http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Daniels-Family-Travelers/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Daniels Family Travelers en-us Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:54:18 +0000 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:54:18 +0000 In a flurry of end of the school year activities in London Dominic has just returned from his school Class 6 trip to Paris They went for three nights and took the Eurostar and had a great time. Dominic did a great job of documenting his trip with the attached photos... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-414176.html When we asked the kids where they would like to go for one more weekend trip the answer was absolutely Antwerp to visit the Vermeylen family In addition to the large yard indoor pool and bunnies now they've added a trampoline to the mix.We had a fun filled weekend relaxing at their house enjoying Antwerp including a fondue dinner and Mark and Filip were able to take a beautiful Father's Da http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Belgium/Antwerp-Province/Antwerp/blog-412949.html We just had a fun filled visit from Grandma Ann and Grandpa Tom sharing our London life with them They were able to stay in an apartment across the street so we were London neighbors for a week. Despite arriving during a 3 day Tube strike we successfully navigated our way around London on foot bus and by taxi. Highlights of their stay included visits to Cameron House for story time in Elen http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-409555.html We were thrilled that Grammy and Papa returned to London for the legendary Chelsea Flower show in May. We all loved the amazing gardens and plants on display at the show and of course enjoyed the traditional British drink Pimms while we admired it all. We also indulged with a gourmet Indian meal in Chelsea and Dominic's favorite Chinese food in Chinatown Cathie and Bill were able to stay a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-412935.html For the midterm break from school we enjoyed an amazing full week exploring the western countryside of Italy in Piedmont and the beach in Santa Margherita Ligure. In a word perfect The rolling hills and vineyards of Piedmont are breathtakingly beautiful and so relaxing to lounge by the pool and enjoy the view. We discovered amazing food and gelato in nearby towns unlike we've ever had in I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Piedmont/Alessandria/blog-403989.html Dominic had a week long Class 6 trip to an amazing activity center in Cornwall. Here are some of his stories in his own words...When we were climbing there were 3 courses. One was easy the 2nd was medium hard and the 3rd was very hard and a special 4th one that was the hardest. I think the medium one was the hardest because it had hardly any handholds at all. I did the hard one first and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cornwall/Padstow/blog-403991.html We were thrilled to host the Vermeylen family this past weekend for Margot and Ella's first trip to London We experienced London with a trip to the aquarium and Big Ben shopping along Kings Road a matinee of Joseph for the girls and a Chelsea football match for the boys. Sunday we explored Battersea Park with a bike ride Battersea Park is one of my new London favorites where I've starting http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-396512.html As we were planning for Dominic and Elena's 3 12 week spring break we decided we would spend most of our time at home and discover all the fun London has to offer...highlights have been visiting Judith and Ian in Chichester Legoland and Windsor dinner in London's Chinatown seeing Wicked family garden camp at the Chelsea Physic Garden Handel's Messiah performed at Westminster Abbey a bris http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-393599.html In March Pam and Kerri met for a wonderful girls' weekend in Paris. They filled their time with great food shopping and soaking up the atmosphere of a city they both love so much.Mark and the kids enjoyed brunch at Sukh's flat and a visit to his sister's house in the London suburbs. The kids loved playing and digging in a backyard again http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-387425.html We had a wonderful first time trip to Krakow Poland to visit Basia and Jack as part of our April school holidays. Basia was our nanny for many years when Dominic was born. Now Basia and Jack have two sons of their own have moved back to their hometown of Krakow and Jack built their own home adjacent to Basia's parents.Krakow is a beautiful historic city all the more brought alive by Basia an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lesser-Poland/Krakow/blog-393596.html One of my top travel wishes for our time here was to go to the English countryside and stay at one of their 'country manor' hotels. This weekend we visited a hotel called Chewton Glen on the south coast of England in Hampshire. After a relaxing train ride to get there we enjoyed walks all around the grounds and woods playing tennis swimming in the indoor pool and outdoor hot tub Dominic an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Hampshire/New-Milton/blog-388288.html The end of spring term at Cameron House had two artistic highlights as the kids participated in their spring concert and a national choir competition.Their spring concert was at St. Luke's Church in Chelsea Charles Dickens was married here and it was a beautiful program of singing performing instruments and poetry readings. Dominic's artwork was selected to be the cover for the program. We w http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-387431.html We had the opportunity to honor Pam's exceptional mothering on the UK Mother's Day which is earlier than the US date. We had a wonderful brunch at the Charlotte Street Hotel where Elena had been previously for a birthday party. Following brunch was a showing of Mamma Mia movie in the hotel's own movie theater we had a great timeWe visited Pam's office at Starcom nearby. You'll see the three http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-387427.html Dominic took to the catwalk this week for the Class 6 fashion and art show highlighting the decades of the 60s 70s 80s and 90s. His Hawaiian shirt and neon green string tie that I found at a local charity shop were meant to represent the 80s remember Wham He did a great job and played the part well. This was the culmination of their history unit. Henry his teacher surprised the class http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-379170.html This past weekend we discovered a wildlife preserve in the middle of London. The London Wetland Centre is a huge wetlands reserve located right along the Thames and close to our house in southwest London. There are beautiful walks through natural landscapes and amazing water birds from all over the world. The kids are quickly becoming our family photographers but I opted to include the one pi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Barnes/blog-378875.html Last week the kids had a week off for midterm break and we took a trip to sunny Barcelona. We rented an apartment that literally overlooked the famous cathedral designed by Gaudi La Sagrada Familia. It was amazing. We wandered the many small streets of Barcelona and enjoyed late night dinners and Spanish tapas.Dominic celebrated his 11th birthday in Barcelona and said it was his best birthda http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-376258.html Our flat in London feels more like our home now that we had our first official visitors Grammy and Papa We had a full 5 day visit with sightseeing in Chelsea and the city beyond. Highlights included a visit and lunch at the Victoria Albert Musuem pizza and ice cream at Harrod's the British Museum riding the London Eye at night visiting St. Paul's Chinese New Year in Chinatown and visi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-370464.html As many of you read London had their largest snowfall in 20 years this past Monday. After our kids never having had a snow day in Evanston they had their first here in London. We saw the 34 inches of snow Monday morning when we got up but we were all ready for work and school before we got a call from school that it was a snow day because the teachers couldn't get there since the all buses http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-370466.html We get more settled as each weeks goes by...and the kids are doing great in their new school. Elena had her first 3rd year assembly this week and all the parents came to watch them present the history of the AngloSaxon period in England I don't think I learned this history and then sing a couple church hymns. Elena did wonderfully and we were so proud of her. The music teacher asked us aft http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-367105.html Hello there I thought I'd share some tales of our overseas adventure so far. We are adjusting to life here and feeling more settled and less incompetent each day. In retrospect our timing immediately postholidays and just three days before the start of school here was perhaps slightly 'mad' as the Brits would say. It is a hugely humbling experience to set up life anew in a foreign land. I f http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Chelsea/blog-367103.html