Visiting the Louvre

Posted on June 26, 2013 by admin

On our first trip to Paris, we had a busy itinerary, and, when the trip was over, there was one thing on our “must see” list that we’d had to skip — a visit to the Louvre. I was disappointed, but it was the right decision. By the day we had planned to go, the kids were tired of waiting in lines and having to be patient and quiet. A trip to a massive art museum just wasn’t the right choice. So, we skipped it, but I knew I’d want to go back.

I’m not an art person. My mind appreciates art made with words, and art made of movement, but somehow I’m lacking the ability to understand or appreciate most fine art. I don’t know why — it’s just not a skill a possess. But I do still like to try. I can appreciate art on a basic level (a philosophy professor in college described people with my aesthetic sense as being from the “me likey/me no likey” school of thought) and I’m always interested in the social/cultural/religious context of art. I guess I’m a better sociologist than I am an appreciator of art (and I’m not a sociologist, either).

Regardless, I like to try to look at art even though I struggle to see what others do. And it feels to me like visiting the Louvre is an important part of being in Paris — especially because they have art I’ve actually heard of (although when I went to the Vatican Museum I was pleasantly surprised to find that my favorite things turned out to not be things I’d heard of before).

Last time, we visited the exterior of the Louvre, and this time we made a point to actually go in. We planned to go the day that it was supposed to rain, and although there was a little rain in the morning, mostly it ended up just being a very hot day. By the time we got over to the Louvre, just before lunchtime, it was hot and sunny and I wasn’t looking forward to waiting in the sun in the long line to get in. Luckily, I’d read up beforehand, and in Rick Steves’ guide for Paris, he outlined a few other alternative (underground) entrances, which was nice, because although we had to wait a bit (although not as long as I expected) to get in, we did it in the shade and relative cool underground shopping area.

After waiting through the security line, we finally made it to the main entrance of the Louvre, under the giant pyramid. Since the kids were tired, and we wanted to enjoy as much time there as possible, we went to the information desk and borrowed (for free!) two strollers for the boys. (As a note — I’ve said before that I love Paris, except for how much crime there is. As we were waiting at the information desk, a man came up who had been pickpocketed just steps away from where we were standing. It really does happen just about everywhere tourists go in the city.) After the security line, the ticket line was so short as to be a complete non-event.

The Louvre is massive, and it’s a little overwhelming, especially for someone without a good sense for art. I really couldn’t tell which sections we’d enjoy the most, or where we should start, so we just chose 4 things we really wanted to see (and likely the most touristy items in the entire museum — Cupid & Psyche, Winged Victory, the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa) and decided to start with those. Although the strollers were a nice touch, and the elevators were plentiful, it was still a pain to get around the museum. Even *with* the elevators, there were stairs to traverse everywhere, and the wait to get into an elevator was VERY long at times. (Still, I’m glad we did the strollers. The kids each slept through part of the museum, and I suspect that we all enjoyed a longer and more peaceful visit because of it. The museum was also very hot the day we were there, and I think we all would have been uncomfortable if we’d been carrying the kids around, which is probably what would have happened if we hadn’t had the strollers.)

Even with my limited aesthetics, I really enjoyed the museum. There was just so much to see. The sculptures we chose in particular were all lovely (Winged Victory was my favorite — and I loved the way it was presented) and we were treated to many other fine items as we walked along. Each of the boys was fascinated with different Greek statues, and they actually enjoyed studying them for a bit (which was a nice surprise). We were lucky enough to happen upon a hidden no-stairs access to the area where the Mona Lisa was housed, and the woman who was guarding the entrance was nice enough to let us through.

I’d heard — a lot — prior to going how underwhelming the Mona Lisa could be. And I get that. There’s so much build up about it, and it’s so revered, that actually looking at it, you definitely might expect it to be bigger. But since I’d been so prepared to be unimpressed by it, I was pleased to find that I wasn’t. I really liked it. (Although I can’t say why, because, as I’ve said, I have no art sense.) It is stunning to see the level of attention and protection that this one little painting gets. But I was glad to get the chance to see it, and happy to wait, along with the kids, to get our turn at the front of the crowd. (At the end of the day, B said it had been his favorite part of the Louvre, and that the Louvre had been his favorite part of Paris, although he’s since revised his opinion and bestowed that honor on the Jardin du Luxembourg.)

