Knight School at the Tower of London

We did not pay entry to the Tower of London or for the Knight School experience

Over the February Half Term, visitors to the Tower of London can enrol in Knight School and train to become a Paige, Squire and finally a Knight alongside Sir Anthony Woodville.  We were invited to a preview event and Archie (6) and Dylan (8) had a go at training to see if they would be knighted at the end.

It was our first visit to the Tower of London and Knight School was the first thing we explored.  During Half Term (from the 15th - 23rd February) it will be running every day between 10am and 4pm and is included in your general entry.  The children were greeted by two 15th century characters who immediately made them laugh as they explained life in 1471.  As part of the training, they had to learn to dance and tell jokes, serve the Knight at table and then joust on pretend horses.  Finally as they neared the end of their training was the bit they had been most excited for, the swords.  Each child was given a foam sword and they were taught the three main moves before being set free to attack 'Roger'.  They boys loved the comedy and were really proud of the medals they were presented with at the knighting ceremony.  The whole experience lasted less than an hour and got the children really excited for what else was to come.

The knights had spoken about King Henry's armour being on display in the white tower so that was our first stop after a quick snack break (there is a cafe directly opposite the Knight School grounds).  Inside the White Tower you can discover many sets of armour from throughout history as well as lots of information on weapons, cannons and all the other things young children are fascinated by.  We found an interactive room towards the top of the tower which had somewhere you could learn about shooting a gun, screens where you could build castles and many other games that are both fun and very educational. 

After discovering the armour, we wanted to go and see the Crown Jewels and the children loved watching the guards outside with their guns, hats and very methodical way of moving.  The jewels were bright and sparked a lot of conversation with the boys about the monarchy and the queen. 

We walked around and learned about the animals that had lived in the tower, the elephant sent over as a gift and the polar bear that was chained up and the boys found it really fascinating.  There was plenty more we could have looked at but we had to cut our visit short as we had somewhere else to be.  We all really enjoyed our day at the Tower of London, there was so much to do for children and families and the Knight School really brought it all to life and helped encourage the boys interest in history.  If you are around London next week then I would really recommend a visit!  Both the boys have asked if we can go back soon!

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4 Places to Take Your Family to See the Northern Lights

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One thing that I am desperate to tick off my bucket list is seeing the Northern Lights.  They look magical, ethereal and they remind me of the beauty that is all around us.  I have been checking out different options for visiting the Aurora Zone  and the types of holidays that are available if you want to catch a glimpse of the night sky lit up.  

There seems to be three choices for visiting the Aurora Zone, September and October when the ground is fresh and you might catch a glimpse of the lights above the rivers and water.  November and December are when the snow starts falling but there is the magic of Christmas and there are many trips where you can visit the big man in red at the same time which would be truly incredible.  January, February and March are colder and everything will be covered by a blanket of white which means all sorts of snowman fun during the day!  The warmer months are not the best time to visit as the bright sun means the sky is too light.  I love the idea of combining a trip to the area with a visit to see Santa and I imagine it would make for the most magical lead up to Christmas for any child (or grown-up)!

There seems to be four countries that reach high up near the Arctic, all of which offer something unique.

Iceland. 
Iceland is the place I associate most with the Northern Lights, probably because I have family who visited recently and saw a spectacular light show on their trip.  As well as hunting for the lights, Iceland offers an UNESCO World heritage site, iconic geysers and waterfalls.  The scenery of the country sounds spectacular and trips to the capital Reykjavik can include coach trips to quieter areas with less artificial light to give you a better chance of seeing the wonders.  

Sweden. 
One of the big draws of visiting Swedish Lapland is the famous ICEHOTEL.  A trip to Sweden can include ice fishing, snowmobile-pulled sled tours and husky safaris.  The ICEHOTEL looks incredible and definitely an experience to remember.  We have briefly visited Sweden in the past and I have been wanting to go back but I would love to see such a different part of the country.  

Finland.  
For some reason I think Finland is often overlooked as a Northern Lights destination which makes no sense as they have just as wonderful light displays as their neighbours.  Finnish Lapland is home to 200,000 reindeers which for me is reason alone to push this to the top of the list.  If I was to be able to visit Finland then the Aurora Domes look like an incredible and cosy place to stay although the tree-houses would be a close second!  In the winter here temperatures are usually around -5 to -15 degrees and the sun doesn't rise above the horizon, however this doesn't mean there is no natural light at all, there is a blue haze that comes from the sun and the reflections on the snow.

Norway.  
Norway has Tromso, widely regarded as the 'capital of the arctic' and home to 19th century architecture, a rich culture and a history of arctic exploration with the stories being told in various museums.  I think if you are interested in knowing more about the northern most points of the world this would be a fantastic place to visit.  Holidays to Norway can include self drive options which give you so much freedom to enjoy the area at your own pace.  The choices of accommodation are just as varied and interesting as its neighbours and there are quiet islands and fjords to explore locally as well as the bigger city.  I love the idea of having a busy metropolitan city to enjoy at the same time.


