Building Trails

  • India, Part 1

    Beep, Beep, Whistle, Whistle

    Getting to India was an adventure in itself. We dropped the ball on visas and had to delay our flights to give time to apply and receive our visas. Once we had visas, we headed to India for a shortened time in Bengaluru followed by our planned time in Hampi, Mysuru, Kochi, and Delhi/Agra.

    Getting to India

    Our travel day from Mauritius to India was likely our worst and most stressful travel day on the trip. We experienced every possible hiccup that I will dive into in a different post. The day was balanced out by a final arrival in India and the kindness of strangers that helped us get through the day.

    Bengaluru

    Out time in Banglore was short. We stayed near a small park and a good selection of restaraunts. We enjoyed playing on the playground, exercising in the exercise section of the park, and eating at nearby cafes.

    We tried the train metro for getting to the Lalbagh Botanical Garden but quickly found that Uber was faster and about the same cost. Lalbagh Botanical Garden was a lovely outing. We enjoyed walking around and seeing the grounds and met various people intrigued that we were there.

    During our time in Bangalore, we visited Cubbon Park, where the kids enjoyed a little time in a children’s library and in Jawahar Bal Bhavan.

    We had lunches ranging from a tiffin room to a Hard Rock Cafe. And we enjoyed an afternoon in Snow City, where the kids enjoyed the winter we miss this year. Our time in Bangalore ended with a late night train to Hampi.

    Enroute to Hampi

    Hampi

    We were a little nervous arriving at the train station in Bangalore because it didn’t fit the description and we were nervous we were not at the right spot. It was a little tricky confirming I had what was needed to board the train. We had strangers coming up and warning us to watch our luggage carefully. And finding dinner was a more of a challenge than expected. All worked out and we could also buy dinner on the train. Though it was not an overnight train, our arrival was late so we got everyone to sleep and then woke them for arrival. We were split between two cabins so we did briefly lose one kid. This was especially concerning since exterior doors remain open during the ride. J did find her in time to get off the train. Rather than going down the hall to join the rest of the family, she wondered into an empty cabin and went back to sleep.

    Our arrival in Hospet is expecially amusing. We met our driver in the parking lot and he left to grab the car and return to us. Not long later a tuk tuk rolled up and J joked it was our ride (for 6 people, 5 suitcases, and 6 backpacks). The tuk tuk stopped to offer a ride. We started to explain we already had a ride and he responded “Yes, that’s me!”. Yup, we loaded up into two tuks tuks and made our we made our way to Hampi where we split up into two rooms in a little homestay (3 people to each king size bed). Our stay at Thilak Home Stay was clean and a great location and had hot water, but sleep was lacking for the grownups with the variety of noises outside.

    We enjoyed our stay in Hampi. Though rest was lacking because of street sounds, we enjoyed visiting the sites and the beautiful landscape. We turned to our guide through Thilak Home for a schedule of what to see, but we also enjoyed some of our own independent adventures, including a big walk to Vittala Temple complex. We were also easily able to walk to Virupaksha Temple and Hemakuta Hill. One of our bigger adventures was hiking to to Anjanadri Hill to visit the birthplace of Hamunam. We did not know ahead of time that we would be taking off our shoes and climbing many steps up a hill in a long procession of people we dove in and took in the experience. A few other experiences we appreciated was the kids getting henna on their hands, befriending cows roaming towm, exploring the rock shop (the favorite spot for our two youngest), enjoying sunset on a hilltop, and clambering rocks at.

    From Hampi, we did an overnight train to Mysuru for another one week stay. This time we were in second class. We had 4 bunks in a curtained space and than two hallway bunks across the way. Overall we were comfortable and had the space needed. The hardest part for us was that we have one child that sleep walks and for a reason we don’t really understand, exterior doors are left open. Luckily we caught our little sleepwalker before they got too far.

  • Mauritius

    Beautiful Beaches and Big Speakers

    We spent a full month in Mauritius, making it feel truly like home. We celebrated Christmas and New Years there. We enjoyed beaches, hiking, shopping, pool time, animals, bowling, and downtime at our apartment. The grownups even enjoyed a few date nights thanks to a local babysitting service for tourists. We quickly learned that coffee shops do not open early and that Mauritians love loud music and good vibes.

    We stayed at Nayuha Buildings Apt B2, a three bedroom apartment a short walk from the beach. Our host was extremely hospitable, very quick to address any concerns or questions. We enjoyed the two minute walk to the beach through the cemetery, short walk to town, the small pool that fit our family and allowed the littles to swim more freely, the small balcony with a view inland, and the roof where we could hang clothes and enjoy more views. The short walk to the beach meant easy sunset strolls or evening fireworks at the beach. When we got stuck in Mauritius a few extra days, we needed to shift to this apartment further inland. This was more space and the pool warmer but a bit of a hike to the beach and town.

    Christmas in Mauritius
    Through the cemetary
    Evenings at the beach

    Beaches

    In Mauritius, we spent a decent amount of time at the beach. We primarily walked to Flic en Flac Beach, which is a combination of beach and wooded park space. On the weekends, the park would fill in with Mauritians with elaborate setups including tents, a cooking area, and sitting area, and big speakers. There were often generators involved as well. I primarily enjoyed relaxing on the beach while kids swam or played in the sand. We also bought snorkel gear early on that we used throughout our visit and left behind. During the short time we rented a car, we also visited Trioux Beach, Tamerin Beach, La Morne Beach, and Blue Bay. It is worth noting we all needed showers and wash our bathing suits after Tamerin Beach because of the silt.

