Stockholm!

Visiting with Good Friends -- Stockhomites  (The lovely lady in the middle lived with us in Portland one summer long ago.)

Ut FART!

Still have so much to write about London, yet find myself in Sweden!  Am writing from our hotel overlooking a large downtown square.  Ulys and the kids were just down there at the farmer's market (4 large stalls all selling exactly the same thing).  He bargained and got the strawberries and cherries down from $10/lb to $7/lb -- though he thinks he wasn't given a full lb.  

The man asked him,  "where are you from?"
-- US
"OH!  Welcome to Sweden!"
-- Thank you, where are you from?
"Bulgaria."
-- OH!  Welcome to Sweden!

When we landed at Arlanda International airport, I said,  "Hey!  We're back in Oregon."  On the way from airport to downtown, Tai, "This is just like Portland, except for the buildings."

Ulysses started taking photos while we were still in the airport --  "Look at this real wood floors and minimalist decor!  Amazing!"

We've been here about an hour and the kids are STILL laughing hysterically after saying "Ut Fart"  over and over again.  They are under the impression that that means "Exit" -- so are saying things (well gasping things, given their laughter), such as "Ut fart my bed-en!"   "Ut fart the couch-en!"  "Ut-fart the bathroom!""

Maybe I'm too provincial . .

BUT  I never heard of a Fish Pedicure until today --- so I had one!
Apparently diminutive fish -- piranha cousins -- like to eat dead skin.  They love, love, love to chew away dead skin and callouses.  Very strange, but not painful, sensation.  10 minutes wasn't long enough . . .

I should buy my own.

As you can imagine it is QUEEN O RAMA around here -- with the Diamond Jubilee (60 years as Queen!) and yesterday's celebration of her birthday -- the Trooping of the Colour.  We could have gone, but couldn't face the crowds -- might have stood for hours to stare at the back of a British head, rather than to gaze upon the Royal Family in person -- though I would have like to.  I actually have a great deal of admiration for the Queen; and Kate and William seem pretty darn cool.  I would also have liked to see the horses  (Windsor Whites and Cleveland Browns).

All the museums have special Queen exhibits (in addition to their regular Queen exhibits).  My favorite is a wall of large photos showing families with Queen stuff at home -- and a wall where visitors can write about Queen stuff they have in their homes.  I'll put the photos to the left (click to see them all) and my favorite comments:

London is FANTASTIC!!!!

We are actually having sunny warm days and a wonderful time.  I feel completely at home here -- I remember that that's how I felt when I lived here so many years ago.  At age 22 I went back to the states to go to college -- but would have put it off even longer had the weather been like this!

Here's some photos of London from the London Eye:

While walking near Parliament

. . . we saw a car, open,with its contents scattered over the street, loads of police and blocked off roads.  The next morning, it all became clear:

Been Busy . .

Sorry for the silence -- but we've been busy:

Monday:  arrived afternoon.

• Driver met us and took us "home."
• Ooed and awed about our digs.
• Housekeeper showed us around.
• Unpacked.
• Went out for coffee, tea, hot cocoa and pastries.
• Grocery Store.
• Crashed.

Tuesday:

• Ooed and awed over our digs.
• London Undergrown -- i.e. The Tube
• Museum of London.
• Saw a sign that pointed to a Roman Wall we couldn't see.
• St Paul's Cathedral -- Ulys and kids walked to the top
• Skirted the edge of Trafalgar Square & Kids made Brass Rubbings in crypt of St. Martin in the Fields.
• Glanced longingly at the entrance to the National Portrait Gallery (me)
• Saw West End play "The Mousetrap" -- Agatha Christie x 52 years
• Ate traditional fish and chips at renowned "Mr. Fish."
• Crashed.

Wednesday:

• The London Eye
• Walked across bridge -- admired Boudica statue
• Walked around Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Horse Guards
• Saw car that had just been blown up (see above)
• Walked through St James Park -- saw unusual water fowl
• Revisited Trafalgar -- kids climbed on the famous lions 
• Gawked at gorgeous Harrod's food halls -- balked at gorgeous prices
• Toured the Mews (stables) at Buckingham Palace 
• Did not tour Buckingham Palace (Queen is in residence)
• Light tea at French Brasserie
• Walked many many many miles
• Ooed and Awed over our digs -- now Home

Thursday:

• Imperial War Museum 
• Tour of London
• Greek restaurant for dinner ("Greek Affair")
• Digs appreciation

Today:

• Finally adjusted to local time, I awoke at 3 am and have been up ever since:
• laundry, ironed all sorts of things (Tai's t shirts?!), cleaned kitchen, watched TV shows, documentaries, and things immediately forgotten, looked up opening times for all museums and bookstores in central London, checked email a lot, recharged electrical objects
• Everyone else finally got up 6 hours later

. . . So I've got a lot to tell . . . but Gotta Go!

PS.  We never did make it to the Changing of the Guards -- and good thing, too!!!  Looks like it is not age-appropriate!

