Cycling in Amsterdam and Nemo

You can't visit Amsterdam without doing what the locals do. We headed out early in search of a bike shop. We got a little lost but eventually with help found the shop called MacBike. We hired three, fullsize for Sue, childs for Sophia and a triple for the rest of us. It was a little nerve racking at first especially the length of my bike but I had heard about the laws and how hitting a cyclist can be a really bad thing to do. 

We headed for the the Waterloopleinmarkt. As if we were ever going to get any bargains in this city. We bought the typical dutch souvenirs of clogs and two little people kissing before moving on.

Cycling around the canals was awesome with the various bridges and  pathways. We headed to the Science Museum called Nemo. It was across the city out on the water built on top of a tunnel. For the kids it was the highlight of the day. Five levels of science you can touch and play with. On one level the kids and I put on a lab coat and we got to do our own experiment with ice salt. Did you know applying salt to ice reduces the temperature of the ice water to -17 degrees but at the same time melts it. Cool. 

We spent the rest of the day biking through the city streets just exploring. We were quite a sight with the two kids in the front. Many people starred and a number of photos were taken. Once Sue was some distance behind us and over heard one foriegner who had just taken a photo of us comment, "Ahh it a rental" obviously hoping to capture a local authentically riding their family around. 

We had a couple of scary moments with the traffic. One occurred when we only got halfway across a road and my bike was way too long sitting out on one side to the traffic and the other end onto the tram line. I could see my front wheel which sticks out and actually got knocked by a passing tram. It was by far our best day in the holiday and well recommended to anyone going to Amsterdam. 

Vondelpark

It was supposed to rain in the afternoon so we headed off as early as we could, 11am for Vondelpark, a large park about one kilometer away. Its not so easy to cross the road here when not using crossings. The trams, cars and bikes often have their own lanes separated by kerbs. As you run across you end up looking in all directions not sure what exactly you are looking for. The bikes can go quite fast and in larger numbers than cars. There are over seven hundred inhabitants in this city and six hundred thousand own a bike. People in Amsterdam believe its quicker to travel by bike and they are literally locked up everywhere in their hundreds. Obviously used to get to work early. 

We wandered around the park and found a kids playground. Of course in a city of bikes they like to start them early. My type of city.

It was amazing to be in such a large park so well utilised by local people. Families walked, people ran and of course they biked. On the way back we found ourselves some authentic Oliebollen. Unfortunately we didn't quite eat them as they were supposed to be eaten. We ate them cold and missed the packet of powered sugar in the packet. I tried to compensate by  filling their insides using a spray can of cream. I still loved them but the kids weren't quite so keen. 

Amsterdam

Our journey from Paris to Amsterdam was reasonable. We only deviated from our Sat Nat directions once. Going past large cities can be a little tricky as roads are shooting off in all directions and the Sat Nave can be slow to give exact directions. Didn't create to much stress though as it redirected us back to the right road and off we went again. 

First we entered Belgium and instantly saw an improvement in the roads. Service stops were a bit of a let down with only a petrol station and minimum food. It was a pleasure to cross the Netherlands boarder and we started spotting windmills. 

There were flat fields and well kept towns as we headed into Amsterdam. The main motorway in was no indication of the city driving. We were cruising along on a five lane road where the fifth lane wasn't even used. We had been warned about driving in Amsterdam but decided to drop the girls at our apartment before driving to the city limits where I left the car in a parking area. The driving in Amsterdam was slow and cumbersome. It is obviously designed to be bike, tram and pedestrian friendly with cars being given the worst option. 

I dropped off the girls in what was an open market street. I parked temporarily where I could and started unloading. Before long a large van was behind us declaring he couldn't get past. I had to drop and run. Ironically 40 meters down the road another van was unloading and I waited another five minutes. 

I drove to the car park grabbed a couple of bags and headed back on a tram. They squeal there away around the city in all directions. Very good in that the city is not that big. Our apartment is on the top and third floor in one of the older sections of the city about two and a half kilometers from the city center. Its quite earthy but is doing us well. 

Chateau of Versailles

Christmas was a quiet affair in Paris as we pledged to do nothing but eat and sleep. The kids enjoyed their presents and ate way too much chocolate.

