Stephenson Family

After seeing the big site-seeing destinations, we decided to spend a relaxing afternoon atop a site-seeing bus.  It was great.

After being in the same part of the city for a couple days, it was refreshing to get out of our little hub and see the rest of Istanbul.

I LOVE audio-guides, mostly for the fact that my kids LOVE them!

As we crossed the Galata Bridge to the other side of Istanbul, we saw fishermen.  Not just a few, but the entire length of the bridge was lined with them!

I’m sure some are sold directly to the restaurants, but this fish market we passed must be on the receiving end as well.

We aren’t really seafood eating people.  Well, some of us aren’t.  But, we did try a lot of other Turkish cuisine while in the city.  One night we splurged and ate at a roof-top restaurant with an amazing view of Istanbul.

The Blue Mosque

Bosphorus

This was a night that we encouraged the kids to eat Turkish and not settle for something they always eat.  You can see Emma’s reaction to that news.  She is definitely our finicky eater.  Although she was quite happy with her chicken kabob.

Hagia Sophia

If, on the off-chance, you get hungry between meals, there are a number of street vendors to choose from.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen such variety in food carts.

Watermelon

Nuts

Corn on the Cob

Prezels (in a cart)

Pretzels (on the shoulders)

Pretzels (on the head)

We really enjoyed the pretzels, although I think the ultimate winner each day was the ice cream.

I do admit, one day, we were ready for something we were used to and popped into a McDonald’s.  Sometimes it’s just nice having something ‘normal’ when everything else around you isn’t.

We set aside our last full day in Istanbul to shop for souvenirs.

You could do this through locals set up on the sidewalks,

as you weed through the rest of the tourist population checking out the wares.

There are also the small street bazaars,

where you can find most things Turkish.

You can even get quite an education on how they make the Turkish rugs, as you get pulled into different rug shops.

The shop owners are always accommodating to families, as they hope for that sale.  Our kids loved the freedom they were given to play in the rugs.

But, if you are really going to look for souvenirs, the best place is the Grand Bazaar.

These were my favorite shops to stop in:

The kids each found something to remember our trip by.  Cami chose a Turkish yo-yo and the other three chose leather-bound notebooks.  I was impressed that when we got back to our flat, they all opened their notebook and declared they were their travel journals.  Perfect use for them and I hope they continue to use them on future travels.

Our time in Istanbul was done, but this is not the end of our travels . . . stayed tuned for Bölüm Üç (Part 3).

Our first big holiday away from London and where did we go?  Turkey!  Our first attempt to get there was thwarted by the giant ash cloud that hovered over the UK for a time.  Thankfully, it moved on . . . and so did we.

Off to Istanbul, the only metropolis in the world that lies on two continents (Europe and Asia):

This is the story of our adventures through a few words, but mostly pictures.

Our family has grown too big to be in a hotel room.  Not wanting to be split into two different rooms, we found a flat to rent for our time in Istanbul.

We were on the second floor of the lovely pink building straight ahead.  We felt like we were living a little more like the locals.

We watched this shop keeper across the street fill up his little tub for his two pet ducks each morning.

The women down the street worked with their wool every day, washing & drying it,

or further preparing it.

We were able to hit the major sites in Istanbul:

*The Blue Mosque*

We got there during prayer time when visitors aren’t allowed so we had some time to sit outside and marvel at the architecture.

Many men were washing outside, preparing to go in to pray.

There were still some stragglers inside praying when they reopened the mosque.

Seeing the numerous tiles on the inside was just incredible; so painstakingly placed with exactness.

The large amount of blue tiles is actually where “The Blue Mosque” gets it name.

*Hagia Sophia*

This mosque actually started out as a Christian church in the A.D. 500′s.

This is one massively large door!

When the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople (current day Istanbul) in 1453, the church was converted into a mosque . . .

with many tiles, of course.

This was one of Chris’s favorite sites as he studied the Hagia Sophia in college and it’s amazing architecture.

We were all educated on the type of domes, etc. that were used to build it by the time we left.

Some of the pillars have started to lean . . .

One of the kids’ favorite sites was seeing all the stray cats just resting wherever they seemed fit throughout the city.

This one thought the Hagia Sophia was a great resting spot!

* The Hippodrome *

Today, the Hippodrome is a nice park, but it used to be a racetrack for chariot races in the 3rd century AD.

There are three large monuments in the hippodrome.  One is this Egyptian Obelisk closest to us.  This particular obelisk is dated back to c.1500 BC and at one point was brought from Luxor to Istanbul by Constantine.

