out of kingdom

In search of Santa-Day 2 brings us to a full day of winter escapades all culminating in a Santa Claus Meet and Greet. Activities include reindeer sleigh rides, elaborate elf logistics, secret codes, and even dog sleds pulled by actual dogs.

Lapland has thought of everything right down to even providing all the winter gear we are wearing. At first I was puzzled at how the staff could possibly know our sizes to fit us correctly.

Turns out the concept of “fit” is completely irrelevant here. They just give you any indiscriminate size and then teach you about layering. By the time you have put on all the extra clothes needed to stay warm, everyone looks like Matt Damon from “The Martian.” For me, it was actually fine, because as far as I am concerned, Finland is another planet.

“Our cheeks are red and rosy and warm and cozy are we…”

All my kids seem to thrive in winter. Grace loves the bracing cold.

Olivia too is exhilarated by the frigid breeze.

Paige is boss driving the dog sled.

And while I am terrified of being wet and cold, Olivia flings herself in the powder for snow angels.

While my other two wrestle and revel in the snow.

Our reindeer sleigh ride through the polar forest. Brian gets up close and personal with Sven. The reindeer love him. 

Look at this beautiful Snow White reindeer.

We travel is these old fashioned wooden sleighs across the deep white snow. It’s ethereal and so beautiful.

My favorite picture of our family. 

One of our most fun activities was the tobogganing hills. Here’s Brian giving Grace a push off.

Nothing so exhilarating than speeding down the hill. Olivia was fearless!

Then it was on to Santa’s house where elves welcome us inside.

Here Santa is reading Olivia’s letter to him. He noted that she had a very long list.

Lunch was a Finnish specialty – Spaghetti. But the atmosphere was very rustic and charming.

And then into the enormous Igloo Ice Bar for drinks-more Baileys for me.

Olivia on a snowmobile. They have mini snowmobiles, and just let the kids go to town riding around. I was scared, but Olivia jumped in full speed ahead.

Christmas Eve includes a beautiful Gala Dinner, and it was so beautifully decorated. Very different from the Ritz, but just as lovely as far as I am concerned.

The food was another matter. This is Smoked Reindeer and Reindeer liver. I tried both, and um…they do NOT taste like chicken. Actually, the food was not bad. There were lots of other offerings that were delicious.

Brian even found a church for us so we could attend Christmas Eve mass.

And even though it was all in Finnish…once a Catholic, always a Catholic I guess, because we had no trouble following along.

What an incredible day! To all our friends and family, “Merry Christmas to all and to all…a good night!”

Our last day in London and we tried to squeeze in more London-ish activities. A spot of shopping, a musical in the West End, and dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant.

If you are short on time, don’t bother going to Harrods. It will take all of your natural life to navigate this block long monolith of a store. It’s expensive and confusing and I did not like it.

Instead go to Hamley’s, the largest toy store in London where not only are there toys, but also an entire floor dedicated to candy. You can see children squealing with delight and happiness everywhere you look…and having right proper meltdowns too.

The world famous Hamleys Toy Store. Five stories of sheer happiness if you’re a kid.

December is a nice time to visit England. It’s all decked out and there is no snow. We lucked out with a rare sunny day.

My new favorite musical in London’s West End. Highly recommended!

Prince Edward Theatre is pure Victorian style fabulousness.

Dinner at the Michelin starred Bar Boulud. 

A very chic and smart restaurant that serves gourmet pub food with a French twist.

Brian looking like a proper Englishman in his vest and tweeds

Back to the hotel and feeling a little like Eloise at the Plaza.

Bundled up for the Christmas Market – a wonderful tradition held all over Europe that we Americans had never heard of.

The Christmas Market is so fun with rides, food, entertainment, ice skating, and every magical Winter Wonderland experience all rolled up in one place

It’s impossible not to be caught up in the Christmas spirit here.

Every manner of merchandise is for sale in charming fairly lit Bavarian chalets. This one in Hyde Park has over 200 vendors.

Yes! Because Paige needs more jewelry.

And just look at the decorations!

They even make snow to order.

Olivia is 6 and this is the first time she has ever seen snow! And it’s fake. Just wait until Finland!