    Hiking

    is generally not for the light hearted on Maurtius but we managed a few good hikes. The first we went on was the Seven Cascades Short Loop, which we should have hired a guide for. It was short but steep with beautiful views. The trail was a bit rough, including clambering over rocks, and we managed to lose te trail and take a significant and steep detour. The grownups were getting a little concerned about the sun setting before we escaped. Once back to the trail we found some local hikers that helped up stay on the trail. We managed it to the end. Sweaty and dirty, we celebrated the finish with a few fresh coconuts from a coconut stand at the entrance/exit.

    Admiring falls
    Admiring views
    Getting lost

    We were nervous about our hike at Ebony Forest Reserve because it was lightly raining when we arrived but it cleared up quickly for our walk up. There are options for far and how challenging you hike. There is a map and well marked trails. There are also tortoises and lovely views. We took the Kestrel Trail to the Flycatcher Raised Walkway and took the concrete track back. On ethe way back part of our group took the Ridgeline Trail to the Le Morne Viewpoint. Our three year was not interested in any extra hiking so he skipped the viewpoint but did enjoy the tortoise enclosure on the way back and waiting in the small museum in the visitor center. After our hike we made a short stop to enjoy the Chameral Falls.

    Ebony Forest Hike
    Ebony Forest Hike
    Chameral Falls

    La Morne is a challenging hike. Kids are not allowed on the second half. Even adults can only go with a guide. And we had to sign waivers at the entrance even for just doing the first half of the hike. Despite trying to get out the door early, it was hot and we didn’t even finish the first half of the hike. But we did make it to a few beautiful views before heading down and heading to the beach.

    Le Morne Brabant
    Heading back down

    One of my favorite days during our stay to Mauritius was our hike at Sophie Nature Walk followed by a visit to Ganga Talao. The hike was short but magical. Upon arrival to Ganga Talao, we enjoyed the magic of the giant Shiva and received a blessing. We walked around the lake and visited the temple for Hamunan, which required facing off aggreesive monkeys. We managed and enjoyed the views that we received. It was a beautiful experiance to witness families coming together for blessings for any next steps or challenges in their lives.

    Sophie Nature Walk
    Sophie Nature Walk
    Sophie Nature Walk
    Ganga Talao
    Ganga Talao
    Ganga Talao

    Other Fun Outings

    Early in our visit we spent a day at Casela Nature Parks. We had a morning safari ride that was a bit overcast by our safaris in Kenya but still much appreciated (especially the close up with zebras). We headed over to our cage on wheels for a close up with various wild cats, lions and tigers oh my! After, we enjoyed feeding tortoises, riding the Tulawaka Gold Coaster, and seeing a wide variety of birds We didn’t add any options besides the wild cat ride because we thought we could so ad hoc but were very very wrong. Luckily most options we could live without and a lovely couple gave us their remaining fruit so we could feed a few tortoises.

    While A8 and J enjoyed scuba lessons, I took the rest of the kids on a submarine adventure where we saw a shipwreck, fish, and a school of scuba divers. J and A8 not only did the dives needed to be certified but enjoyed a few more dives with J’s dad who made the long commute from Virginia to spend a week with us (to everyone’s excitement).

    We enjoyed one morning and lunch in Port Louis. After a morning appointment, we explored the city to see sites and shops in markets. We managed a few souvenirs and discovered beautiful and fragrant produce. We were very excited no one lost a finger in a fan.

    We really enjoyed an outing to L’Aventure du Sucre. They provided a kid scavenger hunt that got a bit involved for K and the two oldest kids but all got their rewards in the end. We learned much about the history of Mauritius in the interactive museum and at the end the grown ups got to taste test a few liquors.

    Mauritius has a variety of malls that tend to be busy. We made a few visits to Cascavelle for shopping, food, and bowling. We also visited Pheonix one rainy day and attempted to visit Santa at Bagatelle.

    Near the end of our visit, we went on a dolphin boat ride. We arrived at Tamarin Bay at 7am to ride on a boat and see Spinnes and Bottlenose dolphins. We then headed to see Crystal Rock before going to Île aux Benitiers for a BBQ. The kids played in the sand for a few hours while we chatted with other travellers and enjoyed some Pheonix.

    Medical Stuff

    A few medical items needed to be handled while we were in Mauritius. Two of our kids needed their annual wellness checks so K took them to the doctor while their. The whole experience was smooth and reasonably priced. We also learned that kids in Mauritius take medication for worms every 6 months so we got a prescription that worked for the whole family. Getting remaining needed vaccines was a little trickier. There is one place in Mauritius where we can get the vaccines needed to move forward with our trip. Getting the vaccines involved two day trips to Port Louis. Why two? Because there was a miscommunication and one of our kids didn’t get one of the vaccines needed and the cashier closed for the day. So we needed to make a second trip for him to wrap up his vaccines. Everyone we interacted with was kind and helpful but the single location with extremely limited hours felt a bit insane to us, but we managed to go while we had a car and combined with other outings .

    Holidays

    Mauritius was a lovely place to spend the holidays. There wasn’t much for Christmas but there was enough decorations and special events at malls to make the season for us. Even more exciting was the new year. Mauritians seem to love the new year. On new year’s eve, we saw many people setting up camp and small parties to celebrate the new year. In the evening, we went to the beach to find ourselves in a family friendly rave. At midnight, we witnessed the most spectacular fireworks of our lives thus far. We woke up the oldest two at midnight to see fireworks blasting all along the coast and throughout the city. No space seemed safe from the fun. We weren’t originally supposed to spend new years in Mauritius but I will forever be thankful we did.