Special Weather Event

The last 2 days we've been doing our planned
"Outdoor Activities" -- GOOD THING, TOO!



UK Weather: Met Office Warns Of Rain And 55mph Winds

"Once in a 50 years storm."  

So . . . we win???


(Actually the flooding is in the north . . . still . . )

Museum Weather

10 June 21012

In the Air:  Somewhere over Atlantic Frozen Parts

(- 67 degrees outside, better inside)


It's that crucial hour -- do I go to sleep now or just watch movies, bleary eyed, for the next 6 hours?   There are plenty of movies -- just finished "The Iron Lady,"  very appropriately as it is about Margaret Thatcher.  And have been glancing over for bits of "The Help"  (Zahra's screen), and "Cars Two"  (Tai's screen)  -- and on a screen up-two-seats-an-just-across-the-aisle, I finally saw the end of the last H. Potter -- guess who won?!  

We were right to avoid American airline companies, and to take a one-hour jaunt to Vancouver, Canada, then connect with a direct Vancouver-London Heathrow flight.  Imagine this:  a comfortable airline (and we are in the cheap seats this time so it must be paradise in front -- in fact, I think I can see flickers from a disco ball), with a friendly staff and free stuff. Yeah, Free Stuff!!!!  You are allowed to take your luggage with you!  And the ear plugs are free, meals, drinks (it IS in their interest to quell the masses with some mild inebriation, after all.)  Even the bathrooms can be used -- as many times as you like -- without financial penalty!  And did I mention movies, TV shows, blankets and pillows?  AND AIR!!!!  We can breathe AS MUCH AS WE WANT!!!!!  No BYO O2 canisters required!!!  (Ours are in a locker at PDX.)  GO AIR CANADA!!!     


As for the friendly staff -- it appears that this crew has not been shanghaid in a Vegas alley after the bars close!  They actually seem to have agreed to be airline hosts!  It's as if they chose their jobs and so come to work, like many of us,  of their own free will!  US based airlines should look into this voluntary workforce business!   
 . . . just a thought . . 


But enough too-much-Folgers-crystals-fueled-chatter. Back to the issue at HAND  To sleep or not to sleep?


. . . .  anticipatory drum roll . . . . 

TIME FOR A LIST:

Sleeping:

Advantages:               Disadvantages:

It is biologically         I'll feel like
necessary                   hell when I wake
                            up

It keeps insanity at bay    My breath will            
                            smell of dog 
                            carcass                                                                                                                                                     

The time will pass quickly  My neck will be
                            permanently
                            tweaked to the
                            left                                                             
                            

Might not get a headache    Might get a
                            headache no
                            matter what I do

Missing CSI &The Help     Missing CSI & 
                            The Help 

Not Sleeping:

Advantages:          Disadvantages:

I won't be groggy        I'll be catatonic
with customs            with customs and   
                         they'll let me in, 
                         then hospitalize me

                                     

Everyone else will       I'll be lonely and
be asleep and can        won't have to pee
take full advantage
of the free bathroom 

option

My breath won't smell    Who am I kidding?
like dog carcass

Ponder: what would I do were I British?

Ah, bloody 'ell, I forgot about the time change!!!!

I  must re-evaluate.

June 11, 2012
Notting Hill, London

We made it.  The trip was smooth and easy, except for the Red-Eye part.  Harsh.
However, as you can see, we are having a blast in London -- so good to be sharing this together.

Junuary --  The Weather in Portland is DISMAL:

 so we're headin' out.  Going far far far away.  Where the weather is . .. hold on . .. let me check:

London -- now.




Never mind we'll only be there for a week, then we will head north to:

Sweden -- now.


Um -- I guess I'll just pack what I'm already wearing.

IN THE MEANTIME . . . 


We must be culturally sensitive:

And prepare to be Temporarily British:

I have been educating our feral children so that they don't embarrass us by doing this:

Or, this!

MEXICO


We Are Very Different:  Part Two:

The Three Mamies

The Three Mamies

9:45 am:  Not wanting to miss any of this glorious paradisical vacation,  we Mamies decide to get up early.   To that end we roll out of bed around 10.  

Forward thinking, we have arranged to have breakfast prepared.  As soon as we shuffle out of our rooms, luxuriating in our comfy robes and drape our respective selves in cushy veranda chairs, coffee is brought to us.  Muchas gracius, gracius!   We all take a sip, then let our heads fall back and moan with joy.

10:00 am:  After the second delivered cup of coffee, breakfast is served in several courses -- so many elegant dishes - too many to fit on our coffee table, and we have to relocate to the dining table -- aaaaallll the way across the veranda.

Of course the maids must wait for us to practice our melodic Southern-belle Spanish before they can serve us. We've been  a-studying how to ask -- politely -- for coffee.    We need to say "Podria tener una cafecita".   So we greet the friendly young women with smiles and enthusiasm, and pronounce confidently,

 Pod-raaaaay-a    ten-noooor    unaaas   tres   coffee-see-tus? 

