It's the Little Things in Life.

These are a few of the little things that I am grateful for this morning:

• The riots seem to have stopped and people here are talking about what led up to them (obviously, this is not so little).
• Our rented home is coming along nicely, thanks to my handy-man/artist husband.
• We now get a weekly organic fruit and veg delivery from Abel & Cole; it's like opening up a Christmas parcel every Friday morning.
• My girls are happy and healthy, and soaking up this experience.
• Public library systems all over the world, which let us continue our reading pursuits absolutely free.
• Speaking of free, the website freecycle, which lets you offer, find, trade items for free, thereby keeping more things out of the landfills. Just got Greta a lovely new desk here, and it was even delivered to us for free.
• My new Brita water filter jug, because I just couldn't get used to the taste of the water here, and I was really thirsty.
• My brilliant idea to put a spare duvet under the fitted sheet on our bed, creating a pillow-top effect to our otherwise painfully springy mattress- what a difference! Wish that I had thought of that 3 weeks ago.
• Having internet access to be able to stay connected to friends and family back home.

Sometimes I need to be reminded of how important the little things can be- duly noted, and I am most grateful.

The City

                                          Postman's Park

                                       

                                                       Cutler's Hall

                                          The Old Bailey

                                          Churchyard

                                                       Hidden Pub

                                          St Etheldreda's crypt

                                   

                                          Dr Johnson's house

                                                Dr Johnson's cat, Hodge

                                       

Yesterday, while Franny and Mom had a mellow day at home, Dad and I decided to explore a new part of London. We found a walking route in our book, Secret London, which we followed religiously. The new part of the city we visited was, literally, the City. It is the oldest part of London, and although there were modern office buildings as well (very much a business area), the architecture was beautiful and exactly what I pictured "old London" to be. 

Our walk began at the St. Paul's tube station (we took the Northern Line to Bank, and walked to St. Paul's) and  then through Postman's Park. Although small and fairly quiet, there is a wall in the park with tiles dedicated to normal people whose lives have been taken doing heroic deeds. Unfortunately, the idea never caught on, so most of the tiles date back to the late 1800s, but it was still really interesting. Dad and I then continued on until we reach the area with all of the major London courts, including the Old Bailey (Britain's most famous criminal court). Continuing on we pass more exquisite churches, buildings, and streets. We then turn down Ely Place, a street that is technically not in London. It is owned by the crown, has gates and a gatekeeper, and is "in" Cambrideshire. It houses a little-known church, St Etheldreda, with a crypt and chapel. According to Secret London, the crypt is "the oldest centre of Roman Catholic Worship in London." Also in Ely Place is Ely Court, the tiny street (more of an alleyway) barely wide enough for two people. But it does house one of the oldest and most hidden pubs in London, the Old Mitre. We continue to follow the book, seeing more sights such as Gresham College and Cutler's Hall. We head to Gough Square to visit Dr Johnson's house- the birthplace of the first-ever dictionary. We get coffees on Fleet Street, and walk through yet more almost deserted roads and houses. Everyone seems to know exactly where they're going and don't pause for a second to admire the tiny cafes, the beautiful courtyards, the hidden sights... everywhere we turned there was more to see, and that is something I never want to take for granted. Our day in the City was fantastic, and I'd go back again any day. Our book says it's a one and a half hour walk, yet it took Dad and me nearly four hours because we spent so much time looking in old churches and buildings: I think that says something about my new found love for the City!

London Riots...Really.

Not the blog post that I expected to be writing, but yes, there has been terrible rioting in various London neighborhoods over the last few days. We have felt safe where we are, although there were two Tooting shop windows smashed over the weekend. There is definitely a weird vibe in the city, with tube stations being closed, sirens blasting, shopkeepers looking wary, and everyone talking about the violence. It is so unfortunate for this country and for the individuals involved. Most people believe that it is primarily youths who see an opportunity to cause some havoc and score some free goods, which is such a sorry state of affairs, but could likely happen just about anywhere. We're keeping informed of the goings on, and will post any changes on our front, but wanted to assure everyone that we are safe (been getting some sweet emails today inquiring).

