Dobber-Blog

The 'New' Blog

2010-10-06T09:08:00.000+01:00

The NEW Dobber-Blog: Click HERE.

We reached the 1 GB photo limit on this site so started a new one. Please take note of the new address and feel free to link us to your own blogging adventures.

http://dobber-news.blogspot.com/

Dover

2010-09-28T09:51:00.000+01:00

As one of English Heritage’s most ambitious projects for many years, the entire interior of Henry VIII's Great Tower palace at Dover Castle has now been breathtakingly recreated. Historians, designers, artists and craftspeople have combined to present it as it might have appeared when newly completed in 1184. Even though it was our third (or fourth?) trip to Dover Castle, it was our first time seeing the completed renovations.

And, of course, some old favourites:

A souvenir rock from the famous white cliffs.

Chester

2010-09-27T09:13:00.000+01:00

Back in England...

The city of Chester is a beautiful walled city full of gorgeous Elizabethan architecture, pedestrian streets, Roman ruins, a castle and a cathedral. We enjoyed exploring it for a day on our way home from Wales.

Handel's Messiah was rehearsed here - at Chester cathedral - previous to its debut in Dublin. This is the original manuscript:

Ancient Roman amphitheatre:

Street performers:

Town Hall:

It was a lovely day for walking the walls of the city:

Chester castle:

Cardiff, Conwy, and Caernarfon

2010-09-25T16:54:00.000+01:00

Our brief stay in Wales included stops in Cardiff, Conwy, and Caernarfon (try saying that 3 times fast!)

Perhaps the most memorable part of Cardiff was a local delicacy that Matt and Grandpa tried for supper...

(Faggots = meatballs)

On our way home from Ireland we stayed overnight in Caernarfon in a little B&B right next door to the castle:

Conwy is another classic walled town. Its circuit of walls, over three quarters of a mile long, is guarded by no less than 22 towers.

The castle itself is definitely one of the neatest we've seen yet. It's just like you imagine a castle should be -complete with drawbridges, moats, towers, dungeons, etc. Conwy, constructed by the English monarch Edward I between 1283 and 1289, was one of the key fortresses in his 'iron ring' of castles to contain the Welsh. It was built to prompt a humbling reaction and prove that the English had domination over this territory. This same Edward I declared his son - Edward II - the "Prince of Wales" when he was born in Caernarfon castle in 1301. The title remains even today for the son who is heir to the throne of England. The current Prince of Wales - Charles - was given this title here at Conwy Castle in 1958.

There were so many towers that we split up and played a game where we'd pop up at the top of a tower and try to find each other. Kind of like real life whack-a-mole.

Grams and Gramps preferred the view from the bottom looking up:

Climbing all those narrow, curvy steps really wore some of us out:

Of course, no trip to Wales is complete without visiting Snowdonia National Park and attempting a hike up Mt. Snowdon. At 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level, it is the highest peak in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands and is probably the nation's most popular hiking moutain.

It was a brisk day and the rugged terrain may have been deterring except for the package of Oreo cookies Matt used to bribe us forward up the trail.

We made it to the halfway point but couldn't convince the senior folk in our party to climb further... maybe next time.

Beautiful countryside!

Dublin

2010-09-24T10:38:00.000+01:00

We stayed at a lovely rural B&B in Kinsale (southwest of Dublin) and enjoyed some good eatin' at the local pub before we ventured off to Powerscourt House & Gardens.

Powerscourt, we were told, is one of the most beautiful country estates in Ireland. Situated in the mountains of Wicklow, it was originally an important strategic site for the Anglo-Normans who came to Ireland in the 12th century. By the year 1300 a castle had been built here and was in the possession of the le Poer (Power) family from which it takes its name. The succeeding centuries saw the castle held for different periods by powerful families such as the O'Tooles and the Fitzgeralds, Earls of Kildare.

The Gardens were equally as spectacular and included an Italian garden, walled garden, Dolphin pond (with statues, not real dolphins!), pets' cemetary, and Japanese garden.

Just a few kilometres away was Powerscourt Waterfall - the largest in Ireland. We enjoyed a nice little hike and picnic lunch here.

In the afternoon we ventured into Dublin City where we visited the National Library (Grandma did some family history research). From there we went to see the Trinity College Library and the Book of Kells.

The Book of Kells is the centrepiece of an exhibition which attracts over 500,000 visitors to Trinity College Dublin each year. Written around the year 800 AD, the Book of Kells contains a richly decorated copy of the four gospels in a latin text based on the Vulgate edition (completed by St Jerome in 384 AD). The gospels are preceded by prefaces, summaries of the gospel narratives and concordances of gospel passages compiled in the fourth century by Eusebius of Caesarea. In all, there are 340 folios (680 pages).

Having taken a calligraphy class, I had an extra appreciation for the work involved in creating such a masterpiece. Keep in mind, they didn't have traditional ink in this time period - all the colours were created from various minerals and plant extracts!

The library itself was also highly impressive. Its history dates back to the establishment of the College in 1592 and it is the largest library in Ireland.

Today it has 5 million printed volumes with extensive collections of journals, original manuscripts, maps and music reflecting over 400 years of academic development.

Day 2 in Dublin: parliament buildings, cathedrals, O'Connell memorials, the venue of Handel's first performance of The Messiah, and the GPO (General Post Office).

There was a cute little museum inside the GPO that presented the unique history of the building as well as the postal system. It was very hands-on with a create-your-own postage stamp, switchboard, and audio-visual presentations.

Dublinia was another fun stop featuring exhibits on Viking and Medieval Ireland. A really great museum, I wish we would have had more time to explore it in its entirety.

Cashel

2010-09-23T09:56:00.000+01:00

Cashel , in County Tipperary, is home to one of Ireland's great historical sites - the Rock of Cashel, which was once the seat of the Kings of Munster. It was visited by St. Patrick in 450. He preached here at the royal fort and converted Aengus, King of Munster.

One story describes that while Patrick was baptising Aengus the spike of his crozier went through the King’s foot. Aengus bore with the painful wound in silence. At the end of the ceremony , Patrick noticed the wound and asked Aengus why he had not spoken up. Aengus replied that he thought it was part of the ceremony!

Brian Boru was crowned King of Ireland here in the tenth century. During the twelfth century, the Rock became the seat of the archbishop and it was at this time that Cormac's Chapel (below) was built.

In 1647 the Rock was ransacked by Cromwell's forces. Today the impressive stone walls enclose a round tower, the cathedral, a twelfth century romanesque chapel, high crosses and other structures.

The gothic cathedral dates back to the thirteenth century.

At the entrance to the Rock is a fifteenth century house which has been recently restored which holds a museum with a number of interesting exhibits, including silverware and St. Patrick's Cross.

Amidst all this history, the little girls kept themselves amused by tending to their imaginary dragon pets.

Back in town we enjoyed lunch at a fabulous pub and saw a few of the local sites - the St. John the Baptist Church and the visitor's centre where we got to view these ancient vellum scrolls:

Ring of Kerry

2010-09-22T20:51:00.000+01:00

My sister should remember this... but does anyone else out there remember the Disney film "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"? It was a 1959 Disney film starring Sean Connery (among others less noteworthy). It's a great ol' Irish story full of leprechauns, fairies and even the evil Banshee. Maybe it's not so great. I haven't seen it for years, but I remember watching it as a kid...

Anyway, we stayed at this hotel in Killarney:

Yep, that's Darby O'Gill's hotel and it was full of film photos, memorabilia, etc. Nice place to stay too... In case you're ever in Killarney, Ireland.

On to the next phase of our travels:

The "Ring of Kerry" is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers a 179 km circular road starting from Killarney (where we were staying), heading around the Iveragh Peninsula, and passing through Kenmare (Lace Centre), Sneem (lunch stop), Waterville (pretty), Cahersiveen (can’t remember…) and Killorglin (bog museum).

Here is a sampling of some of the magnificent scenery along the Ring:

We stretched our legs on a little hike to Torc Waterfall:

I enjoyed a demonstration on needle-point lace at the Kenmare Lace Centre. I know how to work bobbin lace (English-French style), so this was different and intriguing. Then onto Sneem for lunch-stop and a bit o' shopping, then we hiked at Staigue Fort.

Staigue Fort is a partly ruined round stone fort that is thought to have been built during the late Iron Age – (somewhere between 300 and 400 AD) - as a defensive stronghold for a local lord or king. It was built without use of mortar, using undressed stones. There is also an interesting tapered, lintelled doorway:

Inside is an elaborate system of stairways leading to terraces and miniature cells in the wall reached by passages.