If I had it to do over again . . . I’d probably do almost exactly what we did (which I almost never get to say). We went in the late morning, and I think that contributed to the crowds not being too bad (even though it was a Monday, which is supposed to be quite crowded). Entering via the Galerie du Carrousel underground mall entrance was really functional (we left via the main pyramid entrance to get the full effect). We were lucky that we weren’t victim to any sort of pickpocketing, but I think if I went again I would be sure to bring absolutely nothing of value. It’s so easy to get distracted looking at the art, and take your eyes off of your bag for a second. Even though the stairs were a pain, I think borrowing the strollers was a great idea — and if we had gotten tired of pushing them around, we could have just returned them, too. And I think that choosing a few iconic items to see first, and then seeing what state the kids were in, was a good idea. By the time we negotiated the stairs and elevators and saw the things we really wanted to see, we had actually seen a significant portion of two wings of the museum, so it worked out.

We had a great time. I’m so glad we went. The kids enjoyed it, the museum was lovely, and it felt really nice to experience a piece that had been missing from our Parisian adventures.

Jardin du Luxembourg

Posted on June 25, 2013 by admin

Last spring, when we visited Paris, we made sure to visit most of the major sights — the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, Notre Dame. And although there were still a few we wanted to see (or see again) this time, already having seen many of the major tourist attractions gave us a sense of freedom on our most recent visit. We felt like we could wander more, and go further a field in terms of exploring Paris.

One place we’d wanted to go last time, but which didn’t quite make the cut in terms of the time we had, was the Jardin du Luxembourg. As we were planning this trip, we found out that a friend was going to be visiting Paris with her daughter at the same time as we were, so we planned to meet up, and it seemed like the Jardin du Luxembourg might be a good place.

I didn’t know much about it except that Rick Steves recommended it for people visiting Paris with kids — I was picturing a big park, with some fun things for the kids. And, it was certainly that, but it exceeded my expectations.

It’s a huge park. Much of it has trees and lots of shade. There were also grassy areas (without any of the “keep off the grass” signs that we’re used to in Vienna) with Parisian families relaxing with their little kids. There was a palace (which apparently houses the French Senate) and a museum on the grounds. It was really beautiful.

We met up with our friends, and the kids took turns choosing from the fun activities — they rode the carousel, went on pony rides, rode kid-powered cars and played in the extensive playground before we took a break for lunch. And then we went to sit by the pond behind the palace and watch dozens of you sailboats float around, chased by kids of all ages. It was an excellent place to spend an afternoon. It was beautiful and fun and the boys just loved it.

After our late night flight on Friday, followed by an only moderately successful day of sightseeing Saturday, our day at Jardin du Luxembourg was a real treat, and a great way to let the kids get to make the plans for the day. All they had to do was play and enjoy and just be kids. It was a great day in Paris, and a wonderful part of our trip.

Return to Paris

Posted on June 20, 2013 by admin

We weren’t sure it was going to happen (much like last year!) but we did make it to Paris late last Friday night. Charles de Gaulle airport is stunning in its size. Having travelled a lot, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an airport that covered so much real estate. (We flew in and out of Orly last time.) Many major airports have multiple terminals, but I don’t think they’re usually quite so far apart. (There are 3 separate terminals, and I think we had been in the cab and on our way for nearly 10 minutes by the time we passed the last terminal.)

We’d been thinking that a late night flight would be ok — from Vienna, it’s only a 2 hour flight — we’d get in late and be exhausted, but we’d all probably sleep in on Saturday, and then be able to enjoy a full day in Paris (as opposed to flying mid-day on Saturday, which might have made all of Saturday feel like a non-day in Paris). Of course, it didn’t turn out that way. We got in late (though earlier than we expected, and rather disoriented by the fact that we landed after 10:00, but the sun wasn’t finished setting yet) but the kids still got up at their usual time (before 7) on Saturday. So, Saturday didn’t go as planned.

