Hi Friends-
After standing in stand-by for an hour, we were selected to receive a coveted seat on a plane out of Gatwick. Many others were waiting, too. Some wanted to go home so badly they were in tears. Only 6 were called, and we got 4 of those seats (not together, and not with TVs that worked, but seats none the less). One family was separated, the dad went home and mom and two kids (and tons of luggage) stayed in London until Thursday.
The flight was delayed two hours, during which all the passengers were held in this small waiting room at the gate. To leave to go to the potty, passengers had to leave their passport and only 6 were allowed out at a time. It was a little crazy!
The kids did great until about 6 hours into the 9 hour flight (after sitting a total of 9 hours), when the wiggles just overcame them. They napped the rest of the way, with the help of just a little melatonin.
Nana and Pop greeted us at the airport and brought dinner and some groceries. Lindsay, our house-sitter did a great job, the house is so much cleaner than when we left. My dear friend Kelly was such a great help, covering for me with camp and
individual therapy coordination. Thanks, Kelly- you are awesome! Thanks to everyone else who supported us, by giving us time off, offering to help, following our blog and thinking of us. We love you all and are happy to be home with you!
London pictures have been uploaded but the photo hosting company is having some technical issues. Hopefully the final album will be accessible on Wednesday.
Love, Ellen
Join us on our year long adventure as we move from US to Reading, England for one year. With two kids and a dog, it's bound to be a fun adventure!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Going home today?????
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Monday, May 17, 2010
An extra day (or two) in London
We took a train into London and the kids are playing at a little park under the London Eye. Not such a bad deal!
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Sunday, May 16, 2010
I don't know where I'm gonna go when the volcano blows
Looks like we're not going to be heading home tomorrow after all. The huge volcanic ash cloud continues to move south. London's Gatwick Airport will be closing in 2 hours, before our flight can get out. The news reports that the cloud could linger for a few days. Fortunately, we were able to reserve a room for tomorrow before they were all booked, so we are fine. More updates after we learn more in the morning. Until then, singing Jimmy Buffett!
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We're heading home (we hope)!
Hi friends! We've had a lovely time and enjoyed exploring London today. We saw the changing of the guards- much to Connor's delight. It's quite a show! Hope really was expecting to see the Queen, and wanted to ask what is in her little purse (and to use her potty). I truly think she was disappointed to be treated as a commoner. Queenie wasn't even here today.
We also viewed other famous sites from a tour bus. We are unable to upload today's pictures but will once we arrive home. We also have taken some video throughout the trip that we can't upload until we get home.
We left our London hotel today and are staying at an airport hotel tonight for easier travel in the morning, as travel is much slower with kids. We are hearing that many UK airports have been closed today due to a volcanic ash cloud, but Gatwick is still open so we are hopeful to be home on time (2 pm EST). We just heard that London airports will be open at least until 1 am, but our flight is 8 hour later. Hopefully our flight will leave as scheduled at 9:30 am (or 4:30 am EST).
Whenever it leaves, it's a nine hour flight and words can't express the dread I have about containing these two wild ones for that amount of time. Our poor fellow passengers. Any guesses on the number of trips we will make to the potty (if only to get out of our seat)? I'm hoping the TVs behind the seat work, or we are all in trouble!!
Have a great evening and we are excited to see everyone!! Love, The Holloways
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We also viewed other famous sites from a tour bus. We are unable to upload today's pictures but will once we arrive home. We also have taken some video throughout the trip that we can't upload until we get home.
We left our London hotel today and are staying at an airport hotel tonight for easier travel in the morning, as travel is much slower with kids. We are hearing that many UK airports have been closed today due to a volcanic ash cloud, but Gatwick is still open so we are hopeful to be home on time (2 pm EST). We just heard that London airports will be open at least until 1 am, but our flight is 8 hour later. Hopefully our flight will leave as scheduled at 9:30 am (or 4:30 am EST).
Whenever it leaves, it's a nine hour flight and words can't express the dread I have about containing these two wild ones for that amount of time. Our poor fellow passengers. Any guesses on the number of trips we will make to the potty (if only to get out of our seat)? I'm hoping the TVs behind the seat work, or we are all in trouble!!
Have a great evening and we are excited to see everyone!! Love, The Holloways
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Saturday, May 15, 2010
Beautiful Saturday in England!
Saturday, May 15, 2010 Cambridge to London
Another fun, warm and sunny day in England. We awoke in Cambridge and left our apartment early to hit the Cambridge Botanical Gardens before our check-out. They gardens were beautiful and the children, especially Connor enjoyed skipping along the curvy paths. I think he's missed that freedom- jut following a path, otherwise unguided. He has had very little unstructured, free time here. So it was nice to see him so content in his own little world- music on, of course. We took some nice photos.
After check-out, the super-nice landlady held our bags so we could go punting on the Cam. The thoughts of either of our children flipping the boat were suppressed once we saw that it looked so much fun and truly is part of any Cambridge experience. We had to do it! So, to the dismay of our fellow passengers, we jumped on board. Once the smooth ride began, the children were great and never a real threat to anybody. Not the same with the mentally-handicapped Japanese tourist sitting across from us. He yelled on his cell phone in Japanese while our punter, who was trying to maneuver a crowed river, politely tried to keep him quiet. The passenger obviously couldn't speak any English and eventually gave the cell phone to the punter. Now, he's maneuvering the crowed river and on the cell phone to a stranger, probably in Japanese! He handled it well, until the turn-around point when the passenger stood up and tried to get off- in the middle of the river. He finally made it to a dock and let the overly annoying passenger off. Even the other, unrelated Japanese tourists in our boat were revealed. At least it wasn't our kids this time! Anyway, it was fun, relaxing and we all enjoyed it!
