Notting Hill

Add Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant to the scene, and our Notting Hill outing is complete. The pastel colored apartments, colorful fruit and veg stands (everyone says "veg" here...), racks of vintage, designer, and costume clothing, and many different people made up Portobello Road Market of Notting Hill. Although we were worn out and tired by the time we reached the famous market, it was still impressive. We didn't reach Portobello Road until late afternoon; Dad wanted to walk through Hyde Park. It was another beautiful day- warm enough to wear shorts, breezy enough for a sweater- and it seemed as if everyone on the West End had come out to enjoy the sun. We rented bikes from Barclays Cycle Hire (inexpensive way to get around London- register your credit card, take a bike out of one docking station and return it at another one, pay by the hour) and rode around the park. Now lunchtime, we wander through the beautiful residential streets near Hyde Park featuring large white houses with courtyards and black painted gates. Eventually, we are seated at Suzan's Cafe. Mom, Dad, and I all have falafels, while Franny orders a toasted cheese and bacon sandwich. It worked out fine, but I wouldn't eat there again- or at least wouldn't have the falafel or cheese and bacon sandwich. Walking some more, we passed Whiteley's, London's first-ever department store (now a mall). Stopping in for a quick look, Franny decides to try bungee trampolining in the lobby! (cannot explain any further- the pictures tell all). Franny said later that it was the best 6 pounds she ever spent, so it was clearly worth it. After more walking, walking, and walking, we see a sign for Portobello Road. After a bizarre encounter by a woman on the sidewalk to keep our bags close and valuables away while at the street market. The rest is a happy blur of exotic clothing, good food, and many many people. But although I love street markets, as I am sure you can tell, what struck me this Friday were the periwinkle, pale yellow, light pink, and lavender colors of the apartments above the antique furniture and stalls selling Scottish wool. Although the words do not refer to a neighborhood, Hugh Grant's character in Notting Hill aptly describes this colorful part of London: "You can stay forever."

Finding Our Routines

Above is a pic of our house and the street where we live, as well as a photo of the local school, where we will be walking regularly. Got great news today that Franny was accepted at Links Primary, the "outstanding" elementary school that is right behind our house. http://www.links.merton.sch.uk/
We can hear the kids on the playground from our back garden, it's so close. There are train tracks, however, between us and the school, so you need to walk around the corner and up a bit to get there. Our next door neighbor, Vicki, takes her daughter to Nursery school there and she said that it's a really nice school. It's a 100 year old brick building "with a warm and welcoming atmosphere," sounds a bit like Loyal Heights!

They haven't decided whether Greta has a place at Graveney School yet, and we're really hoping that this works out. I've been in touch with the Council Admissions team as well as the school directors (squeaky wheel and all that) numerous times, but it's a very popular school so we just need to wait to see if there are any openings...fingers crossed!

We have now been shopping at Sainsbury's, Lidl, and some of the neighborhood food stalls, and are eating very well. The kids have already gotten into the habit of having tea (and biscuits!) every day, which was an activity that Steven and I have participated in for years; hence the fact that we are planning to join the local Leisure Center (gym). The garbage and recycling go out on Fridays, and the Library is closed on Wednesdays (we've taken numerous books out on things to do in London). It's safe to say that we are settling in to some semblance of a routine...and we're liking it very much.

IKEA to the Rescue!

Feeling much better tonight, as Susan was kind enough to drive me to IKEA today and I loaded up her car with goodies for the house. It was hard to decide where to begin and what to purchase, given that we'll only be using it all for a year; but we do want to feel comfortable and cozy here, so we needed some stuff. We're going with the museum cafe look: lots of white (won't stay that way for long) and stainless steel. Found some cool chairs, basic dishes and glasses, extra pillows, a desk, curtains, cork boards, storage units, kitchenware, and perhaps most importantly, 10 hanging lampshades. I can't tell you what a difference it makes to have lanterns, as opposed to bare light-bulbs!

