The Wizard of Oz

We've been talking about taking Isabella to a musical for months and months and months, but planning weekends these days isn't easy. Pedro has had three weekends free in a row (with his crazy travel schedule three weekends feels like a lot), so we're keen not to squander them! On Friday, I went online to lastminute.com and got discount tickets to see the Wizard of Oz the following day. When we showed up at the box office, I was disappointed to see that the tickets were up in the nose-bleed section. Luckily for us, the show was far from sold out, so they were offering £10 upgrades for the most expensive seats in the house! 

Armed with a big bag of Cadbury chocolate raisins, I coaxed Isabella into the theatre. Our wonderful trip to see the Wizard of Oz clouded at this point by Isabella's sudden fear of seeing the Wicked Witch of the West in real life, a fear made worse by a steadily increasing fever that threatened to derail the whole thing. The show was truly a lot of fun - the special effects and set were amazing! I was in awe of how the sets nested and rotated on the stage, as well as the ways they used the lighting. I even loved the new songs added to the classic, with fantastic special effects. While Isabella did eventually relax a little, she did cling to my arm like a treed cat for pretty much the whole performance. 

In the restaurant afterwards. Poor kiddo - look at those sick eyes!

I just love that little face of hers!

As usual, being a good sport. The glammy booth certainly helped.

Starving, we hazarded a meal and the restaurant next door after the show. It was somewhere in the middle of the meal when Isabella's fever broke and she miraculously started to get better, instead of worse. I think it was the restaurant's massive tanks of live tropical fish that did it. This girl is destined for ichthyology.  

Gawping at the sequin dress on the far right...

The whole day was fun, despite the fever! I say this every time I go to London, and I'll just say it again: why don't we go into the city more often!? Oh. That's right. We're over-scheduled to the max (see previous post). I'm working on that. 

Playdates and Mondays to Get You Down

Today is Monday. Really, it feels like Thursday. And this is despite Pedro having a three-day weekend and a date-night-with-babysitter yesterday. Why is it that it feels so stressful today? I have a terrible time with confrontation and I've had a few awkward moments this morning, which might account for why it feels like Thursday. I also just finished plucking the quilting out of a new blanket I'm sewing - tearing out  quilting that you just spent an hour putting in is also a great way to put yourself in a bad mood! Then I got a phone call from my neighbor wondering where I was. That's right - it was a scheduled playdate and she had been waiting for me for over an hour!

Isabella has been struggling at playgroup lately. She is an extremely sensitive little girl, so any altercation with another kid makes her not want to go for the following day. Matters are made worse by the fact that she is suddenly the only girl her age in the preschool now, her best friend Amelia just moved away, and her other best friend Sonny, a boy, suddenly wants to shun his girly side - which means Isabella, too. Also, she has at least two very difficult boys in her group. Boys that say naughty words to her, steal her stuff, and generally hurt her feelings. Despite the fact that the staff are very attentive and excellent in their skills, there is only so much you can do with such a dynamic. So we've decided to shop around for another setting for her to see how things go.

Anyway, I told my neighbor about her issues at the playgroup (her son also goes there a few days a week) and we decided to arrange for a playdate so that Isabella could form an alliance with another one of the boys so she is less excluded just for being a girl. And...I bungled it! So wrapped up in my quilt was I that I totally forgot about it and when she called, Isabella had just fallen fast asleep so we couldn't even rush down to road to make it right.

Also...can I just say this? There is something about the concept of a "playdate" that I really don't like. It's the formality of arranging play with each other's children...I would much rather call up my neighbor in a spare moment and have her send her kid over and let them just play in the absence of a time slot. Now that I've said that, I'll go further and just say I HATE PLAYDATES!!! But hey, despite the fact that we are all "stay at home moms" who hardly stay at home - what choice do we have? We're stuck to the schedule and the inevitable forgetfulness that happens when you have a child and a lot of things to plan for. Sigh.

