Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Foreign Travel
So yet again we ignored all general advice about taking kids on far flung travel adventures and at the end of March jumped on a flight to London and then took at train to Brussels to celebrate the wedding of my dear friends Miles and Joe.
I guess my kids look enough like experienced travelers at this point that we don't get the stink eye in the boarding area. Or I am an experienced enough traveler with my kids to truly not give a damn what you think about my family on a 10 hour flight. Even if they screamed the whole time (which they don't) you will survive. And I know I digress a lot but what's it will the comments section on any article on travel that fills people with a need to rant about the hate for kids on planes. No infant or toddler has ever behaved worse than a drunk businessman. I've been on flights with both... and so have you...
In any case the kids were awesome (thank you again rear seat entertainment on Virgin airlines) and the flight seemed down right short after our journey to Australia last year.
Andrea met us at Heathrow with a smile and 4 inches of snow on the ground! The kids had been begging us to take them to the snow this winter... I think they meant Tahoe, but hey ask and you shall receive.
We spent the first day at our lovely friends home and just relaxed and got used to the time change and the cold weather. The kids had a snowball fight. Reconnected with their buddy Logan and got to know Isla, Logan's little sister.
The next day we braved the cold and saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace or at least part of it until we all decided that inside would be nicer, since it was snowing! (Did I mention that it was the END of MARCH!) Then we hit up the really amazing science museum and natural history museum. London is really a great place for families. The tube and almost every activity is free for kids.
That evening we stole our nephew Ben away from his cool semester abroad life for an evening of hanging with his family. Since he is the most amazing 20 year old male on the planet he didn't complain one bit and our kids basked in the glow of their very cool cousin.
The next day we dragged our kids to Westminster Abbey, which they were thoroughly unimpressed with and I had an awesome moment where I was yelling at them in a super quiet and meditative chamber. Old buildings +a 7 year old + 3 year old = disaster was that lesson for the day.
But they did like the guards at the Horse Parade... and the hot chocolate I bribed them with later.
On our last day in London Nate took the kids to the Transportation Museum while Andrea and I escaped kid free for what we hoped would be breakfast and shopping, but it was so F@#$# cold that we just sat in the breakfast spot and keep getting more tea and then drove past the shops! I met up with the family for some time at the Tate Modern and then our final evening with our lovely hosts to celebrate Glen's birthday.
We had such an amazing time with Andrea and Glen and it breaks my heart that we live so far from each other. It is magic when two families get along so well. They kids just love each other and Logan and Isla were just fantastic at sharing their space. It's not easy when you have 2 new little people in your space for several days and they were just lovely
The next morning we hopped on the Eurostar to head under the chunnel (or is it in the chunnel?) to Brussels. Why or why doesn't the US have a high speed train? The trip was just two relaxing hours. The kids loved watching the countryside speed by. I loved leaving downtown London and arriving in the center of Brussels. We really are so stupid for not having this option, but I digress.
We arrived in Brussels and had a lovely, but chilly day to ourselves looking at the beautiful city, eating frites (though I have the strangest children that don't like french fries...), drinking yummy beer and hot chocolate.
The next morning we met the one of the grooms, my wonderful friend Miles, for lunch and along with our dear friends Liam and Rick, also over from the Bay Area for the festivities. We spent the day with Liam and Rick getting lost in Brussels trying to find the god damned Tin Tin museum. Brussels is a gorgeous, but frustrating city. The amazing buildings in the Grand Place... no sign as to what they are. Mannekin Pis, the famous statue of the little boy.. well pissing... you can basically walk by it since there's no sign. The only other major tourist attraction is the Comics Museum. There are street signs that get you to the general area, but not on the exact street, no one seems to know exactly where it is and when it's cold and you have 2 small and whining children you can go mad looking for it. We gave up with Liam and Rick, and settled for more beer and hot chocolate.
That night we had a dinner with Miles and Joe and their lovely out of town guests. Since we were the only ones crazy enough to bring our kids I was worried that they would last mere moments, but it turns out Lotus has found her people and she was truly the Belle of the Gay Wedding Ball. Lucian and Nate took off around 9pm, but Lotus and I stayed until close to midnight and Lotus and her new pals were devastated when I said we needed to call it a night.
The next evening we attended the most fabulous wedding party ever. It started at 9pm and it was at a night club. Miles was kind enough to arrange a sitter for us, so Nate was able to take part in the festivities. And this was not the first time (or even the second) that Miles arranged for Nate to be at a drag show. My husband is truly a good sport. But what better guests at a wedding than drag queens? Really every wedding should have them.
In all seriousness it was so wonderful be able to witness Miles and Joe's official commitment to one another. As I have known them their whole relationship I knew this was just a formality, since they have loved, honored and been committed to one another for the past decade and a half. But since very few states in the United States would even allow their wedding or recognize their marriage they became CITIZENS of another country and frankly I doubt they will ever live here again. So way to go US we have lost 2 amazing Americans (and I doubt this is the only reason why they have left, but hey let's add it to the wood pile). And for those of us who just waltzed into City Hall and filled out some paperwork would we make that commitment to gain citizenship to another country to formalize our relationship?
The party went until the break of dawn, but we lasted until 1am. Knowing that the kids would insist on things like breakfast the next morning... which of course was Easter. We attempted an Easter day in the Royal Gardens until I was too bloody cold and pulled rank and insisted that we forgo Easter Eggs for an Yves St. Laurent exhibit, which Lotus was okay with since it was heated and Lucian was less than thrilled. But in Brussels you can always bribe the children with chocolate and waffles... which I did.
