On day 3 we purposefully kept it low-key. 8 hours of touring the day before had been a lot to ask of 3 small boys. A yummy breakfast at the apartment, some beach time, a walk to Amalfi for panini and gelato and naps in the afternoon rounded out the day.
Day 3- Amalfi Coast Read More »
After waking up to the beauty of Atrani we got an earlier start to the day as we had booked an 8 hour tour of the coast. Our driver recommended driving to the most southern city we were to visit, Sorrento, and then we would work our way back North. Below, is a view of
Day 2- Amalfi Coast Read More »
On our first day on the Amalfi coast we woke up in our apartment in Atrani and then headed up to the rooftop terrace to take in the view. Then it was off to the beach to throw rocks, because what else would little boys like to do on vacation at a pebbly beach? Afterwords
Day 1- Amalfi Coast Read More »
We spent a lovely afternoon at a local farm making small pizzas, squeezing fresh blood-orange juice, watching (chasing…) the animals and enjoying the beauty of Sicily in the early Spring.
Handmade Pizza at the Farm Read More »
Easy walk along a river, beach under the shadow of a beautiful mountain, 65 degree day in January… Sicily continually delivers.
In mid December our good friends invited us up to their town to watch part of the celebrations of the festival of St. Lucia, the patron saint of Belpasso. The festivities continued throughout the day, but we watched the portion during which the statue of St. Lucia was moved from inside of the church, to the
Belpasso | Festa di Santa Lucia Read More »
After warming up via nap time at the apartment, it was time to bundle the kids back into their coats and gloves and head out with the goal of the rest of the family seeing the inside of Notre Dame (I had been inside on Christmas Eve.) We had tried a few times before, but the line
So, so cold. The high was 30 degrees and the baby refused to keep his hat or gloves on. We had left the stroller at the apartment in order to avoid lugging it up and down stairs, so we didn’t even have the rain screen as an option to keep him out of the
Adventure. Memory-making. Or, maybe…. freezing off our fingers and noses. That is a succinct explanation of our trip out to Versailles. The high for the day was not much above 30 degrees and there was a biting, strong wind with a steady heavy drizzle. As we got off the train the wind whipped right through our
The day after Christmas we had a tour that promised we would see Paris like a Parisian. We walked through a few less touristy arrondissements and a typical market street. Our guide also took us to a fantastic cafe and a wonderful small cafe/antique shop. Each was only a short stop as the tour
Walk like a Parisian Read More »
After an early breakfast of Kouignettes, eggs and sausages we headed out on the metro to the Paris suburbs to spend Christmas day at Disneyland. It was chilly, but luckily the only rain fell while we were inside of the Small World ride and the boys all had a fantastic day.
Christmas at Disneyland Paris Read More »
On drizzly, chilly Christmas Eve we took the Eurostar from London to Paris. I’ve said it again, and I still wholeheartedly believe it, train travel is where it’s at- especially if you’re bringing along the kids. Traveling under the Channel really was a non-event, but still fun to be able to say that we did.
The day started with a fantastic audio tour of the Westminster Abbey, then a short walk across to Buckingham Palace, a few wishes in the fountain and a walk through Green Park to get to the metro. After nap time we headed out for a reservation at the London Eye. The views that the wheel
Westminster Abbey, Buckingham and the London Eye Read More »
On this day we visited the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and then walked through Hyde Park to visit the Albert Memorial and the geese, ducks and swans, before catching the metro back to our apartment for a nap. Later, we hopped on a double-decker city bus to Regent Street and gave the kids
Museums and Hamleys Read More »
The weekend before Christmas we hopped on a plane (as much as you just ‘hop on a plane’ with three small children…) and headed out for a holiday in London and Paris. I’ll be sharing several posts that explain our travels in images. First up, we have a day walking along the Thames and exploring
Catania to London, then The Tower Read More »
This was a wonderful set-menu meal in a restaurant high atop a hill in a small town North of Taormina. The day prior, Eastern Sicily had seen very strong winds and heavy rain, with a tornado touching done only miles south of this location. The storm had passed, but the skies remained atmospheric and moody.
I can’t believe that it has been a year. One year ago today I was attempting to soothe overtired children after 10 hours of traveling across the ocean, exhausted but exhilarated for what lie ahead. This year has been more than I could have hoped for. Sicily is a land of variety; it is
Our flight out of Florence was in the late afternoon, so we had a little time in the morning left to enjoy the city. We decided to head back to Santa Croce to see the leather school. We were hoping this little monster would learn to walk while we were on vacation (preferably in the
Arrivederci Bellissima Firenze! Read More »
After working through the Uffizi Gallery (strict no photography policy) the kids had earned another gelato treat. Partially explained by the sign that we saw displayed upon entrance “We apologize that throughout the entire building the air conditioning is not working. It is under maintenance.” And it was already close to 90 degrees outside at
Day 2 in Firenze. Why does he always want to sleep late when we have somewhere to be early in the morning? Eventually, everyone was ready and we were off on the walk to the Accademia. Everything I read during trip prep indicated that photographs of The David were strictly prohibited. However, as we walked
We booked our train tickets online before leaving Sicily and planned to arrive at the station about an hour before our train to Florence was scheduled to depart. The taxi dropped us right in front of the station and we found a quiet area out of the way (perhaps too out of the way… security
The Unescapable Charm of Firenze Read More »
Our last day in Rome was left open and unscheduled. We ended up visiting the Pantheon right after breakfast. I only brought my 50mm on this outing and that didn’t allow me to adequately capture the grandeur of the dome. It is amazing what humans were able to accomplish centuries ago! The kiddos enjoyed a
Looking down the courtyard of the Vatican Museum towards the dome of St. Peter’s. Amazingly, the museum buildings extend that entire distance. It is a long walk! Hanging out a window, trying to catch a breeze while looking out over the beauty of Rome. Shortly before the Sistine Chapel are the Raphael rooms. The detail
Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica Read More »
Some of the ruins in the Forum. Such a good little tour participant. The architectural achievements of the Colosseum are amazing… as is the savagery that was displayed there. Trying to get a short break from the brutal Roman sun. Almost 100F that day. But, gelato solves most problems!
Roma Day 2- The Forum and Colosseum Read More »