The Swiss Alps, Part I

Lauterbrunnen Valley

You know those vacations that you go on and when they are coming to an end, your heart hurts a little to leave?  Wengen was one of those.  Its hard to put into words the amazing things we saw, so I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking.  

We took a train from Bern to Interlaken Ost, then a smaller, local train to our permanent home for the week, in Wengen, just above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.  The views outside of the large train windows on the way up from the valley were unreal- it was hard to look away because every turn was a new vantage point.  I'm pretty sure everyone on the train had their phones/cameras out trying to capture what can't really be captured.  After arriving in the car-less town (yes, such a thing exists!) and exploring a bit, we were able to check in to our chalet (swiss for "home", right?!).  

Wengen sits on a shelf above the valley and in the shadow of the massive Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau peaks of the Swiss Alps.  Our living room windows framed all of these perfectly- it was a stunning view that I could hardly believe each morning as we walked onto the porch.  The morning held a perfect chill, so we would eat breakfast outside as much as possible, in awe, trying to take it all in.  We feel so lucky to be able to go to such an incredible place and be able to witness such inspiring scenery.

After unpacking, we decided to take an 'easy hike' (as described by Dad) down to the Lauterbrunnen Valley.  Turns out it was a 4 mile straight downhill hike- not so easy on the knees! I felt like I was walking diagonal for the entire thing just to stay upright!  About halfway down, we stopped to feed some goats, which the girls loved and probably could have done all day.  We walked/ran diagonally some more to the bottom, and our shaky knees arrived in Lauterbrunnen (saying it with a German accent is twice as fun... you should try it) and searched for some well-earned dinner.  We stopped at the Hotel Oberland for a very traditional Swiss meal.  Well, the girls had pizza, but mom and dad had rosti (like hashbrowns) with sausage and fondue with bread and potatoes.  I'm pretty sure we capped it off with some nice Swiss chocolate, as you do. (Fun Fact: The Swiss on average eat 22 pounds of chocolate each year, higher than any other country.  We probably came close to hitting that while we were there for 10 days...so good)

The weather reports for the week were a little foreboding , so we thought our first full day might be our only day of sun.  We really packed it in.  We started by riding a cable car to Grutschalp, a train to Murren, then another so-popular-you-felt-sardined cable car to the Schilthorn. Panoramic views of the 3 famous peaks are what make this viewpoint famous and well worth the squished ride to get there.  After walking the sightseeing decks, we decided to hike down the trail from the top for a bit. This was not a wanderweg (easy hike) AT ALL.  Brian led the charge (I should have known better by now!), and the girls were totally up for it, but it was tough and down jagged rocks.  Tessa had me carrying her because she was nervous she would fall off the mountain (obviously it wasn't that risky), so I was hesitant to go very far (what goes down, must go back up kept ringing in my ears).  We took it slow and stopped to sit down and admire the view for a bit.  The girls picked up the rocks and pretended like they were phones (they were flat volcanic-like rocks) and were talking to each other on them- ha!.  We headed back up, and Tessa grew some wings because she FLEW up the jagged rocks and refused to let me help her.  It was so cute to see her bravery after overcoming the initial fear.

Cable car down from Schilthorn to Birg

Birg Overlook

On the way down, we stopped at the incredible and nerve-wracking Birg overlook and then at Murren, to take the funicular to the awesome kids playground at Allmundhubel, where we had a picnic of you guessed it, cheese and bread- which I still dream about and wonder why they don't have for sale here in London!   

Allmundhubel Park

After heading back to Wengen, we took another cable car up to Mannlichen so we could go on the famous hike to Kleinne Scheidegg.  At the top of Mannlichen, you're immediately greeted by the sound of dozens of cow bells- it was the background music of our entire trip to the Alps because you could hear it from almost every valley and mountain top.  Free-roaming cows and goats were dotting the region close to their homes and farms on the steep slopes (storybook stuff, I know). Words cannot do the Kleinne Scheidegg hike any sort of justice- it was a feast for the eyes.  

We woke up the next day to completely clear skies again- when you expect the worst, I love it when those weathermen get it wrong.  Because we were rushed at the top of Mannlichen yesterday, we decided to head back up and let the kids play.  They have the coolest playground at the top of the mountain with slides, swings, a hammock, and even a single bowling lane!  Plus, Taylor, our resident animal lover, really wanted to touch one of the alpine cows.  

