A trip to spain...

Albeit a bit later than planned, here's a whistle-stop of our recent trip. First stop the Costa Brava, and...

...our villa, complete with bougainvillea and swimming pool. Our days were spent swimming, lying in the sun, reading, lying in the sun, swimming, and...

...exploring the region's incredibly ancient villages and towns...

The very pretty Besalu even had an impressive miniatures museum. After a wonderful week exploring, and doing lots of nothing-much-at-all, it was time to drive to...

...Barcelona, where we successfully negotiated the downtown traffic and made it to our fab hotel with only one wrong turn! A new town meant copious map-reading for Mu, and copious photographing for Turtle.

We took a bus tour of the city (in the scorching heat), and viewed the Sagrada Familia complete with cranes...

...strolled Park Guell (in increasingly searing heat)...

...we spent hours exploring the narrow streets, and viewed art installations...

...discovered many a shop with wonderfully intricate interiors, and found (according to the boys) the world's largest meringues...

...we viewed Gaudi's buildings, discovered ornate entrances...

...embraced the concept of siestas and tapas, and...

...the boys waited patiently while we shopped. We visited the..

...L'aquarium Barcelona, complete with an underwater walk-way and impressive hands-on displays. Then before we knew it... 

...it was time to say adiós and head back to Portland.

For more photos hop over here or here.

Personalised metro maps...

Travelling with 'map-mad boys' comes in very handy. Less than 24 hours after arriving in Paris we were being 'guided' to each 'destination' by the boys and their 'destination-specific' maps. Initially, the maps were rather basic (see above), but it wasn't long before they became more complex (see below)...

...before morphing into full-blown concertinaed versions, with logos! Note the smiley face on the 'stylised' Eiffel Tower.

A trip to Paris...

First stop Chicago, where we used up the four hour layover riding the subway.

Next stop, Paris! While there we explored the Jardins du Palais Royal...

...rode the (uber-efficient) metro...

...Turtle photographed everything in site & Mu developed a taste for limonade...

...we visited the Arc de Triomphe & ate macaroons from Laudree...

...viewed the Louvre & the Mona Lisa, & took time out in the Jardin des Tuileries... 

...and we scaled the Eiffel Tower (in the rain), before...

...collapsing into bed with a dolphin, Cushie, and a bear wearing headphones and an iPod.

More photos here.

We're off...

It's awfully early - 5.45 actually. The boys are still asleep, but I will wake them soon and then we'll be on our way. We have four hours in "Chacargo" where Mu is determined to ride the metro, thus being one step closer to achieving his "metro trifecta". Then it's on to Paris, where we will rendezvous with R. THe boys are beyond excited, and can't wait "to see Paris". I hope to post bits'n pieces from our adventures on Elsa May as we go - but it will depend on reliable internet... 
Image from We Heart It.

OMSI & Einstein...

We trotted off to OMSI the other day, and besides it being pleasantly quiet there was an excellent exhibition on Einstein. We spent hours in the science labs, had a hilarious virtual roller coaster ride, before heading home four (!!) hours later...
Note: the blurry photo above is of the boys jumping in front of an interactive gravity wall. It was pretty cool.

One cool convertible...

Turtle has been saving and saving and finally last Saturday had enough "cash-bucks" stuffed away to purchase this nifty little number. Pretty impressive what you can do with Lego these days.....

How to keep cool...

Last week things got increasingly hot. So early one morning we took a walk up to Washington Park. We wandered through the trees and dappled sunlight, and came across...

...jet sprinklers! Excellent - the boys tore their shirts off and tore through the sprinklers, getting thoroughly soaked in the process.

We then strolled home, and just as we reached the edge of the park Turtle's paparazzi radar when off, and once again we had half a dozen shots of his hand.

Sewing camp 101...

The boys finished sewing camp today and the end results are:
- one extra-long floral pillow case
- two small cushions (one with decorative stitching, the other with a face)
- two floral place mats, with decoratively stitched fabric strap
- a selection of 'pocket' bags of varying sizes
- a selection of decoratively stitched fabric strips (see 'martial arts style' lion below).

The boys chose all the fabrics and threads, and both are quite chuffed with their 'sewing bounty'. When last asked, they both rated sewing 101 higher than last weeks computer gaming course!?!

Cable car No. 16...

Turtle's latest drawing - a very detailed cable car, complete with route map.

A tale of two boys...

One who gets so wrapped in what he's doing it can be hard to get his attention...

...and the other who refuses point-blank to have his photo taken.

Summer berries...

Summer has finally arrived in Portland. Mid to high 20s each day, warm balmy evenings - pure bliss! On Saturday we headed out to Portland's perfect little bit of 'rural' Sauvie Island and went berry picking. It was great fun, and we returned home with enough berries to feed an army. So it's been smoothies, fruit ice cream, & fruit-with-every-meal. I'm even considering making jam!?!

An afternoon stroll...

...with two rambunctious ten-year olds. First up Turtle informed me there was to be "no photos" and accused me of paparazzi tactics. As the first image shows, he clearly has the makings of a professional bodyguard. We proceeded to wander through the immaculately groomed streets of our 'hood, before...

...entering the park. What is it with boys and the need to seek out ledges? Before long we were "off road" and into...

...the depths of the park. I love that in under five minutes walk from our apartment, we can be surrounded by trees. We proceeded to stroll amongst the "skeenary", and concocted a ridiculous story about dogs taking over the world. And as we left... 

...I made a last-ditch attempt to get photographs but failed miserably. Clearly I wouldn't cut-it as a pap, and my children are developing camera avoiding skills which will prove handy should they become pop-stars, or fugitives.

Pecos Bill...

The boys and I have started reading Pecos Bill: The Greatest Cowboy of all time. It's a rip-roaring tale full of adventure, and the mere fact that Pecos was "raised by coyotes" was enough to stop the boys in their tracks. Could that really happen? Well I suppose anything is possible.... Personally, I drew a parallel between a lack of table-manners and "running wild with the coyotes", but elected to keep that to myself for now. 
The end-of-year class picnic was deemed a "great success" by both boys because "all of the food we took was eaten"!?! Oh and they also had a "heap of fun". And as of 3pm this afternoon it will be full speed ahead into the hols!
Image from Barnes & Noble.

Sunshiny sunshine...

Portland has been basking, and I mean basking, in glorious sun all weekend. And with temperatures well into the 70's to boot! With R off on an adventure, the boys and I made the most of the sun with lots of walks, meals al fresco, and general lazing about in the sunshine. Of course plenty of drawings were produced, and we spent this evening sorting ourselves out for the week ahead. School finishes on Tuesday, and then it's full speed ahead into the summer hols. Let's hope the sun sticks around.

Mmmmm...

This afternoon we found ourselves at Saint Honoré devouring ridiculously creamy custard filled pastries. Mmmm....

Overnight camp...

The boy's class have their end of year sleep over tonight. The two elementary classes stay on after school ends, play games, make dinner, build a campfire, and then (weather permitting - it's been really wet) sleep in tents in the school field. Turtle was so excited last night he couldn't sleep, and between the two of them they took enough gear to school this morning to last a week! R and I just hope the rain stays away long enough, and that the boys at least get a few hours sleep.
Image from here.