My husband and I are both Brummies born and bred – but nowadays don’t go into Birmingham city centre that much.
The husband is there this morning for a meeting and I just got a text message:
“Who the f*ck put trams here, nearly got killed”
Oh how I LOLed!!
We are in Dubai for a few days – and whilst we are regulars here, we’ve never been in August before – and it is proper hot!! Thankfully not as humid as Florida this time last year – but still in the 40s. Even with flip flops on it’s too hot to walk on the sand, and going in to the sea feels like someone has been weeing in there for days #gross
** disclaimer – I don’t think they actually have, it’s just super warm **
Anyway – couple of totally random things to brain dump so I’ve got them saved somewhere.
We were at Wild Wadi, the water park attached to our hotel, yesterday afternoon, and I was chatting to a fellow Mum in the kids’ pool – I was in a swimsuit, she was in a burkhini, and we chatted about the kids / weather etc – turns out she’s from Small Heath – about 3 miles from where I grew up in Birmingham! #smallworld
Then, as I’m trying to get out of the wave pool at the same water park the husband announces (ever so slightly taking the p*ss) ‘Ooh, you look like Halle Berry’ to which the 11 year old responds ‘Why does Mum look like Mary Berry?’ I was not eating cake at the time I promise!! (And clearly the husband totally resembles Daniel Craig at all times!!)
I am sure there were more things I wanted to record, but I’m struggling to remember – probably the heat!! Therefore expect further updates in the coming days. I’m off to finish reading Red magazine in the sunshine with a complimentary glass of champagne!
Every few months the husband and I try to get away from it all (‘it all’ being the construction company we run and the 4 kids!!) We rarely get chance for ‘date nights’, so this is the time for us to reconnect as a couple (that sounds so tossy) Sometimes we fly off somewhere far flung – but this week we had just 24 hours away, down the road in Broadway on the edge of the Cotswolds.
We’ve stayed at The Dormy House hotel before and had a wonderful time, and then we received an email from their sister hotel, Foxhill Manor offering an activity break we were intrigued. So – dinner, bed and breakfast in the Sunday Times Hotel of the Year 2015 – along with some segwaying and shooting – what’s not to love?!
Being the right side of Brum – the Farncombe Estate (home to the Dormy, Foxhill and The Fish) – is only 45 minutes away, perfect for a quick escape from reality.
Due to the husband having an important work meeting first thing (can’t really complain, it’s our work that means we can do such things) we didn’t set off as early as we would have liked, so we thought we’d be cutting it fine to make it in time for our time slot of 2.30pm for the ‘activities’. Thankfully we arrived with a few minutes to spare – so had chance to check out our fabulous room (Birch).
and do the important things like connect to the free wifi (and for the husband to take calls to provide DIY SOS services to some friends whilst I had a mug of peppermint tea!)
Then we were collected by our instructor for our activities.
We started off with rifle shooting – it would appear my husband’s mis-spent youth shooting random insects (actual insects, not code for anything else!) with an air rifle in Falcon Lodge stood him in good stead to be a good shot with the rifle. Unfortunately I wasn’t so great (humph, as we are very competitive!!)
Thankfully we then moved on to pistols for which I appear to have a natural eye (my career as an assassin may still happen) and I whipped him (as in scored better, not pistol whipping, that would have ruined the whole romantic night away really). Eat your heart out Lara Croft (if she was wearing a floral shirt with a double chin…..)
Next it was segways. The husband has already been on the kids hover boards (in fact he even did some dusting whilst aboard) but I have steered clear as I’m not a big fan of such things. But I promised I’d give this a go.
There was quite a bit of swearing shrieking, but after 10 minutes I’d sort of got the hang of it. Then the instructor took us out of the ‘tennis courts’ – one of the few flat bits on the whole estate – to go on a ‘safari’. This is where it went downhill – literally! Given I’m not a fan of going down a slope on a bike – I should have guessed that I wouldn’t enjoy it on a segway! Within seconds, I’d stropped off it and set off marching down the hill – very reminiscent of pretty much every skiing holiday I’ve ever been on!
Thankfully once it flattened out I coped with getting back to the front of the hotel.
And within 2 minutes of being back in the hotel I had a glass of champagne from the trolley in the lounge in my hand #perfect.