We've met the next door neighbors, who are super nice. They've got two young kids, and they have lived on the street for quite a while. They gave us more scoop on the house, and it seems that the estate agents that Susan and Robert had hired just didn't do their job at all, and the house really got run down without anyone informing them. They were shocked, too, to learn of all the work that will be necessary to get it back in shape. That reminds me, we need to find a plumber asap for the upstairs bathroom. :)

Today was also good because we had a visit from Susan and David, Grandma, and Uncle Alan. We're already getting to spend some nice family time, which is one of the reasons that we wanted to do this trip. We served a buffet lunch of fresh breads, salad, and cold cuts, and everyone went to the park for a while while Susan and I shopped. Last night we all tried a local Indian restaurant, of which there are many, for a lovely curry dinner (I realize that I'll be saying "lovely" much more often).

Thanks for the nice comments and emails, it's great to hear from folks. And I know that I need to post some pix of the house...not quite ready, but will do very soon.

Settling In

Ok, I am feeling much better about everything tonight. We have been busy getting all settled in to the new digs, which included registering the girls for schools, buying lots of housewares, getting transportation (Oyster) cards, reinstating all the utilities, purchasing mobiles, connecting wi-fi in the house, paying council taxes, requesting recycling bins, joining the Tooting Library, and on and on. It felt a bit much at first, but we have been incredibly industrious and gotten lots done. We even cleaned all the trash out of the front garden and cut down the weeds in the back. Things are looking up! :)

Yesterday we decided to take the day off and spend it at Greenwich, which was fabulous. Greta has written about that, so I won't say much but will add a few photos. This is what I imagined us doing here and we're loving it. I can't count the number of different languages that we hear on the streets and on the tube, it's amazing. And the different types of shops and restaurants, it is just so cool!

I'm sure that there will be ups and downs to all of this, but it is already making sense. I am so glad to be here and excited about all that this year has to offer.

A Sunday Afternoon In Greenwich

Today, after much deliberation on which of London's Sunday Markets we should peruse, we took the tube to Greenwich. Less than two minutes from the Cutty Sark tube stop, is Greenwich market. It's bursting at the seams with vintage clothing, handmade scarves (I bought a beautiful striped one), used books, potted plants, funky coasters (Dad got four that were Liverpool themed), and various knickknacks. I could spend hours sifting through the treasures in the market, and the shops nearby (a favorite was 360 Degrees Vintage: old navy uniforms, Dior silk handkerchiefs, and brightly colored gowns).

Wandering further into this new part of London, we find Greenwich University. A gorgeous campus with old stone buildings, a clock tower and compass tower, and open green lawn, we stayed for another few hours taking in the sun and surroundings. A quick pick-me-up of tea, white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake, a double chocolate muffin, and a white chocolate brownie at a museum cafe was the perfect ending to our day in Greenwich. The market is a  must, especially if you're looking for unique London souvenirs. And if you have a sunny afternoon with nothing to do, the University campus is a great spot to lie on the grass to read a book, take a nap, and people watch.

1st Day in London

1st day in London- 7/20/11
So, the glamour has disappeared for the moment… today we saw the house that we’ll be renting for the year. I want to scream “OMG!!!”even though I hate when people over thirty use that expression. We had seen a few photos of the house, so weren’t completely surprised, but it is definitely in worse shape than I imagined. It’s a nice old Victorian house on a rather quiet street, but it has been a rental for years and is in bad disrepair. The paint is chipping off the walls and ceiling, the faux wood floor is buckling in the kitchen, there is trash piled up out front, the back garden is overgrown with weeds, the minimal furniture is cracked and broken, there are bare lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, and the windows are either empty or have hideous drapes hanging in them. This will definitely be a major project to get the house livable, and we move in tomorrow…OMG!!!
I’m trying to be positive about it, and know that we can make it cozy for the year, but it will take some time and lots of purchases to get there. It feels a bit overwhelming at the moment. The girls are being troopers about it, although there were some tears shed after the first few minutes in the house. One of the bedrooms is much smaller than the others, so there was some arguing over who would get that one for her room, but they seem to have come to some sort of agreement on that front. And our bedroom will be fine, although it desperately needs a paint job and I’m a bit worried about the mattress in there. But it’s only for a year, right? We’ll be able to make it work; at least, we’re going to try.