Next, we took a double-decker city bus (much to Connor's delight) to the train station to head to London, making our way to the airport for our flight home. Our super-kind landlady (the English accent makes her even sweeter) dropped off our luggage at the train station. Really, that's just super sweet!
The hour-long train ride to London was beautiful. There are these fields of bright-yellow flowers (called rapeseed, used for bio-fuel) making the farm land look like a beautiful quilt. A few pictures through the train window turned out well.
I think my favorite part of this trip has been meeting the people who live here, which has been easiest here in England, since we speak the same language. I so wanted to join the old women playing poker in Italy, and the little men's group in Spain, but it's hard to communicate on gestures alone. So, finally, I found my opportunity to make friends at the playground in Cambridge. I met this super nice mum, who was shocked to learn we are from Charlotte (though she wasn't from Cambridge either, seems no one really is). Her dear friend is in the process of moving to Greenville, SC and she immediately took me to meet her. Now I have two new friends (plus the lovely girls from the plane ride who read stories to Hope). See, that's better than history lessons and old cathedrals!
Tomorrow we are in London for the day, then head to another hotel at the airport in preparation for our early flight home Monday. However, the news is reporting a cloud of volcanic ash that might affect the UK on Monday. Just our luck!
Actually we have been very fortunate with our travel, dodging many bullets (oh, except for the four-hour train delay in Cingue Terre, which was marked by five-minute delays every five minutes for four hours). The first volcanic activity cleared just a few days before our flight over. And, upon leaving the Cinque Terra, which is only accessible by train, we learned that a train strike was set to occur just a few hours after we left. It was going to last over 24 hours. There really is no other way out- I don't know what we would have done had we been set to leave the following day. So far, of our four flights, all have been on time except one, which was one hour late. Hopefully, that tract record remains! For our children, waiting even a few seconds is intolerable- I can't even imagine days trapped in an airport with them. Prayers, please- safe, but not delayed, travel!
Here are links to our photo album (click picture below). Newest photos are at the end- you can skip to the last page if you wish.
Another fun, warm and sunny day in England. We awoke in Cambridge and left our apartment early to hit the Cambridge Botanical Gardens before our check-out. They gardens were beautiful and the children, especially Connor enjoyed skipping along the curvy paths. I think he's missed that freedom- jut following a path, otherwise unguided. He has had very little unstructured, free time here. So it was nice to see him so content in his own little world- music on, of course. We took some nice photos.
After check-out, the super-nice landlady held our bags so we could go punting on the Cam. The thoughts of either of our children flipping the boat were suppressed once we saw that it looked so much fun and truly is part of any Cambridge experience. We had to do it! So, to the dismay of our fellow passengers, we jumped on board. Once the smooth ride began, the children were great and never a real threat to anybody. Not the same with the mentally-handicapped Japanese tourist sitting across from us. He yelled on his cell phone in Japanese while our punter, who was trying to maneuver a crowed river, politely tried to keep him quiet. The passenger obviously couldn't speak any English and eventually gave the cell phone to the punter. Now, he's maneuvering the crowed river and on the cell phone to a stranger, probably in Japanese! He handled it well, until the turn-around point when the passenger stood up and tried to get off- in the middle of the river. He finally made it to a dock and let the overly annoying passenger off. Even the other, unrelated Japanese tourists in our boat were revealed. At least it wasn't our kids this time! Anyway, it was fun, relaxing and we all enjoyed it!
Next, we took a double-decker city bus (much to Connor's delight) to the train station to head to London, making our way to the airport for our flight home. Our super-kind landlady (the English accent makes her even sweeter) dropped off our luggage at the train station. Really, that's just super sweet!
The hour-long train ride to London was beautiful. There are these fields of bright-yellow flowers (called rapeseed, used for bio-fuel) making the farm land look like a beautiful quilt. A few pictures through the train window turned out well.
I think my favorite part of this trip has been meeting the people who live here, which has been easiest here in England, since we speak the same language. I so wanted to join the old women playing poker in Italy, and the little men's group in Spain, but it's hard to communicate on gestures alone. So, finally, I found my opportunity to make friends at the playground in Cambridge. I met this super nice mum, who was shocked to learn we are from Charlotte (though she wasn't from Cambridge either, seems no one really is). Her dear friend is in the process of moving to Greenville, SC and she immediately took me to meet her. Now I have two new friends (plus the lovely girls from the plane ride who read stories to Hope). See, that's better than history lessons and old cathedrals!
Tomorrow we are in London for the day, then head to another hotel at the airport in preparation for our early flight home Monday. However, the news is reporting a cloud of volcanic ash that might affect the UK on Monday. Just our luck!