Although the kids were up and ready to go, they were anything but well-rested. Stopping in to the boulangerie across the street to pick up breakfast turned into a screaming “I want a cookie!” disaster. After managing to get everyone fed, the boys focused their attention on finding gelato (Benjamin was set on getting apple gelato, which we never found). They were fussy, short-tempered and tired. So were we, so we dedicated the morning to running around in the park behind Notre Dame between several tantrums and crying spells. The kids were just so tired, and we were tired, and we got to a point where we just wanted to make them happy, so we abandoned all illusion of plans for the morning. But they were really too tired to be very happy, so it didn’t quite work until we all got to take naps. We didn’t really have much of a usable day until late in the afternoon, after we’d all gotten some rest (so, in reality, arriving in Paris early Saturday afternoon would probably have given us a very similar day).

Still, it was truly lovely to be back in Paris. It was nice to come back to somewhere we’d been before. We stayed in the same apartment as last year, so we knew the place well, and we also knew the neighborhood, the local restaurants, and how to get to the closest landmarks. It was also really nice to be in a city where we’ve already checked so many big to-dos off of our list — it made this trip feel much more relaxed and laid back, since we didn’t feel like there were many things we HAD to do this time around. My French was more eclipsed by my German this time (in that I more often opened my mouth to say something in French and had German come out unexpectedly — numbers were particularly difficult), but I’m much braver about using my French and way less discouraged by the (many) mistakes that I made.

I just really like Paris. I love the vibe, the energy of the people on the street, the bicycles everywhere, the sound of spoken French, the way older people smile at the kids and other parents encourage their kids to say bonjour to the kids that they meet at the park. Paris is a city where walking feels like a great way to get around — the streets are alternately wide and inviting or narrow and intriguing. Parisians really seem to love their city — the people strolling along the Seine and picnicking in the parks seem to speak French more often than not — those aren’t activities just for tourists.

After nap time, we had some (more) gelato and walked around some parts of the city we hadn’t explored before. Paris is absolutely beautiful this time of year (as it was in April and May) and I could have walked for hours. The kids didn’t last long, though (Dan ended up carrying Liam home), so we headed back to the apartment for dinner, but then went back out to stroll around afterwards.

This time of year, dusk in Paris seems to last for hours. Evening begins after dinner and stretches out for hours. We walked along the Seine as the light was fading from the sky and marvelled at the color of the river and the feeling of the air.

Paris is just so beautiful, and we lost all track of time. It takes so long for night to fall that by the time we started thinking it might be time to head home it was after 10:30 at night. Oops. So much for getting to bed early!

Paris Paris Paris Paris . . . maybe

Posted on June 14, 2013 by admin

We’re going to Paris, and I’m really excited! We leave tonight, spend a long weekend there, and come back Tuesday. It’s pretty revolutionary to be going on a weekend trip to Paris — logistically and financially, living in Europe has given us a great opportunity to travel here pretty easily, and I’m loving it. It’s one of my favorite things about being on this adventure. (I mean, really, my conversations this week have gone like this: “What are you doing this weekend?” “Going to Paris!” Pretty great.) We’re looking forward to going back to visit again — I love the feel of the city, how beautiful and truly romantic it is, and (of course) the food. We have a late flight tonight, which may be a challenge for everyone’s patience, but the plan is to get situated tonight so we can spend the day tomorrow relaxing and enjoying the city. (Since it is “only” a long weekend, we didn’t want to spend all of Saturday at the airport. I’m not sure whether it’s a good plan, but I’ll soon find out.)

We loved our time in Paris last spring, but there were lots of things we wanted to do that we didn’t get to (visiting the Louvre, seeing the Eiffel Tower at night, spending more time just walking and seeing the city) so I’m excited to go back. We loved our experience last year so much that we’re staying in the same apartment, so we know where to find the great boulangeries and cremeries and gelato shops (the boys remember Paris for the gelato more than anything else). Our main excuse for going this time is as an early celebration of my & Dan’s 13th wedding anniversary (which officially happens the 24th).