The next day we decided to go to the Chateau of Versailles. We had read on the internet that it can be very busy and it was best to get there by 9am. Unfortunately we were having our Christmas hangover and only arrived by 11.30am. We had to endure two queues, one for tickets and the second for entry. By 12.30pm we were immersed in the crowds walking through the beautiful hallways. It is great but I don't recommend it with small kids. First they take away your stroller, then they don't allow children on shoulders. After queuing, the walk through the incredibly crowded chateau was exhausting for Holly who periodically declared she could not walk any further. 

We rushed through the chateau in less than an hour and went out to enjoy the grounds. These French royalty knew how to live it up. The grounds cover 800 hectares. We started in the upper levels where the gardens were immaculate. 

From here we walked down to the ponds in a shape of a cross. To really see the full grounds we would need bicycles but didn't have the time. We just wandered to the left and right through the Bosquet du Dauplin (grove) where many of the outdoor statues are located. It was a chance for various members of our group to lead us aimlessly in different directions.

La Seine River

It was our third day in Paris and we were getting warn out from sightseeing. We spent the morning going through the Pont-de-Frandres. Sue had heard about the garden of mirrors which seemed a bit of a flop but there was also a great area for the kids to go wild. All enclosed within an area various unusual equipment was arranged for family fun.

The park is one of the largest in Paris and we eventually came across the Science Museum. Unfortunately this was closed on Mondays so we moved on. We had been tossing up all day as to whether it was worth getting a water cruise. We didn't know where they started or at what time so headed down to the river and started walking. Eventually we found the Vedettes du Pont-Neuf which had a cruise leaving in 30 minutes. It was reasonably priced at 13E per adult and is much cheaper than the bus tours.

The cruise far exceeded my expectations. We got a better perspective of Old Paris and saw all the old bridges up close and personal. I was unaware of the smaller statue of Liberty close by the Eiffel Tower. 

Only be-known to Holly she sat by herself at the front of the boat just in front of the guide. Julia joined her and they entertained those around them only seeking us out when requiring food. The cruise was a real chance to slow down and chill out. The guide was great in that he gave his talk in both French and English.

Not all was easy on this day though. We did have some drama near its end. We were walking through one of the RER stations moving from one platform to another which can at times be a considerable walk. At this station there was a large number of platforms with about five lanes using it. I was walking ahead with Sophia and turned a number of corners to appear at our platform. I turned to find the others not there. I gave it a minute and realised something was amiss. What to do. I told Sophia to wait in plain view and took off back in the direction we had come from. I couldn't find the others anywhere. 

At the main intersection where Sophia and I had turned left the way straight went down a number of long one way escalators. I looked up where we had come from turned and flew down the escalator with Sophia alone on my mind. At the bottom of the escalator the passage turned into a very long travelator after another 20 meters. I ran down this with even more speed. 

Past this were more escalators and exit barriers. Surely they didn't go that far without seeing us. I gave up and ran back next to the travelator. After a sprint I found myself looking back up the escalators. Options, to the left were other stairs and passages. I couldn't afford to get lost now as Sophia was waiting. I did the stupid thing and ran up the escalator the wrong way. After dropping my coke twice and falling over three times I finally reached the top exhausted.  Not bad training really. Every time you slow down to catch your breath you end up further down. 

I rushed back to our platform and found all our members present. They had gone down the escalator and wandered up various stairs before Sophia had spotted them in one of the adjacent passages. All is well which ends well and it only added to our sense of adventure.

Ice Skating and Notre Dame

One of the awesome things about French culture is their focus on family and holidays. Every Christmas holidays; free ice rinks are set up in a couple of locations around Paris. A number of carousels also get into the mood and operate free. 


We decided on the ice rink located right outside the famous Hotel-de-Ville where the Paris city administration is housed dating back to the 14th century. We've never been ice skating so the kids were very excited. Because of the relatively warm temperatures (13°C) there was a layer of water across the ice. This only added to our trepidation as we only had one change of clothes for Holly. There were two sections, one for kids with chair and penguin stands to help kids stay upright. They weren't enough to keep Holly and Julia upright as both fell over a number of times.