Next, the Kerry Bog Village Museum: an insight into how people lived and worked in Ireland in the 18th Century. The village is the only one of its kind in Europe and great care was taken to ensure the dwellings on-site are exact replicas of those used in Ireland in the 1700's. Old sites were visited, old ruins measured, and old documents consulted. In the words of Happy Gilmore - it's... old.

Bog Pony (so tiny!):

From the museum, it was back to the Darby O'Gill hotel where we settled in with some Irish stew, soda bread and... this interesting leprechaun map:

Blarney

2010-09-21T19:34:00.013+01:00

While in Cork area we at at Blair's Inn twice. Amazing Corned Beef and Cabbage. We kept wondering what this fancy building was until grandpa found it on a map- Insane Asylum (converted to apartments now). They lived well back then!

Views of the castle, and what it looks like from underneath the kissing stone.

116 steps up Blarney castle for the chance to lean over backwards and kiss a grubby rock. It was well worth it as Lana and I now have the gift of eloquence. We will know how to word everything in a flattering manner.

Here we are kissing the Blarney stone (after all that effort getting up there). Amy was too stubborn to try and Emily too small, although I convinced her kissing another stone on top the castle would have the same effect. She was quite happy we found an opening- rain gutter- that she could even lay down and go through the motions. (We'd never let her kiss the real one anyway, as the last thing we need is for her to become more verbose).

What I didn't remember is that my dad is a bit claustrophobic (the tiny winding tower going up wasn't much fun), and slightly afraid of heights- so standing on top the castle with a stiff breeze blowing wasn't fabulous either. They both gave it a go with Grandma looking good and Grandpa- well at least he lay down to try. :-)

The Blarney House was fabulous inside- but no pictures as people still live there. It had this great curved skylight that spanned the entire atrium and bathed all levels of the home with natural light.

We ended with a trip through the Druid garden. All sorts of Druid stone circles and caves as well as other pretty garden sights too. Also a Dolmen - which we learned is an ancient burial site (Stonehenge-like). Supposedly if you walk up these steps while holding your breath your wish will come true within the next year.

Supposedly witches and fairies live in these ancient Druid gardens too.

Cobh and Cork

2010-09-21T10:06:00.000+01:00

Queenstown, as it was known for some decades, reverted to its old Irish name in 1922 - the Cobh (Cove) of Cork. From here hundreds of thousands of mostly hungry and penniless Irish folk left to build a new life, especially in the famine years of 1844-48. Many thrived and prospered, but many died on the journey in the terrible traveling conditions of the time.

Today, Cobh is a beautiful seaside town full of bustling shops, cafes and the elegant St. Coleman’s Cathedral perched at the top of the hill.

Cobh harbour is said to be one of the largest and safest anywhere, being capable of taking the largest vessels afloat. The great Transatlantic liners used to come in up to the 1950s.

On the quayside there is a memorial to the victims of the Lusitania, many of whom are buried in the old church cemetery. The ship was sunk off Kinsale in 1915 by a German submarine, an action which was responsible for bringing the United States of America into the Great War. The survivors were brought back here (Cobh). Another unhappy association is with the Titanic, 'the safest liner in the world'. Queenstown was her last port of call on her fateful maiden voyage.

Below: the original dock from which people boarded tender boats to the Titanic:

We also visited “The Queenstown Story” – an exhibit housed in portions of the railway station at Cobh. This imaginative visitor’s centre tells the story of emigration from Cobh in the period of the famine in 1845 up to the era of the great Liners in the 1950s. The historical role which Cobh harbour has played as a port was also illustrated.

From the harbour, we headed into downtown Cork for a quick peek at the city centre including the famous English Market.

Then we visited the historic Cork City Gaol (Jail).

Stepping inside the gaol was like being taken back in time to the 19th century. The cells are furnished with amazingly life-like wax figures and original graffiti on cell walls tell the innermost feelings of some inmates. The audio tour described first-hand accounts from prisoners and wardens. A brief film tells the social history and contrasting lifestyles of 19th c.Cork and why some people turned to crime, and some ended up in Australia.

Lismore

2010-09-19T17:42:00.000+01:00

I became fascinated with this Irish town a few months ago when I watched the BBC version of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. The 'abbey' featured in the film turns out to be, in fact, Lismore Castle.

The gardens were lovely as well.

The Town Hall had a few small exhibits about its most famous resident - chemist Robert Boyle. Lismore is a picturesque little town with plenty of beautiful and interesting things to admire.

Waterford

2010-09-19T17:05:00.000+01:00

Waterford City was founded by Viking traders in 914 making it 'the oldest city in Ireland.' It has a lovely riverfront and beautiful maritime feel. But Waterford is probably best known for its world-famous crystal.

The new House of Waterford Crystal Factory just opened in June 2010 after extensive renovations and updates. The new production line includes signature pieces, trophies, and master cutter one-of-a-kind show pieces. Approximately 25,000 crystal pieces are produced each year at this factory.

Departments we visited: the blowing room, sculpting, cutting and engraving.

Travel to/from Ireland

2010-09-19T15:58:00.000+01:00

We travelled to Wales/Ireland for 10 days this summer (with Grandma & Grandpa Dobberfuhl). We drove, taking the ferry from Pembroke (southern Wales) to Rosslare, Ireland en route to Waterford, our first destination. We all managed to enjoy the 4-hour ferry ride to Ireland. The children expended lots of energy playing in the onboard playground while the adults visited with some Irish natives, getting the 4-1-1 on everything from culture to politics.

The trip back was neat too. We took the 'speed ferry' from Dublin to Holyhead in only 2 hours and got to enjoy a showing of Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' in their cinema-style seating.

More local outings...

2010-09-17T20:42:00.000+01:00

Continuing with some of the must-sees within an hour's drive of our home:

Cambridge

We toured Trinity College:

...and King's College:

The River Cam, for which Cambridge is named:

Also in Cambridge, we visited the Fitzwilliam museum, the local market, and the American WW2 Military Cemetary:

Another favourite outing of ours is a beach-trip to Hunstanton on the North Sea.

The North Sea is not as toasty-warm as beaches in California/Florida, but for a family of mid-westerners, a beach within an hour's drive of home is pretty exciting regardless.

On the way home from the beach we stopped at Norfolk Lavender and enjoyed seeing the lavender distillery, shop and museum.

Local Highlights with Grams & Gramps

2010-09-16T10:05:00.000+01:00

There were plenty of local 'attractions' to share with Grandma and Grandpa. We spent a rainy morning in the nearby market town of Stamford, shopping the outdoor stalls and sampling the bakery. We also visited the Burghley House and the Gardens of Surprise.

We had fish 'n' chips at Linfords a couple of times. Linfords is consistently ranked in the top 10 'chippy' shops in the UK, and conveniently located only a few miles from our house. Salt, vinegar, and then wrapped in paper. So authentic. And very delicious.

Sunday afternoon walk on the "Snail Trail" and public footpaths near our house.
Crossing the stile:

Downtown Peterborough

The Guildhall

P'boro Cathedral

Uh... the bakery (definitely a must-see!) ...and the new fountains:

And finally the P'boro Museum (free!) which was hosting a hands-on exhibit about Medieval Life.

I told Emily this was the English version of "time-out."

We also took a little trip up the road to Sir Isaac's Newton's birthplace and childhood home - Woolsthorpe Manor. It is also the location of the famous apple tree and fun little science discovery centre.

I've been to London to Visit the Queen

2010-08-15T17:57:00.009+01:00

On Thursday, my dad proclaimed to my Cambridge-educated colleague that the only thing he knows about London is "pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? I've been to London to visit the queen..." Her wan smile did not make it clear whether she suspected he was crazy or telling a bad joke...or some combination of the two.

Either way, after Saturday 14 August, 2010, Mark and Gloria Dobberfuhl are much more intimately familiar with London. After taking the train from P'boro to Kings Cross and hopping the Northern line to London Bridge, we sauntered along the Thames to the Globe Theatre.
While it was a recreation- it was made without modern tools and quite a site to behold. They still have room for 600 'Groundlings' that can get in for £5. Old Shakey may have been in a somewhat low class profession at the time, but he sure was a master of language. We enjoyed a trip to a new site in London.

Our second trip to the Tower of London went well and we all enjoyed the Crown Jewels and armor displays.

Our girls had not been in Westminster before, so we opted to bring them along. They did an activity trail and were rewarded with giant chocolate coins, which made it all worth it.

