Last weekend, I had a chance to escape the day to day of mommyhood and meet up with Allison Bergstrom for a Girls Only weekend.  We met in Munich to spend a few days scouring the Christmas markets of the city and take advantage of the numerous beer houses.  The proliferation of gluehwein stalls kept us going between the beer.

I arrived in Munich an hour later than planned due to Friday evening delays, so we started our weekend with a very late night dinner at about 11pm.  Allison had been waiting patiently in the hotel lobby for me, nursing a glass of wine or two and enjoying the facetime.  We were in the center of the city, just around the block from the main Christmas market.  In addition, we were around the corner the other way from the Hofbrauhaus, another Munich tradition.  We actually headed across the street from the Hofbrauhaus to the Hard Rock Cafe which was actually one of the very few places with a grill still going that late.  If you know the de Waards, then you know our quirky affinity toward HRC.  It started when we lived in Holland and needed a good fix of American food every once in a while.  It also is one place that has something on the menu that all three kids will want for dinner, making it a good stop for at least one meal in all the major European cities.  So, weinerschnitzel would have to wait a day, and we indulged in American fare for our first evening. 

Our second day started late, because we could!  We found a continental breakfast in a coffee shop off of the Town Hall square.  With a caffeine injection we were able to start our prowl of the city.  The first market we hit was the main one at the Town Hall.  We even caught the Glockenspiel play at noon!  (sometimes it pays to get up late...)

Munich Christmas Market

Glockenspiel at Town Hall

We perused the stalls and wandered down streets in just about every direction.  We had a map, but we weren't really using it, rather opting to follow the crowds.  Before one o'clock we had our first mug of gluhwein: spicy and warm to get us in the spirit of the markets.

We found our way to the Manger Market and then on to an ice rink at Karlsplatz.  From there we continued checking out the multitude of gift ideas by wandering over to the market at Sendlinger Tor.  Where the market at the town hall (Marienplatz) was mostly Christmas decorations and the nativity market mostly creches and the figures to fill the creche, this market actually had a wonderful selection of gift items.  Still not ready to buy, we mostly looked, but as we had not yet hit the beer houses, we remembered where we found the things we liked most!

Viktualienmarkt in Munich...yet another one!

With more and more lights coming on and the sun setting, our feet were getting a bit weary.  Fortunately, the Hackerhaus appeared before us and a plate of frites and two pints of beer (actually half liters) gave us the needed respite from the markets.  After an evening tour of the market at Marienplatz, we were ready to find a place for dinner.  Our first idea was to attempt diving for a table at the Hofbrauhaus; this is the most famous beer house in Munich and apparently in the 1001 places to see before you die.  Surprising as this may be for many of you, Alli and I were unable to commandeer a table!

We decided to try our luck across the street at the Augustiner am Platzl.  We were able to slide into a table as a couple got up to leave but now the difficult part came.  We had to get the attention of a waitress!  The waitresses here and it seems everywhere in the center of Munich wear the traditional Bavarian dress, which I guess leads to the cantankerous looks on their faces.  When we did catch her to order beer she was not all smiles and helpfullness.  Actually two gentlemen at a talbe near us who has also just sat down stepped in to make sure we actually ordered a beer that would agree with our American palettes. She brought us the beers but then seemed to ignore our desperate glares imploring her to take our food orders.  We had ordered Liters of beer, so I guess she figured she had plenty of time to get back to us, but I needed to get food in my stomach if I was going to be able to walk out of the restaurant with a liter of beer in it!  Apparently, the tables around us were having a similar problem, yet every time she walked by our area, she kept her scowl firmly pasted and her head down.  Uggh.  Finally we did get to place an order for two schnitzels.  She asked us something about the order, I have no idea what, buy I said "sure" and she actually smiled!  Alli saw it!  After a liter of beer, I was very tempted to ask her if I could get my picture taken with her, but was still sober enough to think better of it!