* Basilica Cistern*

To ensure there was always a good water supply, whether there was a conflict going on or not, the Byzantines built this underground water cistern beneath the city.

This was just amazing foresight . . and to build something like this underground at that time . . . just amazing!

In the furthest corner of the cistern is Medusa.

Actually, two heads of Medusa used as the base for columns.  One is upside down and the other is sideways.

Sounds like a practical joke by those who were sent back in those dark reaches of the cistern!

*Topkapi Palace & Harem*

The building of this palace started in 1459 by Sultan Mehmet II.  Most of the buildings now don’t show how they were used, but rather hold the treasury.

The treasury is said to be the most ‘ostentatious collection of wealth ever gathered outside of the legendary Aladdin’s cave.’

They certainly had a great view from their patio.

The most impressive part of our time at the palace was, surprisingly, the Harem.

This is where the sultan’s wives, concubines and children lived, closed off from the rest of the world.

The rooms were set up how they were during that time, which I always love.  You can picture their life much more clearly.

Although, it was hard to imagine what it must have been like living there and never leaving the actual Harem or the palace.

This courtyard just doesn’t give you the same out-of-door effect as a yard or open space might.

With the bulk of our major touring done, we’re off to the bazaar and other fun things.  Stay tuned for Bölüm Iki (Part 2) . . .

This team has been all the talk at Caleb’s gymnastics club.  After they won Britain’s Got Talent this last weekend, they have come to Heathrow Gymnastics to train and prepare for the World Championships.  This group is amazing!  If you haven’t seen them in action yet, please watch their final performance!

This is my sister, Eliza:

This is also a ‘new’ Eliza.

In her own words, she’s never been much of a runner, but in the last year, she has become a serious runner.  She’s already run two 5K’s and is in training for . . . . a marathon . . . . in Dublin!!!

I am in awe of her.  But, what is amazing is the reason for this marathon.  They are raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), a nonprofit health organization that is dedicated to finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma.  It just touches my heart knowing how many people I know who have been affected by these.

So, because I love her and it’s a cause I really believe in (and she’s doing all the running), I’m going to ask for some help in her fundraising.

Eliza has committed to raise $5,000 to support the cause and that’s where you come in.  Really, this is the easy part because she is the one training and running the marathon (yes, still in awe!).

Donating is quick, easy, and secure (and 100% tax deductible!). Visit Eliza’s website to donate online, check her progress, and learn more about LLS.  She’s asking for donations to be made by June 30th so she can meet her goal and focus all her energies on the training part, not the fundraising.

When I asked Cami what she wanted to do yesterday while the other kids were at “Flexi-school”, she said she wanted to go to the fair.  It seems little traveling fairs do creep up here quite often, but usually not during the week.  I tried to come up with the next best thing and could only come up with LegoLand.  It is half-way between “Flexi-school” and home . . and since I had a ’2-for-1′ ticket, why not?!

As we walked through the gates, Cami was jumping up and down – “I’m SO excited!”  I knew I had hit a winner.  We had a great day – perfect weather, no lines, and one person directing the show.

We watched a great “Bob the Builder” 4-D show.  We came out having gotten splashed with water and snowed on.  Cami wouldn’t wear her glasses but she still seemed to get the effects of the show and enjoyed it.

I thought the miniature world that they created was amazing!

Cami wasn’t too impressed with them so I was only able to get her to look at London and watch some of the boats drive by.  It was fun to watch cars drive over the Tower Bridge.

Cami, of course, loved the rides.  We were lucky enough to ride in a ‘balloon ferris wheel’ with “Mr. Adventure” Lego man.

One funny story that I continue to chuckle about:

One of the first rides we did was the swings that are lifted off the ground and go around in a circle.  I’m not one for those kinds of rides so I sent Cami ahead in the line to get on.  When I noticed all the parents going in with their children, I decided I better go too.  I kept looking at the size of the swings, wondering how all of us adults were going to fit – obviously, snuggly.  There were a number of pre-teens on the ride as well as they were on a school trip and they seemed to fit okay.  I got Cami strapped in, found the closest available swing to her, and tried to figure out how to strap myself in with my satchel on my lap.  When that was all figured out and the ride was starting, I looked around and noticed all the parents that had come in with their kids had gone back out and were watching the children go around.  Then there was me . . strapped into that little swing, going around and around.  Yep, I felt like a dork.

