Chubbyfoot Photography

"as we walk in fields of gold"...

2012-05-07T19:43:52Z

Sting.

Last Tuesday was a Belgian holiday, so we took advantage of dad being off of work and headed to the Meuse River valley. I'd heard of Dinant and had tried to NOT go there yet, anticipating that it would be much more fun to visit during warmer months because of it's position on the river. There are boats to rent and a fun cafe atmosphere all along the river, that indeed makes it much more fun when the sun shining. Well thank goodness our order of sunshine was delivered!

We caravaned with our friends, the Michaels, and don't you know I squealed in excitment when I started seeing these amazing fields of gold! Turns out they're canola fields and are well known in this region, but also around Normandy if you're heading there in the spring. It was breathtaking and of course I had to grab a few shots!

Our first planned destination was the Rail Bikes of Molignee. I'd read about these - there are several around Belgium actually - but with it's proximity to the Meuse, we decided to try this one. It was a lot of fun! I even wore shorts for the first time in 5 months (!), figuring I'd be exercising and working up a sweat, but the kids had so much fun pedaling that my warm up plan didn't go so well :) But it's a lot of fun and such a unique way to see a sliver of the area. There are longer rides, but we just took a 8k ride total. I'd highly recommend it, but am glad we got up early and hit the first shift, as there were 3x as many people on the 2nd. I suspect they get pretty busy when summer rolls around.
Next up was a stop at the Maredsous Abbye. A friend told me about the Abbye that is famous for their beer and cheese and it didn't dissapoint! There's a great playground that the kids can run wild while you enjoy the culinary delights.
Our last stop was in the picturesque town of Dinant, on a sunny afternoon. We took the cable car up to the citadel on the hill (which has a great playground as well!).. toured the fortress, took all 408 steps back down and had a few treats while we enjoyed the river view. We will definiltey rent the boats on a future trip, although my kids were kind of blasse to the idea after 4 years of having our own ski boat. haha.. The thought of paddling ourselves wasn't sounding too thrilling, I guess! But on a sunny afternoon, it will be just what the doctor ordered.
So, au revior Meuse. I look forward to exploring more of your valley over the next couple of years!

tulips galore in Holland {traveling with kids in Europe}

2012-05-03T15:10:06Z

There are certain seasonal floral wonders on my European wish list:
lavendar in Provence
sunflowers in France
tulips in Holland

I can cross off the latter!

After seeing an amazing display of flowers at Floralia-Brussels a few weeks ago, I wondered if we needed to see the actual fields in Holland. While the gardens of Kukenhof were amazing, I must say Floralia was almost as impressive. The tie-breaker in favor of Holland was certainly the fields with acres and acres of tulips! It was a fun experience and could have only been better had the sun been shining :( It could have been worse, of course, if it was pouring, or had we not gone at all (!) so voila! Gratitude for being allowed to see God's amazing creation!

We met up with my friend Shayna and her cute crew. You might be seeing a lot more of them in Wheatley adventures as she loves to travel as much as I do!

We left at 6am (I told you I met my match in travel-craziness) so we could pull in around 8:15am when the doors opened. We were rewarded with virtually no crowds and people-free photos. By 9:30-10, it was getting quite packed so go early if you can! The kids endured the rows and rows of flowers and were pleased to find a fun playground and hot chocolate mid-adventure to perk them up. We then climbed into a windmill, discovered a labrynth and petted a few animals in the petting zoo. A good time was had by all!

After the tulips, we headed back to Brussels by way of Gouda! I've got a couple of cheese lovers in my house who were estatic to spend the afternoon with all things cheesy. It's a cute town and I'd recommend it if you're in route from Brussels to Holland. There's an auction on certain days in the summer that would be really fun to see, so we might just have to go back! Queen's Day was the following day, so there was orange everywhere!(their national color) and we could have stayed and seen quite the party! But dad had to work the next day, so we leisurely made our way back with a couple of purchases and yes, had Gouda for dinner ;)
On the way home, we kept seeing wild yellow flowers on the side of the road (more on these tomorrow when I saw the mother of all "fields of gold"). But i had to pull over and snap a few pics. K was done with photos, but my girl and her dad (probably bc they were so giddy over the Gouda) were happy to snap a few. Here's my fave!

