On Sept 15, after many tearful goodbyes, Shane, Theo, Liam and I piled into 2 cabs (yes! We had that many bags) and headed for Heathrow for our last international flight as Londoners. Theo fought leaving more than anyone and screamed his guts out for the first half of the trip before mercifully falling asleep for the last 4 hours :o)
We arrived in NYC and made it to our new apartment, were met by my parents and quickly remembered the reasons we were moving back (24 hour pharmacy and cafes for our 5am runs when we are jet lagged!) But we definitely miss London. The friendships that we formed and the experiences we had have changed us permanently and for the better. We arrived in London as a young married couple and left as a family of 4. We arrived in London with no friends to speak of and when we left we parted with friends who feel more like family. Our church community helped me survive beginning motherhood (twice!) and gave Shane the support he needed throughout his time in London (as well as many other new fathers he could go to the pub with!)
We are excited to be back in the USA and looking forward to learning to navigate NYC with kids. Thankfully most of our London ex-pat friends will be joining us in New York in the next few years so we plan to pave the way for them :o) But we have left a piece of our heart in London and for the blessing that it has been to us, we are forever grateful.
Can’t wait to see you all in the US!!
Love, Sarah and Shane
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Welcome William Becker Tintle!
We welcomed our 2nd little boy, Liam, into the world on Friday, August 26, 2011 at 4:30pm. He was delivered by cesarean section, weighed 6 pounds 7 oz and was 54cm long. Theo is a very proud big brother :o) We are heading home today!!
Love, Sarah and Shane
Love, Sarah and Shane
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Week 2: Galway, Mayo Co, Cork Co
We made it to Galway just in time for Theo’s dinner (due to our loss of travel nanny/grandma we now had to eat dinner between 5:30-6 in order to get Theo to bed). We checked into our B&B, the Asgard House, and then grabbed dinner at a restaurant downtown. We hadn’t realized that it was a bank holiday weekend and Galway was happening! There were several stages set up around town with live music that started at 6pm. We soon learned that Theo loves street performers and it took us nearly an hour to walk back to our B&B because he had to stop and listen to each one! After putting him down we hung out downstairs with our B&B hosts who were extremely friendly and made both of our evenings there, very enjoyable.
Cliffs of Moher
Galway is much more urban than Dingle or Kenmare; it is a university town so there is a larger population and many more restaurants, pubs and shops than the smaller towns where we had been staying. We visited the Latin Quarter, which is where medieval Galway stood. There was an outdoor market by the Collegiate Church of St Nicolas where we picked up picnic supplies from a delicious cheese shop our hosts had told us about and ate lunch down by the river Corrib. We also saw the old Spanish arch, which is the best remaining piece of the old city wall, and the monument commemorating the visit by Columbus to Galway in 1477. After lunch we walked up to the Cathedral of St Nicolas – opened in 1965 it is one of the most modern stone cathedrals in Europe. It is beautifully done and the artwork and sculpture inside the church are very impressive. They also have a small mosaic of JFK – apparently considered a near saint by Irish Catholics :o)
Picnic on the River Corrib
After 2 nights in Galway we headed up through Connemara to County Mayo. This was one of the poorest areas in Ireland and was hit hard by the Great Potato famine. The famine lasted from 1845-1849. An estimated 500,000 – 1.1 million people died of starvation, due to their complete dependence on the potato for food as well as oppressive taxation and resulting poverty from the British government. Another 2 million Irish immigrated, mostly to America as well as to Australia and Canada during this time further decreasing the population of Ireland. By 1900 the population had decreased from 8.4 million to 4 million.
The drive from Galway to Westport in Mayo Co, first took us to the Cashel House hotel, where Shane’s mom had stayed over 20 years ago on her Ireland trip. The hotel was beautiful with extensive grounds and gardens that we walked through before lunch (Theo’s first hike!). After lunch we visited Kylemore abbey, a country house built by a British couple in 1860 and turned into an exclusive girls boarding school by refugee Benedictine nuns after WWI. We also drove through Doo Lough valley. A cross on the side of the road marks the site where, in 1849, 600 starving Irish walked 12 miles to their landlord’s home in search of food. They were turned away and on the walk back, 200 of them died along the side of the road. After the valley there is a famine memorial of a coffin ship. These ships were filled with famine refugees, desperate to immigrate. Unfortunately, the refugees were typically not well enough to endure weeks of sea travel and the ships acquired for them, typically by their landlords, were barely sea worthy. As a result, many died on the ship or shortly after of “famine fever.” Across from the memorial is Croagh Patrick, a small mountain rising 2500 feet above sea level. Here, in the 5th century, St. Patrick is said to have fasted the 40 days of lent and then driven all of the snakes from Ireland. Our drive ended in Westport, a cute little town, built in the 1700’s in the Georgian style. We spent the night here before heading back south to Cork.
Cashel House Hotel
We arrived at the Imperial Hotel, Cork, earlier than expected (Theo had a very good day in the car!), so we stopped in Midleton at the Jameson distillery. We took the distillery tour (which I think Shane could now give we have done so many!) and afterwards Shane was, once again, an official Irish Whiskey taste tester – although this time he had Theo attempting to assist.
Shane and Theo - offiicial Irish whiskey tasters!
