Recently, we were given the opportunity to visit some cities in Europe. I decided against going because traveling with two young kids (one who barely learned to walk) was daunting, until L.H. Lee inspired me that people do this all the time and live to tell about it. So I took the plunge and decided to fly from Newark to London, then take the train to Paris, then Switzerland with the brood.
THE PREPARATION
We traveled quite a bit to California already so packing was predictable.
- I packed 4 outfits for everyone and figured I'd launder as I go.
-Purchased a used lightweight double stroller.
-Deprived the kids (well, more like "a kid)" of any IPAD or phone use for 3 weeks so that it will be a novelty item on the plane. Downloaded a few new apps. But the kid played Subway Surfers throughout all the flights/train rides.
Personal favorite: Altoid box full of crayons.
MOMENTS IN LONDON
Disney's Cars 2 had Holley Shiftwell and Finn McMissile held hostage in Big Ben. So we went with that language and visited the place where the two spies were captured.
"Mommy, I never knew butternut squash was this good."
--That comment alone made the trip worth it.
Little sour watermelon-cucumber hybrids
Old telephone booths to stick the kids in for a good picture.
"Mommy, what is this thing" as he points to a payphone.
"Good times, son. Good times."
Buckingham Palace. A different world, but cool for kids to use the audio tour by themselves and good place for babies to nap!
Just walked everywhere and took pictures. So many lovely corners.
Young and old eat ice cream.
For the first time.
This stuff is great!
Opted to stay in apartments rather than traditional hotels to give the little ones room to roam and eat breakfast while half-naked. That's the good life, people.
2 HRS VIA TRAIN TO PARIS
B. Chung told us a secret way to get through lines for the Louvre and it worked! Really fun place.
Art through the eyes of a 4-year-old...
means posing with all the naked statues with their blankies.
And of course, Mona.
More ice cream.
And rummaging through a Parisian flea market.
4 HRS VIA TRAIN TO LUCERNE
Mesmerized by a lady playing the Raffin
Swiss cookies...amazing.
Museum of Transport. Most interactive, kid friendly museum I've ever visited. Kids were provided scooters and scooter parking everywhere you go.
Switzerland, a land tucked away with playgrounds
A place where nobody locks their bikes. Seriously.
It was pristine and beautiful. By far, my favorite city from this trip.
NEWARK, NJ
So what to do with jetlagged kids who wake up at 3am? Take them to the only place that's open at that time--Asbury beach, the only beach we know in NJ.
Lesson learned:
Not gonna wait till they're out of the house to start our traveling. The joy they bring far outweighed the inconvenience.