Actually we have been very fortunate with our travel, dodging many bullets (oh, except for the four-hour train delay in Cingue Terre, which was marked by five-minute delays every five minutes for four hours). The first volcanic activity cleared just a few days before our flight over. And, upon leaving the Cinque Terra, which is only accessible by train, we learned that a train strike was set to occur just a few hours after we left. It was going to last over 24 hours. There really is no other way out- I don't know what we would have done had we been set to leave the following day. So far, of our four flights, all have been on time except one, which was one hour late. Hopefully, that tract record remains! For our children, waiting even a few seconds is intolerable- I can't even imagine days trapped in an airport with them. Prayers, please- safe, but not delayed, travel!
Here are links to our photo album (click picture below). Newest photos are at the end- you can skip to the last page if you wish.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wonderful Day!
Today in Cambridge has been our best day yet. Both children did a great job today. Using many strategies, this was our first day without any tantrums....from any child. We used sticker charts (3 in total), kept the children separated from each other, music for Connor, and brushing/joint compressions/heavy work for Hope. Made for a great day!
In addition to nice children, this town is lovely. We think it (or Paris) is our favorite thus far. Our dear friend Mark loaned us his CamCard, which got us into beautiful gardens on the other side of the river. Thanks, Mark! The colleges (this town has 30) are beautiful. When Hope found out that one was a school (initially she called it a church- and they all seem to have a chapel attached), she asked to move here since it was "fancier" than her school . It's impossible to do this town justice in words. We really do love it!
Our apartment here is the best by far! After nearly three weeks of European beds (in otherwise very nice apartments), it is lovely to have comfy beds with very, very plush pillows. You know I like my pillows....
Allen and I separated this morning, without me ever even looking at a map of this town. I found one, made friends at the park who pointed in the right direction, and had fun exploring the town. We went to the mall, the market, several playgrounds, had a scavanger hunt, wandered through a few churches, and found a little cafe across from Kings College for lunch. We later learned that the boys ate lunch at the same restaurant, just a little earlier.
It is nice to know the language to be able to communicate here in England. On the playground this morning, Hope approached a little girl. After three weeks of three different languages, Hope didn't even bother trying verbal communication with her new friend, assuming her new-friend spoke another language. But to kids it really doesn't matter; she has made friends everywhere, despite the language barrier. On another playground (yes, we just playground-hop), she was confused that the children were playing "shark". "Why are they playing shark?", she asked. Her friends play seals, speaking in made-up "arter" language. She talks about her school friends and, today, made pretend phone calls to her classmates. I know she will be delighted to return to them.
Tomorrow, we will visit the Botanical Gardens then head to London for one night. I'm hoping for Connor to see the changing of the guards on Sunday. He would like to see the soldiers, which he calls "Killers" (I don't know where he got that- we first heard it at the Greek Fest, when he called the soldiers "killers"- I'm certain they have never killed anyone, except he can't pronounce /l/ or /r/, so he says "Kiw-uhs". He'll love the kiwuhs!
In addition to nice children, this town is lovely. We think it (or Paris) is our favorite thus far. Our dear friend Mark loaned us his CamCard, which got us into beautiful gardens on the other side of the river. Thanks, Mark! The colleges (this town has 30) are beautiful. When Hope found out that one was a school (initially she called it a church- and they all seem to have a chapel attached), she asked to move here since it was "fancier" than her school . It's impossible to do this town justice in words. We really do love it!
Our apartment here is the best by far! After nearly three weeks of European beds (in otherwise very nice apartments), it is lovely to have comfy beds with very, very plush pillows. You know I like my pillows....
Allen and I separated this morning, without me ever even looking at a map of this town. I found one, made friends at the park who pointed in the right direction, and had fun exploring the town. We went to the mall, the market, several playgrounds, had a scavanger hunt, wandered through a few churches, and found a little cafe across from Kings College for lunch. We later learned that the boys ate lunch at the same restaurant, just a little earlier.
It is nice to know the language to be able to communicate here in England. On the playground this morning, Hope approached a little girl. After three weeks of three different languages, Hope didn't even bother trying verbal communication with her new friend, assuming her new-friend spoke another language. But to kids it really doesn't matter; she has made friends everywhere, despite the language barrier. On another playground (yes, we just playground-hop), she was confused that the children were playing "shark". "Why are they playing shark?", she asked. Her friends play seals, speaking in made-up "arter" language. She talks about her school friends and, today, made pretend phone calls to her classmates. I know she will be delighted to return to them.
Tomorrow, we will visit the Botanical Gardens then head to London for one night. I'm hoping for Connor to see the changing of the guards on Sunday. He would like to see the soldiers, which he calls "Killers" (I don't know where he got that- we first heard it at the Greek Fest, when he called the soldiers "killers"- I'm certain they have never killed anyone, except he can't pronounce /l/ or /r/, so he says "Kiw-uhs". He'll love the kiwuhs!
Cambridge, England
Not so, though. Our apartment is rented to someone else tomorrow, so we must leave. Still working on where to go next.....
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Beach Day!
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The train finally came!!!!
We waited four hours for the train today. Except for a 30 minute walk, we spent it all at the station. The real irony is that the train ride from Monterossa to Deiva Marina is only 15 minutes. Yes, we waited 4 hours to ride 15 minutes. I know you are wondering why we didn't take a bus, taxi or simply walk. See, the train goes through the mountain in tunnels. There are no buses and the taxi ride would have cost several hundred dollars. The water was too rough for a water taxi. The hiking trail was closed due to the rain (and we couldn't have managed it anyway- it's serious hiking).
