Tag Archives: travel

2012 . . .

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What a year it has been.  An entire year of living abroad — stretching my own boundaries, learning about . . . well . . . everything, questioning my perspectives, forgiving myself for failing, learning to laugh about the challenges and continually brushing myself off and starting again.

2012 was the year of international travel for us — sledding in the Alps, ascending the Eiffel Tower, wandering through Normandy, visiting home, enjoying the beach, touring castles and moors in England, being sick in Scotland, discovering the wonder of Ireland, driving on the Autobahn in Germany.  All in the past 12 months.  Yep, it’s been quite a year.

Benjamin has pretty well adjusted to school.  He has friends.  He corrects my German.  He learned to ride his pedal bike this summer (in about 10 minutes), had his first surfing lesson from his Uncle Adam and discovered that he loves to ice skate.  He is shockingly brilliant and amazingly sweet.  He is the best big brother Liam could possibly have.

Liam started really talking (a lot).  He runs, jumps, rides his bike, builds Lego towers and constantly amazes us at what he sees and understands.  He went to the beach for the first time (although he didn’t love it).  He adores Benjamin and works to be like him every day.  He has an unending enthusiasm for nearly everything and is the fiercest hugger I know.  This was his first full year living on a single continent.

2012 was an amazing year — one of the most profoundly transformational I’ve yet experienced.  We’ve finally gotten our feet under us here in Vienna.  We can manage our daily lives and our routine transactions (often even in German!).  We’re starting to thrive, rather than just survive.  We know our neighbors, we have friends (friends that even help us move heavy furniture) and we’re really starting to figure things out here.  I’ve made many memories this year that I know I will carry with me forever.  Vielen Dank, 2012!

UK highlights

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I know I’ve already written a lot about our recent trip to the UK, but I love sharing what we learn when we travel (obviously), and I don’t find any information more useful when I’m planning a trip than the personal experiences and recommendations of people in similar situations who have been there before.

Generally, we had a great experience.  Most of the hotels and bed & breakfasts we stayed in were clean, pleasant and helpfully staffed.  We had plenty of nice meals with the kids, and nearly all of the most common tourist things we did were worthwhile — seeing Big Ben, watching the changing of the guard, visiting Edinburgh Castle.  But four particular places stood out above the others.  These destinations were outstanding, and are worth going out of your way to see, visit or stay.

The Lake District  It’s a big area, and we didn’t nearly see it all.  But, of everywhere we went in England, it was the place we enjoyed the most, and the scenery got more beautiful every time we made a turn or crested a ridge.  It’s gorgeous, peaceful and has a lot to offer in terms of fun and relaxation.  The kids loved it because they were able to have so much freedom.  There were big yards to play in, paths to hike on, and lakes to splash in.  There is a lot to do in terms of hiking and exploring, but with two little kids, our ability to explore on foot was somewhat limited.  I would particularly recommend the “hiking by car” tour we got from “Rick Steves’ Great Britain” — it gives a great sense of the area while also giving a lot of flexibility.  We stopped a few places and got out to explore, but we were never more than about 15-20 minutes walk from the car (which was especially helpful when the boys played in Lake Buttermere more enthusiastically than we expected — we had to pour the water out of their boots and wring out their socks when we got back to the car!).  We spent 3 nights in the Newlands Valley, and it wasn’t long enough.  When we go back to England, going back to the Lake District will be our highest priority.

Littletown Farm Guest House  We stayed in a small guest house/B & B in the Newlands Valley.  I cannot recommend it highly enough.  The location is beautiful and quiet, the hosts are warm and accommodating, and the property itself is mentioned in one of Beatrix Potter’s stories.  The room was comfortable, updated and very clean, and we had a great view.  And it’s reasonably priced, for all that.  (My previous favorite hotel, in Virginia, was similar in its feeling of comfort and beauty, but costs twice as much per night, even accounting for the exchange rate.)  This place was great, and the hosts, Sarah and Rob, really made us feel welcome.  They helped us find great places to eat, helped us find good, kid-friendly hiking trails, lent us an off-road stroller to use while we were there and helped us out (even offered a ride into town) when we got our flat tire.  The breakfasts and tea times that we had there were tasty, too (the scones are fantastic).  Everything was very fresh — we personally witnessed the leftover scones going to the chickens at the end of the day!  The entire atmosphere was so comfortable and homey, and we found ourselves down in the lounge, socializing with all of the other guests in the evening — it was a great way to get to know our hosts and our fellow travellers.  We’re going back — as soon as possible.

