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July 21st, 2010

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Purchasing for the kids in London

July 18th, 2010

On the 3rd morning in the UK main city, Maria, Mike, Emily and me went out of our London apartment for a breakfast outside, as we have seen a wonderful cafe and wanted to taste the muffins and the pancakes there. It was great and the kids were quite thrilled, since Maria told them we will bring them to see the Wimbledon stadium and after that the Arsenal Stadium. These two sports facilities are quite big, thus it took us the entire morning to get to them and make photos. In the early afternoon, after we had a bite in a small, family-oriented eating place, we decided it’s time to do some shopping.

We were lucky to be in London during the product sales and therefore we succeeded to buy lots of things at a good price. We spend most of our time on Oxford Street, where we accessed the large retail store Selfridges, the Zara and Marks & Spencer retailer stores. From Nike store we purchased a pair of trousers and sport shoes for Mike and a nice sports gown for Emily.

We returned to our London holiday apartment to leave the luggage and rest a bit. Happy but exhausted our kids felt in bed instantly. As soon as they got up we visited a great eating place in the Kensington area where we were staying. The place was really beautifully arranged and the food was quite yummy. I had a good, conventional English meal with draught beer, while Maria had a salad and a glass of white wine. The children were impressed by the puddings.

Maria and I really like to dance but with the children dance clubbing is not achievable, although we knew London had an excellent dance scene. Therefore, we assured ourselves that we will come back, only the two of us to see that other part of the United kingdom capital, which we missed on this trip with the children.

London events with the little ones

July 16th, 2010

The moment I woke up the following morning, the children were still sleeping in their room in the London flat we have rented, as Maria was up organizing their breakfast and making coffee for the both of us. We had a quiet half an hour and discussed which sites we are to see through the day. Later the children got up and dressed, had the breakfast and were eventually ready to go.

That day Maria made a decision that we ought to bring the little ones to see some ceremonies, which may be enjoyed only in London and that, as we were confident, would make an impression on our children for a long time. We left our London holiday flat and used the metro to access the Buckingham Palace, where we attended the switching of the guards’ ceremony. Mike and Emily were totally amazed by the foot guards with their red and black uniforms and the specific high black helmets. The ceremony wasn’t short, but the children were intriqued and saw it until the ending and from then on didn’t want to leave the Memorial of Queen Victoria, wherefrom we got the whole program.

I went to buy snacks and fish’n’chips for us all, while Maria took Emily and Mike and went to the nearby Green Park where we had a modest family picnic and the kids liked laying on the grass and playing with other kids that approached them.

As the afternoon was really warm, I advised we must move to the Hide Park and the Kensington Gardens, where is the Princess Diana Memorial and the playground close to it. This children zone is good for kids up to twelve years old. Mike and Emily especially enjoyed the solid wood pirate cruise ship and were talking about it throughout the whole evening as we went back to our London holiday apartment.

Family vacation in London with the children

July 14th, 2010

The moment my better half Melanie proposed that we ought to go on a vacation in London with the kids, I discovered it peculiar, as London wasn’t the greatest child-friendly destination which I can think of. In addition to that I considered it will be too pricey. Yet I was wrong.

The first thing my wife did was to browse the internet and to discover a good London flat with good address and a sensible price tag. The second point was to locate inexpensive plane tickets from one of the low cost airlines. Once the day came, we took the children and the luggage and headed towards the terminal. And once in London, we came to the London vacation apartment where the children were amazed by the space they will had to share and my spouse was happy for the fully equipped kitchen area in which she was able to prepare breakfast every day for the whole household.

Two hours following our arrival, Maria, the children and I were all set to go visiting sites. I might say that there is always something organized for the families with small children. The first places me and Maria thought of however, were the famous London Zoo and the London Aquarium. The children were very excited with the pets they observed and continued talking about them as we had sandwiches for noon-time meal. In the late afternoon we arrived at our London apartment worn out, yet in good mood and filled with pleasant memories.

In the evening we visited a compact bistro, as we assured it is open for children as well and that it has a good menu for children. The restaurant was very close to our London holiday apartment, which was very practical as the children were tired and we needed to bring them back to our London apartment as soon as possible. Then Maria and I had some time for us, drinking wine in the living area zone, watching the news.