For those who were a little better it was possible to to skate amongst the pros even if we weren't that good. You can see the carousel in the background which we simply needed to see afterwards. 

Julia's pants were quite wet after this and wearing Hollys extras didn't quite look right. We found a massive multi leveled apartment store which I am sure many people travel to Paris to see called HBV. We ventured up to level five in search of new pants. I couldn't believe the number of people in the place. No sales required here. We took one look at the price and thought better of it.

We went overland next to the Notre Dame Cathedral. On the way we crossed the La Seine river and stopped to listen to a busker. Before long Holly and Julia were dancing and drawing a crowd. Must have been been good business for the busker but most photos were being taken of the kids.

The Notre Dame is a very imposing building even in Paris. This seems to be the place for tourists to flock to with a number of tourist shops surrounding the area. We first wandered through the cathedral itself, soaking in the atmosphere. Afterwards we joined the queue for the stairs to the top. It only took 30 minutes to get to the front which is apparently very short.

For me this actually surpassed the Eiffel Tower. It's 850 years old, and has that magic of being born out of the ages. About halfway up the first section of circular stairs Holly gave up the ghost. This happens frequently and can alarm other people as a three year old suddenly collapses in front of them. Sometimes people quickly move to grab her and others turn to see our reaction which is usually great amusement.

The view from the top of the Notre Dame is complete. It is more in the heart of the old city than the Eiffel and you enjoy the view with Gargoyles. We spent a long time up there just hanging out and enjoying the place. The girls ran around exploring every nook and crevice. Luckily the space is caged in so it is almost impossible to climb out. Never say impossible when the girls are around though, so we kept a reasonable eye on them.

On the very top we were waiting to be let down the stairs again. A girl was in front of us being doted over by her parents taking photo upon photo. Holly wanted a bit of the action and moved in. Before long they were friends and we were introduced to Isobel. She was a four year old from America. I wasn't sure what her parents thought of us but they seemed amused by Holly's forthright attitude. The walk down was somewhat slow as Isobel's father went in front backwards holding her to ensure she safely made it down the stairs. Our kids bounded down having to stop frequently to allow them to get a head. Holly kept wanting to see her and to let her know she was there.

On our way home we darted down an alleyway to find a small kebab shop. We had somewhat neglected the eating process during what had been a fully pack day of adventure.

The Lourve and the Eiffel Tower

This was our first venture into Paris and we were full of excitement. We wandered down to the nearest subway station "RER". As we walked down the hill we had two alternatives left or right. Getting this wrong would mean a long climb back up. A Parisian was walking past and he happily showed us the way. They are so friendly and he even offered to take us inside to translate so we could buy the three day pass. 

The RER is very extensive in Paris and can take you anywhere. Its like a massive rabbit warren with long passages connecting different lines. Our first journey took some time before getting familiar with how the signs and systems work.

We walked out into the very light drizzle with the Lourve Museum looming in front of us. It seems a good time to visit Paris as long as you are happy with the weather, as the queues are quite short. About 10 minutes later we were trawling through the various rooms and levels of the Museum. 

We spent the first 30 minutes trying to find the Mona Lisa. Up this passageway, down those stairs, into that room etc. There were signs for this painting but it wasn't always obvious. Eventually Sophia spotted it in a large room. The huge crowd was a bit of a giveaway. We spent the next hour randomly wandering through rooms and levels enjoying the art. We took a particular fancy to the Egyptian area.

We had booked tickets for the Eiffel Tower at 5pm. You would think one and a half hours would be long enough to make our way there. However, getting out of the Lourve is easier said than done. It took us some time to wind our way out following the "sortie" signs. It can be quite arduous carrying Holly up and down stairs as she got tired.

The Eiffel Tower was a real highlight. We arrived in the light of day and left in the dark. Pre buying tickets made life a great deal easier and as we arrived at 4.45pm we only had a 10 minute wait before entering. The elevators are large and people jammed themselves in to maximise space. First we shot up the middle section with good views of the city. This is as far as we had gone last time opting for the stairs. Next we were herded onto the central lift and up we went to the top. Its amazing how far you can go up. The tower is 320 meters tall and was built in 1889. A man by the name of Gustave Eiffel had an apartment on the top and entertained celebrities like Thomas Edison.

