Londres et Paris en deux semaines

Cheers! Bonsoir!

So I am going to take this from Lauren for one post and we'll see if I am permitted to continue with this. In any event, previous posts have detailed the trip over here and various aspects of our furniture pitfalls. In this post I will highlight our experiences in two world capitals, London and Paris, in two weekends in January.

On New Years Day we traveled to London to see the sites and get away from a house which did not have furniture, dishes, or anything else of a civilized nature. We took the First Capital Connect train service from the local train station in Huntingdon to London King's Cross, of Harry Potter fame (a fact to which I was oblivious to until recently). We checked into the Kensington Marriott, a bit off the beaten path but near the Tube, and went to Westminster City that night. I wanted Lauren to feel like she was in the UK, so when we got out at the Tube station, we were about 30 feet from Big Ben and I think it helped her realize that we weren't in Illinois anymore. We saw Westminster Abbey at night as well as Buckingham Palace. We repeated the experience by daylight, which was completely different. For her part, Lexie was oblivious to the history surrounding her; she was more concerned with the abundant bird population in St. James's park. We also saw St. Paul's Cathedral and I took a picture of Lauren and Lexie on "The Steps of St. Pauls" in homage to Mary Poppins (a movie I hate).

Lauren and Lexie on the First Capital Connect

Our hotel

The very first sight we saw after stepping off the underground

London at night

Ryan and Lexie waiting to catch the tubeOn the steps of St. Paul

After a full English breakfast, we managed to make it to the Palace in time to catch the changing of the guard

Lauren, Lexie, and Julia's first time at Buckingham Palace

Lexie's seemingly favorite part. However, when she saw the pictures, she immediately recognized Big Ben, and "the queen's house" by name.

Over MLK weekend, we took the opportunity to leave this Island Kingdom and go to the continent. We chose Paris because it's about as accessible from here as taking a trip to Kansas City from St. Louis. We took Eurostar from St. Pancras Station (a landmark I love due to a small, minor remark in 1984) to Paris Gare Du Nord and extensively used the metro to get to and from our hotel which was about 3 miles from the Eiffel Tower. We saw the tower, of course, and no one was impressed with it. It's sort of like the Arch, really. It was cold and rainy that night and it made us wonder why we'd left England. The next day we had a full day En La Paris. We saw the Arc De Triomphe, which was far more impressive than the Eiffel Tower. We also saw the tower by daylight, but skipped the long lines to the 2nd floor, since the top was closed. We walked the Champs Elysees and ran into a Disney Store. Having seen internationally famous landmarks, Lexie was most excited to see "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on the TV screen in the shop. She didn't even notice that the show was being played en francais. On MLK day itself we saw the famous Latin Quarter and the Cathedrale De Notre Dame. Lexie of course noticed the birds, not the 12th century architectural marvel. We also were approached by a strange African street vendor who kept telling us Hakuna Matata and making Lauren a bracelet, which he charged me 3 Euros for. I gave him two and told him all I had left were pounds. I'd wager that Hakuna Matata was the extent of his knowledge of African dialects. We walked around and looked at the shops before hitting Eurostar to England and First Capital Connect home. Paris was fun, but Lexie was a bit confused and tired, and her behavior was rather becoming of une l'enfant terrible at times. Basically, we would not recommend Paris with a toddler but have no regrets in going.

I am jealous of Lexie, really. London and Paris in two weeks at age two? She's accomplished a goal of so many, to see both cities, before turning three. Of course, she'll never remember it, but we've got the pictures to prove it! Paris pictures will be coming soon. I bid you all a good night. Au Revoir, mes amis.

View from our hotel

Arc de Triomphe

The restaurant where we ate a very yummy dinner despite multiple toddler meltdowns.

Notre Dame

This is Notre Dame from the back. After watching the movie The Bourne Identity, we're pretty sure there was a scene in the movie shot from this exact location.

Adjusting

We have been here for about a week and a half now and are adjusting relatively well to our new life. Our home is in the village of Somersham, about 80 miles north of London. The weather has stayed pretty consistently around freezing. There has been a light layer of snow on the ground each morning which melts by noon. I have enjoyed it because I much prefer snow to rain, and I am certain if it were 10 degrees warmer, we would be having nasty rainy weather (which is what everyone here is used to). I am looking forward to warmer weather in the spring and summer so we can get outside and enjoy our yard and the village more! While we have 2 cars (our Buick Rendezvous from the states and a small British car, the Daewoo), walking and biking are very popular here, and I plan to walk as much as possible, especially within the village. The village itself has a couple of restaurants, pubs, and take away places for food. Fast food isn't as common here as it is in the US. I have seen McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC in nearby cities. Somersham also has its own market which carries basic grocery and toiletry items. Huntingdon is the nearest city for full shopping trips. They have a Tesco which carries a full range of grocery items plus has a 2nd floor where they have a selection of clothes, electronics, and all kinds of odds and ends. We are also able to use the BX and commissary shops located on the nearby military bases. At the bases, you can shop using US dollars and there is no tax added. The shops in the UK all include taxes in their prices as well. The British pound is currently around $1.60.