After a healthy walk to Buckingham and then through Green Park, everyone was happy to rest on the Tube for a few minutes.

Overall is was a great day, and as usual we were all exhausted from the walking, standing, and incessant barrage of historical facts.

The Eagle had landed

2010-08-15T17:47:00.004+01:00

Grandma and Grandpa Dobberfuhl arrived Thursday at noon. All our options for a place for Amy to hang out fell through, so she had to endure the trip to London and back. Emily got to play at a friend's house. All went well in the travels and Lana logged one more Heathrow trip in her tally.

To keep them awake, the girls took them on a tour of Glinton- in the rain. Then we returned to the parish church that evening as Thursday is bell ringer night. The Ringers seemed quite pleased to have visitors and eagerly explained the mechanics of the bells. Lana got to have a go- which it seems she thoroughly enjoyed.

No matter how many questions she asked and how well she pantomimed the required action, Amy was told she is too small to ring. Emily yammered the whole way home about how she was going to come back when she was 9 to ring the bells at Glinton church. We'll see.

Friday was trip to Stamford market and to visit me at work. Concluding with Linford's fish 'n chips for dinner was a nice end to the first full day in England for Gma and Gpa. They still don't like riding in the car on the narrow roads.

Belvoir Castle

2010-08-08T20:08:00.000+01:00

Belvoir, meaning "beautiful view" in French, dates back to Norman times. According to the castle's website "the English pronounciation 'Beaver' was built up over many centuries through the inability of Anglo-Saxons to master the French tongue." Or is it just more of the anti-French attitude that the English have harboured since Anglo-Saxon times? Either way, no one is really sure what to call this place.

Regardless of its name, this castle does have a magnificent view over the surrounding Lincolnshire countryside and has been the ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland for one thousand years! The 11th Duke and Duchess and their five children still reside here.

We weren't permitted to take photographs inside the castle, but it contains many notable pieces of art including the original, and perhaps most recognizable, painting of King Henry VIII.

As part of the children's castle tour quiz, the kids were suppsoed to write the names of each of Henry VIII's six wives. A docent overheard me telling the girls what the wives' names were. He said only about 1 in 100 people that have come through the castle have ever been able to do it. The fact that I wasn't English was even more impressive to him. The girls each got a token for a free ice cream for finishing the quiz. Unfortunately, knowing Henry's wives' names didn't earn me any ice cream but I suppose it was nice to be useful in the realm of English historical trivia.

How many of Henry's wives can you name? (...without Googling)

Summer Thus Far

2010-08-08T19:17:00.001+01:00

The summer holidays from school are short here in the UK. I think we have 6 weeks break before school starts up again and we are finding plenty to do in our "off" time.

Amy did two weeks of tennis camp. She seems to have a natural talent for it and also enjoys it quite a lot. Amy was awarded the "Player of the Day" trophy twice during camp and intends to continue with tennis lessons this fall.

Emily was such a good ball-picker-upper for the players that the coach invited her to attend a day of tennis camp free of charge.

4-year-olds don't have the same physical coordination that 7-year-olds do, but Emily enjoyed playing with the big girls anyway. The coach, Anita, was very kind and helpful to both girls.

Back at home we found some new creative outlets as well.

We made candles in a variety of shapes/containers. Pictured below are a few of our early attempts. We have since experimented with other shapes, colour-schemes and wick widths.

We made worms with the sewing machine:

We have also enjoyed outings to new sites close to home. Some friends of ours invited us to "Hills and Holes" - a nature reserve near the village of Barnack. Built on top of an old gravel pit, it is just as the name implies. We also saw plenty of interesting wildflowers, insects, and even a few of the local farmer's sheep.

We found a really great climbing tree too:

Once the weekend arrives, Dad gets to join in our adventures. All together, we visited Normanton Church Museum which is half submerged into the nearby Rutland Water reservoir. It also houses an Anglo-Saxon skeleton and some other interesting archaeological finds.

Summer is the prime season for visiting English Gardens and there is nowhere more famous (locally, anyway...) than Barnsdale Gardens:

Created by Geoff Hamilton for BBC Gardeners' World, Barnsdale is Britain's largest collection of individually designed gardens. Our favourites were the Knot Garden (pictured above), the playhouses, and of course, the Kitchen Gardens.

7 Years Ago

2010-08-05T19:53:00.000+01:00

Then:

Now:

Happy Birthday Amy!

Churchill's Chartwell

2010-08-01T18:26:00.000+01:00

We recently joined the National Trust and with it, gained free access to hundreds of historical properties across Britain. One such property - Chartwell House - is conveniently located near the London temple, so we decided to explore this lovely site while we were in the area.

Bought by Sir Winston Churchill for its magnificent views over the Weald of Kent, Chartwell was his home and the place from which he drew inspiration from 1924 until the end of his life. The rooms remain much as they were when he lived here, with pictures, books and personal mementoes evoking the career and wide-ranging interests of this great statesman. (We were not permitted to take photos inside the house).

The hillside gardens reflect Churchill's love of the landscape and nature. They include the lakes he created, Lady Churchill's Rose Garden and - my personal favourite - the kitchen garden.

At the back of the Kitchen Gardens, the youngest Churchill daughter had a playhouse. Currently, is furnished with a cute little stove, table and chairs, and loads of wooden toy-food that our girls enjoyed playing with for more than an hour. Matt and I enjoyed exploring the Kitchen Garden and discussing how we might create our own someday. The girls reminded us that it must include a play house!

On our walk back to the car, we passed by some more interesting gardenlife, including one of my favourites - giant rhubarb. This patch was one of the largest varieties we have seen yet - one leaf could envelope my whole body!

I Love to See the Temple

2010-08-01T17:59:00.000+01:00

I love to see the temple.

I’m going there someday

To feel the Holy Spirit,

To listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God,

A place of love and beauty.

I’ll prepare myself while I am young;

This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple.

I’ll go inside someday.

I’ll cov’nant with my Father;

I’ll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place

Where we are sealed together.

As a child of God, I’ve learned this truth:

A fam’ly is forever.

Young children have been encouraged to visit the temple grounds and touch the temple. President Thomas S. Monson once counseled, “As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Peace,” Liahona, Mar 2004, 3
"As a loving teacher guided a boy or girl to the large door of the Salt Lake Temple and the little one reached out and up to touch the temple, I could almost see the Master welcoming the little children to His side and could almost hear His comforting words: 'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.'”

Amy & Emily touch the temple.

Shanna Butler, “Acting Like Pioneers,” Friend, Jul 2004, 14

After the Salt Lake Temple was completed, two boys brought their younger brothers to the temple so they could touch the walls. “We want them to know how great the temple is,” one of the older brothers says in the play. “Yes,” the other boy says, “so they’ll want to go inside when they get big! They knew that just as they could touch the temple, the Spirit inside the temple could touch them, too.

“I Love to See the Temple,” New Era, Dec. 2009, 38:

“I have been inspired by the temple all my life,” says Caitlen Christensen, 16, of the Rockledge Ward in the Cocoa Florida Stake. “When I was younger the Salt Lake Temple was being updated. I was upset because I was unable to see it up close. All I wanted was to touch it. We asked a missionary there and got permission to get close enough to touch it. I had no idea why this was so important to me then; now I know. I know that Christ dwells in the temples and the action of me touching it gave me the feeling that I was touching Christ himself, like the woman who knew she would be healed if she just touched His robe."

To learn more about Mormon temples, click here.

Last Monday, our weekly Family Home Evening lesson focused on temples. It was decided that we ought to make a family trip to the London temple (as we haven't been in a while...) Matt took the girls around the temple grounds where they were able to touch the temple, feed ducks, enjoy a picnic lunch and play with the interactive displays at the Visitor's Centre. After I finished a session, we re-grouped and watched the new Joseph Smith film at the Visitor's Centre. It was an amazing account of the prophet's life! (ie I cried a lot).

My family is my greatest joy and blessing. I really appreciated the opportunity to be at the temple this past weekend and to reflect on the more important things in life.

Grimsthorpe Castle

2010-07-26T11:19:00.002+01:00

Hooray for the weekends and being able to have Dad come along on our outings! This weekend we explored another nearby treasure - Grimsthorpe Castle.

The Castle is the centrepiece of this magnificent 3000-acre estate. Each section has a different appearance, reflecting the different architectural styles that have been employed here since building began in the 13th century.