  • Diani Beach

    Indian Ocean and Persistent Vendors

    For our week on the Kenyan coast, we needed a ride to the train station in Voi, take the train to Mombasa, then ride another car down to the Diani Beach area. Upon arrival at Aestus Resort Kenya, we toured our home for the week, met our personal chef, and enjoyed some pool time before dinner. J does much of the cooking so he was especially excited for our no effort homecooked meals for the week.

    We spent much of the week enjoying the beach in the morning and the pool in the afternoon, when there was shade to protect us from the strong rays that burnt our skin our first day at the beach. Galu Beach was a short walk away and where we spent much of our beach time. We enjoyed the white sands and warm water, especially at a spit we found a little further down the beach. We also found ourselves at times overwhelmed by vendors wanting to sell us bracelets, woodcarvings, and an excursion on their boat. K was once left alone and her family came back to see a literal line of vendors waiting to speak to her.

    Beach and pool was not all we did. We also went on a glass bottom boat tour to Robinson Island, which was still under shallow water and an insane amount of fun. J and K greatly appreciated the vendor selling beers from a cooler on his paddle board. And the big kids got to a bigger swim with dad. One afternoon we went to the Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest, where we touched a very old wishing tree, saw Colobus monkeys, and partook in some traditional dancing. Our last full day we spent at Le Cafe near the beach. We paid to enjoy the beachside pool but the money spent went towards food and drinks. We enjoyed having a day to enjoy the pool and beach at once. The younger kids appreciated the section off shallow area where they could play independently (but still supervised). During our later afternoon walk to the beach, we bid farewell but knew we would see the Indian Ocean again soon.

    Goodbye Galu Beach

    After a week of sun, we went back up to Mombasa for one night so we could take an early flight to Nairobi to catch a connecting flight to Mauritius. In our short time in Mombasa we got to visit the Jesus Fort and enjoy dinner in what we thought was a small cafe but turned out to be a very large, meandering, popular restaurant.

    Exploring Fort Jesus
    View from Fort Jesus

  • Kenyan Safari

    Elephants, Giraffes, and Zebras

    From Nairobi, we took a train to Voi, where we met with a guide from Hildana Lodge that drove us the rest of the way. We arrived to a late but eventful dinner. We sat with a view of the watering hole and watched as a herd of elephants, including babies, sipped and played with water. Later we watched as a bull got very frustrated with buffalo interfering in his personal watering hole time. He tried, unsuccessfully, to chase them all off. A8 declared the experience a dinner with a show.

    Train Station in Nairobi
    First class on the Madaraka Express
    Eventful Dinners

    Our room at the lodge was nice. We had an open air shared living space separating two large enclosed bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. The staff added a bed to each room so we could comfortably fit three people under each large net. Despite being in a luxury lodge, we were in the wild, leading to K telling the kids to avoid the bat poop on a daily basis and the kids asking us to chase off a lizard on the wall above their beds. But we also got to see and and hear a variety of birds in the mornings and see so many animals interacting at the watering hole.

    First morning game drive
    View at the lodge

    Each day at the lodge was not particularly active yet the days were full and exhausting. We went on game drives, hiked, attempted a bike ride, toured a sisal farm and factory, played at the pool, and played with puzzles and Uno while watching animals convene at the watering hole. From our guide, we learned much about the local flora, fauna, and people. And with all of these experiences we enjoyed three delicious meals each day, the first two being a buffet where the kids could self serve to their delight.

    Elephants at the Pool
    Lunch by the Water Hole
    Sisel Farm & Factory

    Our time at Hildana Lodge was short but treasured. Before heading to Voi for a train east to Mombasa, we bid farewell to the staff and our new elephant friends.

  • Nairobi

    Chaos, Culture, and Creatures

    After a surprisingly smooth red eye flight with Turkish Airlines out of Istanbul, we landed in Nairobi at 3am. Thanks to our youngest kid, we were moved to a shorter customs line and the proceeded to hunt down our luggage and car seats before meeting with our driver. Due to the size of our family and luggage, they booked two cars to drive us to our apartment. Booking through our host was good because the driver was able to get us all the way to our apartment and show us how to open the many locks. We stayed in a spacious 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom apartment with a gym, pool (though the water was chilly), and daily housekeeping. We also had windows overlooking the oasis in the middle of the complex. The older kids enjoyed sitting by the windows and reading.

    Our first full day we explored the community we were staying in and then ran across the highway to find a place where K could get a Safaricom SIM card and set up m-pesa. We managed to find a delicious lunch at a local restaurant and shopped at the Maasai Market, where A5 got a little messenger bag and J got a new wedding ring. We also got a little stone elephant for the kids’ cousin that we managed to break before we left the market. To reach a Safaricom shop, we walked 1km along narrow streets, crossing the road safely with the help of a chicken on roller-skates, to an indoor mall. The kids enjoyed an indoor jump park while K bought a SIM card, accidentally waited in line without a ticket, and then waited in line again to set up her m-pesa. At the end of the day, we decided no more running across highways and took an uber home.

    Our second full day we went to the arboretum and walked to Amani Garden Cafe for a lovely lunch where the kids could play in the shade. It was during this outing that we discovered Nairobi has acrobats that perform in the streets. We found this the most fascinating find of the day. We went to our pool after our outing, which was too cold for K but the kids had a good time.