Au Revoir Istanbul! {traveling with kids in Europe - and Asia!}

2012-05-01T19:01:55Z

Our last day in Turkey was spent heading out on an early ferry to the Princes' Islands, a popular day trip from Istanbul. After a lot of research, I settled on the pedestrian only island of Buyukada. It was cute, though a little run down. It had glimmers of charm and it's past glory, and we were just delighted to have sunshine and a horse and carriage ride! Officially I don't think I'd recommend it. I'd recommend staying another day so that you have time to go to Ephasus or Cappodiccia. And there's about another 3 weeks of fantastic sites to be seen in Turkey, but alas, the hubs actually has a job, with only a certain amount of vacation days, so 4 days it was!

On the ferry ride over:
On the island itself. First up was the horse and carriage ride which is a must if you do go..
Our last fresh fish lunch. Eyeballs and all :) We really enjoyed the food on this trip. Mediterranean influence meant lots of hummus, dolmas and this special puffed pita bread as big as both the kids heads! We have quite an adventureous eater in Miss C, as we've always known, but she really had fun exploring a more exotic menu with her dad (who she gets it from). My picky eater surpised us all when he wanted the fish on this day. He's always been a great meat eater and we decided he's a little more adventurous than we give him credit for. Over the last few months, his "all meat goes attitude" has inlcuded trying duck, rabbit, escargo, scallops, beef tartar, and even this fish with the head and eyeballs in which he was eating the crispy tail like a chip. So, while he still won't eat un-melted cheese and mashed potatoes will make him vomit, he's holding his own! haha...

then, walking off our yummy lunch...

We raced back to the hotel to catch our 7pm flight... I loved these flags in the trees..
only to discover our flight had been canceled until the next morning. Too bad we couldnt' have stayed in our great hotel that night and enjoyed a relaxing evening.. instead, we were in the airport for many hours, finally going on our own to get an airport hotel which had a shuttle for our 7am flight. The line to get a hotel voucher with the airlines was at least 4 hours long! So this is how the kids entertained themselves for a few hours in said airport..
See if you can guess what games they were playing!
So, that's finally the end of our Turkish adventure! Thanks for looking and check back for loads of tulips in Holland and more this week!

Istanbul Part 3: {traveling with kids in Europe & Asia}

2012-04-30T20:17:07Z

I feel like our experiences living overseas will be the beginnings of great party jokes one day. You know the ones that start like this -
"Did I ever tell you about the time ..."
... I scraped my windshield in the hotel parking lot with a 'my little pony' because it was 6am, the 3rd day we were in Belgium and I didn't have a scraper in the rental car!?
... we drove to the Christmas markets in Germany the 1st week we were here and the GPS ran out of charge with no map in the car?
... we put petrol in our diesel rental car? In rural France?
... we picked feathers off of our brown grocery store eggs. Every time?
... we had to get a physical on our house hunting trip and the doctor said after about 3 sentances, "I need you to take all your clothes off", and there was no paper wrap!? And I was expecting Ashton Kutcher to jump out and say I'd been punk'd?
And the list goes ON and ON! haha..

