Happy Thanksgiving!

Overheard last week in Zurich:
Happy Turkey Day!
It's Turkey Day?
I mean Happy Thanksgiving.
Oh, I thought you meant it was Turkey's (country) national holiday.

Yep, we're not in the U.S. any more. Further evidence included the fact that I worked on Thanksgiving, Chloe had school on Thanksgiving and stores here moved straight from Halloween merchandise to Christmas.

But we celebrated anyway in our own way on Friday by inviting our friends over (one family of 6 and a friend of theirs, and our single guy friend) and eating all the old standbys. It actually felt exactly like Thanksgiving when we all piled into the house, toys were flying by, kids were in every room, food was everywhere and there was barely enough room at the table for all the people and food. Chloe went to bed at 10 p.m. if that is an indication of the good time we were having.

Oh, and tonight is all about leftovers...so frankly, it feels just like home.

Holiday Tourists

This week, I made two visits to the Swiss Embassy to get a work visa since I'm spending so much time there. The easiest way to get there was the 414 bus - and online, it said it was a 40 minute ride. That didn't sound too bad - I thought I'd end up reading the entire way. But within seconds, I was car sick, so started watching out the window. And frankly, it was a lovely trip.

I passed the history museum with a winter ice rink and merry go round out side. I passed the Victoria Albert museum with holiday decorations outside. I passed Harrod's, and felt like a child, enthralled by its lights that made the huge building look like it glittered. I passed Hyde Park, where they are holding a Winter Wonderland. I passed the huge arch in the middle of the city (can't remember its name!) and then Marble Arch. It got me so excited again that I live here, so on the way back, I got off at Harrod's and walked around for a few minutes - and the effect is dizzying. I hadn't been in Harrod's yet - amazingly - and I can't wait to go back when I have a day to get lost!

The next day, I had to take a different bus back from the embassy, to head to the office, and it took me down Oxford and Regent Street. Again, the lights, the stores, the people - it was fantastic.

So, this weekend, we scrapped plans to go to the National Gallery Museum (it was too nice a day anyway!), and we headed to Oxford Street. Chloe is doing a little play at school soon, and is a duck, so needed some specific clothes. We shopped - along with a million other people - our way along Oxford, had a wonderful lunch in the middle of it all, walked through Mayfair (likely the poorest people there!) and ended up home late in the afternoon exhausted from being holiday tourists. It's a lot of work!

But, we're not done yet. I have an extensive list of holiday activities to get in before we head back the states - a visit to the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, a visit to Covent Garden for reindeer petting, ice skating in one of the many places around (once Chloe's new double-bladed skates are delivered)...

But first, we are going to celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday with some friends. The turkey is ordered, the ingredients for the sides are purchased and we hope to overeat - American style.

Zurich

Since I spend about half of my working hours in Zurich, we thought it was a good idea to bring the family for a weekend and see this little city up close. The truth is, during the last five months, I have seen little more than the office building, two hotels and a number of very nice restaurants with very beautiful views (but that I'm usually too tired to enjoy). So, it seemed like time.

I got here on Thursday to do two days of work, and then Mike brought both kids on the plane to meet me. That's right - I said Mike brought both kids on the plane (Rowan on his lap for goodness sake). And, while I had already lugged our huge suitcase and one stroller with me, it was not an easy feat. The morning before he got on the plane, I got an email saying, "remind me that I can do this!"

But he did, and he did it with great patience. When they arrived everyone was happy and the kids proceeded to spend an hour putting on a "light show" with the many light switches in reach from the bed.

Saturday, we had a perfect day. We headed early to the Dolder Sport Complex up in the hills to ice skate. This was the first time Chloe had ever ice skated, and the rink had little double bladed skates that hooked right to her boots. We got to the edge of the ice, and I lifted her to set her on the ice...and she refused to put her feet down. I thought that might be the end of it, but instead let her sit on the edge and set her feet on the ice and she was up immediatly. It probably took us 25 minutes to get around the first time, and then, she refused to hold my hand and shimmied her little way around the second time with barely any help. They had little polar bears that had handles and I could pull, while she held on. She wasn't as into that, because frankly she just wanted to skate alone. Sometimes she would give me both hands so we could "go fast" and I'd do my best to move us quickly without falling on our heads!  Even Rowan gave it a try - we let him hold onto the polar bear and walk around on the ice in his little boots. It was such a great time - skating around for almost two hours, with beautiful trees in the background, thinking about the fact that Chloe (and Rowan for that matter!) can say the first time she (he) ice skated was in Switzerland.