    Nairobi Arboretum
    Nairobi Arboretum

    The next day we headed to Karura Forest. We first had lunch at the River Cafe, offering open air seating and delicious food and juices. Since A3 was sick, he sat and napped with K in the park while the rest of the family hiked to see a waterfall, a cave, and butterflies. After everyone met up again in the picnic area full of people, monkeys, and hawks, a hawk tried to steal A3’s beep-beep. A3’s beep beep was rescued but the hawks succeeded in taking the little bucket that was nearly lost so many times in the past. He was devastated and now does not like hawks.

    The next day we headed to the Central Business District to follow a GPS My City walking tour. We had some hiccups getting there due to an Uber strike and heavy traffic. We managed to make our way to the national archives, where we learned much about Kenya on a private guided tour. After, we moved through people and car traffic to a yummy lunch in a little oasis, Habibi Haven.

    CBD

    The following day was a big adventure out of Nairobi to a Maasai Village experience through Happy Tribe Travel. We were dressed in traditional attire by our hosts, learned to make Maasai beaded jewelry, herded and milked goats, made a fire, made Ugali, and danced. Everyone was kind and the children were so sweet, some very much enjoying touching A3’s hair.

    Our last full day in Nairobi was focused on a safari in Nairobi National Park where we saw many animals including rhinos and a lion. After our search for animals around the park, we headed to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) Nursery to see a baby zebra, baby rhino, and baby elephants drinking bottles of milk. We then headed over to the Giraffe Center to feed giraffes. After a long and lovely day of animals, we went back and watched The Lion King since the kids were pretty wiped, especially the ones not feeling well.

    Our departure day was very low key in that we finish packing and explored our little community before leaving. We were lucky that our host gave us a late check out so we could relax before heading to the train station to catch our train. Our experience with the train was new and interesting. We had to go through security, including lining up our luggage to be sniffed by dogs. We also waited in an unusually long line to print our passes before sitting to enjoy the first class ride to Voi.

    Train Station in Nairobi

  • Istanbul

    Tastes, Sites, and Sounds

    Getting into Istanbul was long but surprisingly smooth. We flew on Pegasus (K swore off budget airlines moving forward) and had a long drive from SAW to the place we were staying in Beyoğlu. We had a fun car with lights in the ceiling and had views driving in. Our two oldest watched Kedo on the plane and were concerned when we didn’t see cats on the highway. Checking in with our host, they learned that cats were indeed aplenty, even just outside our apartment. Our apartment was spacious and clean and had a lovely view. The reflective windows kept people from seeing us as they took selfies with the view. It became a regular occurrence during our stay as we sat inside discussing their thoughts. Our first night was a late dinner and we were not disappointed by our experience at Pera Port Kebab and Yemek House, where we got to leave our mark.

    Our first day included a early morning hamam for K at Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam, just down the hill from our stay. She enjoyed it so much she returned our last morning in town. After her intensive bathing and massage, we had a family adventure up to Taksim Square and then strolled down to Galata Tower. We played on a playground, ate a Turkish lunch, window shopped, bought Turkish delights for ourselves and family, toured the cat museum, saw the green birds in the walls of Galata tower, and pet many cats along the way. J got to end the day with his own hamam experience.

    Cat Hotel
    European Arcade
    Making friends at the playground
    Observing Galata Tower

    Our second day we rode the tram down to explore the Spice Market, the New Mosque, the Grand Bizarre, and Suleymaniye Mosque. We met a little kitten, experienced the (extreme) chaos of Istanbul, made some purchases, ate some Turkish food, and gained a better understanding of Islam. At the end of the outing, K and A2 headed to a twirling dervish experience, which they both highly recommend.

    Little Kitten
    Spice Bizaar
    New Mosque
    Grand Bazaar
    Suleymaniye Mosque
    Suleymaniye Mosque

    Our third day we needed to decompress. We had a Turkish breakfast down the street and with a view. The food was a big hit with the kids as it was choose your own experience meal. We took the tram to the Dolmabahçe Palace and nearby mosque. The two older kids used their money to buy tops that were heavily used the rest of our time in Istanbul. We rode an underground funicular, always a hit with the kids. And J and A8 completed the day with a whirling dervishes while the K and the other kids spent time at the playground near our apartment.

    Our fourth day in Istanbul was a long one with a visit to the Topkapi Palace. We signed for a short guided tour followed by our own exploration of the harem and palace. The harem was much bigger than we expected and took a decent amount of time to explore and understand. After lunch in the small cafe in the palace, where our youngest was stung by a wasp, we further explored. We gained a better understanding of palace life and an appreciation for their royal garments. We also took in views, got a photo with a guard, and pet yet another cat. Our youngest also managed multiple head bonks on one statue (in addition to the wasp sting).

    Needing another low key day, we ventured to the Asian side of Istanbul, utilizing the public ferry. The start of the day was cold, wet, and fairly quiet. After a walk through a neighborhood to the coast, we made our way back to a dry and active market. We bounced around various stalls for food, and realized Pide was actually what we wanted.

    After that, we made our way back to the ferry. After getting back to the European side, we attempted the funicular to Tunnel (a tram stop). After much searching, we found that it was temporarily closed. We ended the day with more time at our nearby playground with a view.

    Our last full day, we kicked off the day with a visit to the Basilica Cistern. We bought four skip the line tickets ahead of time and brought passports for the two youngest to get them in without a ticket. We only spent about an hour there but it was a somewhat magical experience. Afterwards, we enjoyed snacks nearby before heading to the Blue Mosque before long lines formed. The kids received a free snack from a volunteer on our way in and we didn’t wait long before going in an experiencing the Blue Mosque. Then, we hit different spots on the walking tour we developed for the day, including many items from the kids’ scavenger hunt we developed for them. Though we couldn’t see the cistern under the Nakkaş Carpet Store, we did learn much about the making of Turkish rugs. We ate lunch at 7 Hills, where we enjoyed delicious but overpriced food with a lovely view. They provide bread on forks to feed seagulls on the roof, making very fun videos and photos for our family. We ended the day with a little more play and Dodurma.

