London Toddler: Autumn in St. James Park

We love St. James Park.  It's right in the heart of London, just a stone's throw from Trafalgar Square.

23 hectares is a lot of space to run around in.

Plenty of cute furry residents to play with.

And in autumn, mushrooms to gawk at.

He's trying to spot acorns.

I love the four seasons and seeing the different fruits, plants and flowers that accompany each one.  What a lovely surprise it was to spot this berry plant by the lake, in the most gorgeous of colours - bright purple!  We have seen lots of red, yellow, orange and black berries but this purple one is a first.

Found out that this is beautyberry, native to Southeast Asia (really??).

Fallen autumn leaves in the lake.

The park is home to a large number of fowls - pigeons, ducks, swans, geese and pelicans.

View of Buckingham Palace to the west from the Blue Bridge.

And to the east is the London Eye in the distance.

A veil of pine leaves in the sunlight.

Best feeling in the world!

Toddler review:  St. James Park is a great place for a toddler, especially one who loves nature and the outdoors.  There is plenty to see and do - feed the waterfowls by the lake, run around on the grass, spot the squirrels, chase pigeons, pick wildflowers.  It is a great park for every season.  We have visited in spring, summer and fall and the scenery is beautiful and a little different every time.  I would love to visit when it is covered with snow.

It is very stroller-friendly as there are no steps to negotiate.  We usually go past the lake and over the Blue Bridge to the grassy fenced-up area where I let him run around.  It is still a big area but at least there is fencing between the grass and the pedestrian path.  I don't have to worry about him running onto the path which leads to the busy main road outside the park.  But I do have to chase after him as he runs like crazy and can easily get out of sight if I don't keep up.  

Except for the portion in front of the cafe, the rest of the lake is safely cordoned off.  There is fencing separating the walkway and the big grassy patch leading to the water's edge.

The park is popular with locals and tourists alike.  If you are headed to Buckingham Palace, walking through the park is definitely a more pleasant route.  Hence, it is always full of people, more so in summer.  The walkways especially can get quite crowded so I usually keep Lucas in the stroller or firmly in hand.

Toddler fun factor:  10/10!

Mummy stress factor:  Well, rather stressful because he runs so far and fast and I have to keep going after him whilst still taking care of stroller.  Would be great to go with a companion. Nevertheless, still a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours away from the hustle and bustle.

Lisbon: Baixa

Hello from Lisbon!  

Two weeks ago, we packed our bags and flew to Lisbon for a family holiday.  Just under 3 hours after departing from Schipol, we found ourselves on a nice sunny patio overlooking the rooftops of Baixa and the Tagus River in the distance.

Our late afternoon snack of octopus salad (left) and blood sausages (below extreme left).

We rented a lovely, spacious apartment in the heart of Baixa district.  3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and plenty of space to do balloon runs.

It was well-equipped with all the comforts of home, including air-conditioning which was a great welcome in the summer heat.

Our gym instructor.  Except that he was a little excitable.

And the exercise machine was put to good use because...

.....we kept doing this - enjoying Portugal's wonderful desserts.

This is galão (essentially kopi-si or cafe latte), and fios de ovos (egg threads or 'angel hair') made of egg yolks boiled in sugar syrup.  No doubt the famed Portuguese egg tarts are very good but this has got to be my absolute favourite dessert.

If it is not sweet enough for you, this version comes caked in a hard layer of syrup.

Get your sweet fix at Confeitaria Nacional near Rossio square:
http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon-cafes/confeitaria-nacional.html

If you're interested in renting the same apartment we did, here is the link, and you can see my review on the page:  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1126009

Stay tuned for more of Lisbon and its surroundings.

(All photos except the last few courtesy of Melanie M, thank you!)

Vienna (Part 2)

Day 3 was a visit to Schonbrunn Palace, a short train ride outside of Vienna city.  It was the former summer residence of Austrian royalty and is now a major tourist attraction where you can visit the gardens and take a tour of the palace.