The next day we headed to Kinsale, a cute harbor town about 15 miles south of Cork. We took a walking tour that morning where we learned that Kinsale had been a natural harbor and was heavily utilized by the British during the spice wars. By the 1800’s erosion had set in and the port was no longer able to accommodate the ships that were getting larger and more numerous. After the tour we had lunch at Fishy Fishy café (delicious!!) and then walked uphill about 2 miles (yes – I was dying!) to Fort Charles, a star shaped fort built in the 17th century to protect the harbor. After Theo’s nap we grabbed ice cream cones and then headed back to Cork. We used the hotel’s sitting service that evening and had our dinner out on the town. Unfortunately the restaurant recommended to us was not great, but it was fun to actually eat at a normal hour and have a relaxing meal without bibs, bottles and banging spoons!
On our last full day in Cork we visited Cobh, the harbor town that took over from Kinsale in the 1800’s. A ton of maritime history is stored in that little town. The first immigrant to be processed at Ellis island, Annie Moore, traveled from Cobh on 20 Dec 1891 and arrived at Ellis Island on 1 Jan 1892. This was also the last port of call for the Titanic (as well as many other stem ships that did arrive safely in the US). The town also received the survivors and victims of the Lusitania – the civilian ship that was hit by German U-boats in the early days of WWI.
The Titanic exhibit
After Cobh we decided to drive to Ardmore in Waterford Co, partially to give Theo a “good” car nap and also to ensure that we visited every county in Ireland! Ardmore is a cute beach town, which is famous for being the spot where Christianity first came to Ireland, brought by St Declan in 416 AD, 15 years before St Patrick. It also has a round tower, perfectly intact, 97 feet tall that was built 800 years ago! The tower is next to a ruined church and graveyard.
Round tower in Ardmore
We spent our last day in Ireland, before boarding the car ferry back to the UK, in Cork. We visited the Cork English Market, which is a great market with tons of delicious food – Shane kept wanting to buy the corned beef (uncooked mind you!) and had to settle on a spiced beef (cooked!) sandwich for lunch and some yummy chocolates. Theo decided to not take a nap all afternoon and then fell asleep in the car on the way to the ferry, about 1 minute after finishing his chocolate.
Overall it was a great trip and we feel we have definitely seen Ireland! It is good to be home though with no more driving or living out of suitcases. That is our last planned European vacation for the time being as I’m nearing the do not travel stage of pregnancy and we are winding up our time here in London. I will try to do a few more updates before we return to NY in Oct.
Miss you all!
Love, Sarah, Shane, Theo and T4
Cliffs of Moher
Galway is much more urban than Dingle or Kenmare; it is a university town so there is a larger population and many more restaurants, pubs and shops than the smaller towns where we had been staying. We visited the Latin Quarter, which is where medieval Galway stood. There was an outdoor market by the Collegiate Church of St Nicolas where we picked up picnic supplies from a delicious cheese shop our hosts had told us about and ate lunch down by the river Corrib. We also saw the old Spanish arch, which is the best remaining piece of the old city wall, and the monument commemorating the visit by Columbus to Galway in 1477. After lunch we walked up to the Cathedral of St Nicolas – opened in 1965 it is one of the most modern stone cathedrals in Europe. It is beautifully done and the artwork and sculpture inside the church are very impressive. They also have a small mosaic of JFK – apparently considered a near saint by Irish Catholics :o)
Picnic on the River Corrib
After 2 nights in Galway we headed up through Connemara to County Mayo. This was one of the poorest areas in Ireland and was hit hard by the Great Potato famine. The famine lasted from 1845-1849. An estimated 500,000 – 1.1 million people died of starvation, due to their complete dependence on the potato for food as well as oppressive taxation and resulting poverty from the British government. Another 2 million Irish immigrated, mostly to America as well as to Australia and Canada during this time further decreasing the population of Ireland. By 1900 the population had decreased from 8.4 million to 4 million.
The drive from Galway to Westport in Mayo Co, first took us to the Cashel House hotel, where Shane’s mom had stayed over 20 years ago on her Ireland trip. The hotel was beautiful with extensive grounds and gardens that we walked through before lunch (Theo’s first hike!). After lunch we visited Kylemore abbey, a country house built by a British couple in 1860 and turned into an exclusive girls boarding school by refugee Benedictine nuns after WWI. We also drove through Doo Lough valley. A cross on the side of the road marks the site where, in 1849, 600 starving Irish walked 12 miles to their landlord’s home in search of food. They were turned away and on the walk back, 200 of them died along the side of the road. After the valley there is a famine memorial of a coffin ship. These ships were filled with famine refugees, desperate to immigrate. Unfortunately, the refugees were typically not well enough to endure weeks of sea travel and the ships acquired for them, typically by their landlords, were barely sea worthy. As a result, many died on the ship or shortly after of “famine fever.” Across from the memorial is Croagh Patrick, a small mountain rising 2500 feet above sea level. Here, in the 5th century, St. Patrick is said to have fasted the 40 days of lent and then driven all of the snakes from Ireland. Our drive ended in Westport, a cute little town, built in the 1700’s in the Georgian style. We spent the night here before heading back south to Cork.
Cashel House Hotel
We arrived at the Imperial Hotel, Cork, earlier than expected (Theo had a very good day in the car!), so we stopped in Midleton at the Jameson distillery. We took the distillery tour (which I think Shane could now give we have done so many!) and afterwards Shane was, once again, an official Irish Whiskey taste tester – although this time he had Theo attempting to assist.