We were then taken to meet the chef who explained about the meal for that evening. I am sure if we were fussy about food they could have been obliging, but we’re not (back to those double chins again!) and so went with the fabulous menu offered – we could also chose what time we would eat.
’twas then back to the lounge for more fortifying champagne, and a bit of cake for me. Husband isn’t a cake fan (fool!) and so asked if he could have some cheese, and a beautiful ploughmans’ appeared from nowhere. Now that is service!
After an afternoon nap, Pointless on TV and a relaxing bath with Cotswold Life magazine (when in Rome and all that) it was down for pre dinner drinks. Yet more champagne! Half of the 8 rooms were occupied during our stay – and we chatted to 2 of the other couples before dinner in the lounge. We are both quite sociable people (you’d never guess from all of this oversharing would you?!) so we were fine chatting away – but I do think this is one bit that might be a bit overwhelming for some people – as it is such a small hotel, there is nowhere to hide!! We were also brought some lovely hors d’oeuvres to soak up the fizz!
Then it was dinner – which was stunning. Not overly fussy – but really tasty. The food itself is included in the overnight price – as are the drinks in the lounge – but you do have to pay extra for any drinks with the meal. We started off with Bathtub gin and tonics (the brand, not out of the bath, that would just be weird). I loved it – but the husband didn’t – so I had both #winning. The wine list is extensive – and we went for our usual safe bet of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The house Sauv B is from Chile – and the husband has a hatred of all Chilean wines – but the staff persuaded him to try it, and it was actually really lovely, so we’d try that one in the future I think.
After our 3 courses in the dining room we retired back to the lounge for the husband to have a cheese board and port in front of a roaring fire – a perfect end to the day.
Before we retired for the evening I did pop to the ladies – and it is fabulous (I was a bit gutted I didn’t take my phone with me – to take a photo, not just because it meant I couldn’t play Words With Friends whilst on the loo!). Each of the 4 stalls has a different James Bond photo in it – I went for Daniel Craig in the end.
The next morning we were up bright and early as we had massages booked over at the House Spa at the Dormy House at 9am. Breakfast was wonderful – a mix of buffet and then anything you wanted cooked. We both went for Eggs Benedict – and it was recommended we had it with their local bacon – and it was awesome. It would have been lovely to linger over breakfast, with never ending tea and coffee and the morning’s papers – but the spa was calling.
2 full body massages later, I floated to the pool to wait for the husband – but 30 minutes later he hadn’t materialised, I began to wonder if the masseuse couldn’t wake him after he’d fallen asleep ! I went on a search to find him in the spa lounge, fully clothed and working! He’d decided an hour of relaxation was quite sufficient – and was cracking on with emails sipping lemon and ginger tea. I headed back down to the spa for 20 lengths, a sauna and a steam room before getting dressed ready to head back to reality.
A lovely lunch in The Potting Shed followed -before the drive back home. It may have only been a 24 hour escape, but it was truly wonderful – and we very much hope to repeat it in the future. We’re even considering an exclusive use booking for a weekend (as otherwise children under 12 can’t come, and I’m not sure our 3 youngest would think it fair to be left at home whilst we only took the eldest!) – so if any of you are up for it?!?
I should point out this is not a sponsored post, we paid full whack (and quite a considerable whack at that) for the night – but it was worth every penny.
I think this photo totally sums up being a 4th child, and not quite being tall enough to join in with your older siblings on the activities at Centerparcs – poor G………..
I am the eldest of 3 girls (poor Dad!)
I am the only one still to reside in a Birmingham postcode (although we actually live in Worcestershire, which sounds a bit posher?!?) Youngest sister is a 2 hour drive away, and middle sister is a 2 hour plane journey away.
There’s 22 months between me and middle sis and then 4 further years to the baby! (Although once, when she had 2 children and I had none, we were asked if we were twins – I found this highly amusing – ‘my twin’ was not so impressed!!)
We probably only all get together about once a year – and then there are husbands / children / parents in tow. We might have managed the odd night in the pub, or sing song around a piano, as just the 3 of us – but we’ve never done anything more.
As kids we were lucky to do lots of family holidays to France / Scotland / anywhere in between – but then we were always accompanied by our parents. As adults we’ve done return visits to both of the above – but with parents and husbands and kids too.