Paige and Olivia are the only ones brave enough to ride the Christmas Coaster.

Wow! Chestnuts really do roast on an open fire. All this time I thought that was just artistic license.

Grace having a bratwurst smile.

Look at all the cute useless things they sell.

And yet still so magical! So sad to leave you England.

If you had told me three years ago that I would be going to the North Pole of my own free will in the dead of winter, it would have only been true if a zombie apocalypse had occurred, and Finland was the last bastion of the human race. And yet here I am.

Everyone knows I am not a fan of the cold. I would go so far as to say I am an anti-fan. So this vacation to one of the coldest corners of the planet is a stretch for me. But Finland is a land of adventure, and I am up for it…I think. Santa Claus, I hope you are ready for us because the Murphys are coming to town!

Embarking for Finland at “o’dark thirty” per our commander in chief.

Ugh! Unfortunately the coffee is universally bad in London. I had to temporarily convert during my time here.

To Baileys…nothing like a drink at 5:00 am from Duty Free to start the trip off right.

If you are not lucky enough to have flying reindeer at your disposal, this is the only other option to the North Pole.

Packed with kids, the staff go all out to entertain them. The captain graciously invites each child to the cockpit for a personal visit.

The fun loving staff even had the kids sing Christmas karaoke over the loudspeaker. Olivia had a grand time entertaining the plane.

And this is our first view of the Arctic Circle as we descend into Finland. Pretty huh?

Baby it’s cold outside…to the tune of -7 degrees Celsius.

Elves welcome us as we disembark into Ivalo airport.

The little apartment Brian rented for us is not the Ritz, but is quite charming in its own right. I have no idea why they gave us a menorah but it’s very festive.

And can you believe how dark it is at only 2:00 pm in the afternoon? An hour later it is pitch black outside.

But that does not stop us from having a rousing snowball fight in the dark…

Complete with full body tackles and…

Even some reindeer games! Brian making a new friend the first night out. 

I know as Americans we categorically reject the idea of Royal families, but look at what we’re missing! Tiaras, Buckingham Palace, Prince Harry…the chance to be in her Majesty’s Secret Service?

Yeah, well today I tried to see what else the Brits had that America needs. Let me tell you, our family blazed through the city like the Great London Fire covering the town at a frenetic pace. I do not recommend seeing England this way. She should be savored to be fully enjoyed. But clearly we Murphys did not care.

Besides Brian refused to let something as mundane as time hold us back. So with the precision of military campaign and utilizing taxis, coaches, boats, and borrowed strollers we set out to see it all! Buckle in kids! We’re going for a ride….and it’s on the wrong side of the street!

St. Paul’s cathedral-built by the world renowned Christopher Wren. It is beyond impressive. The domes, statues, iron work, mosaics and frescoes are breathtaking. But just like the Sistine Chapel, you have to see it in person because no photos are allowed inside.

At the start of our day and the kids are happy and cheerful. This changes dramatically as the day unfolds.

Buckingham Palace is a complete crush. The crowds are unbearable. If you really want to see the changing of the guards, watch it on YouTube.

However, you can see the Imperial Horse Guards, and they are dashing with their regimental
scarlet capes and tasseled helmets.

Next it was on to this little place. Some chapel named Westminster Abbey. I don’t know much about it, but I heard it’s a cute wedding venue.

This sign literally saved our lives!

Our first celebrity sighting, and Olivia is star struck. Look, she’s holding his hand.

London Bridge is falling down. Technically this is Tower Bridge. Believe it or not, the real London Bridge is in Lake Havasu, Arizona.

The Tower of London is actually not a tower, but a bunch of buildings, walls, moats, etc…It’s more like a mini walled city.

Olivia thought this was for Cinderella’s glass slipper. Nope! We had to set her straight. This is where people get their heads chopped off. Haha!

And the highlight of the entire trip for me! This is is home of the Crown Jewels where all the royal monarch crowns, scepters, and other immense priceless investiture artifacts live.

And again, this is why armchair traveling just doesn’t cut it. No pictures are allowed inside. Believe me when I tell you it’s magnificent. I loved it so much, I went through twice!