Shane and Theo - offiicial Irish whiskey tasters!
The next day we headed to Kinsale, a cute harbor town about 15 miles south of Cork. We took a walking tour that morning where we learned that Kinsale had been a natural harbor and was heavily utilized by the British during the spice wars. By the 1800’s erosion had set in and the port was no longer able to accommodate the ships that were getting larger and more numerous. After the tour we had lunch at Fishy Fishy café (delicious!!) and then walked uphill about 2 miles (yes – I was dying!) to Fort Charles, a star shaped fort built in the 17th century to protect the harbor. After Theo’s nap we grabbed ice cream cones and then headed back to Cork. We used the hotel’s sitting service that evening and had our dinner out on the town. Unfortunately the restaurant recommended to us was not great, but it was fun to actually eat at a normal hour and have a relaxing meal without bibs, bottles and banging spoons!
On our last full day in Cork we visited Cobh, the harbor town that took over from Kinsale in the 1800’s. A ton of maritime history is stored in that little town. The first immigrant to be processed at Ellis island, Annie Moore, traveled from Cobh on 20 Dec 1891 and arrived at Ellis Island on 1 Jan 1892. This was also the last port of call for the Titanic (as well as many other stem ships that did arrive safely in the US). The town also received the survivors and victims of the Lusitania – the civilian ship that was hit by German U-boats in the early days of WWI.
The Titanic exhibit
After Cobh we decided to drive to Ardmore in Waterford Co, partially to give Theo a “good” car nap and also to ensure that we visited every county in Ireland! Ardmore is a cute beach town, which is famous for being the spot where Christianity first came to Ireland, brought by St Declan in 416 AD, 15 years before St Patrick. It also has a round tower, perfectly intact, 97 feet tall that was built 800 years ago! The tower is next to a ruined church and graveyard.
Round tower in Ardmore
We spent our last day in Ireland, before boarding the car ferry back to the UK, in Cork. We visited the Cork English Market, which is a great market with tons of delicious food – Shane kept wanting to buy the corned beef (uncooked mind you!) and had to settle on a spiced beef (cooked!) sandwich for lunch and some yummy chocolates. Theo decided to not take a nap all afternoon and then fell asleep in the car on the way to the ferry, about 1 minute after finishing his chocolate.
Overall it was a great trip and we feel we have definitely seen Ireland! It is good to be home though with no more driving or living out of suitcases. That is our last planned European vacation for the time being as I’m nearing the do not travel stage of pregnancy and we are winding up our time here in London. I will try to do a few more updates before we return to NY in Oct.
Miss you all!
Love, Sarah, Shane, Theo and T4
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Ireland! Week 1: Dingle and Kerry
After the car ferry (recommend splurging on a larger room, especially if you are sharing it with an infant!) we headed to Dingle to meet up with my parents. We stayed at the Greenmount hotel, a fabulous B&B in Dingle with very nice rooms and a delicious breakfast. Our first day in Dingle we toured Dingle town, which is a very cute town full of boutique shopping and galleries. My mom managed to buy something in most of the stores we stopped in and Theo did get an adorable, handmade wooden chair and the builder engraved TINTLE on the back of it in time for his birthday the following day. That night we had dinner at Out of the Blue, a small, non-descript, seafood restaurant that was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious and we discovered that Theo loves all seafood! He ate my entire cup of seafood chowder and several bites of everyone main fish dishes. After dinner, our handy travel nanny (i.e. Grammy) put Theo to bed while Shane, my dad and myself hit up a few of the local pubs. 2 of the pubs we went to that evening were shops by day (hardware and leather) and pubs by night. We also learned that some of the older pubs had small, concealed rooms in the front called snogs, where the women used to go to drink in private.
Fungie the Dingle dolphin
The following day was Theo’s 1st birthday. Our B&B brought him a muffin with a candle in it at breakfast and we picked up a cake from a local bakery that afternoon. I’m not sure Theo had any idea it was a special day, since he is always the center of attention, but the rest of us had a great time eating his cake and showering him with gifts. After breakfast we did the Dingle Peninsula loop tour (Rick Steves’ Ireland) and saw the reason there are so many summer homes in Dingle – the views are incredible. On the tour you see Slea Head, which has beautiful views of the Blasket Islands, amazing beaches and lots of beautiful green land. The Blasket Islands are 6 tiny islands off the coast of Ireland that were populated with a fishing/farming community until 1953 when the government moved the last of them to the mainland. Due to their ability to fish they were not as affected by the Great Potato famine as the rest of Ireland and remained relatively untouched by civilization. The islands are home to several famous Gaelic books including Peig (by Peig Sayers), Twenty Years A-Growing (by Maurice O’Sullivan) and The Islander (by Thomas O’Crohan). After our drive we did a bit more shopping, had dinner at the Chart House restaurant, which we shared with a group who had hired Irish musicians and a dancer to entertain them. Theo felt so honored :o) That night we hit up a few more pubs in the town before our time in Dingle came to an end.