Afterwards, we took a gondola down to Grindelwald, on the opposite side of Mannlichen.  We made our way to First (pronounced 'Feerst'), via cable car, where we started our out-and-back hike to Lake Bachalpsee. We saw more goats and cows (I can still hear their bells!) that we could reach out and actually pet...so awesome!  This ended up being my favorite hike of all time...the views were 360 degrees in all directions and were completely breathtaking.  The mountains stretched as far as the eye could see and they were huge- the scale was unbelievable!  The green, lush valleys below studded with chalets only provided a more stark and beautiful contrast.  I could hardly take it all in.  We made it to the crystal blue alpine lake, climbed to the top of a hill in the middle and had the most perfect and picturesque picnic we could imagine. 

view from the hill we picnic'd at

We really, really wanted to do this zipline, but a 2-hour wait wouldn't let us :(

From Basel to Bern, Switzerland

There are so many amazing destinations on our list of places we would love to visit while we live in London.  The Swiss Alps was definitely at the top of this list.  So, as soon as we could nail down some dates, we booked a trip.  We bought some tickets for the 1.5 hour flight, found some great places to stay online, bought Rick Steve's Switzerland, and researched how to use the Swiss railway system.  Our first stop would be in Basel, where we landed late on Saturday night.  We shuttled to our airport hotel/casino, which felt a bit like stepping into Vegas, but the girls thought it was the "fanciest hotel ever"-mostly because of the gold building, red shag carpet and the multi-colored lights in the rooms.  Fancy! ;) We woke up and made it to church in Basel, which was in the neatest old building that fit right in to the city.  Its so nice to visit churches outside of your own, and especially in a foreign country.  Most businesses are closed on Sunday in Switzerland, so we searched and found an open gas station with a small grocery, where we picked up some fresh baked bread and real swiss cheese, the creamiest stuff you've ever eaten for lunch (a little different than what you'd find at a US gas station) and it was so yummy I could eat it for every meal (and we pretty much did!).  We all devoured it.  

Next up was a walking tour of the old town of Basel, which was old, perfectly charming and sitting on the beautiful Rhine River.  We let the kids throw in a coin and make a wish at the Tinguely-Brunnen Fountain and then walked through the old streets, admiring the beautiful buildings and even happened upon a pro volleyball tournament, which we sat and watched for a few minutes. Then, on to the narrow streets and charming old houses (with dates above the doors!) of the city center and along the Rhine to the bright red town hall, or the Rathaus.  Filled with ornate paintings and an intricate and colorful tiled roof, we relaxed in the inner courtyard before moving on to the Basel Munster, an old church filled with incredible wood and stone carvings as well as another colorful patterned tile roof with a killer view of the river below.

Taylor nailed it! 

We ventured down the steps so we could dip our toes in the river and get a better view of the many people floating down it.  It looked totally relaxing and refreshing (it was hot!) so we took our shoes off and put our feet in the very cold water of the Rhine...so nice! 

We took a bus back to our hotel, packed up, and headed to the main train station.  After buying Swiss train half fare cards for our entire stay as well as a ticket to Bern, we were on our way.  A short train ride later, we were that much closer to the Alps and in the capital of Switzerland. The peninsula of Bern is an amazing, beautiful, old city that sits on the turquoise waters of the Aare River.  Its suprisingly quaint and small for a capital, so we enjoyed walking around and learning about the city (thanks, Rick Steves for your walking tour!).  It was a perfectly clear day, so we grabbed dinner and sat on a bench and could see the stunning snow-topped Alps clearly in the distance.  Bern is well known for their beautiful (and freshwater) fountains dotted all over the city- each with intricate carvings that tell their own story.  The kids loved drinking and playing in the cold water pretty much whenever they pleased because the fountains were everywhere.  After checking in to our hotel, and getting settled, we all passed out after a long and full day.

We woke the next morning to find that we had a view of the temple from our hotel room!  It was pretty far away, but we had to go and see it.  We headed there first thing- about a 15 minute train ride and a short walk got us to the perfectly manicured grounds on a gorgeous day.  However, the temple was closed, so we relaxed on the grass outside for a while.  Its a beautiful temple and as always, has such a perfect sense of peace that comes when you're close to it.  Brian and I loved taking the kids there.

Bern Switzerland Temple, dedicated in 1955 by President McKay; rededicated in 1992 by President Hinckley

This is what happens almost every time when Brian hands over his camera to get our family picture. :) But, we tried!

