TanaLeria

Las adventuras de mis juguetes
Adventures of My Toys

Thursday 30 August 2012

Pico and Rinda go on Holiday

Pico  and Rinda are asleep. They are very tired, very VERY tired indeed. They are so tired that they fell asleep before  their heads hit the pillow.

That has never happened before. Usually they want to listen to a story before they go to sleep - or  two stories or as many stories as an adult will read to them.  They are like Tana and Leria; all of them love to listen to a bedtime story or two.

Tonight Pico and Rinda are, in the land-of-nod, dreaming about the day that is just turning to night:


It was early morning in a small village in Spain. The  walls of the houses were radiating a special light but the air wasn't burning hot yet. The  light that comes from the rising sun  makes all colours in the village a bit deeper and  vibrant for a short moment before full day light comes.

Tana and Leria are still asleep but Pico and Rinda are fully awake. Aunty Merja invited them to come to England with her and both baby dolls are soooooooo excited.

Pico and Rinda have quietly popped in to Tana's and Leria's rooms and given them a kiss. "Thank you for letting us to have our very first holiday abroad. We will  miss you.  Be good for  Mummy and Daddy.  See you soon."




There are no aeroplanes to England from the village where Tana, Leria, Pico and Rinda live. There are no aeroplanes  to England even from the nearest town. The closest place where Aunty Merja, Pico and Rinda  can  find an aeroplane is at an airport in Madrid city.

Aunty Merja, Pico and Rinda needed to catch a train to Madrid. Luckily there is a brand new train station in the nearest town.The train that leaves from the station to Madrid is a special one; it is called pendolino.  

When they were looking through the windows, Pico and Rinda saw how trees, fields and  houses were wildly wheezing  past . They had butterflies in their tummies when the pendolino rocketed into the tunnels through the mountains on its way  to Madrid.

 " Oh. Look Rinda! Look! Can you see? We are traveling  at 250 km  an hour. That is fast. Isn't it?" - asked Pico.

" It is very fast. This train is moving forward faster than a car!" - answered Rinda.

Because pendolinos are such  super fast vehicles  it didn't take long before Aunty Merja, Pico and Rinda arrived to Barajas airport in Madrid.

   Pico and Rinda couldn't wait to see the plane that would carry them in the air to England. They waived to their luggage that smoothly disappeared behind the screen.  Aunty Merja lifted luggage  onto the conveyor belt beside the check-in desk. 

"We need to take a different route to get on the plane." - she explained. "That was the door for our luggage to be put on board. We need to find a door that is called a gate. Our gate is H4.  We are traveling to London Heathrow. That is Londres-HR in Spanish. Can you help me please?" 

"Of course we will!"

 Pico and Rinda turned restlessly under their soft duvet whilst they were asleep in Aunty Merja's guest bed. They  were both having a bad dream about the moment when Pico got lost at the airport.

There were many long corridors, lifts, escalators all packed with people at Bajaras airport.  Pico and Rinda had been a long time in Aunty Merja's hand bag looking impatiently around trying to see the plane that would take them to England. 

"Aunty Merja doesn't seem to know where our plane is. I want to help her.  I will be back shortly." - whispered Pico and jumped out of Aunty Merja's bag. 
"PICA! Come back at once!" - shouted Rinda but it was too late. Pica had already disappeared in the crowd.

 It took a long time for Aunty Merja and Rinda to find Pico. She was crying on the floor in a massive corridor. Rinda was happy and cross with her at the same time -"You silly na-na. What in earth you were doing?"

"Shhh. I know she just wanted to help. Pico dear - you need to remember that you must always be able to see us and we must always be able to see you. Particularly at the airport. " - said Aunty Merja.

"Have we missed the plane because of me?" - asked Pico.

"No we haven't. I think we have just about enough time to have a little snack before getting on board. What would you like?"- said Aunty Merja.
   


 

Rinda loved the taste of the salty bread sticks that she dipped in vinegar and oil.  Pico's favorite was a Spanish ham roll. Aunty Merja had some olives and  a piece of tortilla.

Rinda and Pico are again sleeping peacefully, a little smile on their faces dreaming about the rest of their journey to England.

 "Aunty Merja look. Look. There it says H4 and Londres-HR. This is our plane! We have found the gate door to the plane. " - Rinda and Pico shouted joyously. "And look. We can see our plane through the window. Look there. THERE!!"


 Rinda and Pico admired the colours of the plane. They were exactly same as in the flag of Spain: red and yellow.
 On the plane Pico and Rinda fastened their safety belts. When the plane took off they felt exactly the same feeling  in their tummy as when  the pendolino dashed through the tunnels.

Now they were on the plane that was sailing like the wind, even faster than pendolino. Pico and Rinda had lots of butterflies happily tickling inside their tummies.