Beach on the Dingle peninsula drive
After Dingle we headed to Kenmare, slightly south in County Kerry. Here we stayed at the Park Hotel Kenmare, which is a truly beautiful hotel. The service at this place was incredible, as was the food, and the rooms were huge. Our room had 2 small steps in it, and since Theo is currently obsessed with steps he spent at least 10 minutes every day climbing up and down these steps – extremely exciting! The town of Kenmare is slightly smaller than Dingle (I think) but we managed to do plenty more shopping while there (see Theo’s new “Ireland” gear). We also visited the Holy Cross church, the town’s cathedral, with a beautiful wood ceiling and impressive sculptures lining the back of the altar. After a delicious dinner in our hotel we left Theo with his happy nanny and hit up a few of Kenmare’s pubs. Shane and my dad were on a mission to find the best pour of Guinness and Murphy’s in Western Ireland. I just depleted the pub’s store of mixers by drinking their cranberry juice and ginger ale.
New hats for the boys!
Theo's new Irish clothes!
The following day Theo stayed at the hotel with my parents while Shane and I drove the Ring of Kerry. This is the famous drive around the Iveragh peninsula with absolutely breathtaking views of Ireland’s coastline. (The drive takes about 4-5 hours though so it was definitely better to leave Theo behind!) Along the drive we stopped at the Staigue Ring fort – 1 of 3 ring forts along the drive, this one is the best preserved. The ring fort was built sometime between 500 BC – 300 AD as a defense for local tribes against other tribes/raiders. After the fort we drove down to Portmagee, a port town where we had lunch looking at the small harbor. You can take a ferry to Skellig Michel from here. Skellig Michel is 7 miles offshore, 700 feet high and 1 mile around and was an isolated, monastic, island settlement, 1st inhabited by 6th century Christian monks. We didn’t take the ferry to the island due to time constraints and my aversion to hiking when 6 months pregnant :o) After lunch we finished off the ring drive, passing through Ladies view – a magnificent view – named after Queen Victoria came here on her visit to Ireland and declared this to be her favorite view of Kerry.
Staigue Ring Fort
We made it back to the hotel by 4:30, plenty of time to spare before my massage at the hotel spa (remember – 6 months pregnant!) Shane and my dad were put in charge of Theo’s dinner, bath and bedtime and when I checked on him at 7:30 he was clean and asleep so they were successful (although I know they each had a glass of Jameson during the process for assistance!) We finished that night at our hotel bar since the men had become friends with the hotel’s whiskey expert and were enjoying the numerous tastings and recommendations that he provided.
Park Hotel Kenmare
The following day we said goodbye to my parents and headed north to Galway. We drove (and took a short car ferry) through the County Clare where we stopped at the Cliffs of Moher – 5 miles of jagged cliffs reaching 650 feet above sea level. The cliffs were beautiful and from the top of them you could see the Aran Islands to the north. After the cliffs we drove through the Burren, whose name means “rocky place.” It is 10 miles of limestone plateau that looks rather odd against the very green countryside that we were used to seeing. However, it apparently holds a unique ecosystem, which has been adapting to the lack of photosynthesis since the ice ages. It was very neat to see.
Fungie the Dingle dolphin
The following day was Theo’s 1st birthday. Our B&B brought him a muffin with a candle in it at breakfast and we picked up a cake from a local bakery that afternoon. I’m not sure Theo had any idea it was a special day, since he is always the center of attention, but the rest of us had a great time eating his cake and showering him with gifts. After breakfast we did the Dingle Peninsula loop tour (Rick Steves’ Ireland) and saw the reason there are so many summer homes in Dingle – the views are incredible. On the tour you see Slea Head, which has beautiful views of the Blasket Islands, amazing beaches and lots of beautiful green land. The Blasket Islands are 6 tiny islands off the coast of Ireland that were populated with a fishing/farming community until 1953 when the government moved the last of them to the mainland. Due to their ability to fish they were not as affected by the Great Potato famine as the rest of Ireland and remained relatively untouched by civilization. The islands are home to several famous Gaelic books including Peig (by Peig Sayers), Twenty Years A-Growing (by Maurice O’Sullivan) and The Islander (by Thomas O’Crohan). After our drive we did a bit more shopping, had dinner at the Chart House restaurant, which we shared with a group who had hired Irish musicians and a dancer to entertain them. Theo felt so honored :o) That night we hit up a few more pubs in the town before our time in Dingle came to an end.
Beach on the Dingle peninsula drive
After Dingle we headed to Kenmare, slightly south in County Kerry. Here we stayed at the Park Hotel Kenmare, which is a truly beautiful hotel. The service at this place was incredible, as was the food, and the rooms were huge. Our room had 2 small steps in it, and since Theo is currently obsessed with steps he spent at least 10 minutes every day climbing up and down these steps – extremely exciting! The town of Kenmare is slightly smaller than Dingle (I think) but we managed to do plenty more shopping while there (see Theo’s new “Ireland” gear). We also visited the Holy Cross church, the town’s cathedral, with a beautiful wood ceiling and impressive sculptures lining the back of the altar. After a delicious dinner in our hotel we left Theo with his happy nanny and hit up a few of Kenmare’s pubs. Shane and my dad were on a mission to find the best pour of Guinness and Murphy’s in Western Ireland. I just depleted the pub’s store of mixers by drinking their cranberry juice and ginger ale.
New hats for the boys!
Theo's new Irish clothes!
