Warner Bros Studio London- The Making of Harry Potter

Today I took my #1 Harry Potter fan on the Warner Bros studio tour.  She's been waiting months to get a behind the scenes look at the making of Harry Potter.  It was such a magical day for both of us!

Us, in the make up mirror

The studio is located 20 miles north-west of London in Leavesden.   Here they have preserved the amazing sets, costumes, and props that were actually used in the films.  Visitors must pre-book tickets (£28/per adult) which provides access at a specific time.  We were on the first tour of the day at 10 am and I highly recommend going as early as possible.  The crowds definitely increased as the day went on!

Upon entrance, fans are shown a short film about the making of the Harry Potter movies and then are led into the impressive Great Hall.  It is huge! You can imagine it full of Hogwarts students gathered around the tables for their respective houses.

The Ice Sculpture from the Yule Ball

After the Great Hall, the tour is self-guided.  We took our time and gazed carefully at each set and marveled at the elaborate props. 

These colourful displays were some of my favourites!

More goodies from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

In the special effects area guests can hop aboard a broomstick and take a ride in front of a green screen.  This was loads of fun and we only had to queue for a few minutes.  Later in the day, the queue for this can be up to an hour long!  Of course, the photos are available for purchase- but they were so unique I didn't mind paying for them.

The tour continues outside on what is known as the "backlot".  Here, we got an up close look at the knight bus, #4  Privet Drive, the Weasley's car,  Potter's cottage, and the Hogwarts bridge.

#4 Privet Drive

Hop on the Knight Bus

We also stopped here to enjoy a bite to eat and a cool frothy cup of Butter Beer.

Yummy Butter Beer

Back inside we toured another sound stage full of special effects, "monsters" and more props.  Dotted throughout the displays are short videos explaining different aspects of the filming.  I especially enjoyed learning more about the animal actors featured in the movies.  Did you know that, despite their reputation for being wise, owls are actually quite difficult to train?  It takes a snow owl months to learn what a raven can accomplish in just a few weeks!

Along Diagon Alley

A trip down Diagon Alley led to the finale of the tour:  the model of Hogwarts.  It was huge and as we walked around it the lighting slowly changed offering us a feel for what it would look like at different times of day and night.

The Hogwarts Model and one happy girl

Of course, the final stop on the tour is the gift shop which sells all variety of things for the Harry Potter fan.  Stuffed animals, wands, scarves, t-shirts and jewelry are all on offer.  You can even pick up your very own Pygmy Puff to take home.

Hogwarts

I really enjoyed every aspect of this tour.  And if I can say that (as someone who is embarrassed to admit she has never read the Harry Potter books or seen the movies), you can imagine how much my daughter loved it.  She was beaming ear to ear all day.  For me, that was the absolute highlight of the tour.

Are you a Harry Potter fan?  

Will you be visiting the Studio Tour in London?

If you've already been, what was your favourite part?

 

Holiday in Portugal

The Algarve region of Portugal is a hugely popular holiday destination for Brits.  It offers gorgeous beaches and sunny weather and it's only about a 2 hour flight from London.

Sagres: The very tip of Portugal

Another view of Sagres

We spent a week enjoying this beautiful country with 2 other expat families we know from Sydney.  With 15 people in our lovely villa the week was full of sunshine, swimming, laughter, good food and friendship.  What a treat for us all.

Swimming at the villa

Horseback riding in The Algarve

The view from Ponta da Piedade near Lagos

At the end of the week, the weather turned a bit nasty and my sweet friend suggested we ditch our seaside house and head north to the village she is originally from.  What an amazing way to end our holiday!  We got a taste of what the "real" Portugal is like.  They took us to local restaurants with the most delicious food, introduced us to their friends at the village salao, drove us out to more stunning beaches, and showed us around the medieval village of Obidos.  It was a perfect ending to a wonderful week.