From there, we walked up this huge hill (stopping first to climb up a huge rock) and found a very Swiss little restaurant called the Adlisberg. It was in the middle of cow fields, with a horse stable next door. We had a wonderful meal, a nice glass of wine and two cooperative kids. After visiting with the horses for a long time, we walked back down, caught the adorable little train back down the hill, and then roamed around little cobble streets where Chloe actually passed out in her stroller...so we headed to the main shopping area Bahnoffstrasse, and while Rowan was content and Chloe was asleep we just walked around and talked. It was lovely.

We got to the lake as Chloe woke up, played in a big square for awhile, and then roamed a bit more, before catching the tram back to the area with our hotel. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant (funny, since we were in Zurich) and then Chloe and I went swimming in the 32nd floor infinity pool of the hotel. It was beautiful, the view was amazing and we had a great time. One of the best moments of the day for me is when the spa attendant brough in a tray of cups of orange juice. You would have thought she brought Chloe a pile of chocolate she was so happy. In fact, with no prompting, she toasted me, holding up her cup with both hands and saying, "cheers mommy." I almost died with love.

Sunday, we had the great pleasure of going to our friends' house outside of Zurich for lunch. They let the kids run wild while their 7-year-old daughter took total care of them and was thrilled to do so. We had a nice meal, and then headed to the lake to feed the ducks. We walked around their little village, and then back to the house, where Rowan took a nap, Chloe watched some TV and at one point, Mike was actually able to sit out on the terrace with his friend, have a beer and look at the sun shining on the lake. Something he deserved after all the work he'd put into getting himself and the kids there!

What did this weekend teach me? A few things - first, Zurich is very pretty. It isn't a crazy tourist place, but it is all about simple beauty. Second, my kids are incredible and patient travelers. Third, my husband is a saint.

Oh, and most importantly, happy anniversary Mike! You gave me a great gift this weekend.

Brighton

When we moved, we intended to cram as much Europe into our lives as possible. Our first step was to learn our neighborhood. And we're old pros around here now. Then, we spent some time getting to know London in general - and while I wouldn't say we're pros, I think we've seen quite a bit of the city considering we're always weighed down by a huge stroller and diaper bag no matter where we go. And then we wanted to branch out to more of Europe, and we got ourselves to Paris. Yep, it was a crazy trip, but we're so proud of it.

So, I'm pleased to say that now, we've done a trip outside of the city, but still within England and man, did we have a good time.

On Saturday morning, we headed to Brighton. It took only one hour to get there on a rather empty and lovely train. We had waited until the very last minute (Friday night!) to make a hotel reservation so were a bit worried about what we would find, but were absolutely thrilled to enter a lovely hotel in the marina with a great lobby and friendly staff to our kids. We dropped our luggage at the front desk (after diaper changes, reorganizing the diaper bag and Chloe playing with strangers) and jumped on a bus to the beach. 

I had read that the beach was pebbles, not sand, but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Or for Chloe and Rowan to love it either. But, it turns out, the beach was made of fist sized round rocks, which were actually soft and warm. And they didn't stuck all over us like sand would have. Rowan loved to pick up handfuls of the little ones and drop them, and Chloe loved taking the big ones and flinging them into the ocean. She has a wicked side arm.

I actually teared up sitting on the shore of the sea with Chloe, because out of nowhere, as the tide pulled away from the shore, and the rocks gently bumped into each other, I realized that our kids have an opportunity to see things they never could have without this move. Maybe they won't remember it, but perhaps it won't surprise them to know that rocks can whisper and that places like this exist.

After spending an hour on the beach, we walked down the very long boardwalk, watching the merry go rounds, peeking in little shops in search of Mike and my red car (what we get on each trip we go on) and stopping all along the way to see the amazing beach. 

