TRAVEL TUESDAY: Madrid to Barcelona, Moving Day!

Here is a reasonably average example (though tipped to the better end of the scale) from one of the travel days on our last trip.

8:00am - Wake up!
Jim and I start packing up the last little bits, putting the apartment back to how it was when we arrived, dress, and wash up.

8:45am - Get Levi and Owen fed, washed, and changed.

9:15am - A final tidy, and scour for possible loose ends.

9:20am - Out the door, dropping the garbage and recycling in the bins outside on our way. We walk 10 minutes to the subway with Levi in the stroller, Owen in a carrier on my front, a small backpack on Jims front, and our main packs on our backs.

9:45am - Arrive at the train station, and have breakfast at a cafe. Levi has a croissant with Jam, and Jim and I have Coffee, fresh OJ, and toast drizzled with olive oil, and spread with a tomato paste - Yum!

10:15am - Buy water and browse the magazine shop.

10:27am - RUN LIKE MAD!! We just found out we are in the wrong spot and have 3 minutes to get to the right spot, and we have to worry about putting our bags through security. Even though we´re on the level of track 3, we have to run upstairs and then take an escalator back down to our train.

10:30am - Phew! I´m sitting in our seats with the babes, while Jim folds up the stroller and stacks the bags on the luggage rack at the end of our coach.

10:33am - The couple behind us moves to give us space, or possibly to get away from the ensuing ruckus. Either way, it is fabulously helpful.

10:33am - 1:22pm -
*1 nap for Owen (A good one! YAY!)

*2 feedings for Owen (One at the beginning and one at the end)
*3 Mandarin Oranges
*1 visit to the food coach

*3 Nappy changes (between the two)

*Several strolls
*1.5 Litres of water
*Some puzzling (We just bought one book that has 5 small 4 piece puzzles)

*1 episode of Backyardigans on the ipod
*Random minutes here and there of a spanish dubbed film where Mel Gibson is losing his mind (accompanied by his beaver puppet) - Is this a reasonable example of art imitating life?
*Lots of trying to keep Levi from climbing the seats (means going for more walks)
*4 visits from train attendants for seat checking, the drinks and snacks cart, the newspaper/magazine cart, and to bring us Lindor chocolate - yes you read that last one right!

1:22pm - Arrive in Barcelona!
Subway and walk to our new apartment, phoning our hostess from the first payphone we see to let her know we´re almost there.

2:00pm - Arrive at the apartment. Go over all the details (appliances, keys, layouts, heating etc.). Some confusion in our past communication causes differing amounts from what was expected - an amount we paid previous was a deposit and not a part of the total amount owed. Jim leaves with the owner to visit a bank and finalize payment.

2:30pm - Unpack, put all clothes in drawers, make any necessary child-friendly rearrangements to the furniture (to prevent falls out of bed, other injuries, or broken stuff).

3:00pm - Venture out to find the nearest park and explore our new neighbourhood, first stopping at the downstairs bakery for a sweet treat (of course).

Find a huge park just down the road with a public library right next to it. Owen and I head over to the library for a peek and 2 seconds of free web browsing until we are courteously pushed out. Meeting Jim and Levi back at the park, we find a giant (slowest ever in the world) zip line which gives us a good couple of laughs.

4:30pm - Come across a former bullring turned 5 level Mall called "Arena" which has 360 degree views of Barcelona on the roof. Amazing.

5:30pm - Have a noodle dinner at a restaurant called Udon (Our 2nd as we enjoyed this place once in Madrid as well).

6:30pm - A quick grocery shop for the next couple day's breakfasts, snacks, and drinks and then  "home" for relaxing, planning, and sleeping!

xo

Travel Tuesday: Choosing A Stroller

After we had finally settled on where to spend our 3 months of travel this past year (thanks to parental leave), it was time to decide what to bring. Our time would be split between Portugal, Morocco, Spain, Germany, and Scotland, traveling overland as much as possible, and using local transport at each location. The biggest and most difficult decision seemed to be regardng what configuration of wheels we would bring to carry our two young boys about.
A double stroller? One umbrella stroller? Two single umbrella strollers? No stroller at all??

Our past experience with Europe and a stroller was THIS, which led us to our no double decision. The sidewalks simply aren't wide enough in most areas, and with the insane number of stairs we had to tackle, the weight of a double stroller would have been exhausting. I wondered many, many times what someone would do stroller-wise with twins, and then I saw a couple of sets within a few days - both had enormous side-by-side double bassinet/carriage strollers. In both cases I wondered if they had materialized to the location, as only God knows what sidewalk they took to get there...