So we sat. And sat. And sat. Trying to stay warm, I wrapped my scarf around my head. People (my family) laughed but I didn't care. It is cold.
We did make new friends with a couple from Venice and their 8 month old baby. The mom is on maternity leave for a year, standard here. They couldn't believe that our leaves aren't so long. Not nearly.
So, the kids were great given the conditions and I am glad to have new friends. Like I've said before, as long as the kids are in control it's a great day, regardless of the weather or trains (or anything else, for that matter)!
Click the above video above to see what finally happened when the WWII train arrived.
Stuck at train station
Here we are- in beautiful Cinque Terre, stuck at a train station with the most beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea, with mountain cliffs as the backdrop. The problem is that we've been here for two and half hours. Its cold and rainy. In fact, that's why were stuck. The line flooded farther south. A good sign though, one train just went past from the South, the first we've seen in a long time. The word is that we only have another 40 minutes to wait- the kids are going crazy!
The potty, which doesn't even deserve such a name, is horrendous. Its nothing more than a hole in the ground, surrounded by porcelain. Hope thought it was a shower stall, and I do see how she made this assumption- flat, square white tile, with a hole in the middle. The first time, Hope decided she didn't have to badly enough to justify exposure to such conditions. Finally, after a longer wait, she consented. During her squat, her footing gave way on the wet porcelain surround and now she's wet, and not just from the rain! Poor thing!
I am happy to report that both children have held it together today (for the most part). Yea!
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The potty, which doesn't even deserve such a name, is horrendous. Its nothing more than a hole in the ground, surrounded by porcelain. Hope thought it was a shower stall, and I do see how she made this assumption- flat, square white tile, with a hole in the middle. The first time, Hope decided she didn't have to badly enough to justify exposure to such conditions. Finally, after a longer wait, she consented. During her squat, her footing gave way on the wet porcelain surround and now she's wet, and not just from the rain! Poor thing!
I am happy to report that both children have held it together today (for the most part). Yea!
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Sleepy day in a sleepy town
Yesterday we journeyed to Deiva Marina, a tiny little town just north of Cinque Terre (translated as "Five Lands" or five villages). Initially, we wanted to stay in the Cinque Terre, but the area has become overrun with tourists and we couldn't find a room. So, we ended up in a small hotel in this tiny town. Until now, we've stayed only in apartments. This little hotel is great- they haven't kicked us out yet, despite the hour-long tantrum this morning. Best of all, they make their own gelato and it is the best we've had on our trip (and we have had plenty).
Last night, Hope and I ate our gelato on a bench to, as she requested, "people-watch". The entire time we sat there only two people and three cars passed. That was the main road and it was early evening! There is one bank, one grocery, two hotels, a train station, a few small chapels, and a few tiny convenience stores, but gelato sold on every corner. The hotel owners live here and have a cute daughter who went off to school this morning. Last night the extended Italian family camped out in the hotel restaurant, talking loudly with ragging gestures. It was neat to watch as we passed by to the laundry room.
We have had a hard time trying to get the laundry done. We packed light (well, we thought it was light, but we still brought more than we should have). Each of us, even the children, were allotted one carry-on bag and a back pack. So, we need to do laundry every few days. We carefully selected apartments that have washer/dryer. The washer in Paris was the much smaller than our microwave at home, and took forever! The Barcelona w/d would not dry, but sanitized our clothes by boiling them. Same in Florence. Some clothes came out newly olive-green. We finally figured out that some elastics turn green when they get so hot. So, now the kid's socks, my undies, and Hope's tights are green! Hope made me throw away the tights. Afraid we had the settings incorrect, we ran the same load of laundry twice in Florence. That load took 24 hours just to wash! It never did dry..... We're having better luck here, with a commercial washer and instructions in English. Too bad there's only one.
Yesterday was beautiful weather. Today it's cold and rainy and we haven't yet left the hotel. We may not. It's kind of nice to just sit around. We've camped out in the lobby, as it has the best internet signal. There's not a lot to do in the rain here.
Allen wanted to run 14 miles today. Even if it weren't raining, that would be impossible. In this tiny town, it would likely take 40 laps or more to get that far.
All the little villages are connected by hiking trails, and many people come here to hike. With beautiful views of the mountains and beach, it can''t be beat!
Last night, Hope and I ate our gelato on a bench to, as she requested, "people-watch". The entire time we sat there only two people and three cars passed. That was the main road and it was early evening! There is one bank, one grocery, two hotels, a train station, a few small chapels, and a few tiny convenience stores, but gelato sold on every corner. The hotel owners live here and have a cute daughter who went off to school this morning. Last night the extended Italian family camped out in the hotel restaurant, talking loudly with ragging gestures. It was neat to watch as we passed by to the laundry room.
We have had a hard time trying to get the laundry done. We packed light (well, we thought it was light, but we still brought more than we should have). Each of us, even the children, were allotted one carry-on bag and a back pack. So, we need to do laundry every few days. We carefully selected apartments that have washer/dryer. The washer in Paris was the much smaller than our microwave at home, and took forever! The Barcelona w/d would not dry, but sanitized our clothes by boiling them. Same in Florence. Some clothes came out newly olive-green. We finally figured out that some elastics turn green when they get so hot. So, now the kid's socks, my undies, and Hope's tights are green! Hope made me throw away the tights. Afraid we had the settings incorrect, we ran the same load of laundry twice in Florence. That load took 24 hours just to wash! It never did dry..... We're having better luck here, with a commercial washer and instructions in English. Too bad there's only one.