Edinburgh’s New Town

July 12th, 2010

At the following morning, after an extended and good night’s rest in the holiday Edinburgh getaway home we’ve hired, we had a breakfast and made a decision to enjoy the New Town, that like we saw on the map was located to the north direction from the Old Town and was in fact next to it.

Maria explained we now have lots to see in this section of the Scottish capital and I agreed. The initial monument to see was the Scott Monument, which was constructed and arranged for the memory of Sir Walter Scot. Following that we enjoyed great sights above the town and made some good photographs. The next place to check out was the National Gallery of Scotland where we managed to view the finest art selections in the country. There was no entrance charge whatsoever, that was good and the exact was valid for the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, that however we could not go to because it was shut for repairs until November 2011.

Maria was hungry, thus we bought fish and chips and had some relaxation at the Princes Street Gardens, which is a small but beautifully arranged recreation area established between the Princes Street and the Castle Hills.

In the afternoon we went up the Calton Hill and after that we went searching along the Princes Street, the George Street and the Broughton Street.

As this day was totally committed on the New Town, in the evening hours we went out of our Edinburgh furnished flat and we went to a pub we have spotted during the day – The Living Room, where the food was fantastic and the guests could appreciate not just the ale and the cocktails but additionally the show of the bartenders. Then we headed towards the Standing Order Pub and ended the night there.

Discovering Edinburgh on foot

July 10th, 2010

On the next morning, Maria and I got up early and spent some time having capuccino and contemplating the men and women from the terrace of our Edinburgh vacation apartment. The moment we were dressed properly to go for a stroll, we headed directly to the Royal Mile in the Old Town and so we visited the Edinburgh Castle and the Holyroodhouse Palace. Maria has informed me that I should put on even and comfy trainers and thus I was able to deal with the cobbled roads in the old town.

We’d a sandwich and a juice in the Holyrood Park on the eastern part and then went to the Arthur’s Seat and then in the direction of the Cathedral St. Giles and the Scotch Whiskey Heritage Centre. Then we certainly needed refreshment and Maria suggested we should have a bite and some beer on one of the bars along the Royal Mile. After the snack we had, we went for some souvenir purchasing. Then we both decided, it might be better to go back to our Edinburgh rental and have some relaxation. I watched TV, whereas Maria checked her email and made a research concerning the cafes and restaurants in the Scottish main city that were in close proximity to our holiday flat.

Later in the afternoon we went out once again and had a great lengthy walk alongside the Princes Street, which symbolizes the centre and in a way separates the Scottish main city into an Old and a New Town. On the Princes Street we found some great department shops, and saw exactly where the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery are and decided to see them on the following days.

We had a peaceful meal at Rick’s pub, that is a stylish pub in the center, offering meals and beverages. We’d deep fried pizza, which we discovered is a normal traditional recipe after which we went to bed earlier as we were really exhausted from the landmarks and shopping during the day.

Prolonged break in Edinburgh

July 8th, 2010

I arrived in the Scottish capital in the late afternoon last Thursday for an extended weekend and went straight away to my Edinburgh vacation flat. I intended to meet a good friend, but her flight was scheduled for a later hour, thus I had free time for a bath and some rest opposite the TV set. When my date eventually came, she put her baggage in her room and we did not waste one minute yet rushed outside to look at the city.

Prior to my holiday I attempted to make a research about which might be the nicest cafes in Edinburgh, but was really lost. There were so many responses and so many reviews by travellers, that I decided we will visit the cafes near to our holiday home in Edinburgh and try to stick to our instincts. We paid an appointment to the Last Drop Pub, as we were intrigued by its long history, then we’d some beers at the Sandy Bell’s Pub where we listened to some traditional music.

After that we went to the Portobello area that was not near our serviced apartment in Edinburgh but was a fascinating neighborhood as we had been told. We stayed for an hour ay the Malt and Hops Pub where the beer collection was awesome, then we went to the Carriers Quarters where we were served the best beer for the night.

We were in a great mood and we met some new buddies, who were thrilled to learn about our countries and home towns and we exchanged our emails to keep in touch one back at home. The time was flying and therefore Maria and me and we decided to return to our Edinburgh lodging and get a good sleep, as we had quite a lengthy plan for the next few days.

