WHAT’S UP NEXT?!

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:14:45 -0700

THE TRAVELLING KID is a world in progress. In case you’re wondering, here are the articles coming soon: ROME, RIO, VENICE, NEW YORK, SAO PAULO, LOS ANGELES, MAUI, ZURICH, DISNEYLAND, PICINGUABA, BRAZIL, SANTA BARBARA/SOLVANG, HAKONE, JAPAN...& MORE TIPS to make your travels just that much easier! I will also start doing ‘updates’ to various cities as we visit them a second time. Coming soon...links to places to stay.

The Travelling Kid: TOKYO! Part One

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:52:50 -0800

Tokyo rocked my preschooler’s world…in a Godzilla, crazy anime, 186 miles-per hour-bullet-train kind of way. This super-sized city rocked my world too…in an idiosyncratic, complex toilets, raw snails, can’t-read-the-signs kind of way.

Tokyo is like one big effervescent, over the top music video that immediately throws you into sensory overload from the moment you step out of the plane into Narita Airport and keeps on rockin’ ya until you hop a plane home and wend your way back to familiar toilet seats.

AND…my son Jacob can’t stop talking about it.

Join me, as I take you on a remake of our December magical mystery tour of Japan’s iconic capital and try to dissect our adventures in this singular city into a user-friendly, travelling kid-savvy guide.

First of all, expect the unexpected and you will only be mildly shell-shocked by the constant bombardment of people and trains and skyscrapers and video billboards and sights and smells that you never imagined existing before. It is, to quote my friend Lucy, “like being drop-kicked and then landing on the surface of Mars”. I’m not exactly sure what that means…but it really comes close to how I feel when I’m in Tokyo. AND…just like Jacob – I love this crazy city.

December in Tokyo is a particularly ‘mars-like’ experience. The millions of lights in the city are joined by MORE lights adorning giant Christmas trees and streetlights…creating a kind of Las Vegas effect. In the Shibuya area (home to Meiji Jingu Shrine) you’ll find no less than 600,000 lights decorating an already über-illuminated part of town. Shibuya is only ONE of several major neighborhoods in Tokyo – which brings me to:

HOW THE HECK TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU’RE GOING

Here’s the deal. Many of the streets aren’t named. Ai yi. Imagine the millions of people living there with nameless streets and pity the poor postman. Adding insult to injury, the numbers on the streets that actually ARE named are not sequential. The buildings were numbered in the order they were constructed NOT in the order they are on the street. Merry Christmas.

No worries. Many people who live in this glittering metropolis are confused too. Thankfully, in this ordered confusion, everyone is happy to help you figure out how to get where you’re going…although you may not understand one another. Needless to say you will need maps and guidebooks. We actually ended up getting around just fine. Just be prepared to embrace serendipity, know that things will take longer than you expected and be willing to occasionally ‘throw money at the problem’ and take a very expensive taxi ride. Know that some people speak English, but MANY do not. Especially taxi drivers. Make SURE to always have your hotel information written in Japanese and ask your hotel to write your day’s destination (s) in Japanese for you. This will be very helpful whether you are taxi-ing or going by metro.

The metro is both fantastic AND formidable. SO formidable, in fact that it deserves special attention. So…before I bore you with the ins and outs of the Tokyo Metro system –

1. I will chat about all the wonderful things there are to do with your kid (s) and then tackle...

2. ...the specifics of the Metro and navigating Tokyo in a special section below.

WHAT TO DO AND SEE - DISTRICT BY DISTRICT
First of all, just walking around Tokyo is a sensory extravaganza. So much so, that I would be remiss to not mention how many meltdowns my pre-schooler had despite my impeccable (ha-ha) planning, a bag filled with snacks and water and my attempts to bribe him with Strawberry Pocky (a tasty Japanese pretzel cookie type snack). I realized in retrospect that he was on sensory overload and I should have built in a lot more down time and I should have returned to the hotel either earlier or more often. You won’t make the same mistake, because you will be prepared. You can’t change Tokyo and you can’t change your kids, but you can modify your approach to the possibly lethal combo.

Tokyo is SO big – you kind of need to take a ‘divide and conquer’ approach. A good way to think about Tokyo is not as one massive, impossible to navigate city, but as several mini-cities all linked together by trains of all sorts (which for my train-philic son was a big plus).
With that in mind, I will break down our fave places by major areas.

• UENO PARK
Ueno Park is a great, fun family destination that is only a short walk from the Ueno Station. One of the largest open spaces in Tokyo, this enormous, lovely park is home to a Zoo, museums and a plethora of pigeons.
Even though it was a grey, drizzly, December day – we found ourselves amid an explosion of gleaming gold ginkgo leaves and the park was filled with school children and families and people on bikes – all taking in the crisp air and beautiful surroundings. When the drizzle turned to rain, we made a b-line for the:
National Science Museum:
We couldn’t miss the museum with its 100-foot life-size Blue Whale statue standing guard just outside the entrance. If Jacob’s favorite creature of the seas wasn’t awe-inspiring enough…imagine my son’s delight when he discovered that his other life-love was there: a real Steam Locomotive, parked just inside the entrance.
This is a GREAT museum. Granted, most of the signs are in Japanese – but who cares? Mostly kids just run around like madmen in museums, especially when there are hands on exhibits and rooms full of dinosaurs and animals. Jacob was on cloud nine as he dashed through the dino hall, fiddled with all the science experiments and faced off with what can only be described as a taxidermists’ dream.

The gift shop has TONS of great things to buy and there is even a child friendly cafeteria where you can stop for a snack. For more info go to: www.kahaku.go.jp/english
Ueno Zoo:
The rain put a damper on our plans to visit Japan’s oldest zoo. Founded in 1882, it is small, but you will find all the favorites including Giant Pandas. Rumor has it that we didn’t miss a spectacular zoo – but if your travelling kid is as big an animal fan as mine it might be worth a look. For more info go to: http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english
Tokyo National Museum:
You can’t miss this giant museum, home to the largest collection of Japanese art in the world. Not all of it would be interesting to all kids…BUT if you have a sword and samurai armor fan in the family DO NOT miss this collection. I don’t even like swords and I thought it was pretty cool. For more info go to: www.tnm.jp/en/index.html
More of Ueno:

If you have true art fans in the fam you may want to visit the National Museum of Western Art and see it’s French Impressionist collection and other western art. http://www.nmwa.go.jp
The Ueno area also has a fun little museum a few minutes walk to the west: The Shitamachi Museum. It is a tribute to old Edo, complete with a reconstructed merchant’s shop-house and alleyways and articles of daily life as it was before the great earthquake of 1923 destroyed most of Shitamachi (downtown).
Shitamachi: 2-1 Ueno Koen +81 (0)3 3823 7451 9.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sun

Ameyoko-cho Market – just south of Ueno Station. A jumble of smells and sounds, this former black market is filled with stalls selling tea, food, shoes, fish and clothes alongside and underneath the elevated JR train lines. Jacob loved the trains, but walking this market at the end of an exciting day was a meltdown waiting to happen. And it did.

• ASAKUSA
Asakusa is home to the famous Buddhist temple:
SENSO-JII. Jacob was totally entranced by the main gate: Kaminarimon (THUNDER GATE) with it’s giant red lantern and two scary and crazy looking guardian gods: Thunder and Wind. I enjoyed the promenade of what my husband likes to call ‘ticky-tacky’ shops that runs from the gate to the temple. This little street (Nakamise-dori) is carnival like and fun to walk along. We bought Jacob a little yellow umbrella that he cherished throughout the whole Japan trip for about $4.00. I bought some ‘ticky-tacky’ stuff for my friends. My husband bought weird food to try.
But I digress. The Senso-jii Temple (also known as the Asakusa Kannon) dates back to 628 AD, when fable has it, two fishermen brothers netted a small gold statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy and happiness. The temple was built in her honor, but you can’t see the statue because it’s never shown to the public. Go figure. The building that stands today was built in 1945, after the original was destroyed. Senso-jii is a lovely and very interesting place to visit.
Asakusa is simply a great area to walk around, get a good meal and buy little souvenirs. The surrounding streets are filled with craft-shops, restaurants and pubs. We bought some wonderful spices at a small shop and the little packets of “who knows what they are” still give us great pleasure to cook with. For lunch, we ate at a great little Kaitin sushi place (the kind with the conveyor belt where you can pick your dish). It was $20 for all four of us.
Whether you go to visit the Temple or for the people watching or to eat octopus or to buy a Godzilla keychain - you and your travelling family are sure to enjoy Asakusa.

• HARAJUKU, SHIBUYA & AOYAMA
This area is a triple threat showcase of culture and style. Toss in a fabulous shrine, a cemetery, punk rockers and the toy store of toy stores…and you’ve got a groovy part of town.
From Ometesando dori, the ‘Champs Elysees’ of Tokyo; to the bustling hub of Shibuya station; to Takeshita Dori…teen mecca - you will not be disappointed you came, saw and conquered this mini-fiefdom in Tokyo.
Harajuku is a fun area and at the very heart of ‘trendy’ Tokyo. There are so many things to do and to see AND any meltdown can be mitigated (possibly) by a promise to visit the toy store of toy stores aptly named ‘Kiddy Land’ for a plastic replica of the Shinkansen.
Just get off at Harajuku Station on the Yamanote line and head down the alley-like Takeshita Dori for piercings, punk, pink umbrellas and the most delicious street crepes you’ll ever have. The center of the punk/teen world in Tokyo, this street a see and be seen sector for students and is spectacular people watching. If you are over, let’s say 24 years old, you might feel a little antediluvian. Vibrant, trendy and walk-able it is great fun for your travelling kids if they are young girls or pre-teen or teen boys or girls. I also loved the Daiso Store - it’s like the 99 cent store with tons of cool stuff. www.daiso-sangyo.co.JP
If you have young boys that don’t like to buy stuff, get off at Harajuku Station and head for the Meiji-jingu Shrine. Simply put, this is a beautiful shrine in a stunning wooded setting. This oasis of acres of green space is a haven for your travelling kid (s) to zip around in. Oddly enough it is also home to the Jingu Baseball Stadium and if you are a Yakult Swallows fan you might be able to catch a game. The Meiji Jingu Ice Skating Rink is open year-round 12:00-18:00 (10:00-18:00 on weekends and holidays) and an outdoor swimming pool, Jingu Pool is open from mid-June to mid-Sept.
Hungry? Hit one of the many cafes on and around Meiji Dori and the elegant Omotesando Dori, Tokyo’s ‘Champs’. The network of streets surrounding these major boulevards is jam-packed with restaurants and bars and groovy little shops. If you are travelling with teens be careful! They may be devoured by the hydra of teen fashion stores and you may head home with a much lighter pocketbook.
Once you’ve rested and/or find the need to mitigate a meltdown head for:
KIDDYLAND (http://www.kiddyland.co.jp/en/index.html):
…a toy store to be reckoned with. This is a toy store for all ages. The floors are crowded with kids and teens alike, not to mention grown-ups who ‘collect’ stuff. Jacob ended up with two Shinkansen trains and ‘Santa’ picked up a couple of items for Jacob while he was there. Christmas morning in the US was awash with the wonder that Santa had been to Japan and had known exactly what Jacob wanted. That Santa is a clever guy.
If you are not already maxed-out (and my guess is you will be) head for:
THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CASTLE (Kodomo No Shiro)

If I were you, I would make this a separate destination and not try to squeeze it in at the end of the day like we did. My pal Lili who was born in Tokyo told me about this activity center for kids which was conceived by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for the International Year of the Child in 1979. It is a fabulous place for kids, filled with room after room of activities for kids of all ages including a climbing gym, a music room, a computer play room, building blocks, art projects, and a video room with private cubbies where kids can view videos including Sesame Street and your fave fairy tales. If that’s not enough, there is a rooftop playground replete with tricycles and a wading pool. Just in case none of this tweaks your travelling kid’s fancy, there are puppet shows, origami presentations and more scheduled throughout the week. (5-53-1 Jinguemae, Shibuya-ku 03.397.5666 http://www.kodomono-shiro.or.jp/english)

• GINZA – Land of De-pa-to
December in Tokyo is a really cool time to visit…literally and figuratively. I had been to Ginza before, but seeing the effervescence of this city at Christmastime through Jacob’s eyes was amazing.
GINZA means ‘place where silver is minted’, named when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu started minting coins there around 1600. Aptly named, Ginza glitters still…elegant with snob appeal. At night, Ginza is like no other spot on the planet…neon lights, videos blaring from giant screens on skyscrapers and thousands of well-heeled feet pounding the wide boulevards. Add giant Christmas trees and displays to that and you’ve got an iconic explosion of what one would expect from Tokyo.
Home to the most prestigious shopping area in Japan, Ginza is filled with high-end stores from all over the world. I personally don’t care about Tiffany and Shiseido and Mikimoto – BUT I do lust after Ito-ya. Ito-ya is floor after floor of handmade papers, and pens and stationary and art supplies. Itoya is not a destination per se for travelling kids unless they are older and have the same paper and pen addiction that I do BUT you may want to pop in and buy some art supplies for the kids for the hotel room or the flight home or buy that special fountain pen you’ve always wanted. (Ito-ya 2-7-15 Ginza +81 (0)3 3561 8311 Open Hours 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat; 10am-6pm Sun.)
Ginza is also filled with Department Stores (known as DEPATO). The main department stores are Mitsukoshi, Matsuya and Matsuzakaya and they are all here and you should go to one of them. WHY on earth would you want to visit a department store with your kids you may ask? Visiting department stores in the US with your kids is not your or my idea of recreation, for sure! So, here’s one major reason why the Tokyo DEPATO are cool: The food courts. These basement mini-kingdoms are amazing. There is really no way to describe them…you just have to go. The food, people, sights, sounds are truly astounding AND you can get the most delicious treats there. Trust me. It’s a destination. I suggest going to the food court in the Mistukoshi department store that was founded in…1673! They’ve got the department store thing down by now, I think. All of the depato in Tokyo are GIANT and they have ALL sorts of stuff – some even have art galleries and all have restaurants and clean bathrooms.
Another place to check out in Ginza is THE SONY BUILDING at the intersection of Harumi Dori and Sotobori Dori. The Sony Building is geek central with 6 floors of the latest and greatest Sony gadgets to play with. After you’re through with the games and gadgets you can rest and grab a bite at one of the cafes and restaurants there. The 6th floor is devoted to Play Station and there is a High Vision Theater showing free flicks every Saturday at 4:30pm. Check out the musical staircase between 1F and B1F. There’s a little something for everyone here…and hey, it’s free!
Nearby and also free is the lovely HIBIYA PARK and just beyond the park is THE IMPERIAL PALACE. Hibiya Park is a small, pleasant place to unwind and it is across from the Imperial Hotel, which has clean bathrooms. The Imperial Palace is the residence of the Imperial Family and although I am sure that they, too have clean bathrooms you cannot go inside the palace. However, you can view the palace from the outside, check out the moat and the groovy bridges, and stroll the Imperial East Gardens.
Just beyond the Palace to the north is KITANOMARU-KOEN, a big park that is home to a couple of museums: The National Museum of Modern Art, The Crafts Gallery and the kid-friendly SCIENCE MUSEUM (not to be confused with The National Science Museum in Ueno Park). The interactive displays are made for travelling families. Looks like a lot of fun.
(http://www.jsf.or.jp/eng)
There has to be something said for a city that has not one, but two cool hands-on science museums gracing it’s beautiful kid-friendly parks. In fact, Tokyo has so much to offer a travelling family, we were not able to ‘do it all’ in one trip.

• MORE!
• So, here are some other places you may want to consider taking your travelling kid (s) when you visit Tokyo and more Tokyo info...

GO TO TOKYO PART TWO (click here) for
MORE places to go
FOOD!
TOILETS!
TACKLING THE METRO!
(Thank you for your patience. Breaking the article in two allows for faster downloading)

The Travelling Kid: TOKYO! Part Two

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:52:28 -0800

CONTINUED FROM TOKYO PART ONE!
Wondering about FOOD and how the HECK to get where you’re going?
Welcome to Tokyo Part Two!
• MORE!
• So, here are some other places you may want to consider taking your travelling kid (s) when you visit Tokyo:

INTERNATIONAL AQUARIUM: This aquarium floats high above sea level on the 10th floor of the World Import Mart Building. Although it is small, the aquarium is home to some 60,000 creatures including piranhas, dolphins and seahorses and you can catch a performing seal show or a ‘fish circus’. The complex is also home to a Planetarium and an Observatory. I’m kind of sorry we missed it. (World Import Mart Building, 10th Floor Sunshine City, 3-1-3 Higashi Ikebukuro Phone: 3989-3466/Open: Mon - Sat, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sun, 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
SHINAGAWA AQUARIUM: Of course there are aquariums PLURAL…just like the science museums. This one boasts an undersea tunnel experience and a shark hall.
(http://www.aquarium.gr.jp/en/index.html)
TOKYO DISNEYLAND AND DISNEY SEA PARK: Yep, the mouse is in Japan. Supposedly the Disneyland Park is just like the ones in the US including all the fave rides like the Jungle Cruise and Space Mountain. The Sea Park is themed around various ports-of-call. Getting to the resort seems really easy and if your family members are big Disney fans you might want to go.
(http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/index_e.html)
HANAYASHIKI: Founded in 1853, this old amusement park is in Asakusa (NW of the Senso-jii Temple) It has a Ferris wheel, carousel, roller coaster, etc. It didn’t get the best review from my pal who has spent a lot of time in Tokyo, so we gave it a miss. But a lot of web sites and guidebooks recommend it…so it’s up to you.
TSUKIJI FISH MARKET: A dear friend of mine has a curious saying: “Better than a wet fish across the belly!” I have no idea what that means exactly but it comes to mind when talking about the early morning Tsukiji Fish Market. Get up at the crack of dawn and head to the edge of Tokyo Bay about 2 km south of the Imperial Palace and you can take in the one of the greatest shows on earth as around 5 million pounds of fish are delivered from all over the world. If you are stealthy, you can slip into the auctions and watch people squabbling over squid, urchins and eels. Then you can have breakfast – if you are a raw fish fan. Probably freshest sushi you will ever eat!
TOKYO TOWER: (www.tokyotower.co.jp/333/foreign/eng) This Eiffel Tower copycat was built in 1958 and was built a few meters taller than the original. We gave it a miss because everything I read about it and my pal’s review gave me pause. It is a bit of an amusement arcade complete with waxworks, souvenir shops and an aquarium. However, it’s got a LOT of things that kids would like and it boasts an observatory to look over the city and…it looks like the Eiffel Tower, so the kitsch factor is very high. I was already in such sensory overload that I saved the tower for another trip.
DAY TRIPS TO KAMAKURA AND HAKONE (MT. FUJI): Take a day trip outside of Tokyo to one of the many lovely towns surrounding Tokyo. We went to Kamakura and Hakone, but Yokohama and Nikko are also nearby. The highlight of these trips for Jacob was taking the trains and especially THE SHINKANSEN. For info on the Shinkansen Bullet Train go to my article: TRAINS, TRAINS, TRAINS!
• As you can see there are SOOOOO many things to do in and around Tokyo and I am sure that I haven’t covered it all. So, here are a couple of helpful websites:
www.planettokyo.com: Their tag line is, “Because you’ll need more than a passport”. It has a lot of insider info and is well put together.
www.tokyowithkids.com: This is an “interactive online community for English speaking parents in Tokyo and all of Japan”.
www.tokyofamilies.com: This is a magazine that is a local guide to family living in Tokyo. They have uploaded the issues onto this website. It’s got a lot of great insider stuff about stuff in Tokyo for families. My pal Lili who was born there and who travels there often to visit family with her travelling kid turned me on to it.
(Also see link to Beth Reiber’s Japan at end of article)

