Paris by Playground

For Father's Day we took Tom on a Playground Tour of Paris.  In between playgrounds we managed to sneak in a bit of sightseeing, too.  Our 9 year old served as our tour guide on this trip.  She read The Lonely Planet Not For Parents book about Paris and was able to tell us something about nearly every place we visited.   ("Hey, is this the Place de la Concorde where Marie Antoinette was beheaded?"  or "Oh, that's a Wallace Fountain!" or "See that flame?  It's a duplicate of the one the Statue of Liberty holds.")  That girl is a real gem!

We stayed in a family suite at the recently renovated Hotel de l'Empereur which was located right behind Les Invalides and within easy walking distance of many sights, including the rue Cler market and the Eiffel Tower.  We soon learned that navigating the Paris Metro with a stroller and 3 kids is a real challenge, so we did a lot of walking.

Day 1

Catching a glimpse of the Mona Lisa

After a "quick" tour of the Louvre (the kids used this book as a guide) we made our way across the Seine and added our own padlock to the Pont des Arts.  (Read the story of these love padlocks here).

We marveled at the rose windows inside Notre Dame and imagined the hunchback up in the tower.

The center of Paris.  In front of Notre Dame.

Our driver had suggested  Relais de l'Entrecote for dinner and it was amazing.   Diners start queuing up 20 minutes before the restaurant opens. There's no menu, the waitress simply asks how you like your meat cooked.  Then the food comes out- the most delicious salad, frites, and steak.  Unlike most French restaurants, it's fast so it was a good choice with 3 hungry kids.

Queuing up for a delicious dinner

We wrapped up day one with a little playground time, of course!

Day 2 began with a walk through the rue Cler market where we bought the most delicious strawberries to munch on our way to the Eiffel Tower.  We ate them so fast I didn't even get a photo- but trust me- they were gorgeous!

It was a clear, sunny day and the crowds at the Eiffel Tower were huge.  The wait for the one working lift was several hours long so we opted to take the stairs (nearly 700 to the second level).  If only we had known that you cannot leave your stroller at the bottom!  Poor Tom not only had the baby on his back, but the stroller in his arms as well.  It was quite a workout but the views from the top were amazing.  It was definitely a highlight we will all remember for a long, long time to come!

The view from the top!

We spent the rest of the day recovering with carousel rides, cotton candy, crepes and ice cream cones. 

 
We tromped through the playground at the Trocadero and bounced on the trampolines in the Jardin des Tulieres. 

Well, some of us bounced.

Day 3
We saved the best (playground) for last.  Sure, you have to pay to enter the playground at the Jardin du Luxembourg- but it is worth it.  The kids spent hours running around, riding the flying fox, sliding and digging in the sand.  They took a spin on the old carousel and tried to spear the rings with a wooden sword. 

We strolled through the beautiful manicured gardens. On the weekends you can sail a toy boat in the pond or go for a pony ride.
It seems everywhere you look in Paris the view is simply breathtaking.

Before meeting up with some California friends for our final dinner, we stopped by Les Invalides where we saw the impressive tomb of Napoleon.  My daughter remarked, "That's a pretty big coffin for such a small man."

Napoleon's Tomb is beneath the gold dome.

The kids are already talking about the "next time" they visit Paris.  I don't know when that will be, but I am so glad they got to see this amazing city.  It wasn't a weekend full of museums and late night leisurely dinners at Michelin-star restaurants but it was a weekend full of family fun and happy kids.  It's the kind of trip we do best.

Planning Paris with your kids?  Check out these cool city walk cards.  We found them really useful and fun!

Day Out: London

We have visitors!  Two of my favorite people have arrived- my sister and brother in law.  I'm determined to show them a good time while they are here.  And that's just what I did today.

We headed into London bright and early to catch the procession for The Colonel's Review.   This is a dress rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour ceremony which will take place next weekend to celebrate the Queen's birthday.  If there's one thing the British do well it is ceremony and pageantry.  What a thrill to see the band playing and the soldiers marching.  And, oh my, the horses!  So beautiful and regal looking with their fancy tack.

From there we headed over to Oxford Street & Regent Street to do a little shopping.  London looks so pretty, still wearing all her Jubilee decorations.

The Queen in Legos in the Hamley's window

After popping into Harrod's (it's a must-see for tourists) we decided to take advantage of the unusually sunny weather and go for a ride on the London Eye.  The views were gorgeous and we all enjoyed the slow tour through the sky.

And it wouldn't be a day in London without spotting something a bit out of the ordinary.  So I really should not have been so surprised when over 1000 nude bicycle riders zoomed past us near County Hall.  It seems we stumbled upon the path of the London Naked Bike Ride.  I think my nine year old daughter may be scarred for life!

Never a dull moment! I hope you had an exciting Saturday, too.

UK Roadtrip: North Wales

Last week all of Great Britain celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a four day weekend.  We opted to get out of London and explore another beautiful part of the UK- North Wales.