I remember each sister coming to visit when I was at Uni – but not both at the same time. (We won’t mention that I took little sister clubbing and to see Pulp Fiction when she was only 14 – given her daughter is older than that now!!)
Youngest sister hit 18 and spent a year in the US, and when she got back I was in Australia, and middle sister was living in Germany. Then littlest sister got pregnant with her first child (now a gorgeous 15 year old). Between us, we had 7 kids in 7 years – so going away as a threesome has just never happened.
Over the festive period the middle sister hit the big 4 – 0, and celebrated on a warm (but windy!) beach in Egypt with her husband and kids. But we are prolonging the celebrations (hey, I celebrated for a whole year when I was 40!) by going away next weekend – just the 3 of us – to a spa hotel in the German mountains.
We are all ridiculously excited – it will be so bizarre just being sisters for the weekend not mums / wives / daughters.
Happy 40th Birthday lovely middle sister!!
At the start of the summer a friend of mine went to the west coast of America and had the most amazing time – some of it due to her OCD planning (one of the many reasons we’re friends!) but some of it damn good luck – bears and whales for example. Her blog was fabulous – and I can’t wait to do a similar trip in the future, when our youngest 2 are old enough to cope with it – but for now other US holidays are on the table. Just after she got back we headed off to the other coast of the USA to ‘do’ Florida. Proper, full on, Disney-tastic Orlando based ‘holiday’. Us 6 – plus my parents and my sister and her family – so a party of 12 (the dinner reservation all LOVED us!!)
Any attempt to blog each day was thwarted by the ridiculous timetable my husband – and life long Florida fan – had planned! So here’s a random summary of a family holiday to Orlando – with the party ranging in age from 3 years old to 70 years old!
The Countdown
My sister is 35 – but was possibly the most excited member of the party in the countdown. She had a Disney app with our flight details in that was counting down the days / hours / minutes until our flight. Which was all well and good until we had a 3 hour delay taking off! But at least we could amuse ourselves at the airport with a selfie stick (and shopping and champagne!)
Timing and weather
Historically we’ve ‘done’ Disney at Easter – when the weather is perfect. Warm enough to not freeze after getting soaked on a water ride in the day – but needing a cardi first thing and last thing. BUT the parks are uber busy, as the US and UK have Easter at the same time (no sh*t Sherlock!) and consequently lots of people go. This time we did the last 2 weeks in August when – supposedly – the US kids are back at school. However, I have to say it’s still really quite busy! And the weather is roasting – with ridiculous levels of humidity. Apparently it’s always bad at this time of year – but is even worse than usual this year. We’ve noticed it particularly in our youngest and eldest members of the party – just as you’re advised when the UK has a heatwave!! We have many photos of the little ones sweaty and asleep in the pushchair!
Accommodation
Before kids, the husband and I did Disney and stayed in a Disney hotel (he even proposed to me at Magic Kingdom – bless!) Since having the kids, the ability to escape the Disney shite magic has become more important. This time we stayed in an amazing villa in Formosa Gardens. Only a few minutes drive from the 192 and all the Orlando parks – but in an oasis of calm.
The facilities were fabulous – more than a home from home (as if we’ve had a summer outdoor kitchen in the UK!!) We were able to buy supplies from local supermarkets (we had a Target (think Tescos), a Walmart (think Asda) and a Publix (think Waitrose – and my favourite!) within a few minutes drive). Even the chemist at the end of the road sold booze (when 2 of our kids had an ear infection I went and bought drops and painkillers for them, and bottles of Prosecco for us! #winning)
Planning
When we went last time there was the option of ‘fast passes’ – but these were booked on the day when you were in the park. Everything is far more fancy nowadays – and through websites and apps you can book restaurants, experiences and rides from the comfort of your own home before venturing anywhere near Orlando. You need to do this as early as possible. Even a few days after the spaces were opened we’d failed to secure fast passes for anything Frozen related or for the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
Every day we reviewed the plans for the next day to ensure everything was already in place before we left home in the morning. Sounds a bit dull and anal – but it meant every ride we wanted to go on and character we wanted to see was ticked off!
And this was the husband – also the planner – with his whistle and autograph books at 6.30am on the first morning. And I’m not joking…..
Eating
Food is Florida is ENORMOUS! The portion sizes really do have to be seen to be believed – and the breakfast combos of sweet and savoury are something else.