• FOOD:
Luckily, Jacob is a GREAT eater and will try anything. He even tried stuff I wouldn’t touch…however we did see eye-to-eye when presented with a very green, very slimy snail.
However, I realize that your travelling kid (s) may not be so adventurous. If they are…welcome to the land of food adventures! For those with more selective tastes, no worries, Tokyo is a very cosmopolitan city and there is every type of food available. The Japanese are VERY fond of Italian food and noodles of all sorts and what self-respecting kid doesn’t love a good noodle? Also, as mentioned earlier in the article, the Department Stores have amazing food courts. In addition, some of the supermarkets are very up-market. Queen’s Isetan in Shinagawa Station is one of the more amazing markets I’ve been to – filled with gorgeous produce and lots of prepared food of all sorts. My husband pointed out that many people live in very small spaces in Tokyo and there is neither time nor space to cook and entertain and so markets carry a lot of ready to eat items. You will also find fun treats at the 7-11 markets and their cousin, LAWSON’s. We were always ducking into a Lawson’s for Japanese snack crackers and cookies and sandwiches and juice and milk. Tokyo has also seen an explosion of Starbucks-like coffee shops and many of them have delicious food. Lastly, you will find all sorts of food choices in the larger train stations, which usually offer Ramen or Soba shops and more.
You can find great deals (prix-fix) at lunch in some of the pricier places in town. The set priced lunch is called seto coursu or coursu and vary but can include appetizers and dessert.
Obento, boxed lunch, can be found all over town including department stores and are usually a great deal, but include some mystery items and if you don’t like fish you will probably be out of luck.
Speaking of bento boxes, a great little site about eating and drinking in Tokyo is: www.bento.com you will find a 'locate by location' link with a map, which can be very helpful in such a large city.
Speaking of that, I do have a couple of “kid-friendly plus great food” restaurant suggestions (places we loved). BUT just know that finding specific recommendations can be daunting and crossing great distances just to get to a certain restaurant may not be wisest at dinnertime with hungry kids in tow. BUT these are worthwhile:
Via Partenope: GREAT very reasonably priced, kid friendly Italian near Shinagawa Station in the Mitsubishi Building, level B1. http://partenope.jp 03.6718.2825 In fact, there are several good little restaurants in this building.
Gonpachi: Very kid-friendly, great food, inexpensive. Lots of variety including yakitori and noodles and sushi. There are several branches. We went to the one in Ginza in an arcade type building called the G-Zone 1-2-3 Ginza (03/5524.3641) www.global-dining.com
• TOILETS
Now, anyone who has a copy of “Everyone Poops” on their kid’s shelves knows that what food goes in, must come out. In fact, the book was first written and published in Japan. But I digress…
If you’ve read my other articles I don’t usually have a separate section on toilets. But the toire you will find in Tokyo are ‘special’.
First of all, you will need to bring your own tissues and hand wipes. Most bathrooms do not have paper towels and you will most likely encounter more than one toilet-paperless situation.
There is a good, bad and ugly of toilets in Japan. The very, very good are so wonderful that my neighbor Judy returned from Japan and promptly ordered one of the groovy heated-seat, warm-water-jet-spray toilets. Some of the ‘good’ ones even have music and/or a urine-hitting-water tinkling sound that should get you in the mood if you weren’t ready to begin with.
The bad and ugly are very, very bad and ugly. My husband refers to them as ‘black diamonds’ (the most difficult category of ski slope for all you non-skiers). He encountered one when my son announced he had to go poo immediately when we were far from the hotel and all the restaurants were closed. We found a friendly merchant who pointed to a dark staircase and down, down the stairs my husband and son descended. They were there for a really, really long time. ‘It’ apparently was a ‘double black diamond’ – a nasty hole with even nastier surroundings and so my husband had to suspend Jacob over the hole and the process involved having to remove one shoe so that the pants weren’t in the way. The fact that my son had on some diabolically difficult to remove shoes compounded the degree of difficulty and so; my husband will always be my hero. My favorite toilet in Tokyo involved a blue fur seat (not seat cover, but SEAT) and it was up on a very high pedestal and it played music. BUT enough of the entertainment portion of this section. Here are some basics:
There are two basic types of toilet facilities – The JAPANESE STYLE and the WESTERN STYLE.
• Japanese Style: Squat toilet. Basically like a mini urinal set into the floor. The user must squat over it to use it. Use your imagination to envision what might await you there. Women should avoid wearing pantyhose. I always roll up my pant legs before entering one of these puppies. Aiding a young child usually involves a lot of skill and strength.
• Western Style: Good old-fashioned toilet…maybe. Can be one of those blue fur, musical, heated seat jobs as mentioned above. Sometimes can be dirtier than the squat depending on the location.
For some pix: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~AD8Y-HYS/index_e.htm
And…FYI the Japan Toilet Association (yep, there is one) celebrates Toilet Day on November 10. Seems that the numbers 11/10 can be read ii-to (ire) which means “Good Toilet”. Hooray for the JTA!
Now you’ve got the what to see, where to go (literally) of Tokyo…now back to the HOW of getting to all those places.

• TACKLING THE METRO
I last left you about 3,500 words ago by informing you that many of the streets remain nameless and that numbers on those nameless streets are not sequential. Add a super-sized city and a formidable metro system to that and it might at first glance give even the most intrepid traveller pause.
No worries. Really. As I said before, Tokyo is SO big – you kind of need to take a ‘divide and conquer’ approach. A pal who lived there for grad school said to treat it like a puzzle. Let’s say it’s like my son’s dinosaur puzzle with all the major extinct guys. You may not put the whole puzzle together all at once – but you can put, let’s say, the orange T-Rex section together first. Then move on to the yellow Triceratops and so on. At the end you will have a complete diorama of these friends of Godzilla – but it’s a less confusing, less painful way to complete the task.
So, here’s my attempt at breaking the pieces down. First of all, holding together all the pieces of the Tokyo puzzle is the:
YAMANOTE LINE: This train line is the BEST! It is a circle. A commuter loop that circles around central Tokyo and connects important stations like Harajuku, Ueno, Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinagawa, etc.
Locate this line on the map first. It will help you get your bearings. It’s like getting the corners of the puzzle done first and locating all the ‘like’ colors…it makes the puzzle easier to complete. You can get very close to almost any place you are going with this line and then either walk the difference or connect to anther metro line. There are 12 subway lines, run by two different companies that operate mostly inside the Yamanote circle.
Here is a very good site that explains the Yamanote Line including all the stops and what major points of interest are located there: (www.japan-guide.com/e/e2370.html) By the way – many stops are VERY close to one another (surprisingly so) and sometimes changing lines and then going the one extra stop will take you longer than walking it. For example the YURAKUCHO stop on the Yamanote line is walking distance to Ginza.
METRO 101
Here’s a little compendium of navigating the metro:
Mini example first and then details of getting tix, etc.
Let’s say you want to go to KIDDYLAND in HARAJUKU.
• Locate KiddyLand on the map.
• Locate the metro stops near it. (Harajuku or Meiji-Jingumae)
• Follow the lines back toward a metro stop that is easy for you to get to.
In our case, our starting point was Shinagawa Station, just nearby our hotel. We saw that the Yamanote line would get us to Harajuku easily, no change of train.
BUT, for GINZA we made the mistake of not checking the Yamanote line first and took a complex train-changing itinerary that was totally unnecessary when, in fact, we could have just taken the Yamanote line to the YURAKUCHO stop (which I mentioned before is walking distance to Ginza) and walked.
• Here’s a little walk-through of buying tix and getting on the metro. Wish I’d had this info before I went! (NOTE: You may also want to check out this great little video that explains the ins and outs of the metro: http://www.travelistic.com/video/show/4969/Public-Transportation)
Once you learn the ticket machines, the metro is very user friendly. REMEMBER there is more than one company involved in the metro system. You HAVE to buy tickets at the kiosk that services the line you want to take. Most of the machines are in English and Japanese. Just follow the prompts and it will tell you how much money is needed. And if you make a mistake, no worries. There is a guy at the exit of every station who will collect the extra fees needed. Here’s a little breakdown.
1. Figure out where you’re going: Look on the big overhead maps and locate the line you want. You will find the respective kiosks located just under the map. There will also be a fare table that will tell you how much your ticket should cost for your trip.
1. Buy the ticket: The prompts will take you through – but basically there are little diagrams of people and a list of fares to choose from and you put the two things together and voila! For example you’ll see a picture of: 1 adult, one child. 1 adult. 2 adults, one child, etc. (By the way, children cost less than adults.) Then you push the button that reflects the fare you located on the fare chart. Then you put in your money, push the button and voila! The metro also offers one-day passes: (http://www.tokyometro.jp/e/ticket/oneday.html).
3. Enter through automatic ticket gate: Find the entrance to your metro line and insert the tickets into the electronic entrance gate. If you are pushing a stroller, there is a manned booth and the person there will let you through.
4. Find the correct direction: (just like any metro there are 2 directions you can go) The Yamanote line is in a circle so if you go the wrong way on that line, don’t panic it makes the complete circle in an hour!
5. Exit through automatic ticket gate: Again, strollers go through gate next to the booth, which was a bonus for us because we invariably had calculated incorrectly and needed to adjust our fare there anyway.

• A couple of quick notes about the metro:
• Avoid the metro at commuter times. The trains get SO crowded that they actually have ‘pushers’. Yep. There are white-gloved people who get paid to push you or shall I say squish you onto the metro. You’ll only find them at the major stations and only at peak travel times.
• When I was in Tokyo several years ago there was little English signage, but now there is a LOT of English signage and the metro stops have been numbered.

Don’t be afraid of getting lost. Relax. You’re on vacation and the city is virtually crime free and everyone is very helpful! The people are great, the city is great. As I said before: IT ROCKED OUR WORLD! Tokyo is truly a fabulous city in a Godzilla key chain, 186-miles-per-hour-bullet-train, raw snails, complex toilets kind of way.
• Check out Beth Reiber’s Frommers Guide to Japan. We are of like mind on Tokyo and she has lots more info on the rest of Japan.
• See Google map below for TOKYO Live!
Look for more on Japan as I take you along on our little side trips out of Tokyo: Kamakura, Hakone, Mt. Fuji and more.

FOLEGANDROS, Cycladic Gem Part One

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:37:50 -0800

A slice of Greek heaven in the Aegean

THEN AND NOW

This is a two-part article. The first part appeared in a Los Angeles newspaper quite a few years ago and many years before Jacob was born. The article was based on our experiences from our first visit to the magic isle of Folegandros without our Travelling Kid. Part two will fill you in on Folegandros today, where to stay, where to eat, what to do...Travelling Kid and all!

My husband and I ‘discovered’ this jewel of an island 18 years ago and it was Greece’s best-hidden secret until 2004. A friend called me from the streets of New York with his condolences after passing a newsstand and seeing Folegandros on the cover of Conde Nast. The article was entitled: ‘GREECE'S BEST-KEPT SECRET (UNTIL NOW)’. Darn them. This year, a friend in the UK emailed me with condolences when a London paper listed Folegandros as one of the ‘top ten’ places to go. At least I can be assured that I have good taste. Problem is, the secret is out.

So, that’s the bad news. The good news is that the island is still pretty much the same, except they are building like crazy. I find that July and August are a little nuts now...when this white-washed gem fills beyond capacity. We continue to visit every year and my son has been there 3 times in as many years. I hope you enjoy this ‘before and after’ of our favorite place on the planet. At the end of the articles, I will give you travel tips, URLS, etc. so that you too can experience this Cycladic Gem.

PART ONE…then:

On a quest for beauty and solitude, my husband and I encountered a hidden treasure floating in the wine-dark Aegean. So close, yet so far away from the crowded shores of Santorini, the Greek Island of Folegandros is a quiet retreat, unhurried and untouched by the quick hustle of T-shirt peddlers and souvenir shopkeepers.
After a pleasant two-hour journey by ferry from Santorini, we arrived at the charming port town of Karovostassis. Approaching the shoreline, we caught a glimpse of a few stark white houses scattered upon the rugged rocky coastline. When the boat docked, we followed a handful of tourists, an amiable group of resident villagers and a small white goat to a tiny minibus, one of the few vehicles on the island. We were lucky that we didn’t dawdle and miss the bus because it makes only a few trips per day and it is a long one-hour journey to the citadel by foot. While the bus chugged along, we passed through an arid landscape, pocked with naked boulders. The name Folegandros comes from the Phoenician, “Phlegundum” meaning “the rocky island” - a fitting name for an island that is as sparsely vegetated as it is populated.
   Once we arrived in the town of Chora, we felt we were in someone’s backyard, privy to all that goes on. Looking for lunch, we stepped into one of the two main squares, lined with inviting tavernas and filled with hand-hewn wooden chairs. We settled on the smaller square and sat down at Folegandros Bar. My husband and I chose our mid-day meal wisely by closing our eyes and pointing. The Horiatiki salad was ambrosia, a mélange of luscious homegrown tomatoes and crisp cucumbers sprinkled with verdant olive oil and fresh feta cheese. The salad was accompanied by thick peasant bread and frosty Greek beer. For dessert we were treated to a Greek dance lesson by the proprietor, Nikos. I watched in amazement while my husband danced with the owner right in the middle of town in broad daylight. Beads of sweat formed on determined brows as the two pounded their feet into the ground, navigating the odd patterns of the white washed squares, as the townsfolk cheered them on in the lazy afternoon sun.
As the cobalt blue shutters and doors around the square began to close for the afternoon siesta, we ambled over to the Anemomilos Hotel and were welcomed warmly by the friendly proprietors, Dimitri and Cornelia Patelis. I gasped as I stepped onto our balcony with a 180° view of the rocky terraced landscape plunging into a transparent aqua sea. I wanted to reach out and touch the sky and it felt as if I almost could.
   That evening, the main square was a-glow with hundreds of tiny lights strung from tree limbs and the roofs of local tavernas. At suppertime, the center of town came alive with people gathering to dine, as the laughter of the village children at play provided background music. Night in Folegandros is a family affair and we were welcomed into the fold with cold metal pitchers of retsina and some of the best home-cooking in all of Greece.
   We were whisked into the tiny kitchen of a taverna where we were ‘shown’ that night’s menu. A kettle of Avgolemono (egg-lemon) soup simmered on a small stove next to a fresh assortment of the daily catch from the sea. The aroma of fresh garlic and oregano made our mouths water as the proprietor’s wife opened the oven to reveal sumptuous red tomatoes stuffed with rice. We selected one of everything and went out on the porch to drink our retsina and watch the evening unfold.

   Over small demitasses of thick sweet coffee, the proprietor helped us plan our next day on the island. He drew us a map, but was quick to point out that if you have the spirit of exploration in your heart, there are beaches to be discovered and cherished here. We asked for the check and to our surprise, the proprietor brought us a bill for only $10.00 and two baklavas on the house.
   Since this island is just beginning to cater to tourists, we left on our day’s journey well supplied with edibles. We picked up delicious picnic items at the many small food stores in town. We followed our noses to the bakery and purchased a loaf of freshly baked bread and stopped nearby for local cheese and some tomatoes that were sweet as sugar.

We flagged down the bus that snakes along a narrow road to Ano Meria (pop. 230). The driver let us out by a long and winding trail that led to a rocky beach with translucent waters. We wandered down the hot, dusty cliffside path and plunged into the cool Aegean. Later, we picnicked in our own secret cove, basking in the afternoon sun.
   That night, we joined the residents for another full evening of taverna hopping, sampling warm hospitality and cool glasses of ouzo. My husband was befriended by an old villager who insisted on showing him how to play the bouzouki. A few hours and a couple of ouzos later my husband was playing in fine Greek form, much to the delight of the residents who had gathered for the impromptu show. The party lasted into the morning hours, but unfortunately we had to turn in early, because the boat to Sikinos was leaving at 6:30 am the next day.
   The first flush of sunlight found the entire town asleep. We left quietly, wishing we could stay forever. As we boarded the bus to the port of Karovostassis, I was already savoring the memory of Folegandros. My thoughts turned to the words of the Greek poet Sappho, "How could I ever think that I, with my two hands could touch the sky?"

FOLEGANDROS, Cycladic Gem Part Two

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:36:47 -0800

PART TWO…now:

Like the mist-shrouded enchanted village of Brigadoon, Folegandros has some imperceptible energy about it. People return every year, extending their stay for as long as their life and work will allow...secretly wishing that they could stay forever. It’s a cult.

Sort of.

My 23 year old stepson traveled with us to Folegandros this year and he said…”Boy, you guys seem to know more people here from random parts of the planet…I mean, it seems like you have more friends here than you do at home.”

It’s true.

Sort of.

We have friends from Paris, Venice, Berlin, Boston, Milan and more - who we see often. Many of them we see every time we are there and if we don’t see one another, we email each other during the year, exchange photos and wistfully wish we were ‘there’. This year, our friends from Venice coordinated their visit with ours and we coordinated our visit with our pals from Paris.

Sort of.

You see, the beauty of Folegandros is that you can toss regular conventions around friendship, plans and the world to the Meltemi winds and virtually watch them blow away across the Aegean. It is the one place where we feel that we can let down our guard, not even think about emails and not worry about a thing.

Once you drink in the island, life becomes simpler and simpler until the complexities of life just melt away. One day I looked over and noticed that our Parisian pal Daniele was staring into space, an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth…not a thought in his head.

That’s why we go.

We don’t care that there are more people there now. Once you hit ‘the zone’ you don’t actually care. Yes, there are more hotels and there are t-shirts and postcards now and the occasional ‘ugly American’ but they seem to be absorbed by the imperceptible power on the island. We still love it. So does Jacob.

Jacob remembers EVERYTHING from the island. “Where are the chickens?” he asked on the first morning of our last visit. We looked over and sure enough, a building was being built where a chicken coop had been the year before. He remembered. He remembered Valerie and Daniele from Paris and his pal Nicholas at the taverna known as Folegandros Bar. We’ve been going to this wonderful little slice of Greek food heaven for 18 years. Nicholas is the proprietor. He’s the guy in the previous article that taught my husband to Greek Dance in the middle of the square. Anyone who can both cook well and can get my husband to dance has my devotion forever.

Nicholas knew. He knew that Folegandros would make the cover of Conde Nast. He knew the people would come. He bet his whole life and his whole spirit on it. When you go to Folegandros…visit Nicholas. He has booklets that he has created in every language that will guide you through your adventures on the island. His expertise and his love of life is a better tour guide than I could ever be. Actually, I take that back. YOU ARE a better tour guide. Folegandros is the type of place where you should follow your spirit. Don’t plan. Just plan how to get there and where to stay and the rest will take care of itself.

Sort of.

So, now that you’ve ‘sort of’ gotten the who, what and where…

Get ready for the whys and the hows of bringing your Travelling Kid to the ‘Brigadoon’ of the Cyclades! I say, ‘get ready’ because I have been an evangelist of sorts for this island for over 18 years and I am, to put it mildly, biased.

WHY:

Why take your kid to Greece in the first place? First of all: Greeks love kids. They spoil them. The entire country is like a big village filled with Grandparents offering hugs and sweets topped with a wink and a cheek tweak.

If that’s not enough for you…here is the latest ‘Folegandros Favorites’ list from my three year old:

Studying goat poo on dusty hiking trails with views to the sea. Sitting on a white-washed wall of a church in a square under trees strung with lights, while playing with new friends from Norway and Italy and Iceland. Donkey sightings. Boat rides and beaches. Ice cream and souvlaki. Running and jumping through an old threshing square. Eating ‘taverna-style’ – which means being able to act like a kid and giggle and wander among people who are your extended family at a friendly taverna in a beautiful square. People; out for their evening walk…wave hello and smile.

Jacob can now count Giovanni from Venice, Kari from Reykjavik and Sophocles from Folegandros as his friends…our families forever linked.
I have personally seen Folegandros work its magic on kids from age 1-23. Older kids LOVE the freedom factor. You can hand the older ones (like pre-teens) some Euros and let them wander on their own and know that they will be safe. What a concept.

I guarantee that you will become a devotee…if not for you…for your kids.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Here’s how you and your Travelling Kid can enjoy Folegandros:

First, figure out how to get there. This is more complex than you would think. The ferry schedules are also like ‘Brigadoon’. Kind of uncertain. If you think I’m kidding…check out any website/chat on travelling on Greece. That said, here are the options that are ordinarily available to you:

1. In high season you can take a high-speed boat from Athens’s Port of Piraeus. The boat takes about 4 hours and is the best, smoothest way to go. This is a new addition to the transportation options.
2. Fly or take a high speed to Santorini and then take a ferry to Folegandros.
3. Take a 12-hour boat from Athens/Piraeus to Folegandros. Personally, I’d rather eat old shoes. But, I’ve braved this long voyage in the past.
4. Take a boat to Ios or Milos or Sikinos or Sifnos or another island that has connections to Folegandros.
5. Take a helicopter. It will set you back about $3,000. When I make my millions I will do it, just to experience the trip over the Aegean.
6. Take a leisurely sail on a rented boat with a captain and go to a few islands along the way and end up in Folegandros. We did this once with our whole family and it was fun…but it’s not the quickest route.
7. Come by private yacht like George Bush Sr. does every June for his birthday.