We took a train back and walked all over Bern, starting at the the huge square off the main train station, the Bahnofplatz and down the arcades and fancy shops of the main street, Spitalgasse. Bern was once a walled city...3 times they were successively torn down and built again to accommodate growth. Each time the walls came down, huge town squares took their place and gave the city its many large gathering places where walking around, shopping, and people watching are clearly its favorite pastimes. 

It was a hot, sunny day, so we took a break and let the kids play in the 26 shooting fountains (one for each canton in Switzerland) in front of the Parliament building.  We then walked across the Kirchenfeld Bridge and then over to the famous clock tower, the Zytglogge-Turm, which marks the first wall of the city in 1250 AD.  From there we wandered over to the gorgeous Bern Cathedral (Berner Munster). I never tire of walking through old churches- they are all somewhat similar, but yet so different and speak of a time when cities were built around churches as a main part of people's lives.  I love that you can walk into a cathedral in any old city and literally feel the quiet reverence of what is a holy place.  Brian took the 3 older girls and climbed the 344 steps to the top while Tessa and I waited in the choir seats below.

From there we wandered over to the oldest and most beautiful bridge in Bern, admired the crystal blue water of the Aare, grabbed some ice cream and sat in a pavilion while we cooled off. 

We still had a few hours of daylight, so we took a train to Murten, per Rick Steves' recommendation!  And, we are so so so glad we did.  Murten was a step back in time- ramparts still surround the city, which you enter by a huge gate which directs you on to their perfect Swiss main street, the Hauptgasse.  The houses and flowers and shops oozed charm and it was the perfect time of night, where life just seemed to stand still- it was totally endearing.  Mount Vully overlooks Lake Murten and the town, and gives the city a sort of beachy feel down by the water. After we tried some of their traditional Nidlecheuche- an incredibly delicious tart that tasted like a doughnut with custard topping- we grabbed some dinner on an outdoor arcade and then walked down to the water, where the girls played for a long time.  We then boarded a train back to Bern as the sun set on another beautiful Switzerland day.

Paris, Part II

It's always interesting to attend a new ward in a foreign country, so we woke up very early (especially considering our previous late night) to make it to the meetinghouse in Paris.  Because it was only about a half mile away from where we stayed, we walked, and halfway there met and helped a cute, lost Australian family find the building. There were two wards simultaneously meeting right across from one another, one for English-speakers and the other for French.  Of course we had to hear the French meeting, but not to worry, they had a translator and headsets for everyone who wanted them.  French is such a beautiful language...I loved trying to sing the familiar hymns (but not even coming close- its a tough language!) as we went through the sacrament meeting.

Because it was the first Sunday of the month, people were bearing their testimonies, so we really got to hear several locals speak and talk about things that they felt so strongly about.  The Spirit was very strong and I loved all of it.  After the close, we walked down the street to a French cafe/bakery to eat some breakfast...which was so yummy! Fresh-baked baguettes and croissants, with scrambled eggs and bacon- doesn't get much better than that.  

After breakfast, we walked back home so we could relax and change to get ready for our bike tour of the city.  We met our guide for Blue Bike Tours at the St. Michel Fountain, just a stone's throw from where we stayed. But it was raining...a little bummed that this might not only make it a little dangerous for the kids, but also put a damper on the tour, we stood under an umbrella and hoped that the weather would clear up.  Right as we were starting, the sun came out and it totally stopped raining, and even cooled off (the weather during our visit was unusually hot for Paris). We picked out our bikes and started the 4-hour journey through the city, with a promise to hit all of the most important spots.  Tessa was in a toddler seat on the back of my bike and Lauren had a trailer attachment on the back of Brian's, for which she promised to pull her own weight (haha!).  I love guided tours and hearing interesting information and historical facts from people who know their stuff, and getting to do it outside, on a bike, in perfect weather, in Paris. Oui Oui!! 

