After our visitors left…Venice

Taking children to Venice is very interesting.  Children don’t really understand that there are no roads or cars in Venice until they see it for themselves.  Levi was so amazed that the only transport in Venice was “really, truly” only boats that it was quite comical.  Phoenix was really happy and loved that the only way to get around was via boat, his happiness soon ended when he realised we would be walking more than travelling on boats.

The water buses are quite expensive, It cost around $200 AUD for 3 days of water bus tickets for the 4 of us.  We did buy the tickets but probably did not take enough advantage of the water buses.  They were very crowded whenever we hopped on one and we felt like we were missing out on seeing parts of Venice you could easily do on foot.

 

Another thing that happens to you (as a parent) is that while walking along the canals you are constantly telling your children to move away from the edge of the footpath.  I have 2 very curious boys and have found them in fountains before so I was very conscious of keeping them out of the canal water.

Just an example of what the footpaths are like and how there are no railings along the edge, so please be wary of this when taking the kids to Venice.

 

We found out that there was a beach the boys could swim at a short boat ride away.  Lido is an island with free and private beaches on it, you can also hire bicycles to ride on the island (another great thing to enjoy with the kids).

 The boys in the water at the beach, just before they got stung by a jellyfish.  It was not a very bad sting, there was not screaming or crying.  I don’t even think it left much of a mark, and the boys got back into the water after without fear.

So there are many activities you can enjoy in Venice with your children depending on the season.  Children are free most of the time to enter galleries and museums, but the Italians do not sensor anything so please do not be surprised if you walk into something you need to explain to your children (let’s just say we had a lot of explaining to do one day).

One more photo, this one is from the St Marks Bell Tower at night of the cars coming and going from Venice.  That road over the water is the only way to get to Venice via car or train.

babies and weddings…

wow, it has been a long time between posts.  Sorry about that everyone.

Actually this post comes at a very exciting time.  In my last post I mentioned Mark and Rachel had visited us in Florence.  Well this weekend Mark and Rachel are getting married and recently they welcomed little Hunter Daniel into their beautiful family.

Some unexpected visitors… Italy part 5

While we were in Viareggio we got a phone call from Iain’s cousin Mark saying that He and his fiancée were standing in front of our Florence apartment.  After a little confusion and a short drive we discovered it hadn’t been our apartment but another across town.  Mark and Rachel decided to join us in Viareggio then head back to Florence with our keys to the apartment to wash some clothes. They were travelling Europe in a large van.

Camping in Europe can save you money.  You can stay in camping grounds just outside of the major cities and use the trains and buses nearby, this is good if you are driving around Europe.  Many campgrounds also have cabins and caravans for rent. http://www.europe-camping-guide.com/

We decided to show Mark and Rachel our favourite spots in Florence.  Iain was excited to have someone to share a beer with and I was glad to have another female to talk to.  Iain and Mark tried about 20 different beers together because beer is about $1.50 AUD in Florence.  We really enjoyed having some familiar faces and accents with us for a few days.

When travelling around Europe don’t be afraid to talk to other tourists, quite often you may find you are from the same country perhaps even the same city. And if they have children with them the kids can play and have fun together.  We often met British travellers with children on our outings and spent time comparing notes and letting the kids play football or Nintendo ds games.  It is great if you get to have time with others doing the same as you and sharing places you may not have been to yet.

More tips and tricks for travelling in Europe with kids coming soon…

Part 4 Italy…Our 1st holiday away from our “home” in Florence

After spending a few days in Florence we decided we might take advantage of the hot weather and head to a very popular beach town Viareggio. 

Viareggio is a Tuscan town on the Mediterranean Sea.   Easily reached by car on the motorway or by train from anywhere in Italy or Europe. The following Tuscany towns are near a convenient distance: Florence (80 km), Siena (130 Km), Lucca and Pisa (20 Km) with an international Airport. Easily reachable are also the islands of the Tuscany Archipelago, and sights as the Apuan Alps, Le 5 Terre (5 completely secluded villages beautifully situated at the coast), lakes etc.

The reason we picked Viareggio was for the simple fact that it was accessible by train and had plenty of hotels available.  Our landlady thought it was a bad idea to go to Viareggio in July because it is the time many Italians go to the beach for their annual summer holiday. But we were very lucky because it didn’t seem any busier than the beaches at home (ie. The Gold Coast, Australia).

As mentioned above Florence is only 80km from Viareggio (1hr 20mins on the train). The train cost about €20 from Florence SMN – Viareggio. We walked from Viareggio to our hotel (30mins) it cost  €10 in the taxi.  I would suggest either booking a hotel within 10mins walk of the train station  or getting a taxi to your hotel.  The beach is a 10 minute walk from the train station straight down narrow streets with beautiful terrace housing all sporting gorgeous balconies and wooden shutters to keep the heat out.

Viareggio has a big carnival once a year called Il Carnevale from mid February to mid March every year.  After quite a bit of research I believe it is a wonderful time to head to Viareggio if in the area at that time of year.

Eating in Viareggio

We found that the main restaurants were quite expensive (main meal of pasta €15+).

