Great Expectasia: The Peak District

Matt and I went to the Peak District on our 18th anniversary honeymoon trip this past summer. It was our first significant trip away from our children, and we were shocked that everywhere we went, we thought, "the kids would love this!" Were we just missing our kids (couldn't be!)? Or was it really just the best place for our family? Well, it turns out it was the best place for our family. We were spot on.

This past weekend was a bank holiday weekend in England, so Saturday morning, we got the kids up at six (they were champs) and out by seven. After one bathroom stop, we arrived at Hassop Station where we tried to eat a super quick lunch (the cheese toasties, while amazing, took 25 minutes to make) and hire bikes for a rail-trail ride. Matt and I had done this ride in the summer, and we loved it! Our kids complained about it a lot, but I think they secretly liked it a lot. Koby admitted to loving it. You go through tunnels, over a huge viaduct and through beautiful fields and historic mills and buildings. We then walked a half hour to Bakewell to do some English town shopping (we got a few pillows and a gluggle jug.) and get some delicious baked goods. Bakewell is famous for cherry bakewell and other baked things.

We then stopped for local ice cream and made it to our cottage. Matt went to sleep. Sam went to solitude. Elie was yo-yoing up a storm, and Koby and I climbed the mountain behind the cottage. What a view!!!

before we started going up

sheep near the top

the view!

We had dinner at an amazing pub five minutes away. We ate every bite. After lots of settlers and a hilarious episode of Ghosts, we slept.

kids read a lot at dinner. we spent all day together. It's fine to have a break. Koby's loving Harry Potter. Elie is in the latest Hunger Games, and who knows what Sam is reading.

Small wrestling session after dinner. But so beautiful!

Sunset

Everyone slept in a bit on Sunday, and Sam could not get out of bed, so she stayed sleeping. The boys, Matt and I ate breakfast and headed out to a BEAUTIFUL hike. We went back and grabbed Sam for lunch. We went to an amazing bookstore and cafe.

Lud's Church - amazing part of a beautiful hike

Koby wanted to CLIMB everything

They're so weird

There was rocks and crevices and also amazing views. We were on a ledge for a while with views on all sides. Just gorgeous. (other than Elie's hair)

Then the kids chilled and Matt and I went on another beautiful hike - though it had a lot of climb! This walk was from our cottage, and we used a paper guide for the trail, so I don't have a link for it. We had dinner at a less great pub (though kids made friends with two dogs and their four owners) and slept.

Our solo hike. We were out of breath at this point!

Monday we had to get up and out, and we went for another GORGEOUS hike through a whole diverse area of the Peak District. All of the kids were so happy. I love being in the woods. We loved it. And we saw the old mill that we had seen in July, and unfortunately they have made no progress because they still don't have building approval. We had another amazing lunch at a delicious cafe in a tiny town and headed back to London. We had a WONDERFUL trip. One more England trip and we're done (for now). Sigh :(

Cows walking by our place!!

more cows!

Lathkill Dales

SO many wildflowers

weird

lunch in Youlgrave - SO DELICIOUS

sunset Sunday night - look at those rays!

And other photos from the last few months. Those from others are out of order. Apologies:

Hildebrandt seder!

Fogelman Sachs Seder! Elie and Koby go to Bauercrest because of this kid (a friend's kid. I went to his bar mitzvah, and I asked the mom - how do my boys get friends like these? the answer was Bauercrest). He is a legend to my boys (and also quite tall and wonderful)

I went to Israel for a few days. Got to see one batch of cousins. Loved it

Elie and his friends selling things outside our house

And selling ice lollies in Hampstead Heath and getting busted by the police (see the car?). you're not allowed to sell in the parks, apparently. But they had made loads of money before they got busted. ENTREPRENEURS!

Koby had his fourth grade musical

I bought this official photo from my half marathon. This was towards the end, and I was working so hard and also so happy!! As my friend Lauren said, Melanie, we spent hundreds of Euros to get to Germany and do this race, spend the extra 10 euros and get the photo!! It was hard for me :)

I play tennis with Federica on Tuesdays. Love her. She lives in my neighborhood and is the mom of Elie's good friend.