Our list of things to sort out is crazy, and we need to figure it all out without a car, without phones, without internet; but at least we speak the language! And we do have family here, which is such a help. Uncle Alan picked us up at Heathrow and brought us home to a lovely buffet lunch with Aunt Isabel. They seem glad to have us here, but are also very realistic about all that we are taking on. Susan and Robert are giving us such a good deal on the rent of the London house, that it made sense to take them up on their offer; but it would have been very different to rent a furnished house from someone who was on sabbatical for the year (as our renters are doing).

Still, we’re in London! We’re finally here and will get settled and take advantage of all that the city has to offer. And we’ll get the house together so that we feel more at home and we have a decent place for friends to stay (please don’t be scared off by this post, friends who have promised to visit). It’s all about priorities, and we’re figuring out ours as we go.

Oh, and I need a new bike, so am looking at this beauty that I spotted in Reykjavik...

First Stop: Reykjavik!

I <3 Iceland! Despite warnings of bad weather, high prices, and nothing to do, the entire family thoroughly enjoyed our three-night stop on the way to London.

We stayed in Reykjavik, in an apartment, Reykjavik4You. It worked out well, with plenty of space for our six giant suitcases, and was the perfect location. It was a fairly quiet street, and despite jet lag and never-ending daylight I slept okay. Another plus was the bakery across the street offering blueberry muffins, croissants, and delicious maple doughnuts. I know that some say to skip Iceland altogether, but I think that it's well worth the trip. Below is a list of do's and don't's:

Don't

• The flea market. The travel books may suggest it, but it was pretty much just a warehouse with overpriced American items. The big-ticket items included outrageously priced Hollister T-shirts and mock Converse, Vans, and Keds.
• Even if you only have a short time in Iceland (say, a layover before your next flight) spend it wisely! If you can, extend your time and take a shuttle bus into the city. I must have walked on the same street a hundred times, but there's so much to see. If your time frame cannot be helped, there's always the Blue Lagoon!*

Do

• *The Blue Lagoon! I'm not sure how to explain it, but looking at the pictures will help: http://www.bluelagoon.com/. The water was warm, and the setting is bizarre yet beautiful. Yes, the geothermal waters are filled with tourists, but it's well worth it.
• The geysers near Strokkur. Every ten minutes or so, one of the geysers will erupt, shooting water 60-100 feet in the air. We rented a car and did the Golden Circle tour, and this was part of it. Also to see was Gulfoss, the "Golden Falls," a huge (and beautiful) waterfall. 
• Just walking through Reykjavik! Dad and I went to the top of Hallgrimskirkja Church and saw the postcard-picture view of the city. The roofs are all different colors, making it especially picturesque.

The trip to Iceland was the best way to start off our year of adventure. Even though we didn't try any traditional Icelandic dishes (I so wanted to taste fermented shark), I felt like we really experienced the city. From the super-cute clothing shops to streets with names such as "Grettisgata," I think I could live in Reykjavik for a year!

• 
  

We Made It To Iceland

We made it to Iceland! This has been a great way to start off the adventure, and we’ve all really enjoyed Reykjavik and the sights we saw on the Golden Circle drive. Coming here was Steven’s idea, after discovering that Icelandair was by far the cheapest airline to fly to Europe. The girls and I needed some convincing about staying four days- but I’m so glad that we did. Reykjavik is a cool city and it’s been fun to wander around and check out the restaurants, cafes, different architecture, flea market, shops, etc. The food is pretty much what I expected, given that I had read about the local specialties, which include seared sheep’s head, rancid shark meat, rams testicles, and mashed fish. We’ve managed to find things that we could eat, though, and have become regulars at the wonderful bakery right across from our apartment. This morning we wandered in there rather dazed, trying to decide which delicious pastries to try and what sandwiches to pack for our lunch, and the server said, “I think that you two need your coffee first, as you look so tired and can’t decide what you want today!”