The beach near Caldas da Rainha

The whole gang enjoying the trampoline

The girls on the street in Obidos

I arrived home feeling refreshed, restored and filled up with the love of my friend.  It was just exactly what I needed.  I'm not sure how I've managed to find the most sincere, caring, thoughtful, generous and hospitable friends all over the world.  I certainly don't deserve them.  But I am so, so grateful to have them in my life.

Me & my wonderful Portuguese-American-Aussie-Kiwi friend.  Love her!

What about you?  

Did you have a Spring Break holiday?  

Did it leave you invigorated & ready to jump into this new season?

I hope so!

Spring Break

I hope you all had a beautiful Easter and are enjoying this Spring Break.  

We are on holiday in The Algarve region of Portugal; visiting gorgeous beaches, soaking up some longed-for sun, and spending time with some much-loved friends.

Looking forward to telling you all about it next week!

London By Night

Late Night Call

One of my very dearest friends from California came to visit last week.  One night we left all five kids with a sitter and headed to London for a Night Photography Tour.  We were in a rush so instead of a lovely dinner together we grabbed a croissant (her) and a Snickers (me) and made a beeline for the meeting place.  It was freezing cold and the two hour tour was still going strong when we left 2.5 hours into it.  But we had a great time together.  And we got some really fun shots of London by night as well.

The London Eye and City Hall

View from the Westminster Bridge.  I love the light trails made by passing buses.

This is something I would definitely like to do again.  Preferably on a balmy summer night.  Preferably after a lazy adult only dinner with wine.  And certainly with my wonderful friend. 

Amsterdam

Things I Loved In Amsterdam:

Visiting the Anne Frank House

I must admit this was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Amsterdam.  I wanted to see that Secret Annex with my own eyes and imagine what it must have been like to be a young Jewish girl in WWII.  Our visit there was one of the highlights of the trip.  We booked our tickets in advance to avoid the long queues and walked right in a special entrance.  There were no strollers allowed in the museum and unfortunately, no photography either.

The self-guided tour did a beautiful job of explaining the story of the Frank family and giving the visitors a peek into what life was like during that time.  The photos of Anne and her family brought tears to my eyes, and all of us were so humbled when we got to go behind the bookcase and up the secret staircase.  It was a very moving experience.  The rooms of the annex are unfurnished (as was Otto Frank's wish), but the postcards and photos Anne pasted to the wall are still hanging in her room, and the pencil marks tracking her growth are still visible on the wallpaper.  There was also a small map on which Otto Frank monitored the progress of the allied troops.  It was all so heartbreaking.  The Anne Frank House made a big impression on all of us, including the kids.

Getting to Know the Dutch Masters

My daughter has been studying the work of Johannes Vermeer in school so seeing some of his original work was one of her top priorities in Amsterdam.  Two of his well known paintings are on display at the Rijksmuseum, which also houses Rembrandt's famous "Night Watch".  

Rembrandt's house in Amsterdam has been completely recreated as a museum and we enjoyed seeing how this wealthy artist lived in the 17th century.  Apparently, he lived above his means and was forced to declare bankruptcy.  All of his possessions were carefully documented in court records and those records have been used to recreate his house exactly as it would have been at the time. 

My favourite art experience in Amsterdam was the Van Gogh museum.  It was fascinating to walk through the galleries, arranged in chronological order and see how Van Gogh's style changed throughout his ten year career.  I had read books about Van Gogh with the kids and they enjoyed searching the galleries for their favourite paintings.  At the end of the visit, a docent let each child choose a postcard of their favourite painting.  My son now falls asleep listening to this darling "Bedroom" music box he carefully selected from the gift shop.

Canals and Architecture

Amsterdam is such an interesting city.  There are hundreds of bridges over the many canals.  The buildings are tall and narrow with the trademark gabled roof lines.  We took a one hour canal boat ride and enjoyed seeing the city from the water.  We were all fascinated by the houseboats permanently moored in the canals.  It was a lovely way to tour the city. 

See those hooks at the top of all the canal houses?  Since the doors and stairways are so narrow, that's how the Dutch get the furniture in and out of the houses.  These hooks also provide an excellent distraction for little eyes while walking through the red light district.  "Oh sweetie- look up there at that hook, how many more can you find?"  Keep their eyes focused up and they won't notice the scantily clad women in the windows at street level.  Worked like a charm! 