The next morning we hoped back on the Eurostar and lickety split we were back in London... again why don't we have this? We checked into our gorgeous hotel and everyone thought we were sort of insane for not just spending the day there, but it wasn't freezing for once and we had one last day in London. We made our way to the London Eye, which Lucian tried to give me a heart attack by slamming himself up against the windows when we were at our highest point. Then I was allowed at 15 minute stop in Top Shop which we followed with Hadley's for the kids, (I cried a bit inside when I past my dear friend Liberties of London with out as much as a walk through). Finally a somewhat traditional pub stop and then back to our gorgeous hotel. The kids watched TV while in the bath and Andrea came by for a glass of wine and to say goodbye.
Lotus is now telling everyone she will be spending her summers with Uncle Miles and Uncle Joe, so I am guessing we will be back soon, but not soon enough!
I guess my kids look enough like experienced travelers at this point that we don't get the stink eye in the boarding area. Or I am an experienced enough traveler with my kids to truly not give a damn what you think about my family on a 10 hour flight. Even if they screamed the whole time (which they don't) you will survive. And I know I digress a lot but what's it will the comments section on any article on travel that fills people with a need to rant about the hate for kids on planes. No infant or toddler has ever behaved worse than a drunk businessman. I've been on flights with both... and so have you...
In any case the kids were awesome (thank you again rear seat entertainment on Virgin airlines) and the flight seemed down right short after our journey to Australia last year.
Andrea met us at Heathrow with a smile and 4 inches of snow on the ground! The kids had been begging us to take them to the snow this winter... I think they meant Tahoe, but hey ask and you shall receive. We spent the first day at our lovely friends home and just relaxed and got used to the time change and the cold weather. The kids had a snowball fight. Reconnected with their buddy Logan and got to know Isla, Logan's little sister.
The next day we braved the cold and saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace or at least part of it until we all decided that inside would be nicer, since it was snowing! (Did I mention that it was the END of MARCH!) Then we hit up the really amazing science museum and natural history museum. London is really a great place for families. The tube and almost every activity is free for kids.
That evening we stole our nephew Ben away from his cool semester abroad life for an evening of hanging with his family. Since he is the most amazing 20 year old male on the planet he didn't complain one bit and our kids basked in the glow of their very cool cousin.
The next day we dragged our kids to Westminster Abbey, which they were thoroughly unimpressed with and I had an awesome moment where I was yelling at them in a super quiet and meditative chamber. Old buildings +a 7 year old + 3 year old = disaster was that lesson for the day.
On our last day in London Nate took the kids to the Transportation Museum while Andrea and I escaped kid free for what we hoped would be breakfast and shopping, but it was so F@#$# cold that we just sat in the breakfast spot and keep getting more tea and then drove past the shops! I met up with the family for some time at the Tate Modern and then our final evening with our lovely hosts to celebrate Glen's birthday.
We had such an amazing time with Andrea and Glen and it breaks my heart that we live so far from each other. It is magic when two families get along so well. They kids just love each other and Logan and Isla were just fantastic at sharing their space. It's not easy when you have 2 new little people in your space for several days and they were just lovely
The next morning we met the one of the grooms, my wonderful friend Miles, for lunch and along with our dear friends Liam and Rick, also over from the Bay Area for the festivities. We spent the day with Liam and Rick getting lost in Brussels trying to find the god damned Tin Tin museum. Brussels is a gorgeous, but frustrating city. The amazing buildings in the Grand Place... no sign as to what they are. Mannekin Pis, the famous statue of the little boy.. well pissing... you can basically walk by it since there's no sign. The only other major tourist attraction is the Comics Museum. There are street signs that get you to the general area, but not on the exact street, no one seems to know exactly where it is and when it's cold and you have 2 small and whining children you can go mad looking for it. We gave up with Liam and Rick, and settled for more beer and hot chocolate.
That night we had a dinner with Miles and Joe and their lovely out of town guests. Since we were the only ones crazy enough to bring our kids I was worried that they would last mere moments, but it turns out Lotus has found her people and she was truly the Belle of the Gay Wedding Ball. Lucian and Nate took off around 9pm, but Lotus and I stayed until close to midnight and Lotus and her new pals were devastated when I said we needed to call it a night.
The next evening we attended the most fabulous wedding party ever. It started at 9pm and it was at a night club. Miles was kind enough to arrange a sitter for us, so Nate was able to take part in the festivities. And this was not the first time (or even the second) that Miles arranged for Nate to be at a drag show. My husband is truly a good sport. But what better guests at a wedding than drag queens? Really every wedding should have them. In all seriousness it was so wonderful be able to witness Miles and Joe's official commitment to one another. As I have known them their whole relationship I knew this was just a formality, since they have loved, honored and been committed to one another for the past decade and a half. But since very few states in the United States would even allow their wedding or recognize their marriage they became CITIZENS of another country and frankly I doubt they will ever live here again. So way to go US we have lost 2 amazing Americans (and I doubt this is the only reason why they have left, but hey let's add it to the wood pile). And for those of us who just waltzed into City Hall and filled out some paperwork would we make that commitment to gain citizenship to another country to formalize our relationship?
The party went until the break of dawn, but we lasted until 1am. Knowing that the kids would insist on things like breakfast the next morning... which of course was Easter. We attempted an Easter day in the Royal Gardens until I was too bloody cold and pulled rank and insisted that we forgo Easter Eggs for an Yves St. Laurent exhibit, which Lotus was okay with since it was heated and Lucian was less than thrilled. But in Brussels you can always bribe the children with chocolate and waffles... which I did.
Lotus is now telling everyone she will be spending her summers with Uncle Miles and Uncle Joe, so I am guessing we will be back soon, but not soon enough!