The places that were busy were the pizza cafes and the gelaterias (gelato/ice cream). We found a great little pizza shop that had slices of pizza from €3 and bottles of coke €1.50 fantastic for lunches.  Beware of the shops selling “cooked” food at the beaches (cafes on the beach where you pay for your spot on the beach), you will be served a microwaved meal. yuk.  Our favourite meal at Viareggio came straight off a boat down near the main jetty. It was a tray of mixed deep fried and battered seafood (calamari, fish, octopus, prawns) with hot chips all cooked on the boat.  We paid €20 for enough mixed seafood for the 4 of us (it ended up being too much, we ate it anyway because it tasted so good).

Coffee can range from 80c to €3 we found that you could enjoy a cappuccino for €1.

Beach or beaches

In Australia the beach is free everywhere.  Things are different in Italy there is a strip of beach with several beaches on it each owned by a different hotel, this is how it is in Viareggio anyway. If you stay in a hotel with a beach you can use it at no extra cost, however if you stay in a hotel that doesn’t own a beach you have to pay a daily rate to sit on the beach. It costs approx. €20 for a spot on the sand with an umbrella and 2 beach chairs. €10 per day for a beach chair. 

• You CANNOT put your towel down and sit on the beach without paying a fee.
• You CANNOT stand on the beach in one spot to watch your children swim without paying a fee.
• You CAN walk on a 2-3 metre wide stretch of beach where the water comes in for FREE but you must keep moving

There is a free beach in Viareggio down next to the jetty with big rocks in the water and cigarette butts and rubbish in the sand (the private pay beaches are cleaned every afternoon).

If you pay for an umbrella spot you get to use it from 10am to 10pm just leave a towel there when you go to get lunch, this is what the locals do.

GYPSIES ON THE BEACH

You will notice people walking on the beach trying to sell things and massages on the beach.  Do NOT buy anything, just say no thank you (most of them speak english) or close your eyes and pretend you are asleep they normally go right on by (but hold on to your bag).

Note: I do not want any of the “warnings” I have posted to deter you from visiting these places with your family. Viareggio is really beautiful and safe there are just little things that you should know about to make your trip easier and have no “surprises”.

Apuan Mountains

The mountains are just minutes from the beach. There are amazing bicycle tracks that you can take through the national parklands. There are a few places that you can hire bicycles at the entrance to the parklands.

Viareggio was a favourite place for the boys as they love the water and the sand.

We stayed at Hotel Lukas in Viareggio in the family room.  It is self rated at 3 stars.  The family room was clean and had an en suite bathroom, 4 single beds, a wardrobe, small tv and small fridge. At €120 per night with breakfast and an English speaking owner it was good.

If you have stayed in Viareggio please leave a comment with your thoughts.

 

Sorry it’s been a while… managing the budget in Italy part 3

Well I have been a bit busier at my part time day job so have neglected my blogging a little.

Where did I finish off last time?  That’s right we were in Florence … eating

So I have covered:

* where to find cheaper eats in Florence

* the cost of climbing the Duomo

* Street signs (for if you are looking for something/where)

* supermarkets (supermercato: essalunga and coop)

* day trips on the train

Now the next part of our journey was the big tour bus for Florence to get an idea of what to do and where to go in Florence during our 3 month stay.

We did a “hop on hop off” bus tour with Florence Open Tour buses.

* At the moment they are having a fantastic deal from 15 July-30 July 2011, you can buy a 24 hour ticket for $16.21 AUD (normally $27). So if you happen to be reading this blog and are heading to or are in Florence now for a few weeks book your tour NOW.

Our tour began across the road from Stazione Firenze SMN (Santa Maria Novella) We hopped on the bus and travelled through the city.  For our first trip we decided to stay on the bus until we returned to the same place and decided where to get off on the next round.  This way we saw everything and it only took about 1 hour for the bus to do the whole trip. This was the idea, although when we saw Piazzale Michelangelo we hopped off to see the wonderous view of the city we were making home for 3 months. And what a view that was.

The view of the Duomo

Ponte Vecchio

more to come…. soon I promise.

Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think of my posts.

Managing the Budget in Italy part 2

The Pasta alla Norma I cooked:

It may not look that great but it tasted great!  Yum i love eggplant (aubergine).

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Back in Florence:

A normal touristi day out in Florence might include a walk to the Duomo to climb up the stairs to the top of the dome.  You and the kids will love it.  To find your way to the Duomo is not too hard, it is in the centre of the city and you can normally see the dome or the bell tower.  But there are street signs everywhere with directional arrows like this:

These signs are everywhere in Florence, the best ones point you to the Public Toilets.

When you find the Duomo do not enter from the front of the church (you will no doubt find many people lined up to go in this way) They are lined up to see inside the church (chiesa) not to climb the dome.  The dome entrance is to the left of the main entrance where the church joins the dome.  It costs €8 , the climb is not easy if you are in a rush, so get there when it opens at 8.30am Monday to Friday.  I only say this because you climb narrow stairs one way and you cannot stop as people cannot pass you.  You want to get there early and take it easy so that you don’t tire too much.  My sons were 10 and 8 when they did it, they got to the top before me so it wasn’t as hard for them as it was for me.  At the very top there is a set of stairs that is more like a ladder that you have to climb to get out onto the top of the Duomo. I recommend wearing pants or shorts (I wore a dress, this was not such a great idea especially at the top of the ladder ).  The burning calves and slight breathlessness is all worth it when you get to the top and see the amazing views of Florence from the dome. Then if you are game you can climb the bell tower as well.