Yesterday was beautiful weather. Today it's cold and rainy and we haven't yet left the hotel. We may not. It's kind of nice to just sit around. We've camped out in the lobby, as it has the best internet signal. There's not a lot to do in the rain here.
Allen wanted to run 14 miles today. Even if it weren't raining, that would be impossible. In this tiny town, it would likely take 40 laps or more to get that far.
All the little villages are connected by hiking trails, and many people come here to hike. With beautiful views of the mountains and beach, it can''t be beat!
Monday, May 10, 2010
On a train through Tuscan hills
Hi Friends!
It is Monday morning and we are on the slow train through Tuscan hills from Florence to Cinque Terre. I purchased the last train tickets and, apparently, got the American treatment. We got the first class fast train with assigned seats (we realized, after someone ran us out of his seats). That train was nice, but mostly in tunnels and lacked any view. This train is nice too, and has beautiful views! No assigned seats so we are getting to know our neighbors. Fun, fun!
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It is Monday morning and we are on the slow train through Tuscan hills from Florence to Cinque Terre. I purchased the last train tickets and, apparently, got the American treatment. We got the first class fast train with assigned seats (we realized, after someone ran us out of his seats). That train was nice, but mostly in tunnels and lacked any view. This train is nice too, and has beautiful views! No assigned seats so we are getting to know our neighbors. Fun, fun!
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Saturday, May 8, 2010
Saturday in Florence
Well, as you can see it's been nearly a week since our last post. Monday to Saturday. That's a long time and we are sorry for the break. Mainly, the break is due to the fact that both kids are having a hard time here. Sensory issues, tantrums, fussiness, fighting with each other, etc. It's hard to write an upbeat blog when the day is so difficult. So, we just left it blank. Here's a quick run-down of the week.
We were in Barcelona all day Tuesday and Wednesday and left early Thursday morning for Florence. We will be here until Monday, when we head to Cinque Terre.
Tuesday and Wednesday, we did some exploring in Barcelona. Tuesday we went to the aquarium, which was expensive and, while a good rainy-day activity, not spectacular (I prefer the one in Atlanta).
Wednesday we walked to Park Guell, a whimsical park on a mountain top overlooking the city. You can visit it here and learn more than we did while actually there. Quoting from Wikipedia: "Park Güell is skillfully designed and composed to bring the peace and calm that one would expect from a park." Not while we were there. Our kids can bring disruption to the most peaceful of parks. Afterward, we had an authentic Catalan lunch in a smoky diner. The tantrum that followed on the sidewalk has to be the best of the trip. A local passerby even 'shushed' her. (Another time a local said "Quit crying you baby" as he walked by.) Others have just stopped and starred. This blog is appropriately named. We truly are terrorizing Europe.
We found that Barcelona wasn't our favorite city. It was much more enormous than we expected. While we liked our residential neighborhood and the subway was clean and efficient, it wasn't very beautiful (maybe impacted by our recent visit to exquisite Paris). Oh, and the subway pickpocket who took a camera didn't help, either. We had dreary weather with a steady rain on Tuesday and parts of Wednesday, which affected our plans of mostly outdoor activities. After Paris, where we found the language barrier to be a challenge, I was looking forward to being able to communicate in Spanish. I didn't realize that Catalan, not Spanish, is the main language in this region of Spain.
Thursday was a travel day from Barcelona to Florence, with a bus ride to an airport an hour north of Barcelona and a flight to Bologna. Then it was an hour train ride into Florence and a long walk to the apartment at the PonteVecchio Bridge. Lots of travel for one day. We were tired when we finally arrived, and we were ready to put the kids to bed. That's when the landlady mentioned that the apartment was reported by previous guests to be noisy from construction below. She described it as scratching sound, slightly louder than the noises we were hearing at the time. It seemed quiet enough, and the alternate apartment was 20 blocks away. We decided to stay. It stayed quiet until 7:15 a.m.
That's when the "loud scratching sound" began. In the US, we call it a jackhammer. Right below our heads! Now, the kids had already awaken us, but that's beside the point. Jackhammers at 7:15? At least the workers were polite; they waved to me through the sheer bathroom curtains. We spent the rest of the morning exploring other lodging options and finally moved to the apartment 20 blocks away. That was most of Friday.
Today it's Saturday and we have had a great day (only 2 tantrums per child). The kids are, for the most part, behaving. We have discovered that music acts as a pacifier for Connor. Without it his mouth doesn't stop going. It's either talking, in song, or just making noise.....loudly. The louder the background noise, the louder he gets. So, we have learned to stick headphones/ipod on him. Today we just left them on him ALL day. It worked wonders. It also keeps Hope out of his business. Made for a great day. We all needed it after yesterday.
This morning, we heading out to find the market. After yummy pastries at an adorable little bakery near the Arno, we wandered through the old cobblestone of Florence. Hope and I stopped in a sewing notion store and bought some ribbon to make belts. We strolled the street market, looking at leather, silk and various Firenze souvenirs. The weather was warm and sunny, except for a quick shower that sent us into the indoor food market, where we had a wonderful lunch. On the walk home we found gelato! The kids are big fans. The four of us had a great day, a long walk, and fun times. Just what we needed after a tough week.