Alnwick Castle  We had been to visit Edinburgh Castle the day before, and we almost skipped going to the Alnwick Castle.  My main interest in it was the fact that some of the exterior scenes from the first two Harry Potter movies were filmed there, so once we saw the outside, I was pretty satisfied.  Dan wanted to see the inside, though, so we bought tickets and went in, and I’m really glad we did.  The castle is beautiful, and they make a real effort to make the experience interesting and fun.  Benjamin and I took a broomstick flying lesson, and the boys learning about becoming a knight and worked on slaying a dragon.  It was one of the most kid-friendly stops on our entire vacation, and well worth the stop and the price of admission.

Northern Ireland  Ok, it’s a big place.  And, like the Lake District, we didn’t see it all.  But what we did see was truly fantastic.  The wildness of the Irish Sea paired with the vivid green of the rolling farmland was stunningly beautiful.  We only spent a day and a half in Northern Ireland, and I wish we’d had a week to explore — there was so much to see that we didn’t get to experience.  Like the Lake District, it’s a “must see” for us on our next trip to the British Isles.

Travelling with kids: preparation and expectations

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We are (finally) starting to seriously think about planning our spring/summer travel fest, which, as of now, includes destinations elsewhere in Austria, France, Germany, the US, and the UK.  Whew.  I’m tired already.

In planning these trips, I’m thinking a lot about what we’re going to do — what we’d love to see versus what’s reasonable, how to keep the kids entertained but not wear them out completely.  It’s tough balance to strike, but it’s important if we all want to have a good time.  Here are some of the things I’ve discovered in our travels so far, which I’m trying to keep in mind, so I’m also going to share them:

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Books for Benjamin

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Before Liam was born, we bought and borrowed a number of books about getting a new sibling, and they really seemed to help Benjamin understand what was going on.  So, last year, as we started to prepare for our astonishingly adventurous move abroad, I wanted to get a book to help with that change, but I couldn’t find anything that was really appropriate.  So I wrote one for him.  It was short and simple, and it explained all of the changes he would be experiencing over the coming months.  I explained about how our things would get packed, the movers would come, we’d say goodbye to our house, we’d stay at Grandma’s for a while and then we’d go to the airport.  I explained about how Bailey would ride in a crate (but would still be on our airplane, even though we couldn’t see him), how he’d get to watch tv, eat and sleep on the plane.  I explained about finding a new house here, having our things delivered (luckily I didn’t specify a time frame) and how we’d make friends, travel and have visitors while we were here.  He loved his book then, and he still loves it now.

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On the other hand

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I love sharing the fun, adventurous experiences we have here, like going to Innsbruck and sledding down a mountain.  I share all of this in part to document the experience, and in part to encourage others to do this kind of thing — to travel with your children, to push the envelope of what you think is possible, to explore the world.  But, it isn’t all sweetness and light, and I want to share that part, too.  I was so euphoric from our trip to Innsbruck when I wrote about it the other day that I didn’t include the other side of the trip, and I think it’s only fair to capture that part, too.  Travel with kids is challenging.  There are going to be moments where you think, “Why did we do this again?  Wasn’t this supposed to be fun?”  But those moments will pass, and it is fun, and you’ll be glad you did it (I am).

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Just go

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Innsbruck was wonderful.  We had a good time, we played in the snow, we explored, we saw the Alpine part of Austria.  I now feel comfortable saying “I like Austria”, rather than just “I like Vienna” (I’ve been saying, “I like Austria”  but I really didn’t have much data beyond Vienna).  We’re already planning for the next time we go to Innsbruck — what we’ll see again, what we’ll do differently.  I want to go again in the winter and also in the summer, but I also have a long list of other places we want to explore, so we’ll have to see exactly how it works out.

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To Innsbruck

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First off, I’m going to brag a little: I think I may be the world’s best packer. When we laid out all of the things we needed to bring with us on this trip, I thought there was no way we were going to get away with only packing two suitcases and a backpack . . . but we did. It’s impossible to really pack light with kids, and winter weather makes it harder (snow pants, wool socks, long underwear, hats, gloves, mittens, etc., times two) but we got away with only a little luggage.