After walking awhile, we came to a huge outdoor bar on the water with a live band - and there is nothing Chloe likes better than live music - so we settled in, ordered fish and chips and beer, and listened to the music in the sun. Did I mention that the weather was perfect? 74, sunny, puffy clouds that gave relief with a nice breeze in certain places. After lunch, Chloe wore...I mean ate, a chocolate ice lolly and we continued our walk.

A few minutes later we discovered a play area with giant trampolines - chloe jumped as long as they'd let her, which now that I write that, I feel lucky we didn't see her lunch again!

And then we walked back to where Chloe could ride a little merry go round, and after taking it all in a little longer, we got back on the bus and went back to the hotel to relax. Chloe fell asleep on the way there and stayed asleep as we settled in and Rowan played around her.

The room was great - big enough that two pack n plays they provided fit with plenty of playing room. A big white soft bed, and a large and effective fan - I love a good fan at night!

When everyone was awake and refreshed, we walked along the marina, which had a huge kids play area, and alas, another trampoline, which Chloe spent 20 minutes on. Then we checked out the restaurants and opted for a sweet little italian place across from the hotel in a huge courtyard. It was perfect - loud enough not to bother people, nice enough to have good food and the kids were so good that we had people from another table stop by to tell us that they were the best behaved kids they have seen at that age. While sometimes that isn't necessarily true, this time it was!

While Mike finished his dinner and paid the bill, I took both kids out into the courtyard where we played, had a puppet show and raced. A few people stopped to play with the kids and then a bunch of other kids came out to play tag/hide and seek. Chloe raced around the courtyard thrilled to be part of something with other kids, and it was 8 p.m. when we finally got back to the hotel.

We weren't sure how the one-room for all of four of us situation would go, but it was fine. We all went to bed at 9 p.m., and other than a brief interlude in the middle of the night when Chloe got in bed with us, it was a great night's sleep. In the morning, Rowan woke up before Chloe, so he and Mike played in the lobby for an hour, then we all got ready and had a great breakfast overlooking the marina.

We decided to walk from the marina to the pier (about 30 minutes) and along the way found a great playground where we spent an hour watching as some dark clouds rolled in. They held off as we finally got to the pier and roamed around watching some of the rides as they turned on for the day. We didn't really plan it, but being at the pier before everything was open and it was crowded proved to be a great idea. Then we decided to go to The Lanes (part of the town where they have cobble streets, litte alley ways with shops and great restaurants) for lunch. After buying a beautiful print from a little art store, we settled in a seat outside, ordered lunch, and then felt the first drops...

We had eaten most of our sandwiches when the rain began. It was a scurry then. I took Rowan in the little cafe to put him in the sling. Mike put the rain cover over Chloe in the stroller and then it really started to come down. The cafe was too small for us and the stroller, so we grabbed our umbrellas and started making our way back to the bus stop. It took some time, as we joined others huddled under cover from the complete downpour. When we finally got to the bus stop, it had been pouring for an hour and we were fairly wet (not the kids, just me and Mike). It was great timing though, because it was time to head home.

The hotel lobby proved to be perfect again for us, as we sat in a quiet little side area to play, used the lobby bathrooms for changing diapers and clothes, repacked our bags and just got ready to go.

The train was practically waiting for us when we arrived at the station, and the ride back was peaceful, with Rowan asleep on me and Chloe watching Elmo. And it was about the easiest trip back we could have conceived of...until we got off the train, began up the steps out of the station and I realized we didn't have our suitcase. Could have been worse - we could have left a kid on the train.

It actually proved to be rather simple to get the bag - Mike just followed it on the next train and caught it two stops later when the train stops to turn around. I, on the other hand, had quite an adventure getting the two kids and the stroller out of the train station (no lift), onto another train (no lift) and onto a bus to get us home. But, we got there happy and tired and thrilled to have made the trip.

Overall takeaway: We love Brighton.

A month behind - but that's okay

I'm about a month behind in posting. But I refuse to apologize (not that you were asking me to!). Because lately I have realized I'm not really posting because more than ever before in my life, I am living more in the moment. Part of the reason is that we live in a city where if we want to do something, we can - with very little planning. And that is lucky, because the other part of why we're living in the moment is because we have no time to reflect on what we've done or even plan ahead on what is to come. I'm traveling to Zurich regularly for work, leaving Mike to get it done at the house, which really means very little time for much else.

But even with all of that said, we have done some pretty cool things in the last month.