The following day Theo stayed at the hotel with my parents while Shane and I drove the Ring of Kerry. This is the famous drive around the Iveragh peninsula with absolutely breathtaking views of Ireland’s coastline. (The drive takes about 4-5 hours though so it was definitely better to leave Theo behind!) Along the drive we stopped at the Staigue Ring fort – 1 of 3 ring forts along the drive, this one is the best preserved. The ring fort was built sometime between 500 BC – 300 AD as a defense for local tribes against other tribes/raiders. After the fort we drove down to Portmagee, a port town where we had lunch looking at the small harbor. You can take a ferry to Skellig Michel from here. Skellig Michel is 7 miles offshore, 700 feet high and 1 mile around and was an isolated, monastic, island settlement, 1st inhabited by 6th century Christian monks. We didn’t take the ferry to the island due to time constraints and my aversion to hiking when 6 months pregnant :o) After lunch we finished off the ring drive, passing through Ladies view – a magnificent view – named after Queen Victoria came here on her visit to Ireland and declared this to be her favorite view of Kerry.
Staigue Ring Fort
We made it back to the hotel by 4:30, plenty of time to spare before my massage at the hotel spa (remember – 6 months pregnant!) Shane and my dad were put in charge of Theo’s dinner, bath and bedtime and when I checked on him at 7:30 he was clean and asleep so they were successful (although I know they each had a glass of Jameson during the process for assistance!) We finished that night at our hotel bar since the men had become friends with the hotel’s whiskey expert and were enjoying the numerous tastings and recommendations that he provided.
Park Hotel Kenmare
The following day we said goodbye to my parents and headed north to Galway. We drove (and took a short car ferry) through the County Clare where we stopped at the Cliffs of Moher – 5 miles of jagged cliffs reaching 650 feet above sea level. The cliffs were beautiful and from the top of them you could see the Aran Islands to the north. After the cliffs we drove through the Burren, whose name means “rocky place.” It is 10 miles of limestone plateau that looks rather odd against the very green countryside that we were used to seeing. However, it apparently holds a unique ecosystem, which has been adapting to the lack of photosynthesis since the ice ages. It was very neat to see.
Wales – a children’s paradise!
Hello everyone! We have just returned from a 2-week car vacation of Wales and Ireland. It was a great trip and was very fun to see so much beautiful countryside. We started off renting a car in London and driving towards Cardiff, Wales. Along the way we stopped at Tintern Abbey, a beautiful old abbey. Theo was in heaven! All that is in Wales is countryside, a few old castle/abbey ruins and more countryside, so all Theo had to do was play in the grass. We stayed at the abbey for about an hour, Shane and I had tea and scones while Theo discovered a small hill and fell down it, then climbed up, fell down, climbed up…great fun :o) After Tintern we headed to Cardiff, where we spent the night. The other reason Wales is heaven for children is there are no fancy restaurants (if you know of one, please let me know, but we didn’t see any!) So, we ended up at Gourmet Burger Kitchen, where Theo had a delicious kids meal and his first ever milkshake – which he inhaled and promptly had one almost everyday for the rest of our vacation :o)
After Cardiff we drove to Pembroke Castle, the birthplace of the Tudor dynasty. It is a rather large, abandoned castle with lots of fun towers to climb and more open green areas for Theo to roll around. After the castle we headed to Swansea with the plan to spend a few hours there before boarding the car ferry to Cork. I am sorry to say that there is truly nothing to do in Swansea (again, if you disagree, please let me know!) so we sat at a pub for a while after walking the 1 street that contained all of the towns chain restaurants, and then headed to the ferry for Ireland.
Love, Sarah
After Cardiff we drove to Pembroke Castle, the birthplace of the Tudor dynasty. It is a rather large, abandoned castle with lots of fun towers to climb and more open green areas for Theo to roll around. After the castle we headed to Swansea with the plan to spend a few hours there before boarding the car ferry to Cork. I am sorry to say that there is truly nothing to do in Swansea (again, if you disagree, please let me know!) so we sat at a pub for a while after walking the 1 street that contained all of the towns chain restaurants, and then headed to the ferry for Ireland.
Love, Sarah
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Royal Wedding and Morocco!
The day before the Royal Wedding Theo and I headed down to Westminster and Buckingham to see the sights before too many adoring fans showed up :o) The streets were lined with british flags on flagpoles that had little crowns on top and people were already camped out for their spot along the procession. We snapped a few photos and then headed home to pack for our 4 day holiday in Marrakech, Morocco!
Sadly a terrorist exploded a bomb in Marrakech on that Thursday, April 28, in a popular tourist cafe in the center of town. After speaking to the American embassy in Marrakech and checking out updated travel advisories we were convinced it was OK to still go and probably the safest time to be there. So we headed down Friday morning with our good friends Sonya and Daniel and their 10 month old son, Connor.
We arrived in Marrakech and were taken to our resort a few minutes outside of town. The Jnane Tamsna was a gorgeous resort with 5 pools and extensive gardens where they grow their own food for their delicious restaurant!
Saturday morning the owner of the hotel arranged a driver for us to go into town and visit an old Koranic school and some local tanneries. The school, Ben Youssef Medersa is attached to the local mosque and was opened in the 14th century. The walls and archways are covered with beautiful tiles and inscriptions in every available space.
The pool at our hotel
Downtown Marrakech
After the school our guide took us to 2 local tanneries. We had to carry mint leaves to avoid being overwhelmed by the smell. The first tannery was worked by Berber families who cured cows and camels and the second worked by Arab families who cure goat and sheep skins.
After the tanneries we headed back to give the boys a nap and then visited the Jardin Majorelle, a french garden in the middle of Marrakech that was purchased by Yves St Laurent in 1980.