Inside is a unique collection of paintings, furniture, tapestries as well as thrones and furnishings from the House of Lords. Grimsthorpe's interesting historical connection is that the owning family, the Willoughby de Eresby's, have the hereditary Office as Lord Great Chamberlains to the Palace of Westminster. This means that traditionally, it was the responsibility of this family to provide events for the House of Lords in Parliament, including the financing of these events - clothing for the monarchs, etc. Thus, there are many artifacts from House of Lords that are now displayed here at Grimsthorpe.

Unfortunately, we were not permitted to take photographs inside the castle, but we did enjoy capturing images of the magnificent gardens. In fact, we got a lot of good ideas for our own estate back in the Americas (someday...)

Raspberry bushes.

Hedge-bordered rose and lavender gardens.

A side view of the castle:

One of Grimsthorpe's most unique features is its "Kitchen Gardens":

Giant artichokes.

Even lettuce looks beautiful in this garden.

Bumblebees busy at work.

Amazing how they prune these fruit trees!

Before long the girls forgot that we were walking through the "boring gardens" and became very involved in identifying the fruits and vegetables, as well as catching butterflies.

The back of the castle and the topiary gardens:

And finally, we stopped in to meet some of the deer from the Estate before expending all our remaining energy at the Adventure Playground on-site.

Pioneer Day Activity

2010-07-25T21:34:00.000+01:00

Our quarterly Primary activity happened to fall on the 24th of July this year, which, typically only has significance to anyone that is A. Mormon or B. has ever lived in Utah.

For anyone else who is now curious... The 24th of July marks the anniversary of Mormon Pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley for the first time. Consequently, we like to celebrate by dressing up like Pioneers and doing old-fashioned activities.

My assignment was to operate the "Craft and Cook" room. I taught the children how to make handkerchief dolls. Then we poured cream into glass jars and shook it to make butter. Later, we tasted the butter on malt loaf. (yum!)

In other rooms, the children were able to participate in old-fashioned games such as 3-legged races and sack races.

At the end, our good bishop gave a rousing Pioneer Pep-talk (a la Brigham Young):

Then we ate Pioneer goodies such as oat biscuits and cheese, buffalo chips (potato chips/crisps), chocolate-covered grasshoppers (choc.-covered raisins), and Rocky Road cheesecake (it was a long, rocky road to reach the Salt Lake valley!)

School's Out for Summer!

2010-07-25T20:16:00.000+01:00

The school year is longer here in the UK than in America and we've finally made it to the end! It has been another pleasant and eventful year for both girls. Here is a brief end-of-the-year report as well as a highlight of some of our summer holiday activities so far.

Amy received the following end-of-year report from her teacher, Miss Wade:

"Amy is a conscientious and kind member of the class who enjoys good relationships with her peers. She is helpful and carries out classroom jobs willingly. She works hard, has made good progress and is working at a high level across all areas. Homework is always handed in on time; she has made some wonderful posters and leaflets and often does extra homework without being asked because she is interested in the topic (which is lovely to see!) As well as working very well in Literacy, Numeracy and Science, Amy has many other strengths, such as being able to express her views thoughtfully - both written and verbal - and is very creative, making a lovely dinosaur puppet for art. She performs well in gym and dances and sings very well. She performed her parts well in the Christmas Nativity. Amy has been a pleasure to teach and this excellent report is thoroughly deserved!"

Amy & her teacher, Miss Wade.

Year 2 (aka 2nd grade) is an especially important year in the UK since children take their first series of nationalized tests during this year. It is also the end of "infants school" - more commonly referred to as "Key Stage 1" in the National Education Curriculum. Amy did very well on her tests this year, scoring a Level 3 in all areas. According to the Assessment Results information we received: "Level 2 is the nationally expected level of achievement for children at the end of key stage 1. A level 3 or above represents achievement above the nationally expected standard for most seven year olds. Children in Year 2 are expected to achieve a level 2 and children in Year 6 are expected to achieve a level 4. The 'normal' progression is one level every two years."

Amy will be 7 years old in a couple of weeks and we are very pleased with her Level 3 results!

While Pre-School is definitely not as academic as "big school," Emily has had an eventful year as well. Last week she 'graduated' from her preschool class and will begin Reception (kindergarten) this fall at the ripe old age of 4. (Kids start school a year earlier here than in the USA). The theme for this pre-school party was "Princes and Princesses" and I was asked to make a special cake for the occasion:

Emily finishing pre-school has been both exciting and sad. I will miss my little buddy when she is in school all day, every day...

In the meantime, we are enjoying what little bit of summer holiday we've got. On our first day off school we rode our bikes to a little area just north of our village called "Nine Bridges." It's a cute little pond area with plenty of pretty trees and trails for exploring.

We like to do pond-dipping" here - an activity that involves catching pond wildlife with a net and studying them in a bucket, then setting them free. We have discovered tiny fish, frogs, leeches and some other mysterious creatures.

We had an added adventure to our pond-dipping/picnic this time when a large thundercould moved in and threatened angrily. It was a brisk 2-mile bike ride home and fortunately we got inside before the rains came!

We have also enjoyed seeing Toy Story 3 in the cinema (which only opened here in the UK last Friday), and playing with friends in our neighbourhood. On the agenda for next week: tennis camp, library events, and a variety of home-based activities.

Keep Moving

2010-07-18T21:14:00.000+01:00

With the school year winding to a close, we are busy attending the grand finale of all events related to the school year.

One such event is the annual Primary School's Sports Day. Amy ran the Shuttle Race and the Flat Race (pictured 3rd from the right in the distance).

While she didn't place in either of her events, her House - St. Patrick's - earned the most overall House Points for the day. Amy was a cheerful participant and had a fun time.

Amy with her Year 2 class.

Another big event for both girls was their annual dance recital. Emily has continued with both ballet and tap this year.

(Emily = 4th from the left)

Emily was a tin soldier for her tap routine. She earned a bronze medal and a certificate for both her performances (though she says the medals look more 'golden' than bronze!)

Amy has been doing tap dance as well and performed a lovely group dance with her class. They were really well-rehearsed and gave a superb show.

Amy was also awarded a bronze medal for her performance.

Snake Cake

2010-07-18T20:44:00.001+01:00

Matt was on a father-son camp out for Church this past Friday (with his imaginary son...). While the boys were occupied doing 'manly' things in the mucky outdoors: playing football (soccer), eating cookies and - shall I say it? Urinating in the woods.

The girls and I did girly things at home - baking cakes and playing Barbies. The highlight of our evening was making this Snake Cake for a cake competition we entered Saturday morning...

The girls mixed the cakes and poured the batter into the bundt pans. My sole responsiby was putting the cakes in and out of the oven. I also cut the cakes in half and arranged them in 'the snake position.' Once cooled, I mixed up the frosting and let Amy do the spreading. She did an amazing job. Afterwards, the girls decided on a pattern for the Smarties candies that went on top of the snake.

Amy also piped on the chocolate lattice pattern. (We melted chocolate and put in a ziploc baggie, then cilpped the corner and piped it on). Then it was Emily's turn to arrange the Smarties on top.

And here is the finished product which won Second Prize in the Children's Cake category. Well done Girls!

Rutland Water

2010-07-18T20:22:00.000+01:00

A day of cycling at Rutland Water.

A nice break for lunch and play at the park.

Then back at the 'car park' we entertained ourselves with a bubble kit that Amy got as a birthday present.

We have been enjoying the hot, dry weather as much as possible!

Green Woodpecker

2010-07-13T19:29:00.005+01:00

While posting the blog on Amy's birthday the other day, this bird came along next to the house and squawked at me for a while. It was quite large and dramatic to see up close. Luckily the Internet quickly identified it as a Green Woodpecker. Apparently they love ants and are common in yards. He's welcome to return to ours.

There are only 3 native woodpecker species in the UK, but apparently coming up with cool names was still too much to ask. So, Green Woodpecker, enjoy your sojourn on our blog. (must have been a baby as it still has spots)

Amy's 7th Birthday/Pyjama Party

2010-07-11T20:49:00.017+01:00

What is the only thing wilder than 15 seven year-old girls? Fifteen seven year-old girls and one four year-old. We planned Amy's birthday party for a Friday night and allowed her to invite all the girls in her class, expecting that a lot of families would have other things going on. Only 2 did- leaving us with 15 plus Emily. It was the girliest two hours of my life.

Being a pyjama party meant- doing hair, nails, pillow talk...all that stuff. The food was good- pizza, popcorn, cheese puffs, chocolate dipped strawberry marshmallows and candy bars. That part of pyjama parties is just up my alley.

The girls were all well behaved, and luckily the moms were not around to stare wide-eyed at the moments that bordered on unremitted chaos. They had fun, and so did we. The chronicles of the two hour saga are below.