We finished the day going on “Pirate Falls Dynamite Drench,” which is basically their Log Flume Ride.  Cami insisted on going on it to get wet.  I wasn’t sure how she would handle it, especially since we wouldn’t be able to back out of it last minute.  Well, there was really no line so no better time than the present.  As we were going along the smooth part of the ride, I mentally tried to prepare Cami for the ‘roller coaster’ coming at the end where we’d get wet.  So, as we were going up the final ascent, Cami said, “I’m so excited!”  She didn’t make any sound as we plummetted to the bottom as I let out a nice loud scream.  When I asked her what she thought of it, she said, “That was so fun!”  On our way out of the ride, we walked by the picture displays of everyone on the ride.  Ours was hilarious and I was tempted more than ever to buy it.  I wish I could have just taken a picture of it with our camera.  I was in the back with my eyes closed, laughing.  Cami was in the front – eyes WIDE with a huge fearful frown on her face.  I have it permanently stored in my memory.  Such a great shot!

A fun day out for Mom and Cami!

We were able to host the Iversons for a few days while they toured London.  Their trip got off on a rocky start as their flight was delayed and they ended up getting here a day later than planned.  But, ever positive and resilient, they were still able to get in everything they had planned.  It was great to hear about their adventures the next morning over breakfast.  We’ve already put down a few more things we need to do in the city!

Before Ben and Jenn took off Wednesday afternoon to Scotland (Ben’s parents are serving a mission there), we took them on one more adventure . . . to the park!

As the adults lagged behind, it was great to see the kids in a moment of solidarity!

Of course, the ‘park’ is not just any park.  There are many sites and wonders to see . . some we haven’t even explored yet.

The bridge:

. . . where we could check up on the baby ducks:

The artist creating his own masterpiece within the park:

Of course, Chiswick House:

We actually went inside this time for a tour and learned a lot!

I have decided these audio guides are the best things!  The kids love listening to them as well as having them to tell us where to go to next.  When we are done touring, we always get to share what our favorite parts were and what we learned.

After a quick treat of ice cream, we headed back home to say goodbye to the Iversons as they headed to the train.

It was a short visit but we were so glad to have them come visit and explore!

As we tried to pull ourselves together for the rest of the day, we found some great surprises they had left to help us remember our dear friends.

I have decided Thorton’s toffee is a must . . . one of the new places we have to explore in London!  Thanks, guys!

I thought I planned a really fun activity for Cami and I to do this week, while the others were at Flexi-school.  Obviously, Caleb thought so too as he refused to go to Flexi-school and tagged along with us.

We went to a little place called “Shire’s Farm,” which had a number of farm animals out for our viewing pleasure.

These goats looked SO soft!

This bird was so friendly and didn’t want us to walk away.

I loved that they had these little bikes the kids could ride around while looking at the animals.

Of course, there were a couple questionable looking farm animals in the bunch.

The kids had a great time trying to feed some of the animals.

Cami wanted to feed the sheep but wouldn’t put her hand down for them to get the pellet.

Caleb had this pig figured out – just toss the pellet in the open mouth!

When we were done looking at the animals, we moved on to the fun playground.

This didn’t do much for Caleb, but Cami loved it.

When everything else began to look boring, the kids jumped to their heart’s content in the bounce house.

Perhaps it was more fun for Cami to have Caleb with us.  It started to feel like a long 5 hours for me, but we did have a great day, enjoying the warmer weather.

We have always frequented our local libraries.  Being here is no exception.

Our first trip to the library was filled with much excitement and anticipation.

We have even attended a few story-times . . . for Cami’s sake, of course.

Taking public transportation to the library hasn’t kinked Emma’s habit of breaking open the books as soon as we step out of the library.

Yesterday, I noticed two others following in Emma’s footsteps, literally.

I love this sight.  Little do the kids know that this is the first thing that struck me about Chris.  I would see him passing my apartment window at BYU, walking and reading a novel.  Who did that in college?!  Usually you were studying notes on the way to class, but reading novels?!  Now technology has advanced and Chris is still able to ‘read’ while walking to work as his audio books are always ready and available.

This is a habit that I hope never stops.

Caleb has had quite a year of gymnastics, starting his training in New Jersey, taking a month off when we moved overseas, and then getting acclimated to the way they do things in England as well as having a new gym, coach, and team.  He’s been a trooper and has stuck with it, even through the emotional times.  He’s putting in almost 20 hours a week at the gym and he still loves it.