But, regardless of the excitement and intense anticipation . . . our plans are a bit up in the air this morning. Liam had some upset tummy issues yesterday (nothing that seemed major) but he’s got a sore bottom now, so badly that he could not sleep (so neither did we). He finally fell asleep in my lap at 5:30 this morning.

I’d love to say that we really are going, but I don’t know what our next hours will bring. He woke up chipper and asking about our trip, but I’ll have to see if it lasts. Is he still sick or feeling better? Can he sit down and be comfortable on the flight, or would it just be torture to put him through that? We’ll have to see as the day goes on. Travel with little ones is always an adventure — and we haven’t even left yet! Fingers crossed that my next post is from France . . .

Trunki

Posted on May 14, 2013 by admin

I’m kind of shocked to realize that this is my first post dedicated to Trunkis, the ride-on, pull-along, carry-on kid-functional suitcases we got for the boys last year. It’s long overdue.

We first saw something like a Trunki once at the airport when dropping off a friend over a year ago. A family on the opposite train platform was loading up two kids on two small, elephant-looking suitcases, which the parents then pulled along behind them. I thought it was so fantastic that I took a few pictures of this completely unknown family. Later, I asked around among my friends, and everyone kept saying they were “Trunkis” even though the ones I saw the first time were either by a different brand or a much older model. When I finally found them online, they seemed too expensive, and my boys have backpacks and suitcases already, so I just let it go, but I never really forgot about it.

The next time we encountered such a thing (and the first time we “met” a real Trunki) was at London’s Luton airport during our trip to the UK last summer. We went into one of those travel shops at the airport (I no longer remember why — I think Dan was looking for something) and they had a variety of Trunkis for sale . . . of course, all down at kid level. B saw them and fell in love instantly. He touched them, he wanted to open them, he wanted to ride on them. I intended to say no, but since I’d been looking at them before, and they were actually cheaper in person (plus no shipping!) I decided to go for it. Especially after the salesperson assured me they would work as a carry on (even on EasyJet — and I told him that if they said no at the check-in counter, I was bringing it straight back). We only got one, because we wanted to know if it would work, and initially, Liam wasn’t too disappointed, since he was mostly riding in the stroller. B immediately climbed aboard and started doing laps up and down the check-in line. He was hooked, and Liam was, very shortly thereafter, jealous.

B’s Trunki worked great on that trip. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it did, indeed, fit even EasyJet’s small allowance for carry-on luggage, and B’s other carry-on suitcase actually fit inside with a little room to spare. After that trip, we decided Liam should have one, too, but we didn’t go back through Luton, and we didn’t find them anywhere else. After we got back to Vienna, B decided he wanted to give Liam his very own new Trunki for his birthday just a few weeks later, so we went ahead and ordered one (which was a lot more expensive).

And the rest is history. We’ve gotten quite fond of and attached to the Trunkis. They have joined us on every trip since, and they’ve stood up to a ton of abuse from the kids. After 6 months, 3 flights, 3 train trips and a road trip, we feel like we’ve broken them in and road tested them pretty well. Here are the pros and cons that we’ve found so far:

Pros:

They’re cute. I don’t mind looking at them all the time. I imagine they’d be super easy to spot coming around on the conveyor of checked bags (although we haven’t tried that yet). And, unlike the many character-themed backpacks and suitcases, I don’t think the kids are likely to “grow out” of the Trunkis as quickly.
They’re sturdy. Other than a bit of paint/decoration wear (very minimal) I’m truly impressed at how well these have stood up. My kids use them every day around the house, not just on travel. They sit on them, they ride on them, they climb on them (I wish they didn’t do that last part). They open and close them on their own. They’ve been kicked, knocked down, dragged and raced around the house. And that’s in addition to be lugged on and off of trains, in and out of car trunks and into and out of overhead compartments. These things are really well built.
They’re easy for the kids to use. B has been able to open and close his since day 1, and Liam figured it out by the time he got to be about 2 1/2. They can also be locked (the adjustable carrying strap has the “key” attached). My boys use them around the house to store things (i.e., hide them from their brother) and it’s nice that they can access the inside on their own (although pinched fingers are a concern). The boys can climb on an off when we’re using them as a ride on and can pull them along behind them with the carrying strap (although watch out for unaware people walking alongside — the boys aren’t great at watching exactly which direction the Trunki is going behind them and they could definitely take someone out).
They’re carry-on sized. We’ve tried it, it’s really true. They fit in the overhead bin and within the guideline for carry-on luggage. They can be rolled down the aisle in the plane, too, and up the jetway with a child on top (which is especially nice since even gate-checked strollers are often not returned until baggage claim). They also fit nicely behind the front seat in a car, right at the kids’ feet, so they can see “their stuff” in the car. (Also makes kid stuff easily accessible, because you don’t necessarily have to dig through the back/trunk . . . and if you do, a Trunki is distinctive and easy to find.)
They double as a ride-on. On the way to the gate at the airport or to the train at the station, one of the kids (whichever one isn’t in the stroller) seems to always want to be held. Being able to have them ride the Trunki is incredibly functional (although it does require some steering on the part of the passenger, and you have to watch out for people walking nearby). Also, when waiting in line (which is a lot when you travel) the Trunki provides a seat that isn’t just on the floor. Whenever the kids get tired of standing, they can always sit on the Trunki instead.
Convenient for packing. You can fit a lot of stuff in a Trunki. We have managed to basically pack the boys entire clothing and such for a week (not including diapers) in their Trunkis. With winter clothes, B is just starting to run out of room. It’s nice to have the kids’ stuff separated — especially when in comes to finding things like socks and keeping track of what belongs to which child. (Are these Benjamin’s gray socks or Liam’s? Whose blue fleece is this?)

Cons

They can get clunky. Empty, they’re light and easy to move around. Full, they can get heavy, especially when carrying it with the shoulder strap (or carrying two!) while pulling a piece of rolling luggage or pushing a stroller. Also, because they’re hard and not squishable, they don’t fit easily into the bottom of a stroller. The only option is to carry it or pull it. They’re not ideal if you have a long way to walk and it will be in a place where you can’t or don’t want the kids to ride or pull it.
They’re expensive. I don’t remember how much we paid for the one we bought at the airport, but the one we ordered was £38. (Of course, it doesn’t help that Benjamin chose the limited edition, most expensive version to get for Liam’s birthday, and that we had to have it shipped from the UK, which cost even more.)
They become essential. Now that we have them, there’s little hope of travelling without them. The boys are set on bringing them everywhere. So, even when we take short weekend trips where we might not have packed separate suitcases for the kids, the Trunkis are GOING to be coming with us. So, we’ve now put ourselves in a situation where we are taking at least 3 bags with us (2 Trunkis, 1 backpack or suitcase for grownups) wherever we go, no matter what.

Overall, we love them. They aren’t the only functional solution to luggage for kids, but they’re pretty great, and we’re glad we have ours.

(Also, in case anyone wonders, this is in no way a sponsored post. I received nothing from Trunki, nor from anyone else, at any point. This is just my opinion.)

Visiting home

Posted on April 19, 2013 by admin

We weren’t planning to visit home this summer. I wanted to wait, until the fall or the winter, until the time of year when we most miss our family. I also wanted to wait until we had saved up some more vacation time — when we come, I want to be able to stay as long as possible.

I was thinking of coming home for Thanksgiving, or maybe Christmas, or maybe even Halloween, since we don’t get much of a Halloween celebration here. Christmas sounds the most tempting, because it’s a tough time to be away from home, but then, do I want to spend what might be our last Austrian Christmas away from Austria? (Of course, THAT was our reasoning for not going home this past Christmas, too.)