    Basilica Cistern
    Blue Mosque
    7 Hills

    Our last day was low key. We very much appreciate that our host was willing to hold our luggage while we did a little last bit of adventuring. I realized I no longer needed to bathe myself and started the day at the hamam. After which, we ventured to Takism square to attempt shipping items home, play at the playground, ride the trolley, and get lunch. Lunch was pizza that hit the spot. Obviously, there was plenty of petting kittens along the way. Our departure included a ride with traffic to the airport where we enjoyed the lounge but sadly (and yet again) ran out of time to enjoy a play area before boarding a plane for Kenya.

  • The Black Forest

    Shopping, Hiking, and Festivals

    We left Paris and our little five-flight walk-up apartment to catch the ICE to our German destination. Traffic defied my expectations of a 45 minute commute to the train station. We arrived in front of Paris Ost about 15 minutes before departure, removing any chance of last-minute espressos or postcards. We stumbled through the turnstile with several minutes to spare and quickly found our reserved seating (necessary for international ICE trips). The trip went smoothly with the kids enjoying the ICE Kinderfahrkarten, where they received a toy, magazine, and game of Mau Mau (Uno) during the trip.

    Once in Karlsruhe, we discovered the trains had stopped due to work on the power lines. So stumbling among the busses, we found the one to Pforzheim. We arrived at the Hauptbahnhof (ZOZ), and schlepped our suitcases and carseats up the road to our apartment. The apartment opened to high ceilings, much natural light, and three bedrooms with an oversized master, but we struggled a bit with six people contesting for a single bathroom. We worked it out, but we definitely became closer as a family.

    We also managed to get a library card! The kids were over the moon when the librarian handed it over. We had to work out an exception given we didn’t have any identification with a local address. I chose A5 as the name on the card, only later to find this was a mistake as there are laws regulating the ages to check out certain materials, limiting our video game options.

    During our first week, we explored near our place, shopped for some needed items and clothing, ventured into the Black Forest to hike some ruins, played at many playgrounds, and visited Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart (a competitor to Octoberfest).

    Ruins in the Black Forest
    Cannstatter Volksfest

    We found Autumn and Halloween festivities in full swing. We enjoyed giveaways, kid activities, music, and the Acrobot at the Karlsruhe City Festival. Locally, we explored the annual Antique Market, where we were expecting to only see antiques. Instead, we also found pumpkin carving and hay stacks. We also visited the largest collection of pumpkin sculptures at the Kürbisausstellung at the Ludwigsburg Residential Palace, where we stumbled into the Fairy-Tale Garden.

    Pforzheim Antique Market
    Karlsruhe Sprint
    Kürbisausstellung

    Our next week was spent ice skating and walking locally, enjoying visitors, and exploring with a rental car. Cici visited us first with a trip to Treetop Walk (and slide) and Adventure Forest in the Black Forest. K and Cici then went out for a city music festival that lasted until 2am; when K woke up she was already 7k steps into her next day’s goal. The highlight of her night was dancing to the YMCA. On Sunday we visited the Stuttgart Zoo with a dinner at Busch Pilot, where the younger two and me went back to Pforzheim while the older two, Mom, and Cici enjoyed a spa evening at the hotel near the airport.

    Große Enz
    Treetop Walk Black Forest
    Fairytale Path

    Kiki visited next, with a whirlwind tour of Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, and Schloss Hohenzollern. We rode three different funiculars between Bad Wildbald, Baden-Baden, and Heidelberg (Baden-Baden was our favorite with the views and the self-service button). We loved walking the streets of Heidelberg and the views from the Philosopher’s walk, despite the rain. Baden-Baden turned out to be one of the prettiest towns we’ve randomly stumbled upon, with a beautiful creek and park down the center and roman ruins.

    From Heidelberg Castle
    Heidelberg Castle Funicular
    Protest in the Augustaplatz

    Even after our visitors, we continued to explore what we could before ending our time in Germany. We ate in a brasserie, rode a small street train, and toured a majestic yet lopsided cathedral in Strasbourg, FR. We explored the streets, jumped over Bächle, and explored a cathedral in Freiburg im Breisgau. We hiked around the Geroldsau Wasserfall, a beautiful circuit around a waterfall, across a confluence of creeks, and then through autumn leaves. We saw strange oreo goats and learned about the wine column at the Maulbronn Monastery. We returned to the Pforzheim Wildpark where J and the older two went to the climbing park, a self-guided gargantuan rope course with scattered challenges and multiple belays and zip lines. Meanwhile, K fed more animals with the younger two and got to witness a baby goat be bottle fed.

    Cathedral Notre-Dame, Strasbourg
    Geroldsau Wasserfall
    Freiburg im Breisgau, DE
    Maulbronn Monastery
    Pforzheim Wildpark
    Waldklettergarten Pforzheim

    The end of our trip was focused on Halloween. We scoured the town for the perfect, yet travel-friendly or disposable costumes. Over a few days we found the perfect costume for each kid, but continued to struggle with what to do for trick-or-treating. During this time we also visited the Charles Knie Circus where we watched human feats that shouldn’t be possible, competing with Cirque du Soleil. On Halloween, we returned to Karlsruhe to do some Halloween-related activities and ride the spooky park train in the palace gardens. During this ride we discovered a playground out of a child’s dream that we had to visit. Once home, we went to the streets and began following and asking folks who were clearly out for treats how it worked among the apartment buildings. We found you randomly ring apartments and if someone lets you in, then you progress to each door to say “Süsses oder Saueres”. It wasn’t our largest Halloween haul, but it was certainly fun and an experience.