Poor Brian- he lost his Crown Jewels here too.

WTH! Are those monkeys? I freaked out until I realized they are just statues. Seems at one time the Tower of London used to be the Royal Zoo.

Today only 37 of these Yeoman Warders or Beefeaters exist at any one time. They guard the Tower and have been doing so for over 700 years.

Then it was a cruise on the river Thames. Our tour guide took great pains to tell us that the Thames is dirty but not polluted. Brian did not care because they served beer.

We traveled to Greenwich pronounced Gren-itch by boat and saw this. We loved the iconic red telephones boxes, but were sad to learn London has plans to get rid of them all by next year.

Greenwich is a really lovely town. Lot of beautiful landmarks to see like the beautiful Old Navy Royal College. And best of all – no crowds.

The National Maritime Museum is the largest of its kind in the world with all manner of nautical exhibits. This is one of the golden barges that played Handel’s famous Water Music symphony for King George. That’s real gold by the way!

And amazing figure heads that decorated ships throughout history.

The Cutty Sark-sorry don’t know anything about this ship except it’s very famous and impressive
looking.

Grace my math aficionado was jubilant to be standing over the famous Greenwich International Dateline. Hey, it’s not every day you can be in both the Eastern and Western Hemisphere simultaneously.

Besides having tons of fun things to see, Greenwich is just a great town in general. We wish we could have explored this gem a bit more.

But we had places to go like the London Eye at night.

Even though I am not a fan of Ferris Wheels, this was impressive.

Look kids! Big Ben..and the entire city all lit up and gorgeous looking.

It’s like something out of Star Wars…but only 30 minutes long.

Olivia was tickled to get to ride in one of those old fashioned black taxicabs.

And taking a dip in the enormous bath tub swimming pool. After a long day, the kids enjoyed the hotel ordering ice creams and watching movies.

I have a confession to make. I never traveled as a child. Most of my notions about the world are things I’ve read about in a book or seen in a movie. So of course when we decided to go to London, I insisted straightaway (hey, don’t I sound British already?) that we all experience an authentic tea party. And where better to do that than at the iconic Ritz Hotel itself?

Make no mistake though, this hotel is not part of the ubiquitous Ritz Carlton franchises known all over the planet. The ‘Ritz London’ is one of only three original Ritz hotels left in the world, and is one of a kind.

Here its all about tradition, and the hotel is the epitome of classic British elegance where the staff still wear waistcoats and white gloves. It’s nothing like America, everything like the stereotype, and we loved every moment of it!

Merry Christmas everyone! Or as the British keep saying to us “Have a lovely Christmas!” Isn’t that so cute and British sounding?

Everything about this place is so quintessentially traditional right down to the white gloved doorman and polished brass railings.

Inside you won’t find any trace of contemporary. It’s 100% old school British elegance.

This magnificent tree greets you as you step inside the lobby.

Coming from a place where people hardly even say the word Christmas out loud much less recognize the holiday, seeing all these spectacular decorations everywhere is a glorious sight.

And the rooms are none too shabby either with classic style carpets, marble fireplaces, and REAL keys!

“Team Estrogen” as Brian calls us in our matching robes getting ready for afternoon tea.

Here everything is looked after right down to the smallest detail.

The girls conferring on which kind of tea to order. There were so many to choose from.

Grace getting some suggestions from the very smartly dressed waiter. Notice the ornate walls and ceilings.

And of course Olivia had to wear her tiara to this very special tea party.

My friend Laura told me that champagne and tea pair very well together. She was right!

Cheers!

Enjoying all the lovely offerings and Christmas carolers in the back serenading us.

Olivia even got her very own silver pot of hot chocolate.

Scones with strawberries and clotted cream. How can something so simple be so good?

All these delicate and intricate desserts were as delicious as they looked.

They are smiling here, but both these guys are not into leisurely teas. I could have stayed much longer than we did. 

And no matter how good the tea is, this is still Brian’s drink of choice

I think Oman is probably our favorite Middle Eastern country of all the Arabian kingdoms. It’s the second time we’ve visited here, and it’s just as beautiful as I remember it. Oman is so pristine and beautiful with majestic mountains jutting out among the Gulf of Oman.