• For more information on the Greek Ferry Schedules check out: www.gtp.gr

• Know and plan on the fact that the weather might change the schedule, so DO NOT make a tight connection on your way back FROM Folegandros to catch a plane from Athens. Take it from us veterans.

• Also, I always travel with a life jacket. Yes, it’s bulky – but I feel so much better on the ferries and on the tiny inter-beach boats with it. Jacob LOVES to wear his and always asks to put it on before we board the boats.

WHERE TO STAY:

Once you have your game plan, make a reservation for a hotel. There are many new ones on the island now.

We always stay at THE ANEMOMILOS . Cornelia and Dimitri are like family now and also they have the MOST amazing views. It is the most high-end hotel on the island and you will be able to find cheaper accommodations easily. But we LOVE the people, the pool, the views and the fact that it is so close to the village. The apartments also have kitchens, which makes it very easy with a kid. Please note that the HOTEL is very kid friendly, but NOT ALL the apartments are kid friendly because of their proximity to the cliff. Cornelia will advise you which one to book.
http://www.anemomilosapartments.com

Here are other hotels we think look nice and have gotten good word of mouth:

MELTEMI : we always put people there. It is located just across from the Anemomilos, close to town but no views. It is simple, but sweet and clean. VERY nice people and VERY reasonable prices. No kitchens. Kid friendly. http://www.greekhotel.com/cyclades/folegand/chora/meltemi/home.htm

FATA MORGANA : The new kid in town. The proprietor is from the family that owned the very first hotel on the island. She is nice and the hotel has a nice pool with a view. The apartments have kitchens. Again, not all the apartments are kid friendly because of balconies and cliff. http://www.fatamorgana.com.gr

ANEMOUSA: Our Parisian pals stayed here. A very nice schoolteacher on the island owns it. They have simple rooms with fridge and no kitchen but GORGEOUS views. http://www.greekhotel.com/cyclades/folegand/chora/anemousa/home.htm

KIFINES: (which means drone…as in male bee) owned by a beekeeper/taverna owner. The taverna he owns is the one where we met the bouzouki player 18 years ago (article PART ONE) http://www.greekhotel.com/cyclades/folegand/chora/kifines/home.htm

For more hotels try: http://www.greekhotel.com/cyclades/folegand/home.htm

[Left: Meltemi; Bottom Right: Anemousa]

GENERAL ORIENTATION:

Folegandros is a very small island with one road (although they were building a second one this year) They have two buses now and still one taxi. There are rental cars and scooters now. Sigh. So, you will have no problem getting around. It is a great walking island. Also, if I ever get a house on the isle I will keep an electric bicycle there. That’s really all you would need.

There is the port town of Karovostassis. It is not that interesting to me. I prefer staying in CHORA the main town. There is also another small town called ANO MERIA which is mostly farms and is lovely, but there is no central square so it will never be able to compete on the charm scale with CHORA. CHORA is a white-washed wonder with several churches, which create connecting squares filled with tavernas. There are no cars in the main part of the town and so people meander and kids ride bikes and play and run around in little packs. Jacob loves it.

The beaches (as described in the article) still exist and are still tricky to get to. Some you can take a bus to (like the Port beaches). Others you need a bus or a car. Others you take a bus or car to and THEN a boat or hike in. But they are worth it.

WHERE TO EAT:

For FOOD: Follow your nose. We love Nicolas’ Folegandros Bar. It’s got the best food and Nicolas is very funny and entertaining and speaks a ba-zillion languages. He will also make things ‘as you like it’ and you can get anything any time of day. Want spaghetti for breakfast? No problem. He makes every thing ‘at the moment’ and it is fresh as fresh can be. Try one of his ‘instantly made cheese pies’ or his pasta or a crepe or his perfect cappuccino (with secret messages written on the top in cinnamon). You won’t be sorry. There are many of us ‘devotees’ who have been patrons for years. I have tried to duplicate his dishes on many occasions and have failed miserably. One of his mottos is written on his hand-made menus: ‘Respect, care, love and standard production to all things we are doing.’ I mean with a philosophy like that how can you go wrong?

The next plateia (square) over you will find two tavernas that serve solid typical taverna fare and they are very nice people. You will be made to feel very comfortable there. There is also THE SOUVLAKI CLUB there and the young owner is very nice and the souvlaki very tasty and reasonably priced. The square is alive and bustling and is strung with lights. This is also home to ASTARTI Bar. We LOVE the owner and the bar. You can sit outside or in and listen to his VAST collection of amazing Greek music. The plateia beyond has two tavernas. One is O KRITIKOS, which is known for its meat dishes. O KRITIKOS is owned by a lovely man named Christos. His wife Elektra and their son Sophocles (yes, the real names) are friends of ours. I don’t eat lamb, but my stepson does and he said it was spectacular. The other restaurant is called TO TZIK . I have only been there once and the food was good.

Another memorable place is the ALL DAY BAR which is located on the edge of town just past the FATA MORGANA HOTEL and just below the ANEMOUSSA HOTEL. The views are unsurpassed and the owner is very nice man from Thessaloniki who has a young daughter named Vanilla. The bar has been created lovingly and spectacularly from an old ‘raki’ making facility (raki is local moonshine in Greece and kind of like Grappa). And there is a lovely apricot tree there that Jacob picked tons of fruit from.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the taverna at Agios Nikolas Beach. To get to this beach you need to walk 45 minutes (from Angali beach) or take a boat from Angali beach. The taverna sits at the top of the hill overlooking the Aegean and is owned by a nice man named Takis and his family. His father, Hercules is supposed to be the BEST fish griller in all of Greece.

There are other little places to eat that I have never been to and there are lots of little grocery stores. If you have a kitchen it’s fun to have snacks or the occasional meal in your hotel with great Greek ingredients. There are also tavernas located at the Port and Angali beach.

Bottom line: you won’t be left hungry and you won’t be disappointed in the life on the island unless you need discos, Internet access and sophistication. If you are only happy with sleek, reliable things – this is not the island for you.

The ‘things’ to do here are existential. Literally. Walk in the town. The locals are sitting and chatting and existing. You may see a dog or a cat running along the green decorated stones of the village or you may spot a donkey. Maybe you’ll see an impromptu fish-market. A local fisherman pulls up in his car, opens the trunk and whips out a scale and his freshly caught fish. The taverna owners hover and haggle. Perhaps you will explore the white-washed labyrinth of Castro...the old fortress section of the town. You may be invited to join a Greek wedding and end up dancing in the middle of the village shouting ‘Opa!’. Maybe you will walk up the cliff to the Panageia Church and take in the sunset. Maybe you will end up like our friend Daniele, staring out into space...not a thought in your head. Maybe not.

A couple of housekeeping issues:

If you need a travel agency when you
are on the island the ONLY good one is:
Diaplous Travel. They also have Internet access that you can pay for if you simply must ‘connect’.
info@diaploustravel.gr
http://www.diaploustravel.gr

PLEASE NOTE: there is no bank on the island. Many places do not take credit cards. There is ONE cash machine, but if it’s not working or out of money you will be out of luck. Plan accordingly.

For a great article about the charms and uncertainties on travelling and from to my fave isle, read the Conde Nast Article: http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/detail?articleId=5959 The article’s writer was the one that let the taverna kitty out of the bag. Darn him. But, who can blame him? Once you’ve discovered this Cycladic Gem, you’ll want ‘share the love’ too.

It’ll seem ‘sort of’ selfish not to.

• Official Folegandros Site:: www.folegandros.gr

• See Google map below for Folegandros Live!
• Click below for fun Folegandros Video

The Travelling Kid: GENEVA!

Thu, 1 Nov 2007 11:25:22 -0700

Cheese, chocolate, skiing and The United Nations
Think Geneva and think…
Mentioning Geneva immediately brings to mind…

OK. Here I am – sitting in a little taverna on a small Greek Island in the wine dark Aegean (see “Folegandros”) trying in vain to come up with a snappy intro for “The Travelling Kid: GENEVA!”.
Why Geneva? Well, we found ourselves in this super Swiss city, far from the Aegean (or any sea for that matter) when my husband was asked to speak at the ‘United Nations Technology something – or – other’ and we had to stop there en route to our family vacation. I was a bit concerned about entertaining my Travelling Kid for three days - ‘cuz think Geneva and you think: United Nations, Red Cross and Geneva Convention. Not bad, but not #1 on the old family vacation list. HOWEVER, I just scratched the surface of this little gem of a city and I found plenty of fun family things to do! First of all this lovely French-speaking city has lots of cafes, chocolate shops and more than 20 parks for your travelling kid to run and run and run around in - not to mention a giant, gorgeous lake:

LAKE GENEVA (locals call it LAC LEMAN)
Genevans love their lake and so did we…criss-crossing the glacial blue waters in tiny boats (Mouettes). These little water taxis run regularly across the lake and provide practical transportation while simultaneously delighting young and old alike. Running every 10 minutes from 7:30AM to 6PM you can zig and zag on the M1, M2, M3 or M4 lines (except in winter, of course). But Mouettes aren’t just for tourists. They may be super-fun and very picturesque but they are also a convenient, inexpensive mode of transit. In fact, they can be free too if you are clever enough to take advantage of the GENEVA TRANSPORT CARD. As of January 1st, 2007 all visitors who stay at a hotel, hostel or who even camp in Geneva can get one of these cards that enables its holder to use the ENTIRE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK! For FREE! That means bus, train AND boat. It’s a pretty sweet deal, not to mention it was a breeze taking my train-phillic son on public trams just for fun! (For more information: www.unireso.ch or ask for the card at your hotel. I suggest printing out the page in case your hotel doesn’t know about this offer.) In addition to the mouettes there are cruises and lots of other boat activities. For more on mouettes and information on other boat trips on Lake Geneva visit: www.swissboat.com
On our daily voyages across the largest lake in Central Europe, we never tired of the iconic Jet d’ Eau spraying a giant rooster tail of water 459 feet into the air at an astounding 132 gallons per second. It’s one heck of a display and the city’s most famous landmark. We also never tired of spotting swans swim gracefully in tiny circles…blissfully unaware of the urban bustle around them. In fact, we had our own personal swan who greeted us upon our daily mouette departure from Quai du Mt. Blanc and we were sad to say goodbye to our swan pal on our last day there.

[Above left: Jet D’Eau ; right: Swan Pal]

And so our days went…riding boats, bikes, trams and carousels – eating fondue and chocolate and enjoying life. The lack of ‘must sees’ in Geneva is actually a bonus in some ways. Our only “must see” was the MT. SALEVE CABLE CAR – an acrophobe’s nightmare that rises almost 4,000 feet up the dramatic rock face of an imposing limestone cliff…in France. www.saleveautrement.ch/accueil.htm (and yes, you may need your passports.)

It is kind of cool that you can take Bus number 8 about 4 miles out of Geneva and then take a cable car to…France!

Once in France, we took in the breathtaking view of Geneva and Mt. Blanc and watched hang gliders launching off the cliff –all the while picnicking on fresh fruits, bread and cheese purchased at a morning farmer’s market in CAROUGE.

CAROUGE…
…is a groovy little part of town with an artist’s soul. Easily reached by Tram number 11, Carouge is an adventure in itself. (more on the wonders of tram riding later). Carouge was built in the 18th century by the King of Sardinia to rival Geneva and was the ‘decadent’ part of town for many years. The King brought in Turinese architects and the result is a lovely little place to wander with a market square replete with a fountain and plane trees. There is an open-air market every Wednesday AM where we bought tomatoes (that I swear were actually candy), some freshly baked bread and some Swiss cheese (natch).
Speaking of food – Geneva has some great delicious culinary choices for kids. I mean what kid doesn’t like Fondue, Pizza and Chocolate? We were lucky to get some great eating establishment recommendations from our friend, Samar, who lives there – so you are getting the inside scoop on great food!
FOOD:
In general, the food is wonderful in Geneva. There are little cafes everywhere for croissant and coffee and hot chocolate for breakfast. Some of the locations, like PLACE DU MOLARD and PLACE DU BOURG DE FOUR are great destinations for people watching and just hanging out. Here are some places with great locations and great food to check out:
BIG SPLURGE AND BIG VIEW
Our hotel’s restaurant had THE best view in town and the food was astounding and in my opinion worth the price of admission. The breakfast is one of those endless, cook before your eyes extravaganzas. The breathtaking views of the lake and mountains alone are worth the trip so if you don’t want to spend the money for a full meal – go for an afternoon ice cream. It is not crowded at that time of day and the light is lovely and they have a full ice cream creations menu. The restaurant is on the second floor and is called: FLOORTWO – Food For Thought. www.kempinski-geneva.com This location is great – just on the Quai du Mont Blanc where the mouettes come and go from.

PIZZA, PEOPLE WATCHING AND CHOCOLATE
MOLINO PIZZERIA RISTORANTE: Place du Molard 7, 1204 Geneva (022.310.99.86) First of all the location is fab. PLACE DU MOLARD is a cobble stoned, café-filled people-watching wonderland. If the pizza, pasta and salads on Molino’s menu don’t do it for ya you can just wander over to another restaurant. The location is especially great for kids on two counts – no cars whizzing by AND there is the tempting…
ROHR CHOCOLATIER: Place du Molard 3. One of three locations, this famed artisan chocolate maker will make everyone very, very happy. Just check out the website – yum! www.chocolats-rohr.ch
LOCAL FLAVOR
RUE DE PAQUIS: This little street is lined with cafes where you can get a croissant and hot chocolate. At one end of the street you will also find an open-air farmer’s market in season. This same area boasts many Lebanese restaurants and our Genevesian pal, Samar, recommends Parfum de Beyrouth on rue Beine for a ‘Sandwich Shawarma Poulet’. She also recommends Bistrot du Boeuf Rouge on rue Paquis. For Japanese she mentioned Miyako on Rue Chontepoulet.
ULTIMATE FONDUE The award for the ultimate fondue goes to:

LES ARMURES: For fondue and raclette. 1, rue des Puits-St. Pierre (022.310.92.72) The fondue is wonderful but the thing Jacob loved most about this place is that it is located on a little cobblestone street right next to a medieval arsenal filled with COOL OLD CANNONS! The restaurant also has pizza and pasta. My son loved the hamburger (sans bun here). It was literally chopped steak – not just ground burger - and it was full of flavor. The burger caused my husband to have ‘order envy’ even though our fondue was superb. Again: location, location, location! The 16th century building that houses the restaurant, Les Armures, is located in the darling, interesting neighborhood of OLD TOWN.
OLD TOWN
Old Town is located on the RIVE GAUCHE (LEFT BANK) of the lake and is a lovely part of town to wander through. Meander along the colorful and historic squares connected by cobblestone streets, or do as we did, which was try to keep up with my four year old son zipping from one old stone public drinking fountain to the next so that he could drink water from whatever demon, lion or dragon had water pouring from their mouths. (Most fountains are potable and the ones that are not have signs)
PLACE DE LA MADELEINE’S carousel and book market will be fun for both kids and parents. The carousel is picture-book perfect with wooden horses. History buff parents will be interested in the fact that the Temple de la Madeleine played a major role in the Reformation. Kids will care less and want you to buy a little toy from one of the many vendors that gather here in season. Jacob got a little knit finger puppet that he loves to this day.
Parents will really love PLACE DU BOURG DE FOUR, a charming old square with equally charming cafes. Perhaps a nap will allow you to sit and enjoy this quiet cobble-stoned respite from the urban bustle or perhaps a bribe of hot chocolate will buy you some peace.
At the outer limits of Old Town’s ancient city walls you’ll find the PROMENADE DES BASTIONS. Not only is it a great green place to run and wander but at the entrance on PLACE NEUVE you will find a kid’s dream…GIANT ENORMOUS, BIGGER THAN LIFE CHESS PIECES! Jacob was transfixed, watching people play. So were we.
BEYOND OLD TOWN
Venture further out of OLD TOWN into the Left Bank and you will find the NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM www.ville-ge.ch/mhng with it’s cast of familiar taxidermic characters. Jacob loved it. So did I and here’s why: it is very compact. The small bite size-ness of it makes up for its simplicity.
Before we leave the Left Bank I would like to mention another park: THE ENGLISH GARDEN. This park, created in 1854, lies on the bank of Lake Geneva. You will encounter tons of families enjoying the park and at the park’s end you will find the FLOWER CLOCK – a working clock made of…you guessed it! What will the Swiss think of next?
Solar Mini-trains? Free bikes? Yep & yep. Geneva is home to a:
TRANSPORTATION EXTRAVAGANZA!
We have already talked about the abundance of boats and boating excursions. But there are so many more modes of fun transportation Geneva is almost like a little theme park!
MINI TRAINS
There are three mini trains that operate in season touring through the parks and streets of Geneva. Some of them are solar powered and all of them are kitsch. (Mini Trains info)
TRAM and BUS RIDING
As I mentioned before you can get a free transportation pass and jump on any tram, bus or boat. The trams are quick, clean and go everywhere. Jacob LOVED the trams and for him they were a ‘destination’. We would just jump on one and ride it to the end and then get on another one…and another one and…did I mention…
BIKING?!
I’ve saved the best for last. Geneva has an amazing thing called: GENEVA ROULE. www.geneveroule.ch The Geneve Roule program provides free bikes and you can ride the bikes anywhere. Lots of very well marked bike routes line the city and I had a blast with Jacob in a Bakfiets bike from Amsterdam. In fact, we liked it so much that I bought a Bakfiets bike (www.clevercyles.com) for my birthday and I ride it all over Santa Monica. Geneve Roule supports people who are unemployed or seeking asylum while at the same time promoting the health of people in Geneva. Roule also provides helmets on request. You will need id (passport) and you need to leave a deposit. The money will be returned to you when you return the bike. Make sure to tip the workers as most are barely making ends meet.
We picked up the bike at the Quai du Mont Blanc and rode it along the banks of the RHONE RIVER to the junction of the ARVE to the BOIS DE LA BATIE where you can get up close and personal with peacocks and wander wooded paths. The woods were developed back in 1874 and you can see goats, sheep, chickens and ducks hanging out with the peacocks. Pretty cool.
We also took a fling along the promenade on the RIGHT BANK from the QUAI du MONT BLANC to the PERLE DU LAC park to the BOTANICAL GARDENS. The gardens boast a collection of 16,000 plant species, an arboretum, rock garden, greenhouses and an animal park. (http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubrique=0000000473&lang=_eng)
Our bike journey took us past people diving into and swimming in the lake at the BAINS DES PAQUIS OUTDOOR POOLS (www.bains-des-paquis.ch) and by hundreds of people just hanging out by the Quai du Mont Blanc. There were kids running and running in the grassy knolls and families laying out evening picnics and lots of people like us lazily biking along this parade of simple joys along the banks of lovely Lake Geneva.
As you can see: just dig beneath the surface and you’ll find that Geneva offers up plenty of great fun family things to do and see. Luscious parks; free bikes; carousel and tram-rides; chocolate and fondue - not to mention lovely Lake Geneva! This city was a sweet surprise on our way to Greece. Overall, not bad for a little Swiss City…far from the Aegean Sea.

• See Google Map below for Geneva Live!

Trains, Trains, Trains!

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:38:16 -0700

I have been feeding my son’s insatiable train habit since he was old enough to hold his head up and look out the window.

Here’s why we love train travel:

• Jacob loves it.
• It’s eco-friendly.
• You can carry on all your junk.
• Train travel can be quicker, easier and more scenic than flying.

In fact, many people (specifically Americans) don’t realize that train travel can actually be faster - especially in today’s world of security-mad airports. A recent transfer in London’s Heathrow Airport took me two (yes TWO) hours. I could have swum across the channel to Paris in that time. Well...maybe not. BUT I could have travelled by train.