Mostly, though, we were pretty sure it wouldn’t be a summer visit. But then, while making our other summer plans, deciding when and where to travel, figuring out which weeks B will miss from school, Benjamin informed us that what he wants to do most for his birthday (in July) is go home to the US.

We were there last year for his birthday. We went to the beach, and had a fantastic time. There was sun, sand, surfing lessons, mini-golf, kite flying, cake, balloons, ice cream, and lots and lots of family. It was definitely wonderful.

So I don’t blame him for wanting to go home again. I just don’t know if we can make it happen. (In addition to vacation time issues, the financial aspect of a US trip in July vs. one in December is pretty different, in a much more expensive way.)

So now, we’re not sure. We’re working things out, but I don’t know what’s possible. I want to make his birthday wish come true, if we can . . . but I think he’d like waking up at Grandma’s house on Christmas morning, too. Whatever we do, it’ll be wonderful to be home . . . whenever we go.

The travel “to do” list

Posted on April 9, 2013 by admin

When we first made the decision to move to Austria, we knew that traveling around Europe would be a major priority for our time abroad. How could we live in Vienna and not see Salzburg, Prague, Paris, Venice, London? So we made a list. We each chose the places that were, to our minds, not to be missed, and we planned our vacations for our first two years (at the time, we intended them to be our only two years). Plans changed, things got moved around, but we did manage to visit almost all of the places on our “must see” list in the first two years (everything but Prague) and we got to see a few others, as well.

We didn’t know how much we’d enjoy traveling, though. We weren’t sure it would be worthwhile, when the challenge of traveling with kids was taken into account. But we love it. We’re getting pretty good at it, and we have overwhelmingly enjoyed the experience of traveling with the kids. It’s fantastic, and one of our favorite things about our lifestyle here. Thinking about any of the places we’ve been can make me wistful and sentimental. They’ve all been special experiences.

The only “problem” is, instead of “checking off” places on our travel wish list, our list has grown. A lot. Now that we’ve travelled, and we know that we love it, our enthusiasm has blossomed. We’re less fearful. Our horizons have expanded. We aren’t limited by our previous ideas of what we thought we were capable of. Our list now has over a dozen places that we’d like to go — and that’s just the ones in Europe . . . and doesn’t count the ones we’d like to revisit (which is nearly all of the places we’ve already been). Now we’re facing the reality that we just aren’t going to be able to see them all before our time here is through.

Places become like friends — you visit and you love your time together so much that when you depart, you start counting the moments until you return. And, as with friends, you end up with so many whose company you enjoy that you’re left feeling like it’s always been too long since you’ve seen each other. You never feel “done”. And, making a new friend is a wonderful experience, so that’s always good, too.

And, so it is. We have only so much time, money, energy and flexibility to travel. We just aren’t going to get to see everything on our list in the next year. But that’s ok. Really, it’s a wonderful “problem” to have. We’ve been so fortunate to have been able to see so many beautiful places in Europe, and to have had such amazing adventures in each. Of course that inspires us to want to see more. Of course that leaves us itching to go back and experience our favorites again. They all become pieces of our shared history, and wishes for our future, things to plan for and anticipate and share. Each destination becomes either an old friend to visit or a new friend yet to be met, and they all add to the depth of our experience. The problem isn’t having so many places that I can’t wait to see — the problem is viewing them as items on a list, waiting to be checked off. Now I know — I’ll never be done. Each place I see inspires me to see more.

Austrian anniversary

Posted on April 6, 2013 by admin

So, today is the day — we’ve been here two years. This second anniversary of our arrival here feels like an accomplishment — partly just because we’ve been here two years and have not only survived, but flourished, but also because it was originally our intention to only be here for two years. So, even though we’ve revised that and updated our plans, some part of my brain is still stuck on the idea of, “Ok, it’s been two years! You’re done! Time to go home!”

It’s been two years since we climbed off of the plane, overwhelmed and weary. Very overwhelmed. Nothing says “What did I just do?!?” like arriving in an airport with two small kids, seven suitcases and a dog, being unable to read any signs or remember why you thought this was a good idea in the first place.