    Halloween Fun in Karlruhe
    3 Witches and a Dragon

    We had a few days after Halloween to close everything out. We enjoyed a alpaca walk through the Black Forest with Buckenberg Farm Alpacas. We were pleasantly surprised to also spend time with bunnies. We explored the Mercedes Benz Museum, where the kids also created lanterns that we carried through a dark rainy night home. And we finally enjoyed the Amazonia exhibit at the local Gasometer.

    Walking with alpacas
    Bunny Time
    Wow! Firetruck!

    Importantly, we celebrated one kid’s birthday. She enjoyed some special time with mom and birthday gifts. We all enjoyed an outing to Mauritius Restaurant Pforzheim (a foreboding for a future stop) and some ice cream cake from REWE.

    We spent our last day transiting to the Stuttgart airport. Our trip to the airport was smooth despite needing a transfer in Stuttgart HBF (usually a nightmare). We were really excited for all the fun to be had at the Stuttgart airport only to find all the fun for kids was closed or outside security. Our kids really struggled with the lack of lounge access but were overall champs with the long day. As we passed through the secondary passport checks, we got ready for our next stop: Istanbul.

  • Paris

    A week of pastries, baguettes, and culture

    I adored Paris more than I expected to. On the day we arrived, we were able to get early check in and explore. We went to the playground in the park behind our place. From there, we headed to a larger playground at Parc de Belleville. On our walk, we went past many more playgrounds, each different and we stopped for some quality coffee and cake at Othman Café. A certain three-year old had an accident while playing at the park and we didn’t have backup clothes with us. Luckily, I was able to run to a nearby children’s clothing store for some new clothes (this was unthinkable in Aguda, Portugal). I passed multiple schools letting out for the day on my short walk. It was exciting to be in an area with so many children and playgrounds. After checking out the view of the Eiffel Tower from Parc de Belleville, we played at another nearby playground before grabbing dinner and riding the metro back home.

    The people! During our time in Portugal, we typically saw no people or many tourists. It was a different experience seeing so many locals going from here to there. I also discovered Parisians love the outdoors and greenery. There were many people lounging and socializing in parks and outdoor cafes. And the balconies were so covered with plants they could create a small park.

    Our time in Paris was short and largely focused on sites to see. I look forward to visiting again one day to stroll around more leisurely and grab food at brasseries. Our first full day was focus on Le Louvre. We had 12:30pm tickets so we were able to first do learning and explore Tuileries Garden. We did not ride the carousel but we did see Concorde Plaza, excitement at the Dior building, and various sculptures giving a sneak peak to inside the Louvre. We also played on the playground where the children enjoyed spotting rats. We ate a packed lunch near a fountain with sculptures of Roman gods from a myth, which A8 explained to the family. Her deep knowledge on mythology was very useful throughout the day. Inside the Louvre, we put our backpack in a free locker and snagged two strollers for the littlest to make it through a very full museum afternoon. Our self guided tour took us through medieval times to ancient Egypt and into the Roman empire. We saw parts of Napoleon’s apartments, glimpsed the Mona Lisa, stared up at the Venus de Milo, enjoyed snacks in Le Cafe Mollien, gawked at the crown jewels, rode many elevators, and attempted to play in The Studio. Our youngest spent a decent amount of the day sleeping but he enjoyed eating flan and seeing representations of babies getting milkies.

    Tuileries Garden
    Waiting
    Great Sphinx of Tanis

    Our second day in Paris was a full day at Disneyland Paris, a very happy place for our kids who enjoyed riding rides, exploring sites, and eating at Captain Jack’s for dinner. The two oldest kicked off the visit with Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor while the younger two rode the Disneyland Railroad. We managed more rides and sites than expected, including a parade and Halloween Celebration. We cheated a little by purchasing premier access for the Peter Pan ride and saving an hour of waiting in line. We ended the day with a second time on It’s a Small World and one short round on the carousel.

    Worth the Wait
    Quiet Corner of Disneyland
    Dining at Captain Jack’s

    Our third day in Paris was focused on the Eiffel Tower. We arrived at Place du Trocadero and walked towards the tower that grew as we approached. We missed our guided tour because I mixed up our tour time, but we were still able to go to the second floor on the elevator and then up to the top. The youngest two were not fans of the second level at the top, as it was a bit cold and windy and really high. By the time we explored the top floor and the second floor and walked to the first floor to enjoyed our packed lunch, we had spent hours in the Eiffel Tower. With rain clouds looming, we headed back without exploring the Eiffel Tower gardens, meaning the kids had to skip Fuente de San Miguel in the scavenger hunt.

    Saturday was meant to be a low key day. We relaxed and did some home schooling as it rained outside. We made it outside and down the street for lunch. We ate what was potentially the best pizza in my life at La Pizzadia. Afterwards, we headed over to see and explore the Notre Dame. While trekking to Notre Dame, we bought berets for the three older kiddos and were overwhelmed with the cuteness the rest of the day. In the area, we managed to walk along the Seine and check out a small flea market and book stalls. Inside the Notre Dame, we were at awe at the size and beauty. the kids were most excited to get a statue of saint holding his head for their scavenger hunt.