EUROPE

The EUROSTAR between Paris and London is a perfect example of where choosing train over air travel makes sense. You can grab some croissants for breakfast on the Champs and be in ‘Jolly Old’ munching on fish ‘n chips by lunchtime. You can travel from one city center to the other in about 2.5 hours and by late 2007 the journey will take even less time. Flying would take a couple of hours more to travel point to point even though the actual flight time is only about an hour. Convenience factors aside, kids LOVE the ride. The whole concept of the train going UNDER the water in a BIG TUNNEL is not lost on the kids. Yes, it is just blackness outside your window while you’re in the tunnel...but to those among us with active imaginations, there are big sharks circling overhead! Now, if you need some help jump-starting your own dormant imagination, you may want to reserve in first class and take advantage of the free champagne. To reserve your adventure aboard the ‘CHUNNEL’ (as the Eurostar between Paris and London is called) go to www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.com.

The EUROSTAR also serves Brussels (2.5 hours from London) and has connecting service to many cities in Europe such as Amsterdam and Bordeaux. You may also want to check out the travel packages it offers to places like Disneyland and to ski resorts. My pal Emily who lives in the UK says they sometimes offer great package hotel deals in the City of Light.

• NOTE: When you make your reservation and pay for it by credit card READ the fine print. For example, in Paris you cannot pick up your ticket from an electronic kiosk with your credit card. You have to stand in the ticket line, which can be VERY long and that can add a LOT of time to your getting on the train. Plan accordingly so you don’t miss your train.

★ The Eurostar is not the only fast train in Europe.

The TGV a network of high-speed premier trains that services major hubs in Europe is a great way to...ahem...fly. Please note that reservations are required. The best source for TGV info is the RailEurope website – here is the direct TGV link: http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/tgv/index.htm

Speed is not the only great thing about travelling by train in Europe. The scenery can be breathtakingly beautiful, making the train ride a destination in itself. Here are some particularly special ones.

SCENIC TRAINS IN EUROPE

One of the best Christmases EVER was spent aboard Switzerland’s GLACIER EXPRESS, traversing the Alps from Zermatt to St. Moritz, crossing 291 bridges and zipping through 91 tunnels while a soft snowfall enveloped the hills and valleys of the land that Heidi made famous. Speaking of Switzerland, we also loved a trip from Paris to Zurich – a great way to jump from one city to the other. Another famous scenic Swiss train trip is the GoldenPass Panoramic train from Lucerne to Interlaken (www.goldenpass.ch). The Swiss train system offers families the SWISS FAMILY CARD and kids under 16 travel free with their parents. For more info on the Family Card and the Swiss Pass go to:
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/passes/swiss_pass.htm.

Scenic and fast trains are certainly not limited to Switzerland and travelling to/from the UK. Each country has a rail system and most are nicely interconnected. For example the ICE is focused primarily in Germany, but has some service to Switzerland and Austria. It is a speedy little system and connects all major German cities with speeds of up to 174 mph. Now, if scenic and fast is not enough for you may want to try a hotel train.

HOTEL TRAINS

I personally have not tried a hotel train, but they look pretty cool. For example, the “Francisco de Goya” route from Madrid to Paris makes a stop at Blois, France in the Loire Valley (of wine and castle fame). Kids can check out the castles and Moms and Dads can check out the wine. You can book hotel trains at RailEurope (http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/talgo/train_hotel_elipsos.htm)

• TRAIN TRAVEL TIX TIPS:

• Reserve/Book Early: Ways to save some Euros include reserving two weeks in advance; travel off-peak; buy restricted or non-refundable round-trip tickets. In fact, sometimes (on the Eurostar, for example) buying a roundtrip is cheaper than one way.

• Use the Internet: Booking directly with the individual train companies can save you a lot of money. For example go to: www.sncf.com for France; www.trenitalia.com for Italy; www.nationalrail.co.uk for Great Britain. Also you can buy tix including rail passes through Rail Europe (800.438.7245; www.raileurope.com). For individual train companies and the tricks of the art of train travel including child fares....

• Consult The Ultimate Source: Check out The Man in Seat Sixty-One (www.seat61.com) for those who don’t like to fly and who love the adventure of train travel. Mark Smith, the site’s author loves trains and knows a lot about them to boot. The site is named for his fave first-class seat on the Eurostar from LONDON to PARIS. To quote Smith: “It’s one of a pair of individual seats with table that actually lines up with the window.” Now that’s specific. He also has a lot more info than I do on lots more destinations. Including...

JAPAN – Land of the Bullet Train

Did you know you can travel to Japan from the UK by train? Now, I doubt you will spend the two weeks on the Trans-Siberian railway travelling with your travelling family across...well, Siberia. BUT you should travel by train IN Japan. I mean, after flying there.

Train is THE way to get around Japan. The whole country is well covered and Japan’s four major islands, Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are served by a punctual, reliable network of railways. About 70% of the railway network is operated by Japan Railways (JR). (www.japanrail.com) JR offers a rail pass and it can make your travels easier. It is fairly inclusive and enables you to move about freely including most of the bullet trains. The bullet trains (shinkansen) link major cities including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Niigata, Hiroshima and Hakata. It is now time to talk about the MAJOR LOVE OF JACOB’S LIFE:

>>>>THE SHINKANSEN!!

These high-speed lines, also known as bullet trains are FAST - reaching speeds of over 300 kilometers per hour. Jacob loved the way they looked and the way the trains zipped along the tracks. It was true love at first sight and he owns no less than 3 plastic replicas of various bullet trains. We took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hakone and it only took 30 minutes. The regular train takes 1.5 hours. Osaka to Tokyo is only 2.5 hours on the Nozomi train that stops only at the most important stations. (Note: the rail pass does not cover the Nozomi trains) The other shinkansen categories are: Hikari trains which stop more than the Nozomi trains (for example, it will add about a half hour to the Osaka/Tokyo trip). The slowpoke of the bunch, Kodama trains stop at all stations. For more information on how to use trains and subways in Japan: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html Another good guide to riding the trains in Japan http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html

NORTH AMERICA

Enough of the exotic. What about good old North American trains? Jacob has not ridden the rails of his home continent, but it’s on our to-do list for sure. My neighbors took their kids on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight from San Francisco to Los Angeles. They said the scenery was amazing and it was great fun for the kids. They also loved a trip they took from LA to Santa Barbara. The east coast has some very exciting routes as well. For longer trips be sure to select a family bedroom sleeper car. Check out www.amtrak.com for details.

Canada also has some fabulous train excursions you can take replete with spectacular scenery and wildlife. For information on rail travel in Canada go to: www.viarail.ca You may also want to read this article from from BUDGET TRAVEL about a couple’s rail trip through Canada. It was not a ‘kid’ trip, but the article talks about the three trains they took and has some pictures. I enjoyed the article. http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2007/02/06/AR2007020600878.html. I also have recently discovered a great train in Canada that has MAGICAL stuff just for kids around the holidays. There is a special activity car and Santa comes on board with presents for all the kids. For more information go to: www.rockymountaineer.com. This same company has a ‘very do-able with kids’ three hour scenic ride from Vancouver to Whistler in an open air observation car. www.whistlermountaineer.com.

So, that’s the 411 on ridin’ the rails.

Hey…I don’t have an elegant way to close this article…so here are some fun quotes about trains and one of my favorite photos of Jacob sitting in a Tokyo Hotel room window just staring down at the tangle of train tracks below:

“I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early.” Yogi Berra

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” Dietrich Bonhoerffer

“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.” Oscar Wilde

• Choo Choo!! Safe travels!!!

The Travelling Kid: PARIS!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 17:10:27 -0700

I love Paris! Oh yes, oh yes I do love Paris! I have recently returned from taking my toddler to Paris. It’s his 4th trip to the land of ‘ooh-la-la’.

Why so many times? Because Paris is surprisingly super kid-friendly…there are so many amazing adventures to have for kids of all ages. The first ‘kid’ I took to Paris was my then 13 year-old stepson who showed me a whole new Paris. Then, seeing the City of Light through the eyes of my 4 month old opened my mind and my soul to new and marvelous things. This last trip, my son turned three the day we flew home and he enjoyed the longest birthday of his life as we chased the sun across the globe. Again, I was leaving behind a Paris that I had not seen before, despite the dozens of times I have been there.

I have often said, “If I have to change a diaper it might as well be in Paris.” It’s kind of my little travel philosophy. So, since I actually HAVE changed quite a few diapers in Paris…I have decided to share some of our favorite things to see and do in what is possibly the most beautiful city in the world.

• WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO DO:

I always tell every one to ‘run, don’t walk’ to The Jardin Du Luxembourg on the left bank in the 6th Arrondissement. It’s a grand ‘Parc’ with people ‘flaner-ing’ all over the place. The Parisians live to ‘flaner’ [fla-nay] – which is to wander, people watch, window shop, etc. hopefully in the company of a loved one). So, prepare to join the Parisians in their favorite sport! I usually head there the first day we arrive and when we get to the entrance gate, my son takes off like a puppy that has been just let off of a leash. He usually makes a ‘b-line’ to the giant, gorgeous, very French ‘pond’ in front of the Palais Du Luxembourg. You’ve probably seen it in movies… ducks are paddling blissfully in and around little barges that kids are pushing around with sticks and people are sitting around it on those groovy little green Parisian chairs, chatting and reading and soaking up the sun. There are also playgrounds (yes, plural) and we love the POUSSIN VERT playground. You have to buy a ticket, but it’s really worth it – my son could stay there all day. There is every kind of slide, train, cars and animals on springs, wild climbing things, etc. that you can think of. The large structures that are painted green are only for kids 7 years and up, but there is plenty to do for kids of all ages. If you don’t want to spend the whole day in the playground, just meander. As you wander in the park, look for the signs for the puppet theatre – maybe you will be lucky and catch a show. They usually are Wednesdays at 4pm because Parisian school children have Wednesday afternoons off. I don’t know why…but they do. There are also shows on Saturdays. All shows are in French, but my son loves the shows anyway. http:/guignolduluxembourg.monsite.orange.fr If you miss the show, no worries, because there are lots of other things to do! There are large areas of grass to run on, but be warned that only certain ones are open at certain times. So if a gendarme comes up to you, he is likely telling you to find an ‘open grass’ section. Just move on until you see one with people on it. You may also want to check out the small carousel, the beehives or the small seasonal gardens. Oh, and did I mention there are clean bathrooms? All in all, this is the park of one’s dreams and my guess is you will want to spend hours and hours here.

[LEFT & ABOVE: RACING AROUND THE PARK; BELOW RIGHT: PLAYING IN THE POUSSIN VERT PLAYGROUND]

When you’re good and hungry you can head over to rue Vavin and Rue Notre Dame des Champs that crosses it. There are a lot of food choices here. A cafe/restaurant called ‘VAVIN’ (I believe) is on the corner of Rue Vavin and Rue Notre Dame des Champs, where you can get a good salad or a Croque Madame. Just across the street is a sandwich shop where you can get take-out and picnic in the park or just park yourself on the bench in the little triangle shaped square there. Just down the street on Rue Brea are a couple of very small friendly cafes and some cute little shops. My son had his very first haircut at the Jean Louis David salon on Rue Brea. This whole area is also kids’ store heaven…ranging from the very expensive to the very reasonable.

You will find Petit Bateau, Jacadi and other French brand name stores here. I love the one on the corner of Rue Vavin and Notre Dame des Champs called DPAM (Du Pareil au Meme) which has very nice, very reasonably priced stuff. Don’t miss the FNAC JR. toy store, filled with great toys, books and DVD’s. AND by all means DO NOT miss getting a gelato at AMORINO (4, rue Vavin) – it is possibly the best gelato in the world. Too cold for Gelato? No worries...according to reader Stefano Alberti, Amorino is a great place for hot chocolate in winter and is available in more than 20 flavors! All in all, this is a great area for you and your travelling kid.

SPEAKING OF FOOD....

Not too far from the Jardin Du Luxembourg is: Bon Marche: the famous department store where you can find virtually anything. [http://www.lebonmarche.fr/] But more importantly it is home to a GIANT FOOD PLACE – where you can buy the freshest breads, fruits, veggies, yummy French goodies of all kinds…like cheese and croissants and all sorts of ready to take out salads…not to mention the desserts! This is also a great place to buy fab French teas, spices, mustards and things like that to take home if you want. I never leave without some Fleur de Sel and some Cous Cous spice. You can either stock up for a little picnic or you can go to the futuristic very kid friendly Delicabar restaurant and hang out with Parisian parents the their kids.

Delicabar (D-E-L-I-C-A-B-A-R) is located in the Bon Marche Building next door to the food building. If you opt for the picnic…JUST outside Bon Marche is a lovely little park to enjoy your bread and cheese and a charming carousel. My son could have spent all day there…he just simply fell in love with that carousel.

[LEFT & ABOVE: MR. SQUARE CHECKING OUT THE BON MARCHE SPICES; RIGHT: DELICABAR; BELOW: THE CAROUSEL OUTSIDE OF BON MARCHE]

MORE ON THE LEFT BANK

Not too far from the Jardin Du Luxembourg - on east side of the park is Rue Mouffetard, perhaps the most famous street market in Paris. We love strolling down rue Mouffetard in the mornings. Rue Mouffetard sits on the remnants of an old Roman Road and is lined with stalls selling the most delectable fresh foods you can imagine. The stalls close at noon but by then you will be hungry for lunch…so you can take your picnic fixings to the park or try one of the several little family friendly restaurants there. We enjoyed a wonderful fondue in the cutest little restaurant (La Vielle Tour) where the proprietors treated us like family. If you decide to picnic, head over to the flower filled Jardin Des Plantes. http://www.monument-paris.com/jardin-des-plantes.htm. The Jardin Des Plantes has a great little carousel and also is home to the Natural History Museum filled with heart-stopping big animals and dinosaurs. www.mnhn.fr My son also loves to run and run on the paths and lawns. Oh, did I mention that there is also a small zoo? Parisian parks rock!

After running around the Jardin des Plantes you can head to the south entrance of the park to the Mosquee de Paris where you can enjoy sweet mint tea for a euro. When we were there it was packed with kids and the tea was delicious. [http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-mosque.htm]

While we’re talking Jardins… one of our favorite adventures was in the Jardins Des Tuileries near the Louvre: This is a great stroll. My son loved the futuristic playground and the trampolines. You’ll also find ponds, cool statues and crepe stands on your journey. If you start at the end opposite the Louvre and work your way down you will end up at the Louvre. [www.louvre.fr] Yes…museums can be fun with kids. My son had tons of fun running around the Pyramid outside the Louvre and inside, he enjoyed sculptures and creepy Egyptian stuff. He also loved the

Rodin Museum in the 7th...which has a huge sculpture garden that he actually enjoyed at the tender age of 4 months. I guess big stone things are cool to look at when you’ve only spent 4 months on this planet. By the way, there is an outdoor café and two hidden sandboxes behind the circular pool there as well. [www.rodinmuseum.org] I’d like to mention one more museum: The Musee d’Orsay which was a former railway station built in 1900 for the world’s fair and home to an impressive impressionist collection for moms and dads and kids will like the cool architecture. [www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html]

Paris is filled with museums and kids under 18 are free at most of them. Moms and Dads can grab a 1, 3 or 5-day pass at www.parismuseumpass.fr.

THE RIGHT BANK AND BEYOND...

As you can see…Paris is filled with things to do…each thing more fun than the next! Now, if you should find yourself in Paris on a Sunday you will want to read this next part. While most of Paris is closed down on Sundays - the Marais is happening! The Marais is the old Jewish quarter on the Right Bank. On Sundays there are gobs of people filling the sidewalks, checking out the trendy shops which have sprouted up right next to old world shops and restaurants. Rue des Rosiers is lined with these kid friendly Jewish delis and falafel places. Do yourself a favor and eat lots of food here. While in the Marais, you should NOT miss Place Des Vosges - possibly the most beautiful square in Paris and a perfect place to play and picnic and listen to music and pass the time away. Place Des Vosges is a park surrounded by amazing centuries old buildings. There should be a live orchestra or two playing in the acoustically perfect arcades and in the center there will be tons of kids playing. There are cafes right on the park – but on rue St. Antoine right near there you will find sandwich shops, cheese shops, Asian take out places, bakeries, fruit stands, etc. should you want to have a picnic. If that is not enough, the ST. PAUL METRO STOP CAROUSEL is located right at the metro stop on rue St. Antoine.

Near the Marais is the POMPIDOU CENTER. The Pompidou is one crazy building! The architects basically built a building from the inside out, which makes for cool stuff for kids to look at. Kids also love to ride up and down the plexi-glass covered escalators on the outside of the building. [www.centrepompidou.fr] Also outside are pop art fountains that kids just love (my son loves the BIG LIPS) and there are tons of places for food nearby. Inside the Pompidou, in the children’s gallery, kids can take pencil and paper and try to create designs in the style of Matisse and Picasso - but even if you hate the idea of a museum - riding the plexiglass covered escalators up and down are great fun and at the top there is an amazing view of Paris. Also at the top is: GEORGES, a very chic restaurant that has amazing views of Paris and is a good place for lunch and a great and very romantic place for dinner…but romance may involve enlisting a babysitter.

I also need to mention the most beautiful carousel of all. It is a grand carousel in front of the Hotel De Ville and should not be missed!

If you find yourself completely pooped with all the museum hopping and park playing…you might want to take a boat ride down the Seine on the Bateaux Mouche. These tourist boats leave often from the Pont d’ l’Alma in the 8th and it will give you a nice place to sit while the sights glide by. You can even go at night when the city of light and its bridges are dramatically lit up. Even my stepson at age 13 loved this. [www.bateaux-mouches.fr]

If your kids like boats you might also want to try the Batobus…it’s a kind of shuttle that makes 8 stops along the Seine and you can use it like a bus to get from place to place. You can get more info about the batobus on www.batobus.com.

Speaking of boats…The Bois de Boulogne – a park in the 16th has paddleboats in the small lake. Tons of fun! While you are in the 16th you might also want to stop by the Jardin d’Acclimatation – it’s a great amusement park in the 16th. www.jardindacclimatation.fr.

What else?

Let’s not forget the Eiffel Tower!! There is a carousel and tons of food places there where you can score a crepe with yummy hot nutella inside. If that isn’t enough – walk over to the Aquarium in Trocadero, which just reopened in May 2006. It’s supposed to be really great. [http://www.cineaqua.com/EN/index.html] If you venture out to the 19th Arrondissement don’t miss The Cite des Enfants – it’s a children’s science museum – that’s divided into 3 age categories and has a hands on interactive exhibit. [www.cite-sciences.fr]Last, but not least…you may want to visit the famous toy store, founded in 1836: Au Nain Bleu at 5 Blvd. Malesherbes [www.aunainbleu.com]

If all this running around makes you hungry for a little mommy and daddy time and your child still naps… duck out to have a quiet and elegant cup of herb tea – in the lobby Bar of the Plaza Athenee Hotel on Ave. Montaigne in the 8th.(http://www.plaza-athenee-paris.com ) Between 5 and 7pm you may find a harp player there. I have enjoyed many a moment over tea and a good book at the Plaza. It is the ultimate in rest and relaxation. It is also home to the quintessential cup of hot chocolate. This bit of chocolate heaven is served with one silver pitcher of molten chocolate and one silver pitcher of hot milk. The perfect waiter then perfectly pours the pitchers into a perfectly lovely china cup. The presentation is pure elegance and the hot chocolate is pure indulgence.

So, once you’ve rested up – you may want to head over to the famous Champs des Élysées! It is a gorgeous wide boulevard –and although it is now over-run with commercial stores (like the Disney Store)…it is still amazing to see the Arc d’ Triomphe and there is enough people watching to keep everyone happy. It’s also actually a great place to see a film…somehow it’s fun to see a movie in Paris and yes…many are in English…just look for the letters: “VO” for version original of an English speaking film and it will be in English…just like home – but different somehow because you’re in Paris!

Everything seems cooler in Paris…just being there is magic, somehow. Honestly…if I have to change a diaper…it might as well be in Paris.

• For lodgings in France try ciaobambino.com
• See Google Map below for Paris Live!

• RELATED ARTICLES & PODCASTS

THE TRAVELLING KID: PARIS! Podcast

PARIS FOR TEENS! Article

PARIS FOR TEENS! Podcast

The Travelling Kid: LONDON!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 15:25:03 -0700

“Mommy! Mommy!” Look! It’s Mary Poppins!”