Warsaw in December

 I have been knocked down for the last two days with a whopping sore throat - so I've been held hostage by throat pain and a good book. I’m taking a break from both while I wait for Pedro to skype with me from Germany (another business trip). While I’ve been waiting, I have been sifting through photos from the last three months. Last December, we found ourselves in Poland and I never blogged about it. Isabella and I were with Pedro for the entirety of his nearly two week trip, and we two girls did a lot of exploring Warsaw on our own.  

I have to admit. I was expecting Warsaw to be bleak. Even the name in English, Warsaw, sounds terrible. In fact, the first neighborhood I explored kinda was. But more than that, it was interesting. Random artful graffiti, unusual film posters, and remnants of long destroyed building were in evidence. Also strange, there were nice hotels around those areas - as if they are anticipating gentrification, if such a thing even exists in Eastern Europe. 

We stayed at a nice hotel that caters to businessmen - obviously, we were tagging along on a work trip after all. When that happens, I always seem to notice the sharp contrast between the suited men making deals in the lobby and the hoi polloi of the streets, like me. That’s a lot what Warsaw itself was like - a contrast of hard earned public real estate scattered amongst large areas of modernity with a noticeable push toward city improvement. With all of the modern and wonderful new sites for business and pleasure, I couldn't help but wonder where the money came from. Britain has such a large influx of Polish migrant workers that I must have been expecting a dismal setting from which they were all fleeing.

Copernicus Museum of Science - hot air balloon demonstration

Isabella and I would hit one museum a day, which was easy in Warsaw. The weather was wet and cold in early December, and the museums were consistently excellent.  We visited three museums designed with children in mind, the Chopin Museum, the Copernicus Museum and Planetarium, and, of all things, the Warsaw Uprising Museum.

I was blown away by their modern presentation and ingenious, touchable design - even the Warsaw Uprising Museum had a full room dedicated to a milder representation of the strong material of the rest of the exhibits - such as teddy bears and toys used by children of the period. It didn’t have that saccharine Disney flavor, nor did it have that “life is hard, deal with it” Soviet one.

A seemingly endless list of the fallen, yet another sad memorial - Uprising Museum

 The Copernicus Museum was ahead of its class - virtually everything could be touched by children, and the science involved was amazing and entertaining. I loved it. I also got tickets for the Planetarium where Isabella and I watched thirty minutes of science talk about the stars in Polish. Fortunately, we had a portion of the show available on headphones in English, but the most interesting part was certainly the one I couldn't understand! Isabella was afraid in the planetarium, and spent a lot of the show covering her ears while curled up in my lap.

Polish dolls from wartime Warsaw

We have loads of photos of great sites, but no pics of the place we had lunch and hot chocolates at almost every day. It was an inexpensive cafe, part of a Polish chain perhaps, where they served yummy mulled wine, coffees, weird-but-delicious Greek salads, and quiches. We had a lot of fun lounging around there, so I feel I have to mention it, even though I can't remember the name.

Isabella is a bit big for a stroller, but I sure was glad we had it

 This strangely beautiful Empire State Building look-alike was a "gift" to the city of Warsaw by the Soviet union - it's actually called the Palace of Science and Culture. I heard that its presence remains controversial; some people even want to tear it down. Inside the building are a number of venues, including the small Museum of Evolution which houses dinosaur bones from past Polish expeditions and a room full of crazy taxidermy.  The interior of this building is so cool - all of the mouldings, light fixtures, and details would make a design enthusiast get pretty excited.

Museum of Evolution

After we saw all there was to see in the Museum of Evolution (it was small enough that Isabella actually asked to keep seeing more stuff : we did two rounds), then we walked outside to find a newly installed ice rink. I had around only a few zlotys left, but didn't know if I'd have enough for skating for the two of us. I didn't. But the vendor took pity on my communication skills and inability to properly count and gave us skates anyway. 

Impromptu ice-skating!