Bringing no stroller at all was not an option mainly due to travel days and busy crowds. With us each carrying a heavy pack on our back, one of us with a smaller but still weighty pack on our front, and the other with a baby on our front, our older son (2 years old) needed to be safely contained in a stroller to allow us to rush along to catch a bus, plane, taxi, or train. With that kind of extra load on our bodies, chasing a two year old was not an option.

Two single strollers seemed like a royal pain in the butt. It was likely that Levi would want to spend most of his time walking anyway. This option would insure that both of us would be pushing a stroller at all times - empty or not. Boo to that.

What we finally settled on was the same hearty umbrella stroller we brought to Italy, and an Ergo carrier. Looking back, it was the best decision. The sidewalks everywhere were as expected - often narrow, packed with people, frequently with high curbs and crazy obstacles, and sometimes non-existent. When you are without sidewalk you better hope you have the tightest little stroller ever because cars are not inclined to share their space with you.



The Ergo was great (again). We were still able to carry our 2 year old son in it, as the weight limit is 40 pounds. Sometimes, we would go out with Owen (6 months old) in the carrier and Levi walking, which meant no stroller at all. It was very freeing to venture out without wheels!

Our stroller was borrowed from my husband's mom when we went to Italy, and yet still, there it sat conveniently at our home 14 months later as we left for this trip :) - Thanks Mama D! The brand is Avalon, and it is fantastic. Full recline, and a large basket underneath are it's greatest assets, not to mention that it has seriously had it's ass kicked (Jim made a small repair this past trip) and still it hung in there for us. It is, sadly, on it's last leg but has served us more than well! We saw many, many Maclaren strollers and will probably seek one out for our next trip, but this little Avalon is comparable in weight, size and features. I just don't know where you would find another.

*I should add that we also brought a very compact sling with us which came in handy at times when it was helpful to carry both babes, particularly after going through security at the airport, or while hiking.

Travel Tuesday: Postcards From Fes

The Moroccan people were definitely something to write home about.
For how many times I had heard before visiting Fes that we would find it incredibly overwhelming due to high pressure from touts - namely medina "guides" - we truly never did. There have been many times on our travels, since having Levi, where I wondered if we would be experiencing the same level of care and politeness had we been without a child - our experience in Fes may be a perfect example of this. This isn't to say we were never approached for various reasons, but no one really persisted beyond our "no thank you".
There were at least 2 or 3 people, at different times, to approach simply to tell us "blessings on your beautiful children" and "may they be protected, in sha'allah (God Willing)". Each person to say these words to us expressed them with a great deal of emotion. They really meant it, and we really felt it. Very unexpected, and highly appreciated. This at a time when our defenses were down - we were sick, we were tired and, in turn, very concerned for our babies.

We owe Fes another shot, and we will make sure we give it.

TRAVEL TUESDAY: Top Ten Italy

Well, I could post a top 100 cause truly there are that many amazing things to see there, but if I absolutely HAD to narrow it down...

#10 - My first glimpse of the main canal in Venice when I stepped out of the train station. Wow.

#9 - St.Peter's Basilica




#8 - Michelangelo's "David"

#7 - Piazzale Michelangelo, A park overlooking the city of Florence with absolutely amazing views. Grab a nice cold beer from one of the many vendors, and just chill. Aside from the wicked views, people watching extraordinaire.



#6 - Bread, wine, olives and cheese Picnic on the grass next to the leaning tower of Pisa. No need to climb it, just chilling out beside it makes for the most perfect afternoon.



#5 - Italy Farmstay in Abruzzi National Park



#4 - Riding bikes along the wall of the old city in Lucca



#3 - Pompeii





#2 - The Last Supper

#1 - Sistine Chapel. No words.

TRAVEL TUESDAY: Pho-licious

Pho - a delicious Vietnamese noodle soup made with Banh-Pho noodles & beef broth. My go-to was and remains to be Pho Ga (Chicken Soup).
A variety of garnishes and sauces are added to personal taste including hoisin sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, thai basil, thinly sliced white onion, bean sprouts, coriander, fresh thai chili peppers, and lime wedges.