Our first stop was Notre Dame.  Our guide was awesome and told us facts that none of us had learned on our visit the day before.  For example, the zero point in Paris is located right in front of Notre Dame, and all points in the city are measured from this circular marker labeled "Point Zero Des Routes de France" (said in a perfect accent, of course).  From there, we biked across the street to the famous Love Lock Bridge.  Although locks can be found on just about every bridge in Paris, this one was completely and totally packed to the brim on both sides- which is why they are removing all of them in a couple of months...too much weight for one bridge to handle! We bought a lock from a nearby vendor (product placement, people!) and wrote all of our names and of course, we locked it on the bridge and tossed the keys in the River Seine below.  We stopped quickly at the Grand Palais, Musee d'Orsay, and the Musee des Invalides- where our guide explained 600 years of French history in under 10 minutes- so interesting...it made me want to study it all.  I love history. After a quick pit stop at an outdoor market where we picked up the necessary Nutella and banana crepes, we jumped back on the saddle and were on our way.

The trickiest part of the bike ride came next, as we wound our group through the busy, busy streets, over and down to the path that runs along the Seine- which until two years ago was a highway, now used solely for pedestrians...and bikes.  We stopped at a crucial point along the Seine, where to Brian's (and Tessa's) utter delight, was a public sparkling water fountain!  French people obviously take their sparkling water very seriously.  We had to keep moving, but we promised Brian we could return later, with refillable water bottles in hand. Down the Seine, then up again to see La Tour Eiffel in all its splendor.  It still hadn't lost its magic- seriously, I don't know how it could.  

Then, we biked along the lower tree-lined section of the Champs de Elysees to the Place de la Concorde, where you could see the famous Luxor obelisk and the Arc de Triomphe from a distance.  We then biked around the Tuileries Gardens and right onto the plaza of the Louvre narrowly missing death on a certain crosswalk (oops!).  

The four-hour tour flew by.  It was one of those moments where you are just so grateful and happy and trying to really live in and soak up each moment because you know after it passes that you are going to wish you could do it all over again.  We all loved every second.

Afterwards, we walked back to the sparkling water fountain, as promised, and then along the Seine footpath to an outdoor pizza cafe that was right on the river.  The pizza was so delicious that I had to recreate it when we got home- fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce, with a pile of arugula, topped off with shaved parmesan and a sprinkle of olive oil.  Too good.

At day's end, we came back to our flat, and had each of the girls give us their prepared presentation on their assigned landmark.  Tessa, feeling left out, also gave us a presentation that left us all laughing.

On Monday morning, we decided to get a better look at that little thing called the Arc de Triomphe.  But first, back to the Louvre! Elle taught us how to do the perfect jumping picture, so we were all jumping around together in front of the glass pyramid like a bunch of American idiots trying to get the perfect shot.  There were several tourists there who also have pictures of us from that morning (ha!).  Lauren ... so classic.

We walked through the adjoining Tuileries Garden, grabbed a breakfast of every delicious French carb you can think of (which my waistline is now thanking me for!) and ate in the park. Then, we walked along the famous Champs de Elysees because you just have to do that when you're in Paris.  Aaaand, we had promised Taylor her first macaron at Laduree- go big or go home, right? 

Oh, and isn't Elle such a fantastic photographer?...thanks for taking our family photo!

The Arc de Triomphe is another Paris sight that is so much bigger and better in person than you imagine it to be.  The traffic at the roundabout is mesmerizing in and of itself- its amazing that people live to tell about it- there are zero lanes and eleven possible exits with cars jamming themselves in at every possible point.  After crossing through an underground tunnel to get to the monument, seeing the tomb of the unknown soldier and admiring the arch, we decided to climb to the top (or ride the lift up...perks of having a stroller).  Rick Steves was right- this is the best view of Paris.  You can see every thing from every vantage point as you walk around the entire monument.  This is also where we made the last-minute fateful decision to go to Montmarte and the Sacre Coeur.  

We Uber'd a car to the hill above Paris called Montmarte.  I wish we could've had several hours to wander the seriously charming French streets of the area.  We started out with more of the necessary crepes and then onward to the Sacre Coeur, where you could once again look down on the city from high up above. A few of us walked inside the church, which is also when Brian (who stayed outside) realized that we were going to miss our return train to London if we didn't book it out of there.  