 By the end of the week, we finally made it to the Warsaw Zoo. I probably picked the worst day to do it. We were the only visitors in the park, and it was so quiet that had I not already paid for our tickets, I would have thought I wasn't supposed to be there. It rained almost the whole time and all we had was one broken umbrella between us. The zoo covered a lot of territory but there were lots of opportunities for getting out of the rain - including the hippo tank, the spider room, and the elephant shelter. Once again, I was impressed with how modern, clean, and well looked after the whole place was.

Warsaw Zoo - A giant Easter Egg in December,
 makes me wish I understood some Polish

 By the time we left the zoo, the rain had died down but we were on the other side of town without a taxi or bus stop in sight, and....Isabella chose that moment to jump into a deep puddle. So we slowly made our way across the river and into the Old Town, trying to keep warm. The Old Town was mostly rebuilt after the bombing of WWII, so it looks quaint and lovely, especially with all the Christmas markets tucked into market squares and side streets. We were dazzled by the Christmas displays and the giant, sparkling purple tree in the town square. We managed to get something good and hot to eat at the street market: Isabella a Polish hot dog on rustic bread, and me a dose of the national dish - Bigos, a warming stew of sausage and sauerkraut.

 Unfortunately, this was all we got to see of the pretty Old Town because I had to take Isabella back to the hotel for fresh clothes and hot chocolate. Both things not negotiable. We were leaving the following morning. The funny thing is, I spent almost ten days traipsing around the un-touristy parts of the city, enjoying myself so much that I didn't realize I was missing the prettiest bit. Ah well, certainly a good excuse to go back to Warsaw, not that I needed another one.

And now, I'm back to convalescing the weekend away. Isabella and I have been drinking strange brews of tea with this Slovenian "super honey" I bought in Ljubljana last autumn to cure our cold. Though the lady I got it from explained to me what was in it, I can't remember now - I'm hoping the magical quality of the strange language will have the placebo effect on me, if nothing else!

Tallinn, Estonia

We are visiting Tallinn, Estonia. I must admit, I wasn't expecting much - I actually made the trip a bit reluctantly, finally deciding to follow Pedro here because of all of the back to back trips he has booked for work. I am delightfully surprised by the medieval beauty, as much of an oxymoron as that may sound. It's just that the medieval architecture and streets of the Old Town are so completely intact that it feels as if we've really stepped back in time. This is, after all, an eastern European country that directly borders Russia to the east and was dominated by Soviet rule in the not-too-distant past.

in the puppet-making workshop

the princess with the pink eyes is our own handiwork

Today we spent all morning at the Estonia Puppet Museum and Theatre - NUKU. Again, another pleasant surprise. The museum is home to myriad types of amazing (yes, amazing) puppets and has some pretty state-of-the-art exhibits for kids - children can actually activate the puppets by a touch-screen computer, while the puppet remains protected and properly displayed behind glass. I have to say, we could have happily spent another day at the museum alone. We also attended a proper puppet show, and despite the Estonian language barrier, the movements of the puppets told us all we needed to know. The morning was a huge success.

puppets of all sorts- some creepy, some cool... 

puppets from around the world...

some even bigger than me...(and can you believe Bella took this shot!?)

I have an additional unexpected travel companion as well. On the plane, Isabella and I met an American ballerina from LA who was travelling alone looking for work with a new European ballet company, so we have spent some of our meandering around Tallinn making better friends between her auditions, while Pedro is hard at work. 

Isabella and our new friend, Lucy, standing at the top of the Old Town looking onto the industrial, and modern Tallinn

Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

More of the Old Town walls and fortifications

When we came in from our flight yesterday, the sun had the whole place illuminated in the most beautiful light. I am hoping I can get some better shots with that sort of light tomorrow. We have another two days to try!

Scotland

 On the second day of our trip, we travelled north into glorious Scotland. We drove four hours further northwest, deep into Argyll, on the west coast. As you drive further north, the roads begin tapering off and you start to feel that startling sense of isolation the Highlands possess. The land varies from tree-lined to barren, and the peaty areas around Glen Coe are so sparse, that it feels other-worldly.