At our favourite Pho restaurant in Vietnam, Pho 24, which is found all across the country, there were small bags of cashews at each place available at an extra cost. I suppose they were meant for eating on the side, but we decided it was a garnish for our noodle soup, tried it, and loved it. I must admit we have even brought cashews with us the odd time to our favourite local spot here in Canada for our soup - might be worth a go if you happen to make Pho at home.



Bowl of Pho in Sapa, Vietnam



"Pho 24", our favourite Vietnamese spot for Pho. This particular photo was taken in Hanoi.



Here is a link to one person's opinion on The Best Pho in Toronto. I will definitely have to look into a couple of these spots...
We have a small local joint we love. The owners know us, and even bought Levi a present a few months back of a bowl, cup, plate & cutlery set - how sweet is that? Anyway, love the pho.

TRAVEL TUESDAY: Must Haves With Baby

There are a few items I am so glad we have had with us traveling that I really think I should share:

*My sister in law lent us this amazing stroller sun shade, and I don't know what we would have done without it under the hot Italian sun. Our son was able to nap protected, in complete shade no matter where we were. The shade is called Protect-A-Bub by Kiddopotamus. Well worth it. I will not find myself traveling in a hot climate without it. It packs up into a small carrying case, can fold back on the stroller when not needed, and can be pulled right down to create a cozy sleeping space for your babe. If you are bringing a stroller, definitely bring one of these along too.




*This great, packable, cloth "high chair" has served us well.
Specifically in Italy, Highchairs in restaurants were obsolete except at a couple of tourist sights (Pompeii, and one restaurant in a central piazza in Florence were the only high chairs available to us on our entire trip).
We sometimes were able to find space to fit a small stroller next to our table, but more often they were tightly packed and there just wasn't the room. This fabric seat cover also came in very handy for feeding times at our apartment rentals.

*A small night light or flashlight can be invaluable when your little one wakes in the night and you are trying to navigate your way to them through a new, unfamiliar space without turning the lights on.
I've never used a headlamp, but thinking we will try that out for our next trip. You will most likely be sharing your sleeping space with your child or children while on the road. This can make reading at bedtime somewhat difficult, which I quite like to do. I have considered buying a small clip on reading light, but I think a headlamp might be the smarter buy as it would serve well for both reading and tending to your baby in the night. Everywhere we have gone with our son, I have wished I had one.

*A sling, or carrier. There are so many places that can be tackled so much easier with a carrier. We have used the Ergo for our last couple of trips and love it. Our only problem with it is that our child is at such a curious age we would have loved a carrier that he could face out in and see the world. Here is an earlier post where I wrote about the three carriers we have tried and enjoyed.

*We carry one bib with us, the Kiddopotamus Bibbity Rinse and Roll Bib.
It is wipeable, and rolls up into itself to pack away easily. I would definitely recommend a bib such as this. You don't want cloth bibs, it just adds to your wash load, and your weight as you would need several as opposed to one.

*A toy strap is very useful for preventing a snack cup, sippy cup, or favourite toy from falling to the ground (or for averting that fun little game of throwing toys to the ground while mom or dad continually pick them up). Here is a simple tutorial to make your own.

*If your child uses a pacifier, do not leave home without a pacifier clip. For us we never used one at home, but were so grateful to have one with us on our trip.

*The last, most important, thing to bring is: as little as possible. Since you already have your most important item (your baby) to worry about you really want little else to distract you.

This list was mainly compiled on our trip to Italy which was when our son was 11 months old.

TRAVEL TUESDAY: Armchair Traveller: Tim Tams

The Armchair traveller: Enjoying bits of the world in the comfort of your own home.

The TimTam is something special. Something so tasty we thought it had to stay in Australia where we found it. Had to remain a memory. And so, after excitedly discovering we could buy them here in Canada, and then declaring our allegiance to our Australian memory of it, we proceeded to pass it by, again and again and again.

As I am, once again, about to pass them by, with the memory so distant I think our decision may have been a silly one, I stand here staring them down and wonder "To buy or not to buy?..."



Aw YEAH!!!! TO BUY!!!



Anyone hear of the TIMTAM slam??
Nibble opposite corners of the chocolate biscuit to expose the wafer inside.



Use your biscuit as a straw and suck like crazy. Any hot bevvy will do.





Hurry up and pop that biscuit into your mouth before it totally disintegrates in your hand and you miss out on the whole beautiful thing!





Ahhhh, memories...
xo