I remember collecting our suitcases, piling them up on a luggage cart, and looking around to figure out where we were supposed to pick up Bailey. We didn’t know whether to expect him in a special luggage area, or whether there was a certain counter to go to. Instead, we found him in his crate, set aside, kind of near the baggage claim area. We expected to have to show some paperwork or something to collect him. Nope. We picked him up and moved on.

Our next priority was Customs, where we also prepared to present paperwork and have our things inspected. But no, this is Austria. No paperwork, no inspection, no stopping at all.

We dragged ourselves outside to wait for Dan’s friend, Greg, who had so kindly agreed to meet us at the airport. I got Bailey out of his crate and took him for a quick (and much-needed) walk. It was cold, and raining. I remember thinking again (for the second of at least a dozen times that day) that I was not at all sure this had been a wise decision.

We waited for Greg, and when he arrived, he was so nice and helpful. We packed his car full of all of our things, and drove through Vienna until we found our temporary apartment. Once we figured out which one it was, I remember being freaked out about everything — whether the car was going to be towed, whether our landlord could be trusted to help is carry our things, and whether we were going to be expected to pay for our stay right away (which would have been troublesome because we had no Euros).

I had nothing to worry about, really, I was just freaking out and unaccustomed to being so far out of my element. Our landlord was helpful and nice, we got everything unloaded easily, and the kids were happy to be “home”. Greg very kindly made a trip to the grocery store to buy a few things we’d need to get through that first morning. When he left us his grocery bag so we’d have something to shop with, I almost cried, both because it was nice of him and because it represented, in my mind, how many things I didn’t know about Vienna (I mean, who knew you HAD to bring your own grocery bags?!?).

But we got settled in. We took a collective nap. We watched tv. We got comfortable. We relaxed. I remember being the only one awake, later that evening, while everyone else was napping. I remember looking around our apartment. We were all safe, secure and happy. I didn’t know anything, really, about Vienna, or about what would happen next, but everything was peaceful. I still wasn’t sure we had made the right decision, but I was sure, in that moment, that we were all ok. It was a beginning.

And now, here we are. Two years later, with another year ahead of us. I still get that feeling — the feeling that I’m not sure if we’ve made the right decision, but that, in the moment, we’re all ok. That first day was hard, and there have been other hard days since. There have been days when I’ve wished I could snap my fingers and just be home. But really, this has been wonderful. Fundamentally, I’m incredibly glad that we’re here and that we’re having this adventure. And I’m learning to be ok with being out of my element, with not understanding what’s going on, with trusting people. I’m learning to expect good things to happen. And I’m learning that, as long as we’re all safe, secure and happy, everything is really ok.

Two years ago

Posted on April 5, 2013 by admin

On April 5, two years ago, we sold our car, repacked the contents of our seven suitcases (which had been strewn about my mother’s house in the week or so we’d been living there), put Bailey in his crate, put the car seats into my mom’s car, packed every vehicle my family owned full of luggage and people and drove to the airport. Benjamin was 2 1/2, Liam was barely 6 months old. It was the first day of this incredible adventure.

My family took us to the airport to say goodbye. It was harder, I think, for them than for us. We were all saying goodbye, but we were so focused on the massive journey we had ahead of us that we couldn’t really process it.

I remember waiting for a long time at the ticket counter while our paperwork (Bailey’s in particular) was processed. Once checked in, we dropped Bailey off for his journey and wrestled ourselves through security. We were desperate to find milk before boarding. Benjamin was used to having some at bedtime, and we wanted to replicate whatever normalcy we could in the midst of the most stunning chaos we’d ever experienced as a family. We got some, at Starbucks, moments before boarding, and I spilled half of it as soon as I got on the plane. We were the last people to get on, and the plane was already backing away from the gate while I mopped up the spilled milk.

