Vacation in the UK

We also just got back from vacation in the UK -- we went for a wedding and decided to stretch it into a real vacation, with the added bonus of Mom coming to meet us and travel with us! We had an amazing time (despite taking the longest possible route to get to London because there are very few direct flights to anywhere outside of Central American from Managua: Managua --> El Salvador --> Panama City --> Madrid --> London). G was an amazing little traveler. R loved the cold (honestly I don't know how he survived childhood in El Salvador). Mom was a trooper and an amazing help with G. And I was just happy to Have. A. Break.

G & I in the Madrid airport. He was running all over until he got to the glass floor -- then he only wanted to be carried. I guess being able to see down three stories was a little scary.

We finally did make it to London (City Airport) with all of our gear and braved the Tube to our our hotel just two blocks from the Tower stop, on Strand street where we found Mom had gone to meet us ... at Heathrow. None of our cell phones worked in London (surprisingly our Nicaraguan carrier doesn't have translatlantic coverage), but luckily mom reappeared shortly and we walked around a bit before crashing. Gustavo was very cuddly.

Obligatory belly shot: 6 months pregnant! There are storks in the pond in the background -- yes those things that look like white blobs.

Another belly shot. This is the arch on the way to Buckingham palace

We did the London City Bus tour and got to see a huge amount of the city with minimal fuss because we could hop off the bus whenever G had reached a threshhold (or someone needed a bathroom break)-- which led us to have a lovely picnic in Hyde Park! We of course saw Changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace which for G the highlight was seeing the horses. Also exciting was not being able to get back to our hotel because the hotel across the street caught on fire. Even more exciting was finding out it was not our hotel on fire. We took that as a sign and settled in for a lengthy afternoon snack that turned into dinner.

Picnic in Hyde park and time for G to run off some energy

Our restaurant where we waited out the fire to be allowed to go back to our hotel. Their menu had a tribute to the goddess of childbirth. We are not sure why. Also our waiter had the best belly laugh ever.

Buckingham palace gates.

Mom and G playing together when we first got to the hotel.

We made it!

On the double decker bus -- every day was the best day ever for G from getting to see airplanes, to buses etc.

Passed out from all the excitement.

Rafa and his new friend

After a couple days in London we hit the road  -- in an Alfa Romeo (!!) thanks to a well meaning rental care agent who didnt really take into account the baby, car seat and baby gear. It was a little cozy. Also, excitingly for R, it was a manual transmission. So he had to drive on the Left side of the road, with a stick shift, in a fancy car that we really didnt want to damage, with perhaps the world's worst passenger (that would be me.) Highlights from the first hour or so of driving include:
R: Dont talk to me. I can only do one thing at once and right now I am driving. If I need to turn tell me.
Me: You are Getting Too CLOSE TO THE EDGE!!
Me: R, do you hear that thump thump thump? It means you are going off the side of the road. If you dont believe me that you are too close to the edge, just listen for that sound.

Luckily R is very patient, and a very good driver. Luckily Mom has short legs and some how fit into the back seat with the stroller, backpack and crib. Luckily G thought it was the best day ever and happily called out truck and moto from the backseat.

So off we went! First to Stonehenge -- how many times in your life do you get to say you spent your birthday at Stonehenge?! Then Bath and finally to Hay on Wye where we all tumbled out of the car to our lovely bed and breakfast.

Happy just to be out of the car.

We spent a couple days in Hay on Wye and were all ready to move there. We found an amazing farmer's market, wandered in the book stores, drank beer (well mom and R did anyway), took pictures of any "Jones' items we could find, explored the river walk and generally just relaxed and enjoyed.

Jones Home Hardware

Gustavo in the toy store touching the only thing in the whole place that has a please do not touch sign.

Pretty Mommy enjoying the river walk

G checking out some books

Some of R's beer and cider samplings

Walking in Hay on Wye

by the River Wye

Throwing rocks. This was G's favorite activity perhaps of the entire trip

Finding the best rocks with R

One of the many other things G could have touched in the toy store.

Welsh flag

River walk

View from Hay Castle

Tea time

Street in Hay on Wye

Warren Cottage

 

Next we drove (on windey back roads) to Northampton for the wedding where we met with old friends (from EL Salvador, LA, and Pittsburgh), and made some new ones!

 

Our friend the "Oyster Meister" opening both Irish and Scottish Oysters. We were stalking him for all of the cocktail hour, or maybe he was stalking us... Either way a lot of oysters were enjoyed

Dinner the night before the wedding

Work friends plus some significant others

Gustavo wondering why we are so dressed up

The day of the wedding

No, I didnt have a hat or a fascinator. They dont sell those in Nicaragua!

Wedding lunch

We did not leave by private helicopter

But! We did get our pictures taken by the paparazzi! Our being so tickled at having our picture taking and waving to them probably tipped them off that we were not really important enough to have our picture taken!

After all of the wedding excitement we headed south back to London by way of Oxford, Windsor and the Uffington White Horse.

Tea time at the bottom of Windsor castle

G determined to run all the way up on his own.

Back to London for the night then Mom left bright and early the next day. Our flight was delayed so she actually landed in the US before we ever left the UK. We took the London--> Madrid --> San Jose --> Managua route home and arrived all in one piece but without our bags which did manage to make it the next day. We were met in Managua with a break from the 100+ degree heat as we are now officially in rainy season.

Hope you all are well!