In mid-July, my parents came to visit, blending very nicely into the life we've built here and finding some time to enjoy London too. In fact, they came home some nights and told us about tourist things in London we have yet to see, or perhaps will never see!

My mom stayed for two more weeks than my dad, allowing me to travel for work with much less guilt than usual and finding plenty of time to play with the kids. And then there was Paris. Yes, that's right, we (me, Mike and my mom) did Paris with two kids under the age of three. And let me tell you - I'm not sure Paris was ready for us.

Just some highlights.

We had to take two pack and plays because the apartment we rented didn't have a bedding option for the kids - and they are both too little to just plunk down on a big bed and hope for the best. So, getting to the Eurostar train station in London wasn't so bad, because we had a car service pick us up (money well spent). Getting from the train station in Paris to the apartment near the Arc de Triomphe? Hysterical and a sight to be seen.

Imagine three adults with two rolling suitcases, a big double stroller stuffed with children, two pack and plays (approximately 20 pounds of awkward each), a backpack and an over the shoulder bag, realizing that there is no lift from the Eurostar level of the train station to the Metro level.

Now imagine that same group of us finding that the turnstiles to get onto the Metro are frankly too skinny for even a rolling suitcase to go through, let alone a stroller.

And now, picture the unloading of children, breaking down of the stroller, shoving of suitcases through the small opening, rebuilding of the stroller, reloading of children, re-rolling of the suitcases...only to find that we had to carry it all down about 30 steps to get on the train.

And that was just the beginning. There were tons more steps, some battling with my mother about who would carry the heavy things - during which at one point a young french woman stopped to offer her help, in French. It was very kind. And when we finally emerged from the Metro, after a transfer of course, into the sunlight, we paused, set down our myriad of thingsin exhaustion and just laughed.

But of course, the adventures continued. RC had a blowout within the first 4 hours in Paris (when we had dropped off our luggage and were buying time until the apartment was ready) and we had no extra outfit. So we were the classy Americans having lunch with a naked (diapered) baby who at one point stuck his hand in my mom's goat cheese and may or may not have smeared it on a window.

We were the family that upon entering Jardin de Acclimation had a little one (CC) have a total meltdown causing us all just to pull up some bench and wait it out, as other happy families passed us with knowing looks.

We were the family who, in that same park had yet another blowout (RC) which meant I was changing him on a blanket in the middle of this beautiful grassy area laughing while he crawled around stark naked and I wrapped up all of our now disgusting things in a bag. That time we had an extra outfit.

We were the fascinating group trooping both to and from that park with the stroller popped up into a wheelie because the front tire got a flat...twice.

We were again "that" family, when on the last day, while Mike happily watched the last stage of the Tour de France end, my mom and I took the kids to an outdoor eating area for pizza only to have CC throw a piece of baguette at the people next to us (no clue as to why) and RC to slap his hand on the top of the pizza box with Mike's to go pizza in it, causing it to drop to the ground, open and the pizza to land face down on the cement. He ate it anyway.

But I don't want to mislead you. We had a fantastic time.

The apartment we had rented was great - perfect for what we needed. It had a bedroom for me, Mike and RC. A large foyer that had a bed in it for my mom, and a side part that was perfect for CC's pack and plan. [Here, I would like to put in a plug for Gro Anywhere Blinds - a genius darkening shade with suction cups all around that made a little foyer into a bedroom for CC!]

We found a slide in view of the Arc and CC played happily in the middle of Paris. Oh, and of course, we were standing right by the Arc!

We had a lovely lunch at Martha's Cafe (regardless of the naked baby) and CC practiced saying "bonjour" and "merci"...which continued all weekend.

My mom and I got to go out on the first night and see the Eiffle Tower glitter. She had her first glass of Kir. We had a fantastic dinner. We got to experience Paris at night.

Saturday was amazing - We went place to place on the Batobus (genius for families, great way to get around, and totally affordable); experienced a rain storm while sitting on the covered patio of this little cafe right near Notre Dame and exited to blue skies and sun; actually strolled through Notre Dame with two sleeping children (couldn't have planned that any better!) and ended the day laughing and playing outside of the Louvre.

My husband and I got to go out on the second night for a glass of wine, giving us precious time to talk...in Paris!

