Roadtrip till Fresno

Jag var på musikal igår kväll. Charlie Brown. Framförd av Figarden Schools dramaklubb, med Novas och Zoeys kusiner Alex och Joey. Det finns helt enkelt en fördel med en helg i Livermore: Det är bara 2.5 timmar i bil från Fresno, där Darrins syster bor. Igår jobbade jag intensivt på förmiddagen och ägnade eftermiddagen åt en roadtrip genom San Joaquin Valley i centrala Kalifornien. Det var kul att få vara med och se föreställningen som Alex och Joey hade tränat inför i 4.5 månader. Jag fick också chans att följa med på Alex fotbollsmatch (hon har redan blivit så gammal att hon spelar 11-manna, kan inte förstå hur fort tiden går!) och att träffa min svärmor, som hade flugit in från Texas för att få vara med. Allt som allt en lyckad och trevlig eftermiddag. Jag var lite orolig för att sätta mig i bilen kl 9 på kvällen för att köra hela vägen tillbaka. Kalifornien har nya hårda lagar mot mobiltelefon i bilen - allt användning utom handsfree är straffbar - så jag kunde inte ens ringa Darrin för att hålla mig vaken, men det gick utmärkt. Efter mycket letande hittade jag äntligen en pratradiostation som höll mig alert genom en timslång diskussion om ett så absurt ämne som varför man inte borde gå på universitet.

I morse väckte Darrin mig med telefonversion av tjejernas avslutningsshow på svenska skolan för terminen. Jag satt i sängen och lyssnade på Den Blomstertid och Vi har lov och önskade att jag var där.

Cadbury Chocolate Factory

We have been trying to find things to do while we are in England. It is easier said then done really, since our kids are so young. So when M found the factory tour of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory, we decided that it was a “must”. In my mind, it was going to be a cross between Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and the Coke Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. My fear was that it was going to be closer to something like the tour of a box factory (Simpson’s episode). In the end, it was closer to the first two, just without the Oompa Loompas. I guess they did something close to Oompa Loompas.

When we found it, it felt a little overpriced. If it ended up being good, then it wouldn’t be. If it was excellent, then it was a value for the price. When you pull up to the factory, you are not really sure if it will be good. We walk in (actually we ran in, since it was starting to rain) and got the tickets. The tour is in two parts. The first part is the actual tour of the factory and a little history of chocolate/Cadbury. It was alright. The kids were not interested in it at all, other then the snacks that they gave to eat on the way. It was not until the Disney like ride through Chocolate Land happened that the kids were interested in the tour part. Here you got to follow like drops of chocolate on the way to the Cadbury Factory. N thought that it was great (here is where the kind of like Oompa Loompas happened). I actually liked the factory tour. It always amazes me how much gets produced and how it is produced. I loved watching the video on the Cadbury Egg production.

The second part started with a stupid video about how they came up with the idea of putting 1.5 glasses of fresh milk in each candy bar. I guess it was cute, but a little much maybe. After the show, you got to produce your very own candy treat- milk chocolate on top of your choice of treat. I picked popcorn, N had wine gums and M had cereal. Z loved it. She was covered in chocolate before it was over. Everyone was taking pictures of her. It was all over her.

The girls liked it, but I think that the highlight for them was a combo of the snacks around the factory and the playground with swings, probably more the other one. They were happy though, and we thought that it was excellent. They did have an elevator, just not a glass one.

On the Road Again

For over six weeks, we were on the road through 7 countrys, 5 ferry rides and unknown number of miles in our little Fiat Punto. All four of us and all of our gear fit in the car without too much problem. The Punto is a surprisingly roomy car for its size.