Safe at home

Yup, the travels are over.

We had a largely uneventful return trip to Philadelphia (although the plane appeared to have a disproportionally high number of unpleasant people), and came back home to Indy, our adorable black lab, and our wonderful neighbors and friends.

Joey and Sammy quickly reacquainted themselves with their toys.  Lanna, thrilled to see a dog, followed Indy around the house chirping excitedly.

Our blogging goals weren't quite reached given the busy time in Ireland but we will continue to post until we reach January 16!

Thank you all for reading this and experiencing the trip with us.  

We hope to visit those near us in the upcoming weeks and those far away are always welcome to come to our house and stay a while.  We won't be going anyplace too far for a while.

The blog will continue to be updated to include the phenomenal Welsh castles, a reunion with Aunt Sydney, time with our neighbor Mike, the days in Dublin, walks on the southwest Irish coast, a trip to Blarney castle, and the last two days in England.

Legoland!

We went to Legoland! Legoland is closed as of November 1, and since we arrived in England on November 1, we thought we would never make it. But in fact, Legoland has a Christmas Spectacular (or really, Bricktacular) which is a fraction of the regular Legoland exorbitant pricetag. So we booked the tickets a month in advance and made it to Legoland after dropping Grandma off at the airport.



Legoland is actually in Windsor, and from the waiting area, we had beautiful views of Windsor Castle. The real one, not the Lego one.



The advantage of going to Legoland on December 23rd is that it is not that crowded. I thought Legoland would be more about Lego versions of landmarks, people, etc. But in fact, it is mostly rides with some token Legos thrown in. We were able to ride just about everything in the park (that our kids were tall enough to do) during our day there. We did the carousel, the swings, the train, the Viking boat, the spinning spider, the fast carousel, and the roller coaster. And probably a few more that I am forgetting. 

Here I am with Joey on the Viking boat (he loved it) and with Sammy on the roller coaster (he loved the up parts but hated the down parts). Jay also rode many rides with the kids, but my phone died early in the day so I don't have any good pictures.





I also rode one ride that they were too short to get on. In fact, there were a few Legos for building at the base of this ride, and the boys were much more excited about that. Lanna was also charmed by a Lego cat.



The Lego masterpieces!



Lanna and the cat to be added when I get that picture from Jay.

We even had time to stop by an amazing playground. The boys enjoyed climbing and sliding, while Lanna tried to follow them on all the equipment that was completely inappropriate for a toddler.



At the end of the day, we finally had our appointment with Legoland Santa. Just as we were waiting in line for this amazing experience, Lanna fell asleep in the stroller (aka buggy/pushchair). Since strollers were not allowed in Santa's workshop, I waited outside while Jay took the boys in to meet Santa. So I still have not met Santa. Maybe someday.

Here is the approach to Santa's workshop. You can see that three house roofs are outlined with lights here, because to make the line move faster, there are three Legoland Santas. Hopefully this did not crush any small childrens' beliefs. 



The boys were lucky enough to meet Jazz Hands Santa and get their age appropriate Legos, which were a big hit! The parents have enjoyed the awesome Legoland gift bags, which are quite useful for carting bunches of stuff around.



Not to be omitted is that we had to take a short train ride to and from the Legoland waiting area to the actual park. The waiting area had possibly the most annoying Christmas music ever. I have forgotten it, but Jay refuses to tell me what the song is for fear that it will get stuck in his head again.

All in all, a great day at Legoland! We then had to go home and pack everything up for Christmas in Northampton... less fun, but all in a day's work.

Last days in London

We knew Grandma's visit heralded our last days in London, but her 15 day visit really seemed to fly by.

Before we knew it, she was packing up her bag and confirming her return flight to Maryland.

For me, it's easy to get nostalgic about the end of things.  I was thinking those glum thoughts of "This is the last time we'll go to Coram's fields," to "I'll never see that nice homeless guy in front of the Tesco Express," to "It'll be hard to call crisps chips and chips fries."

But of course, we did experience all our favorite things one more time.  The kids dealt with it better than I.

Fortunately before Grandma went home, I had a free day to run around the city and explore.  Admittedly, it was pretty amazing to not have to worry about a diaper bag, snacks, toys, gloves and hats, and strapping Lanna to my chest.  

Sue and I left together as she would be exploring the Tate Britain.  We took the double decker down past Parliament Square and then parted ways at the museum.

I walked about 13 miles that day, cruising all around taking pictures of any fancy car I found so I could share them with the boys later.   There were a few fancy cars out and about in London, including a tiny Hummer!  (A tiny Hummer seems very similar to a decaf non-fat latte - why bother?).

I also was looking for blue plaques.  