Really if you get in the door at 8.30am you will be well and truly back down on the ground by 11am, then you can stretch out your sore legs and look for somewhere to eat lunch. 

Buying lunch in Florence

Do not be tempted to buy something from the restaurants near the Duomo (this is the most expensive area and you probably won’t be happy with the food) In fact wonder down the back streets and alleyways for better food.  Try a trattoria for traditional Italian food like pasta, bistecca fiorentina (famous dish) and pizza.  However a place we found that sold really tasty pizza was near the Santa Maria Novella on Via Panzani called Franco Express (or it was the place next door with Moka Efti above the door) There is an EXTYN Italia near by on the same side of the street.  I am telling you this because the pizza tasted good, it was hot and they had a toilet in the back.

If you must buy takeaway, find a small local grocer or supermarket , even a 99c shop for you drinks because for the price of one bottle of soft drink at a takeaway you can get 4 at a supermarket.  The 99c shops are great because everything inside is literally 99c even the cold drinks.

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Back in Australia

We are off to a 25th Anniversary tonight, so Italy is to be continued…

Ciao for now

xxx

Managing the budget in Italy part 1

Our first problem with money arose as soon as we landed in Florence (firenze).  We put 3000EU on a “cash passport card” before we left Australia so that we would be able to use it in an ATM when we landed in Italy.  Iain went to the ATM and it would not let him withdraw money so we had a slight panic attack in the airport because we had to have Euros to get a taxi to our apartment. (freak).

In a desperate bid to get Euros we found the exchange in the airport and it cost us $300 to exchange money.  A mistake we hope not to repeat in the future. 

*Lesson learned is that when going to a different country have some currency available in cash on you before leaving home.  Otherwise you could end up using a weeks worth of food money to exchange a small amount of cash.

Always ask the taxi driver what the fare will be before entering the car.  This way you know how much you will pay.  The taxi drivers normally only charge you what they estimated in Italy or they will turn the meter off and just charge you what they estimated.  In most cities of Italy we found that taxi’s were 25Euros from the airport/train station to hotels.  It is easier to budget for this the first time you land in a city then work out the public transport for you return trip (you will save about 20Euros).  Our taxi from Rome Termini (train station) to our apartment in Campo Dei Fiori cost 25 Euros and the bus ride cost 4Euros (the 4 of us).  Then because the ticket machine on the bus was broken we gave our bus tickets to someone waiting at the train station (they had 4 free rides on the bus).

Back to Florence (firenze)…

Once we had met our land lady at our apartment, she showed us how to get to the nearest supermarket (supermercato) Coop (Italy’s Coles equivalent) pronounce co-op.

Coop is great value, our weekly grocery bill in Australia is between $150-200 for 2 adults and 2 boys aged 11 and 8.  In Italy we averaged 90-150 Euros, I included take out food in this budget.  For instance if we spent only 90 Euros at Coop we could then (if needed) use 60Euros during the week while we were sight seeing to buy coffee (cafe), cold drinks, pastries, pizza etc.…

I did do a lot of cooking in the apartment to save on eating out. 

* Budge tip- Head out for sight seeing early before 9am (eat breakfast before leaving accommodation).  Most Italians are at work before then and most tourists will not be out of bed before 10am.  If you spend the morning sight seeing then get hungry at lunch time you can head back to you accommodation to eat some of the fresh food you bought at the supermarket.

* Carry a bottle of water with you, you can fill it up at taps on the streets (most of these are fresh spring water) It will have a sign saying not to drink it if it is no good.

* Get accommodation that is central to where you will be spending most of your time, that way it is not a chore to walk back for lunch, dinner etc.…Also you can walk everywhere and not worry about using public transport except when you are exhausted.

Just a little tip on the public transport in Italy, buy your tickets at the self service machines you can use English.  It gets easier to use the self service machines at the train stations the more you use them… for example a day trip from Florence to Pisa:

• find the self service machine (one that works)
• press the British flag (touch screen)
• press the station you are at e.g. Florence SMN
• press the station you want to go to e.g. Pisa Centrale
• it will then ask what time you want to leave and what class you want to be in (1st or 2nd) I recommend sticking to 2nd unless you really need a table
• Choose your tickets (2 adults, 2 children)
• Then it will ask if you have any discounts (just pick BASE fare)
• Then pay with cash or credit card and the tickets will pop out the bottom of the machine
• If you would like return tickets, do the same again but with the stations the other way around.
• Last but most important before getting on the train VALIDATE YOUR TICKET if you do not you will get a hefty fine.  (the validation box is yellow and is normally on the platform as you enter it).
• It should be less than 30Euros for 2 adults and 2 children return.

 

You can then catch a bus from Pisa Centrale to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  There are many places to walk around in this area of Pisa and some well priced restaurants (look for lunch deals Pizza and drink 5Euros).  You don’t need to worry about getting lost, just ask someone to point you back in the direction of the Leaning Tower and you can find your bus stop from there. We wandered streets and alleyways in Pisa and saw what you normally wouldn’t see as a tourist, don’t worry about the time in Pisa because you are only an hour away from your accommodation in Florence and your return tickets can be used on most 2nd class carriages back (just ask if in doubt).