Traveling to Turkey definiltey had it's share of dinner-party-stories.
like the one where...
... we split up and took each kid to our first Turkish hammam (bath). The women's side was all topless and we both got a real scrubbing by an also topless bather that did NOT look like Gisele.
... at the above Hammam, when miss priss tells me her eyes are burning a little and I say, "because of the steam or because of seeing all the big boobies?" ;)
... getting caught in the rain in Asia and waiting under a playground fort for a good 30 minutes with a couple of gypsies and a smoking pandhandler.
... sitting at a restaurant all with wet feet for no less than 3 hours, outside, while cats were fighting and trying to get K's food. Only to be told after we'd been waiting about 2 hours that the waiter forgot to put our order in. (we actually had amazing food much of the time.. this was the exception!)
... being chatted up by no less than 4 men our first day trying to take us to a carpet shop. Maybe we looked less green on our 2-4th day because it seemed to subside after that.
... running across the set of a James Bond film and then seeing later that week in the news that a freakish wind storm had torn it down a few days later.
... hearing the call to prayer for the first time in the streets. It was so loud we just had to stop and sit and watch (and listen). By our 3-4th day, it was old hat and we strolled on about our business smiling at the few others you could tell were hearing it for their first time..
... we took the kids to Asia for their first time?

And now for Day 3 of our Istanbul adventure.
We started out by heading to the Church in Chora, famous for it's Byzantine mosaics. It did not dissapoint and it was a treat to share our Christian faith with our children right there in Istanbul, thanks to these stories that have been preserved for hundreds and hundreds of years, thru such an amazing art form.
A bit of browsing outside of Chora up some fantastic colors and textures.
We then headed across the Golden Horn to the Galeta Tower. Built in 1348, we'd read that it was a great viewpoint to see the mainland, and thankfully the rain hadn't begun and we could see what all the fuss was about!

We boarded a ferry and decided to head across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of Istanbul. It's the only city to straddle 2 continents! The kids were super excited to check a continent of their list! We had a great fish lunch and hid out from the rain as long as we could.
As you can see, the clouds were rolling and in and it rained for much of the afternoon and into the night. We got drenched as the traffic was horrible and we couldn't get a taxi. So we ducked into the hammam and warmed up, got a good scrubbing, only to put on our wet clothes and walk another few miles back to the hotel... only to get all good and dry to put on wet shoes and go sit outside for what turned out to be a 3 hour dinner with feisty cats! Oy vey! Needless to say, we slept GREAT that night and were ready for our last adventure: to the Princes' Islands. Final report coming up tomorrow!

a beautiful family in Brussels {Brussels family photography}

2012-04-28T13:33:47Z

I first met this family in Houston when the big sister was a year or 2? She had the cutest red Annie dress on, auburn bob and sweet smile. Fast forward 7 or 8 years, add a precious little sis, several photo shoots in between and 2 international moved between us and voila! Here we met on a crazy-weather afternoon. We totally dodged the hail and showers and were able to capture a few moments for them to remember of their European vacation!
Thanks, Scott family, for always making me look good! ;)
** ps.. if you're local (or visiting anytime soon) and are interested in family photos, just shoot me an email. I'm not working a lot, but if you can catch me in town when the weather is nice, I'm all yours! I won't be publishing a calendar per se, just booking a few appts as requests come in and i'm not in
Venice,
Budapest,
Windsor,
Paris,
Dublin,
Copenhagan,
Cinque Terre,
Oslo,
you get the picture ;)

And now for the stars of the show: The Scott family, all the way from Doha!

The Royal Greenhouses in Laeken

2012-04-26T20:36:17Z

I still have a couple of days left to share with you about Istanbul, but I thought I'd post about my visit to the Royal Greenhouses, as they are open for just another week (until May 6th I believe).
A gardener's paradise, in an Art Nouveau beauty of a building, alongside a nice summer castle. Not a bad way to spend an hour or 2 in Brussels! Thanks to my friends Colleen and Amy for the invite, and thanks to the king for sharing his greenhouses with the public ;) I'm always up for a new adventure!

The weather has been typically Belgian the last couple of weeks, so no blue skies to wow you with in these photos. I was just happy that we missed the rain so we could enjoy the outside section of the gardens. It started sprinkling as soon as we got in the car and rained most of the rest of the afternoon!

there are cherry blossoms galore in Brussels. It was a treat to catch these in their full glory.

It was a great outting for girlfriends. Not sure the kids would have appreciated it, and since I'll be dragging bringing them to Kukenhof this week to see the tulips in Holland, I thought they could sit this one out! If you dont get a chance to see them, then perhaps this little post will have to do!
Thanks for looking and check back tomorrow for the rest of our adventures in Istanbul!