The blue plaques are placed on buildings to commemorate a person or event that occurred there.  Mostly for where people lived or work.  Naturally, these awesome circular history discs are the work of English Heritage!  Check it out here:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/

Like a little boy collecting playing cards, I walked around to collect a few plaques.  These plaques have actually been around for over a hundred years and one was on our building!

The search for blue plaques took me throughout London.  Despite the threat of rain or the few minutes of a tepid storm, it was a glorious day to explore this city.  I enjoyed seeing many new parts of the city and walking through other known areas.

I also dropped by the Churchill War Rooms which were a fascinating glimpse into World War II.  To think of Churchill striding back and forth in those rooms, twisting the cigar in his mouth and puffing plumes of smoke to wreath his bald head was amazing.

There was also time for a few selfies with Big Ben before I met Grandma that afternoon.

And when Grandma and I returned home, the day got even better!

I took Joey to see The Force Awakens.  It was something we both were looking forward to for weeks!

Given I had seen the original Star Wars (in the theater) with my Dad and knowing how much that meant to me, I was hoping to provide Joey the same joyful memory and bonding.

For those who haven't seen it, Joey and I give it two thumbs up.

For those of you who haven't seen it, don't click this link since it has major spoiler potential.  For those who have seen it, you'll grudgingly admire the sheer nerve of this guy:

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/this-star-wars-spoiler-is-so-audacious-you-cant-be-mad-1752242380

These exciting days helped to temper the sadness of leaving.

When we returned to Coram's field for our final visit, we found it just as we did on our first day!  The tents which had been there for weeks, the tents we watched the workmen struggle with were now gone, leaving the park feeling so open.

I felt the need to mark our time at Coram's, so I had brought a sharpie with me.  There, in the wooden tower that Joey and Sammy loved climbing and going down the big slide, the tower where they would chase each other playing James Bond or gather sticks and build a fire, there I wrote a little memento.

We also enjoyed Regent's Park one last time, or at least the boys did.  Lanna was too relaxed to get out of the stroller.

We also had to swing by Waitrose one more time (I already knew how much I would miss their complementary coffee which had sustained me so many times after a rigorous morning at Coram's fields).

Yes, that green coffee cup is indeed my last Waitrose coffee.

And suddenly it was December 23.  We took Grandma to the airport and dropped her off.

We did have a special surprise for the kids that day, a surprise Alisa will describe in greater detail.

After our fun day out on the 23rd, the 24th dawned rainy and grim.  The small market which teemed with stalls and students every Thursday was now down to 3 forlorn vendors and no customers.

We finished cleaning out 30 Torrington Square, Flat 2, removing all traces of our two months there.  All the luggage, toys, artwork, sundry kitchen items, and laundry basket were brought down and packed into the Peugeot.

It was Christmas Eve and we were off to Alisa's cousins.

It was Christmas Eve and we were leaving London.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Thank you London for such a wonderful time.  We look forward to seeing you again soon.

A castle fit for a Queen

It's true.  If English Heritage is involved in something, I want to be there.  Ever since our arrival in England and stumbling upon Dover Castle, one of the 400 places they manage, I have been deeply impressed by the organization, information, and sheer quality they have provided from Darwin's house, a preserved Roman villa, to numerous castles scattered across England.

So, when the chance presented itself to go to Kenilworth Castle, the ruins of a castle dating back to the 1200's, I was eager to visit.  Alisa, Grandma, and the kids were also willing to check it out.

Here is English Heritage's dynamic description of Kenilworth Castle:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenilworth-castle/history/description/

Since they do a better job with the history of the castle than I could ever muster, I'll just tell you about our day.

Thank goodness we had our Wellies!  It was spitting a chilly rain most of the day, often with a great intensity accompanied by a gusty wind, so having our feet dry was a great comfort.

The approach to the castle's ruins took us through the jousting yard and through Mortimer's Tower, still impressive after 800 years.  As we were walking in, we heard the staccato of gunfire off in the distance.

"What is that sound?" Joey and Sammy asked.
"I'm not sure but it sounds like gunfire." I replied.
"Why would they be firing guns?" was Joey's follow up.
I didn't really have a satisfactory answer for either of us. 

We enjoyed the sweeping views of the Great Tower on the right, John of Gaunt's Great Hall in the middle and Queen Elizabeth's Pretty Good apartments on the left.

We went down to the Elizabethan gardens which the Earl of Leicester (aka Robert Dudley) had built for Queen Elizabeth's third visit to Kenilworth.  The story behind the gardens is very interesting, with a guy named Robert Langham writing extensive and descriptive accounts of the gardens.  From these writings they were able to rebuild the gardens!

Even on a rainy winter day they were still beautiful.

And the pink building noted in the back was filled with boisterous songbirds!

We explored more of the castles, going into the remains of each building.