Visiting the key attractions in Amsterdam with my family

July 6th, 2010

I woke up very early on the following morning here and I went down to a small bakery, a two-minute stroll apart from the Amsterdam flat we have rented, to purchase breakfast for my 2 girls. They were pleasantly astonished when they saw me arriving with croissants and other delicious things, still warm. We enjoyed a nice family breakfast and searched the map for the points of interest that we have planned to see.

These spots included the Nemo attraction, that is the largest science center in the country and which occurred to be in a location that was really easily available from the Amsterdam getaway apartment we were staying at. Then we entered the Maritime Museum too, as it is set simply alongside Nemo.

The next stop was the Magere Brug, which is positioned in the center of Amsterdam and dates back from the 1930’s and is colored in white. From then on we went to have a treat at a dining area close by, which had a special menu for the young children.

Ellie was tired and because of this Anna and I took her to the Artis place, which is a big zoo in the downtown zone of Amsterdam. Besides zoo, right here are also positioned a planetarium and a zoological museum, in addition to a geological museum. I may say, me and my wife were interested in the place as well and had some pleasant time there.

That final evening in the capital of Netherlands was spend outside of our own Amsterdam holiday dwelling. The three of us went to the Rembrandt Square and after that to the Leidseplein Square. These two specific zones are the primary amusement places in the city, where are concentrated several dance clubs, movie theaters and theatres, as well as a casino and the great thing is that all of these are very easily obtainable by walking, thus we all had great moment.

Going to the Amsterdam Museums with my partner and child

July 4th, 2010

On the following morning, our girl Ellie woke us up, as she was keen and excited and wanted to go on sightseeing journey the moment doable. My spouse Anna was persistent and thus she made Ellie eat her breakfast before going, whilst we were having our first cup of coffee in the Amsterdam apartment where we had been staying. We chose to devote that day to the galleries in Amsterdam, but all of us agreed that the 3 key museums in the capital of the Netherlands is going to be sufficient.

The very first museum to stop by and the one closest to our own Amsterdam vacation apartment, was the Van Gogh Museum. I am a total fan of that well-known painter and was extremely pleased to observe the largest selection of art from Van Gogh. The following site we saw was the House of Anne Frank, that features numerous historic artefacts telling the tale of a small girl who made a large impact on the world. Our 3rd stop this day was at the national museum of the country Rijkmuseum. We managed to have lunch at the gardens close to that art gallery, which are very pleasurable and sunny.

On our way back to the Amsterdam vacation flat we have rented, we entered a few souvenir shops and a number of big Department Stores. Anna especially liked one of the open-air markets we passed by and bought some gifts.

Right after a short nap in our Amsterdam holiday apartment, we were ready to go out again and Anna suggested we spend a quiet evening, sitting at the large terrace of one of the local bars. There was a children playground spot, so Ellie was occupied too, as we were dining and taking pleasure in a cold glass of ale and some home-produced wine.

Amsterdam vacation with the beloved people

July 2nd, 2010

I have been to holland main city several times, yet it was always on business and even though I knew the zones, I wasn’t quite conscious of just how enchanting and amazing that city is if you are with your household and loved ones. Thus, for our 5th celebration, I chose to take my spouse and my child on a prolonged weekend break in Amsterdam.

I arranged the airline seats and booked a vacation Amsterdam flat from a web site which I discovered an easy task to use and basic to book. The vacation Amsterdam getaway residence that I picked was really carefully picked, because I wanted Anna and our daughter Ellie to be near to the major sites and yet to be able to return to the apartment quickly if they require to.

Once we came in the capital of Netherlands, we were all happy, as that was our very first true family vacation, since until now Ellie was too little to take a trip with us. Therefore, we settled in our Amsterdam flat, left our luggage and were eager to go out again.

The very first thing we did that day was to go on a canal cruise, as the canals in Amsterdam are image of the city that make its passionate charm, revealing magnificent breathtaking views. There are a good amount of canal cruises available in Amsterdam, but we decided to go on a larger charter boat, where we also had the chance to have dinner.

That afternoon we spend in the old town and the central zone of the city, which are near to our Amsterdam apartment. The centre is small and is pleasant to explore when walking. It features great architecture which is a fest for the eye, numerous bridges and significant amounts of cafes, elegant restaurants and small parks.