    Observing the Seine
    Exploring Notre Dame

    Sunday we visited the Arc de Triomphe. We didn’t know until researching the day before that we could go inside. We managed to get tickets and found ourselves observing outside, inside, and on top. When we initially arrived, we enjoyed watching the individuals who seem to not know about the tunnel and run for it. Luckily we didn’t see anyone hit but it felt close at times. We made our way under and over while discussing with the kids how their daddy’s own journey to the Arc de Triomphe in a pram many years ago. We did a full walk around outside and visited the flame before going in and up the many spiraling steps. Inside was interesting and informative and the views on top were breathtaking. After, we ate on pack lunch and walked along Champs-Élysées. We stopped for coffee, our souvenir Starbucks mugs, and some light shopping. We saw a few more sites before ending the outing and heading home. For dinner, we went to the restaurant next to our place. After eating our meal without couscous, we found out they had literally won an award for the best couscous in town. This was the reason for the giant trophy and the libations we heard the night before.

    Leaving Paris was a bit of a blur with packing and getting to the train station to depart for Germany. It was only one week but left an impression on our family. We long to return for the parks, food, and music in the streets.

  • Portugal

    The first stop traveling around the world

    Arriving in Portugal was a bit of a blur. We left Virginia in the afternoon with our 2 large suitcases, 3 small suitcases, bag of car seats, and a backpack each. After landing in Lisbon and getting the fast track customs line thanks to our youngest, we relaxed in one of the lounges before boarding a plane for Porto. Lisbon airport was an interesting experience because we took a bus to and from our planes, which was especially trippy upon landing in the dark and exhausted. Once in Porto, we got a car to our place so we wouldn’t be managing public transit with luggage in tow. We stayed at Casa São João by Ana Ferro Rentals in a sleepy area south of Porto. The place was perfect for our family with 3 bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, plenty of sunlight, and an outdoor space to eat and play. We were a little worried when we found out the washer and dryer were in a separate small structure shared with the two other units on the lot but we quickly adapted.

    We lived near Aguda beach for the month and became familiar with the neighborhood. The kids enjoyed the path to the train past the grocery, occasionally visiting and grabbing a couple lollipops on the way. She really reminded us of the friendly UPS delivery driver back home. We spent most of our time in Aguda at the beach and traveling up and down between Porto and Aviero. The town was nicely placed between along the train, but I wish we were nearer to one of the main stops on the train path to Sao Bento, as that was the more desirable stop in Porto. Highlights of where we stayed: short walk to the beach, the bakery across the street, the friendly woman at the nearby grocery who got into the habit of giving each kid a lollipop when we came in, and the aquarium on a rainy day. The kids developed the freedom to independently get pastries for the family at the bakery and grab items at the grocery. Despite all that we did and saw in Portugal, our kids’ favorite days were tide pooling and playing at the nearby beach.

    Exploring near Capela do Senhor da Pedra
    Aguda Beach Boats
    Play at Praia da Aguda
    Praia da Aguda

    From where we stayed, we not only had access to Porto by train but other smaller destinations. We spent one day in Aviero, where we rode a moliceiro, ate Ovos Moles, explored the city sites, and tied ribbons to the friendship bridge in dedication to friends from back home we miss. We also made a few trips to Espinho. The first time was to have a random afternoon adventure and track down some better fitting clothes for our growing A3. The second time was to indulge in all you can eat sushi and play at the nearby beach, which was full of surfers.

    Walking through Aviero
    Friendship Ribbons

    We had enough outings in Porto such that the city went from loud and exotic to familiar. On our last arrival at Sao Bento station, A5 and I discussed how crazy it is that a place that once felt so new feels so familiar. In Porto, we walked many paths and enjoyed the views. We climbed many hills and steps, stumbled into a large book fair with kid activities, got lost in the Crystal Gardens, ate olives in Mercado do Bolhão, pet cats at O Porto dos Gatos, climbed Clerigos Tower for a wet and overcast view of the city, rode the Tram 1, explored Fort São João Baptista da Foz, attempted to visit Molhe e Farolim de Felgueiras (a lighthouse), wound through narrow alleys, crossed the different levels of the Luís I Bridge, played at Jardim do Morro and Jardim de Joao Chagas, dove into the Saint Francis Catacombs to see tombs and bones, feasted on the light show at Clerigos Church, ate Pastel de Bacalhau and listened to a free concert at Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau, toured and tasted port at Taylor’s Port Wine Cellars, rode a boat along the Duoro, and browsed Ale Hop. Restaurants we enjoyed include ramen at Buga Ramen, Detroit style pizza at Angry Box, traditional Portuguese food in the Time Out Market, and coffee at 7g Roaster (highly recommend for their coffee, atmosphere, and very kind staff).

    Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
    Narrow Streets
    From Luis I Bridge
    Initial Views
    Crossing Luís I Bridge
    Along the Douro River
    Jardim do Passeio Alegre

    We had a car for one week to visit with friends in Lisbon and further explore the nearby area. These smaller adventures included hiking Parque das Serras do Porto, braving the Paiva Walkways and 516 Arouca bridge, exploring ruins in A Guarda, and enjoying putt putt and the beach in Costa Nova.