It is huge and pretty impressive.

The view of the gardens upon entering the palace grounds.

View of the palace from the garden.

The structure on the hill at the far end of the garden is the Gloriette, a viewing complex of sorts.   

TIP(!):  If you are not buying the combination ticket (palace tour + Gloriette + Crown Prince Garden + Maze), there is really no need to buy a separate ticket for the Gloriette, you can roam around it for free.  The ticket just allows you to go up to the top level which is really not a big deal.  So don't buy the Gloriette ticket at the gate.  If you really want to, you can still buy it at the Gloriette itself.

Lucas and his new (but not very useful) skill of making faces.  Painting at the back is of the Gloriette.

Our first stop was a visit to the Crown Prince Garden, which needed a separate ticket.  There was nothing to see there, just a couple of lemon trees and some flower beds.  Lucas was probably the only one who truly enjoyed it.  He is happy anywhere so long as there is gravel or sand.  Life for a toddler is truly that simple.

TIP(!):  So here's another tip for you.  If you are not buying the combination ticket (palace tour + Gloriette + Crown Prince Garden + Maze), don't buy the ticket to the Crown Prince Garden as it is not worth it.  Even though it is only a few euros, it does add up if you have a big group.  If you really want to, you can still buy it at the entrance to the Crown Prince Garden itself.  There is no need to buy it at the gate.  

In fact, on the left hand side of the palace, on your way to the exit, there is a lovely garden with flowers and a gorgeous wisteria walkway.  And it is free.

The Gloriette looks really high up but it is not.  The hill is an easy walk.  Don't hesitate to go up, you will get lovely views and it is a very pleasant walk.

Stop by the fountain before going up the hill.

Cute little mermaid tails.

His mer-horse is not behaving. 

Well, this guy says the only way is up, so go on.

View of the palace from behind the fountain.

Isn't this beautiful?

More lovely views.

The glorious Gloriette.

All this is free.  See the balcony above?  If you want to get up there, you'll need the ticket.

And this is what you'll see - not very different from the view just one floor below.

I was expecting Maria to come running over the grass singing "The hills are alive...".

Have to add that having visited Schonbrunn and Henry VIII's Hampton Court, Versailles still tops my list as the grandest of the three.

Day 4 - We spent the first half at Schonbrunn, doing the grand tour of the palace as we did not have enough time the day before.  Photography was not allowed, so no photos to show.

Back in the city, we wandered over to the Museumsquartier for a dose of art.

Museumsquartier is an interesting collection of baroque and modern buildings, dominated by two art museums - Leopold and the MUMOK.

Leopold Museum has a large collection of Gustav Klimt's work, probably Austria's most recognisable artist.

The intriguing 'Death and Life' (1911)

'Medicine'


'Jurisprudence'

Interesting write-up about these painting from wikipaintings.org: 

"In 1894, Klimt was commissioned to paint the ceilings in the University of Vienna’s great hall. The commission included three paintings, Philosophy, Medicine, and Jurisprudence. When Klimt presented them to the university upon completion, they were determined to be pornographic in nature, and filled with “perverted excess.” The university would not display them. Medicine was the second painting in the series, and depicted the river of life, and the continuity of life and death, and had no allusions to medicine or the science of healing. Because of this, he was attacked by critics, who pointed out that Vienna at the time was engaging in major medical advancements, and that the painting did not depict anything about either prevention or cure. In 1945, the paintings were destroyed in Germany by advancing forces, the only remaining portions being a photograph of a portion of Medicine, and certain drawings and preliminary sketches."

View of Museumsquartier from the Leopold Museum.

Art installation at the Leopold's current exhibition on clouds.

We then wandered around the rest of the huge Hofburg Wien.

Map and an impressive list of museums.

Ended our visit where we started off - on the busy Karntnerstrasse shopping street.

Breakfast at this stately cafe before our flight home.