The guy who had been assigned to sit beside us was gone so fast that I barely got a look at him, but we were then able to use his seat as a bed for Liam throughout the flight. And he slept, amazingly, most of the way. By contrast, B slept almost not at all. Dan and I stayed up with him, watching movies and playing trucks. (We had no iPhones or iPad — I don’t really know how we managed without those fallback forms of entertainment, but we did.)

Liam is now the age Benjamin was then. If I step back, and think about that day, I really can’t believe we did it. Really, what were we thinking? How was I possibly possessed by the combination of bravery and insanity that made it possible?!?

But we did. We got on that plane, two years ago, and began this astonishing adventure. And now, here we are, older, more worldly, more confident. This experience has changed us. We have grown, individually and together. We will always, now, have had this shared experience, this astounding chapter in our family history, that we have written together. I can no longer fathom how we managed to take that first step, two years ago, and I could not have predicted then who we would become. The past two years have sometimes felt like an insurmountable challenge, but it has also continued to be an outrageously wonderful opportunity. It’s still an adventure, and it’s not over yet.

Vienna to Salzburg by train: ÖBB vs. Westbahn

Posted on March 24, 2013 by admin

For our trip to Salzburg this weekend, we weighed the options, in terms of time and money, and ended up taking the “Westbahn” train from Vienna to Salzburg. This is a relatively new train service, and we’d never taken it before — for travel inside of Austria, we’d only ever used the ÖBB service. Using something new is always a little stressful, especially traveling with the kids — an adult might take a setback or an inconvenience with mild frustration and see it as a lesson learned, but for a little kid, it might create a ton of unhappiness (for everyone). So, armed with a recommendation from a friend, and the consolation that whatever happened, it was at least the cheapest option, we headed off to catch our Westbahn train at the Westbahnhof station in Vienna.

It was fantastic.

In addition to being cheaper (which was actually only true because Jo was traveling with us — Dan and I have ÖBB discount cards which would have reduced our fares), it was actually a lot more functional for our purposes.

The very best part is that the access to the train is at ground level — we just pushed the stroller right on board. On most of the ÖBB trains (except for the Regional Express), there are a few steep stairs. Trying to get the kids and the stroller into the train quickly and safely is always stressful and difficult. Then there was a large luggage rack right inside the door, so once we were on, we stowed all of our bags, folded up the stroller, and made our way up to our reserved seats on the upper deck (being upstairs was fun for the kids and gave us a nice view, too). When we were boarding, we saw a special car along the train that looked to be set up for families — we didn’t know anything about that, but we’ll look into it for our next trip.

Once upstairs, we found our seats and got comfortable. The seats aren’t numbered, so rather than having specific seats reserved, there was an entire table roped off for us. Since we were 5, rather than 4, that meant Jo didn’t get to sit immediately next to us on the way home, but she was guaranteed a seat on the upper deck of the same car (and I’m sure we could have asked people to switch seats if it had been an issue). There wasn’t any room at the seats for luggage (which was the only negative we encountered) but they did have coat hooks. The tables were very functional, with no places for pinched fingers. On the other hand, almost all of the seats are at tables, which might be more awkward for someone traveling alone. The seats were easily adjustable with a tiny bit of recline (standard for what we’ve seen in terms of the angle of reclining, but easier to adjust). And, it was so convenient to have power outlets between the seats for recharging . . . especially because there was also free Wi-Fi on the train! It was great — it was no problem to entertain the kids on the trip. We had access to games, tv, everything, for the entire ride. And the ride itself was relatively short (about 2.5 hours to Salzburg, slightly faster than the ÖBB Railjet).

There was a self-service café located in every-other car, which was great, because although having a full-service café car is nice, it can sometimes be tough (and occasionally impossible) to actually reach it and then get safely back to your seat. This was easy. And, each car has its own attendant, so there’s always someone to ask if a question or an issue comes up.

The bathroom signs get extra points for humor. I also found the bathroom clean, and I witnessed the ladies’ room being cleaned mid-journey, which is always a plus.

Overall, we loved it. It was much more functional for our purposes and less expensive. I’m so glad we gave it a try!

A Mommy Abroad

Our big adventure, as a family of three.

Tag Archives: travel