It's interesting to note that so many blog posts, tweets, facebook notifications, etc. are all egocentric musings to tell the world what fun we are having, assuring everyone that one's own life is wonderful and fulfilling. I don't want this blog to be about that, and Greta and I are not trying to prove that we're having an absolutely fabulous time every day of our London lives. Rather, we want to keep you all informed of what we're up to and have a record of some of our activities, thoughts, and feelings throughout this year abroad. Today we're feeling sad for London, but wanted to let you know that we are safe and sound. Glad to have you with us, through the good and the bad.

The Latest From Ashbourne Road

Our house is finally starting to feel a lot like home! Almost three weeks from the first time we saw 58 Ashbourne Road, we have done a lot of work (and shopping). Dad finished painting in the dining room, and it made such a difference. Not sure about the other rooms, but we are hoping to have most housework done by the start of school (September 6th). On the topic of school, Franny has received confirmation that she will be attending Links Primary School next year. Unfortunately, Graveney is over-enrolled, and they don't have any spots left for me. ):  We're still hoping that I will somehow still be able to go, but it's very unlikely. Nevertheless, we have a couple of other options: Chesnut Grove and Bishopsford Arts College. Still unsure of which have spots, and they're not very close by, but wherever I go it will be a new experience and we'll make the best of it! On a better note, Mom and I tried out Tartine Artisanal Cafe on Tooting High Street. It has a Parisian vibe, and was the perfect place for delicious sandwiches and people-watching, and fifteen minutes from our house. Mom had veggie and hummus on baguette and I had a club sandwich. Both with a side of salad, fries (or should I say "chips"?), and limonada. I think we've found our London Portage Bay Cafe...

Camden Town and a Ride down the Canal.

Today's adventure involved places that none of us had ever been. We took the tube into Camden Town and wandered through the Market and Bazaar, which seemed kind of junky and touristy, really. There were some fun stalls, but the place had the air of having been really cool at one time but that time seems to have passed. Maybe I'm getting too old to recognize its charm? It was still lots of fun to see, and we had a great lunch in the courtyard, sitting and watching everyone walk by. There was an old piano there, so when she finished eating, Franny played "You'll Never Walk Alone" for the crowds, it was brilliant.

There were loads of shops of all different kinds to peek in, but we're not really in need of anything at the moment, and just looking can get a bit tiresome. Makes you realize how many city activities revolve around consumerism. The timing of being there was interesting in that Camden is where Amy Winehouse lived, so there were lots of posters and t-shirts commemorating her life (she died last week), and we spotted a Bansky-ish painting of her which has gotten some notoriety.

After lunch and much walking, we got our tickets for the Jenny Wren (my mother's nickname for me, incidentally) and boarded the old barge for a guided tour down the canal. It was so cool! We got to see the back gardens of amazing houses along the canal, as well as lots of "house-barges," which was very reminiscent of kayaking through the houseboats of Lake Washington. There was also a Chinese restaurant floating on the canal, and apparently an on-water Sainsbury's. We floated along behind the London Zoo and all the way to Little Venice, while we learned the history of the canal system, which runs through London unbeknownst to many. It was definitely a worthwhile activity, and one that we'll suggest to visitors.

Still enjoying our adventures in London, and there is clearly enough to keep us busy for the year! We've been hearing a lot about the rioting and looting of last weekend, which was awful, and really scary. We're truly hoping the incidents won't be repeated. Another reminder that no place is perfect. All for now.

New Norms.

It's a rainy day in London (sounds like an old Robyn Hitchcock song, doesn't it?), so we're staying in and being cozy. The girls are sitting on the couch playing games on Franny's ipod, Steven is painting in the kitchen, and I've been on-line planning our October holiday to Italy.