After dinner, it still seemed early at 9:45, so we headed back to the Hofbrauhaus and had much better luck at landing a table.  When in Germany do as the Germans do, so we ordered another liter each!  A younger Italian couple sat down next to us and the fun of the beer house commenced.  We learned that Francesca and Sergio were also on vacation for the weekend and that Sergio could not speak any English, or German!  Francesca was doing all the translating, which we found amusing as we could talk about Sergio right in front of him!  He was a really good sport and even bought us each another half liter!  (Have you been keeping track and doing the math.  I'll help you out, the total for the day was 3 liters!) Thankfully the Hofbrauhaus closes at 11:30 so we could still walk home.

Sunday was another late start.  Not surprising, I'm sure.  We actually found a really nice cafe across the street from the hotel where we had brunch the next three mornings.  The waitress was particularly cheery and helpful and told us of another market to check out.  With no specific plan for the day, we took her advice and wandered deep into the Englischer Garten to a market at the pagoda where in the summer a lively beer garden is waiting.  The brisk air made for a great walk.  We even saw the river where people actually surf!  There were about half a dozen crazy people in wet suits attempting the waves in the frosty afternoon.  A light snow had blanketed the area and kids were even managing to find small slopes for sledding and enough snow to make mini snowmen.  After our trip to that market we found the Medieval market at the Odeonsplatz and the snow started falling!  It was big, heavy flakes that soak your hair and wool coats.  Not able to enjoy the market we found shelter in a Starbucks. One thing nice is that you can pretty much order in English and it's all the same so you don't feel guilty not trying a few words of German beyond "Danke." 

Sunday evening we made our way back to the Marienplatz market for the 500 year-old tradition of the Krampus Run.  This is an obscure  tradition where members of the Sparifankerl Pass dress up in archaic costumes and run through the crowded market.  With only a photo on the website to go by, we were interested to see what this was all about.  We made our way over to a gluhwein stall and found warm beverages to spin us in the Christmas market mood.  Suddenly, we heard crazy cow bell type clanging from across the square and these crazy figures appeared.  They characters would come around with switches and snap at your legs with them and get right in your face.  Oh, the little boy who was not so happy to have a Krampus in his face!  If you think Santa is scary, you cannot even imagine the level of fear leveled by these guys!  Below is a picture of Alli with one of them.

After completing most of our shopping on Sunday, Alli and I took the time to actually do some sightseeing on Monday.  We visited the Residenz in Munich which had been the political and cultural center of dukes, electors and lastly kings of Bavaria.  Amazingly it has been mostly rebuilt after being more than 90% leveled during WWII.  The grotto courtyard, the antiquarium and the church of All Saints were the highlights.  We then climbed the 306 steps to the top of St. Peter's church for great views of the city.

We had a great time in Munich and I would actually go back again.  I bet it would be lots of fun in the summer!  Below are a few photos from the market.  Many thanks to Allison for being my drinking buddy and guide for the weekend.  Merry Christmas everyone!



Lebkuken and other treats




Ornaments



Nutcrackers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow!  I can't believe that it is Thanksgiving Day already.  Actually, here in the UK, Thanksgiving is closer to being over.  If you were wondering, there are in fact many differences in how we celebrate Thanksgiving here.

First, we do try to maintain our American culture as much as possible and Thanksgiving is such a special, amazing holiday that we don't want our children to forget how important it is to Americans.  Unfortunately, the school is an International one, so the kids did not have a holiday today and had to get up as usual and get the bus at 7:10am dressed in school uniforms.  The highlight of the day were the assemblies.  The middle school had an assembly in the morning that was prepared by the Student Council.  Jacob is a representative and was a speaker who talked about Giving.  What is amazing is that he actually wrote his own two minute speech about volunteering at Feed My Starving Children in Aurora.  For those friends in Illinois who are reading this, I hope you have heard about or even volunteered with this group; they are doing great work for children around the world.  If you are not from Illinois, quickly, FMSC packs a nutritious mixture of dried vegetables, soy, rice and a vitamin fortified flavoring to be shipped to groups around the world to get children in orphanages and other agencies the food they need to survive. 

Later in the day, the lower school had an assembly where all the grades sang a song of thanks together and then each grade did a short presentation.  The fourth graders did a Thanksgiving Day Rap (hat and glasses required)!  But Steve and I missed all of these demonstrations of Thanks, because we took the train to London instead.