The views from the top are amazing as only a couple of buildings in central Paris are higher than four stories. The wind was very strong and the kids were almost blown away. 

The trip down was as easy as getting up and before long we were again standing and now viewing the Eiffel Tower by night. At 6pm there was a light display. Its the type of place where you can just hang out for hours. But alas it had been a long day out and the kids were getting tired. 

A day in Paris is never quite complete until you have enjoyed a ride on a carousel. These are plentiful all over Paris so of course there were two in the vicinity of the Tower. Holly loves these and I suspect we will be making them a regular thing.They are a Paris Christmas tradition and there are 20 free ones dotted around the city.

Off to Paris

We were off earlier today and headed to the channel. An easy drive with our new Sat Nav making light of the directions. Honestly I can't believe we have been doing without it over the past four months. Sue once had to drop off the kids at Northorp Hall before going to work in Saltney. Unfortunately she ended up 15 miles away in Wrexham. 

We had forgot to print the tickets for the channel and stressed as we headed the car queue. Sue popped out to talk to an attendant when Julia spotted our name on the ticket printing machine. Technology, beats us!! The kids were all excited as we drove onto a train headed under the water. It didn't disappoint and we all got out to look at the marine life. OK maybe not, but it didn't take long for Holly to make a new friend and for me to talk to our Dutch neighbour. Holly's great for that type of thing and just assumes every new person is an old friend.

The first impressions of France were fantastic. Where have all the cars gone? The motorway was only two lanes but instead of watching the break light of the car 20m ahead with concern I found myself gazing over the serial countryside. Occasionally we indicated and over took a car but generally cruised along. Things were a little different near Paris however. 

We had arranged to meet our host Christophe at our apartment at 6pm as he had to work. We had plenty of time so even stopped at a park for the kids to ride on a carousel. Our Sat Nat told us we had plenty of time. We entered Paris and the closer we got to our destination the slower we went and the more the arrival time pushed out. Garmin don't seem to take this into account, and you would think we would anticipate peak hour traffic by now.

We arrived at about 6.20pm kind of. There we were in Paris near the destination but not exactly. We couldn't read French and couldn't use our cell phone. We asked a couple of locals (who were all very friendly if not terribly helpful) for help. We drove around a couple of streets and someone offered to ring Christophe's cell phone for us. After what seemed like a lengthy call we were sent up a couple of streets. Luckily a man shortly tapped on our window and announced himself as Christophe. He lead us off in the opposite direction to the apartment.

Its great here. So close to Paris and we are only paying $130 a night. If you ever want a place for a family (2 bedroom) try wimdu or airbnb. This guys like out of the Big Bag Theory. Has three TV's a massive Blueray collection, heaps of figurines of all sorts of tv characters and books for China. Thankfully Holly has been restrained. The apartment is lovely and brightly coloured as only a Frenchman could do. 

Off to the Continent

The day after school broke up we headed south for Maidstone. The journey was supposed to be 4 hours but in torrential rain was always going to take longer. The traffic around Birmingham was heavy and it took about one hour to travel 10 miles. Again we rattled along until we got to the outskirts of London. We had left by 11am and had hoped to avoid peak hour traffic but by 5pm we were still going past London and going slower the further we went. 

Eventually we got to our destination "Maidstone" by 6.30pm and settled into our travel lodge. Its basic but adequate. Driving had been tense as I always needed to be watchful of traffic when there are so many cars. Having three lanes doesn't seem to make it any easier. It still astounds us how many people there on this small island. 

The All Blacks Lose

This is a little late but we have been having problems with google. I had reveled in the seemingly invincible nature of the All Blacks. I have used it as a source of inspiration for the boys I coach and as an interesting point of conversations with English and Welsh a like. 

The signs were ominous though as the last of the spring tests approached. They failed to annihilate a lackluster Welsh and then caught Noro virus mid week. I had a couple of bets on the side and sat down in a pub to watch what I had assumed would be another satisfying game. With 10 minutes to go I was ready to leave but Julia insisted on staying. I slunk out quietly but quickly afterwards.

