Tuscany

We had to squeeze in a few last-minute trips before we left London - so renting a villa in Tuscany with our close friends Martin and Svetlana and their lovely son Alexander was a brilliant idea (even though it made everything a bit more rushed).

The kids loved playing together - we spent a lot to time going to wineries, enjoying the views, hiking, and relaxing by the pool. The food was amazing (as you can see in one of the pictures, Ella also loved it!). We'll miss London and the access to travel it offers.

Istanbul

After six months we got away to enjoy our fifth wedding anniversary without the girls. We missed them, but had such a nice time in Istanbul. The dichotomy of the modern and the traditional was striking...we spent the days walking through the grand bazaar, seeing the Blue Mosque and enjoying time on the Bosphorus. The city comes alive at night with amazing restaurants and inspiring foods. We felt very young trying to fit in to clubs where we were clearly the oldest patrons!