That is what my ‘almost-three-year-old’ shouted every five minutes as we strollered through the streets of London. Images of the famous flying nanny hovered over and beckoned to us from every corner we passed. Luckily enough, Jacob and I got fabulous seats to this extraordinary sold-out musical. Luckier yet, sunny skies accompanied us on 90 % of our adventures in London Town.

London IS for kids. In my opinion, this jolly town is one of the most ‘user-friendly’ places I’ve visited with a Travelling Kid. Words like: amazing, simple, stroller friendly, exciting, fun, comfortable, easy, enjoyable and expensive; come to mind when I think of our April adventures in England’s capital on the Thames.

London is filled with fun, kid-friendly, museums and sites. The metro and bus system is positively dreamy and you’ll find ‘nappy’-changing facilities almost everywhere you go. It’s a Travelling Kid parent’s dream.

And oh, P.S., people speak English. Even though my French, Spanish, Greek and Italian get me by in most places, it is SO relaxing to not have to ‘work’ that hard. If you get lost, you can ask someone for directions and you can understand the answer. An emergency? No problem. You can read the menu and order food in a restaurant without ending up with some weird surprise and you can converse with the taxi drivers and end up exactly where you want to go.

Speaking of taxis, the big black cabs are extraordinarily stroller friendly. You can just load your whole open stroller, shopping bags and all, into the cavernous space in the back of the cab, set the brakes and off you go. The taxis are quite expensive, but are really handy in a pinch and my son STILL talks about them. He insisted that we buy a little black cab at HAMLEY’S TOYSTORE and it is one of his favorite toys. I have never been to a cooler toy store than HAMLEY’S on Regent Street (www.hamleys.com). HAMLEY’S is simply magical...from the bubble-blowing greeters at the front door, to the trains going round and round, to the piles of colorful stuffed bears and bunnies and balls and whirring this’ and thats’.

HAMLEY’S is certainly worthy of a pilgrimage. But since London has so much to offer, it is almost embarrassing to start this article waxing nostalgic about taxis and toys. But, as a cockney cabbie said to me, “Blimey! Who cares! Nuff said, yeah?”

That said, ‘yeah’…here are some of the highlights from our trip to London. My guess is you will enjoy whatever you decide to do. It’s almost as if you can’t go wrong. London for us was like a great smorgasbord of our favorite foods…all very delicious and almost too much to choose from. I’ve selected some of the best for you and your Travelling Kid:

LONDON’S GREAT OUTDOORS

“For, suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London Town
The sun was shining everywhere”
(‘A Foggy Day’Words & Music by Ira & George Gershwin)

Most everyone knows that London is not exactly famous for it’s hot, sunny days. However, I have experienced plenty of glorious (and yes, sunny!) days there and London is filled with great outdoor adventures. If you go to weather.com you can semi-plan your days and divide your time into indoor and outdoor activities. This method is not foolproof, but unless you are the Wicked Witch of the West, I doubt you or your Travelling Kid will melt if you should encounter some precipitation. I suggest doing as Mary Poppins would do and carry an umbrella with you on your outdoor adventures.

I have several suggestions for great outdoor things to do:

The London Zoo and Regents Park:

We went twice. We were staying with friends in the Primrose Hill area of Regent’s Park, so we were literally walking distance from the Zoo. Operated by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), this magnificent collection of animals lives up to it’s billing as perhaps the greatest Zoo in the world. The ZSL has just celebrated its 180th anniversary this year and oversees the conservancy of some of the rarest animals on earth. Among the Zoo’s more than 8,000 inhabitants you will find bearded pigs, black-footed penguins, red-faced black spider monkeys, Komodo Dragons and much, much more. Kids can ride animal carousels, ogle bugs up close and watch Gorillas roam the new state-of-the art-Gorilla Kingdom - a mock Gabonese rainforest clearing. It’s a kid’s dream.

The butterfly pavilion is magical…butterflies fluttered around us and landed on our heads. Later in the day, a very big, very lazy lion walked right up to the glass separating ‘us’ from ‘him’ and roared a terrible roar only three inches from Jacob’s face. We petted the goats and watched the Meercats and waved at Flamingos.

My suggestion is to set aside a full day for the Zoo and surrounding area and watch the penguins being fed, ride the rides, meander, have lunch, etc. By the way…the Zoo is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Buy tickets on the Internet and pick them up at the dedicated window at the entrance to avoid the lengthy lines.
www.zsl.org/london-zoo

After you’ve taken your ‘walk on the wild side’ you can enjoy Regent’s Park, which has acres to walk and play in. (www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/regents_park)

Jacob loved the playground and ice cream treats and next time we visit we will definitely try the paddleboats! We ran to the top of Primrose Hill (of ‘Fool on the Hill’ fame)
and I enjoyed the magnificent view of London. Jacob enjoyed rolling back down the hill.

Taking a canal boat ride (www.camdenguide.co.uk/visit/canalwalk.htm ) to and from the zoo is also on my agenda for our next trip. (Betcha didn’t know that London has an antique canal system with bridges and wharves and towpath walks!) I think that you will find that this part of London will be an all-day event, for sure and you can use the canal boat trip as a way to connect from one part of town to the other.

MORE PARKS: Pick a park…any park! Green, Hyde, Greenwich, St. James…not to mention Kensington Gardens and its Peter Pan statue! Since there are more parks and more events and flora and fauna and sports, etc. in the parks than you would want me to drone on about…check out: www.royalparks.gov.uk

GREAT THINGS TO DO AND SEE:

COVENT GARDEN: Home to The Royal Opera house and filled with musicians, jugglers, shops, restaurants, theatres and (rumor has it) a ghost or two…you’ll enjoy walking around this fabulous spot in the center of London. www.coventgarden.uk.com

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: This must-see event is fun for everyone. Every other day, The Queen’s Guard is changed inside the gates of Buckingham Palace and can be seen from the outside. But, I think it’s cooler to see the Queen’s Life Guard at Horse Guards, Whitehall because you can get a closer look. The schedules vary according to season. For more info go to: www.changing-the-guard.com

THE TOWER OF LONDON and TOWER BRIDGE:
www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/tower_home.asp
The minute we surfaced from the Tube, Jacob pointed and exclaimed, “WOW. A real castle!” My son loved discovering the cannons, looking at the Crown Jewels and talking to the Beefeater at the entrance gate. I enjoyed the view of the Thames and the Tower Bridge. There were lots of little places to eat Fish and Chips and I noticed some nicer cafes as well.

RIDE A DOUBLE DECKER:
After visiting the Tower, we took a DOUBLE DECKER BUS back to Piccadilly in the center of London. There are still a few of these wonderful old fashioned buses with a conductor or (in our case) a conductress who greets you, takes your ticket and basically makes you feel like you are in a friendly town in jolly-old England. Seeing the sights from the top is great fun. Slow moving, but fun. We passed ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL (www.stpauls.co.uk) which turned out to be a really great sighting. Why? Well, because of our friend Mary Poppins, of course! St. Paul’s is the setting for the song ‘FEED THE BIRDS’ and Jacob really got the connection between the city in the play and the city we were in. It made my mommy-heart just soar over the rooftops of London.

Speaking of Mary Poppins, this city has MORE THEATRE than you can imagine. We saw THE LION KING and MARY POPPINS. Jacob LOVED every minute of every show and he still studies his souvenir program from Poppins with great reverence and ritual. Do NOT leave London without at least taking in a matinee. If you hit ‘kidsweek’ kids are free. www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk

ST.-MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS-CHURCH: I thought that Jacob might be too young to enjoy BRASS RUBBING in the Church Crypt, but he really, really liked it and his ‘Golden Knight’ hangs in his room. The Crypt was filled with tons of kids furiously rubbing gold wax on black paper, watching the images of Dragons and Knights appear over the brass plaques. If you are hungry you can grab a snack at the Café in the Crypt and you might catch a recital at lunchtime if you are there on a Monday, Tuesday or Friday. There are also cute, small souvenirs you can pick up for both kids and grown-ups. All profits go to the church works and their main ministry is to the homeless. www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

MUSEUMS: Blimey! There are so many kid-friendly museums in London! I can’t possibly mention every one of them, but I will tell you about our adventures in THE SCIENCE MUSEUM and THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM and provide some brief info and a URL or two so that you can decide which of the many museums is right for your Travelling Kid.

First of all, I erred in my Science Museum planning. Unbeknownst to me, there is a TREASURE in the basement of the building with hands on EVERYTHING for kids, called THE LAUNCH PAD. Since there was so much to see at the museum, we arrived at the Launch Pad close to closing time. If I had known how cool it was, I would have gone there first. I had to literally pry poor Jacob away from the amazing interactive water discovery center. There are also tons of other great hands on kids’ stuff that we missed. But you won’t because here’s the link: (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/education/families/handson.asp) In addition, I suggest getting tickets in advance for one of the many amazing IMAX movies at the Museum. Again, we were too late to get tix. Mary Poppins would have bought tickets in advance. Be a hero. Check out this website, plan accordingly, buy the tix. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM with it’s iconic cavernous entry hall is dinosaur heaven. Of course there are lots of other interesting exhibits like bugs and birds and groovy rocks and gems…but we basically spent a full day ogling extinct creatures of all sorts. This is a museum of museums and they even have a great website with a special area just for kids: www.nhm.ac.uk/kids-only/index.html (Main site: www.nhm.ac.uk)

Even though we didn’t make it to the V & A (Victoria and Albert) I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the cool special things they have for kids to do. Among other family fun things, they have activity backpacks that older kids can ‘check out’. For more family activities go to: www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/families/index.html For more information about the The V&A go to: www.vam.ac.uk

If these museums don’t interest you, check out this URL which lists museums that kids will like: www.londontown.com/London/Great_museums_to_visit

THE LONDON EYE: This 135 meter high observation-wheel on the South Bank of the Thames is now as iconic as Big Ben and Tower Bridge. (www.londoneye.com) We didn’t ride it because we had other fish to fry so to speak at the next door AQUARIUM. One of Europe’s largest, this aquarium is a great place to go when the weather is not cooperating. This is also an extremely stroller friendly venue. www.londonaquarium.co.uk

THE TUBE: The Tube is the metro and because it is a train, my son loved it. The Tube is also a wonderful user-friendly transportation system, UNLESS you are using a stroller. There are a lot of places that do not have ‘lifts’ (American translation: ‘elevators’). We took a combo of buses, tube and taxis. But you should ride the tube at least once and if you have older kids, it makes for a great quick way to get about.

There are lots of types of tourist, discount, daily and weekly passes that you can get. The person at the ticket counter will gladly help you find the best bargain for your particular situation and give you maps of the Tube and the bus systems. It is ‘ved-dy’ civilized.

If London is not enough civilization for you, you may want to do what we did and take the CHUNNEL to Paris (www.eurostar.com). We didn’t go to Paris because we were bored with London…we just went because…well, because you can! In three hours you can be walking down the Champs Élysées. So, if taking a short trip to the land of ooh-la-la appeals to you, you can read my article on Paris or listen to my Paris Podcast for some travel tips.

It is almost crazy to include PARIS in an article about London, but it really illustrates perhaps one of the most wonderful things about London. London is a gateway to the world. It is an exciting, TRULY international city with all sorts of people living all sorts of interesting lives. People come from all over the world to experience this unique and vibrant metropolis. Walk down the street and you will hear snippets of French and Farsi and Polish and Swahili and Swedish while passing by Indian and Thai and Cuban and Ethiopian restaurants, which reside next to old English pubs with names like the Pig and Whistle or the The Fat Badger (which were probably founded sometime in the 1700’s). Yes, London is a special town.

Or as our pal Mary Poppins might say: “London is simply ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!’”

• For some super places to stay in the UK try ciaobambino.com
• See Google map below for London Live!

The Travelling Kid: SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 15:20:30 -0700

Ugly days do not exist in Santa Monica, California. That is why I live here.

BUT…

It is not the only reason that you should take your Travelling Kid to one of the most fun-filled destinations on the West Coast!

A good friend of mine who travelled the world as a top executive in the music biz has chosen to retire here in beautiful Santa Monica. Actually, it’s been his city-by-the-sea of choice for a very, very long time. He is a smart man. He has long held my admiration for two things: an expertise in precise sweater folding and for proclaiming cities such as Paris to be ‘very nice…but not Santa Monica.’ I have another friend who is an artist who will never leave Santa Monica and claims that she can create her art nowhere else on the planet.

Santa Monica is diverse. There is a little something for everyone. Artists live alongside business execs…and seniors rollerblade. We have a Pier and production studios and we feed the homeless. There is an aquarium and a cool library and high-end restaurants and taco joints and 99Cent Stores and organic farmer’s markets with live jazz and pony rides. We are home to Yahoo and MTV and great parks and playgrounds. You can cozy up in a B & B, check out Hollywood celebs at a 5-star property or stay in a family run motel. Bike ride, skateboard, Segway, walk, rollerblade or take the Big Blue bus to tons of fun, family destinations where you will hear French, Farsi, German, Russian, Japanese…you name it…being spoken among the many tourists that visit our coast every year, in every season. Santa Monica will not disappoint you. Promise.

In fact, I must be crazy to travel so much since I have so much here. If I were not addicted to travel, I probably would be content to just poke around Santa Monica all day, every day. I can’t believe it took me this long to write an article about it.

Today is Wednesday…an unremarkable day of the week. I, however, took a bike ride along the bike path and watched two pelicans staring out to sea who appeared to be watching a pod of cavorting dolphins. It inspired me to finally write this article.

‘My’ bike path is a good place to begin this missive. This 8.5 mile stretch of poured concrete sits on the sand along the Pacific every day of the week…just waiting for the rollerblading, biking, strollering, skateboarding, meandering masses. The crowds thin a bit in off-season, but the bike path is well travelled and inspiring just about any day of the year.

Forgot to pack your rollerblades? No worries. Bike and skate rental places dot the full length of this little road-by-the-sea, which begins at Temescal Canyon Road in the North and then meanders South through the very famous Venice Beach, finally ending up at Washington Blvd. in Marina Del Rey. For more information go to:
http://www.labikepaths.com/SantaMon.html

The beach and its bike path offer rollerblading, body surfing, boogie boarding, biking, beachside cafes, breathtaking people watching and more. You can just sit in the sand and build castles or watch the world go by, fling a Frisbee, picnic, play paddle ball or volleyball, practice your yoga or if you are feeling REALLY fit you can head for the equipment at the world-famous Muscle Beach where fitness gurus have been honing their, um, equipment since the 1930s.

Bored with the beach? It can happen. No problem. There’s more to Santa Monica than its groovy beach and bike path. You can head for the PIER where you will find a Ferris Wheel and a rollercoaster to curl your toes or you can just go to the Arcade, play games and munch on some cotton candy and corn dogs. In fact there are lots of food options here including The Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory and a Mexican restaurant where the kids can get a quesadilla and moms and dads can quench their thirst with a frosty margarita. (http://www.santamonicapier.org/) For a live web cam go to: http://www.westland.net/piercam. My favorite part of the Pier has always been the 1917 CAROUSEL with it’s fantastical hand-carved wooden horses, which I have been riding ever since its 1981 refurbishment. (For more information go to: http://www.santamonicapier.org/carousel_history.html) Jacob’s favorite part of the Pier is the HEAL THE BAY AQUARIUM with it’s touch tank and fun art projects. P.S. I like it too! (www.healthebay.org/smpa)

From the PIER you can walk up to PALISADES PARK and THE THIRD STREET PROMENADE. Palisades Park, bordered by Ocean Avenue on the east and sheer cliffs overlooking Santa Monica Bay on the west, is 26 breathtaking ocean view acres. This long, thin public park is more promenade than park and only part of the 420 acres of open public land in Santa Monica. Perhaps you’ll experience a little déjà vu as you wander along, since it has been the location of many, many movies and commercials. It is also home to a cool looking cannon, located just as you exit the Pier. Jacob LOVES this cannon. Keep walking and you will encounter shuffleboard courts, picnic areas, pergolas, a lovely rose garden and the Visitors Center. You may also want to visit the CAMERA OBSCURA located in the Senior Center (1450 Ocean Avenue). Since I have never been to this famous landmark, I looked it up on the Internet and found this link with a great little personal story from people who travelled thousands of miles to see it. (http://brightbytes.com/cosite/santamont.html) I guess I’ll have to go see this little landmark now.

Palisades Park is just one of many parks in Santa Monica. Since every mom and dad knows that going to a park and playing and/or picnicking is a great way for a travelling family to pass time, here are a couple more park suggestions.

DOUGLAS PARK: 2439 Wilshire Blvd. between Chelsea Ave. & 25th St.
We love all 4.5 acres of this park. Not only does it have an amazing playground…ducks swim and waddle along a pretty realistic fake stream and there are rocks to climb on and bridges to cross. A little further west on Wilshire you will find a Whole Foods Market where you can pick up some picnic fixings. If you are junk food junkies there is a Jack In The Box right across from the park and there is usually an ice cream truck parked nearby. For adult beverages (meaning coffee…what were you thinking?) there is a Starbucks at 26th and Wilshire.

A no-name park (technically it’s called PARK #1): located ON the beach at
Ocean Park Boulevard and Barnard Way is 4.6 acres of sand and picnic tables and a great little playground where your travelling kid can swing and take in a full view of the ocean all at the same time. The fact that there are 1,493 beach parking spaces (fee), and 2 beach restroom buildings makes it an easy to use destination. Even easier if you ride your bike there!

From the little NO-NAME PARK you can walk east on Ocean Park Blvd. to MAIN STREET. On the corner of Ocean Park and Main Street is the sweetest little library you’ve ever seen. THE OCEAN PARK LIBRARY often has family story times and it is a great little place to stop and read a book with your kids. There are many libraries and they all have LOTS of things going on. (http://www.smpl.org/depts/branches/OceanPark/index.htm)

Just across the street from the library is a lovely little museum (THE CALIFORNIA HERITAGE MUSEUM). Depending on what exhibit is there - it might be a great thing to do. (http://www.californiaheritagemuseum.org) From there you can just walk along Main Street and enjoy the many shops and restaurants. There is even an Irish Pub called Finn McCool’s that has live music that the whole family can enjoy. This area, which is called OCEAN PARK, is very kid and stroller friendly. The most family friendly event in town takes place on Main Street every Sunday morning. THE SUNDAY FARMER’S MARKET boasts delicious foods, live music, pony rides and LOTS and LOTS of people watching.

In fact, the Sunday Market is just one of many markets that grace the fair town of Santa Monica. Two of the MARKETS are located at THE THIRD STREET PROMENADE and ARIZONA Ave. The markets are Wednesday AM until 1:30PM and Saturday AM until 1:00PM. Come to the market and then stay for the ‘show’ or shall I say ‘shows’ at The Promenade. A ‘destination’ in and of itself and home to shops, restaurants, street entertainers and movie theatres, The Promenade bustles with delicious people watching and plenty of things for everyone in the whole family to enjoy.

Another family friendly area of Santa Monica is MONTANA AVENUE, located at the very North end of town. This street is swimming in kids clothing stores and has a disproportionate number of coffee places, including 2 Starbucks within a ten-block stretch. Guess it’s no mystery that this area is teeming with writers and celebs and other people who are not married to a 9-5 job. That said; bring your wallet because it is a shopping mecca filled with hi-end shops and cute little cafes. My fave restaurants on Montana are Spumoni for out of this world Italian (just east of 7th) and The Blue Plate for just about anything (just east of 14th). DO NOT pass up JENNY BEC’s toystore (just east of 9th) Jenny is a sweetheart, the staff is terrific and the store is chock-full of great toys and furniture for young ones of all ages. Kids love it here…very hands on. Buy a gift here - the wrapping job they do is one of a kind. (www.jennybecs.com)

The antithesis of MONTANA AVENUE is VENICE BEACH. This three-mile stretch of wild ‘n crazy by the sea is technically not part of Santa Monica, however no trip to Santa Monica could be complete without shopping and gawking along the Venice Boardwalk. The audio-visual assault of drumming circles and jugglers and mimes and psychics and henna tattoo artists and artist-artists and comics and everything in between is SO astounding that you will not believe that is it real. Walk, rollerblade or bike in this sui generis seaside community and you will become part of a living, breathing sideshow of every kind of alternative music, lifestyle and thing that you can imagine. Ocean Front Walk (the official street name) is very stroller friendly and there is certainly enough going on here for every one in the family. (http://www.venicechamber.net) The Venice Chamber of Commerce brands Venice as ‘The Creative Soul Of LA’ and it lives up to the hype and deserves it’s own article. By the way…Venice was originally supposed to be a copy of Venice, Italy and some of the canals still exist today! The canals were the vision of a world traveler named Abbot Kinney. In the 1890’s he dreamed of transforming this area into “The Venice of America” and it has been attracting free spirits ever since. (http://www.westland.net/venice/canals.htm)

Speaking of Abbott Kinney and as long as we are venturing outside the Santa Monica City Limits…you might want to wander over to ABBOTT KINNEY BLVD. A trendy street with great shops and restaurants, Abbott Kinney has a laid-back, groovy vibe and is very kid and dog friendly. My fave furniture and ‘things for the house’ place on the planet, DIGS, is located here (1118 Abbott Kinney) and the owners Michelle and Dave Novak are great people. Just nearby DIGS you will find plenty of great restaurants, including Lily’s, a French café that has a Prix Fixe lunch (one of the best bargains in town).