One of my favorite things to do is visit the grocery store. At home, it's a chore I don't enjoy (though the opening of the new Bloom makes it slightly more enjoyable). But here, every item is new and different. I find it a joy to see all the options and try to figure out what it is and what one might do with it. Now we are home and I'm cooking pasta in Italy. Sounds fancy, but it looks just like pasta I make at home. But I bet the locals don't open a jar and heat it in a pot. Oh well....
Jeanne and Larry, whose help with the kids has been invaluable, stayed at the apartment tonight and watched the kids while Allen and I ran (literally- to catch the right light) to the Arno river to take some photos of the nightlife at dusk. Beautiful!!!! Afterward, we wandered through the streets and piazzas and found interesting things to observe. Crowds gathered to listen to live ' jazz ' music in the piazza, tourists wandering the streets and sitting in cafes, kids riding a beautiful carousel....... We had a great dinner in a bar near the Uffitzi and Duomo. Too much wine (meaning 1/2 a glass for Ellen) and gelatto afterward made for a nice night out. We stopped in a party/open house for a neighborhood clothing store on our way home and drank some local liquor and treats served by the host. Now, its 12:30am and we are on our way to bed (as Hope and Connor sound the alarm at 7am).
We love you all and will write again soon.
Check out the new photos posted today (link to album below)!!!
Ellen & Allen
We were in Barcelona all day Tuesday and Wednesday and left early Thursday morning for Florence. We will be here until Monday, when we head to Cinque Terre.
Tuesday and Wednesday, we did some exploring in Barcelona. Tuesday we went to the aquarium, which was expensive and, while a good rainy-day activity, not spectacular (I prefer the one in Atlanta).
Wednesday we walked to Park Guell, a whimsical park on a mountain top overlooking the city. You can visit it here and learn more than we did while actually there. Quoting from Wikipedia: "Park Güell is skillfully designed and composed to bring the peace and calm that one would expect from a park." Not while we were there. Our kids can bring disruption to the most peaceful of parks. Afterward, we had an authentic Catalan lunch in a smoky diner. The tantrum that followed on the sidewalk has to be the best of the trip. A local passerby even 'shushed' her. (Another time a local said "Quit crying you baby" as he walked by.) Others have just stopped and starred. This blog is appropriately named. We truly are terrorizing Europe.
We found that Barcelona wasn't our favorite city. It was much more enormous than we expected. While we liked our residential neighborhood and the subway was clean and efficient, it wasn't very beautiful (maybe impacted by our recent visit to exquisite Paris). Oh, and the subway pickpocket who took a camera didn't help, either. We had dreary weather with a steady rain on Tuesday and parts of Wednesday, which affected our plans of mostly outdoor activities. After Paris, where we found the language barrier to be a challenge, I was looking forward to being able to communicate in Spanish. I didn't realize that Catalan, not Spanish, is the main language in this region of Spain.
Thursday was a travel day from Barcelona to Florence, with a bus ride to an airport an hour north of Barcelona and a flight to Bologna. Then it was an hour train ride into Florence and a long walk to the apartment at the PonteVecchio Bridge. Lots of travel for one day. We were tired when we finally arrived, and we were ready to put the kids to bed. That's when the landlady mentioned that the apartment was reported by previous guests to be noisy from construction below. She described it as scratching sound, slightly louder than the noises we were hearing at the time. It seemed quiet enough, and the alternate apartment was 20 blocks away. We decided to stay. It stayed quiet until 7:15 a.m.
That's when the "loud scratching sound" began. In the US, we call it a jackhammer. Right below our heads! Now, the kids had already awaken us, but that's beside the point. Jackhammers at 7:15? At least the workers were polite; they waved to me through the sheer bathroom curtains. We spent the rest of the morning exploring other lodging options and finally moved to the apartment 20 blocks away. That was most of Friday.
Today it's Saturday and we have had a great day (only 2 tantrums per child). The kids are, for the most part, behaving. We have discovered that music acts as a pacifier for Connor. Without it his mouth doesn't stop going. It's either talking, in song, or just making noise.....loudly. The louder the background noise, the louder he gets. So, we have learned to stick headphones/ipod on him. Today we just left them on him ALL day. It worked wonders. It also keeps Hope out of his business. Made for a great day. We all needed it after yesterday.
This morning, we heading out to find the market. After yummy pastries at an adorable little bakery near the Arno, we wandered through the old cobblestone of Florence. Hope and I stopped in a sewing notion store and bought some ribbon to make belts. We strolled the street market, looking at leather, silk and various Firenze souvenirs. The weather was warm and sunny, except for a quick shower that sent us into the indoor food market, where we had a wonderful lunch. On the walk home we found gelato! The kids are big fans. The four of us had a great day, a long walk, and fun times. Just what we needed after a tough week.
One of my favorite things to do is visit the grocery store. At home, it's a chore I don't enjoy (though the opening of the new Bloom makes it slightly more enjoyable). But here, every item is new and different. I find it a joy to see all the options and try to figure out what it is and what one might do with it. Now we are home and I'm cooking pasta in Italy. Sounds fancy, but it looks just like pasta I make at home. But I bet the locals don't open a jar and heat it in a pot. Oh well....