The Windmills of Zaans Schans

Visiting this recreated Dutch village a short bus ride outside of Amsterdam was a highlight for the kids.  Wooden shoes, working windmills, and Dutch cheese were all on display.  

There's one in every family . . . . .

Pancakes

Yummy Dutch pancakes!  Crispy along the edges, gooey in the middle, available with any type of sweet or savory topping you can imagine.  They're not just for breakfast anymore.

Bicycles

Everyone rides a bike in Amsterdam.  We saw whole families on a single bicycle.  The stacks of bicycles parked along every road adds to the charm of the city.

 

There was so much to love in Amsterdam I was able to overlook all the smokers, and cigarette butts, and litter and grime.  And despite what many people might think, Amsterdam was a lovely city for a family weekend getaway!

Three Years

That's how long we've been expats.  Today is our Expativersary.  (I believe my friend Laura coined that term).   Three years ago today we landed in Australia and started our life abroad.

Arrival in Sydney- 2 kids, 9 suitcases

Exploring Balmoral Beach for the first time.

Since then, we've made new friends, and kept the old.

We've visited 9 countries on three continents.  Always with our kids.

We've grown exceptionally close as a family.  We welcomed a new baby.

We've started new schools and new jobs and handled the transitions remarkably well.

One of us became an expert at assembling IKEA furniture. 

I still complain about the ridiculous 4-wheel-drive shopping trolleys that are impossible to steer. (Haven't any of these grocery store execs been to America and seen the beauty of our 2-wheel-drive carts?). 

We regularly use words like "rubbish" and "brilliant" and I can't help but smile when my 5 year old asks to climb into the car "through the boot."

I can drive on the left, think in kilometres, and know that 21 degrees feels just right.

We're experts at using public transportation, navigating ferries, buses, trains and the tube with familiarity and ease.

We've cuddled koalas and fed kangaroos.  Snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef and seen the rugged coastline of Tasmania.  We've visited Europe's castles and cathedrals and museums and monuments.

We've learned about history, and architecture, and art.  And along the way I've learned something about myself too.  I'm more adventurous than I thought I was three years ago.  I'm more confident.  I'm willing to try new things and put myself in new situations.  This is one of the beautiful gifts that comes with being an expat.

Exploring Hampton Court Palace on one of our first UK Adventures

I don't know how long this adventure will last, but I don't worry about the future any more.  I live in the present, enjoying today and appreciating all the opportunities we have here.    It's been the most amazing, challenging and rewarding three years of my life.  And I can't wait to see what comes next.

Best Deal Ever (or How I Got a £415 Dress for £65)

I was tempted to keep this little secret to myself.  But it is too good not to share.
Last weekend I went to a fundraiser for my daughter's school in this gorgeous dress.  And the best part:  I only paid £65 for it.

The secret?
Wish, Want, Wear.
It's an online dress hire company in London.  Here's how it works:

• Browse their selection of gorgeous dresses online and place your order. I ordered 3 different dresses in 2 sizes each.   UK dress sizes are smaller than US sizes so remember to order up one or two sizes.
• On the selected date, the dress(es) arrive carefully packaged and ready to wear. 
• Wear your beautiful dress and feel like a million bucks all the while knowing you only spent a fraction of the retail price.
• After your event, place all the dresses in the prepaid bag and drop off at your local post office.
• You only pay for the dress you actually wore.  The rental price of the unworn dresses is refunded (less shipping costs)

Isn't that brilliant?  I will definitely use this service again the next time I need a dress for a special event or even just a night out.

At midnight, after the event when I realized I didn't get a photo of the dress!

I love that I didn't have to leave my house to find the perfect dress.  And I love that I didn't have to spend a small fortune on a dress I'd only wear once.  And most importantly,  I loved the way I felt in that beautiful dress all night.

*If you want to give them a try, send me your email address and I'll send you a code for 15% off your first order.