Venice and Abbott Kinney are certainly lots of fun and worthy of the journey…but I digress…I have a couple more places in Santa Monica I’d like to mention:

The Santa Monica Swim Center
(310) 458-8700 16th St & Pico Blvd (on the campus of Santa Monica College) http://santa-monica.org/aquatics Check out the website for more info about this state-of-the-art facility with heated pools. Fun for the whole family.

VOLLEYBALL COURTS: on the Beach just near the Pier and also at West Channel Blvd. you will find public Volleyball Courts and even if you don’t play you may want to watch the pros and semi-pros that practice here. A few steps south of the Pier vollyballcourts is:
THE INTERNATIONAL CHESS PARK: Santa Monica’s answer to New York’s Washington Square Park public chess tables, including a human-scale chessboard set into the sidewalk.
TWILIGHT DANCE SERIES: Free summer concert series on the Pier with some AMAZING music with well-known artists. (http://twilightdance.org)

So much stuff in such a small town! Let me close with some info on where to stay and how to get about town.

LODGING:

Because the city is so small, most hotels are just minutes from food and fun. There are lodgings for every taste and every budget. You will find posh, simple, family run and big corporate hotels and off-season you can get really good rates. We even have a hostel.

For more info go to:

http://www.santamonica.com/index.php/hotels.html

I can personally vouch for these:

Family/not pricey: The Seashore Motel www.seashoremotel.com
Great location, simple, clean, some with kitchens, family run, book in advance.
Posh/Boutique: Oceana www.hoteloceana.com
Posh/Big: Casa Del Mar www.hotelcasadelmar.com (Great Views, nice staff)

TRANSPORTATION:

There are many options. Everyone says a visit to L.A. absolutely requires a car. But, Santa Monica (clocking in at only 8.3 square miles) does not. The city is very pedestrian friendly and easy to navigate. If you plan to just ‘do’ Santa Monica and Venice you may be able to free yourself from a vehicle. Depending on where you stay and how you get here – you may be able to just walk, bike, bus and taxi your way through your visit. It is your call.

If your vacation plans have you driving here, then don’t read further. Cars are not a big problem, like in Dublin or New York. There is parking around, but plan on traffic and limited parking availability in the high season and on weekends.

For those of you coming via airplane: LAX is about a 20-minute drive to Santa Monica. Some hotels provide shuttles and there are taxis and shuttles and even a BIG BLUE BUS express.
THE BIG BLUE BUS is a great bus system with over 1,000 bus stops. In addition to its airport express, the BIG BLUE operates an express line connecting Santa Monica to Downtown LA where you can visit places like MOCA (The Museum of Contemporary Art), the Disney Concert Hall and Little Tokyo and Olvera Street. For more info visit: www.bigbluebus.com. This site also list information about the:
TIDE SHUTTLE - which operates every day of the year, every 15 minutes and connects major city spots (22 stops) including Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Place, the beach, Santa Monica Pier, Main Street and the downtown and Civic Center areas for 25 cents and 10 cents for seniors. (http://bigbluebus.com/tideshuttle/index.asp)
There are also taxis and if you should change your mind and want to rent a car mid-trip, there are many places in Santa Monica to do that.
For more information on rental car companies and getting here and ALL the things that are not covered in this article, visit the very good city web site:
www.santamonica.com
But hey…visit the city, not just the website.

I’ll be waiting for you…just enjoying another beautiful day in my city by the sea.

(See Google Map below)

The Travelling Kid: DUBLIN!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 15:13:46 -0700

THE TRAVELLING KID: DUBLIN!

Here is why our pals thought we were a little bit nuts to take our son to Dublin:

a. It was February. Didn’t we know that it was going to be cold and rainy?
b. Jacob was only 10 months old. What the heck were we planning on doing?
c. Did we know that ‘they’ drive like maniacs on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and that there is virtually no signage of any sort?
d. It’s very expensive now. It will cost you a fortune!

Well. Our pals had a point.

But we went. It was wonderful. We had fun. End of story. And a great story it ‘twas in the land of limericks and leprechauns and luck. Hope you enjoy it.

Although I never did spot a leprechaun, we indeed were touched by the luck ‘o the Irish. The people, the sites and the friendly faces made this trip one of our favorite jaunts ever. It was February and it did rain. So what? It rains in Ireland all the time anyway…so why not February? All the better to enjoy a steaming bowl of Irish Stew in a small roadside inn in the countryside! And so what that Jacob was only 10 months old? He loved every minute and so did we. All in all it was, as the Irish say: Craic! (which is pronounced, ‘crack’ and means fun and good times) As they say in Dublin: ‘The Craic was mighty!’ Not only was the Craic mighty…the euro was a bit mighty too. But despite the strong euro, the trip was affordable because we were there in the off-season. We also found the traffic in Dublin to be mighty as well. The streets of Dublin are basically impossible to navigate in a car, but we found this small city incredibly easy to explore on foot. So…stroller and baby carrier in hand…we enjoyed every last cobblestone.

First of all, we had a GREAT base of operations. We stayed at the CLARENCE HOTEL, which was built by Bono and The Edge of U2 fame. (www.theclarence.ie) Despite it’s rock ‘n roll heritage, the hotel provided us with good old-fashioned Irish hospitality. We opened the door to our room and found a crib and a neatly folded tiny tee shirt with Jacob’s name on it. The staff was astounding…from Josh at the front desk to Jerome the bellman…the hotel bent over backwards to make us feel comfy and at home. Located on the lovely River Liffey in the Temple Bar area of town, the Clarence put us in the heart of the city where everything is just a short walk away. Temple Bar is also home to a LOT of pubs and for us this turned out, oddly enough, to be a good thing. Our ‘family’ hours kept us from encountering the drunken ruckus often associated with this part of town. We hung out in the afternoons and early evenings and listened to some of the BEST music we’ve ever heard…acoustic REAL DEAL Irish pub music…lively, friendly and perfect for a 10 month old and his travelling parents.
Our favorite pub was Oliver St. John Gogarty’s…I mean even the name is SOOO cool and Irish. This historic place is named after a famous poet and writer and their web site invites you to ‘enjoy the craic, traditional Irish music, and great food in this award-winning Dublin pub or visit our excellent restaurant on the second floor’. We did both. I suggest you do the same. (http://gogartys.ie)
Just walking about with no agenda is a great thing to do in Dublin…strolling along you may encounter a friendly postman or a flower filled park like we did. Merrion Square and St. Stephen’s Green in the center of town offer great green expanses and ducks to feed and playgrounds to play in and for those who love carriage rides, you are in luck. Just nearby you’ll find GRAFTON STREET , a pedestrian only heaven for strollering about and/or letting kids run about. Grafton Street has tons of shops and restaurants and is a people-watching mecca. Keep wandering and you’ll run into Trinity College and depending on the age of your travelling kid you may want to pay a visit to the Trinity College Library and check out The Book of Kells, an extraordinarily illustrated religious text. It is simply beautiful and the exhibits showing how they made the Book of Kells - from making the parchment to the pigments - is actually interesting for older kids. Jacob just thought the shiny gold stuff was interesting. The giant, fabulous bookstalls are a must see for book freaks like me and Jacob was also mildly interested as the room is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. You also should pay a visit to the gift shop. It may sound strange to list a gift shop as a destination, but this one is overflowing with great things for kids…toys and coloring books with knights and Celtic symbols and books of Irish Fairy Tales and dragons and castles and leprechauns and other magnificent mystical beings.

Now…ye need to know that mystical beings aren’t just for kids in Ireland. We took a couple of ‘field trips’ out of Dublin and I swear I saw a fairy or two. We did heed the advice of friends and did not attempt the drive ourselves. We found a WONDERFUL car service run by a very nice man named Alan Merrigan. He and his friend have been chauffeurs for rock stars and politicians alike and we were lucky enough to have their wisdom and guidance for our whole trip in a safe car with a car seat. Not only that, but it was cheaper than renting a car with insurance and parking in Dublin. I suggest you call him.
(email: ams@indigo.ie / mobile: (011 353) 097-2543965 / Tel/Fax (011 353) 1-2855634)

Our first trip was to NEWGRANGE (http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm)
an Irish Passage tomb built 5,000 years ago. This enormous grass covered mound covers a single tomb consisting of a long, long passage and a chamber. What is extraordinary about this ANCIENT place is that every winter solstice sunrise, a shaft of sunlight pierces the darkness through the roof box over the entrance and illuminates the chamber. This elusive event lasts only 17 minutes at dawn from December 19-23. Mystical for sure.

Our next adventure was to
POWERSCOURT GARDENS in County Wicklow. (www.powerscourt.ie) From its Lake, to its Japanese gardens, to its fountains …the gardens are a lovely place to wander about. Jake loved feeding the ducks and marveled at a suit of armor and the giant stone horse statues. It was a great field trip. Our driver also took us to have Irish Stew at a roadside inn and then drove us through the stunning mountains of Wicklow to the ruins of Glendalough , a monastery with a famous stone tower and fabulous cemetery.

Some local schoolboys were running and giggling mischievously among the headstones and I had my first glimpse of Jacob 10 years in the future. Speaking of the future there are tons of things for kids to do in Ireland and so we plan a return trip. The next time we go we will go spend more time in County Wicklow and try to go to Glenroe Open Farm (email: mail@glenroefarm.com) where kids can meet and greet farm animals and learn about farm life. There is also a playground. Sounds like fun.

Ireland IS fun. The people are fun, the music fun. As you can see, despite our skeptical pals…travelling to Ireland with a 10 month old in freezing February in a bustling city more famous for pubs than it’s charm turned out to be a grand adventure for our travelling family. We wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Maybe next time, I’ll even get to see a leprechaun. That WOULD be fun.

• See Google map below for Dublin Live!

The Travelling Kid: ATHENS!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 15:08:13 -0700

Why should you take your kid to Greece?

First of all: Greeks love children. They spoil them. I take my toddler there every year and it’s like being on vacation with a whole village of grandparents offering your kid toys and sweets...topped with a good old-fashioned cheek tweak. Second of all: This land of myths, gods and goddesses is gorgeous and FILLED with great things to do and see for kids of all ages, including teens. Greece is one of the most unique places on the planet and Athens happens to be one of my favorite cities in the world. I relish the opportunity to share ‘my’ city with you!

Athens is a crazy-mixed-up-salt of a city. Street dogs herd tourists and chic Athenians through obstacle course sidewalks onto frenzied traffic-filled streets…and yet there is a rhythm, a heartbeat, a logic that somehow creates a symphony of the cacophony.

Athena’s city first welcomed me as an exchange student in 1977, when it somehow turned my life inside out in such a way as to reveal to me who I really am. Such a gift is never forgotten and so I have returned to ‘her’ dozens of times. I will never forget the time she soothed me one cold January after miscarrying a hard won pregnancy. And, after Jacob was finally born, I felt Athens’ warm embrace as I watched my son tearing through the National Gardens ogling the goats and the peacocks.

So…all hyperbole aside…you can see that The Travelling Kid: Athens! will truly be an insider’s guide.

• INTRO TO ATHENS:

First: You can’t compete with ‘her’. Don’t fight the chaos…rather absorb it and go with the flow. I always expect that a flight or a ferryboat may be cancelled. There may be a demonstration in the square outside the hotel when we want to take a nap and I can basically count on the fact that when I’m hot and sweaty and can’t take another step, that I will not be able to get a taxi. BUT…magically a solution or some ‘x’ factor always presents itself and the adventure somehow takes me around a new corner that I haven’t been before and the ‘mishap’ invariably turns out to be a highlight of the trip. For example, on this last trip I couldn’t get a taxi and so I punted and took the metro. My three year old couldn’t stop talking about the train and asking, ‘when can we take the train again?’ and ‘when can I see the train again?’ etc. In fact, our last night in Athens we

made sure to pick a restaurant in Monastiraki that had both a view of the Acropolis, the Agora and the train. And yes…the Greeks have constructed train tracks that run right through the ancient Agora where Socrates and Plato, lovers of wisdom, considered life. That is the meat of Athens right there. Ancient and Modern; Reverence and Irreverence; Chaos and Calm; all living side by side in what the Greeks call ‘harmonia’. This living dichotomy of a city offers all of these delicious and rich contrasts for your personal dining and Greek dancing pleasure. Opa!

So, how do you enjoy this enigmatic city with your kids, instead of seeking refuge in your air-conditioned hotel?

Simple. You just dive right in.

Athens, despite pickpockets, is basically a very safe city and very walk-able…but not super stroller-friendly. There are some walk streets, which are stroller heaven and there are other bits with broken, narrow sidewalks with cars speeding by that will curl your toes. The weather in the summer is VERY hot, so I suggest: do as the Greeks and your average toddler do and go out early in the morning, NAP in the afternoon heat of the day and then enjoy the cool evening when the city comes alive.

• WHAT TO SEE AND DO:

• THE ACROPOLIS, the postcard symbol of Athens. This rocky outcropping rises majestically out of the chaos and is located smack dab in the middle of the city. It is home to the Parthenon…the temple to Athena, the Caryatids, the Temple of Athena Nike, The Acropolis Museum, The Theater of Dionysus and the Herodus Atticus Theatre. The Acropolis is a very cool place. And since I mean cool as in ‘groovy’ and definitely not ‘cool’ temperature…I suggest going first thing in the morning. After you’ve had enough of the Acropolis, I suggest the following: instead of walking out the way you came up, exit to the right and walk down the BACK of the Acropolis and into the...

• ANCIENT AGORA. Perhaps you’ll feel the spirits of philosophers resting among the ruins under the watchful eye of the god Hephaistos (whose well-preserved temple keeps watch over the grounds) or maybe you’ll just enjoy your kids jumping and running and zooming all over and around the ancient stones while you rest in the shade of the olives and pines scattered here and there.

• THE PLAKA & MONASTIRAKI: As you exit the Agora you will find yourself in the Plaka/Monastiraki district. Plaka is the old town that lies at the base of the Acropolis and Monastiraki is the adjacent flea market area. It is a fun and lively district filled with cafes and tavernas, which should take care of any food or beverage craving you may be having. My guess is you will be wickedly hungry and thirsty after hanging out in the Agora and/or on the Acropolis. I suggest a frosty Mythos beer for moms and dads and an ice cream for kids…because it is bound to be hot. You will also find lots of great little shops here – but I suggest shopping at night when it is cooler. The shops in Plaka stay open late (9 or 10pm), but the ones in Monastiraki are only open until around 6pm. My husband has often said that being in Plaka in the middle of the day is Dante-esque at the very least and he only goes there because he loves me. However, it can be a very pleasant place to hang out in the shade of the many tavernas, restaurants and cafes for lunch or a snack. (I have listed some of my restaurant suggestions at the end of this article.) If you aren’t tired and you would like to see some more ruins after you’ve had some sustenance, I suggest going to the

• Roman Agora in the Plaka and seeing the Tower Of The Winds water clock. Older kids will love it.
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21101n/e211an01.html

• THE NATIONAL GARDENS is my husband’s favorite place to go with our son. It is Athens’ answer to Central Park and a shady respite from the city. We sometimes bring a little picnic or just meander. My son loves running along the winding gravel paths. We love the ancient columns scattered here and there and enjoy having a coffee at the small, sequestered kafeneion. My son loves the little zoo, we love the shady trees and we all love the playground, which has some of the craziest playground equipment I’ve ever seen.

[The Zoo & and ancient column in the National Gardens]

• There is also a playground in Dexameni Square in Kolonaki at the base of Lykabettus Hill. Kolonaki is like the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Athens and is a fun place to walk around and to grab a meal or a coffee. Lykabettus Hill is also a charming destination and there is a funicular there, which kids ADORE. It is the highest hill in central Athens and once at the top you will enjoy a 360-degree view of Athens and Attica. In the summer they often have outdoor concerts and that can be a fun thing to do too.

• The Changing of the Guards in front of the Parliament on Syntagma Square always fascinates my toddler and it fascinated his older brothers before him. It takes place every hour and it’s hard to describe the unique...well almost bizarre way they do it. The guards wear BIG wooden shoes and walk this very specific, very slow walk. The guards are always really a big hit with kids and if the guards don’t get their attention the pigeons will; so bring that leftover bread from your park picnic.

• A recent discovery on my part is the KERAMEIKOS CEMETERY. This was a surprise hit. It is an ancient cemetery filled with old ruins and statuary. You can also see the ancient fortification walls of Athens, the Dipylon Gate where ancient roads converged and you can imagine that you see Plato’s Academy which was located in this area, but has yet to be uncovered by archaeologists. It is also where the entrance gate to the Sacred Way was located, where people began their pilgrimage to the Eleusinian Mysteries. My son just LOVED racing around the ruins there and I loved the quiet, the view of the Acropolis and imagining the magic surrounding the Sacred Way.

• MUSEUMS:

If you are a big museum fan or if your kids are, you should not miss the National Archaeological Museum. It contains some of the great treasures of the ancient Greek world: statues of Gods and Goddesses and Cycladic sculptures and ancient swords and the solid gold Mask of Agamemnon, to mention a few. My son loved all the BIG statues and wanted to know what the ‘stories’ were on all the giant Greek vases that were decorated with animals, heroes and Gods. There are definitely enough ‘big-ticket’ items to keep everyone entertained. Also, it’s air-conditioned. There are other gorgeous museums, such as the Benaki and The Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art and the Byzantine Museum. However, the ones I can recommend for children are

a.The Children’s Museum
in Plaka
(closed in Summer)

a. The Musical Instrument
Museum in Plaka

i. The Numismatic Museum (for young coin collectors)

For info on museums:

http://www.greece-museums.com/

• THE ATHENS MARKET is an unusual, fun, sometimes smelly but always interesting place to go. It opens around 6 or 7AM and is the perfect thing to do when jet lag wakens your young ones at the crack of dawn. It’s wonderful to walk the streets of the still-somewhat-asleep city, basking in the cooler morning air. If you walk up Athinas street from Ermou (a lovely cobble stoned walk street) you will find it. Fish sellers; green stands bulging with fresh fruits and veggies; barrels of olives and feta; and (my favorite) shops filled with herbs and spices. I always pick up Greek oregano, saffron and chamomile and my sister-in-law would never speak to me again if I forgot to bring her the sweet paprika. My favorite herb shop is located at: 30 Euripidou owned by Kostas and Katrin. Kostas speaks some English and since it is a ‘botanical’ they know all the ‘old wives’ uses for all the herbs and teas. Don’t forget to buy some Greek Saffron. This usually prohibitively expensive herb is both affordable and of superior quality. Now, what is there for kids to do there? This shop just happens to be right next to a VERY COOL toy store where you can pick up inexpensive toys and even ‘floaties’ to take with you to the islands! My son still talks about this store where he got an awesome plastic dinosaur collection.

• ATHENS AT NIGHT

If you’ve been following my ‘do as Greeks and toddlers do’ rule and have rested during the heat of the day – you will be ready to go out and about at night. Athens truly comes alive at night and there are a lot of wonderful choices of places to go and things to do.

First of all the main districts that I can recommend for night are:

1. Plaka/Monistiraki/Thissio: as I mentioned before – the old town district is bustling with people and cafes and shops and views of the Acropolis.