Monday was not enjoyable. There were English flags all over the place and as if no one had informed me every class came in asking me the score. One class part shown in the photo kept breaking into "sweat chariots" or something. They also played their anthem on i phones. I didn't shave for a week in commiseration.

It would seem like I asked for this, but what would life be like if you can't get excited about rugby.

   

A Must See And Do: SNOWDONIA & AROUND

Theres a certain magic even just in the word 'Snowdonia'! Its the kind of name I would expect to find in one of C.S Lewis' narratives.

Like its name, Wales' biggest national park is equally magic. It is famous for its scenery, encompassing snowy mountains, scenic coastline and glorious country-side.

Mount Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales (and the second highest in Britain, topped only by Ben Nevis in Scotland). Mt Snowdon is a must-climb even if you're not a hardcore hiker. There are six main trails to the top, or you can cheat by taking a train! Not a option for us, too expensive! We blow our money on speeding fines and parking infringements Mmmm! 3km over speed limit and wham bang that will be 60 pounds thanks!!

I'll get Henry to write up the climb, the gripping version ;). Before he does...Holly walked a 1/3 of the way! Henry carried her the rest!! I have read differing accounts of the height. One website said 3,559 feet, another said 3,720ft or 1,085meters. I'll go with the later. It really was enjoyable and only possible because of Henrys strength and determination!

Henry- We actually cheated by starting at the highest point you can take a car. I parked the car on an isolated saddle where the start of the miners track is. Quite spectacular though. Its far more scenic than the main way up. First you don't really climb much winding around the mountain. You pass three lakes on the way. There are less people on this accent and we really enjoyed the views. 

Just on the other side of the third lake you hit a stair case. Its like something out of Lord of the Rings, The Stairs of Cirith Ungol. Rather unnerving, with Holly on my shoulders. It winds its way up the side of the mountain zig zagging from side to side. You can see the pass up above but it took about an hour to do this section. Eventually we made it. I was surprised as Holly walked about a third of the way. From here we left Holly and Sue behind before climbing for the last 20 minutes. We followed the railway line up to the summit. Not nice seeing train load after train load being dragged up. Just to rub it in even more there is a large cafe on top with amazing views.

We were really lucky with the summit. It was overcast but the clouds were high. We had panoramic views in all directions. The Welsh country side ain't too bad. The walk back down was not quite so interesting. The weather had been cold but by late afternoon was becoming freezing. Sue had gone down to fetch the car and was going to meet us in Llanberis which is the starting pointing of the easier way up. I was to concerned about clambering down the same way we had got up. 

We got to see a number of different trains but the kids were starting to run out of puff. For the rest of the way I carried various combinations, on occasion two at a time. We met a really nice Welsh guy who attempted to entertain the girls for a while.

Carlisle Edinburgh and the Rugby Match

Our weekend started at 4pm when Sue and the girls picked me up after work on Friday. Its funny the type of assumptions you make when you don't know whats coming up. North West England is one the the most populated areas of the country. So driving between Liverpool and Manchester this time of the day can be somewhat arduous even on the motorway.

We moved off the M56 onto the M6 heading north to come to an abrupt stop. Four lanes and going nowhere. Its usually bad apparently, but a sign saying accident ahead brought us to a complete stop. It gets dark at about 4.30pm. Next to us was an off ramp luckily so off we went. Its hard to image this unless you have been there but there are roads in all directions kind of like a maze. We headed for Warrington. At times we would hit lights waiting five green lights before we could advance through. We travelled about 10 miles and rejoined the motorway 6 miles down the road and it took well over an hour. Luckily we had past the accident.

It was a reasonably present drive after that and we arrived at our Travel Lodge by about 8pm near Carlisle. The Travel Lodges are a nationwide institution in the UK providing cheap accommodation along motorways. We had one room with a double bed and pull out couch. It came with a TV though and it what a nice evening chilling out. Holly was entertained by climbing up and down the cupboards.

We got up early the next day to see a couple of sights around Carlisle. We first visited the Castle which had a war museum attached. It was built around the 12th century and had some good history of the Scottish revolution.