That evening Daniel and Sonya were kind enough to babysit Theo while Shane and I headed back into town for a Moroccan meal with traditional music and belly dancers! The Dar Majana was a beautiful restaurant, buried down a long tunnel off the road that opened into a huge courtyard where we had drinks and then dinner in a small dining room off of the courtyard.
Sunday morning we bundled up the boys and headed into town to visit the souks which are the main market stalls in Marrakech. It was pouring rain, which I think happens about 2x a year in Morocco, and we were solidly soaked at the end of the morning. The souks were very fun though and Theo got to taste some Moroccan sweets from one of the stalls. Moroccans love kids, Theo was constantly hugged and kissed wherever we went, but Theo was a little unsure about them!
That afternoon Sonya and I had massages at our hotel while Shane and Daniel watched the kids. We then switched off and the men took a Moroccan cooking class. The meal they made was served to us outside of our rooms that evening, under the stars and an outdoor heater :o) It was a beautiful night and a great way to end a great trip.
Miss you all!
Love, Sarah, Shane, Theo and T4!
Sadly a terrorist exploded a bomb in Marrakech on that Thursday, April 28, in a popular tourist cafe in the center of town. After speaking to the American embassy in Marrakech and checking out updated travel advisories we were convinced it was OK to still go and probably the safest time to be there. So we headed down Friday morning with our good friends Sonya and Daniel and their 10 month old son, Connor.
We arrived in Marrakech and were taken to our resort a few minutes outside of town. The Jnane Tamsna was a gorgeous resort with 5 pools and extensive gardens where they grow their own food for their delicious restaurant!
Saturday morning the owner of the hotel arranged a driver for us to go into town and visit an old Koranic school and some local tanneries. The school, Ben Youssef Medersa is attached to the local mosque and was opened in the 14th century. The walls and archways are covered with beautiful tiles and inscriptions in every available space.
The pool at our hotel
Downtown Marrakech
After the school our guide took us to 2 local tanneries. We had to carry mint leaves to avoid being overwhelmed by the smell. The first tannery was worked by Berber families who cured cows and camels and the second worked by Arab families who cure goat and sheep skins.
After the tanneries we headed back to give the boys a nap and then visited the Jardin Majorelle, a french garden in the middle of Marrakech that was purchased by Yves St Laurent in 1980.
That evening Daniel and Sonya were kind enough to babysit Theo while Shane and I headed back into town for a Moroccan meal with traditional music and belly dancers! The Dar Majana was a beautiful restaurant, buried down a long tunnel off the road that opened into a huge courtyard where we had drinks and then dinner in a small dining room off of the courtyard.
Sunday morning we bundled up the boys and headed into town to visit the souks which are the main market stalls in Marrakech. It was pouring rain, which I think happens about 2x a year in Morocco, and we were solidly soaked at the end of the morning. The souks were very fun though and Theo got to taste some Moroccan sweets from one of the stalls. Moroccans love kids, Theo was constantly hugged and kissed wherever we went, but Theo was a little unsure about them!
That afternoon Sonya and I had massages at our hotel while Shane and Daniel watched the kids. We then switched off and the men took a Moroccan cooking class. The meal they made was served to us outside of our rooms that evening, under the stars and an outdoor heater :o) It was a beautiful night and a great way to end a great trip.
Miss you all!
Love, Sarah, Shane, Theo and T4!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Brittany and Normandy
Happy Easter everyone! We were very lucky to get to travel to France for the 4 day weekend and stay with our friends, the Des Courtis family, at their home in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, France. They warmly welcomed us into their family even though we crashed their Easter holiday and made them speak English all weekend! We have promised to make Theo learn French to make up for our failure!
Saint Briac was beautiful and the weather was perfect. Theo spent all day at the beach or in their enormous back yard playing with his toys. He was in absolute heaven!
Saturday we rented a car and drove to Normandy. We stopped quickly at St Micheal's mount (Mont Saint Michel) which is a famous abbey built on an island. When the tide is down you can access it from the road and when the tide is up it is an island. It was formerly a famous spot for pilgrims. There is now a road where you can access it at all times of day but it is still an amazing site.
We met our tour guide in Bayeux and he took us around Normandy. I strongly recommend getting a guide because the area is huge and you could drive around all day not knowing exactly what to look for! We visited the German cemetery first. Most Germans were killed in battles or by the French underground resistance so they were buried quickly in shallow graves around France. This cemetery is where their remains have been moved and they are still finding new bodies each month.
After the German cemetery we visited Pointe du Hoc, the point between Utah and Omaha beaches where the US army rangers were in charge of scaling these enormous cliffs in order to capture the German cannons so they couldn't fire on the beaches during the invasion. The area was heavily bombed prior to the operation and there are enormous craters where the bombs landed. It was amazing to see. The cliffs were basically 90 degrees vertical and the Rangers climbed them using small pick axes and their bayonets!
Next we visited Omaha beach where the most casualties during D-day occurred. This was primarily because the planes in charge of bombing the area before the ground forces arrived missed their targets so the Germans were unhurt and completely prepared for the invasion. The beach has returned to it's original purpose as a seaside resort and is absolutely beautiful. There are still many reminders of the US casualties, however, including a memorial and the provision of several German bunkers in the area. The main road by the beach was named for a US army platoon that lost the majority of it's members in the first wave. There is also a small stone in someones front yard that marks the spot of the first American cemetery in France.