Hair braiding was Lana's task from the second the first girl arrived until the last one left. They all wanted french braids- which took forever. Luckily she'd already planned everything so well I just had to corral the girls from one spot to another.

Nail painting was a popular activity. I was enlisted to paint no fewer than 25 fingers throughout the evening. I joked that I should quit my job and start a beauty salon. Instead of laughing, they asked what my job is now. After wrinkling their noses at the fact that accountants do a lot of 'maths', they agreed I should go into the 'nail varnishing business'. Who knows...aren't we all supposed to change careers 8 times during our working lives?

Lana sewed their names on white pillowcases and then the girls were free to draw pictures or use stencils to decorate them. It was a big hit.

Perspective is everything. One girl proclaimed that our garden (back yard) which probably measures only 20ft by 100ft is "way better than the school yard." That's right, School - with your endless field of grass, log trail playground, raised vegetable gardens and decorative willow arches- my yard is better. (I think the chocolate dipped marshmallows with sprinkles may have helped our position somewhat).

The only group game was Pass the Pillow. They passed the pillow round the room until the music stopped. Whoever was holding it pulled a slip of paper from the pillow and if they successfully completed the task (hop like a frog, growl like a bear, etc.) they got a small prize. Put mildly- it was an energetic experience.

The cake was very good and the rendition of Happy Birthday incredibly high pitched and rousing. By this point with all their hair braided the same I wouldn't have known which one was Amy had she not been seated conveniently in front of the cake.

The collective fruits of the evening's activities: 'plaited hair', 'varnished nails', and decorated pillow cases. Of course while everyone had a good time, Amy smiled the biggest when she finally saw the extent of her pile of loot. One benefit of having 14 other girls show up.

Ode to Joy

2010-07-11T20:22:00.005+01:00

There is no need to tire my fingers by outlining all the many talents Lana has. This post focuses on the fruits of just one of her many activities. Several months ago Lana joined the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. As there were no open spots on clarinet, she went for cello, an instrument she's rarely played since high school.

(I know, wouldn't it be handy to have a repertoire of instruments to choose from when deciding to join a musical group? The girls wanted her to play flute.)

At first the music was daunting, but with diligent practice, she 'made the cut' and was welcomed into the fold. As a side note, the kid she sits next to in the cello section is the same boy I stand next to in one of the Cathedral choirs.

July 3rd marked the 20th anniversary of the Orchestra, and the keynote number performed was Beethoven's 9th Symphony complete with soloists and choir, all within the awesome setting of Peterborough Cathedral.

Lana raised many eyebrows as she sold over a dozen tickets-apparently a high number for any single person to sell. Oddly, her fellow instrument players were surprised she knew enough people to sell that many tickets. We can only assume they thought as Americans we would somehow be averse to 'talking to strangers' and making friends while here. Of course, Lana makes all our family friends and I am lucky enough to hang on to her coattails and pretend I am friendly too.

Below are pictures from the performance on July 3. It was an amazing experience for her, me and the other hundreds of people there (seemed like nearly a full house). If you get a chance the next concert features selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals on 18th September at the Cresset.

You can just see her at the far right of the pictures.

June is bustin' out all over

2010-06-28T16:08:00.002+01:00

As school starts to wind down, we've had a few fun activities happening over the last weeks. Here is Emily's preschool outing to Sacrawell Farm.

Amy participated in Kids on the Catwalk. All the kids dress up in cool clothes, model them, and then they try to get you to buy them as part of a school fundraiser. She had fun and both girls got some new clothes. She also participated in the Year 2 assembly where they taught us what they'd been learning about rain forests, nocturnal animals and Seaside towns past and present.

Peterborough has a three weekend festival in the summer and this year we made it to the opening parade, saw booths about Scouting, the military, and summer reading programs, enjoyed live music and won a few fabulous prizes from the tombola charity booths.

After a warm day at the festival we tried out the new fountains in downtown Peterborough. Not sure it is worth the millions of pounds they spent, but our girls certainly enjoyed it. I'm not sure why the 'bidet pose' was so much fun.

Leeds Castle

2010-06-21T16:14:00.000+01:00

Even though the cruise was over, we weren't ready for the fun to end just yet. We spent a day at Leeds Castle on our way to depositing our family guests at the London airports. (PS - We've been here before).

From dungeons to drawbridges, Leeds is an authentically English castle with everything including the occasional jousting tournament,

and even a hedge maze...

Life on Board the Norwegian Sun

2010-06-20T20:24:00.000+01:00

For two weeks this was our home:

And we had a lot of fun.

Cruise Lines are well-known for their superb food and this ship was no exception. Whether it be the buffet, the all-day ice cream bar, 24-hour room service, the Chocolate Buffet, or the many 5-star restaurants on board, we tried it all and loved it.

It was Date Night every night thanks to the Kids' Club. Of the 3,000 passengers on board only 30 were children so the girls enjoyed a lot of one-on-one attention from the Club Leaders. If ever there was a spare moment, the girls were asking to go to Kids' Club. Some of the staff even remembered our girls from the Meditteranean cruise we did last spring.

As part of the Kids Club, Amy & Emily were able to participate in many fun activities such as Super Hero Night,

Princess Night,

the Pirates' Treasure Hunt,and family pizza making.

There was also the pajama party, movie night, Wii activities... Well, you get the idea. There were plenty of great diversions for the kids. And they loved the ice cream bar.

And when it finally got dark - about 11 pm in the northern Baltic Sea! - we would head back to our cozy room to see what new animal towel creation awaited us:

Then some bedtime stories from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale book we picked up in Copenhagen.

What about the adults? Well, the onboard entertainment was great for us too. We enjoyed the live theater shows and were even chosen as contestants in a few of the game shows. Our family won the Family Feud one night on a round about - get this - alcoholic beverages. Everyone (including us) was surprised that a Mormon family could be so knowledgeable about something we've never experienced...

Matt also won "Who Wants to Be a Bazillionaire" and Lana had a pretty good run in "The Matching Game." A few trivia games ate up some time during our sea days, and we even got some time in the pool (when the sun was shining).

Of course, there was the ice cream parlour too. We went there a lot.

We even had some drama near the end of the cruise when a medical helicopter had to land on the top deck to carry away a sick passenger to a nearby hospital. That was quite interesting.

We also made good use of the library and game room. There's nothing quite like a friendly board game on a smooth day at sea.

And some ice cream.

Stockholm, Sweden

2010-06-20T19:13:00.000+01:00

Our cruise ship anchored off the coast of Nynashamn, Sweden and from there we were tendered ashore and transferred by coach into Stockholm where we met our tour guide. It was a short drive up to Fjallgatan for a panoramic overview of the city.

Then through Gamla Stan, the enchanting "Old Town."

We got to view the Royal Palace and the Royal Dramatic Theater as we drove to the island of Djurgarden, a favorite getaway spot for Stockholm residents and home of the Vasa Museum.

The Vasa Museum is home to the Swedish warship Vasa, once considered the pride of Sweden's navy. The present museum is built around the restored 17th century warship, which sank in Stockholm's inner harbor on her maiden voyage in 1628. It was salvaged in 1961, with more than 12,000 objects on board and is one of the most important events in marine archaeology. We found it to be a really fascinating museum, one of our favourites even... and that's saying something because we've seen a lot of museums in the last couple years!

The basement of the museum held all the skeletal remains salvaged from inside the ship. Each display contained forensic information relating to cause of death, what that person's diet was like, their age, and various other interesting facts.

Upstairs from the Vasa was a re-creation of the inside of the ship that kids enjoyed climbing around in.

There were also some interesting displays of what the Vasa looked like in its original painted form as well as a display about its salvage from the sea.

When we came out of the Vasa Museum (about mid-day) there was a 2-hour queue just to get tickets. Our guide said that time can easily double during the busy summer months... So if you plan to visit this remarkable place, get their early!

We continued on our tour to Östermalm, a fashionable neighborhood of stately apartment buildings, then on to Sergel's Torg, a square that is the focal point of modern Stockholm.

Then south past the Parliament Building and the House of Nobility en route back to the ship.

Helsinki, Finland

2010-06-19T22:02:00.000+01:00

We began our tour in Finland with a stop at Senate Square including the elegant Lutheran Cathedral.