Jeanne and Larry, whose help with the kids has been invaluable, stayed at the apartment tonight and watched the kids while Allen and I ran (literally- to catch the right light) to the Arno river to take some photos of the nightlife at dusk. Beautiful!!!! Afterward, we wandered through the streets and piazzas and found interesting things to observe. Crowds gathered to listen to live ' jazz ' music in the piazza, tourists wandering the streets and sitting in cafes, kids riding a beautiful carousel....... We had a great dinner in a bar near the Uffitzi and Duomo. Too much wine (meaning 1/2 a glass for Ellen) and gelatto afterward made for a nice night out. We stopped in a party/open house for a neighborhood clothing store on our way home and drank some local liquor and treats served by the host. Now, its 12:30am and we are on our way to bed (as Hope and Connor sound the alarm at 7am).
We love you all and will write again soon.
Check out the new photos posted today (link to album below)!!!
Ellen & Allen
Monday, May 3, 2010
Success!
Finally.....at least one child was decently behaved today!
Wow. After one whole week, four social stories, countless behavior charts, and an eight-step behavior management plan, Hope finally got it together and was very well behaved today. It was the first day in Europe without any sensory over-load tantrums from our daughter! However, Connor saw the opening and pounced, producing some impressive tantrums of his own. But, after dealing with five years of Hope's, his are nothing.
Forget the crummy weather and lack of indoor activities in this town- it was a great day anyway! I'll take cold rain over tantrums any day. The forecast is the same for tomorrow, our last day here. Hope says her behavior forecast is the same, too! Yippie!
We did visit the Maritime Museum of Barcelona. Interesting. Fourty dollar lunch at Burger King. Then we were cold and the rain sent us home for the afternoon. Now the kids are in bed and Allen and I are heading out for dinner. My parents will stay here and hold down the fort.
We haven't made it to the Old Town yet. That, or the Aquarium, might be the plan for tomorrow.
Wow. After one whole week, four social stories, countless behavior charts, and an eight-step behavior management plan, Hope finally got it together and was very well behaved today. It was the first day in Europe without any sensory over-load tantrums from our daughter! However, Connor saw the opening and pounced, producing some impressive tantrums of his own. But, after dealing with five years of Hope's, his are nothing.
Forget the crummy weather and lack of indoor activities in this town- it was a great day anyway! I'll take cold rain over tantrums any day. The forecast is the same for tomorrow, our last day here. Hope says her behavior forecast is the same, too! Yippie!
We did visit the Maritime Museum of Barcelona. Interesting. Fourty dollar lunch at Burger King. Then we were cold and the rain sent us home for the afternoon. Now the kids are in bed and Allen and I are heading out for dinner. My parents will stay here and hold down the fort.
We haven't made it to the Old Town yet. That, or the Aquarium, might be the plan for tomorrow.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
We've Made it to Barcelona!
Buenos Noches from Barcelona!
FRIDAY, 30APR
On Friday, Ellen and I decided to spend some one-on-one time with Hope and Connor. I had Hope in the morning and we had a late breakfast together and then explored the neighborhood around the Pantheon / University District. We found a little garden and Hope enjoyed taking photos of the flowers and old buildings. Ellen had Connor in the morning and they went back to the playground at Luxembourg Gardens. Naps in the afternoon and then we all hopped the metro together and decided to explore the Louvre museum area and the little fashion district around the Louvre. We had a late dinner in a little cafe fronting the hustle and bustle. We shared a plate of french fries, ham and cheese omelet and sandwich with an eye-popping price tag. We arrived back at the apartment late and got the kids to bed late (again), but the kids did a great job and they earned enough brownie points / stickers for an ice cream treat on the walk home.
SATURDAY, 01MAY
Our last day in Paris. Sad to leave. We really enjoyed our stay and I feel like we only saw just a glimpse of the city. Things we didn't see - Champs Elysees, inside the Notre Dame, inside the Louvre, river boat cruise on the Seine. Maybe next trip. We packed up in the morning and walked around Place Monge (our little neighborhood) for about an hour and had lunch in a little cafe. Great food for lunch. Pasta and pesto salad and the kids actually ate their lunch today. We packed up the rest of our gear and very efficiently took the metro and changed trains to reach the Charles de Gaule metro stop only to find out that the Charles de Gaule metro stop is no where near the freakin Charles de Gaule airport!!!! Who knew?? Anyway, some friendly tourists and friendly locals helped point us in the right direction. Thank goodness we had left the apartment with plenty of time and therefore had enough time to change metro trains again and reach the airport with plenty of time to catch our flight - that was 1+ hour late. We had snacks in the airport and the kids did a great job. Connor and Hope both made friends on the airplane. We arrived in Barcelona about an hour and a half late and we had a little difficulty connecting with Jeanne and Larry. We expected to meet them at the airport, but come to find out they actually flew from the Canary Islands to Girona - another Barcelona areas airport. Ellen and the kids and I had dinner in the Barcelona airport. :o( Not great, but necessary. Two Barcelona trains later, we arrived at the BCN apartment at about 11:00pm. Jeanne and Larry met us at the apartment. It was a long day and we got the kids to bed late again. The kids where so excited to see Nee Nee and Gramps!!!!! and so were we.