Our cottage was located on a teeny tiny, single lane, pot holed road, directly on Loch Awe (the lake that boasts the the title of longest freshwater loch in Scotland). Meeting another car on the road meant backing up, or pulling perilously close to the edges. That country isolation is cool, but as day trippers coming and going each day to see other things, it was a bit much. The cottage was a great bargain, and even had breakfast in the nearby hotel included. So we tried haggis (not good, friends) and smoked kippers (delicious but extremely bony!) and enjoyed incredible views in the conservatory dining area.

On the third day of our trip, we drove a short distance to Inverary Castle, current home of the Duke of Argyll. Of all the castles I've seen in England, I've never been in one as homey and welcoming as this one. They had all of the fireplaces going and fresh flowers were everywhere - the place was filled with yummy smells coming from the kitchen mingled with the hearthy smell of wood burning fireplaces. Half of the castle is kept private for the Duke's family, but the other half is open to nosey tourists like us. The castle caretakers were friendly and each one spoke like Sean Connery. If you love that, go to Scotland and be delighted by it daily.

On another day we traveled to Scottish Sea Life, a seal pup and turtle sanctuary and rescue center. Isabella loved it. I loved it. They had a flotsam and jetsam exhibit, artfully showcasing all of the trash that is washed onto the shores of the sanctuary alone. Sadly, all of it was cheap rubbish that we regularly buy and throw away. Despite all of the amazing animals at the rescue, I will probably remember that tiny exhibit the most.

On our way back from the sanctuary, we saw a sign for Ben Cruachan Falls. We dismounted and began to climb a very steep and windy path up a mountain searching for the Falls. We had to turn around before we could find the waterfall, but the climb wasn't a bust - I discovered that Isabella is a very good climber. I am so proud of her - she takes to heart everything I say. As I said before, we were more worried about the dog than her!

The day before we headed back south, we decided to return to Glen Coe, a place we had shortly visited on our last trip. I was so happy that we did. Glen Coe has a magical power; it's like stepping into a monastery, or some holy place, that dazzles your senses with its vastness. We hiked as far as we could safely go with the dog (a huge klutz, Isabella does far better climbing than he does). Then we decided to follow the river a ways, watching as our boots would get sucked deeply into the peat - some spots are like floating sponges.

After each excursion, we would head back to our cottage on its solitary road, get the heating started, and head over to the nearby hotel's lounge and pub. Pedro tried local ales and I sampled some whiskies while Isabella feasted on ice cream. We sat on big leather chairs, surrounded by heaving bookcases filled with an eclectic mix of abandoned books from former guests. Some of the nights, the place got so packed full of people, we wondered how on earth they all got there. It just felt like such a remote spot at the end of a treacherous little road.

where we had to leave the dog tied to a tree!

 On the final morning of our time in Argyll, we packed the car back up and headed south. Only then did it begin to rain in earnest. It continued to rain until we crossed the English border and decided to keep driving down into the Lake District. Our last day of travel was one of the best.

a typical Sotomayor family scene

Hadrian's Wall

We took a full week to travel up to the Scottish Highlands this past week. Pedro is starting a new job and had a week of leave to burn from his previous employer, so we decided to take the outdoorsy trip we've been putting off for the last three years and head up to an area we fell in love with when Isabella was just starting to move in my tummy. To break up the very long eight-hour drive, we decided to stay one night at Hadrian's Wall, a third visit to the Wall for us.

hiking up the other side of the cliff, Steel Rigg

We drove up through the Yorkshire Dales - an area of rolling hills, grazing sheep, and crumbling fences that grid up the landscape. The further north you drive, the more out-of-time you feel; it's a place that has changed very little over the centuries. When we arrived in Corbridge (an absolutely picturesque little town;  we almost didn't want to leave), a tourist centre found us a cozy B&B to stay the night. It was right across the road from the Roman ruins themselves as well as the inn where we and some of our friends from Puerto Rico had stayed over five years ago. We squeezed in a hike before it got dark, and made it up Steel Rigg but not further.