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Back in Australia tonight I am going to cook a Sicilian dish I saw on the television last night… Pasta alla norma : It is a tomato based sauce with fried eggplant and rigatoni pasta.  I will let you know how it turned out in my next post.

Ciao for now…

more on the budget…

now where did I leave off with the last post???  :-)

Ok still in London…

We took a ride on the Big Bus Tour for 2 days, I believe we purchased a ticket for 48 hours that was less than 120GBP .  We thought it well worth it to get around London with a guide and to hop on and off the buses whenever and wherever we wanted to.  The boys loved being on the double decker buses (except when it rained…it is London after all).

From the bus we saw Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Marble Arch, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral and of course many other historical buildings…oh I mustn’t forget the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

The boys wanted to go on the London Eye, we got a discount with the Big Bus ticket and lined up in an extremely long line but it didn’t take as long as we thought it would, luckily the Bus Tour provided us with rain ponchos.  The view from the Eye was great and would’ve have been even better on a clear day.

I am not sure if I mentioned this in the last post but we often had breakfast at the train station before starting our day.  Cumberland sausage on a muffin and coffee is 2GBP or you can get a Bacon and Egg sub and coffee from Subway for 2GBP also.  Great way to start the day on a budget.

Next post will feature budgets for;

• flights to Florence from London
• accommodation in Italy
• food in Italy
• transport in Italy

Ciao for now…

The total budget for our 3 month holiday in Europe

It has been 6 months since we arrived back home from our 3 month holiday in Europe.

Our first money saver was using Air Asia to get from Australia to the UK.  You may think “Oh no! I am not using a budget airline to travel to Europe”.  But really, I have used QANTAS and Singapore Airlines the only difference was that we paid for extra meals and drinks that we had not pre ordered when booking.  Also because the flight was not Non Stop we spent 1 night in Kuala Lumpur (you can get a room at the airport from $29).  1 night stop over is a small price to pay when you are saving $$$’s on airfares. 

You may even ask about space on Air Asia? I am 176cm tall/ 5ft9in when I sat in the seats I had about 5cm/2in in front of my knees.  And on our trip over I ended up with the window seat, an empty seat next to me and 1 of my children in the aisle seat.

Now I know you are wondering what our airfares cost from the Gold Coast to London.

2 Adults and 2 Children

Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur $679.60

Kuala Lumpur to London $757.25

So less than $360 each to get to London from the Gold Coast.

It cost the same to return from London.

$2873.70 return for 2 Adults and 2 Children.  Hint: go to the Air Asia website and sign up for email alerts and sales.

Tune Hotels is a great place to start when looking for your 1 night accommodation in Kuala Lumpur (hint; stay near the LCCT).

When we landed in London (Stansted Airport) we caught the bus to our hotel.  It cost about 15pounds each which is a little steep when there is 4 of you.  I had made the mistake of booking a hotel 45 minutes from the centre of London, so our bus ride ended at Gatwick Airport where we then had to find our hotel shuttle bus (we waited an hour with 2 very tired children, 4 large suitcases and 4 carry on bags).  What I learned from this mistake was that it is better to pay a little bit more (not much) for a central B&B / hotel / apartment and try somewhere close to Victoria Station so that when you get off the bus from the airport you can walk to your accommodation. (hint: the bus from Stansted to Victoria Station is 9pounds).  You can get a room for 4 in a B&B for about 90pounds a night.

If you are trying to budget your holiday the way we did you must remember that not all accommodation is going to be great- if you can live with a small space for sleeping and showering you will do well. You will only be sleeping there.  Also, if you get a place that has breakfast included you are saving about 10pounds a day in London.

Pick up an Oyster Card for the tube and buses in the city, 30pounds each and you get 15 pounds credit (Only Adults need this, children are free).

Places to eat in London for families:

STEER clear of MacDonalds and KFC: we had KFC once in London it cost us almost $50AUD.

LUNCHES

As you will be out and about find Marks & Spencers (M&S) you can get deals like : gourmet sandwiches, choc or chips & a soft drink for 3pounds.  If you are lucky and your B&B lets you use the fridge and microwave you can buy soups, frozen meals etc… from Marks & Spencers.

DINNERS

A really great taxi driver told us to eat at Wetherspoon Pubs.  The trick is to eat there after 2pm you can get a fish and chips meal for 2.95pounds.  Before 2pm is not that bad the fish and chips will cost 6.95pounds.

COFFEE

A cafe we found to be quite reasonable was Pret A Manger.  Remember to carry a bottle of water around with you.  We refilled our bottles everywhere from the tap (it tastes just like water at home and none of us got sick).

MUSEUMS

FREE!!! Fantastic for you and the kids (you can tell them to behave and they can have something for 5 pounds in the Museum shop).

PARKS

FREE!!! Head to the parks after a couple of hours walking in the city.  The kids can run free and chase squirrels.  If you head to Kensington Park there is a huge playground with a ship and teepees and musical fun, whats better is it is fully fenced and there is a cafe.