Each year on Thanksgiving Day there is a special service for Americans in London at St. Paul's Cathedral.  We had heard great things about this service and were not dissappointed.  The music selection was great.  The speakers were great.  And to be able to celebrate and praise God in a building as beautiful and amazing as St. Paul's makes you think that your prayers of Thanks had been certainly heard.  I know many Americans who weren't there and yet the cathedral was full.  It is amazing to know how many "aliens" there are in the London area.  (The scripture lesson was from Ephesians chapter 2 and talked about being an alien in a foreign land.)

Statue of Queen Victoria in front of St. Paul's Cathedral (designed by Sir Christopher Wren)



Transept of St. Paul's Cathedral



So we spent the day at school or at church but the family did have a chance to celebrate God's bounty with a feast at home in the evening.  Many families in the American community around us made reservations in a timely manner and are eating a Thanksgiving feast at a local pub that has put together a special menu just for those of us craving turkey and stuffing on the fourth Thursday of November.  All reservations were filled quickly and we missed out (my procrastination, I must admit).  Many other friends are taking advantage of the day off from school tomorrow and are at the airport right now flying off for city breaks in Paris, Edinburgh, or Dublin to name a few.  Steve and I came home and I actually got very busy pulling together a traditional meal for the five of us.  I know, lots of work for dinner for five, but you would do it too, trust me.

I did not make a full turkey, rather, I found split turkey breast roast and actually made two of those.  My kids don't like mashed potatoes, please don't get me started about that, so I made Jacob's favorite roasted potatoes.  For Cameron we had Kraft macaroni and cheese on the table because he is most thankful for that.  Sweet potatoes, green beans and carrots helped to round us out.  Steve had only requested that stuffing be on the table.  Since there are no bags of Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix in the grocery stores or even in the ones that carry American goods, I actually made it from scratch.  I made cornbread first to use as the base rather than traditional bread.  Steve liked it which is all that really matters!

Today we prayed at our table for our family and friends so far away, but we also thanked God for the new friends who have made us feel at home in England.  We are also very thankful for our dog, Rupert, and can't wait for him to be here next Thanksgiving to help eat the leftovers!  Thanks to my parent's for making sure he is well loved until he can come to England.  I also thank all of you for reading these crazy blogs.  Thanks for being part of my overseas experience! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Recycle and Save the World!

In the United States we have come a long way toward recycling.  I love that in Naperville we can even comingle all of our recycling into one bin.  Of course if you are the de Waard family, you actually set out at least two if not three bins each week for recycling.  One of the side effects of our easy American lifestyle is a preponderance of packaging.  We can buy just about anything we want in a nice neat package that we then need to recycle.

Here in Europe the recycling craze took off long before it did around the United States.  Mostly because of space.  How many people remember the Islip garbage barge trying to find somewhere to unload is smelly, fetid load?  Apparently there was no room on Long Island for it.  New Jersey didn't want it.  What were we to do?!  Europe has been overcrowded since the middle ages.  The people here have had to be resourceful, unlike in America where we could just send out garbage to the wide open west! (Until they started complaining too.) 

I wanted to show how things are different here in England.  First, I only have garbage collection once a week and what they will be collecting alternates each week.  Consequently, I have to always be on top of the schedule to know which bin to place at the curb (or in UK they write it "kerb").  I usually remember without any problem, but I don't hesitate to look up and down the street to compare the color of my bin.

Today was Garbage Day in Camberley.  I rolled out my Recycling Bin and my Food Waste Bin.  A Food Waste Bin is a glorious concept.  All food waste, cooked, raw, rotting, fetid, slimy, stale, you name it, goes into a collection bin.  The Food Waste bin is collected EVERY week.  This is then taken to a giant compost pile of sorts that is providing energy to the community.  Brilliant idea if you have ever had to stick your head in my refrigerator.  My husband and my father can attest to the fact that I usually have at least four science experiments going on in my fridge that tend to turn a stomach or two.  Now I know that it is all for the greater good of the community!  The second aspect of the brilliancy of this concept is that you do not have smelly Garbage.  Remember that today they only took away the Recycling and the Food Waste.  Next Tuesday they collect only Garbage and Food Waste.  What is interesting is that my Recycling bin is actually larger than my garbage bin and is overflowing after two weeks whereas my Garbage bin is often barely full.  I guess I am doing something right.