About 4 hours north of London, this part of Wales is home to the beautiful Snowdonia National Park.  We stayed in the charming little village of Betws-y-Coed, right in the heart of Snowdonia.

Although the weather wasn't perfect (it's COLD up there!), we really enjoyed our long weekend.  We spent our time storming castles, riding on steam trains, hiking to waterfalls and soaking up the beautiful scenery.

We saw lots of sheep and rock walls and natural slate; rolling green hills and gorgeous old stone buildings.  We marveled at the Welsh language (what???).

And although I was a wee bit sad to miss out on the festivities in London town, I was perfectly happy to watch the Jubilee celebrations on the telly in the warmth of our pretty hotel (which had a perfect 2-room suite for a family of 5).

Fun low ropes course.  The harnesses work great- they tested them!

So glad we got to see this beautiful part of the country.  But now that it's nearly the middle of June I'd really like to put the winter jackets away.  Is there such a thing as "summer" in the UK?

UK Roadtrip: York

I've become a fan of the road trip.  There's a certain thrill to loading everyone and everything into the back of the car and setting off the see the country.  And see it we did on our weekend trip to the north of England and the lovely walled city of York.

The Micklegate Bar is one of the entrances to the city.  Historically, it is the gate that royalty uses to enter York. 

Micklegate Bar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real Viking bones at Jorvik

Highlights of the trip included a visit to Jorvik- a recreated Viking village.  This museum is built right on top of an actual archaeological site where viking artifacts have been found.   My favourite part of the recreated village was the scene with the viking dad in the backyard outhouse holding a wad of grass to be used in place of toilet paper!  The main thing I learned about viking life:  it looked miserable and dirty. 

Then we headed to DIG where the children got some hands-on experience with real artifacts.  The guide was excellent and it was fascinating to learn about the people who have lived in York- from the Romans to the Vikings, right up to the Victorians. 

Learning about archaeology at DIG

One of the most famous sites in York is the beautiful (and huge) York Minster.  It was stunning.  Everything- from the windows to the carved statues to the tombs- was so grand and so detailed.   Can you spot the stone heart in the center window?  The Minster is often called the "Heart of York".

Bride and Groom driving away in front of the Minster

Interior of the York Minster

The National Railway Museum is another must-see in the city of York.  We loved walking through the Great Hall and looking at all the different trains.  We saw a Japanese bullet train, antique steam trains, and even the scarlet "Hogwarts Castle" that was actually used in the Harry Potter movies.  All the the trains were gleaming and gorgeous.  The museum is built on the tracks and they sometimes hold special events which include train rides.  We also had a chance to peek into the royal carriages used by Queen Victoria.  Talk about first class travel!

National Railway Museum

York is a great walking city.  This street, The Shambles, is one of the best preserved medieval streets in Europe.  The old timber framed buildings lean in towards each other and their roofs almost seem to meet in the middle.  The street is crammed with pedestrians and charming shops.  I couldn't help feeling like I was at Disneyland or on some type of movie set.  I can see why The Shambles was voted Britain's most picturesque street.
 

The Shambles

York was a fun place to visit with the family.  We were able to overlook the hordes of scantily clad ladies (I use the term loosely here) out for their "hens-do" parties (it was 45 degrees outside- I was shivering just looking at them!) and a few drunken idiots brawling in the street as evening approached.  Instead we focused on the charming atmosphere and the rich history.  And after getting our fill of the city we drove out to the East Yorkshire coast. 

Check back tomorrow to see some photos from part 2 of our road trip!

Holiday in Portugal

The Algarve region of Portugal is a hugely popular holiday destination for Brits.  It offers gorgeous beaches and sunny weather and it's only about a 2 hour flight from London.

Sagres: The very tip of Portugal

Another view of Sagres

We spent a week enjoying this beautiful country with 2 other expat families we know from Sydney.  With 15 people in our lovely villa the week was full of sunshine, swimming, laughter, good food and friendship.  What a treat for us all.

Swimming at the villa

Horseback riding in The Algarve

The view from Ponta da Piedade near Lagos

At the end of the week, the weather turned a bit nasty and my sweet friend suggested we ditch our seaside house and head north to the village she is originally from.  What an amazing way to end our holiday!  We got a taste of what the "real" Portugal is like.  They took us to local restaurants with the most delicious food, introduced us to their friends at the village salao, drove us out to more stunning beaches, and showed us around the medieval village of Obidos.  It was a perfect ending to a wonderful week.

The beach near Caldas da Rainha

The whole gang enjoying the trampoline

The girls on the street in Obidos

I arrived home feeling refreshed, restored and filled up with the love of my friend.  It was just exactly what I needed.  I'm not sure how I've managed to find the most sincere, caring, thoughtful, generous and hospitable friends all over the world.  I certainly don't deserve them.  But I am so, so grateful to have them in my life.

Me & my wonderful Portuguese-American-Aussie-Kiwi friend.  Love her!

What about you?  

Did you have a Spring Break holiday?  

Did it leave you invigorated & ready to jump into this new season?

I hope so!