Stay tuned for more…

Mmm... Croque Monsieur was my best friend in Paris

I say this because the kids were absolutely over the moon when we would stop for a break at a cafe that served Croque Monsieur (ham and cheese toasted sandwich only better).

Croque Monsieur
http://www.travelwebshots.com/

I was first introduced to these delectible sandwiches in Australia at a french inspired cafe (in a foodcourt no less).  I love that there is a beschamel on the top and it goos out when you eat the sandwich.  Not so good if you are watching your weight (stay away from this one).   But for the kids it is great and cheap from the fast food cafes in Paris.  There is also Croque Madame which is basically the same but with a fried egg included.

Yummy!  My 2 sons had one everyday for breakfast and were hardly ever complaining of hunger for lunch, they cost about 3-5 Euros with juice at a cafe.

Kensington Palace with the kids

Let me just say I am a total fan of the Royal family and am looking forward to watching the William & Kate wedding on 29 April 2011. The last Royal wedding I watched on television was the Andrew & Sarah wedding and we all know how that marriage turned out. But I have faith that William and Kate will work on having a successful marriage together.

I am extremely devastated that I cannot be in London for the wedding to see all the preparations and be part of the very crowded street for the procession. The wedding will be held in Westminster Abbey where Prince Charles and Diana were married.

London is one of the cities I visited in 2010, unfortunately in the short time I was there with my family we were unable to visit Westminster Abbey. It will be one of my first ports of call when I visit London again. I must add that when I arrived in London city I fell in love with all of the architecture, fashion, large parks and even the traffic and crowds.

I spent a lot of time in the parks with my husband and sons climbing trees and chasing squirrels. Our favorite park was Kensington Park with the playground and Princess Diana Memorial. We spent several hours at the playground with the kids, it has so many activities for children of all ages. There is a large ship with a mast to climb, Indian tepees to hide in and musical toys to play with. We used the playground as a “bribe” at the end of a sight seeing day. It worked well especially when I wanted to visit Harrods and Kensington Palace.

We were very lucky that while we were in London, Kensington Palace had a fantastic exhibition that the kids could participate in. Now I must admit is was more suited to little girls but my sons did have fun looking for clues and working out which princess had which bedroom. My boys and I also learned a lot about the lives of the royal children. There was a display of the prince’s toy soldiers that the kids could actually play with.

Kensington Palace has been home to many Royal family members including Princess Victoria. The Palace in undergoing a transformation this year and hopefully be finished in 2012. The Palace gardens are being cleaned up and replanted (this was happening while we visited in Oct 2010). With the help of donations the Palace will be cleaned and refurbished too.

A family ticket for Kensington Palace cost £34.00 (2010) AUD$55.00

How to find Kensington Park and Palace:

Get the tube to Kensington South station and simply follow the signs to Kensington Palace, the Palace is in the park, there are many signs for the playground and the memorial.

London Tube prices:

Adult fares for city: £4

Children up to 11years: Free with an adult.

Paris on a budget...part 1

We all know that when you go to Paris on vacation all you want to do is go shopping and enjoy a little romance, but what do you do when you go with your children?

Bois de Boulogne

Well there are so many fun exciting adventures you can have with your children in Paris that are Free or low cost.

For example there are a lot of very large beautiful parks and gardens in Paris. Here is a list of parks and the activities available:

Bois De Boulogne

Area: 845 hectares

Lakes, waterfalls, Chateaus, playgrounds, sports centres, bicycle tracks, horse tracks, walking tracks, restaurants, fairgrounds...

The park is free entry, the playgrounds are free and fun, the walking tracks are great and the kids will love chasing the wildlife down the dirt tracks (dress your kids for having fun, let them enjoy themselves at the park without worrying about their clothes).

Bike rentals: at the entrance to Jardin d' Acclimatation approx. 11euros each for the day (2010 price) You can easily spend a whole day cycling in this park. Even if you have not ridden a bike in years you will love this (I hadn't ridden a bike in over 20 years). The bicycles are not the best but they work, you can choose your own bike so test the height of the seat and the brakes before you ride away. Tip for handbags: always carry a scarf in your handbag and when you hire a bike with a basket put the handbag straps over the handlebars and cover the bag with your scarf for security.

Jardin d'Acclimatation

Paris map of gardens

stayed tuned for part 2...

We beat the budget!!!

Well as you all may know now that we have been home in Australia for a month now.
I just wanted to let you know that we did beat the budget.
We started with $20,000 (about $5,000 was the airfares to and from Italy). So we had $15,000 for the 3 months in Italy for accomodation, travel, food and other expenses.
We did extremely well and enjoyed everything we could do on a budget. All of our accomodation in apartments was at least 3 star by Australian standards. We treated ourselves to lunches out (when in Paris we ate out most of the time for a week). We also spent about $600 in one day at Paris Disneyland (big budget blowout).
But in saying all of this we came home and still had $500 in the bank.
If you have any questions for me about how we found budget accomodation and great travel deals please feel free to leave a comment or contact me by email to maleenah@gmail.com

Some Ideas when taking children to the Louvre

I am putting together a few ideas on how to get the kids interested in visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Louvre is normally one of the highest things to do on an adults list but the kids probably haven't even heard of it. If you tell them it is an Art Gallery they definitely turn their noses up at it. But it is more than an Art Gallery it is a Museum with artefacts from all over the world on display.
If you go to the official Louvre Museum website you will find Dominic Vivan Denon . He takes children on an animated tour of the Louvre and gives them information for every part of the museum. My 7 year old Phoenix learned about a few pieces on display in the Egyptian exhibition. Phoenix was interested and well behaved through out the Egyptian exhibition. So if your children are around 10 years old like my eldest Levi, then they can probably sit and learn alot about the museum from Dominic. Then they will be telling you about the different exhibitions.