SUNDAY, 02MAY
Jeanne and Larry took the kids to eat breakfast at a local bakery this morning. They tried to take them to a McDonald's, but turns out the McDonald's here doesn't serve breakfast. Ellen and I slept-in this morning!!!! So nice to have a few extra hours of sleep. It was a beautiful day today, bright and sunny but a bit windy. Ellen and I had a late lunch with Hope today. Tapas style sandwiches and snacks at a little Spanish Bar. Our little neighborhood (Gracia) is sleepy today - because it is Sunday. The apartment is very nice and has plenty of space for the six of us to spread out a little. The apartment is about 4-5 blocks from the Sagrada Familia (Guadi's famous church still under construction). Its different - but pretty amazing. We hope to have time to take a tour of the inside. It is nice to know a little more of the language here than we did in France (we know no French, and most locals didn't speak English). The six of us went for a little walk this afternoon. Took the kids to a neighborhood playground. Although not as nice as the Parisian parks and playgrounds, Hope and Connor didn't mind. They enjoyed running around and playing just the same. We found dinner in a cafe on a pedestrian veranda a few blocks from the apartment. Hope and Connor had a great day today and earned enough stickers to get their reward - really cool and different ice cream. Kids in bed by 8:00pm tonight!!!!! We hope that will pay dividends tomorrow as well. We are looking forward to exploring the city this week. We are in Barcelona until Thursday and then off to Bologna Italy. Check out the new photos posted on www.hollowaysineurope.blogspot.com
FRIDAY, 30APR
On Friday, Ellen and I decided to spend some one-on-one time with Hope and Connor. I had Hope in the morning and we had a late breakfast together and then explored the neighborhood around the Pantheon / University District. We found a little garden and Hope enjoyed taking photos of the flowers and old buildings. Ellen had Connor in the morning and they went back to the playground at Luxembourg Gardens. Naps in the afternoon and then we all hopped the metro together and decided to explore the Louvre museum area and the little fashion district around the Louvre. We had a late dinner in a little cafe fronting the hustle and bustle. We shared a plate of french fries, ham and cheese omelet and sandwich with an eye-popping price tag. We arrived back at the apartment late and got the kids to bed late (again), but the kids did a great job and they earned enough brownie points / stickers for an ice cream treat on the walk home.
SATURDAY, 01MAY
Our last day in Paris. Sad to leave. We really enjoyed our stay and I feel like we only saw just a glimpse of the city. Things we didn't see - Champs Elysees, inside the Notre Dame, inside the Louvre, river boat cruise on the Seine. Maybe next trip. We packed up in the morning and walked around Place Monge (our little neighborhood) for about an hour and had lunch in a little cafe. Great food for lunch. Pasta and pesto salad and the kids actually ate their lunch today. We packed up the rest of our gear and very efficiently took the metro and changed trains to reach the Charles de Gaule metro stop only to find out that the Charles de Gaule metro stop is no where near the freakin Charles de Gaule airport!!!! Who knew?? Anyway, some friendly tourists and friendly locals helped point us in the right direction. Thank goodness we had left the apartment with plenty of time and therefore had enough time to change metro trains again and reach the airport with plenty of time to catch our flight - that was 1+ hour late. We had snacks in the airport and the kids did a great job. Connor and Hope both made friends on the airplane. We arrived in Barcelona about an hour and a half late and we had a little difficulty connecting with Jeanne and Larry. We expected to meet them at the airport, but come to find out they actually flew from the Canary Islands to Girona - another Barcelona areas airport. Ellen and the kids and I had dinner in the Barcelona airport. :o( Not great, but necessary. Two Barcelona trains later, we arrived at the BCN apartment at about 11:00pm. Jeanne and Larry met us at the apartment. It was a long day and we got the kids to bed late again. The kids where so excited to see Nee Nee and Gramps!!!!! and so were we.
SUNDAY, 02MAY
Jeanne and Larry took the kids to eat breakfast at a local bakery this morning. They tried to take them to a McDonald's, but turns out the McDonald's here doesn't serve breakfast. Ellen and I slept-in this morning!!!! So nice to have a few extra hours of sleep. It was a beautiful day today, bright and sunny but a bit windy. Ellen and I had a late lunch with Hope today. Tapas style sandwiches and snacks at a little Spanish Bar. Our little neighborhood (Gracia) is sleepy today - because it is Sunday. The apartment is very nice and has plenty of space for the six of us to spread out a little. The apartment is about 4-5 blocks from the Sagrada Familia (Guadi's famous church still under construction). Its different - but pretty amazing. We hope to have time to take a tour of the inside. It is nice to know a little more of the language here than we did in France (we know no French, and most locals didn't speak English). The six of us went for a little walk this afternoon. Took the kids to a neighborhood playground. Although not as nice as the Parisian parks and playgrounds, Hope and Connor didn't mind. They enjoyed running around and playing just the same. We found dinner in a cafe on a pedestrian veranda a few blocks from the apartment. Hope and Connor had a great day today and earned enough stickers to get their reward - really cool and different ice cream. Kids in bed by 8:00pm tonight!!!!! We hope that will pay dividends tomorrow as well. We are looking forward to exploring the city this week. We are in Barcelona until Thursday and then off to Bologna Italy. Check out the new photos posted on www.hollowaysineurope.blogspot.com
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