The cathedral was built as a tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia, and was called St. Nicholas' Church until the independence of Finland in 1917. In 1959, it became a cathedral of the Evangelical Lutheran denomination. Both the Lutheran Cathedral and Senate Square are a rather severe interpretation of the neoclassical style, which is intended to reflect the glory of ancient Greece and Rome. Lining the roof are statues of the apostles made of zinc; they are copies of the sculptures on Vor Frue Kirke in Copenhagen.

Senate Square:

A statue of Emperor Alexander II is located in the center of the square. The statue, erected in 1894, was built to commemorate his re-establishing the Diet of Finland in 1863, and initiating several reforms increasing Finland's autonomy from Russia. Personally, I thought the seagull perched upon his head added a nice contemporary touch.

Our tour continued past the Uspenski Cathedral and past the harbour to see the icebreakers docked for the summer season.

Then, it was on to Mannerheim Street, the main thoroughfare and home to Parliament House, the National Museum and Finlandia Hall. We also passed the new Contemporary Art museum, the Olympic Stadium, venue for the Olympic Games of 1952 (pictured below),

and the new Opera House, completed in 1993. We also really enjoyed seeing Sibelius Monument, a tribute to the famous Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. (One of us once wrote a lengthy technical musical analysis of his Symphony No. 2 during her university years...)

From Sibelius Park, we continued on to the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, located on a beautiful green island just a few miles from the heart of Helsinki. The island is a tranquil oasis in the midst of the city and here, the traditional Finnish way of life is portrayed in the cottages, farmsteads and manors of the past four centuries that have been relocated from around the different provinces of Finland.

The oldest building on the island is a 1686 wooden church from Karuna, near Turku. It was a small church, but full of impressive craftsmanship.

The candle-holders were very unique. Emily commented that "eight people must have had their arms cut off to make these."

The guided walking tour was a nice way of getting to know traditional Finnish life and architecture while enjoying the beautiful surroundings, and we were even treated to a traditional pastry in this delightful country setting.

The girls saved pieces of their treats to share with the ducks on the island.

Next, we headed back into the city to visit the Temppeliaukio Kirkko. This underground Rock Church is built inside of a massive block of natural granite in the middle of an ordinary residential square. The architects chose a rocky outcrop rising about 40 feet above street level, and blasted out the walls from the inside. The ceiling is made entirely of copper wire. It is not only a place of worship but also a popular venue for musical concerts because of its unique accoustics.

At the end of the tour Matt and I opted to stay downtown and browse the outdoor market while Grams and Gramps took the girls back to swim on board the ship. (It was a lovely warm day!)

St. Petersburg, Russia (Day 2)

2010-06-16T21:19:00.003+01:00

Our journey started with a transfer to Peterhof, the town of palaces, fountains and parks. It was built by Peter the Great to rival Versailles. It lies on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, 22 miles west of St. Petersburg. The Grand Palace, built in the beginning of the 18th century, is known as the most brilliant of all the summer residences of the Russian Tsars. The estate construction spanned two centuries and upon its completion, it encompassed seven parks and more than 20 smaller palaces and pavilions. The layout of the 300-acre park and spectacular fountains was designed by Peter himself.

We were not permitted to take any photographs inside Peterhof, but it was very similar to Catherine's Palace (see previous post) with a lot of goldleaf, ornate inlaid wood furniture, spacious dining halls, etc.

Out back we saw The Grand Cascade, often considered the chief delight of the grounds. It consists of three waterfalls, an avenue of 64 fountains and 37 gilded statues.

Samson, the main attraction of Peterhof, is located at the base of the Great Cascade.

During World War II, the estate was occupied and all the buildings and fountains were completely demolished. For many years, the palace and the Grand Cascade were under extensive restoration. Now all guests of the city can enjoy the spectacular view of the fountains and the palace.

After our tour of the Grand Palace, we proceeded to the magnificent gardens of the Low Park to admire the numerous fountains and statues.

As part of this Imperial tour experience, we got a special hydrofoil boat transfer from Peterhof back to the city center, which took us on a short 30-minute ride across the Gulf of Finland.

After arriving back to town, we got a second peak at the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, where we enjoyed views of St. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Our tour continued with lunch at a 5-star hotel. We had great food both days - today was some kind of stroganoff with saffron rice and this awesome banana-fruity cake thingy...

Then onto tour the St. Peter and Paul Fortress.

At the crossing to the Fortress Island:

Our guide summed it up nicely: "Basically, you are not allowed to do anything."

Going into the cathedral:

(???)

Once inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral, we were surrounded by marble columns, glittering chandeliers and painted decor, combined with carved and gilded iconostasis to create a magnificent setting for the tombs of Romanov monarchs.

In July 1998, the remains of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family were laid to rest here. Buried here are the Tsar's wife, Alexandra (granddaughter of Queen Victoria), and their 4 daughters: Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia (who's remains where never found, hence the fairytale stories about her), and their only son Alexei (who was a hemophiliac). To learn more of their tragic fate, click here. (A truly fascinating story). I read the biography of Alexandra a few months ago, so being in this room was very meaningful to me; like meeting up with an old friend.

Outside the fortress, the girls climbed all over this rather disproportionate statue of Peter the Great.

Then we followed our guide around as she expounded on various aspects of Russia's history. She was very kind and let the girls help her lead our tour group.

Then some shopping time at an outdoor market as well as a local handycraft shop and some more city sights.

(I would really love to know what this sign says... My guess is: "Beware! More Communist cement housing ahead!")

Finally, back to the port -

St. Petersburg, Russia (Day 1)

2010-06-15T10:12:00.000+01:00

St. Petersburg was a much-anticipated destination for all of us, but especially for me because I have recently had my nose in various biographies of the Russian royal family, particularly that of Alexandra, the last Tsarina of Russia and also a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The history of this country, and particularly this city, is something I've become passionate about. Keep in mind that Moscow only became Russia's capital in 1918 when Lenin created the U.S.S.R. Previously, St. Petersburg was Russia's capital and home to its ruling Tsars.

From the port, we took a short drive to the center of St. Petersburg where our guide introduced us to the history of this magnificent city. Our first stop was on the Spit of Vasilievsky Island for an opportunity to take in the views of the Neva River, the Rostral Columns, the Winter Palace and other buildings of the Hermitage Museum, as well as St. Peter and Paul Fortress, situated right across the river.

Our tour continued with a drive along the Neva River embankments, passing St. Peter and Paul Fortress.

We paused for a brief view of the Cathedral on Spilled Blood which, reportedly, is nearly identical to the famous St. Basil's cathedral in Red Square, Moscow.

This Russian Orthodox Church in St Petersburg is one of Russia’s mosaic treasures. Its official name is actually the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. So where does the spilled blood reference come from? The blood belongs to the assassinated Alexander II of Russia, who was mortally wounded on that site on March 1, 1881. The Church is prominently situated along the Griboedov Canal. The embankment at that point runs along either side of a canal. As the tsar’s carriage passed along the embankment, a grenade thrown by a conspirator exploded. The tsar, shaken but unhurt, got out of the carriage and started to remonstrate with the presumed culprit. Another conspirator took the chance to explode another explosive device, killing himself and wounding the tsar. The tsar, bleeding heavily, was taken back to the Winter Palace where he died a few hours later.

Next, we visited St. Isaac's Cathedral for a tour of this remarkable building, one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and previously the official cathedral of the Russian Tsars. The interior of the cathedral is richly decorated with different kinds of marble, malachite and other semiprecious stones.

The church itself is an architectural marvel and was built to be the main church of the Russian Empire. The cathedral was under construction for 40 years (1818-1858), and was decorated in the most elaborate way possible. When you enter the cathedral you pass through one of the porticos - the columns are made of single pieces of red granite and weight 80 tons each. Inside the church many of the icons were created using mosaic techniques (instead of painting).

The cathedral, ironically, became a museum of Atheism during Communist rule and now serves as a "religious museum" with services being held only on "significant ecclesiastical holidays." (???)

After our tour of St. Isaac's, we boarded the coach for a brief tour through Moscow Prospect, the "main street" of St. Petersburg. We passed many beautiful cathedrals (religious museums) and politcal/historical monuments.

Statue of Lenin. St. Petersburg used to be known as Leningrad.

Then on the Kiev Highway and through the Egyptian Gates, entering the Tsar's Village or the "Village of Pushkin" as it is now commonly called. We got to take a break from our sight-seeing for an authentic Russian meal inside Catherine's Palace.

Catherine's Palace ranks as one of the masterpieces of world art. From the time the palace was built until the time of the last Russian Tsar, Pushkin (the Tsar's Village) was used as the summer residence of the Royal Family.