Rush hour traffic in a part of town where wi-fi is spotty at best, with seven people and ZERO taxis on a major time-crunch is certainly not the best combo. We waited for an uber that never showed (probably due to the non-existent wi-fi) and then decided to climb back up, over and down the other side of the massive hill to a better part of town.  Cue the running in the right direction, Tessa-holding, sweat fest up and down huge flights of stairs until our phones would get a signal so we could hopefully get to the train station before our train left.  We were able to get an uber van, but then seriously c r a w l e d back to our flat through the major traffic while watching our clocks with no hope of making the train.  Elle, Brian and I left our kids with the driver while we ran upstairs and grabbed our bags and flew out of there so fast.  We had to go back in the same direction to the station and time must have stood still because we all do not know how, but we made it to the check-in 5 minutes before our train departed.  They luckily stamped our tickets (saving us $1200 in change fees), but had given our seats away, so we we would have to ride stand-by on another train.  This was our last weekend and final night with Elle, so we didn't mind at all spending more quality time together (we aren't nearly as perturbed as we appear in this picture- just tired!).  Two hours later we said au revoir to Paris and were on our way back to good old Britain.  We didn't get in until midnight, but we were in a place that is feeling more and more like home.  

Paris, Part I

We took a speed train from London to Paris on Saturday morning. It takes just under 2 1/2 hours and the brilliant English Channel to get from one place to the other.  Being a group of 7 in a big city with a foreign language is quite formidable, but we somehow managed to figure out how to get from the very busy train station to our flat in St. Germain (our "Paris home" as Tessa calls it). 

We walked across the Seine River to Ponte de Neuf and grabbed a light dinner before exploring the city more. The architecture in Paris is unbelievable...you could walk around all day just looking at all of the interesting buildings and bridges.  

Paris is filled with sites that you've heard about and seen pictures of your entire life...so to walk up on an iconic structure is this larger-than-life feeling.  Everything we saw this weekend was much bigger and more grand than I had expected and anticipated.  Our first stop was Notre Dame Cathedral and wow!  It was huge! And gothic, full of gargoyles and intricate stone carvings covering every single inch as it reached skyward.  The courtyard in front was filled with people because, as we learned, this is the most visited tourist site in the world hosting 14 million people annually! Cue the "crazy French pigeon lady"...she was a show unto herself- both people and pigeon were flocking to this seed-throwing marvel of a woman.  She put a hat on Lauren (Is it bad that all I could think about was that I hope there was no lice on said hat) and some seeds so the pigeons landed on her head for a nibble.  Same thing happened to Taylor (minus the hat) and while Elle was capturing it on camera, a couple of pigeons landed on her head too.  She was trying to shoo them away, while snapping pics, laughing and then simultaneously getting pooped on!  Something she will never forget, for sure.  

We were able to get inside to have a look at the old and storied cathedral.  Its massive interior was understated stone with gorgeous stained-glass windows.  It is so amazing to me that this church was built over 8 centuries ago! Brian, Elle, Kate and Taylor went outside to join the line for a climb to the tippy top, while the younger girls and I sat and waited in the cathedral chairs.  We were there for their nightly Evensong, which sounded more like an opera than anything...so gorgeous and so lucky that we were able to witness that.

We left the cathedral and headed for some dessert on the neighboring Parisian island of Ile St. Louis (Notre Dame is on the island of Ile de la Cite).  We found a gelato cafe and bought a huge take-home carton with 4 amazing flavors, sat down on the street outside, and ate up every single delicious bite. Yes, it was perfect. 

Taylor has been talking/dreaming/planning our trip to Paris for months and of course, the Eiffel Tower was at the top of her list.  So, we decided to throw parenting caution (and normal bedtimes) to the wind and see it this same night.  We got a car and were dropped right in front of another incredibly iconic site.  No one can prepare you for how massive this structure is...its absolutely incredible.  Its hard to describe what it feels like to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time after hearing about and seeing pictures of it your entire life...it really is surreal.  I'm pretty sure all of our jaws were on the floor.  We walked across to the Trocadero so we could just sit and marvel at the tower for a while.  The kids ran around the empty fountains and rolled down the hills waiting for the sun to set on a night when the weather could not have been more perfect.  Finally, at 9:30 pm, we walked across to the other side of the Eiffel Tower to switch our view and waited for the famous sparkling of lights at sunset (10 PM).  20,000 bulbs went off at 10 and wow, wow, wow...it was so spectacular.  No words.

After the thrill of seeing the lights, we headed home.  It has been Tessa's habit lately to have an instant and urgent need to use the potty (like if you don't find something in 30 seconds) so we were on some dark street when the need hit with no toilet in sight.  Before we knew it, she was crying and letting it all go all over herself and the street.  She laughed it off pretty quick, we made it home and directly to the bath, but we will always remember the night Tessa left a little of herself on the streets of Paris! 