We are staying at the Reykjavik4you Apartments, and our place is excellent. www.reykjavik4you.com It feels like we walked into a dwell magazine photo shoot or an IKEA showroom, and it’s so nice to have some space, rather than just a hotel room. The apartments aren’t cheap (nothing in Iceland is), but the location is perfect, Mickey at reception is so sweet and helpful, and the apartment is really nice, so it’s well worth the cost for our stay. Steven says that he would happily live here for a year, and Greta agrees with him, but Francesca and I are excited for our next stop- London.

Today the girls got to choose the activity, so we spent the day at the Blue Lagoon. Honestly, we thought that it would be a total tourist trap and weren’t thrilled with shelling out a small fortune to spend the day there, but it was beautiful and wonderfully relaxing. Our aching bones thanked us all morning, and the kids were thrilled to soak it all up. The geothermal pools were incredibly soothing, and the weather cooperated for the day; it turned out to be a lot of fun, much better than expected. And I think that the kids felt the same about yesterday’s excursion to see huge geysers and waterfalls, driving through the different landscapes of Iceland, which vary unbelievably from lava rock to moonscape to lush green valleys and fields that look like scenes from The Lord of the Rings. It was a long day of driving, but was great to see so much.

The wi-fi in our apartment isn’t working, so we haven’t been able to connect with anyone or check in on things back home, other than a quick peek from Franny’s ipod touch while at a café for dessert last night. It was a scramble right up to the last minute of leaving, and the final load of laundry got left in the dryer (a friend from work had actually warned me about this, as the same thing happened to her when she was leaving the country for a year!), but we decided that there wasn’t anything else that we absolutely needed and we just had to get out of the house. The bedding was stripped and washed, the floors vacuumed and cleaned, we scrubbed the bathrooms and dusted everything, it was time to go. Our adventure was beginning, and we took a deep breath and jumped in.

We leave in three days. Three days!!! Our house is sparse and clean on the main floor (everything is packed up and we have no food left in the cupboards), and then complete chaos upstairs. It looks like the home of crazy hoarders because there are piles of clothes, books, toiletries, stuff everywhere up there. And we need to make it all fit into six suitcases. The stress of packing is bad enough, but now there is the added drama of saying our goodbyes. The girls are trying to see all their buddies for final playdates and sleepovers, and we've had lots of fun dinners with friends to spend time before take off. But then comes the goodbye and we all get sad. At least we know that it's only for a year; I can't imagine how this would feel if we were moving permanently. Of course, sometimes it seems insane to be coordinating all these logistics for just one year; I do understand why many folks would feel that it's too complicated to pull off. But we're going for it...in three days.

We are 9 days away from take off, and it has definitely sunk in that we're really leaving. The house is cleaned and packed, soon our bags will be packed, too. We need to weigh them all, as we're trying to stay within Icelandair's 50 lbs. limit per suitcase (otherwise they charge $85 per bag). The list that we've been keeping for months is finally close to being done, although the next week will be very busy with tying up loose ends.

We've started the process of saying goodbye to our wonderful Seattle friends, and it's reminding me how lucky we are to have such a great network of people in our lives. Karen and Sasan threw a surprise birthday bbq for Steven last weekend, and Monday was the Wolkens' annual 4th of July bash. It's been great fun to celebrate with everyone, but I decidedly dislike the goodbye part. Had a lovely "last supper" with Chris and Toddy at the Old Town Alehouse last week, followed by gelato at d'Ambrosio. We will miss our friends (and Seattle) very much.

I took a vanilla lavender salt bath tonight in our old clawfoot tub, and realized that this may be the last time I do that for quite a while. I'm going to miss this house, too.

Some things that are still on the To-Do List:

• transfer more money into our UK bank account (yeah, lots!)
• finish the "house manual" for the renters
• pay full year of auto/homeowner's insurance
• decide what clothes and shoes to bring
• cancel all library holds
• wash the car
• finish packing up boxes for storage
• re-caulk the shower stall

There is more, but it's all rather dull. We're getting to the point where we just want to get on that plane and head out of town. Of course, it's not a straight shot to London; we are spending 4 days in... Reykjavik! More on that later, I need to go check my lists...