Our furniture was delivered last Monday. It was certainly nice for all of us to have our own things again, especially Lexie. She has had fun discovering "new" toys and books every day. While our new home is spacious, the stair case has a bend and a low ceiling which made getting some of our furniture upstairs impossible. Not long before the move, we purchased Lexie a new bedroom set, including a twin bed, dresser with mirror, and nightstand. All but her dresser fit. We also purchased a new guest bedroom set of which the full size box spring would not fit. The master bedroom was the most difficult. We have a queen bedroom set and are now unable to use our dresser, hutch, and box spring. All of the furniture that would not fit is now stored in our garage, and we are in the market for 3 new dressers and 2 box springs. Some parts from our crib were missing, so one purchase we have made is a new crib. I am very excited to get some new nursery furniture because in the past everything was pretty mismatched. Lexie's room is the one room we have well put together. The other rooms are all still full of clutter which we are slowly making progress on. Though the mishaps with the furniture were frustrating, we are making the best out of everything. After all, I figure I can't complain too much about being able to shop for new furniture!

We have also begun attending a church in Cambridge, about 25 miles from here. The parish is St. Ephraim the Syrian and is part of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). The parish does not yet have their own building and holds services out of the chapel at the Westcott House at Cambridge University. The parish is ethnically diverse and consists mostly of students and immigrant families. While our contacts are still limited, everyone is very friendly, and we look forward to getting more involved with the parish.

In other news, I have begun attending the local surgery (doctor's office) here in Somersham. Uncomplicated pregnancies are generally overseen by a midwife only. I did meet with the doctor first just to go over my history and got in the next day to see the midwife. They are very quick and easy to make appointments, and so far I have been very pleased with everyone at the office. Most appointments are comparable to those I have attended in the states. One thing they don't track as closely is weight. They haven't weighted me yet, and I can't say I'm disappointed! They push for as natural a birth as possible. Drugs are available but not as popular as they are in the US, and epidurals are very rare. I will be delivering at Hinchingbrooke hospital which is only about a 15 minute drive from home. Overall, though anxious about the differences in medical care, I am looking forward to the new (and more natural) experience!

I apologize if this post is difficult to follow. Everything is still so new. Each time I begin a train of thought, something new comes to mind!

New Year, New Life

Here I am a lifelong Midwestern girl from the US beginning a new decade in the UK. What brought me here you ask: My husband Ryan's, job working for the US Department of Defense.

Let's back up a little to see how the Herman family came about. Ryan (sometimes referred to as Ken or Kenny) and Lauren participated in the band program at Granite City High School in Southwest Illinois where both were born and raised. Autumn of the year 2000 brought with it a marching band program which required much practice and long bus rides for performances and competitions. On one such bus ride, Ryan sat by Lauren and a mutual friend of the two inquiring about the Orthodox Church. Ryan and Lauren talked extensively and at the close of the trip he gave her his phone number. A friendship formed which quickly turned into a young relationship. Ryan and Lauren dated for most of their high school and college careers. Then in the fall of 2006 Ryan took Lauren out for a romantic dinner at the Top Of the River Restaurant in downtown St. Louis followed by a walk through Forest Park where he asked for her hand in marriage. The following year brought great changes and new adventures for the couple. Ryan graduated from McKendree College in May 2006 and began an internship which would turn into a career with a government agency based in St. Louis. They were married and purchased their first home in their hometown of Granite City. They also welcomed their first baby girl, Alexandria Diane, into the world. Over the next couple of years Ryan advanced quickly at work receiving numerous promotions and awards. He signed up for 4 months in Baghdad, Iraq from February through June 2009. Those 4 months were a long wait for Lauren and Lexie back home. Thankfully they had a wonderful support system of family and friends as well as Lauren's continuing education to keep them occupied as well. Lauren graduated from the University of Missouri- St. Louis with a degree in Early Childhood Education during this time. Upon Ryan's return home, more news and adventures awaited. A second child was conceived (a girl to be due in March 2010) and the young family learned of a move to England. The position is for 3 years at RAF Molesworth and Ryan was wanted as soon as possible. He left for the United Kingdom in November, leaving Lauren, Lexie, and their unborn child to stay with family through the holidays. Ryan worked hard during his time away, beginning a new position and finding the family a home in the village of Somersham located 75 miles north of London in Cambridgeshire. Ryan returned to the states for Christmas. The family said their goodbyes to family and friends, and on 30 December 2009 left for the United Kingdom to begin the new year with a new chapter in their lives.

Here lie the stories of the move, adapting to a new culture, a growing toddler, a new addition to the family, and all of the adventures to come. We look forward to sharing this time in our lives with our family and friends.