My bags are packed...

I'm ready to go.

To land of pizza and ge-la-to(e).

20 pounds I might gain,

but the food will be insane!

Canals, vineyards, and lakes,

some art I'll take in--none of it fake!

The Jolie-Pitt kids (who have been in Venice) will be Wiley's playmates,

while Brad-gelina and Wil-son go on a double date.

My nails are grey, my clothes are dark,

I guess London has left its mark.

I've overpacked, I'm sure of that,

but "be prepared" i have down pat.

To Italy I go, have you been there too?

there is so much to see, so much to do.

Have you got something for us to go see?

If you'll leave me a suggestion, so grateful I would be!

Mexican Food...in London

A few weeks ago, we were craving Mexican food. We usually make our own quesadillas, tacos, or fajitas with kits or our own fillings. Tortillas and all your usual Old El Paso kits are at the most basic of grocery stores. But this night, I wanted to be served Mexican food. By someone other than my hubby.

Following Gwyneth Paltrow's lead via GOOP (her update that once included a must-eat of London) and other recommendations we went to Taqueria in Notting Hill. I knew that this might not be what we were expecting when they were confused when we asked for chips and just salsa (they have an appetizer with chips and a few dips). Another tip off was the lack of queso on the menu. But alas. One cannot have it all.

We ordered our dinner (soft tacos that were really good and actually quite filling), and when they brought Wiley's cheese quesadilla, I had to stop myself from turning to the waitress and saying, "are you kidding me?" or just laughing in her face. Can you see how small those quesadillas are? This is a growing American boy! He ate one of those in one bite! We had to order 2 orders for him, and then continued to make him another one at home!

Insert small (hungry) boy for scale.

The verdict: Good Mexican food (for London) using fresh ingredients (you can taste the difference, I think) in miniscule portions.

Experience London yourself!

At Target!!

Liberty of London, a landmark department store near Regent Street and Carnaby Street, known for its prints and patterns is at your nearest Target! Yes, London is now on Highway 280. Check out these cute things (dresses, shirts, scarves, you name it) that will surely put a spring in your step. And then if you come visit me, I'll take you to the real Liberty of London. Deal? Great.

I'll take the above bike. Just add the wicker basket please.

Thank you!

Once again, I have the best friends. Not to brag. But they are really great. "Fab" as they like to say here. I mean, 2000 animal stickers for Wiley! Sleepless in Seattle! Sweet words of encouragement. Awesome CDs (We are currently rocking out to I and Love and You as well as Beyonce's Halo and Single Ladies...by "we" I do mean Wiley and I. Oh, and some amazing Bible verses and maybe an Office quote.

What? Jealous of my Office quote? I'll share:

Michael Scott: would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.

Um, thank goodness they show old Office episodes over here.

I really wish I had something clever or smart to blog about. I will say that the weather has suddenly decided to be spring-like. It was almost 60 degrees here this week! When we moved, we heard that as soon as it warms up, Londoners go outside and start peeling off their layers of clothes in the park. Note that I said "warm," not "hot." I am afraid I have been here too long already, as I was dashing out to play in our neighbor's garden in shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt (peeling of layers of clothes), desperate for sun. It was not even 60 degrees that day (kind of warm, not hot). London weather makes you a bit desperate, even if you haven't been here that long.

Oh, and we will have been here 6 months in April. Can you believe it? I can't. For that matter, can you believe it is almost April?!

Our "diary" is getting fuller by the minute. The weather is getting warm. There seem to be a million things to do in the summer here, that I am starting to worry we won't have time to do them all. And we are going to the States for a nice "holiday" in a few months.

Thank you again friends for the wonderful care package!

Bruges

We visited Bruges, Belgium this past weekend. It was a quick, one night/two day trip, which was the perfect amount of time. We had a wonderful time. We heard from friends who studied abroad that Bruges with its canals, rivaled Venice. That seemed pretty bold, and we'll see in a few weeks how they compare, but Bruges truly was a beautiful town. Outside of Brussels, it was an easy train ride away and could easily be paired with a trip to Brussels. Its beauty is perhaps more understated and natural than anything else.

We rode our bikes that the hotel (Hotel Adornes) provided the first afternoon/night and all the second day. It was definitely the quickest and easiest way to go, as cobblestones aren't particularly fun with a stroller. They were bumpy with a bike, but at least you have speed! I felt like I could have taken pictures of everything. And I sort of did. But even as I was snapping away, I thought, these pictures will not do this town justice. I thought of so many of you who I wished could have been there to experience it with us!

