Pelatowski Family In London

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Back to school...September

What a busy month August was!!! We returned to London on Tuesday September 3rd and the kids were off to school the very next morning. Though tired and looking a bit run down, they were both very excited to get back to school to see their friends!

Aiden was excited to see Mandy and Ryan go back to school, this meant he had Mommy all to himself again!!

On our first weekend back, there was a boat race on the Thames going through Richmond. The kids and I went to watch the 500 boats row on by!

Mandy Caught the Rainbow Loom Craze!

It wouldn't be autumn without a trip to Garson's Farm in Escher. We always miss this time of year back in the States, the hay rides, pumpkin and apple picking, Thanksgiving...we were so happy when we found a little piece of that here in London. We make the 30 minute drive to Garson's at least twice a year.

One Sunday we decided to take a drive into the country and went to the town of Shere. Shere is a village in the Guildford district of Surrey. It is a small village with many traditional English features. It has a small central cluster of old village houses, shops including a blacksmith, tea house, art gallery, two pubs and a church. Shere is considered to be a civil parish consisting of four villages with a total population of 3,359!

We had lunch at one of the two pubs in town, The William Bray! William Bray was a life long resident of Shere from 1736-1832. He was an antiquary and very involved in the social scene of Shere. He wrote numerous books and has had his private journals published which make his cheeky personality very apparent. While in town, I went into the Shere Museum (the size of a small hall!) and spoke with a gentleman who helped me locate the family tree of William Bray. While there doesn't appear to be a direct family link to him, he did have 3 brothers!

The Church of St. James has been a place of worship since 1190. The spire, built between 1213 and 1300, was covered with cedar shingles, but had to be replaced with oak shakes in 2000. There are several brass plaques in the chancel dating back to 1412!

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Random cuteness in Kew Gardens!! At one point before I got my camera out. Aiden was sitting on the ground and the ducklings were literally walking over his legs!! He kept saying "Hi Baby!" I was surprised the mother duck was okay with this, she kept close watch but didn't flinch when Aiden pet her babies as they walk all over him!!

We had a friend move into the front garden...While always fun and interesting to explore nature, I have to admit this creeped me out a bit!!

We wrapped up the month of September with a trip to Edinburgh Scotland which is soooooo deserving of it's own post. Coming soon!!!

School's out...August travels!!!

With school out, we decided to make the most of the month of August and do some road trips around England before heading back to Connecticut for our annual summer visit. Our first weekend getaway was to Longleat House and Wildlife Safari Park. We happened upon this adorable little village of Great Wishford, which dates back to 1066. The village consists of a primary school, church, post office, and a pub!

St. Giles Church, Great Wishford

Longleat is a stately home near the towns of Warminster and Frome. It is known for it's Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house in set in over 900 acres of parkland, with over 100,000 acres of woods and farmland. Quite an impressive view upon approach.

Upon arrival we drove through the safari park. The kids enjoyed seeing all of the animals, though were slightly disappointed the monkeys didn't climb on our car!

After the safari we spent some time walking the grounds around the house. The kids enjoyed the train ride around the property and well as the GIANT playground.

Sleepy Boys!

After a full day at Longleat, we drove the 30 minutes to Bristol to stay the night. Bristol is a city in south west England with an estimated population of 433,000. It is England's sixth and the United Kingdom's eighth most populous city.

City Hall

Bristol Cathedral

St Mary Redcliffe

The Hatchet Inn, Bristol's Oldest Pub
Circa 1500

Wills Memorial Building
Part Of Bristol University

Rainy England Doesn't Dampen the Spirits

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August 7th, the kids and I went to the Wetlands Centre in Barnes with Carol and her kids. The Centre occupies more that 100 acres of land and is home to many species of bird that can't be found anywhere else in London. In 2012 London Wetlands Centre was voted Britain's favourite natural reserve in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards. The kids had a great time exploring and running around. We saw a ton of wild fowl and even saw the otters during feeding time. Mandy, Molly and Rory went on a scientific butterfly count through a garden, while the boys searched for bugs! Overall a great day out with friends!

Ryan, Liam, Mandy, Aiden, Rory & Molly

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On August 10th, Keith and I
celebrated our 11th Anniversary!!
We went out for a fabulous dinner in the city,
followed by a late night stroll through London!

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So most will recognise this beautiful building as Downton Abbey, when actually it is properly named Highclere Castle. Ever since I started watching the series Downton Abbey, I hoped to be able to see the Castle in person. When I discovered that it was a mere 50 minutes from us, I packed the kids up and took the drive. From the minute we drove onto the property, I could hear the theme song playing in my mind! There was a glow around this building that took my breath away. It is an incredibly beautiful castle with impressive grounds.

Highclere castle is one of England's most beautiful Victorian Castles set on 1,000 acres of parkland. The Carnarvon Family has lived at Highclere since 1679.

Mandy & Aiden in the
Wildflower Garden

Mandy caught some 25 Ladybirds
while in the gardens

The Monks garden

So happy we made the drive to see this beautiful estate.

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August 17th we made the trip back to Connecticut. Always nice to go home, catch up with everyone, drive on the wide roads and use full sized modern appliances!! Less than 24 hours after arriving home we opened our home to our family and friends for a picnic and to celebrate Mandy & Ryan's birthdays.

This year our baby girl turned 8! She is growing up way too fast! Mandy is smart, funny, determined, kind, honest and full of love and zest for life. She makes us proud everyday with all that she does. This year for her birthday she wanted to take a day trip into New York City. Keith and I took both Mandy and Ryan for a fun filled day with our big kids!

Of course no day in the city is complete without a trip to The American Girl Doll Store, The Lego Store, The M&M Store, FAO Schwartz, Time Square and a carriage ride through Central Park!

What else did we do while home...??? We went fishing with Papa, Shopping with Uncle Steve, Auntie Riss and Grammy, Dinner out with Amy, Jenn and Kim, Time with Great Grandma, Swimming with Mia & Kelley, Dinner with Grandma, Papa, Uncle Chris and Jen, Play time at "the bubble", Keith ran a half marathon...

We hung out with Camden...tried to get a good photo of the four kids...no luck this time!!