Researching the different options for visiting the arctic circle and hunting the Northern Lights has only made me more desperate to visit, although I can't decide which country I would most like to visit! I found a three countries break where you can hunt the lights by catamaran and take in the best of each country and it has shot to the top of my list!  Have you been to see the Northern Lights yet? Would you like to?

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A Ski Holiday Through the Eyes of an Eight Year Old.

We have recently returned from a week skiing with Snowbizz, the family ski specialists and I wanted to share how our week went from a different perspective so I asked eight year old Dylan to talk about the week and I would write down exactly what he said.  He chose the photos for the post and all the words are his so if you want to hear a child's perspective then read on!



Snowbizz is really fun because you can ski.   Snowbizz is the best place as there are lots of pink ladies and on the last day you get rewards like badges.  There is ski school in the mornings.  Green is the easiest slopes, then blue, then red and black is the hardest.  I skied on red, green and blue runs and it was really hard when I was skiing on red. I like doing short cuts around the little posts .

The Resort

I love that there is lots of snow and the hotel.  There is lots of space for sledging, there is a creche and a ski school.  I like the Brown Bear cafe because they did tasty hot chocolate and crepes.  I like the creperie too, that is where we went for Crepe and Games night.

The Hotel

The hotel is really big and nice and I like the rooms.  Our apartment had 3 bedrooms and one living room. I had bunk beds in my room and Finn slept on the top and I slept on the bottom.  Our room was big enough for the beds and all the toys we brought with us. There was a locker room on floor 1 and we kept all our ski gear in there.  

Ski School

My instructor was Jean-Paul, he was nice.  We skied for 2 hours in our lessons and had a break most days to have a snack which we took in our pockets (my favourite was rice crispie squares).  Before the lesson starts there is a room with lots of games we can play or you can go outside on a snowy hill. The pink ladies are really nice and they play games with us.  It is a good place to make friends at ski school and the creche. 

Afternoons

There are lots of different things to do in the afternoons like skiing, sledging, swimming and playing.  There is a sledging hill and you can go really fast.  We borrow sledges from the Snowbizz creche.  If you want to stay inside then you can go in the creche and do colouring and one afternoon I made bracelets for my friends.  I liked skiing in the afternoon.  We went up the mountain one day for lunch because there is a restaurant at the top and skied back down.  We went for hot chocolate some afternoons at one of the coffee shops.  I loved doing the giant jumps in the ski park.  I did them once in my lesson and then went up with Mummy to get some photos so I could show my friends how I could ski.  

Evening Kids Clubs

This was my favourite part.  There was one every day, my favourite was Disco because we got to play disco games and we made giant glow stick circles.  I also really liked Winter Olympics, we got to go sledging in the dark and we got to play races with the pink ladies and I won nearly every race! The other ones were crepe and games night, pizza party and talent show, treasure hunt and movie night on the last night.

I love going on holiday with Snowbizz as it is so much fun.  Next year I want to go up a group and ski on the red slopes and get better at the jumps.  Next year I want to do all the kids clubs too as they are so much fun.  My brothers and sister all love going skiing too and next year Cora will be old enough for all the kids clubs.

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Silent Walks on a Snowy Mountain.

There is so much to enjoy on a ski holiday and the winter sport is obviously top of the list but I love to take an afternoon to explore the hiking trails through the mountains when we go away.  It is uphill at the start, steep and exhausting.  I have to cross the ski slopes with confidence, trusting everyone will go around me if I keep at the same pace, and then I am above the nursery slopes where new learners are practising.  I cross the park, walk through the trees, cross another slope and then things change.

The further I walk, the more the silence strikes me.  There is the swish of my legs as the salopettes move, the crunch of my boots in the snow and nothing else.  As I walk I hear but when I stand still there is nothing, no humans, no animals, no wind, just silence.  Everything is white, the mountains appear in front and around me, cliff edges, forests of trees and the odd marker to tell me I am on the right track.  The path in front of me has been marked out and I can see the odd footprint from someone who has walked the same track this week.  I love the silence, I sit and enjoy it, I breathe in the calm.  I don't find this at home, my walks always take me along the seafront where the waves crash, the seagulls call and the wind blows through my hair.  The air seems so still in this sheltered path through the mountain though.  I can't bring myself to put my headphones in, the silence is too appealing, too novel.

I know when I get back the excitement will commence, the children will bubble around me desperate to ski/swim/sledge/snack and the chaos will continue as it always done so I make sure every year to walk the silent tracks, to climb higher into the mountains, to let my mind wander and to really be alone, just for a short time.

I bought a glass photo ball a long time ago which I have never used but I wanted to take some photos with it last week of the ski resort and I think with some of them you can see the silence and simplicity of being half way up a snowy mountain.  

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The End of January

I can never get my head round how January is so long but it is coming to an end today and I wanted to finish it off with a family photo.  I have been taken these every month since Archie was a baby but I got a bit lazy at the end of last year. I want to get them all printed and into a book or something as they are so special to us and I love that no matter what else happens, there is a photo of me with them each month and a record of how we have all changed and grown.