We like:

a. KUZINA: which opened in 2006. We just stumbled upon it because it looked really nice and it filled the requirements: a view of the trains for my son and a view of the Acropolis for mommy. The chef is AMAZING and has worked at the famous ROY restaurant in Hawaii. His culinary training shows and the service is fabulous and friendly. It’s open 1-1 and located at 9 Adrianou, Thissio 210.324.0133

b. O Platanos: very famous. Everyone knows it, so if you get lost it is easy to get directions. It was founded in the 1940s and is set in a village-like open courtyard under a large plane tree. They serve simple, typical Greek taverna fare. Open for lunch and dinner. Diogenous 4, Plaka 210.322.0666

c. EDEN: Vegetarian. It’s casual, good and open from 12-12. (Closed Tuesdays) Lyssiou 12 & Mnisikleous, Plaka 210.324.8858

d. If you would like a little home Greek cooking or souvlaki you can’t go wrong with any of the tavernas that are right on Monastiraki square opposite the metro entrance. You can’t miss them. There are several clustered around and one blends into the next.

2. Kolonaki: the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Athens at the base of Lykabettus Hill. It seems as if you are just walking in a residential district but you’ll hear the buzz of hundreds of voices...follow them and you’ll find a walk street filled with cafes and people walking up and down taking their evening ‘volta’.

We like:

a. Via Milioni, 3 Milioni Street (walk street), Kolonaki. 210.361.7196 Ask for Giorgios (George) the owner and tell him I sent you. Great food, great vibe and they were nice to Jacob.

b. Prytaneion Restaurant, Milioni 7, Kolonaki 210.364.3353
I recommend reservations to sit outside on the lovely walk street. The portions are ENORMOUS – so even though it is on the pricey side, it can be affordable. We often order a few dishes and then share them. The Rocket Salad is delicious and can feed 3 people easily. I also recommend the homemade ravioli.
c. Philippou, Xenokratous 19, Kolonaki 210.346.4984 This is an ‘old school’ taverna (founded 1923) and is a good value with good home cooking.
d. There are a couple of ‘quick food’ options too. There is a ‘no-name’ rotisserie chicken place just opposite Kolonaki Square on Kanari Street. It’s cheap, good and has been there for ages. You can also head to Tsakalof, which is a walk street, and go to Everest for quick toasted sandwiches. Everest also has a branch on Syntagma Square.
d. Haritos Street. If you walk up along Haritos Street far enough you will find that it turns into a walk street and it is lined with little restaurants and bars. Our fave is: AZUL

3. Psyrri: This area is filled with Greeks enjoying good food and live music. This is not a big tourist area. By day, this district (located very near Monastiraki) looks like a down-at-the-heels community of furniture and hardware stores. But at night it magically transforms itself into a hip, lively nightspot with good food and music. Like Brigadoon, it can be a little tricky to find. Your hotel will show you where it is on the map. In fact, when you turn off the main street to get to Psyrri you’ll find yourself on a dark, deserted street and it will feel as if you’ve made a bad, dangerous turn. You haven’t. Just keep walking and you will find the action. I can’t really recommend one restaurant over the other. We usually pick them on vibe and music at the moment we are there. We’ve never had a bad meal or bad experience and the music is exhilarating.

4. BIG NIGHT OUT: If you are lucky enough to have a sitter/family member with you so that you can go out alone or you have a child who hits the hay by 9:00 or 10:00pm (that can sleep in a stroller next to you as you dine) you might want to do what we do every year. We make reservations at the Grande Bretagne Hotel Rooftop Garden. The VIEW is AMAZING. The food is good, but pricey and it’s elegant and romantic, even though it is filled with Americans. (Hotel Grande Bretagne, Syntagma Square; 210.333.0766)

So, after you’ve dined out and taken your evening ‘volta’ there is still more stuff you can do with your kids.

I always grab a copy of THE ATHENS NEWS, which is available at almost every kiosk and (I usually get mine on Syntagma Square). Take a look at ‘what’s on’. The Athens Festival is there every summer and we have heard some great music under stars at the Herodus Atticus Theatre. The Lykabettus Theatre also has concerts, including jazz. Big stars often perform during the summer, as well. BUT the one BIG, BIG hit with my older ones was going to an open-air movie theatre. It is a kick. It’s like a drive-in...but you walk in and sit on chairs. The one in Kolonaki on Haritos street is surrounded by apartment buildings and the kids never got over the time we went and someone was taking a shower (which we could see and hear) in one of the apartments above us as while we watched some adventure movie. There are several open-air theatres in Athens and it is great fun for everyone, even if you don’t get to be ‘voyeurs’.

So, by day or by night...I think you will find that Athens is a great town. A writer I know who lived there for while and who has written guidebooks to Greece wrote:

“...the Greeks’ gods touched down on earth and became human, while Athenians, in turn, strove to become godlike. For some few glorious centuries they met, and the fire that blazed from Athens lit the stage of history, igniting the hearts of humankind.” *

I mean...with a resume like that, it’s kind of hard to go wrong.

*Quote from Jane Winslow Eliot
(from The Berlitz Travellers Guide:Greece Fifth Edition)

• RELATED ARTICLES:

THE TRAVELLING KID: ATHENS! PODCAST

THE TRAVELLING KID: GREEK ISLES! ARTICLE

• See Google map below for Athens Live!

The Travelling Kid: THE GREEK ISLES!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:58:52 -0700

The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece!
Where burning Sappho loved and sung.
Eternal summer gilds them yet,
But all except their sun is set.

- Lord Byron (1788-1824)

I truly don’t know where to begin! Shakespeare forgive me, but the Greek Isles are truly ‘the stuff that dreams are made on”.

The Greek isles ignite passion and fire the imagination...as the stars of movies such as SHIRLEY VALENTINE, ZORBA, THE BIG BLUE, CORRELLI’S MANDOLIN and MEDITERRANEO…their beauty is legendary. The isles have spoken to millions in poems and prose for thousands of years…’The Odyssey’, for example. Talk about your adventure travel!

Myths, dreams, legends, my son discovering the ocean; dancing in a sun drenched public square and a few empty ouzo glasses come to mind when I think of the Greek Islands. The siren song of the isles is strong…and like the Sirens of Odyssey-fame…the isles call to me.

You too can have your own little epic adventure in the Greek Isles…one of the most kid-friendly destinations on earth. This article is meant to introduce you to this big, blue world and point you in the right direction should you decide to sail the wine-dark Aegean and beyond.

Although there are about 6,000 islands, only 227 are inhabited. Suffice it to say, that despite my MANY trips to Greece, I have not visited all of the islands. So, I will chat a bit about some of the ones I know. I will then point you to some very good web sites which will help you plan a trip should you decide to take your travelling family there.

WHERE TO GO:

So that this article does not rival the epic length of the ODYSSEY…I will keep my suggestions to a minimum. These suggestions plus the web sites at the end of the article should enable you to create your own epic adventure.

The isles are divided into several groups The Cyclades, The Ionians, The Sporades, The Dodecanese, The Saronic, The Northern Aegean and other islands such as Crete and Cyprus. All have something to offer. It just depends on what you want your personal adventure to be. There are ‘international’ islands with a lot of pizzazz and people and there are ‘Greek’ isles with small villages and village life still alive and kicking…or should I say, dancing. Every island group seems to have a few of both. This article will mostly focus in on the CYCLADES, but I have recommendations for several others.

THE CYCLADES: These blue and white wonders are probably the most well known islands. You’ve seen them in fashion ads and movies. White-washed charming villages, perched on magnificent cliffs; narrow, winding decorated stone paths; magnificent sunsets. Home to the famous ancient volcanic isle: Santorini/Thira and the international party- central Mykonos - they are the most famous and fall into the ‘international’ category. These isles are usually on everyone’s first visit hit list. This island group is also home to my ‘not so secret any more’ fave:

FOLEGANDROS, which is in the ‘Greek’ category. (You can read all about it in my article: FOLEGANDROS: CYCLADIC GEM. We spend practically every summer there. We have been to many of the other isles – but Folegandros is our fave. Here’s a quick run-down of the other isles we know.

SANTORINI/THIRA: YES it’s very touristy, but I always tell first-timers that they HAVE to see it. There is nothing like it on the planet. The geology or ‘morphology’ as the Greeks call it – is spectacular. Santorini is the lip of a volcano that exploded around 1475 B.C with mythic intensity. It is credited with having decimated the ancient Minoan culture. Must’ve been one heck of an eruption. Some swear that this was the location of ancient Atlantis. What remains is a smoldering caldera and white-washed villages hugging the cliffs which are actually the edge of the volcano’s crater. Santorini’s legendary beauty has been it’s curse, as more and more cruise ships and tourists bombard this amazing isle every year. There are ways to avoid the hustle and you can just use this isle as a short hop for the beginning or end of your journey. I do not recommend this island for your whole vacation…it is simply too hectic, unless you stay in the ‘honeymooners’ part of the isle, which would be a mistake when travelling with kids.

FIRST OF ALL…know that those spectacular cliffs are SERIOUS!!!! If you have young children, I suggest you do not stay at a cliff side hotel. There are beach resorts and there are some properties with views that are not ‘yo-da-lay-hee-hoo’ dangerous.

That said, the isle is actually kid-friendly. It is also seriously expensive and you will have to either ‘throw money’ at the problem or seek out lodging that is less expensive. It DOES exist. Hotels seem to fall into one of three categories:

a. Cliffside beauties rendered from ancient cave houses.
b. Resorts located on beaches, some of which are black sand, some red.
c. Small family pension-type typical places.

First of all decide what part of the isle you want to go to.

1. FIRA is the MAIN town. Teens will want to be here, discos and all. There are some great restaurants here. Our fave is Archipelago. Great food, views, but pricey. One year, we just had a less than 24-hour stopover and needed to be close to town and needed rides from the airport and to the port. We found a little pension-gem that has a view. It is on a main road, but it is close to town and has a pool. Family run. http://www.astirthira.gr

2. Nearby Fira, but much, much quieter is our fave:
IMEROVIGLI. The hotel that we’ve been going to for years is the ALTANA.
http://www.altana.gr It is the ‘original’ cave house hotel and was built by a man named Kostas and his wife Sonya. He has since passed from cancer, but Sonya and her twin boys run it and it couldn’t be a more wonderful place and experience. Yes, there is a cliff, but Sonya’s place is built back from the edge and she will put you in the ‘child-safe’ place if you ask her. It is the room next to her apartment and the view is magnificent.

3. OIA - the honeymooners paradise and active artist community. It is at the tip of the isle…far, far from the madding crowd…but also far from everything. Lots of pricey, gorgeous hotels.

4. BEACHES – there are lots of beach resorts. Many are on the water. They will be crowded in high season, but if you are staying a long time you may want to spend your days at the beach. Again, I suggest ‘using’ Santorini for it’s amazing unique views. Many other islands have better beaches.

MYKONOS is very party-central and will appeal to teens. DELOS, the isle that was the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo is filled with TONS of ruins and should not be missed by young budding archaeologists. MYKONOS is not a ‘repeat’ for me. But Delos is unforgettable.

Other CYCLADIC isles we liked with kids: Folegandros (#1!) Sifnos, Seriphos – they are ‘Greek’ and more peaceful. We rented a boat one time and spent some time on both isles. We actually were ‘stranded’ on Seriphos due to windy conditions and it was a lovely ‘prison’ with its stunning citadel on the hill. Naxos and Paros will appeal to people who want lots of civilization – they are too big and too hectic for my taste. We did not like Sikinos. The people were cranky. Ios is for young party backpackers. I hear that Amorgos is lovely. Quiet and peaceful.

OTHER ISLES:

SARONIC ISLANDS: One island that I can heartily recommend is HYDRA. It is SO easy to get to…just a one-hour high-speed boat ride from Piraeus, the port of Athens. There are no cars and it is a charming walk-able place. Be warned: COBBLESTONES…which makes for bumpy but not impossible strollering. There are no proper beaches, but for a day trip it is a safe place for kids to run around, look at boats, pet taverna kitties, etc. If your trip is mostly a ‘land’ adventure in Greece, this is an easy isle to visit in one day. Other one-day isles are Spetses, Poros and Aegina…which have many boats per day from Piraeus, the port of Athens. Aegina has a famous temple and is actually nice in winter. Spetses has charm. Angistri has been recommended many times to me, but I’ve never been.

THE IONIANS are in the Ionian Sea and are very ‘Italian’ and have more greenery than many of the other groups. I’ve only been to CORFU which I didn’t like very much. Too big. Too touristy. I hear that there are some lovely other isles and Kephalonia appears to be a nice place to go.

CRETE is a fabulous destination in itself. It’s almost as if it is a separate country – large with beaches and the Palace of Knossos and hikes and lots of other great stuff. I usually recommend that people go there as their 2nd trip to Greece and make a whole vacation of it.

• HOW TO GET FROM ISLE TO ISLE: You can reach the isles via ferries, high-speed boats, chartering a sailboat or flying (only some isles have airports). The ferries leave from the ports of Rafina or Piraeus. As I mentioned before, the isles are in ‘groups’. The ferry systems are relegated to them. So, for example, if you are on the Cycladic island Folegandros you can easily get to another Cycladic Island such as Santorini or Seriphos or get back to Athens/Piraeus, but if you want to get to the Saronic isle of Hydra you will have to go back to Piraeus and then get a boat from there. I wish I could be the ‘ferry oracle’ for you, and tell you where and when the ferries will run…but the ferry schedules are mutable and enigmatic. I have provided links at the end of this article to help you unravel the mysteries of Greek travel, including getting to the isles.

• WHAT TO DO: Swim, walk, dance, eat, play, meet interesting people, explore, read, relax, get to know your family and yourself. Basically live, live, live!

• WHEN TO GO: Although Greece can be a wonderful year round destination, the isles are much more enjoyable in the warmer seasons. The unofficial beginning and end of island season is April 1-October 1. A lot of hotels do not open until that magic first day in April. Also…island life is usually outdoors and it actually gets cold and windy and rainy in the winter. Greek Easter is a MAGNIFICENT experience. The date changes every year, but it is usually around April. Each island has it’s own traditions and there is usually a lot of great stuff going on. Summer can get crowded in July and August. We usually aim for June or September.

So…now you’ve got the what, where, when and how…now for the WHY. At the risk of repeating myself…here’s why you should take your travelling family to Greece. Greeks love kids. Greece is gorgeous. Greece is historic. Greece is truly the stuff of myths and legends…the stuff that dreams are made on.

Make your own dreams come true with the aid of these

HELPFUL WEBSITES:

GREEKTRAVEL.COM: This site by a guy named Matt has helped me on many occasions. He is the Guru of Greek travel.
http://www.greektravel.com/greekislands

THE GREEK NATIONAL TOURIST ORGANIZATION:
http://www.gnto.gr

GREEK TRAVEL PAGES FERRY INFO: www.gtp.gr Make sure you pay attention to WHEN the boats are scheduled (for example, the Friday morning High-Speed to Folegandros may be listed…but only operates from August 1-September 1) The schedules usually change in September and then again in April/May for Greek Easter, then they add more boats in June and then more in July.

No matter which gem you decide to visit…you are sure to live your dream in the Greek Isles. Opa!

• See Google map below for
Cycladic Islands Live!

The Travelling Kid: CATALINA ISLAND!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:54:14 -0700

OK. What do Bison, golf-carts and chewing gum have in common?

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Give up?
 CATALINA ISLAND!
This small, fun, family destination is located less than 20 miles, yet worlds away from Los Angeles, California. Neither exclusive nor possessing of elusive charm…Catalina is a low-key isle that is part ‘junky beach town’ and part wilderness retreat.
Huh?
Let me explain. Eighty-eight percent of the island is protected by the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy(www.CatalinaConservancy.org) and is home to thousands of species of native plants and animals, not to mention a bunch of NON-native wild bison who arrived on the isle courtesy of a film company in the 1920s. You can find isolated coves and beaches and explore valleys and mountains that would not be so pristine if William Wrigley, Jr. (yes, of chewing gum fame) had not purchased the island in the early 20th century. Yes, we have Double-Mint to thank for the Conservancy and Catalina’s still natural beauty. That said, the main town of AVALON…albeit a FAMILY PARADISE has a bit of kitsch goin’ on. Kitsch or no…this isle is a fun day trip or weekend excursion. Who cares? Kids love it!
I’m a native California girl and I vaguely remembered the isle from my childhood. So, one sunny day in July, I decided to jump on a ferry with my son and some devil-may-care friends. The journey is as simple as getting there, getting off the boat and doing ‘stuff’.
It’s a low-key excursion.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Summertime offers LOTS of choices of transportation. Catalina Express ferries take about an hour and leave from several locations: Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point (www.catalinaexpress.com) and the Catalina-Marina del Rey Flyer Catamaran takes about 90 minutes and leaves from Marina Del Rey. (www.catalinaferries.com) You can also take a 14-minute helicopter flight to Catalina and maybe next time we go we will give the bird a whirl. (www.islandexpress.com)
We took the Marina Flyer, a catamaran captained by a stoic guy and his friendly dog. During the journey the boat rocked back and forth enough so that the dog was able to play ball by himself. He would just put the ball down and wait until it rolled away and then run over and pounce on it. Endless enjoyment. We had front-row seats on our journey because my friend booked the ‘captain’s’ seats, which is a little lounge with comfy seats behind the captain. Not only did this cozy little private place ‘corral’ the kids, but we also avoided the relentless WIND and I avoided getting seasick since the seats are located in the steadiest part of the boat. We averted all potential disasters with one full swipe of the credit card and I suggest you do the same. Actually, it only adds $10 to your fare, so I say…go for it!
The kids LOVED the boat ride and we even spotted some spouting whales. We were having such a great time that Catalina snuck up on us, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Seeing the familiar and famous 1920’s CASINO building on the shoreline brought back old childhood memories. This former grand ballroom is just one of the reminders that Catalina is much like it was years ago, when the rich and famous danced the night away in Wrigley’s grand art deco creation. The isle’s historic, yet funky charm still works it’s magic on thousands of visitors a year.
WHAT TO DO IN ONE DAY
We arrived in Catalina around 11:30am and tumbled off the boat since none of us has our ‘sea legs’. We wandered into the town with no pre-set plans…but no worries! Catalina offers TONS of things to choose from and is very easy to navigate. You can just meander, eat, swim, snorkel, dive, ride horses, shop, play in the sand, spot fish from a semi-submersible ‘submarine’, jump on one of the island’s famous glass bottom boats and look for moray eels or rent a golf cart and tool around the island. There is also kayaking and camping and golf and…well, let’s just say there is a lot to do! Certainly more than we could stuff into one afternoon.
So, here is what we did on our one fun day in Catalina:
After a quick bite, we wandered down the main pedestrian walkway along the water. We popped into a couple of the cute shops where my son purchased his first pair of sunglasses. He wears the green specs every day without fail and they make me laugh hard because they make him look like a little tough guy. One more shop, a few more laughs and a couple of ice cream scoops later, we rented a golf cart and ‘took the tour’. ‘Putt-putting’ around the island, I felt as if we were in Disneyland on the Autopia ride…which is a good thing. I love that ride. Laughing and pointing our way through the island, I felt happy and close to my son and my friends. So low key. No expectations. So different than, let’s say, a trip to Paris.
Post golf cart, we jumped on a semi-submersible submarine and OOOHED and AHHHHED our way through giant kelp forests and gobs of fish. This undersea tour allows you to sit in a climate-controlled cabin as you watch neon orange garibaldi, opaleyes, rockfish, calico bass and more surround the submarine as the crew feeds them. Each kid got a cute button and a full color ‘fish finder’ guide as a souvenir. All in all a great deal despite the fairly pricey fare for the tickets.
Adults are $34.50 and kids are $17.25. For more information go to: www.visitcatalinaisland.com
After our sub adventure, we didn’t have much time left and so we walked the pier and then sat and ate some yummy ice cream…and talked. We talked a lot on this trip. And laughed. All in all…a casual and friendly day.
By land or by sea…Catalina is a fun jaunt and is a great little escape from the big city of Los Angeles. So, if you live in LA or are just visiting…give Catalina a go. It’s just a boat ride away.

For more information on places to eat and sleep try this LA TIMES article: CATALINA CLOSE UP by Beverly Beyette
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-catalina21may21,1,7548101.story
For more info on Catalina from ‘folks’ try this virtual tourist site:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/California/Santa_Catalina_Island-755546/TravelGuide-Santa_Catalina_Island.html

The Travelling Kid: SHANGHAI!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:49:51 -0700

Shanghai is a great city to explore with kids - although I would be lying to you if I told you that I took my Travelling Kid to China.