Another Recycling plus here in the UK are these really great Community Drop Off Centers.  No, not places for old people to play Bingo, these are Garbage Tipping Points.  On a side note, sometimes you see signs that say "No Tipping" next to a dark lane or open field.  Steve saw me look at such a sign and said "It doesn't mean that you don't have to tip a person for service rendered rather you can't dump garbage there."  In honesty, I thought there might be a field of cows through the long grass and shrubbery and you couldn't go Cow Tipping.  I had been surprised that they needed to put up signs to chasten teenagers for cow tipping which was the explanation of the weird look on my face.  No Dumping I would have understood, but who knows what they think when they see those signs around the U.S.

Back to Drop Off Centers.  These areas have big forty foot containers set up for you to properly sort large loads of garbage and recycling including things not allowed in the Garbage bin and Recyling bin set at the curb.  One great drop off area is for broken electronics and computer bits and wires.  We all know these things should not go into a garbage dump but we don't want to wait until June for the once a year collection behind the high school sponsored by the tech club and even that collection does not accept lamps and broken electronic toys.  Another drop off is for weathered clothing that you can't put into a charity bin because it is well beyond wearable.  There are the regular other spots like a bin for garden waste and one for recyclable like cardboard such as a pile of moving boxes because there are so many and you just want them out of your house.  It's a lovely place that is always busy and I am happy to say I can get there without even using my navigation system because I love it so much.

So we are working to save the planet one trash bin at a time.  We still have to work on the decreasing the number of juice and water bottles that we accumulate, but we are getting there.  I am thrilled that none of the kids are in diapers (nappies) because with Garbage collection only once every two weeks, my bin would be pretty foul, so not a perfect system, but in some ways, better than most.

Have fun taking out the Garbage this week and don't forget to Recycle!  (to save the environment, please do not print this blog!)

Halloween in 30 minutes or less!

     Halloween is definitely an  American holiday.  Some other countries have picked up some of the traditions, probably through American television programmes aired in overseas markets, but have not FULLY embraced the day.  For example, I can find Halloween decorations in the grocery store and costumes in shops.  One thing I noticed is that the Brits have picked up the gory side of the holiday.  Some of us know that in fact All Hallows Eve is a day for the ghouls and goonies to party before All Saints Day (Novemer 1st) when the good guys chase them back into the crypt for another 364 days.  We all know that somewhere along the line, American children decided they didn't want to look scary and gross, they just wanted to dress up and play tricks on people wearing fun costumes.  To be honest, seeing a giant Donald Duck toilet papering your house could be considered by some as pretty scary.  I also remember the witch costumes my mother made for my sister and I when we were 4 and 5 years-old.  We even had a chance to put them on a few days early for a Halloween parade and party at the firehouse down the street.  My mother had some green face paint to complete the look, but my sister and I both refused to put it on!  At the firehouse, another girl in a witches costume won for our age division, and hers was not a homemade costume with ball fringe added to the bottom and all the details my mother had painstakingly added to our costumes, but she had a green face!  Sorry Mom!  (You all do realize that when you win the costume award, it really is usually because of your mother's handiwork.  I was personally equally proud when Katie won the contest the year she was Supergirl and I had made the red satin skirt and cape and fashioned the felt logo to the leotard.)

      Because the tradition is not fully embraced in England, it isn't much fun to go trick-or-treating.  You might walk a half mile and only find 4 houses giving out candy.  The return on the investment just isn't there.  As parents who remember fondly the haul our kids dragged home last year while living in the US and now feel guilty about wrenching them from their American neighborhoods and throwing them into a foreign culture, we go out of our way to create a user friendly Halloween experience - Trunk-or-Treating!  Yesterday was the day for Halloween festivities at TASIS, the American school in England.  It was almost like being back in Naperville minus a little bit.

