This Summer 2016 was a blast. A real dream come true for our little family of four to travel abroad together. We set our sights towards Europe, and had the opportunity to visit London as our first destination.
London was more of a comfort thing for us because my hubby has lived there before and so he knew his way around. I could tell it was a very special thing for him to show his family a dear place where he has build many memories before. The kids were enchanted, and so was I. I knew from our domestic travel in the United States that they were pretty good travelers but they really did impress me. These kids love airplanes and hotels and the whole shebang. They get a kick out of the airplane food, getting to interact with the flight attendants and seeing what new hotel they get to stay at.
Sometimes I do get a little shy to share this kind of observations because I know that that is not always the case with kids, and I definitely do not take it for granted. Still, I want to be able to share this blessings because it was an important part of our travel and my memory of it.
The first evening there, it was all about going around Piccadilly Circus(London's equivalent of Time Square) and just walking around exploring the city. Visual flashes of seeing Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the M & M store swirl in my mind. Also, the wonderful carbonara pasta we tried at an Italian restaurant. By the time we went back to the hotel, we were exhausted. I put everyone to bed, husband included, and lights off.
Next day, we started our journey surprisingly early but by mid afternoon we realized it wasn't a good idea to push the boundaries of what our strong little girl could handle. She was just not feeling well and we needed to get back to the hotel for her to rest and take a nap. I think after that incident, we understood that a mid afternoon break was what was going to work best for us. A mid afternoon break bought us extra hours at night as well, I don't know but it settled well with her rhythms.
At this point, all I have is emotional impressions of what my travel was. That's why I love to document and blog as much as I can of my family's memories. The longer I wait, the more the details fade. Anyways, all of my pictures here were taken with my dslr camera. I have a significant amount of iphone pictures as well, but for now this:
We met up with Bonnie or Bonifacio how some call him. One of my hubby's best friends. Bonnie was a darling, showing us around London specially some non touristic things like a Brazilian mom and pop corner restaurant with delicious feijoada. He showed us around his home and even let us do laundry. We stayed in London a little over a week and since we traveled light ( a carry on for each person for almost two weeks!), we needed it.
He was also responsible for taking the kids to the movie theater so Mark and I could have a special anniversary dinner together. Bonnie, if you read this thank you, thank you!!!
Family pictures are one of my favorite things ever!
Throughout our stay in London, we visited Borough Market and Camden Market which was amazing. It was not only the food that impressed me but also the goods they sold. The jewelry, clothing and crafts was pretty unique. It's hard to find truly unique things nowadays, thanks globalization!
Oh, my sweatheart, you are truly growing fast!
I don't know if the photo does it justice but the falafel was amazing.
Dishoom was my very favorite in London. What a unique experience and it was huge too! Indian cafe style cuisine with a twist. This restaurant was a fantastic marriage of delicious food mixed with evocative decor. The walls were full of vintage India magazine pictures and it just took you to a different place. I love that ambiance can do that for you. All I can say it was an intriguing and different experience and I like different.
On this particular day, we went out for brunch and right afterwards we waited a bit to see a theatrical performance of the Railway Children with a real train inside and all. Kid's were super excited.
They did enjoy dressing up:)
Thanks for the photo Marky!
Mark Jacinto has this strange and endearing thing were he giggles a lot when he snaps pictures. He feels flattered when we trust him with the big camera. I don't know what else is going on in his head but he just giggles a lot. At home, he likes to borrow my iphone and make videos and take pictures of food and body parts like elbows and hands. It's pretty cute and pretty artistic the way they come out!
Papá e hijo.
I was taken by the history of the place were my feet got to walk in. I was smitten by the detail in the architectural works of the city. But most of all, I was happy to be experiencing all of that with my family.
Next, we decided to take the train to Paris. Thanks for reading!