Sunday we got to ride a little train to the children's park and - after the meltdown - we had a great time playing, listening to Rowan imitate the peacocks, eating lunch in a quiet little chinese garden and just generally being joyful. And Mike got to ditch his family (my words, not his) and experience the last stage of the Tour de France - a dream of his.

Even Sunday night, while we got ready to leave Paris and packed around two sleeping children, we even had time to just sit and laugh together as adults about the trip. And, more importantly, to schedule a car service to come get us the next morning so we didn't have to do the metro trip all over again!

The trip taught me that we're capable of anything really (as long as my mom comes!), but it also reminded me again what Mike and I have said (and say almost daily) when we decided to move to London. It isn't about the destination, it is about the journey. Thank goodness, because most often, the destination is where we end up having to pause for diaper changes, bottle warmings and meltdowns!

London Bridge?

On Saturday, Mike and I went to Burough Market. We'll include some pictures of that soon, because it was fantastic - essentially a huge farmer's market set in the city viaducts. We got there early, bought apricot balsamic, pistachio baklava, sourdough bread, one huge beautiful tomato and yogurt banana chips. We also sampled rose candy, Mike had a sausage and I had the best veggie burger of my life. Chloe played on a stone structure near a church next to the market and we managed to catch all the sun of the day in those few hours.

On the way to the market, we took a bus and Mike navigated us over the London Bridge, which was a great moment - crossing a piece of history. But then, as I was talking to my father today, he suggested that perhaps the actual London Bridge is in Arizona. And it turns out he is right. See below. What I learned is that the bridge my family crossed on Saturday was actually built from 1967 to 1972 after the original started sinking and needed replaced. Luckily, the Market was so fun, I don't know that it bothers me that much!

It is also worth noting that apparently most people think that Tower Bridge is the London Bridge and are disappointed to learn that is one bridge over.

Us on the "New" London Bridge (see Tower Bridge in the background?)

Tower Bridge

The Old London Bridge - now in Arizona

On 18 April 1968, Londong Bridge was sold to the American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil for US$2,460,000. As the bridge was disassembled, each piece was numbered to aid reassembly and those markings can still be seen today. The bridge was reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona and re-dedicated on October 10, 1971. The reconstruction of Rennie’s London Bridge spans a man-made canal that leads from Lake Havasu to Thomson Bay, and forms the centerpiece of a theme park in English style, complete with mock-Tudor shopping mall. Rennie’s London Bridge has become Arizona’s second-biggest tourist attraction, after the Grand Canyon.
The version of London Bridge that was rebuilt at Lake Havasu consists of a concrete frame with stones from the Old London Bridge used as cladding. Not all of the bridge was transported to America, as some was kept behind in lieu of tax duties. The remaining stone was left at Merrivale Quarry on Dartmoor in Devon, so a large part of Rennie’s bridge never left the UK. When Merrivale Quarry was abandoned and flooded in 2003, some of the remaining stones were sold in an online auction.

The Queen

After an outing to Kensington High Street, CC and I got home in time to catch a little of the Trooping the Colour celebrating the Queen's Birthday. To quote Mike, "it was just a whole lot of marching", but it is amazing the traditions they have here. I didn't see it, but Mike also pointed out that when the Queen stepped out of her carriage to "inspect the troops" she was still clutching her purse. What is that all about?

CC really liked the marching. She did some of her own and then sat with me to watch some more. She doesn't have an accent yet, but she certainly seems to like some local customs.

About Trooping the Colour:

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign's Birthday being 'kept' by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King's Birthday. From the accesssion of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event.

This impressive display of pageantry is now held on the occasion of the Queen's Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year to celebrate the official Birthday of the Sovereign and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute.

Since 1987, The Queen has attended in a carriage rather than riding, which she did before that on 36 occasions, riding side-saddle and wearing the uniform of the regiment whose Colour was being trooped. The regiments take their turn for this honour in rotation as operational commitments permit.

Over 1400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.

Precisely as the clock on the Horse Guards Building strikes eleven, the Royal Procession arrives and The Queen takes the Royal Salute. The parade begins with the Inspection, The Queen driving slowly down the ranks of all eight Guards and then past the Household Cavalry. After the event, the Royal Family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch an RAF flypast.