     First, the lower school had a Halloween parade and classroom parties at the end of the school day.  Much like at our home school, Mill Street, the children put on their costumes, lined up and paraded around the courtyard.  One difference was that only PreK-Grade 2 parade, the other grades line the parade route and high 5 the little kids.  Another difference, the kids get to go around 3 times, but even on the 3rd time around they haven't figured out how to stop on the "runway" and pose for mom to get the perfect Halloween scrapbook photo.  Then the kids go back to the classrooms for parties.  Here we have another big difference from Naperville, we get to serve them food, and it can be homemade!  So in Cameron's class they decorated a pumpkin shaped cutout cookies with orange frosting and gummy candies (I found gummy fangs!).  Then we play games and it's OK to do Mummy Wrapping (also prohibited in Naperville for unknown reasons).  After an hour of party time we all packed up to head home and prepare for the evening.

Luca, the class bunny, lead in his pumpkin costume.  Cameron behind.

The Ninja and Taylor Swift (straight hair doesn't really hold a curl all day at school)

    My kids and I were invited to the home of our Buddy Family for a pizza dinner before going back to the school for evening fun.  We live kind of far, so we went straight there after school and imposed for an extra hour.  This was good as the 6th grade boys could fret over what they were going to do for a costume for the Middle School dance that evening.  Having pizza on Halloween is quite a tradition for us as our Homeowner's Association hosts pizza for the kids every year before trick-or-treating starts.  This year is was just Dominos rather than Little Cesars.

     By 6:15 with costumes on, we loaded into our cars and set off for the school.  Here in England it is already dark by this time so it is probably much safer that we do Trunk-or-Treating instead of going door to door.  Parking the cars in the school lot is a bit of a production in itself.  There are parent volunteers who have to be there by 6 to be ready to direct drivers to spots.  There are no lines painted, so this is actually a vital role.  Next, only cars that have been preregistered can park in the Trunk-or-Treat lot.  Given limited spacing we had to RSVP to get a space and then you were awarded with an official Parking Pass with your Name on it.  By 6:30 we were being directed to a parking space.  Then only parents can get out of the cars to set up decorations in the trunk of the car (or boot of the car is you want to speak British).  This was a bit farcical as it was as bad as hanging the donut in front of the toddler's nose and saying she can't eat it!  It was for kids safety, but it wasn't long before they were all out and sitting on the tailgate.  Now the lower school kids were all invited to Trunk-or-Treat and only middle school kids if they were with their families in the parking lot.  However, the middle school dance started at the same time, so most of them, including Jacob, skipped the free candy and headed to the dance.  (Don't worry, Katie and Cameron passed Jacob plenty of loot.)

     At exactly 7pm a horn was blast officially starting the Trunk-or-Treating.  I swear that Cameron RAN off for candy!  The kids knew the horn would blow at 7:30 to officially end the event.  Steve managed to race from the office to meet us at just a few minutes past 7.  I was able to go off and search out the kids and pretent to chaperone them as I checked out everyone else's decorations and said hello to friends.  The kids had a lot of fun and were able to meet up with their friends which is what makes trick-or-treating the most fun.  OK, the candy is the MOST fun, but getting candy with friends is EXTRA fun.  Cameron was a stealth Ninja sneaking up and snatching candy most likely hitting up a few cars more than once as at the end of the event his bag was significantly heavier than Katie's bag.  Katie was Taylor Swift and a dad at one car gave her a second treat for singing a Taylor Swift song!  When the horn sounded at 7:30 there were downtrodden faces on the children and looks of relief from parents.  We had about 250 treats to hand out and only had 6 left in the basket!  We were on the edge of the parking lot, I think people in the middle may have run out because of the stealth ninjas secreting seconds. 

Jacob with a Mr. Pringles mustache hanging out of the back of our car

Cameron and Katie ready for treats!

2nd Grade trunk-or-treaters!

     Loot in hand, Halloween fun was over.  We just had to return to the school to collect Jacob and a friend that we drove home.  This time the two boys didn't talk so much about the dance.  Uggh, they are growing up.  I'll have to find the mom of a girl and see if she got any scoop.  Now the weekend is here.  We may have a few more tricks up our sleeve.  We are considering heading to a National Trust home where there is a Halloween Trail in the garden.  Tomorrow, Katie's soccer team is getting treats from all the parents with enough for siblings as well.  Then on Monday, we will visit the home of a soccer teammate of Katie's whose parents have planned a haunted house with treats to be collected throughout.  So although we won't be able to go door to door, we are trying to experience Halloween in England.  A little more challenging, but hopefully equally fun.  I can see from the haul of candy that there better not be any complaining from the peanut gallery!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Northern Ireland Day 6: Further Afield

We still had more to see of Northern Ireland!  On Thursday morning, we had a great breakfast of fresh eggs from the chickens in the garden before heading out to see what we could see.  We were still in the Causeway Coast area for some sights, but venturing to Londonderry to walk the walls of the old city.