In the first photos we are both holding the boys, but now I can barely lift  8 year old Dylan and I don't think there will be many more with Cora in my arms either if she keeps growing! This photo was taken on our recently holiday in France after a sledging session on the slopes.  I am impressed that I got anyone to smile as we were all a bit exhausted but the promise of a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) 

I think the highlight of January for all of us has been our ski holiday but I have really enjoyed getting back into reading and Finn is fascinated by letters at the moment and is making a big effort with both reading and writing.  Cora has spent all month asking me if I can get her a dog once her boys are at school and the big two have to be dragged away from Minecraft if I need them to act human! We are looking forward to two birthdays in February and keeping our fingers crossed for some snow in the UK!

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The Ordinary Moments - The Down Time

I have all the exciting skiing snaps to share, the sledging and snowballs and all the amazing things that made our week in the snow so special but there is more to a holiday than that, there are completely ordinary moments alongside the extraordinary.

Being at a ski resort is exhausting.  Every morning the children had their ski lessons and every afternoon we were either swimming, sledging or back out on our skiis.  They all loved the evening clubs and were desperate to go each night so it became part of our holiday routine to be home by 5pm from our afternoon fun, to snuggle the children on the sofa and put on one of the films I had downloaded onto my laptop for them.  There were only four and we pretty much watched the same film (Toy Story) every night but they were tired and enjoyed the familiarity.

Ed and I would tidy up and get dinner ready and they would all sit along the sofa and have some downtime to help balance a day of excitement.  It was totally ordinary and I wanted to take a picture of that too.  I love the idea of going tech free on holiday but I felt like what they needed most at this point in the day was to sit and relax.  Chances are if we were at home they would be doing a similar thing at 5pm!

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5 Reasons to Book a Family Activity Holiday to the Azores.

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Off to the west of mainland Portugal lies a collection of nine volcanic islands, collectively known as the Azores.  They are not as popular yet with tourists as other areas in the country but they offer a unique charm and so many exciting activities for families and the more I read about the area, the more I want to pack a suitcase and hop on a plane!

Here are 5 reasons I want to plan a family holiday to the Azores.

1) The islands have such outstanding natural beauty , each one bright green and bursting with fauna.  The natural parks including the magnificent Ribeira dos Caldeirões Natural Park look breathtaking but it is the volcanoes that can be seen in places like Furnas and the caves and tunnels of lava that would attract my children who are incredibly fascinated by these things.  You can walk through Gruta do Carvão the longest lava tunnel on the islands.  The Azores boast some beautiful tall mountains and you can visit the black sand beaches

2) Being built on volcanic land, the Azores have hot springs across the islands and their mineral rich waters are perfect for taking a dip in.  For more water filled adventures you can go lagoon snorkelling at the Vila Franca Islet which sounds incredible and you can't forget the Atlantic Waters that surround the islands and are well known for the possibilities of spotting dolphins and whales.  Seeing a dolphin in the wild is something I would love to do one day and family activity holidays to the Azores tend to include the opportunity to do this, maybe even snorkelling alongside them!  Whilst we are talking about the water based reasons to visit the islands, you can't forget Caldeira Velha waterfall in Caldeiraes national park which you can go for a swim in!  My children are drawn to water (as am I) and a holiday filled with so many possibilities would be wonderful.

Credit : Futurismo Azores Adventure

3) When we plan our travels we try to avoid places that are too busy when we can.  The children all love the opportunity to make friends and chat to other people but we don't like to be too crowded and cramped and the Azores are so much quieter as a tourist destination than the Algarve and other well known parts of Portugal.  The uniqueness of this experience is definitely a big draw for us as we love to discover new places together.

4) Nobody can get bored on an adventure holiday and the number of experiences available in this area is extraordinary.  From snorkelling with dolphins, to walking through lava tunnels and exploring the black sandy beaches of Santa Barbara, no two days would be the same and there is bound to be something amazing for each member of the family.  Other activities possible on a family activity holiday to the Azores include jeep tours, botanical gardens, viewing the oldest remaining tea plantation and factory in Europe and visiting a pineapple farm. I love the idea of really getting to explore and know an area and there are plenty of opportunities to try the local cuisine which is very important when visiting somewhere new!

Credit : Futurismo Azores Adventure

5) I love to know the history of where I am visiting and everything about the Azores is fascinating.  The geographical history of how the islands were formed is really interesting and the way the islands became home to the current inhabitants is something I want to read more about.  The islands got more popular over time and the waves of immigration mean the area is rich in culture and cuisine.  Originally they sent some sheep out to get the ground ready for people and it slowly built up over many, many years.

The Azores area is full of excitement and adventure and I think it would make a wonderful destination to visit as a family.  It is definitely going on our travel bucket list for in a few years time when the little ones are old enough to keep up with it all! The temperatures are great with little variation throughout the year and not too hot that it gets uncomfortable  and the area is full of merged cultures as people have settled on the islands at different times and from different areas.

Have you visited the Azores?

Credit : Futurismo Azores Adventure

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