Send the kids off to pick some grapes at harvest time

We have the pleasure of staying in Albugnano in North Italy near Torino with our friend Paola and her partner Sergio. Their verandah looks out over the hills and valley's and has a vineyard right nextdoor. I asked Paola if we could go down and ask the workers if it was ok for us to help pick the grapes for harvest. So we went for a walk down to the vineyard and found the pickers. We told them that the children wanted to help pick the grapes. They said of course they could, just to be careful to not cut their fingers. They were cutting the grapes for the red wine they produce. This activity kept our children busy for hours and they learned something new. Our children also helped the workers with some english words.
The owner of the vineyard asked us if we would like to meet him at the cantina Alle Tre Colline in Albugnano Town to try some wines he produces. We accepted with pleasure, for more on this story please head over to http://www.florencebound.blogspot.com/

One night in Pisa

13-14 September 2010

We arrived in Pisa after our flight from Paris at about 11.30pm so we hailed a cab at the airport and went to our hotel for the night. We decided to spend a night in Pisa because we thought it would be too difficult to catch a train at 1am and walk from Florence Santa Maria Novella Station at 2.30am to our apartment. So we booked a room at a hotel near Pisa Centrale. When we arrived at the hotel the concierge said he did not have a reservation for us and he was fully booked for the night. (Grrrrr) I was not happy and my computer would not load up quickly enough for me to show him the email I got saying we had a reservation. Anyway the concierge called another hotel nearby and got us the same deal with breakfast (apparently we were saving 30euros). So with 2 cranky and tired children we gathered up our luggage and walked (yes, walked) from the hotel at least 250m down the road, turn left at the piazza and look for the sign saying Minerva Hotel. The least the concierge could’ve done at that time of night (now midnight) was pay for a taxi to take us. I know 250m doesn’t sound like it far but at that time of night with 2 children and 3 suitcases and a backpack it is not fun. (GRRR).

Anyway the new hotel was very nice and spacious and we had a lovely breakfast when we woke. We walked to the train Station and bought tickets through the self service machine. It costs around 6euro each for adults and 3 euros each for children 4-11years old. So if you are staying in Florence and you want to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa (without paying 100euros each for a tour) you can visit Pisa in a day by train to Pisa Centrale and use the Red line bus to get to the Leaning Tower (this way will cost less than 100euros for the family). There are trains going to and from Pisa Centrale to Florence all the time.

After a 1 - 1.30 hour train ride we were back ‘home’ in our apartment in Florence. And happy to be back in familiar surroundings and the comfort of home. Although very sad to be out of Paris.

We spent a few days relaxing at home in Florence before packing our swimmers and bags for the Cinque Terre.

Architecture and History

Paris 12 September 2010

Well today we decided to go back to the café up the hill for breakfast again. This time Iain had the “vitality breakfast” with me of brioche, jam and a bowl of coffee. Phoenix decided to join Levi in Croque Monsieur and salad. It was all Yum!!!

We also went back to Sacre Cour to get a coin out of the machine for Phoenix (they have tourist coins with pictures of churches on them in machines 2 euros each, great for the kids to collect). Levi and I waited outside watching the lady with the piano accordion dance about under here umbrella and flowers. I have a photo of this that I will upload soon. She was very entertaining.

After Sacre Cour we headed back down the hill towards our apartment to catch a train to Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle, but Iain saw a dress in a shop window that he wanted me to try on. So of course as the obedient wife I am I went in and tried it on and came out with the dress and a leather jacket…I am very lucky my husband likes me to look good. (LOL) so we had to stop at the apartment to drop off my new purchases and the many souvenirs we purchased in Montmartre (who knew I was misspelling this?) as well.

Eventually we ended up eating lunch at the apartment then hopping on the train to Barbes Rochechouart to change lines to Cite the metro station on the island in the middle of the river. Cite station opens above ground to a pet market and the hop on drop off hire bicycles. We walked about 250m to find Notre Dame with a short stop to pick up a coffee and little something for my new niece Pepper.

Notre Dame is more beautiful in the flesh than it is on paper. The architecture of the building so intricate and wonderful. The interior is lovely with all the different saints statues like Joan of Arc and the centre piece shows the life of Jesus in carvings. You can probably use this as “story telling” time for the kids. Brush up on your bible stories first (although you should know these anyway). The church has free entry for everyone and you can spend all day in there if you like and take photos without the flash.