As a group we were a little divided on food. Our family of 6 often ate out at lunchtime. We found that an air conditioned restaurant in the middle of the day was a welcome respite from the heat and chaos – and also meant the kids had eaten something decent at lunchtime, so if they then fell asleep on the way home at the end of the day they could be smuggled into bed without worrying they’d be starving.
My parents and sister and her family did more eating on the go. They didn’t want the expense of eating out daily – but also didn’t want to waste time in a restaurant. They would take a mini picnic and snacks. You have to be a bit careful as different parks have different rules about picnics and coolers – but they never had anything taken off them when going through bag check. Which brings me on to….
Bag Check
Getting into every park means a big queue so that bags can be checked (poked with a stick!) by security staff. We learnt that this point was a good time to divide and conquer! So some of the group would have the bags to be checked, and others would go through the ‘no bag’ line to get quicker access to the park to sort out pushchairs,. Which brings me on to…..
Stroller rental
At home we have a pushchair for the 3 year old (useful to pop her in if she’s having a strop!) but not the 5 year old – but due to the walking involved we suspected she might need some help too – so we hired a double stroller every day. This made life much easier – and was a great place to hang the bags / fans / water bottles etc. My Dad also found it useful to push the pushchair to hold himself up! (And I was pleased, as if I pushed it, not all steps would register on my Fitbit – and the brother in law and I were being a *bit* competitive about steps!)
The only downside with hiring a stroller was getting to and from the car, which in some car parks could be quite a jaunt. Thankfully the aforementioned brother in law was a lovely Uncle and helped carry his exhausted nieces many times.
You can also hire mobility scooters for older folks – although my 70 year old father resisted!
Stroppy Children
Whilst we were in Florida, I joined in a regular linky over at Brummy Mummy of 2 with a photo of our 3 year old having a variety of Disney inspired strops. As someone pointed out to me, around most corners in Walt Disney World you have a parent telling a small child ‘come on, you need to enjoy yourself, we’ve brought you to Florida’. Actually, come to think of it, I think my husband and sister both said that to me at numerous points during the fortnight…….
Characters
This is obviously a big part of Disney – and all of the kids had autograph books – even the teenagers! We managed to see lots – and some were amazing (Cinderella did a fab video message for a little girl back home)
and some weren’t (I came close to punching Mary Poppins for being rude and running off before we could speak to her – despite us queuing!)
The boys took a particular liking to Rapunzel
Photos
We took A LOT of photos. In fact there are about 800 on Facebook (yes, I’m one of THOSE people!) We invested in the various photo passes at different parks to ensure we could have all of the group / ride photos that were taken by the professional photographers kicking around. For Disney this was amazingly good value and we really got our money’s worth. We would definitely recommend this investment.
Be warned at Busch Gardens – if you buy their photo package it DOESN’T include photos taken feeding giraffes on the Serengeti Safari. We were very cross to be charged extra for this after the event – definitely left a bit of a sour taste.
Pre-conceptions
Last time we ‘did’ Florida Busch Gardens and Seaworld were our favourite parks, and the ones we remembered most fondly. So this time we were a little disappointed that they weren’t. Whether it’s because there’s been a change in ownership (which also meant no free Budweiser at Seaworld much to the husband’s disappointment – it was the one day I was going to drive home!) I’m not sure – but they seemed a bit less slick than Disney – and a lot more money grabbing. Disney have the parking and fast passes etc down to a fine art – and the other parks could learn a lot from them.
Shopping
Long gone are the days of 2 dollars to the pound – but there are still bargains to be had with shopping. We did outlet malls and regular malls and did lots of purchases in both, My eldest daughter and my niece both bought Timberlands (they’re cool again, apparently!) and they were $150 whereas they’d be £150 at home – so a definite saving. Obviously they had to wear them home as they were too heavy to pack!
I also like clothes shopping in the US – as it makes you look 2 sizes smaller #result
Orlando International Airport
For a long time Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France has held my ‘worst airport in the world’ award – interestingly after a trip to Disneyland Paris. But this has now been surpassed by Orlando.