a portion of Hadrian's Wall, right

The place retains such a feeling of being on the edge of civilization, like you're at a very distant outpost with little touch with the rest of the world. Imagine how the Roman soliders must have felt, being away from the balmy climate in Rome and instead roughing it in the cold, wet and windswept north of Britain. But being here again made me wonder if we shouldn't have just decided to stay the whole week and walk the Wall. After our walk, we headed over to the Twice Brewed pub and inn for a meal and the best sticky toffee pudding I've ever had. We may travel to a lot of different places, but there is something to be said for returning to the spots where you've felt most at home.

That night, Isabella excitedly climbed into her twin bed - just like the big girl she has become, still thrilled about all the little bits of the day. She was asleep within minutes, totally exhausted by all the wind and walking. I got to stay up late on the lodge's red velveteen couches, reading about the quirky and bizarre in English Cottage Interiors. In the morning, we breakfasted on smoked salmon and eggs and chatted with our lovely Yorkshire hostess. She let Isabella feed her chickens....and I think Isabella couldn't have been more excited had she been given a kitten to take home.

With that, we gassed up for the first time and crossed the border into Scotland. Just after leaving Carlisle, we passed under a spectacular full rainbow. It truly was a sign of good things to come...

vegan meal one: sepia spaghetti noodles and sauce - major hit with this one

the derelict Old Mill in Elton

the "echo" bridge

clumsy dog + wagon

making her entire breakfast - scrambled eggs and nutella toast

It's just been the girls at home all this past week. Pedro took a trip to the US to renew his driver's license and we anxiously await his return so that we can begin a much put-off trip back to the Scottish highlands. With him away, it always feels like the "grown-up" is gone and we get to stay up a little later and skip school. Ha. I kept her out of playgroup one beautiful day of the Indian Summer we were having and we did a long walk with El Dogo and the wagon. We also had a couple of vegan meals, which was a challenge I wanted to see if I could pull off - being a huge milk, butter, and egg fan. But it's definitely do-able and certainly makes you more conscious of what you're eating, in terms of how many animal products we use. I think I am going to incorporate more tofu into our lives!

As for next week, we have been craving a good Scottish outing - full of remote places and beautiful scenery. Even though Scotland is directly above us, the drive there is so long and painful - as driving in England just is. All of the big cities are much closer together and roads are often choked with slow trucks, caravans and commuters. Plus, when there are problems on the road, the police typically just shut everything down, which leads to incredibly long and uncomfortable waits in a cramped car with no toilet. But! We're braving it now, in the off-season, hoping for decent weather - no gale force winds or upflowing rain, please. Castles, ruins, and vast countryside await - I hope to get a bit muddy, very tired, and fill up on piping hot pub meals before tucking into our simple cabin each night.

Once a month, I volunteer with the Angler's Monitoring Initiative - in short, it's just a group of fisherman who care about the quality of the local streams and do basic testing for pollution to make sure the fish thrive. When I go, I almost always take Isabella with me. The fisherman are very good with her and she loves getting her hands dirty. As a result, my three-year-old knows the names of bugs that I didn't learn until I was in college. Yesterday, we took a bucketful of bugs and small fish home with us so that she could bring it to playgroup today for a bit of "show and tell." It was a moderate success, and Isabella was certainly the most excited one of the group - she was the last one standing and put up a fight when it came time to clear up.

 Playgroup this term has been going very well for her. It was only last term that I still had to promise treats and surprises for her to allow me to leave her there. But with the older four-year-olds now in reception, what the Brits call kindergarten, there are only the littlest kids left, which has been a big boost for her confidence. I also prefer it because there is more one-on-one time with the teachers/playleaders. She is also very much into art now and brings me home more drawings and pictures than I know what to do with. What do other parents do with all of the art that accumulates with kids?