It was a long journey but Pica and Rinda couldn't sleep. They were far too excited. During the flight they read a book with Aunty Merja, listened to  music and did some colouring. 

More than anything they liked  to peek through the plane window and see the mustard colored landscape of Spain, the blue sea of the Bay of Biscay and .......


 .... eventually a mat of green patchy fields of England!
 "Look at those planes Aunty Merja." - said Pica and Rinda at Heathrow airport in the city of London.  "We know; we know what those colours mean; Tana and Leria have told us. Red, blue and white are the colours in the flag of the United Kingdom."

Pica and Rinda had had a long day and they were feeling a bit tired now. They felt even more tired after a long drive in the car to  Auty Merja's home.
There they are, Pico and Rinda, in  bed sleeping and dreaming about the morning sun at home in Spain, their pendolino journey to Madrid, Pico's disappearance at the airport, delicious bread sticks and ham sandwiches, the plane journey high above the clouds and a long car drive to Aunty Merja's home.

"It was a real adventure. We have so much to tell Tana and Leria."  - they thought just before they fell asleep.

"Auntie Merja. Tana and Leria asked us to visit Ya-yo's house and Knighton Park and they said that ASDA is a really biiiig shop, and they talked about Patti the Dog and visiting the school and could we ...."

Pico  and Rinda are asleep. They are very tired, very VERY tired indeed. They are so tired that they fell asleep before  their heads hit the pillow.

-----
Tana and Leria, here is THE LINK to look at Pico's and Rinda's journey.

Saturday 25 August 2012

Apples for Horses

 Tana and Leria were in a rush. They had packed their swimming bags and taken their prams  out from the garage for their babies. Tana and Leria  wanted their babies to have a little nap on the way to the swimming pool.

The Dog,  the Doll, a Little Bear and Booba  were very quiet under their blankets.

"Shhhh everybody! Our babies have just gone to sleep." - whispered Tana and Leria.

 "NO WE HAVEN'T!" -shouted  Dog, Doll, Little Bear and Booba laughing cheekily.  "Look what Eeyore has done. He had hidden all these apples in our prams.  We want to give them to the horses. Can we, pleassssse?" - they asked looking at Tana and Leria full of joy.

"OK then." - said Tana and Leria. "Horses are our friends. They will be very happy to see you."


 

Tana and Leria visit the horses almost everyday. Therefore the two horses recognise them from a distance even without seeing their faces, they know who they are just by hearing their voices and listening their footsteps. Can you see how the horses have lifted their ears and turned their heads to see Tana and Leria with their babies?
 After a little walk Tana, Leria, the Dog, the Doll, Little Bear and Booba were standing excitedly in front of the horses.

The Dog, the Doll, Little Bear and Booba  had their eyes wide open when they looked at the horses. "They are huuuge!" - they said.

Horses are like giants if you are a little dog, doll, bear or booba-baby. 

"Look. I will show you how to give an apple to the horses. You need to keep your hand flat and fingers straight and put an apple on your palm. Then lift your hand, stay still and they will take it nicely from you. " - explained Tana.


The brown horse is very kind. Before taking an apple from Tana he gave a kiss to the Doll.  The Doll understood that there was no need to be afraid of horses.

Booba was just giggling when he gave his apples to the horses.

"You two have really big noses." - he laughed.


"Booba you are SO brave!" - said Leria  then continued quietly "It took me a long time to be as brave as you are. Well done."
 Tana and Leria know that horses have  very soft faces. The horses can be very cheeky.
 Sometimes they show their tongues to Tana and Leria.
 It didn't take long for  all the apples to be eaten. Both horses  gave a gentle "Brrrrrrr" which  means "Thank You Very Much!" in horse talk.


Before leaving the horses both the Dog and Booba wanted to have their photos taken with their new friends.

 
At the pool Tana and Leria  went for a swim.  After a long swim they sat in the sun and were happily eating apples.
"Girls!" - said mummy. "Didn't you give all the apples to the horses?" 
Tana and Leria looked at the Mummy and answered "It was Booba who kept two apples for us. We have remembered to say thank you."

 Whilst the girls were at the swimming pool with their babies Eeyore was very busy at home. He was picking more apples and planning new places where to hide them.




Friday 24 August 2012

Lepi the Lephard and Medieval Magic

There are lots of festivals in Spain. Festivals are special celebrations when adults and children get together to have fun. Not long time ago there was a Medieval Festival at Cuellar.  You know, Cuellar is a village where the Fairy Princess lives in her big castle at the top of the hill. The Fairy princess has given an order to organize the Medieval Festival every year so that people wouldn't forget how her grandgrandgrandgrandgrandgrandparents lived 500 years ago.  That is what Medieval Festival is about - it shows us how people and Fairies lived in past times.