November is the perfect time to visit. The weather is sublime and the water is the perfect temperature. Add in the incredibly gracious Omani people and you have all the makings of an unforgettable holiday.

The Shangri-La hotel where we stayed overlooks the gorgeous Gulf of Oman.

These mountains are spectacular and they seem to grow right out of the sea.

We had some fun the night before at an Arabian “Wild West” themed night. Brian tried his hand at mechanical bull riding. Not his proudest moment, but highly entertaining for me.

This was really fun with saloon dancers, cowboys, all manner of western style food and entertainment.

Olivia rode a pony with a cowboy who couldn’t speak a word of English, but he sure looks authentic.

Me and Olivia having breakfast in our matching “mother and daughter” travel dresses.

Olivia’s favorite way to travel

We went with our good friends the Bassett’s and had such a good time. Tom and Angela with their new son Alex.

An absolute must was the Lazy River complete with mermaid friends.

And I obviously had no problem being lazy here.

One of the highlights was the Kiddie Buffet complete with hot chocolate and marshmallows every day.

The ocean is warm and clean. And it feels exactly like Daytona Beach.

Except here you get to ride ponies by the sea.

And even camels!

This is the proper way to sit on a camel. I was scared to death, but Olivia loved it.

Brian and I even managed a night out together.

Angela and I look quite athletic in this picture I think. Unlike me though, Angela is actually the real deal.

Getting ready to explore the coastline by boat.

We had a grand time being pulled on this BarcaLounger up and down the bay.

Our last dinner together at one of the many resort restaurants. 

Olivia and Brian working on her dismount.

Goodbye Oman! See you same time next year!

So as all good things must come to an end, so does our trip to Tuscany. Looking back we all learned a lot. Brian learned how to drive like an Italian. I learned how to make pizza (sort of), and Olivia? Well, Olivia learned that that being too far away from the WiFi makes her feet hurt. Oh well…

I always knew I loved traveling, but I didn’t know how fun it could be with more than just family. Having my brother and sister in law here made every experience that much sweeter. Thanks Roger and Myphuong for traveling across the ocean to be with us. We love you guys!

Our little world traveler who has a WiFi condition.

Castelnuevo-just one of the many little known towns we explored. 

My favorite shot of the villa.

Living in the country was an experience for a city girl like me.

But I actually loved it. You can literally just pick these off the vine and eat them. Sweet and warm.

Somehow all the food tasted better outside here.

Actually everything was better.

My fun loving brother who was up for anything. Kids don’t try this at home!

Sightseeing…Olivia was not happy. She thought we were going for pizza not Pisa.

Basilica of the St. Mary of the flower, which I thought was way more impressive than the Duomo in Florence.

Pisa is kind of a sketchy little town, but it was worth it to see this. This part of town is actually pretty and relaxing…and they have a McDonald’s (Olivia’s favorite part).

I 💖 my sister in law for so many reasons. My brother is definitely marrying up.

And not only because she is a magician with the “selfie stick.” All the best pictures are hers.

And of course the food…I ate some of this every single day.

What? You never saw a porchetta enjoying a porchetta?

Italy is not made for Minnesota farm boys.

But Brian had no trouble converting to the daily espresso habit…even drinking them standing up Italian style.

So many beautiful places to see

Portofino was definitely a favorite. Yes, the water is actually that blue

Riding bikes along the walls of Lucca.

Enjoying picturesque small town life.

Shopping….

Staying home…

Or going out…Brian loved this place, not so much for the food as for the Coronas that they served here.

Drinking…in Italy, it’s seems perfectly acceptable to always be holding one of these.

And more drinking…I am convinced cappuccino is God’s gift to Italy. And I am sorry, but they definitely taste better here.

Family…

Friends…

Misadventures…I am pretty sure we exceeded the maximum capacity level in this ridiculously small elevator.

Celebrating all the moments…

Even bad ones like rainy days can be fun. Thankfully it only rained towards the end.

Even sad faces can’t dim the light in Italy. This is the Duomo by the way.

Ciao Tuscany! It’s been an adventure.