Upon arrival at the start of the holiday immigration took forever, luggage then took 2 hours (due to a storm stopping the conveyors), then you have to either lug all of your luggage on a train (which is tricky with 4 kids, all the suitcases and 2 car seats) or recheck it in – which we did. The lady on the recheck conveyor told us it would be about 20 minutes – but when we got to the belt to collect it we were told it could be up to 2 hours!!! There is then not an easy route to the car hire – and they just send you off across an immense car park to find your car. But we survived – just (with a lot of swearing, and clothes so sweaty you could wring them out!)
Flying back out again was even worse! At the check in desk we were told that despite us having a 40kg luggage allowance each (Virgin Premium Economy) each individual bag could only be 23kg. Apparently this was health and safety. BUT – you could pay $60 if you bag exceeded this weight. This seemed utterly ridiculous – it is either health and safety or it isn’t?!? So – in the middle of check in I was repacking bags to make sure all came in below the 23kg mark – which they did (I would not be beaten!!)
Then, the luggage belts weren’t working, so all of our bags were lined up in the middle of the check in area – with people milling about them. Not exactly high security!
The waiting area in the airport had minimal seats – although thankfully we managed to bagsy some. But the queue to get a round in Starbucks took AN HOUR!! Utter madness.
Some of us look happier than others to be about to board the plane!!
Once on the plane we thought we could be on our way home. But no, the inept ground crew struck again, and it was apparent to our captain on the way out to the runway that she’d been given the incorrect paperwork so we had to taxi back. Then we had to refuel, as she’d used up too much fuel on the taxing forwards and backwards Argh! So 2 hours later we took off.
And don’t even get me started on the rubbish service on board. Children’s meals that had been sorted on the way out not available, entertainments systems that didn’t work, seat that reclined about 5 cm – premium my arse!
But we survived! And some of it was quite enjoyable!!
We all came back exhausted, and it took a while to recover – a combination of walking 6 miles a day and jet lag is not fun. It’s definitely not a holiday you could do regularly – in fact our kids have all said ‘please don’t make us go to Disney again’ – but I’m sure we will. Maybe.
If I had to list things that I like – after the obvious family and friends – then the following things would feature high up the list:
So imagine my delight when all of the above could be combined into one evening!!
I was invited to take part in a focus group about the new advertising for Grand Central, and offered a behind the scenes nose around the site which is due to open next month.
I’d never been involved in market research before – so it was all a bit intriguing. I arrived at the management suite at Grand Central (the shopping centre that is being built above New Street station in the centre of Birmingham to replace the old slightly grim Pallasades. There were 4 other members of my group, and we were all 30 / 40 something parents.
First we talked a bit about Birmingham and what we all love about it (variety of shops / bars / restuarants, the fact the centre is compact, the mixture of architecture, even The Owls got a mention!) and what we’re not so fond of (the traffic, difficulty parking, how busy it can be) We then talked more about Grand Central and the advertising that was being proposed for it.
Now I have to confess to not knowing much about what Grand Central was going to be. I knew there was going to be a huge John Lewis (obvs!) but not much else. I wasn’t sure what other retail and dining options there were going to be. I wasn’t sure whether it fitted into the same space that the Pallasades did, or how it was going to connect to other areas of Birmingham. And I have to say 90 minutes into the various discussions we had – and looking at the proposed adverts – I was none the wiser either! Thankfully today I’ve discovered the Grand Central Birmingham website which gives loads of information – and has made me much more excited at the shops and eateries we’re going to have.
The whole process of a market research focus group was really interesting. Being able to waffle on about your own thoughts on stuff (rather than just typing it down here into the ether) was fun. Whilst our overall feelings, as a group, about the adverts was quite similar – we did discuss it all, and changed each other’s opinions at times. It all felt very ‘safe’ and as if you could say exactly what you thought without fear of being ridiculed. Whether that was just because we had a lovely group – or the particular facilitator we had – I’m not sure. But I really enjoyed it!
And once the ‘work’ was over, we got to don our full health and safety personal protective equipment and go and have a look round the site…..
And site it is. It is VERY much still a working site. Whilst the main atrium is in, and the escalators down to the station – there is still a lot of work to be done. And I mean a lot. Floors / walls / lighting and that’s before the shops can even think about shop fitting with their own branding, shelves, stock etc! And it’s all going to be ready for Thursday 24th September 2015…..
I was ‘slightly’ incredulous at this – but maybe the 3,500 people they have on site at the moment are startlingly more efficient than my workforce??