Istanbul walking tour: {traveling with kids in Europe and Asia}

2012-04-25T16:41:14Z

our 2nd day in Istanbul, we spent on a private tour of the major sites. The morning was spent exploring the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Hippodrome area, while the afternoon was mostly in Topkapi Palace and then on to the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. We'd seen a couple of these the day before, but it's always more interesting with a guide telling you the cool stuff you'd never know on your own! ;)

The inside of Hagia Sophia was amazing. A mesh of the Christian and Muslim influences abound.
The light pours in and you can't help but stand in awe of such an amazing masterpiece that's been inspiring it's inhabitants for over 1500 years!
I've always been a sucker for mosaics and boy did I geek out here. When you visit any place with a Byzantine history, you're guarenteed to find amazing mosaics. It's such an incredible art form. The one photo above where the pieces are missing clear up to their faces has somewhat of a sad story. They were all covered in the Muslim period, and in the 20's when Turkey became a republic, they opened Hagis Sophia as a museum and unearthed the mosaics that had been hidden for 500 years. That particular mosaic was intact, but the early curators would give break off a piece to give to vistitors for a small fee. So it lasted for 1400 years only to be dismembersd for a few cents!? So sad!
However, there were several more (out of arms reach!?) that we can still enjoy today.
Next up was Topkapi Palace. Construction began in the 1400's and it's very opulent and filled with gorgeous tile and eastern Ottoman beauty.
we spent some time in the Harrem, which was romanticized by western poets in the 1800's. Yes, the sultan had a few wives, but the Harrem was explained as more of a boarding school for future wives than what we assume when we hear the word. (i'll keep this post G-rated) ;) It's true though, that girls as young as 6-7 would be brought here to be trained to be future child-bearers. If they had a child, they were set. If they had a son, it was like winning the lottery! The crafstmanship was truly amazing here.. oh the photos ops I had!!
A few pics in the spice market to close our full day! We all discovered our favorite Turkish delight flavor and called it a day. Check back tomorrow for more fun on the Golden Horn!

Wheatley House Hunters International: Coming to a TV near you! ;)

2012-04-24T18:07:52Z

Well, it's a WRAP! I'm finally able to tell you that we have filmed an episode of House Hunters that will air in the next few months. It was a neat experience for our family and I sure hope it's in their best interest to make us look good in our upcoming episode! haha..

A few fun things about filming:
1. I now understand just a hint of what the stars mean in their acceptance speaches when they "thank the whole crew" and all that jazz about it "being a group effort". We were instant friends with the crew and I could see how you could get attached after weeks/months or even years of filming! It was kind of sad saying good-bye after hanging out with them non-stop for a few days!

2. The crew consisted of 4 people: the director, camera, sound and assistant. They were very good at what they did and kept it rolling as best they could. We hit a couple of snafus here and there, but overall it was pretty painless and even quite fun (for the theatrical Wheatleys.. I'll let you guess which ones of us that included) ;)

3. sound and film: we had to stop often for planes flying overhead, dogs barking, a passerby making extra noise. Danny and I had mics, but in the family shots, there was a big boom mic that picked up the slightest of noises. Also, since there was only one camera (as opposed to dozens like in movies), we often shot several times at different angles - wide/tight/singles, etc..

4. It was confirmed that we have a future stage actress living amoung us. Little miss C lit up the camera and wowed everyone with her expressiveness and zest, even in the mundane details. It was so fun to watch both of the kids interact with the crew and share about their life here in Brussels. They rocked it!

5. All told, we filmed about 22 hours for what will be about 22 minutes of material used in the show!? What fun it will be to see what makes the cut!

So now we get to do more waiting! ;) It will likely air in 3-4 months. I will be able to give you about a month's notice so you can set your dvr! Can't wait to see the finished product!