You would think gymnastics is gymnastics, but we were surprised to find it’s not so.  When we moved to London, Caleb found out there are different names for all the ‘tricks’ he’s learned:  back handspring=’flick’, back tuck = ‘tuck back’, front tuck = ‘front tummy’, lay-out = straight-back, straight-front.  Also, one of the events isn’t high bar, but ‘loops’ where they wear gloves and ‘loops’ on the high bar.  They also have an extra event called ‘PPP’ – Physical Preparation Programme.

The rest of us got to see and experience all this first hand as we watched Caleb in his first British Gymnastics Competition this weekend.  Here are some photo highlights from the competition:

Caleb’s purple ‘garden gloves’ he used for ‘loops’ – we’re going to have to find him some new ones . . poor kid.

Doing his giants with ‘loops’:

Part of his floor routine:

Showing his strength on the rings:

I like this picture of Caleb warming up for Parallel Bars with his coach and the assistant looking on:

Handstand on the P-bars:

During the competition, as I was talking to other parents, I found out Caleb was competing with boys a year older than he is.  Afterward I asked his coach about it and he told me he wants Caleb to be with boys at his level, not at his age.  Honestly, I was a little frustrated but when I asked Caleb about it later on, he said he’d rather push himself than win each time.  Obviously, he is more mature than his mother – so thankful for him!

Hannah also participated in the meet . . . as a ‘runner’ for the judges.  She also helped hand out awards and got quite embarrassed when they had these four little ‘runners’ come out and take a bow for their hard work.

As for the competition results, they only recognized the top three overall boys, not even for each event.  Caleb wasn’t one of them and he told me he has lots to improve on.  We watched the video when we got home and he laughed at all his mistakes and pointed out what he needs to work on.  Then he told me he had only been doing that level’s routines for a couple weeks and he was getting it confused with the other routine he had been learning.  If only I could be as adaptable as this kid, my life would run much more smoothly!

Due to the May Day Holiday this week, we had a bank holiday that Chris got to have off from work.  We took the opportunity and drove a couple hours away to delve into the world of Robin Hood.

We were having such great weather last week that we were thinking we were done with the cold.  May Day took us by surprise as it dawned chilly with intermittent showers.  We had come ill prepared with just sweatshirts, but we still had a great time.

First and foremost, we prepped everyone with doing a little background research and freshening up on our Robin Hood knowledge.  This was actually the kids’ idea to bring all the Robin Hood books we had at home with us.  They compared all the different versions of the stories and tried to deduce what they think actually happened.

Our first stop was at Nottingham Castle.

We got rained on as we trekked up to the entrance.

A few hundred yards further and  the sun was back out.  True English weather for you.

We enjoyed walking through the castle museum and seeing the medieval artifacts.  Because of the movie “Robin Hood” that is just coming out, we were able to go through a short tour of props and costumes that they used for the film.

Underneath the castle are many man-made caves and tunnels.  We weren’t able to go down into them, but the kids knocked on some of the outer doors to see if anyone was in them.  Nope!

Around the other side of the castle and caves is the oldest English Inn, The Olde Trip to Jerusalem, dating from 1189 AD.  It’s built right into the hill.  We had wanted to eat here but it is more of a bar, than a family restaurant.

Next we drove up to Sherwood Forest.  It just so happens they were having a festival for May Day and Robin Hood and Marion were there as well!  I didn’t get any pictures of them but the kids were enamored, watching them act out sword fighting and the romantic love story.

We took a short trek out into the Forest to see the Major Oak.

This was actually our second attempted trek as Cami did a face-plant into the mud during our first attempt and we had to get her cleaned up before starting off again.

The Major Oak was huge and actually has to be supported now.  I was surprised to see all the supports holding it up, but what would we do without Robin Hood’s tree?

Our trek back from the forest turned ugly as we watched a black cloud come over top of us.  We had to stop and wait a little while for the HAIL to pass.

Such crazy weather!  Of course, I was FREEZING!  I would never have been able to make it in the medieval times!

We all had a great time seeing everything that we had read about in Robin Hood’s tales.

The one statue that we couldn’t find was that of Robin Hood and Maid Marion.  We visited the church where they were supposed to get married before Robin was taken away and walked all around the grave yard looking for the infamous statue.  Later we found out it was 200 yards down hill from the church.  So close yet so far away!

Of course, what trip would be complete without souvenirs?!  This bow and arrow (times 3) came home with us.  Emma turned to the more artistic side and got a quill pen and some ink.

A great day out of the city!