The frontage to the new John Lewis is hidden from prying eyes by roller shutters – but the width of the frontage is HUGE, it’s got to be 4 times the size of the entrance to John Lewis in Touchwood, Solihull.
The huge open plan space is amazing – and the light that will flood the place is immense – even down to the platforms, for the first time ever! The roof is made out of the same material as the Eden project domes – and is self cleaning (even from seagull and pigeon poo – of which there is a lot in Birmingham). And throughout the mall, the height of any counters or tables is limited to 1.4m to ensure that people have a clear view around at all times.
Currently Westfield in London has the biggest footfall of a shopping centre at 42 million (2 million more than our very own Bull Ring) but Grand Central is predicting 45 million in the first year of operation! The key will be to get the dwell time of these visitors to increase so that it’s seen as a proper destination – not just the exit route from New Street. Maybe people will go and visit our Grand Central like I did as a tourist to Grand Central in New York!
And in exciting news – it will still be accessed by ‘the ramp at McDonalds’ (anyone from Birmingham knows that location!) and you will be able to walk all the way through to the Bull Ring through nice free flowing walkways, not random 90 degree turns like the olden days.
I should point out at this point that all of the above facts were from me paying attention to the lovely ops director who showed us around, and I have not independently verified any of them! But his passion for the project oozed out of him (as did his excitement at having a Nando’s arriving!!) The bringing together of a transport, retail and dining hub is incredible – and the fact that one of the (if not the?) busiest station in the UK has kept running through the regeneration is amazing.
However – having been very excited that an off peak return to New Street was only £2.80 from Kings Norton, the train home had a platform change and was delayed by 35 minutes – so let’s hope the trains standards can match that of the shopping facilities above…………
But I can’t wait to go and see Grand Central in all its glory when it opens next month.
So – one minute she’s eating an apple – the next she’s fast asleep on the floor!!
Same for her father – but he was drinking fizz not eating fruit!
Am trying to make this my entry for this week’s wicked Wednesday on Brummymummtof2’s blog – but can’t work out how to add the linky from my phone and the UAE ISP won’t let me access WordPress from the hotel’s computer!! Sorry!!
**imagine picture of cute Brummy girl wailing**
Whilst I love the green and pleasant land in which we live – I suspected there would be lots of beautiful British landscapes on show this week (in fact Tara and I often end up posting photos of the same local woods) – so decided to go foreign!
We are regular visitors to Dubai – but these were from our first trip there over New Year from 2008 into 2009. We did a trip out into the desert (I always struggle with spelling that and wonder if I’m talking about pudding instead?!) and the landscape was so different to anything we’re used to and so breathtaking. (I also felt violently travel sick driving up and down all of the dunes!)
The trip was in the evening – so we also got to see the sunset.
The photos don’t really do it justice – but it was utterly amazing.
This is my entry this week for The Gallery over on the Sticky Fingers blog – do go and see other people’s amazing landscapes.
I have been lucky enough to do 3 US cities in the last 6 months! Back in October the husband and I went to New York for a few days and then I had a girls’ weekend in Chicago in December. So I went for a hat trick with Washington DC last week!
We had a fab time in New York and we try to get away for a few days every 6 months or so just as ‘us’ and without the kids in tow. For us, midweek works best, as the children have all of their normal routines and so don’t really have time to miss us! Our fabulous nanny stays – and the kids love it that she’s having ‘sleepovers’ – and we know they’re in safe hands. So we were deciding where to cash the airmiles in for this trip – and we both LOVE the TV show Scandal (if you haven’t watched it – then you can get the previous series box sets on catch up TV!) which is set in and around Washington DC – so that is where we decided to visit!
My major problem throughout the trip was remembering that it was the Obamas that live in The White House and not Fitz and Mellie!!
So here are my highlights – and compare / contrast with other places in the States.
Scandal spotting
It is a well known fact that customs officers / border guards DO NOT HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOUR – but of course that didn’t stop the husband telling the official that was checking our passports and ESTAs that we were hoping to spot Olivia Pope (the leading lady of Scandal!) But thankfully we weren’t deported before we’d even collected our bags!!