The war museum gave the kids an opportunity to see what it was like in World War One with trench bunkers and an array of weapons on show. 

Later the same day we ventured into Furness Abbey and checked out parts of Hadrians Wall. We then travelled across land to Edinburgh. Again a useful lesson. It is so much slower off the motorways as it took 2 and a half hours to travel 90 miles.

We stayed in our second Travel Lodge on the outskirts of Edinburgh and met with Jean Hamilton that night. It was a bit of an effort as we were trying to find a park in the middle of Edinburgh on a Saturday night. So nice to see Jean!

The real action was for the next day with the test match. We took the morning slowly and painted the kids faces outside the stadium. It was great to see all the Scots in there kilts and wearing their flags. We joined the throngs and entered the stadium of 76000. 

The Scots certainly showed us up when it came to the anthems. I wasn't even sure we were supposed to be singing when they were playing ours. The Scots brought the house down after entertainment by the Hot Chilli Pipers. 

Our journey home was without incident once we got out of Edinburgh which took about one and a half hours with the match traffic. 

Blowing the budget as we entered Portmeiron...

Portmeiron is a unique coastal village in Gwynedd, North Wales. It is referred to by some as a fantasy village.

                                                      It borrows from a bewildering range of architectural styles.

It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village now owned by a charitable trust.

Portmeiron has served as a location for numerous films and television shows, most famously serving as 'The Village' in the 1960s television show The Prisoner'.

The train ride through the surrounding woodland which was included in the entry ticket of 30 pounds per family was kind of fun. We slowly wove our way through a wild country garden styled setting. 

Beautiful autumn with a vast collection of exotic plants

Photo taken through window of train

It had a vast collection of rhododendrons and many other exotic plants that seemed to thrive in the temperate climate which is unique to Portmeiron.

It gets my vote for Wales' wackiest attraction.

Having blown the budget for the day on the entry we had to be content to roam the walkways and soak in the architecture. No real hardship! Another memorable day!

Just love breaking photography rules! Enjoying the view with a plum.

Portmeiron- it borrows from a bewildering range of architectural styles.

All together, now: 'I am not a number! I am a free man!'

School Happenings: Harvest Festival & a Cat Walk

  The girls were recently involved in a thanksgiving harvest festival service held at the Northop Hall Presbyterian church.

The service was opened with a song sung by the children and congregation called Look for signs that summers gone. Only certain  year groups could invite their parents as the church could only seat a small number. The Welsh people have a reputation for being able to really sing. I wasn't disappointed, everyone sings with a passion here and I just love it.

Julia second from right of children standing.

Look for signs that summer's done,
Winter's drawing near,
Watch the changing colours come;
Turning of the year.

See the flowers' final blaze                 
In the morning's misty haze,                         

Sophia's class preforming a rap.

Sing a thankful song of praise,
Autumn time is here.

See the fields are bare and brown,
Feel the nights turn cold.
Lamps are early lit in town,
Hunter's moon shines gold.
Thank you, God, for rest and food,
For the Harvest safely stored,         
Sing a song to praise the Lord
As the year grows old.

Julia recited a poem with her class and sang a song. She is still singing it weeks later which is nice. It has a catchy tune ...some of the words are the apples are ripe, the plums are red, now we can stay a little later in bed.

Sophia was apart of a rap with her class. The message/moral that was integrated into the service was...give thanks for a restful time of year approaching, food safely stored and God revealed through nature....recognition of all our plenty and our need to look for and see the needs all around whatever they may be.

A Fashion parade...

As part of a P.T.A fundraiser for a outdoor playground the school signed up for a fashion parade. Outside organisers with a selection of 'top' or 'popular' labels brought clothing in and children were asked to choose from them to model them to the audience. The models were allowed to select their own outfit with the hope that the family members in attendance would want to buy.  I had expected to arrive and then have to dress the girls but they were ushered away and I later saw them on the runway. I was the 'official' photographer for the evening so had a front row seat. I'll let the photos speak for themselves now.

I had to control my laughing as they strolled out. I should have guessed that they would be 'so' in character. Jules in jeans and Holly in a pink dress!