Here's a couple of shots for you to enjoy.
The first is of us having some escargo in our local market. And the last shot is the after the wrap!

istanbul/constantinople: {traveling with kids in Europe and Asia}

2012-04-23T17:00:46Z

We had the amazing opportunity to go where east meets west; one city straddling 2 continents. Thousands of years drenched in history and culture. Yes, I was in my happy place!
We arrived in Istanbul around noon, checked into our hotel in the Sultanamet area (which I'd highly recommend.. the hotel and the area in general, which was central to great food and a bulk of what you'll want to see while staying here) and headed out on foot for the rest of the day. It was gorgous outside and we were thrilled to take in our surroundings!

First up, the Aya Sophia or Hagia Sophia. One of the oldest and most important christian churches and flagship of Byzantine architecture, it was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly 1000 years (around 500-1500, when Seville topped it. Yep, it's on the list to visit!). It was converted to a mosque when the Ottomans took over in 1453, but now is a musuem and many of the mosaics have been restored to their former glory. It really is something to behold.

We ended up behind the Aya Sophia in a few mausleums that were quite intriguing. Off went the shoes, and into a different world we stepped. The colored tiles were fantastic, the tombs however, were quite unassuming, save the Sultan's turbans and those of their sons.

The "call to prayer" is broadcasted over loud speakers from the tops of the turrets all around the city about 5 times a day. We were quite taken aback the first time we heard it, as it was quite loud. By the 4th day, it was less alarming and just part of the complex landscape.
Next up was a peek inside the Blue Mosque. It's directly across from Hagia Sophia and built as a one-up by the Sultan after the sack of Constantinople. It's still a working mosque and we were required to remove our shoes and the women to cover our heads.

We had to sneak a peek at the Grand Bazaar. It was something to behold!! So many colors, people, textures.. But would you believe that I didn't buy ONE thing the entire trip??! I was a little overwhelmed and wanted to get something I adored. There were a few things that I could have gotten, but since i didn't LOVE it, I resisted. Another deterrant for me is that I LOATHE bargaining. Hate it!! I love the American way of entering Target, unaccosted, to browse till my heart's content! haha.. If you made the slightest eye-contact, you were hounded constantly, and it made browsing impossible. For me at least.. if you love to bargain and don't mind constant haggling, then book your ticket today and have fun!!
Oh, we did indulge of fresh fruit juice EVERY day! The pics below are of pomegranate juice that was a little on the sour side, but mostly delish. We had apple, kiwi, strawberry and orange, but our kept coming back to thr pomegranate!
Constantinople was the headquarters of the Eastern branch of Rome for 1000 years (Byzantine just reffered to that side of the Roman Empire). So you've still got markings of Roman(Byzantine) ruins at every turn. There's an old Hippodrome that no longer stands, but has 3 remainging obelisks where the horse and chariot drivers would turn in the races 1000 years ago!? There's also the Basilica Cistern, which is a 6th c cistern with a few hundred marble columns, which stored the city water until modern times. It's dark, chilly and a little spooky. The kids loved it!
One last set of our hotel. The guys at the front desk were most helpful and made our stay all the more pleasant. The rooftop dining was such a treat every morning with our fantastic Bosphorus view. The kids especially loved it as there were kittens behind the hotel that they visited every spare moment. Dang those kittens were adorable.. too bad they will grow up to be cats!? :)

That concludes day 1! Whew! I'm tired just typing up the recap! haha.. Check back tomrorow for more!

a visit to Floralia-Brussels

2012-04-21T17:18:05Z

are you kidding me!? All this just 30 minutes from my doorstep! We chose to head to Germany instead of Holland with the grandparents on their visit a couple of weeks ago, but still wanted to give them a taste of the tulips! Floralia-Brussels at the Grand-Brigard castle grounds in northern Brussels was the perfect spot for our garden-loving family! If you can't make it to Keukenhof (we're headed there next weekend!), I'd highly recommend giving it a shot. You've just got 2 more weeks though, as it closes May 6th this year.