September 2017

September was back to school month for us and what a difference from last year. Last year we had just moved in and the kids were starting new schools with everything unfamiliar. This year they went back to the same schools, familiar places and familiar faces!

I love the school photos this year so I'm breaking tradition and posting them on the family blog!

In early September we drove to Oxford for the day, about an hour away. We let the kids pick where we ate lunch - here they are with their cheeseburgers and milkshakes at Byron's.

We happen to love Magpies (the bird). Like us, they live in both Utah and in England.

We stopped in for a quick tour at one of the colleges to learn a little about Oxford. We didn't realize that the University of Oxford is actually made up of many small colleges - 38 total. So even though it is a large university it has a small college feel to it.

Rachel's favorite pen here is the Lamy, a German fountain pen that she uses at school. Here she is standing beside a life-sized Lamy at a stationery store in Oxford.

A popular activity in Oxford is 'punting'. This refers to boating - a punt is a long, flat boat that is very stable in the water. The punter stands at one end of the boat on a small platform and uses a very long oar to propel the boat through the water (similar to a gondola). This is a narrow section of the Thames so many punters get stuck in frustration, especially when there are lots of boats on the water. We decided to rent a pedalo instead and pedal our way down the river.

September brought with it some visitors! We were very excited to have Dave & Lisa spend a few weeks with us and enjoy the UK. Here they are in Trafalgar Square the day we saw the National Gallery.

A day out at Hughendon Manor, a nearby National Trust site. In the 19th century it was the country house of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. The gardens and grounds were as impressive as the house and we were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day.

Rachel wanted to create her own slime so we found a recipe online, got the ingredients, and 'gave it a go'. The kids had a great time and the result did bear some resemblance to slime. It was a few days before the kitchen stopped smelling of shaving cream. 

August 2017

In August we headed to Dublin, Ireland for a long weekend where I ran a half marathon with some friends from my running club. We decided to drive through North Wales and take the ferry from Holyhead. It was more scenic then flying but we weren't expecting the rough swells of the Irish Sea!

Sitting on the ferry, about 2-3 hours travel time 

What a perfect day for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon - sunny with a little chill in the air.

We had a little time to explore Dublin over the weekend. Here are John and Rachel hanging out on the LUAS, the handy above-ground tram in Dublin.

I was able to connect with an old friend from my college years. It was great to see him and meet his family. Rachel and Carson enjoyed having some other kids around.

On the drive home through Wales I was able to snap a quick photo of this welcome sign with the name of the Welsh town we were driving through. Can you imagine having to write this out every time you write your address??

SPAIN! At the end of August we ventured to Spain for a week to escape the cold, grey weather of the UK. It was a very cold August here, barely above 70 degrees F for most of August. The hot, sunny weather of Spain was a welcome change. We flew into Madrid and spent a few days there, then took trains to Zaragoza and Barcelona and eventually flew back to London from Barcelona. It was a wonderful trip.

Our hotel in Madrid was very central which made it convenient to walk everywhere - our favorite way to see a city! Due to the heat we took lots of water breaks - most days it was in the 90's! (F).

Here we are at the Atocha Train station in Madrid where we found a turtle pond! The kids enjoyed watching the turtles.

The Royal Palace of Madrid - a gorgeous palace to walk through with lavishly decorated rooms and many famous pieces of art. Only used for state ceremonies not as a residence.

Mercado San Miguel - Great indoor market in Madrid. The olives were amazing!

Plaza Mayor, a central plaza in Madrid. Restaurants, cafes, shops, street musicians - great place for people-watching.

Bubble-making at Plaza Mayor. First Carson then Rachel.

Brunch in Madrid

Puerta de Alcala Madrid

On to Zaragoza! Our first night in Zaragoza was the night of the eclipse so we found a place to watch the sunset, hoping we might see signs of an eclipse. No such luck, but we did see a beautiful sunset.

Islamic palaces are scattered all over Spain, remnants of the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries when the Iberian Peninsula was ruled by the Moors. Below is the Islamic palace in Zaragoza, the Aljaferia Palace. We were able to walk around the inside of the palace and learn about its history.

While walking around Zaragoza we stumbled upon this American store and had to go in for a look around. It was a mini-grocery store stocked full of American food. Pop Tarts, Goldfish, mac-n-cheese, marshmallows, candy, chocolate, and even Snapple! It was amazing to see so much familiar food in one place, but also made us aware of how Europeans view American food - mostly junk.

After Zaragoza our next stop was Barcelona. We were a bit reluctant to stay in central Barcelona because the week prior to our visit there had been a terrorist incident. A van rammed into pedestrians on La Rambla (a tourist street in Barcelona), killing and injuring hundreds of innocent people. We chose a hotel in San Cugat, a suburb just 20 km north of Barcelona. The best part about Barcelona for the kids: a pool at the hotel! Rachel and Carson could have spent the entire 3 days in the pool and not felt like they were missing anything in Barcelona!

We spent a full day in Barcelona and took a Gaudi Tour to learn more about this famous architect that has influenced the city of Barcelona. The tour started at La Sagrada Familia - an enormous Basilica that was designed by Gaudi and is still under construction today, many years after Gaudi's death in 1926. It is meant to be completed in 2026.

The next stop on the tour was Park Guell, a public park designed by Gaudi on a hill overlooking Barcelona. Gaudi's characteristic mosaic tiles adorn the benches and other surfaces around the park.

The tour finished on Passeig de Gracia, one of the major avenues in Barcelona. Below is a picture of a building designed by Gaudi which is now an apartment building. Flats can be rented for 10,000 Euros per month!

We later walked over to La Rambla in central Barcelona and we were amazed at the memorials set up for the victims of the terror attack. It was very moving to witness this.