A lot of the action in Scandal takes place on benches outside the White House. After much walking about we couldn’t find the exact locations – and suspect it’s in the bit that is fenced off unless you’re important – but we re-enacted as best as we could…
We also took advantage of the fact that the US are 5 weeks ahead of us in the UK in terms of viewing – and watched those episodes on our computer in our hotel room whilst sampling the mini bar – living the dream for parents of small children – uninterrupted TV with a plentiful supply of booze and snacks!
The White House
This is possibly the most iconic building in the United States – and so is obviously a must see (and a must selfie!)
We were both surprised how small it is (relative to ‘Buckingham Palace’ or such like) – although the husband’s comment that it looked like ‘a big house in Barnt Green’ was perhaps under-selling it a bit. Having said that the husband is renowned for being disappointed by landmarks. He was concerned the Sydney Opera House looked dirty, and the Burj Al Arab looked dated!!
I was surprised how close you can get in terms of being able to see in. If Fitz and Mellie Barack and Michelle were having a glass of wine on their balcony – you could TOTALLY see them from the street – weird!
We weren’t organised / special enough to get a tour (Charles and Camilla were there instead – and we were asked a number of times by barmen / taxi drivers if we knew them!!) but the nearby Visitor Centre was very informative and actually quite emotional.
History
OK – so the US is not renowned for it’s history (which is why when we go to Stratford Upon Avon, just down the road, it’s crawling with Americans!) but if you want American History then DC is a great place to go.
The different monuments and memorials – The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial amongst others, were all really moving and it was interesting to see them at day and then amazingly lit up at night (something you also see in Scandal!!)
We did a bus tour (in fact we did 2, as the one we’d pre booked was rubbish – so we did a Big Bus one instead #toptip) and this made sure that we saw lots – and also got lots of information about the city.
Going out to the Arlington National Cemetery was incredibly moving – the acres and acres of graves take your breath away.
The tomb of the unknown soldier was particularly poignant – especially with the Pentagon viewed in the background.
The husbands OCD was impressed by the precision of the matching white headstones that go on for miles and miles (but he did struggle with the more higgledy piggledy ones).
I also hadn’t realised that despite remarrying, Jackie Kennedy Onassis was buried beside JFK.
Museums
There are A LOT of museums in DC – and you could probably spend a week and not see all of them (and we had shopping to do, bars to drink in and Scandals to watch!) Having taken recommendations from friends before, we went to the National Air and Space Museum, the Museum of America History and the International Spy Museum – all of which were really interesting.
I am only ‘slightly’ disappointed that we didn’t go to the National Museum of Natural History where Olivia’s Dad works as a cover for his B6-13 activities……..
Georgetown
This area has a really different feel to a usual big city. The shops are great (the hotel recommended a toy shop which was brilliant) and it feels very ‘trendy’! The waterfront area looks up and coming – but there was a lot of building work going on – and we had our worst meal of the whole trip at a restaurant there that had been recommended as ‘the place to eat’ by a taxi driver! Lots of the houses have had famous residents historically and the architecture is really interesting.
Living like a local
One of the husband’s friends from when he was growing up moved to the States 20+ years ago – and they haven’t seen each other since. He now works and lives near Washington. We met him at his office and then he took us to meet his lovely wife and son at their house (complete with British bar in the basement!) and we went out for dinner with them. It was lovely to see the ‘real’ side of the city and it’s surroundings and how the locals live – and not just do ‘touristy’ stuff.
Walking
I had a Fitbit for my birthday, a few days before we went away, and it was worn AT ALL TIMES. We walked a lot – particularly the day we went to Arlington National Cemetery – that day we managed over 22,000 steps. And up and down the stairs at the Lincoln Memorial – boom to the ‘floors climbed’ stat.
The husband did get a bit annoyed that I insisted on walking everywhere just to get my steps up (kind of the point of the Fitbit that he bought me!) and by the time we flew home his feet were covered in blisters and his legs and back were aching ridiculously – whoops.
It was also interesting to see how undisturbed my sleep is in a hotel and even on a plane, compared to at home with the pesky kids!!
Overall we loved Washington DC. It doesn’t have the hustle and bustle of New York or Chicago – but I felt safer there (possibly the men everywhere with ‘Secret Service’ on their vests helped with that – although clearly they aren’t very secret!!) and it was great to be able to see the sky. We will definitely be back – and just maybe we’ll bump into Olivia Pope and Associates ……
This Price is Usually Right 