Our first stop was really a wonder rather than a destination.  There is a road where the trees line both sides but the branches intertwine overhead in such a way as to create a lovely archway.  The locals refer to it as the Dark Hedges.  We made our way inland to the road in question which isn't but a half mile long stretch and were amazed that it looks just like the postcard I bought.  In true crazy mom fashion, I made the kids get in the road for some photos!  They only had to jump to the side three times because of cars.  I didn't really put them in danger....

With a timed out schedule, we were back on the road in ten minutes to drive on to our next sight: Dunluce Castle.  This was a ruin that we had seen a photo of and all agreed we had to check out.  Back along the coast near Portrush the castle looms on the cliff above the crashing waves.  The clouds were gray and a consistent drizzle pelted us.  We first watched the background video and then checked out the Discovery center which explained archaeology projects at the castle.  Once we had exhausted viewing displays in the warm buildings, we ventured into the numbing drizzle to explore the ruins.  Trying to take plenty of photos meant my hands were exposed making my fingers raw.  The kids kept running through the ruins making up stories of torture chambers and something about Santa.  Steve and I were trying to read the plaques posted in different areas explaining the uses of the rooms whose rooves had crumbled and only partial walls remained to remind you of more glorious days.  There was a small tower from which I was able to get views down on the castle.  It was a good stop.

Our next stop was supposed to be White Rocks, a beach area in Portrush just down the road; however, the rain was only getting steadier and we were all raw enough that we didn't need to punish ourselves with more time in the elements.  We pushed on to Londonderry instead.  It was an hour drive southwest of the Causeway Coast.  By the time we arrived, the weather seemed to be letting up although we did grab the umbrellas on our way out of the car and into the city.  We had parked right on the outside of the city walls near the city center.  By now it was noon and the streets were busy with plenty of people going to lunch and getting shopping done.  Sale signs in Halloween costume shops all along the way enticed me to come in for a look.  I actually picked up a costume for Cameron and a pirate hat for Jacob.  I had not seen any similar full stock costume shops anywhere in my area, so I was happy to check something off of my to do list even if it meant carrying a large bag around town.  Our next stop was a cafe Steve had found on the internet and it had a kids menu!  We found it fairly easily in the center of the old part of Derry and luckily got a table just as the lunch rush began.  After eating, we made our way up a set of steps just a half block from the cafe up onto the wall.  The top of the wall is a good car width and has canons still arranged in different battery areas.  We made our way around noting the Loyalist and Republican areas of the city are still very demarcated.  I'm glad that Jacob did not wear his new Union Jack t-shirt today.

An hour back up the road to the coast to our last sight for the day:  Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne.  The sight is all in ruin but only since the second world war.  There are photos of how it looked 80 years ago and it is amazing how there is only a shell of stone walls left.  The temple is on the cliff and looks like it will someday fall off which it very well might.  When it was built, a horse-drawn carriage could travel all the way around it. The temple was built as a library and there was always a fire in the lower level so it would always be warmed.  The estate was built by an eccentric bishop.  I found it all fascinating; Cameron not so much.  There was a lot of navigating around sheep manure.

Just a stop at the grocery store for me to pick up dinner and then back to the cottage where it was nice to relax at last, our sightseeing around Northern Ireland was done.

Day 7:  Friday morning Katie and Cameron helped to feed the chickens and collect the eggs.  Steve loaded up the car.  By 9:40 we were on the road; we had a 3.5 hour drive to the ferry in Dublin.  We had lunch on the way and at the ferry in plenty of time.  Unfortunately, the ferry was 30 minutes late due to rough seas.  We managed to all sit together at a table but Cameron laid his head in my lap most of the way as he was not feeling well.  Steve kept his head on the table.  The boat would rock and all you would see was the sky our one side and water out of the windows on the other side!  People were staying in their seats.  Fortunately it was a high speed crossing and we were docked in two hours.  Only 5.5 hours later we were unloading ourselves into the house.  There is no place like home!