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Benjamin’s first mountains

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Later this week, we’re taking our first multi-day trip outside of Vienna, to Innsbruck.  Innsbruck is in western Austria, 5 hours from Vienna by train, in the Alps (and probably most famous for twice hosting the Winter Olympics).  We’re all very excited about seeing the mountainous part of Austria, and about getting to (hopefully) play in some significant snow.

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Travel plans

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Now that we’ve sold the house, our finances have finally started to flow in a positive direction, and I’m trying to get started with one of my major plans for our time here:  travelling around within Europe.  We’re here for two years (most likely) and I want to go home with a lot of memories and experiences not just from Vienna, but from varied locations within Austria and elsewhere around Europe.

Before we left the States, I drew up detailed plans for where and when we’d go — I divvied up our vacation time relative to the importance of each destination, and planned each trip to maximize the good weather in each locale.  I had little outlines of which sights we wanted to see in each place, and an idea of how we’d make it work.

At this point, all of that is pretty much out the window.  We’ve already missed planned trips to Prague, Salzburg and Innsbruck.  Initially, there was a necessary delay of travel — we just didn’t have the funds to support life here, a house at home and vacationing.  But even over the past weeks, since the house was sold and our financial picture has improved, I haven’t done anything about planning travel.  Part of it is inertia — now that my detailed itinerary is blown, it’s slightly harder to move forward because I don’t have a plan (and I do love a plan).  But the other, more significant part is that I’m really enjoying Vienna.  It’s hard to get motivated about going someplace else, when there is still so much to do and see here.  It’s a nice problem to have — I’m so happy where I am, I don’t feel the need to leave.

I need to get on with my planning, though.  I know I’ll regret it if we leave here without having seen some of what the rest of Europe has to offer.  We have less than 18 months left on our big adventure, and it’s time to start exploring!

Missing the beach

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Austria is a landlocked country.  I’ve never even lived in a landlocked state before, so this is a strange concept for me.  Growing up, we went to the beach every summer.  When I was little, my grandmother had a place in Ocean City, Maryland, and then when we got older, we’d go to the Outer Banks in North Carolina or to Cape May in New Jersey.  As an adult, I’ve been to Cancun, the Bahamas, Hawaii and Florida, in addition to trips back to Ocean City.  The beach is regular fixture in my summers, and occasionally even in my falls, winters and springs.  It’s an important part of my childhood memories, and a love that is shared with my entire family.  Only a few years of my life have passed without a trip to the beach, and nearly all of those were for specific reasons (we didn’t go the summer that B was born, for example).

I haven’t been to the beach since May of 2010, and it’s starting to bug me that we can’t just get in the car and go.  Getting to the beach from here would be expensive, and it would be a major undertaking.  Not impossible, by any means, but it’s just not what we’re planning on focusing our European vacation travel on:  we have beaches at home, but we don’t have Paris, London, Rome and Bavaria at home.  I’ve been itching to go, though.  I miss the ocean, the sand, the breezes.  If we’d been at home, we would have taken Liam to the beach for the first time this summer.  He’d probably hate it, because it would severely limit his mobility, but we’d take him anyway.  I know he’ll love it once he’s bigger — he’s bold and fearless, so he’ll probably stress me out completely in and near the water forever, but I know he’ll be ready to jump in the waves, if only to follow his big brother.

Benjamin wants to go to the beach, too.  He’s been three times (I think?).  The first time he was pretty ambivalent:  not thrilled about the sand, mostly, although he kind of liked the water.  The second time he was distinctly more interested, and the third time, he loved it.  That third time, we went in May, and the water was way too cold for me (even though I was 5 months pregnant and everything felt hot).  Benjamin and Dan got in the water, though, and played in the waves.  After that, they got out and B tried to bury Dan in the sand.  He was enthusiastic about going down to the water even when it was raining, chilly and foggy.  Benjamin has definitely learned or inherited the love that both Dan & I have for the beach and the ocean.

It’s hard for me to tell him we’re not going this year.  He wants to play in the sand and in the ocean.  We read stories about the beach, or he sees it in a cartoon, and he asks when we’re going.  I think, one way or the other, we’re going to have to make sure we go next summer — I don’t think either of us can hold off another year.