Lastly we visited the American cemetery. It was a gorgeous day; blue sky and sunny, and the white crosses against the green grass overlooking the ocean was stunning. The cemetery is the largest US cemetery outside of Arlington and is used for US armed service men and women killed in France from 1941-1945.
After Normandy we returned to Brittany to spend the rest of the weekend with our friends. We enjoyed delicious French home cooking, went out for crepes and cider (2 Brittany specialties) and had a lovely and relaxing weekend.
Miss you all!
Love, Sarah, Shane and Theo
Saint Briac was beautiful and the weather was perfect. Theo spent all day at the beach or in their enormous back yard playing with his toys. He was in absolute heaven!
Saturday we rented a car and drove to Normandy. We stopped quickly at St Micheal's mount (Mont Saint Michel) which is a famous abbey built on an island. When the tide is down you can access it from the road and when the tide is up it is an island. It was formerly a famous spot for pilgrims. There is now a road where you can access it at all times of day but it is still an amazing site.
We met our tour guide in Bayeux and he took us around Normandy. I strongly recommend getting a guide because the area is huge and you could drive around all day not knowing exactly what to look for! We visited the German cemetery first. Most Germans were killed in battles or by the French underground resistance so they were buried quickly in shallow graves around France. This cemetery is where their remains have been moved and they are still finding new bodies each month.
After the German cemetery we visited Pointe du Hoc, the point between Utah and Omaha beaches where the US army rangers were in charge of scaling these enormous cliffs in order to capture the German cannons so they couldn't fire on the beaches during the invasion. The area was heavily bombed prior to the operation and there are enormous craters where the bombs landed. It was amazing to see. The cliffs were basically 90 degrees vertical and the Rangers climbed them using small pick axes and their bayonets!
Next we visited Omaha beach where the most casualties during D-day occurred. This was primarily because the planes in charge of bombing the area before the ground forces arrived missed their targets so the Germans were unhurt and completely prepared for the invasion. The beach has returned to it's original purpose as a seaside resort and is absolutely beautiful. There are still many reminders of the US casualties, however, including a memorial and the provision of several German bunkers in the area. The main road by the beach was named for a US army platoon that lost the majority of it's members in the first wave. There is also a small stone in someones front yard that marks the spot of the first American cemetery in France.
Lastly we visited the American cemetery. It was a gorgeous day; blue sky and sunny, and the white crosses against the green grass overlooking the ocean was stunning. The cemetery is the largest US cemetery outside of Arlington and is used for US armed service men and women killed in France from 1941-1945.
After Normandy we returned to Brittany to spend the rest of the weekend with our friends. We enjoyed delicious French home cooking, went out for crepes and cider (2 Brittany specialties) and had a lovely and relaxing weekend.
Miss you all!
Love, Sarah, Shane and Theo
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
It's a...
boy! Yes, we have the beginnings of a basketball team :o) Theo is quite excited!
Love, Sarah, Shane, Theo and baby boy T4!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Finally done!
I've been working on this hooded scarf for Theo for forever! Turns out knitting takes more time when you have a little one :o) Anyway, i wanted to show off a few pictures of Theo in his scarf (just in time for summer!) and him playing with his dad. If any of you are beginning baby knitters I strongly recommend Debbie Bliss beginner baby knits book. It is really easy and has adorable ideas!
The hooded scarf!
With pocket!
Headed to the park!
We love the sandbox!
The hooded scarf!
With pocket!
Headed to the park!
We love the sandbox!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Isle of Skye
Our first vacation without Theo! Last week, after celebrating our 5 year anniversary on March 11, Shane and I hopped on a plane to Inverness, Scotland. My parents came over to stay the 4 nights and 5 days with Theo. It was sad to leave Theo but we were excited for some R&R!
Once in Inverness we rented a car and drove the 2.5 hours to Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye. Along the way we drove over Skye Bridge which connects Skye to the mainland, and visited Eilean Donan castle. The castle is beautifully situated on the Atlantic with a view of the Cuillin Hills (the mountain range that covers the island).
Kinloch Lodge is owned by the MacDonald's family, a clan from the Isle of Skye that can trace their lineage back to 1140! Clare MacDonald is a chef in her own right and has several cookbooks available for sale. A few years ago she hired Marcello Tully from London to be the head chef of the B&B restaurant. A daily 5 course dinner is included in the room price and the restaurant got a Michelin star a few years ago. The food was AMAZING and after 3 days we really had to leave or we may not have fit into our small house in London!
Kinloch Lodge
View from our window!
After all the eating we had to get out for some exercise! We first drove up to Portree, a small town on the northern part of Skye with an adorable little town square and village. From Portree you can drive around the Trotternish peninsula for amazing views. Along the way we stopped at the Old Man of Storr - a hike up to a group of rock formations, the most prominent being named the Old Man of Storr. It was a beautiful hike, even though the second 2/3rds of the path was covered in snow!
After our hike we continued up the Trotternish Peninsula to Flodgiarry Country House Hotel (for lunch - of course!). It is the ancestral home of Flora MacDonald, the famous rescuer of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746. We had a small lunch at this beautiful country home and Shane had the best fish chowder in the world!