We had to wear protective booties to tour the inside of the palace:

The palace tour takes you through a series of magnificent rooms, including the famous Picture Gallery, Amber Room (no photos allowed) and, of course, the Great Hall.

Dining Hall:

Great Hall:

Picture Gallery:

Gold guilding was a common theme throughout.

Inlaid wood was also an impressive feature throughout.

The parks of the estate add to the splendor of the palace, and several of them are embellished with a number of charming pavilions.

The town of Pushkin is famous not only for its remarkable palace and parks, but the man it was named after. Since 1937, it has been named after Alexander Pushkin, the most celebrated poet of Russia and a resident of this town at the beginning of the 19th century.

On the drive back to St. Petersburg we saw many interesting things. The beautiful Russian countryside,

a car vending machine (the cars are all stacked like items in a vending machine - enter a code and one 'drops' down for you to drive home...?),

lots of city decoration and Russian patriotism (May 27 is the birthday of St. Petersburg, so we were in town for the festivities),

...including this souped-up jeep contest.

Back in town we saw some things reminiscent of home,

and plenty of these awful cement apartments (which reminded us of the married-student housing at BYU, haha!)

It was depressing to see how the average Russian lives in comparison to the royal palace we had just visited. Our guide told us that these cement pads cost the equivalent of $250,000 each and with the average annual salary equalling about $20,000, often 2 or 3 families have to share one apartment in order to make ends meet. She also mentioned that mortgage rates range from 12%-15%. Creates a whole new image of what a "depressed economy" is really like.

Back through customs (it was a lengthy process getting in and out of Russia's immigration depot each day...) Then we cleaned up and played with a special souvenir we purchased from the outdoor market - a hand-carved chess set.

Tallinn, Estonia

2010-06-12T19:16:00.001+01:00

After a lovely smooth-sailin' day at sea, we arrived in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

We took a coach from the port and began our walking tour of the city.

We began with a visit to Alexandr Nevsky Cathedral, a Russian orthodox church. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside but it was very ornate and impressive. It was our first time seeing a cathedral of this style.

Outside the cathedral was one of Matt's favourite cars - a Rols Royce Phantom.

He says if he had one of these cars he would use it to take me to our private box at the opera. Sounds like a deal. Of course, for what it would cost to buy a Phantom, we could probably buy our own opera house.

Across the street from the cathedral is the Estonian Parliament building. Estonians like to vote in young Prime Ministers - the two most recent have been in their 30s/40s. They like young politicians because they have a more progressive agenda and are untainted by the communist era.

We got a rooftop view of the city,

then we hiked down the steep cobbled lane named Pikk Jalg ("Long Leg"). There is a nice long legged boot/drain pipe to mark the beginning of this famous road.

Down through the Medieval gate

and out past St. Nicholas Church (Lutheran).

Then onto the Town Square.

The Medieval Town Hall of Tallinn is the oldest surviving Medieval hall in Europe.

In keeping with the Medieval theme of this building, there is a Medieval restaurant at the back of the town hall where one can buy authentic soup, ale, and pies for only 1 Euro each. Another tasty bargain lunch! Amy and I had carrot pie - it was lovely. They also have elk, beef, and apple pies. Grandpa said the elk pie was delicious. Great little place for lunch, I highly recommend it if you're ever in the old-city part of Tallinn.

Also very interesting was the 15th-century Apothecary. It is the oldest pharmacy/chemist still in operation and stocks all kinds of interesting items from dried herbs to snake oil. A very pretty building too.

More of Medieval Tallinn:

From the town centre, we walked through the outer gates of the city,

and back to the coach. We then drove to the Open Air Museum where we got to see exhibits of rural life in Estonia from the past several centuries. Each area of the museum displayed houses and items from everyday life during each of the last four centuries.

The home below would have housed several generations of the same family and was the oldest, most primitive home at the museum (16th century). No chimneys - they liked it quite smokey. Kept the lice away.

Nice little storage shed...

Chicken coop - loved this style of fence. Want to copy it on my homestead someday...

The girls enjoyed climbing around and exploring the beautiful terrain.

Amy found a rather large beetle that she carried around most the afternoon. It was her 'nature buddy.'

A 19th century Estonian farmhouse. Very cute and cozy.

Of course we managed to get some shopping done amongst all our sight-seeing. The Baltic countries are well-known for their amber jewelry but the little girls were much more impressed with the Viking Hats. The ones they are wearing in this photo are pretty authentic - made with real leather and animal horns. Pricey too. At 50+ Euros each we talked them into having a picture taken instead of buying one...

While Grandma was choosing the perfect amber necklace/earring set, the girls played with Auntie and Uncle. We had so much fun touring around with family. It really is the best way to travel.

On the drive back to the port we saw Tallinn's famous flower market which is open 24 hours a day.

We also passed "Fat Margaret" Tower, or "Large Marge" as the locals call it,

and more of the Medieval city wall.

Our tour guide, Anna, told us that the Estonian language is very similar to Finnish. This makes Estonia a popular travel destination for the Fins during the summer months. That, and it's only 50 miles across the Baltic Sea from Finland...

Estonia is a very beautiful country and we found the people to be very friendly. Would love to go back someday.

Warnemünde - Rostock, Germany

2010-06-12T14:07:00.000+01:00

Thanks to the advice of previous cruiseline travelers and some local German tax colleagues, we were persuaded to explore the Warnemünde - Rostock seaside area instead of taking the expensive day trip into Berlin. And we're glad we did.

For 15 Euros we purchased a family pass for the train that was sufficient for our group of 6 adults (us + grandparents + auntie + uncle) and the kiddies. 20 minutes later we arrived in Rostock.

Kropeliner Strasse in Rostock: full of nice shops, places to eat, and an outdoor market area.

We toured the Marienkirche, a Medieval Church whose precious furnishings include its astronomical clock with its procession of Apostles (1472) and a bronze baptismal font (1290).

We thought this altar was very reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean with its nonchalant skeleton posed in the centre:

Nice two-story organ and a mini concert everyday at noon:

One of the things we really loved about our previous visit to Germany was the food. And for just 1-Euro each we got these tasty giant sausages wrapped inside a baguette. Yummy.

Onto more sight-seeing... the 14th-century Rostock University:

Town Centre:

Medieval Kropeliner Tor

Grandpa stayed in Rostock to get new eye glasses (his fell overboard near Copenhagen) and our little family headed back to explore the beach at Warnemünde.

We climbed the light house and then played at the beach.

(Emily's 'sand angel')

The girls made friends with a little girl called Jenna. Jenna only spoke German. Our girls, of course, only speak English. Yet they managed to play together for over an hour. Jenna had a lot to say and we wish we could have understood what she was telling us. We understood the word 'kindergarten' - it came up quite a bit. Jenna must be at kindergarten this year...

The weather was beautiful - sunny, but still a bit too cool for all the locals to be topless, so that was nice. We were told it was the best time of year to be in Warnemünde as it was warm enough to be enjoyable, but not as crowded as it can get during the summer months.

Before returning to our ship, we toured the sand sculptures at the port:

Copenhagen, Denmark

2010-06-10T13:17:00.000+01:00

Copenhagen's seaport is right downtown so we opted to tour the city on our own. We took the train one stop from the port and then walked the rest.

Copenhagen has several famous landmarks. Probably the most famous, though, is The Little Mermaid statue - a tribute to Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. The Little Mermaid has been sitting on the edge of Copenhagen's harbor since 1913, and draws millions of visitors a year. Unfortunately for us, Copenhagen's iconic Little Mermaid left Denmark for the first time in its nearly 100-year history when it was sent to China to be exhibited at the World Exhibition in Shanghai. She's scheduled to come back in October 2010...

While we missed out on seeing a statue, we did manage to secure ourselves a pretty unique opportunity to tour the inside of another one of Copenhagen's famous landmarks: the Amalienborg Palaces - which are normally closed to the publicThe Amalienborg complex consists of four rococo palaces from 1750-1758 and is the prime residence of the Danish Royal family. In the spring of 2004, the Danish Parliament’s Finance Committee approved the commencement of the interior and exterior refurbishment of Frederik VIII’s Palace (part of Amalienborg) to prepare it as a residence for Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and later on as a Royal Palace. The palace is open to the public until 8 August 2010, after which the Crown Prince and Crown Princess will take up residence shortly afterwards.

Its an amazing palace full of magnificent modern artwork and the grandest architecture. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed inside, so we can only share views of the outside. To see the inside for yourselves, you'll have to hop over to Copenhagen sometime before August!