They understand us perfectly, smiling so much with appreciation that they burst into laughter.  We're getting the hang of this Espan-n-oil.  Our Cuban husbands will be DEE-lie-TED-DA.

10:30 am:  Sunny day.  Beach time!  We agree to dress quickly and head out to the pools.  45 minutes later we are dressed remarkably similarly:  retro polka-dot one piece bathing suits, peaking out from the necklines of colorful pool dresses,  casual canvas slingback heels (same shade of blue as the suits), silver necklaces, diamond rings,  Jackie-O sunglasses and impressively large red straw hats, carrying matching  beach bags.

11:25 am:  Down to the golf cart.  We try to start it but it's not working -- so we call "RAF-- AYE --- ELLLLLL."  He drives down and starts the golf cart.  Oh, we laugh embarrassingly, we have to turn the key!  We pile in and race to the nearest pool.  Funny that Rafael manages to walk there just as fast as we drive.  

12:00 noon:  Arrive at the pool -- the one next to the gym -- sit in the hot tub and discuss what a good idea it would be for us to walk on the treadmill for awhile.  Decide we will definitely do that today.  Definitely.  As soon as we get out of the hot tub.  . . .

. . .  But the hot tub is really hot so we rinse off in the deliciously warm, pool.  Then step back to our lounge chairs to dry off before heading to the gym.   

 A very friendly waiter comes up and asks if he can get us something. 

That is just soooo ni-ice--a!  we say to each other, Sure,  una agua pro favor.  No, tno una.  Unas tres aguas.  Con limon, pro favor. 

Then one of us says,   Limon's lime, right?  I looove-va limes!  

Our smiles are contagious so the suddenly-very-happy-appearing waiter asks,  You like some lime drink, Señorita?  

We glance at ourselves -- one to the other -- Well sure, that sounds real ni-ice. 

The waiter lists some lime drinks, ending with and, por supuesto, we have de BEST margaritas!  Muy muy buenas!

Oh really?!?  long pause . . . Well  . . okay . . . I'll have one. 

 Yes, me to!

And me -- pro favor!

4:00 pm:  While adjusting my lounge chair my finger gets stuck in the lever and, before I know it, I'm flipped around laying on the ground, rear in the air, trying to get my broken finger out! 

OWIE!  HELP!!!HELP!   

I look like a flopping fish but manage to get my finger out!  It is cut and in terrible terrible pain!  Luckily I have several cups of melting ice by this point -- there are even some ice cubes round like a ring and so I place several on my broken finger,   OW OW OWIE -- IT'S  SOOOOOOOOOO    COLD-DA!   I'M GETTING FROSTBITE!

Meanwhile the second Mamie is holding her arm and grimacing -- she slid in the hot tub and bruised her arm,  It might be broken too!   Ice will  help.  She's pissed because her eye is still irritated from the antibiotic ear drops she put in it yesterday.

OW OW OWIE

And the third is hyperventilating and waving her arm in the air because she's just been attacked by a cactus thorn -- or possibly a dangerous stinging bug -- and is developing a hot huge rapidly-spreading walk over her entire forearm.  She also has plenty of ice cups -- ice in towel, onto arm.

OW OW OWIE

5:00 pm: This has been so traumatic that there's nothing for it but another margarita.  We so order, holding off on another order of shrimp cerviche with guacamole as the chefs will be arriving soon.

Good God-a, how are we going to survive this place?????!!!

5:30 pm: The sun is going down.  Time to go back  But we are clearly too injured to drive, so ask the waiter to please call Rafael and arrange for him to walk down and drive us home in our golf cart.  He does so with grace and we are so grateful to him!

6:00 pm:  The chefs have arrived and are preparing dinner.  Seeing our distress, they hand us margaritas authenticas to take with us while we shower and dress for dinner.

6:45 pm: Calmed down, dressed up, and decked out -- we repose to the veranda and rest our weary bodies in the downy cushions of the oversized deck chairs.   We have pre-ordered coconut shrimp, fresh ahi cerviche, escargot with garlic butter, caviar and foie gras with home-made bread, sea bass Veracruz with a side of lightly grilled baby vegetables.  These are served with flights of perfectly matched wines -- and all is finished with a coconut flan, pomegranate coulis and icy French champagne.  We sigh with pure contentment and regain our considerable senses of humor.

May-be we will make it.

We have the chefs laughing uproariously -- and even convince the elder one to teach us some salsa moves.  Sadly they have to go by 9.

8:50 pm:  Tired but very content, we decide to watch a movie on the enormous flat screen.   Damn, Everything's in Spanish!!!

8:56 pm: We call the concierge, who sends someone down to help right away.  OMG -- all we had to do was to change the audio setting to English!   We offer to make the technician a margarita in thanks, but he seems to be in   a hurry to leave. 

Whatever!  Some people are just so uptight!

10:30 pm: Vow to relax more the next day -- and not to get up so damn early.  After all,  the masseuses aren't arriving until 11:00 am.

Last 2 days!