Northern Ireland Day 5: The Causeway Coast

Wednesday was a great day!  The weather is the typical Irish weather we expected: cold, damp with rain off and on.  We had to just get going rather than wait for the sun, otherwise we would still be sitting in the house watching BBC Breakfast and drinking tea. 

We made a great decision to head for Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge as our first stop.  The sight opened at 10am and as a National Trust location, we were able to slip in without paying an entrance fee as we had our temporary membership card on hand.  When we pulled into the parking lot there were not more than six other cars already there, most of those for the Trust Rangers on duty.  We made our way down the path with the wind whipping around us.  The ranger at the gate indicated the bridge was open, but commented that the day before the bridge had been closed to visitors for most of the day because of the high winds.  We quickly made our way along so as to be sure to risk the crossing before they thought better of our safety and closed it. 

The views of the coast as you make your way toward Carrick Island are stunning and worth the trek even if the bridge were closed.  The gray skies were not discoloring our excitement as we climbed a hill and rounded a corner to start our descent toward the bridge.  There is a guard with a gate at the top of the bridge to limit the number of people crossing at a time.  Just as we arrived, a group of three other tourists were making their way over the bridge and up the stairs to go back to the car park.  We were all alone!  Our timing was great, and we would be able to have the island to ourselves!  I stopped each child as he/she crossed the bridge for a photo midway.  Once all across, we were able to take in the views from the island.  We noticed some old structures on the eastern side that had fallen into disrepair.  Other than that there isn't much of an island or much to do, so we made our way back across.  The ranger at the gate to the bridge told us how the island had been used for fishing salmon for almost 400 years, but that ended in about 1995.  One of the last fisherman is still alive in the area and tells how when he first started fishing the waters there, they would catch almost 500 in a day in July, but that in 1995 only 350 has been caught during the entire season.  There were only ever 5-6 fisherman and then the rest were fish carriers who would bring them up and over the rope bridge to an ice house.  If you could have felt the weather whipping at us, you could understand that it would take quite a constitution to withstand such a lifestyle.  I don't think my boys could have done it!

Carrick Island is the largest one closest to the cliff.

crossing the bridge to Carrick island

kids on the island

making our way back to the mainland

view of the bridge from and overlook

With a spring in our step, we bounced back into the car and headed along the coast route to Kinbane Castle.  Down a VERY narrow road we arrived at a car park.  We were the only ones making the trek out to these ruins at this time.  At 11am the skies were still gray, but the wind prohibited the use of umbrellas as we made our way out.  The trail was well marked and we easily made our way down, down the steps and around the side of the cliff wall when the rock promintory with the ruins of the castle came into view.  This prompted my pondering of the comments between the newly married couple arriving at their castle:

Patrick: (cause you know everyone from Ireland is named Patrick) "So, Mary, what do you think?!" he asks with a hue grin and much machismo (he's travelled to Italy and has machismo)

Mary: "I'm not living out there!  It's freaking cold out here and the wind and salt water are ruining my hair!"

Patrick: "But Mary it's a CASTLE!"

Mary: "I don't give a sheep's arse!  This is hell on Earth!"

Patrick: "I'll promise your mother and sister can come visit whenever they want..."

Mary:  "Whenever..."

Patrick:  "Whenever..."

Mary:  "Alright, but you better not back out on your word or I'll personally push you off the cliff!"

The weather here makes me realize why Patrick and Mary have so many children!!!!  Between being stuck on this promintory for a great deal of the time and the need to keep warm.... you get my drift!

The kids had fun exploring the ruins and other than one incident when Cameron was almost pushed off the top by his big brother (they were actually much further from the edge than we had really been able to see), it was a great stop.  Even better because we were there all alone.  It's fun to make up stories and climb without feeling as if you are disturbing someone else's holiday.

"Mary, m'love, welcome home!"

Cozy, seaside cottage!

With a hike back up the hill to continue to push our quadriceps still tired and sore from Sunday's trip in the Mourne Mountains, we stopped in the parking lot for a snack and trips to the toilets.  Then we were on our way to Bushmills.