The view from John the Gaunt's Great Hall was incredible.
Here we are looking back at the Great Tower and the gardens below.

Here are the remains of the upper and lower levels of his Great Hall, dominated by the grand window casements.

Joey and Grandma!

We explored the other end of the Great Hall as well.  

The rain started to come down more seriously so we hustled over to the tower built for Queen Elizabeth by Robert Dudley.  

Here is where the Queen's private rooms were and the view looking out.

We went up to the third and final floor above the Queen's rooms.  The views looking back at the Great Hall were amazing and I'll never forget the whistling of the wind through the empty stone window casements.

Having explored all the buildings we felt very good about heading down to the stables as the rain started to come down in earnest.

We were the only ones in these monolithic stables with wooden ceilings over 50 feet above our heads.  Every English Heritage site has a cafe and we availed ourselves to some warm drinks and soup as the rain intensified outside.

After our meal we enjoyed the exhibits at the far end of the stables as the rain started to lessen outside.  

When it was a mere mist, we went to the most recent building: Leicester's gatehouse, which was built in the 1600's.

This is an intact building and they had a great area for the kids to draw and relax.  

After several "scribble scrabbles" by Sammy and some thoughtful coloring of a castle by Joey, we were ready to make the rainy walk back to the car and return to the comfort of the Star Inn for the night.

Wherefore art thou?

Verily we all arriveth to partake of the shelter, libations, and viands at the Star Inn in Sulgrave, George Washington's ancestral home.

Twas quiet and peaceful which we appreciated after the day at Oxford.  After a joyful repast, the boys lay back sated and happy reading a book dedicated to the history of their beloved Porshe.

Lanna spent the morning calculating our bill on their abacus.

The night passed in comfort and blissful slumber. Then to break our fast we feasted upon an olde english breakfast delighting in bacon, mushrooms, eggs, and beans.

Fortified by such a meal we then proceeded to William Shakespeare's ancestral home of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Beset by traffic, there was much gnashing of teeth until the Peugeot made port and then we sallied forth to explore.

Fortune smiled upon us and we quickly made entry to a splendid display of Shakespeare's impact upon history and the humble abode from whence he sprang.

The home itself was a handsome wood structure, large for its time with high ceilings.  We stopped to admire it and capture an image for posterity.

Inside we met a handful of energetic playactors recreating some of the aspects of 16th century life with William's father's work as a tanner, selling wares out a large window in their home.  Some childhood toys from that era were sampled but I lacked the skill to successfully make the tops spin much to the chagrin of my children.

We also saw the room from whence William entered the world and discussed the finer points of child rearing in the mid-1500's.

The potency of the first meal of the day was thence waning, so further sustenance was sought out.  Exploration of Stratford-upon-Avon yielded splendid views of bedecked city streets and older homes.

With our bellies filled yet again at a quaint Italian diner we moved onward to view the home of Shakespeare's daughter and her physician husband.  Twas an enjoyable home with tolerably good history.

Thenceforth to the Church of the Holy Trinity where Shakespeare takes his final rest after his eminently productive 52 years on earth.

Prior to going inside, merry music could be heard echoing within the church and we found a rehearsal going on inside.  With Christmas Carols resounding, the boys discovered a chest filled with royal clothes to try on.  As they were thus engaged, we enjoyed both a musical and dramatic ensemble within the church.

Alas, given the clamor within the church, it was closed early and we were politely asked to leave.  As the door creaked close behind us with a mournful solemnity, we also realized the door to pay respects to Shakespeare's remains was also locked, and thus we forfeited the opportunity to do so.

With sad hearts we strolled through the graveyard of the church and came to stand next to the Avon, contemplating the life and legacy of Shakespeare.  And also to take pictures within the grounds.

With the waning afternoon sun providing ample light but meager warmth, we followed the Avon down towards the centre of the city.  

This industrious blue ribbon enhanced the city and provided a lovely home for scores of geese and swans.  

We found ourselves near the Royal Shakespeare Company Theater which welcomed us in heartily.  
https://www.rsc.org.uk

Their venue boasted a unique production of the Peter Pan story titled Wendy and Peter Pan.

The theater encouraged exploration which Joey and Sammy eagerly embraced.  They found themselves in a room surrounded by artistic representations of Peter Pan and another box with costumes.  

They quickly divested themselves of their plain garments while adorning fantastic costumes, running hither and yon.  Joey delighted as Peter Pan while Sammy menacingly crawled about with a metronomic ticking to mimic the crocodile.

This good thing, as all good things, came to an end as well.  

A jolly reunion with our car ensued and we proceeded back to the Star Inn for a hearty supper.

By day's end, there was much to be happy about.  Wreathed in smiles, Sammy retired for the night, awaiting the next's day's adventure.