We do have some new norms now, and are getting used to things in our 'hood. The ice cream truck driver has met the kids and now parks in front of our house most days. They buy soft serve cones with choc flake, which is where most of their money is going thus far. We've had our first curry take-away, which was excellent; Greta declared that it was the best Indian food she had ever tasted. We've discovered that the take-away menus for most things (dinner, lattes, etc.) are considerably cheaper than sitting in to eat. Franny chose her bedding for her new room- see the attached photo. It's starting to feel more familiar.

The house projects have begun in full force: the plumber comes back next week to replace the upstairs toilet and we're planning to put in the new bathroom floor up there. Steven patched a bunch of holes, and is currently priming the walls of the dining room/kitchen. Our brand new vacuum cleaner (hoover) arrived, so we're able to clean the floors finally, which makes a huge difference in itself!

Yesterday we took the bus (a double-decker of course) to Wimbledon, which is only about 20 minutes away from us. It has a completely different feel, much more upscale, than where we live. It brought to mind again the huge discrepancies in Londoners' lifestyles given how much money they have. Of course, this is true in Seattle, Boston, Montreal, everywhere, but we had forgotten some of it. Our area offers such cultural diversity and the opportunity to find things from all over the world for cheap, but Wimbledon is much more polished and pretty. We saw young girls riding horses right through the village and then playing on the lawn. Different world, indeed. Taking the bus there, you see the neighborhood change in a matter of blocks. I'm trying not to worry too much about the financial extravagance of taking this trip, trusting that it will all work out and we're able to pull it off. But it is hard to see so many people who are struggling just in the day to day.

Had another interesting experience yesterday: as we were walking home from the bus (all of us tired and hungry), we saw a car brake quickly to avoid hitting a little boy of about 2 years. He was walking across the street crying, with no shoes on, and clearly looking lost. We ran over and picked him up, trying to ask where he lived and where his parents were, but he had no answers for us. After knocking on many doors and trying to find his home, we ended up calling the police to report a lost child. Two nice women officers came right away and took over, calling me later in the evening to report that they found his home. Apparently, he'd been playing in the front garden with his dad while his mum cooked dinner, then when dad left for the shops, he followed without anyone knowing. He was lost but his parents didn't even know he was missing, as both thought he was with the other! It's the kind of thing that could easily happen anywhere to anyone and makes you realize how precious your children are. I am so glad that we took that route home and grabbed that adorable little guy to help; we were in the right place at the right time.

Life goes on, and every day won't be a wonderful tourist adventure, but will hopefully be a positive experience for our family of challenging ourselves to do something very different from our old norms. So far, so good.

Covent Garden for the Day.

It's a bit strange to chat at dinner about what we want to do the next day, and have our options include things like going to Notting Hill or Covent Garden on the tube; and to feel like we can do what we like but not need to cram everything in to one short week in the city. I like these options.

Today was Covent Garden to wander around, poke through the shops and stalls, and enjoy an excellent vegetarian lunch at Food for Thought- http://foodforthought-london.co.uk/

We also got in some great culture when Steven and Franny headed off to the London Transport Museum and Greta and I marveled at the Courtauld Institute in the Somerset House. It was amazing to see so many famous paintings by well known artists in this beautiful little Gallery, and we loved the building itself. It's free on Mondays, and well worth a visit.

Franny was impressed by the old London buses and trams at the London Transport Museum, and Steven liked the Museum so much that he became a member! So I guess that we'll be going back to that one over the year, and it sounds like it was a hit.

Walking up from the Tube station at Piccadilly Circus is almost overwhelming, with people rushing everywhere, tourists snapping pics of everything, and the huge billboards overtaking the skyline. Once we got our bearings, we loved walking around the area and there was so much to see. We spent hours wandering around SoHo, too, and had the most amazing gelato (perhaps even better than D'Ambrosio!). The sun was shining bright all day, and it got quite hot- it definitely feels like summer has hit London. It was a really fun day, but I'm sleepy tonight, so will have to add more later.