    Praia Fluvial do Areínho
    516 Arouca Bridge
    Praia Fluvial do Areínho
    Serras do Porto
    Serras do Porto
    Castro de Santa Trega
    Monte Santa Trega
    Monte Santa Trega
    A Guarda Harbour

    Our biggest adventure with the car was to Lisbon so K could celebrate her 40th with a good friend from college who flew in from Colorado with her family to celebrate. We had a large apartment that fit the ten of us – four adults and six kids. It was a bit chaotic in a lovely way. The kids were thrilled to have friends to play and interact with. Leading up to the trip, the kids were asking daily about when we were going to meet with our friends. We initially met up in Sintra to explore Pena Palace together. Our family parked in the free and available parking in town and opted out of the sixty euro tuk-tuk ride to the top, arguably a mistake because the hike was a steep one along the side of a busy narrow rode. We narrowly survived the hike and ate a packed lunch in the Parque de Pena before continuing our hike up to the palace. We had a little time to kill before our tour so we gave the kids the opportunity to clamber around, in, and on some nearby boulders. We explored the palace, but didn’t explore the terrace much because everyone was reaching their exhaustion limits so we enjoyed a few good views and photos before making the trek to the entrance where we paid for a ride back to our cars. Getting to our place was another adventure because we were located in a historical (party!) neighborhood that only residents and taxi drivers could enter. As a result, wives were delivered with luggage and children while husbands either parked or returned the rental car. I was nervous when I realized we were in the clubbing district but our floor was high and the windows had amazing insulation. In Lisbon, we walked a ton and rode the 28. My friend was ill one day so we had 3 adults and 6 kids exploring Lisbon by foot and tram. We managed a few sites, a little shopping, and a packed lunch at Praça do Comércio. My friend and I managed a somewhat disappointing tuk-tuk tour of Belem the next day but also some productive shopping and a dinner with fado at A Severa.

    Sintra
    Birthday Drink
    Beach Art
    Exploring Lisbon with Six Kids (one is in a carrier)

    Leaving Lisbon, we made a stop in Obidos where we met a former Seattlite in the Silver Cost Book Exchange. Once inside the walls of the city, we felt that we had stumbled into a fairy tale. We walked through the town, stopped for J and I to try ginja in a small chocolate cup. We browsed a few shops and Livraria de Santiago before climbing atop and crossing the walls of the city. This was a little unnerving with the smaller kids but we survived while enjoying sweeping views of the town and country. Before leaving, J and I tried on more ginja in a chocolate cup at the entrance to the city and found it to be a superior experience compared to the first we had, especially when adding in the nearby live music. Just outside the city walls, we enjoyed lunch and a few Pastel de natas before leaving. I would recommend this stop for anyone looking to feel sent back in time and/or with a strong love for books.

    After we left Portugal, I look back an remember most the slow days in Aguda. On these days we enjoyed family walks and playing at the beach. By the time we left, we were comfortable in our environment and it showed. We noticed more people speaking Portuguese to us. And we had people in the area familiar with who we were. We enjoyed the food, the beach, the endless views in Porto, the very cheap Super Bock and coffee, and the overall generosity and kindness of those we interacted with.

  • California Road Trip

    Barely pre-pandemic family vacation 2020

    February of 2020, we managed to take a memorable vacation to California before life shifted dramatically. We flew into Los Angeles and went on a road trip to enjoy sun, water, and the magic of Disney.

    We stayed in LA the first night so we could have a reasonable bedtime and not deal with acquiring a rental car late in the evening. The next day included a big continental breakfast, sunshine, and departing for Anaheim, where we enjoyed one full day of Disneyland. Getting in was stressful. The shuttle from the hotel kept filling up so we gave up and took a bus in. I wished we had an earlier start because lines to get in were insane. Once inside, it was magical. We went straight to meet princesses since there was a short line. And were were happy to spend the money on FastPass+ to reserve ahead for FastPass rides (rather than spending time running around the park with little ones). In one day, we managed all the rides we hoped for, met characters, and saw one show. One kid slept through the Winnie the Pooh ride. And there was agreement that the Roger Rabbit and Pinocchio rides were a bit scary. A little parent hack of mine: I bought Minnie ears and t-shirts before the trip so there was no need to buy apparel at Disneyland.

    Waiting to enter Disneyland

    The day after Disneyland we enjoyed an extended character breakfast (at one point the waiter made my coffee refill to go) and strolled Downtown Disney. This felt like another day of Disneyland without buying tickets.

    Mickey!
    Goodbye Disney

    From Anaheim we headed to Palm Springs. We loved Palm Springs. We stayed at a hotel with a large inviting pool and a lawn the kids could run around on. Our time in Palm Springs was focused on pool time and visiting Joshua Tree National Park. The park was amazing. We left in the morning and got back to Palm Springs at dinner time. We did a few short hikes and explored the area with Skull Rock. Skull Rock was by far the biggest hit for our kids. They enjoyed climbing and exploring. At our last stop, our four year old lost her balance on a small bridge and fall on Cholla Cactus. Luckily, she was impaled by only one spine. But it turns out the spines have little barbs at the end that are extra painful. During our visit to Palm Springs, we stumbled upon their weekly Village Fest. It was very congested and we were nervous we would lose track of a kid but it interesting to walk around and see the various vendors.

    From Palm Springs, we headed to our last stop, Santa Monica. We stayed nearby by at Marina Del Ray, next to the Cheesecake Factory. We had a balcony overlooking Mother’s beach that included a playground. We still had our rental car, which made visiting Venice Beach and Santa Monica a little easier. Highlights include playing at the beach, a beautiful sunset, watching roller skaters and skate boarders, and visiting the Santa Monica Pier.

    Our view
    Santa Monica Pier
    Venice Canals

    During the weeks following our trip, everything started shutting down due to Covid. And we didn’t get on a plane again for two years. Where did we go after a two year hiatus on flying? First stop was Palm Springs for much needed sunshine.