While Brian Was In Singapore

It appears his meetings went well:

Brian had to take a work trip to Singapore the week before we left for Paris .  His team took him out one night and he was able to get some cool pictures as well as some "local BBQ", which included stingray (pictured in the center dish above). While he was gone, we had a crazy week.  Elle finished up her last day of work on Tuesday so we were strategizing about what we just had to see before she left for home.  But, life had other plans!  On Tuesday morning, I woke up around 1:30 AM to severe stomach pain.  I'd never had anything like this before and I was nervous about what to do.  Insurance here is complicated- I could wait until morning and use my private insurance, or go into an ER and use the free NHS system (eek!).  I was thankfully able to talk with Brian over the phone due to the time difference and he told me that it sounded like appendicitis, so I felt like I needed to make a decision.  At 3 AM, I could no longer stand the pain, so I got dressed, gathered my things, and ubered a car to take me to the nearest ER thinking I was going in for surgery. (Side note: I ended up at St. Mary's hospital, where Princess Charlotte had been born a few weeks previous!!) As I was entering, there was a guy leaving with a bloodied shirt and shoulder bandages in addition to several inebriated old men fighting with each other and the on-call doc about their care.  Totally sketchy. I was so grateful when the doc said I had some sort of stomach infection (no surgery!) and sent me packing with some medicine right on the spot.  I went outside to uber a ride home, but couldn't get my phone to work, so I walked around for a half hour in the middle of the night in a less-than-ideal part of town trying to get service and talking to Brian on said phone.  Finally, I got service and was able to get home and fell into a peaceful, pain-free, drug-induced sleep.  I was totally wiped out the next day so we just relaxed at home.

Things kept getting more exciting though.  Wednesday morning we were supposed to meet up with some friends to go to a pool in Hyde Park because it was going to be hot!  We were getting ready, when Lauren came to me complaining of an itchy head.  I did a quick look of her hair and found my worst nightmare...lice! It was bad.  Of course I had to check the other kids...3 of my 4 kids were down for the count. Minor mom meltdown ensued as I texted my friend to cancel, she came to the (major!) rescue...brought me a lice comb and took two huge bags full of laundry to wash at her house. I ran to the pharmacy to grab a treatment and Elle and I got started on a full day of washing, combing and picking nits.  Elle was awesome, seeing as it was her first day off of work and she was treating kids for lice...future mom points right there.  I spent hours picking nits and doing laundry in my top-floor apartment with no A/C on the hottest day in London in 10 years...yes, it was 88 degrees in our house by the end of the day.  I would have lived in the freezer if I could have.  Miserable.  

Feeling better about the lice situation, Elle and I talked that night about going to Wimbledon on Thursday.  I wasn't sure so we went to bed without making a decision.  The next morning we decided to just go for it!  We heard that late afternoon was the best time to head out there, so we spent the morning/early afternoon checking more stuff off the bucket list.  Harrod's to see the famous Food Hall, a walk through their Toy Kingdom and a quick look at the perfect Laduree cafe, we boarded the tube (laden with Harrod's brownies, cupcakes and the most amazing pistachio creme croughnut you've ever tasted) to the one-and-only Wimbledon.  After a miraculously short wait in the famous #QUEUE, we got general admission tickets to the grounds.  We walked around, trying to find a match with room for 5 +1 in a stroller...it took a while. ;) We finally saw an open court with mens double match that started in about 30 minutes.  We rested our weary legs and waited on our front row bench.  The match began as the sun was setting and the feeling was so awesome.  It was an intense match (as it would be when you pair some of the greatest players in the world) and it was beyond thrilling to experience it from the front row.  Elle explained the game that she loves, and we were all totally mesmerized with every moment.  It was so perfect.  It was getting late and we were getting hungry, so we very reluctantly gave our seats away, grabbed dinner and then headed home filled with gratitude that we took the train to Wimbledon.  It will not be our last time.

Brian came home on Friday and we all took a last walk to Westminster and Big Ben.  Brian and I loved being there with our kids and remembering our March trip where we excitedly talked about nights just like this one and now they were happening right before our eyes.  Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect place.

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.

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.

The Taj Mahal

Between the last day of class and closing ceremonies, we traveled by bus down to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. 

A few of the college students that helped translate and work with the women entrepreneurs. 

There is beauty and then there is real beauty. We had a good time.