Between two of the palaces you can see the Copenhagen Opera House:

Christiansborg Palace: home to the Danish Parliament... with ample bicycle parking 'round back.

I really liked this family bike (below). We saw them all over the city, sometimes with more than one little tot tucked away inside! Seems easier to drive than a bike trailer. The all-weather cover is a nice touch too.

One of Copenhagen's most famous districts is Nyhavn - a picturesque row of colourful houses along the main canal. Plenty of fishing boats, tea rooms, and quaint little shops to explore in this area.

Grandma & Grandpa Tolley with the girls at the Nyhavn WWII memorial anchor:

Of course we had to taste the local bakery items - some berry tarts, marzipan tortas and sweet pancakes.

Lego world headquarters are in Denmark.

Tivoli Gardens is a famous amusement park in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and is the second oldest amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg. Supposedly, Walt Disney once visited here and gained inspiration for his own amusement park.

Tivoli is currently the most visited theme park in Scandinavia (according to our pocket travel guide).

Pretty walk through the city via the Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard.

The Vor Frue Kirke is the National Cathedral of Denmark and also the home of the original Christus statue. A copy of this sculpture is located at the Visitor's Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is probably the only cathedral we've ever seen that depicts the resurrected Christ at the altar instead of a Crucifix. The text at the bottom of the Christus (in gold lettering) - Kommer Til Mig - translates to "Come Unto Me." The Danish language is very similar to Swedish so Grandpa Tolley was able to translate for us.

Matt recounted the story from Richard Neitzel Holzapfel's LDS general conference talk regarding this statue of Peter:

“The Incomparable Blessings of the Priesthood"

While attending an area conference in 1976, President Spencer W. Kimball visited the Vor Frue Kirke cathedral in Copenhagen, Denmark, where statues of the Christus and of the Twelve Apostles by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen are prominently displayed. Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote of that occasion:

“I stood with President Kimball [and others] before the statue of Peter. In his hand, depicted in marble, is a set of heavy keys. President Kimball pointed to them and explained what they symbolized. Then, in an act I shall never forget, he turned to [the Copenhagen stake president] and with unaccustomed sternness pointed his finger at him and said with firm, impressive words, ‘I want you to tell every Lutheran in Denmark that they do not hold the keys! I hold the keys! We hold the real keys and we use them every day.’ ”
President Kimball solemnly and boldly testified that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the priesthood and that God’s children throughout the world can be blessed through this priesthood."

"This is my beloved Son, Hear Him."

Yo Ho!

2010-05-22T16:51:00.000+01:00

We haven't become pirates (yet) but we're headed out to Sea again. This time for an adventure through Northern Europe:

Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden.

Posts to follow...

A family in motion stays in motion...

2010-05-22T16:41:00.000+01:00

Upon return from Italy, our adventures continued at home in the UK with a trip to Woolsthorpe Manor - the birthplace and family home of Sir Isaac Newton.

The famous apple tree from which Sir Newton derived his scientific discoveries about gravity:

It was "Bees and Blossoms" weekend so the girls each got to contruct a bumble bee in the kids craft zone. Grandma Tolley was an A+ helper. Then we visited with some real beekeepers and asked lots of questions. (We'd like to keep bees of our own someday...)

We toured Woolsthorpe Manor:

and played at the on-site discovery centre:

There were plenty of friendly helpers at the discovery centre who were eager to tell the girls all about Newton's scientific laws and demonstrate them in action. It was really good fun, very interesting and only about a 40-minute drive from home - making this yet another great day trip.

Did you know that Sir Isaac Newton was born on 25 December (1642)? What a great day to have a birthday...

Venice

2010-05-20T22:11:00.000+01:00

Venice is a small town (city?) with so many fascinating things to see. Historically, it was the capital of an independent nation. The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially silk, grain and spice trade) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century. This made Venice an extremely wealthy city throughout most of its history. It is also known for its several considerable artistic achievements and is home to famous musician Antonio Vivaldi and explorer Marco Polo.

Back when it was its own country, it's leader - the Doge - lived in this magnificent palace:

It even had its own jail:

There is no automobile traffic in Venice because the entire city is built on water. So the only way to get around is on foot through these narrow paths,

or by boat. Right to the doorstep:

No cars meant the city was unusually quiet and we really enjoyed that. Combined with the beautiful water ways and exquisite architecture, it was the perfect setting for romantic dinners in outdoor cafes and long walks. Is this getting too mushy? Well, Venice is often called "the most romantic city in Europe."

Where the sidewalk ends:

The water might look inviting, but we learned (via our handy tour book on the train) that Venice does not have a modern sewer system. They still dump all their waste into the water. (So we didn't go swimming).

At Piazza San Marco we explored the basilica... and dodged pigeons in the square (wretched creatures!).

What can I say?

We had seen a lot of naked statues after a week of touring museums in Italy. We were tired. We got a bit silly...

Cooking Class

2010-05-19T21:47:00.000+01:00

We took a cooking class in Florence one evening. Our instructor, Roberto, was amazing. He spoke fluent English and was a great teacher. We learned all kinds of new things from peeling artichokes correctly, using knives properly, making basic sauces and cooking with wine.

We were divided into small groups and worked under Roberto's supervision. Everyone got to participate and at the end we got to sit down to an exquisite 4-course meal.

We were paired with another couple - Justin and Jenny - newlyweds from North Carolina. We told them we were in Italy celebrating our 10-year anniversary. But nobody in the room believed we were old enough to have been married that long...

Our experienced cooking skills convinced them otherwise. (Haha!)

Roberto:

Vegetable Souffle (starter):

Crespelle al Forno with Bechamel Sauce:

Chicken Aretina in a white wine sauce:

Dessert: panna cotta with strawberry sauce.

A really fun way to spend 4 hours on a beautiful evening in Tuscany... and some great recipes to take home.

Florence

2010-05-19T18:27:00.002+01:00

Florence was amazing. We arrived in the evening - in the pouring rain - checked into our cute B&B, and then had a lovely dinner. I know that food is becoming a theme here, but you can't experience Italy without indulging in their premier cuisine! Below is one of our favourite appetizers: caprese.

Florence is a beautiful city with elegant architecture, picturesque scenery and extravagance on every corner. Gucci, Prada, Versace, etc. are all here, tucked along the cosy cobblestone pedestrain streets.

We spent a fair amount of time exploring the outdoor market. Lots of leather and silk.

Then we did some window shopping.

Would have loved to pick something out at this dress shop for my little girls...

But 38 Euros for baby shoes?

How about some candy?

This shop offered sweets at the bargain rate of 12 Euros per 100 grams... It's either darn tasty or made of gold. Either way, we weren't feeling rich enough to find out.

Then there was the local discounter. The Florentine version of The Dollar Store.

Translation: Everything 150 & 170 Euros.

The cathedral was free.

Marble walls, marble floors, massive marble pillars...

All that time spent inside a place of worship left us wondering deep thoughts...

Like, does Florentine gelato taste better than the Roman stuff? We had to find out...

Ponte Vecchio - one of the most famous landmarks of Florence.

The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge") is a Medieval bridge over the Arno River, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewelers and art dealers. The bridge dates from the year 996; though it was apparently washed out in a flood in 1333 and then rebuilt in 1345. The back shops (propped up on the outside of the bridge with wooden planks) were added in the 17th century.

The shops on the bridge:

New ring! Is Matt trying to bribe me into staying on for another 10 years??? (It's working...)

At the end of the day, they close up shop by locking the jewelry away in vaults and bolting the windows closed with these wooden doors.

The next morning we visited the Galleria dell'Accademia which is best known for Michaelangelo's David:

(sorry folks, for the un-edited version, you'll have to go to Florence yourselves...)

Whilst most people go to the Accademia expressly to see David, I had a much more meaningful experience in the nearby Medici Gallery of Musical Instruments where I beheld - with mine own eyes - several authentic Stradivari and Amati strings (violin, viola, cello) as well as a Cristofori piano.

It's not permitted to take photographs inside the musical instrument exhibit, so I purchased a book which I am happy to share and talk about endlessly... In the meantime, here is a web pic of the Stradivarius tenor viola, just to whet your appetite:

Pisa

2010-05-19T13:51:00.000+01:00

From Rome, we took the train along a 3.5 hr. coastal route (very pretty) up to Pisa for the afternoon. There really isn't a whole lot to see/do in Pisa but, of course, it's got a famous tower...

and some shops,

and elegant food,

and other interesting buildings. Like this baptistry

that sits next door to the cathedral

with big fancy copper doors

...and a crooked bell tower.

But you already knew about that part.