Sam's good friend came to visit from Ohio when we were in Michigan. Sam was soooooo happy!!!

Elie and Koby went with bubbie and zaydie to shoot archery, and cousin Max joined!

Another of my tennis dates - my favorite doubles game. Mary, Amy and Iris

Matt took another day off work, and we went out to Richmond for a long walk, a great cafe and wonderful pub lunch.

on the Thames in Richmond

Outrageous amounts of wisteria

A good friend invited me to join her to see Tim Rice. I didn't know his name before last Monday, but after I looked him up, I realized I absolutely knew him. He wrote so many musicals that I love. He worked throughout his career with Andrew Lloyd Webber and other greats, and he wrote the lyrics. For one night, he told his story, and it was so entertaining and wonderful. And at the end, Andrew Lloyd Webber surprised him on the stage with the framed letter that Tim Rice had written him 60 years ago, to the date, to suggest that they meet in London. They did...

This is Gwen who invited me to see the show. We absolutely love their family. We hang out with them as much as we can - we all love them, and we will miss them so much. (She's from Michigan!) Dan is missing from this photo, but we love him too

I saw this while running yesterday from St John's Wood to Brick Lane. It spoke to me. (I also turned my ankle on this run, and I'm so bummed as i sit here with it up PRAYING it heals so I can run to Windsor tomorrow, though it's looking unlikely as it super hurts to move) :(

Seder with friends

So wonderful

Seder with family

Sam put a CARROT in her MOUTH!

Off to Israel

The Bibas family. at the airport. Beyond sad.

Stickers all over the country missing soldiers and those killed.

I went for Dena's son's bar mitzvah. I was so grateful to be there. Usually we see each other when one of us is in crisis. It was such a treat to celebrate a simcha and just hang out! I loved it and seeing her family.

I ran on shabbat morning - it was the only time I could figure out time! Jerusalem early on Saturday is EMPTY!!! This is the shuk/market

And of course the tayelet

I think we have a pic in this spot from all of my visits to Jerusalem

I got to see my friend Jon from pardes! I love him

And right after Israel, I went to Newton to make a million decisions about the house. I had nearly no social plans, other than meeting my book club, dinner with Sarah's family, a walk with Susie and megillah reading. Otherwise it was NONstop house. I bought a car, chose tiles for the kitchen, bathrooms. I picked out cupboard colors. I got kitchen counters. SO MANY THINGS. It was insane but great.

Purim at our shul. These are the two rabbis. Rabbi Jeremy has a million circus toys, and Elie especially loves them. He watched Rabbi Jeremy do the diablo.

Then he tried. Then he went out to spend his money on one, and he is unbelievable now. And then he moved on to yo yo, and he's killing that too.

Matt took off a day, and we went on a hike near Tring. It was GORGEOUS, and we loved the day together.

There is a natural history museum in Tring, which I only know about because Jen recommended this AMAZING book - highly recommend. Or listen to this episode of this american life - truly SO INTERESTING!!! I was so curious to go to the museum. There were some Melanie animals. Surprising. They had SO MANY dead animals in this museum. Felt very old school but super cool.

Elie with his bestie Hank and Milo the dog.

Koby's last football game in Regent's Park

Jer came to visit! Lots of settlers...

And he helped Elie with his cobra coding right before his robotics competition

Elie and his team practicing their presentation

They went to a competition in Wales. They did great but didn't win. Elie was very disappointed, but he learned a lot and had a great experience.

We had a GREAT portuguese meal!

And he made us an amazing apple pie!

and read a lot with Koby

Need to document this, as it's so common in our life. on the way home from school, there are different food trucks and booths. Koby LOVES Marianna's crepes. Elie LOVES Hong Ma's dumplings.

We hopped on a different tube car than Jer, but no worries, because the window was open between the cars!!

We dog sat over the weekend, and we LOVED having Phoebe and a dog in general around. We were all so happy

Phoebe (and Settlers)

more dumplings

Koby's musical

Sam is in a wearable art class, and she and a friend made a skirt that represented their friend group. Each panel was a different person - she and Liliana explained it all in this display in the Arts Building at school