When we had our fill of Notre Dame we walked along the River Seine to the other end of the island to Sainte Chapelle. Sainte Chapelle is 8 euros each for adults, free entry for children. The chapel is located inside the Castle walls and is being renovated until 2013. They are renovating small parts at a time so you really don’t miss out on seeing its spectacular architecture and lead lighting. The chapel was built by King Henry IX for his wife. There is a statue inside dedicated to Saint Louis. The lead lighting here is the most amazing I have seen so far. It is wonderful sight, even the children were impressed, they also like climbing the stairs in the dome.

This was a good way to end our “paid “ sightseeing in Paris, we went back to the apartment for dinner and starting packing our bags for our flight the next night.

What a View...and some Vintage Shopping.

Paris 11 September 2010

The day started off with a few little hiccups. We walked down the street, around the corner, up the hill, across the road, up another hill, then realised we forgot to go to the ATM just outside the apartment. My fault of course? Well we found one back down the hill and came across a gorgeous café, we stopped and had breakfast there. I had a bowl of café au lait and a piece of brioche with the most amazing jam I have ever tasted. Iain had a big American breakfast, Levi had Croque Monsieur with salad and Phoenix had Quiche Lorraine with salad.

After our hearty meals we headed back up the hill towards Montmarte. What a beautiful part of the city, this is the Artist area and they have a market at the top of the hill with cafes and artists stalls. We kept moving through the crowds further up the hill to Sacre Coeur (sorry should have some funny symbol in Coeur). When we arrive at the very top of the hill (which really only took 10mins) we saw the most spectacular view over Paris. It truly is amazing, if you ever get to Paris you must walk up here and see it for yourself. I liked it better than the Eiffel Tower. The church is simply an amazing piece of architecture and extremely huge.

From the top of the hill we took many photos and went inside Sacre Coeur, then we headed back around the church to the souvenir shops and down the hill towards Clignancourt. We walked down streets and many stairs until we reached bottom and headed towards Les Puces (the flea markets).

When we reached the flea markets I was a little disappointed to see that it was full of the normal cheapie stuff from China, but I knew if I kept walking past it and under the bridge I would come to Rue de Rosiers where I would find the Vintage Market. This is so big and you kind of need a map for it or you get lost surrounded by strange old pieces of furniture and artwork. It is also a good idea to know what you want to find there, it is quite a confusing and overwhelming place with a few little scary alleys. I however braved it on my own, letting Iain take the boys to KFC for a while. I wandered around the markets for a few hours looking for fabric, buttons and something for my sister in law to put in her kitchen. Well the fabric was a lost cause (Sorry Yvonne) the only fabric I found that I purchased was an old curtain with prints of Paris life it cost me 40euros (ouch, but I just couldn’t let it go, it is also part of my giveaway on this website). I searched and searched for buttons in several stores and found many but not made in france and I really wanted them to be vintage and French, finally I found some (so be happy Kellie). Now the something to hang in the sister inlaws kitchen was a little difficult, but I saw it and bought it (not telling it is a surprise Ruvay). After finding what I set out to find, I came across a store I had missed and found these gorgeous vintage cotton and lace huge cushion covers for 15 euros (they will look fantastic on my bed, when I get it back).

I sent Iain a text message letting him know that I had finished shopping and to come and meet me at the place we agreed. He did not hear his phone or feel it vibrate so I hung around in this creepy part of town alone and a bit worried because I only had a little credit left and Iain had none at all. After waiting for half an hour I finally saw 2 little boys and a man heading down the street, boy was I glad. And a little frustrated. We headed back to the metro but not without first purchasing 2 new carry on suitcases for the boys (the backpacks had worn out and were now too small to fit our new souvenirs :-)).

We got back to the apartment and had a little rest. We then went out for dinner to a restaurant very like Lone Star (Texas Grill or something). We were craving “meat and fries” and that is exactly what we got as well as an American waiter. I had buffalo wings, chips and salad, Iain had 3 meats, chilli con carne and chips and the boys had nuggets and chips. The salads and bread were complementary.

After our meal we decided to go and line up at the Eiffel Tower. This ended up being a 2 hours queue at 7pm and the boys were already exhausted from a day out. We went up the first lift to the 2nd floor, then had to line up again to purchase tickets to the top then it was an hour wait for the lift to the top. So after 3 hours of queue we finally made it to the top with a child that was crying from fatigue and another child that was over tired and too excited. We did the mandatory views and photos from north, south, east and west, then headed back down the tower, this was much faster. Then we walked to the metro and arrived back at the apartment just after midnight.

It was a VERY LONG day for all. But worth it.

I will be posting tips on all of the things to do in Paris and how to hopefully avoid long queues.

Hello Mickey Mouse!

Paris 10 September 2010

Today was the day the boys were looking forward to after we finally decided to go to Disneyland Paris.

We got up early and went to the station to purchase return ticket to Disneyland with a change of train at Nation. We hopped on the wrong train at Nation because I did not notice which stations were lit up on the board. Oops! I asked a lady on the train which station to get off at and change trains for Disneyland, she was very helpful and gave me all the information I needed. We changed trains successfully and were on our way.

After 40 minutes on the train we came to Chessy station (Parc Disney). Of course there was a mad rush to get to the gates. (In Paris you line up and have your bags checked before entering most museums, galleries and theme parks, they confiscate food and drink and anything that is potentially dangerous). Yes don’t even bother packing lunch for Disneyland, the guards will end up eating it or throwing it in the bin.