"Hi Ellie my favourite Elephant! Would you like to come with me to see how the Royal Family of Faries lived a long time ago in Cuellar? " - asked Lepi.

"I would love to. Can Tana and  Leria come as well?" - said Ellie.

"Of course they can. Let's go!"


 What is that sound? It is a drum or  thunder? - Lepi, Ellie, Tana and Leria wondered when they were entering the Castle Grounds. No - it is the sound of horse hooves!

Tana and Leria got a bit worried when the Royal Knight of Fairies suddenly took Lepi and Ellie to sit on his saddle. 

" It is an honor to have you here as our guests." - said  the Royal Knight, " I hope you will enjoy your visit. Use your time wisely. Have fun and search for Medieval Magic. When you will find it, the whole world will be full of stars.  Use the moment, catch one and luck will be with you for the rest of your lives."

Lepi and Ellie jumped on Tana's and Leria's  arms and when they looked back they heard a soft  tinkling and the Royal Knight disappeared. 

"Where did he go? Look - he forgot his carriage!" - shouted Lepi and Ellie. They  climbed on the seat to see if they could see  where the Royal Knight had gone. "Oooooh, that was amazing! I hope we will find the Magic."



 Colourful bunting that had been hung across the paths and walkways swang slowly in the mild wind.

Ellie, Lepi, Tana and Leria saw people and horses dancing as they followed  the jester. They enjoyed the smell of food that was cooked on an open fire. All of them danced according the catchy tunes of  drums and pipes. 

"I wonder where the Magic can be found?" - wondered Ellie.     

"Look Lepi - shall we try to make our own clay cups?" - she continued. And so they did.



"Tana, do you think those children are fighting for the Magic?"  - asked Ellie.

"Oh no. I know that the Magic can not be found by fighting. We need to keep our eyes open and keep looking. You remember what the Royal Knight said; we need to keep searching and when the air is full of stars we have found it. I can not see any stars. So let's just carry on. I love this Festival. There is so much to see!" - said Tana.

Ellie and Lepi were very happy that they haven't lost the magic already.


"Uuups! Tanaaaa, Leriaaa do not leave us. We wanted to see if the stars are hiding in this cooking pot. Wait for us!"


 "Right. I feel a bit peckish now. Could  we have a rest and eat this sweet corn? " - said Lepi.

Everybody agreed and all of them ate not only one delicious roasted sweet corn cob but two!  Plus one big chocolate crepe, three slices of cheese, a handful of roasted nuts and 4 sweets.

They also drank clear bubbly water straight from the  Fairy Princess' water fountain.  It was the best water they had ever tasted.


Tana and Ellie had a camel ride around the Festival area but they found no stars. 
 Lepi and Leria had a donkey ride around the Festival area but they found no stars either.



Tana and Leria wanted to  go round and round in a carousel ride for a long time.  So long that Lepi and Ellie got a bit bored and were very happy when a green Unicorn offered to take them to have a flight around the Festival arena on his back.

Suddenly whilst in the air Lepi  and  Ellie  heard the same tinkling sound that they had heard when the Royal Knight disappeared. They knew immediately that something had happened.  

"Dear Unicorn. Could you go back to Tana and Leria as quickly as you can?" - they asked.  In a second they were back with the girls.


"Lepi look what I've got! " - said Leria her hands full of the tiniest, most beautiful little colorful  flowers they have ever seen. "Tana and I were having a carousel ride and suddenly the air was full of flowers. They were everywhere even in my pockets. This is Magic!" - Leria laughed happily.

 Lepi and Ellie knew that the flower magic must have happened when they heard the tinkling sound when they were on the back on the green Unicorn.

"Hmmmm. I wonder if we will find the stars on another ride in the air." - said Lepi. He felt a gentle push on his back. It was the green Unicorn who nodded towards the Dragon ride with a twinkle in his eye. 



It didn't take long for them to take their seats on the back on the Dagron. "Hold tight everybody" - shouted Lepi "Now we goooooo!!!!". 


Lepi, Ellie, Tana and Leria went up and down, backwards and  forwards on their wild ride on the Dragon's back and the whole world started to spin around them. The faster the Dragon flew in the air the louder they could hear the same tinkling sound they heard when the Royal Knight disappeared. At the same time they noticed that the air  filled with glimmering stars.   There were thousands of them.

"This is Medieval Magic" - giggled Lepi, Ellie, Tana and Leria  catching the stars from the air.

When they left the Medieval Festival all of them had a star in their pocket. Actually Tana and Leria had 9 in all - one for Mummy, one for Daddy, one  for Jajo, Nana, Guapa, Guapo and Pin.

On the way home they all slept to the soft sound of tinkling. They were the flowers singing in Leria's pocket.