In Bushmills, we had lunch on our mind, but we also took some time to pop into a shop or two.  First we dropped off a few postcards at the post office/gift shop where the shopkeeper was very upset to see children touching anything.  Most of the tour buses stopping in town were of an older clientele, so I think she just wasn't accustomed to children, or she had lost her job as the wicked witch of Ireland.  Then we trudged all the way through town to a small cafe.  There were only a few locals popping in to pick up their To Go lunches.  They did have a kids menu, so we figured it couldn't be too bad.  It was like an American diner and everyone found something.  With bellies full, we made our way back to the car with quick stops in a few shops to look for a tea cup.  I like to collect a tea cup from my vacations, but nothing caught my fancy.

Our travels took us back to the Giant's Causeway.  The day before we had only stopped half way along the walking path and we wanted to go beyond.  We also had time for the kids to just relax and run around on the rocks.  That is the best part of the sight; you get to actually go out and experience it.  The wind was still blowing and the sun was in and out.  Rain would start and stop, but we headed down anyway.  We took our time to look at the rock formations pointed out in the small guide: the camel, the granny, and the giant's boot.  The trail to the Organ was closed but we managed to zoom in for a photo.  The rain managed to stop long enough for sun to shine through the drops and display a rainbow over the causeway.  With so many fewer people touring at this time of the year, I was able to get a photo without any people in it!  You would think we had a private tour of the place.  It was great.  But honestly, I look at the postcards in the shop of the area in summer sun with people in shorts and t-shirts and wonder which time of year is better:  nice weather, tons of tourist or yucky weather, few tourists.

The Giant's Boot

My pot of gold under the rainbow!

Rainbow over the Giant's Causeway

We made our way back up the hill to the visitors center where the National Trust shop was chockablock of great stuff.  I found a great jumper (sweater) to replace one from four years ago when we last travelled to Ireland and a fun ornament for our Christmas tree.  It was about 3:00 but we thought it would be great to call it a day and relax in the cottage so we made our way the 3 miles down the road to the house we rented. 

Uh Oh!  We all piled out of the car in the driveway and waited while the look on Steve's face turned to panic.  He had emptied all of his pockets, but the key to the cottage was not there!  I tried not to say anything (you all know this is not easy for me).  I called the kids to get back in the car.  Once piled in, we turned around and started retracing our steps.  Should we go to the furthest point first or the last point first?

We headed toward the farthest point: Kinbane Castle.  The drive down the road was torture!  Besides being windy, there was a car in front of us actually following the speed limit!  We decided to pull off at a sight that we had stopped at but not actually walked because of the weather in order to allow more distance between us and the car in front.

We pulled over at the car park for White Park Bay.  We had stopped there between Kinbane and lunch to consider a walk on the beach.  When we parked the car and started out, we realized it was quite a long way down to the beach and therefore a big hike back up.  The wind was blowing and the rain was actually falling at that time.  We had turned around at the top of the hill and returned to the car.  Steve thought that the key must have fallen out as he took car keys in and out of his pocket throughout the day.  An inspection of the parking lot was to no avail.  We would have to continue on.

We proceeded along the road in the same direction when we next came to the entrance for Carrick-a-Rede, our first stop.  We pulled in and drove down to the parking area.  Jacob and I jumped out of the car and looked around the parked cars.  There were many more cars here now than early in the morning.  I was happy to have Jacob look under cars; I didn't want people to come along thinking I was casing the area!  Steve went to talk to the Trust Rangers.  I suddenly saw him run off toward the ticket entrance booth.  That was a good sign.  Jacob and I returned to the warmth of the car.  Steve was soon back with the key in his hand.  Someone had found it and turned it in!  Yeah!  It was only a 30 minute detour and there was success.  Hey, we did get another long look out over the Causeway Coast before calling it a day on our sightseeing.

Our day wasn't over.  Although I had made spaghetti dinner the day before, tonight I was awarded a night off from cooking.  We drove over to the town of Portrush to the restaurant 55 Degrees North.  This place is great with amazing views and a kids menu!  (can you see an important distinction of a good restaurant is a Kids Menu)  A great end to a great day.