Literally, every street looks like this. Cobblestones, beautiful wood doors, old brick, bicycles parked outside. Many, many of the homes had leaded glass windows. Ahh. Perhaps it was the old architecture, windows, bricks and the warms colors that I liked so much...I wished I had someone who knew about architecture to explain the steeped gables and iron supports to me.

Octagonal Belfry...a landmark of Bruges

On a bridge, statue of Jan Van Eyck is behind them

Dr. Evil: It's a Belgian Dip. (Please note that there are 2 spoons, and I was not eating the Belgian waffle on my own. Thank you very much. And I realize this is not cute. But I think my sister would appreciate this.)

Biking down cobblestone streets!

Beautiful.

Can you imagine having a little desk in that window that juts out over the canal?

Although definitely a place popular with tourists, it somehow did not feel overwhelming in the way London does with all the tourists. I definitely did not want to hang out in the Markt very long, but once away from there on our bikes, exploring the random streets in search of Belgian waffles and chocolate, it felt as if we had the city to ourselves. We had dinner Saturday night at a fondue restaurant, which was very popular with Wiley for obvious reasons. It was one of those nights that seems a bit magical, a bit surreal. Biking home that night with the canals reflecting the lights of the homes and the bridges, adding a golden hue to the water, I hated to end our bike ride home. I think I could have followed my boys on their bike for hours around Bruges that night.

Needless to say, Bruges is definitely a must-see if you are over in Europe for an extended amount of time. It is unexpected and humble beauty. It is so much chocolate that you might never have any again. It is water and warm colors. It is a funny boat ride down a canal, packed like sardines into a little boat with a man who when he speaks English, you don't recognize your own language. It is croquettes, mussels, and "famous" french fries. It is a perfect excuse to have a hot chocolate at least once a day.

Yes. I heart Bruges.

Tuesday in Marylebone

Today I walked up Marylebone ("Marley-bone"...I think) High Street in order to purchase a book for my book club. I had been wanting to see Daunt Books for awhile after seeing loads of people carry their tote bags around and after hearing how great it is from my book club. Here is a view inside of the "Edwardian" book shop.

These are books about Italy. Interspersed between travel guides are works of fiction that take place in or are about that particular region, area, or country. So, say when I go to Venice or Tuscany, I decide to read a book that takes place there, then this is how I can easily find it! So cool.

Obviously, I had to check out the "America section." I found the Southern shelves, curious what works of fiction I would find there...maybe To Kill a Mockingbird, Pat Conroy, Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Crazy in Alabama...the list goes on! What a treasure trove it would be! WRONG. As you can see in the picture above, there is no book about Alabama. However, if you want to know about Branson, Missouri and the Ozarks you will find it. It is also lacking in Southern Fiction. Oh, well. The rest of the shop was amazing, so I will forgive them that they don't think Europeans want to read about Alabama. I did get this sweet little tote bag below to carry my book and advertise for them. Seriously, I bet they don't do any advertising aside from these bags. They are everywhere!

And then, deciding I didn't have enough time to get home before turning around to pick up Wiley, I wandered in a few more shops, including Cath Kidston. I found these 1 metre scraps of fabric on sale downstairs, bargained them to 8 pounds cheaper because of dirt on fabric, and now I have the cutest ABC fabric for some future project (pillows? frame it?) and an oil cloth tablecloth on my kitchen table! The oilcloth just barely fits but cleanup is going to be so easy compared to trying to keep that glass table top clean! I could even us it for a picnic, craft projects...the possibilities here are endless.

And there is the messy boy eating chocolate mousse on the new tablecloth!

I loved the Marylebone High Street...there are cute cafes too. Next time I explore a new area/High Street though, I think I should leave my wallet at home! (Although I think I snagged some great deals!)

PS: High Street = Main Street (has grocery, basic stores, specialty shops, etc)

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza

While Brooke is enjoying her authentic pizza in Italy, Wiley has turned into a pizza chef here in London! For a birthday party of a classmate, they went to Pizza Express where they were instructed on how to make their own pizza. It was such a cute idea, and while the pizzas were baking, they were entertained by a magician. The kids thought it was great and were enthralled by his tricks! Pizza was followed by cake, of course, and it was fabulous, if I do say so myself (I just helped Wiley out a little bit with it...).

Chef Wiley

Mom, stop taking my picture. These 2 pictures are an indication of the type of day Wiley and I had together both before and after school. Rough. I thought the family would get a kick out of that face.

Do you like seafood?

The finished product and now happy child.