Then we walked to the ticket office and spent about half and hour in line (Note. Buy tickets at any of the main metro stations, hotels or info boxes in Paris, it saves time). A girl came up to me and told me her friend was not coming so she sold me a childs ticket for 40euros (norm. 49euros). All up our entrance cost about 190euros.

You can get into Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios for a little extra it’s a 1 day/ 2 park pass. But seriously I do not think there is enough time to see 1 park in 1 day let alone 2.

Please take note and keep your map, this is seriously important for when you are looking for toilets and food.

Anyway we headed to Discoveryland first (buzz lightyear, star wars, Lilo & Stitch…) All rides here are great for everyone unless you want to go on Space Mountain and you are under 130cm. Poor Phoenix had to miss out. Phoenix and I ended up in Nautilus (from 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and I had to promise that Levi would miss out on seeing this. Because it was Levis’ fault that Phoenix is not tall enough for Space Mountain??? Phoenix and I then went to Star Wars store and purchased a small bucket of fairy floss and met Iain and Levi outside. Note also that rides that have a 45 minute queue normally only take 2 minutes to finish. :-(

To save time waiting in line there are FAST PASS stations in front of most rides. You simply swipe your entrance ticket and it spits out a ticket with a time for you to go on the ride. Note: do this first thing, the earlier the better, FAST PASS is 1 ride at a time, you ride then you can swipe the next one. It will save you time in queues, but don’t forget to swipe everyone elses tickets too, you must all have it swiped to skip the queue together.

So then we moved onto Frontierland and saw the Swiss Family Robinsons treehouse, Pirates of the Carribean and Mark Twains riverboat. We lunched at a Mexican restaurant and spent 40euros (you can’t avoid it unless you plan on starving and dying of thirst).

Fantasyland was next with Alice in Wonderlands maze, It’s a Small World Afterall, Dumbo and a bunch of pretty Princess things. I made the boys go on the Madhatter’s teacup ride with me, because I remembered going on it with my Mum at Disneyland California. :-)

At the end of the day we watched the Street Parade with the Lion King, Jungle Book, Princess Tiana, Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, Aladdin & others.

We headed back to the Star Wars shop and let the boys spend 25euros each on souvenirs, they ended up with a stuffed Stitch and Leroy from Lilo and Stitch. I decided on a Disneyland Paris photo album for our many photo’s there and Iain picked a fridge magnet.

We stood on the train all the way back much to the boys disappointment.

It was a GREAT day for all of us!

Versailles Palace and Gardens...a beautiful day (with rain of course)

Paris 9 September

Ahhhh what can I say? The day started out fresh and cool and absolutely gorgeous. We caught the train to Invalides and hopped back on another train to Versailles. It was about a half hour trip out of Paris with very nice scenery on the train.
Versailles is so beautiful, especially the gardens, we could’ve spent another entire day in the gardens wandering around the many chalets and fountains and the Grande Canal.
But first we went through the Palace and saw all the wonderful architecture and the interior design and decoration. The Palace is decorated with gold leaf ceilings, flocked wallpaper, marble and timber flooring and of course priceless works of art and furniture.
As you walk through the first hall there are many rooms leading to the main staircase leading up to the apartments and ballrooms and long wide corridors. I think if you are planning a trip to Paris you really must take one day to visit Versailles and see how the royals lived in France many years ago.
The views from the windows to the gardens are spectacular.
The boys were very excited about heading out into the garden, so we did and it started to rain lightly. We had promised Phoenix that we would hire a boat in the Grande Canal, so we headed down the centre of the gardens past secret passageways and marble sculptures. We hired a boat for 11 euros an hour. Iain rowed the boat out for us and we relaxed in the sunshine for a little while. After floating around for 3o minutes the big scary grey clouds descended upon us and started dumping huge drops of water everywhere. I told Iain to pull over to the side of the lake for us (the boys and I) to hop out and get under the trees. Iain had to row the boat back to the dock. Well the trees did not help very much so I used Iains jumper as a raincoat, Iain got soaked of course…hehe. The boys wanted to run in the rain to their father so I let them, after a few minutes I went to meet them as well.
Soaked and feeling cold we went into a restaurant by the lake and had coffee and sandwiches 50 euros (ouch). Nice restaurant though and good coffee.
The rain stopped for a while and we went and hired some bicycles to ride in the park. This was a surprise to my boys because they have never seen me ride a bike (it has been 20 years). Luckily it is true you never forget how to ride a bike. I was glad I didn’t have to wear a helmet.
The bicycles were very well worn and the brakes were not as good as I would have liked, but the ride was very enjoyable and Phoenix loved seeing me ride a bike (so did Iain). We rode for an hour or so through the trees, along the street with sheep farms and down private roads (people live in the Versailles gardens) and along the lake. It was so beautiful and photogenic. I may even buy a bicycle when we get home.
After our bicycle ride we went back to Paris and had fried chicken takeaway for dinner (well after not having it for a few months it is very tempting). Did I mention we have been having pastries every night for dessert? Well we have in Paris, just can’t help myself they are so good.