Our last day in Skye was full of whiskey tasting. We did a small walk near our hotel after breakfast and then headed to Talisker, the only distillery left on the Isle of Skye. Their whiskey's are known for being very smokey because of the peat that is used to dry the barley in the early parts of the process. After a thorough tour and tasting session we managed to buy a few bottles before leaving. Next we headed to the south of the Island and stopped at Eilean Iarmain, another beautiful country home, that has a small whiskey shop. They sell Gaellic whiskey, a new company that began about 40 years ago. They buy scotch made by distillers on the western coast of mainland Scotland and bottle and sell them. We had a very nice tasting session here as well, tasting the 8 year, 12 year and 21 year old single malts. Next door to the whiskey shop was a wool store that sold men's Harris tweeds. It was a good stop for Shane!
After a wonderful 3 days of driving, walking, relaxing and eating, we headed back to Inverness. We spent the night in Inverness, visited Loch Ness and searched for Nessie, before heading back to London. Our little guy did very well in our absence and my parents thoroughly enjoyed their week with him. It was a great trip but after 5 days it was good to have our family back together!
Inverness Castle
Love, Sarah and Shane
(see Facebook for more pictures!)
Once in Inverness we rented a car and drove the 2.5 hours to Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye. Along the way we drove over Skye Bridge which connects Skye to the mainland, and visited Eilean Donan castle. The castle is beautifully situated on the Atlantic with a view of the Cuillin Hills (the mountain range that covers the island).
Kinloch Lodge is owned by the MacDonald's family, a clan from the Isle of Skye that can trace their lineage back to 1140! Clare MacDonald is a chef in her own right and has several cookbooks available for sale. A few years ago she hired Marcello Tully from London to be the head chef of the B&B restaurant. A daily 5 course dinner is included in the room price and the restaurant got a Michelin star a few years ago. The food was AMAZING and after 3 days we really had to leave or we may not have fit into our small house in London!
Kinloch Lodge
View from our window!
After all the eating we had to get out for some exercise! We first drove up to Portree, a small town on the northern part of Skye with an adorable little town square and village. From Portree you can drive around the Trotternish peninsula for amazing views. Along the way we stopped at the Old Man of Storr - a hike up to a group of rock formations, the most prominent being named the Old Man of Storr. It was a beautiful hike, even though the second 2/3rds of the path was covered in snow!
After our hike we continued up the Trotternish Peninsula to Flodgiarry Country House Hotel (for lunch - of course!). It is the ancestral home of Flora MacDonald, the famous rescuer of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746. We had a small lunch at this beautiful country home and Shane had the best fish chowder in the world!
Our last day in Skye was full of whiskey tasting. We did a small walk near our hotel after breakfast and then headed to Talisker, the only distillery left on the Isle of Skye. Their whiskey's are known for being very smokey because of the peat that is used to dry the barley in the early parts of the process. After a thorough tour and tasting session we managed to buy a few bottles before leaving. Next we headed to the south of the Island and stopped at Eilean Iarmain, another beautiful country home, that has a small whiskey shop. They sell Gaellic whiskey, a new company that began about 40 years ago. They buy scotch made by distillers on the western coast of mainland Scotland and bottle and sell them. We had a very nice tasting session here as well, tasting the 8 year, 12 year and 21 year old single malts. Next door to the whiskey shop was a wool store that sold men's Harris tweeds. It was a good stop for Shane!
After a wonderful 3 days of driving, walking, relaxing and eating, we headed back to Inverness. We spent the night in Inverness, visited Loch Ness and searched for Nessie, before heading back to London. Our little guy did very well in our absence and my parents thoroughly enjoyed their week with him. It was a great trip but after 5 days it was good to have our family back together!
Inverness Castle
Love, Sarah and Shane
(see Facebook for more pictures!)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
And then there were 4!
Hi everyone!
Theo wanted to show you a picture of his new sibling! He or she should be joining us around Sept 3 of this year. We are very excited to welcome another little one into our family and Theo is looking forward to being a big brother!
Love, Sarah, Shane, Theo and T4
Thursday, February 10, 2011
On the move!
Hello everyone and sorry for being such a delinquent blogger! January has been a very fun month in the Tintle household. Beginning in mid-Dec Theo started crawling backwards. He continued to do this for nearly a month and we were quite confident that his wiring was wrong and he would just move backwards his entire life! However, one day in late Jan I had just finished talking on the phone and I set it on the ground. I looked up to see Theo, with his entire focus on the phone, moving towards me! It was amazing. I moved the phone and he did it again! I then tried it with a toy and he went backwards. For an entire week he would only crawl forwards for electronics - phone, computer, blackberry - but for everything else he still went backwards! The best was he seemed to find crawling amazing and would laugh every time he moved forward. It was great b/c you always knew when he was on the go! Sadly for us though, this slow moving only lasted about 2 weeks. He is now completely on the go and starting to pull up on furniture. He, of course, can't get down so he just crashes to the ground when he lets go but it doesn't seem to bother him. He is loving his new freedom and we are scurrying to baby proof around him!!
Besides new movement, Jan also brought Theo's grandparents for the weekend. It was very fun to see my parents and for them to get to spend time with Theo. We also had another house guest, Zac, who stayed with us on his way from London to South Africa. I just received an email from him saying that he missed Theo :o)
That is all for now! I will try to be better about updates. Feb is bringing us lots of fun guests from the US and in March Shane and I head for Scotland!!
Love, Sarah
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