I actually took my mother, who was born in the Shanghai of the 30’s – a thrilling metropolis filled with opium dens and the world’s movers and shakers…lovingly referred to as ‘the Paris of the East’. Yes, the Shanghai that my grandmother knew and loved was ‘THE’ place to be until the Japanese invaded and the world ignited into World War II.

The stupefying effects of today’s Shanghai come not from its opium dens, but rather the almost frantic forward facing culture and the dizzying skyscrapers that define the ever-changing skyline. Today’s Shanghai is home to one fifth of all the world’s building cranes, toiling tirelessly day and night as they rip down the old, build state of the art ‘new’, and create the architecturally astounding and bewildering new ‘Paris of the East’.

Although I opted not to take my then 22-month old son on this trip to China, there was not a moment that I wasn’t wondering what he might think of it a few years down the line when I return with him to visit his grandmother’s birthplace. The China that he will see will never be the China that I saw through my mother’s eyes, nor will it be the China that it is today as I write this and it is certain that China will turn at least one more revolution forward before my son decides what he wants to be when he grows up.

My mother was born, but did not really grow up in Shanghai. Her father, a highly decorated Marine with the First China Marines and a recipient of the Navy Cross, was either murdered or committed suicide when my mother was exactly the age that my son is now. In 1939, when the Japanese descended upon The Paris of The East, my mother and grandmother boarded one of the last boats out of China back to the US. Unraveling the mysteries surrounding this psychic wound was the catalyst for my journey to China with my mother and as Confucius said: “ A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Our journey was first and foremost a great story…a mystery unraveled, an adventure had. I am going to share our story with you and also fill you in on all the kid-friendly options in this fascinating city. (LINKS listed at end of the article)

One morning in LA, I awoke with the gut feeling that I should take my mother back to Shanghai before she passes and before the scintillating Shanghai of old gives way to the trajectory of it’s shining new future. With very little lead-time we took flight and landed in what is possibly the most astounding city I have ever encountered. Billboards blinking, impossibly tall buildings juxtaposed against the crumbling remnants of what is left of ‘Old Shanghai’…all embracing a forward facing energy that defies description. Really, truly astounding.

Shanghai of today is bisected by the HUANGPU RIVER, which divides the ‘new’ China of PUDONG from downtown Shanghai, known as PUXI. Two of the tallest and grooviest looking buildings in the city are located in Pudong: The Oriental Pearl Tower, the tallest TV tower in Asia and the amazing Jin Mao Tower, the tallest building in China. These landmark buildings are best viewed from THE BUND, the historic waterfront area and my grandmother’s favorite place to walk. She spoke of the Bund often and nostalgically. Walking the Bund with my mother was a profound experience as I imagined my grandmother walking The Bund, carrying my mother in her belly. I also imagined that Jacob would love walking the Bund, especially in the morning when tons of people show up and do their morning Tai Chi exercises. It is a sight to behold – the studied, synchronized movements of arms and legs with the slow moving boats on the grey Huangpu as backdrop. The customs houses and other buildings of the ‘30s along The Bund have been restored and now house incredible restaurants and bars with magnificent views. The view is all the more magnificent at night when the mesmerizing lights of Pudong are almost upstaged by the intense light show of passing boats.

The best location to take in the evening light show is a building known as THREE ON THE BUND. Each floor of this architectural gem is home to amazing places that will simultaneously fill your stomach and empty your wallet, including JEAN GEORGES SHANGHAI. But for my money, NEW HEIGHTS RESTAURANT, which is on the top floor, has an even better view, is more reasonably priced and is completely family friendly. I had the great pleasure of meeting the owner who is an expat from San Francisco and the food and atmosphere are exactly what a travelling family in Shanghai would want. When I was there, several families were enjoying the excellent food, great service and astounding view. My mother and I liked it so much we went twice, once for dinner and then for lunch where we enjoyed the outdoor dining patio. After your lunch you can take your kids for a walk along The Bund where they can get a close up view of the boats and barges through one of the several telescopes that line the one-mile walkway along the river. When I take Jacob, I am going to tell him to take a moment and imagine what it was like when Gamma was there as a child, when the river was teeming with junks and cargo boats busily bringing goods to the customs houses.

Perhaps I will take Jacob on a boat ride. From the CROSS FERRY WHARF, it’s quite easy to jump on the ferry that crosses the river from the Bund to Pudong. If I take my Dramamine I might be able to up the ante and take a one hour cruise between the Yangpu and Nanpu Bridges or perhaps go for the gold and take the 3-4 hours cruise that travels east all the way to the mouth of the Huangpu River where it meets up with the famous Yangtze. If this sounds like an exciting journey for you and your travelling kid, you can pick up tickets from one of many companies. The main one is the Shanghai Huangpu River Cruise Company (Shànghai Pujiang Yóulan), at Zhongshan Dong Èr Lù 219 (phone: 021/6374-4461), located on the southern end of the Bund Promenade. There is also another office further north at Zhongshan Dong Èr Lù 153.

Another MUST SEE for Jacob will be the crazy psychedelic BUND SIGHT-SEEING TUNNEL located under the Huángpu. The tunnel connects downtown Shànghai to Pudong and it’s like a Disneyland ride gone whacko complete with tram cars, a light show and pop-up puppets. (Wàitan Guànguang Suìdào Mon-Thurs 8am-10pm, Fri-Sun 8am-10:30pm) Enter the tunnel near Nanjing Rd. on the Bund side; when you exit you will find yourself at THE ORIENTAL PEARL TOWER on the Pudong side.
http://www.shme.com/attracti/tower/tower.htm

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower elevators climb over 1,500 feet and your travelling family can take in an incredible view (on a clear day you can see all the way to the Yangtze). If you aren’t prone to vertigo, you may want to have a bite at the revolving restaurant and take in the ever-changing scenery of Shanghai from on high. Afterwards, if you want to work off your meal, head for Riverside Park at Dongchang Road where you and your travelling kid can run around the large grassy areas. Or, skip the restaurant, pick up some food and have a picnic here.

Speaking of sustenance and running around, my mother and I really enjoyed wandering OLD TOWN (NÁNSHÌ) and its charming YÙ YUÁN GARDEN and seeing what very well may be the world’s quintessential Teahouse. This 1784 teahouse floats atop the lake at the heart of Old Town, in front of Yù Yuán and is thought to be the original model for Blue Willow tableware. You reach the teahouse via the BRIDGE OF NINE TURNINGS. For sure Jacob would love this zigzagging maze-like bridge and the story behind it. The bridge was carefully designed with twists and turns to foil ‘the demons’ who apparently have a little vertigo problem. The gardens are well touristed, but if you are not visiting gardens in another town outside of Shanghai (such as Suzhou or Zhou Zhuang) you and your travelling family are sure to enjoy the fish swimming in the Lotus Pool and the huge Dragon Wall that guards over the gardens. This Ming garden is maze-like and sure to appeal to kids of all ages. The nearby Old Town bazaar is brimming with cool stuff to buy including toys, umbrellas and little this’ and that’s’. Like much of Shanghai, it is crowded, but crazily so, and I caution you to keep your child close so you don’t lose them in the throng of tourists.

But, my journey with my mother wasn’t just a tourist jaunt and although we enjoyed the Bridge and the ancient teahouse at it’s end, we found ourselves wandering the back roads and alleys of this very interesting area uncovering the bits and pieces of the old Shanghai that still exists. Laundry hangs in the back alley-ways from balconies like so many flags flying in the breeze and the elder members of the population squat hunched over steaming bowls of rice and then look up and smile at you.

Wandering the back bits of old Shanghai was a bit of a treasure hunt for us, as we imagined what it must have been like when my mom and grandmother lived there. Every day we were wondering…is this ‘the day’? Is this the day that we will glimpse a bit of my mother’s history?

We did have some clues, though. My grandmother was a bit of a pack-rat and saved everything, simply everything from Shanghai, including copies of the gas bill, the tailor tickets and the bill from the hospital where my mother was born. These bits of paper turned out to be the map for our treasure hunt because they had the addresses of the apartment where they lived and of the hospital where my mom was born. However, the street names changed after World War II, Shanghai is under constant demolition and rebuilding and so…. the adventure began.

Jason, the concierge at The Portman Ritz Carlton (where I recommend everyone to stay http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/Shanghai) was amazing and set us up with a driver to search out my mother’s apartment, should it still exist. As I mentioned before, the Shanghai of old is rapidly giving way to new, shiny, modern structures. The likelihood that the apartment or the hospital still existed was slim. However, we set out on a sunny afternoon in search of these treasures from the past only to find ourselves in the middle of a violent citywide demonstration against the Japanese government. We watched helplessly from our vehicle as angry Shanghainese threw rocks at Japanese Restaurants and the Japanese Embassy. Clearly this was not going to be ‘the day’.

Now, I had done some research before I left and found that my grandmother’s apartment, which was located at 525 Seymour Road (now Shaanxi Road), was located in the very same block as the Ohel Rachel Synagogue and the Jewish school. My mother had always wondered if her father was a Jew (his last name was Schoneberger) but my grandmother never wanted to talk about it. I guess that should have been the first clue…that and the fact that my grandfather, a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marines did not live on base, but in an apartment, which was clearly in the Jewish district.

Interestingly, prior to World War II Shanghai was sharply divided. The Old Chinese City was walled and guarded and the French and the British set up their own little autonomous fiefdoms. It was a very cosmopolitan, but clearly defined city and the Europeans’ influence is still felt in today’s Shanghai. The French Concession (Luwan) is a great part of the city and the French definitely left their architectural mark in this area, which is home to Fuxing Park and lots of shops along Huaihai and Zhong Lu. A trendy, yet family friendly destination called Xin Tiandi is also here and is a modern ‘revisiting’ of Shanghainese (stone-frame) housing that was crafted by utilizing and re-imagining the original buildings. Wander the 2 block complex and enjoy some of the city’s best restaurants, shops and entertainment facilities while getting a taste of both the Shanghai of the past and the chic 21st century Shanghai. We enjoyed it – perhaps even more that most, since we seemed to cross this time bridge over and over again during our adventures in Shanghai.

So, we were enjoying Shanghai…The Bund, The French Concession, the shops, the lights, the endless pulsing energy of the city. But were we ever going to find the apartment or the hospital? That is what we kept wondering as each moment passed.

The day after our aborted attempt to locate 525 Seymour (now Shanxii) Road we took a scheduled day excursion to the lovely town of SUZHOU and wandered it’s lovely streets and canals. Our driver, Mr. Lee was an older, experienced driver and Alex, our guide was a young Shanghainese who just happened to have majored in history and specialized in the history of Shanghai. Alex was tall, gangly and clearly of the ‘new generation’. Mr. Lee was very ‘Portman Ritz Carlton’ with white gloves and all. The two of them were as excited by our ‘treasure map’ of old receipts and photos as we were and they vowed to help us locate the past. The trip to Suzhou was amazing, but our return to the city was truly one of the most memorable events of my life.

The sun had already set, but our driver persevered and all of a sudden we found ourselves entering the gates of the hospital, which now has a different name. Oddly, the door to one of the buildings was open and we walked in, astonished to find a perfectly preserved 1930’s lobby, complete with marble floors and a giant fireplace. Just at the moment we walked in, the Chief of the hospital rounded the corner and asked us politely what we were doing there, since we seemed to have slipped by the security guard. An excited exchange in Chinese between Alex our guide and the Chief ensued and the Chief was excited. Not by our story…but by the copy of the bill from 1936. The communists had destroyed all papers and this bit of history from ‘his’ hospital meant something to him. He wanted this copy of the bill…and so we gave it to him. He also told us that the lobby was exactly as it had been and that my grandfather probably sat in one of those chairs, staring at that giant fireplace, waiting for my mother to come into the world.

Sated, and ecstatic we all piled into the car. But the adventure was not over. Moments later we found ourselves in front of a very old deco building. The address read 525. This was it!! It existed AND it was walking distance from our hotel all along. Very ‘OZ’. A very click your heels and ‘you had the power all along’ to go home kind of moment. The buildings of 525 formed a center courtyard where we encountered a very drunk and very curious group of residents. Once they had been filled in on the quest, they joined the treasure hunt and helped up uncover the biggest treasure of all. We had the actual apartment number and since our new pals were very drunk they flew up the stairs with us in tow and knocked on the unsuspecting tenants who were now living in what had been my grandparents home all those years ago. Crazy. But it gets better. The family actually opened the door, let us in and graciously showed us the apartment, which had not changed in over 70 years. Turns out that the patriarch of the family had purchased the building just after my grandmother and mother left. The stove, tile and bathtub were all original. My mother got to see the bathtub that she played in and the stove that her mother made her breakfast on and to walk the steps that she ran up and down as a child.

My son may never see this place, but he will run up and down and around somewhere in Shanghai…the birthplace of his grandmother.

MORE ON SHANGHAI:

Certainly all eyes are on China and particularly Shanghai. I have a friend whose young twins are learning Mandarin and they are not of Chinese descent. Mandarin is the language of the future and it is certain that Jacob will encounter China in all its glorious emerging power at some point in his travelling life.

Here are some things that I might show him when we hit Shanghai sometime in the future:

THE SHANGHAI DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: An interactive hands on museum for kids.
(http://www.shanghaidiscovery.org)

THE MAGLEV TRAIN: A magnetic levitation train that covers the 19 miles from Pudong Airport to town in 8 minutes! It’s fast and futuristic looking.

SHANGHAI MUSEUM: Older kids may like the costumes and old coins and ancient bronze bells and moms and dads will like all the other cool stuff like antiques furniture and sculptures and paintings.

SHANGHAI SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM: Challenge a robot; experience a snow shower in a ‘4D’ movie; ride a bike ‘circus style’ on a cable suspended in the air and more. www.sstm.org.cn

FROMMERS online has a huge list of other destinations for kids in Shanghai:
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/shanghai/0717021105.html

• See Google map below for Shanghai Live!

The Travelling Kid: KRAKOW!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:45:44 -0700

If you think that KRAKOW, POLAND is an unlikely destination for a travelling family…think again!

Fire-breathing dragons, walk-ability, bike-ability, a castle, Salt Mines, friendly people and good food make this medieval town a fabulous family friendly destination.

Home to the largest medieval square in all of Europe…replete with horse-drawn carriages, charming cafes and great people-watching…this historic town is great fun and was a perfect place to spend the last couple of days of our Greek Island Vacation.

Huh? Or rather…‘Athens to Krakow?’, you may ask. What were we thinking? Actually the frequent flier gods guided us to Krakow when I had to do some creative routing to make our connecting flights in Germany work. Krakow is just a quick one and a half hour flight from Munich and there are tons of budget airlines flying in and out of Krakow (especially from the UK, which explains the large groups of tipsy Brits out for a quick, fun, affordable weekend!).

Krakow is just being ‘discovered’ as a cool destination – much like Prague was 20 years ago. In fact there are some striking similarities between the two cities: an astoundingly beautiful open square overflowing with people and cafes; light and laughter and budding tourism juxtaposed with an old Jewish Quarter replete with soulful cemeteries; and an old castle on a hill. And…oh…yeah…they also are just coming out of the darkened corridors of communist rule and the new energy of freedom is palpable. Since Krakow is still affordable (until they join the EU) I suggest you go now before tourism and rising prices overrun this lovely town. Affordability allowed us to stay in a pristine five star property (The Sheraton Krakow www.sheraton.pl/krakow) with views of the lovely Wisla (aka Vistula) river. From our enormous picture window, we could watch people biking, strolling and jogging along the narrow, winding river. We could also see WAWEL HILL above the riverbank, home to the defining landmark of the city: WAWEL CASTLE and it’s fire-breathing dragon who completely and totally captured my son’s fancy and imagination. A 200-foot long cavern (known as ‘SMOCZA JAMA” meaning The Dragon’s Cave) is the area’s oldest residence dating back to the Stone Age and is part of the legend surrounding the genesis of the city of Krakow.

Legend has it that a humble cobbler named Skuba (or a guy named Krak, the city’s founder, depending on who is telling the story) conquered a fire-breathing dragon who apparently had a hefty appetite for livestock…and virgins. The king promised one half his kingdom and his daughter’s hand in marriage to the guy who slew the voracious beast. Soooo cliché, eh? Anyway…knight after knight tried and failed until the cobbler came along and tricked the dragon into eating a lambskin laced with a cocktail of sulfur and salt. The dragon of course went crazy with thirst and rushed into the Vistula River and drank and drank and drank until he exploded! Anyway…the poor departed Dragon’s den attracts tourists in droves and is marked by a bizarre modern dragon sculpture that shoots real fire into the air. Jacob couldn’t get enough of it.

Just nearby the Dragon are some little kiosks selling dragon ‘things’ like necklaces and stuffed animals that are both fun and very affordable gifts. More significantly, this fire-breathing guy is just outside the Wawel Castle walls and the castle is a must see. (www.wawel.krakow.pl) The castle, Gothic Cathedral and bits and pieces of medieval defense walls sit atop a Jurassic limestone hill. A cobblestone road leading up the hill is grand and the enormous castle grounds are a great place for kids of all ages to run around in. You may run into a crowd of people at the northwest corner of the courtyard, with their head, backs, hands and heels against the wall. This point is thought by many Hindus and by esoteric thinkers worldwide to be one of the seven major chakra points on the planet (it is in good company with Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca). Regardless of your beliefs, the views from the hill are great and you can see most of the city from there. Wawel is wedged between the two main parts of Krakow: old town (Stare Miasto) with its giant medieval square and Kazimierz, the historic Jewish quarter. Both parts of town are striking in their own way.

Kazimierz, made famous by Spielberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’ (which was filmed here), is home to soulful synagogues and cemeteries. It is also the very heart of Krakow’s edgy arty scene, filled with cafes and restaurants where you can have a coffee or a beer and a good bowl of borsht while listening to some Klezmer folk concerts and/or some good jazz. We really enjoyed just wandering the streets filled with ‘real life’… peeling building facades, wooden shutters and all. Peeking down little alleyways, we discovered quaint shops and unexpected little outdoor restaurants. After a light lunch we wandered into the marketplace of Plac Nowy, filled with people shopping the green market stalls and fetching water from a hand pump that has probably been there for centuries. Jacob loved pumping the water and devouring a fresh watermelon that the fruit seller let us cut up with her knife. We also happened to be there during the annual Jewish Festival (www.jewishfestival.pl) and every corner was plastered with colorful posters advertising the many concerts, lectures, workshops and other events going on in Krakow and environs. The Kazimierz district is definitely ‘happening’ and is emerging as a cutting edge destination. This old Jewish district is also rife with ghosts and if you are travelling with older children, you may want to introduce them to the history of Poland’s Jews. Oskar Schindler’s former factory is here and the Old Synagogue and cemeteries tell stories of the past. Of course, Poland’s Jewish past is iconically represented by AUSCHWITZ. The famous concentration camp is a day trip outside the city and in this writer’s opinion a must see. We handled the delicate nature of having a toddler with us by planning carefully. We hired a private driver and a private guide and planned the tour exactly at Jacob’s naptime. When he finally woke, one of us would stay outside the buildings, which just look like ordinary brick buildings while the other went in with the guide and then switched. At age 14, every child in Poland is supposed to visit Auschwitz (www.auschwitz.org.pl). It is a memorable thing to do.

On a much lighter note, you CANNOT go to Krakow and not visit the biggest medieval square in Europe, RYNEK GLOWNY. I let out an audible gasp as I turned the corner and walked into the loveliest main market square I’ve ever laid eyes on. Jacob stood by my side, transfixed by the horse drawn carriages, street musicians, the giant sculpture of a head and the just general goings-ons in this café-lined wonderland. Sit anywhere and have an ice cream or whatever and watch the parade passing by…day or night. We found a WONDERFUL Italian restaurant right on the square. They have lovely tables outside and an intriguing castle-like cellar below. The place is family friendly and has delicious food. We ate there twice. Ristorante Da Pietro (www.dapietro.com.pl) 012.4223279. If you want to experience ‘real’ Polish peasant food, I highly recommend Chlopskie Jadio, which has more than one location, but the one just off the square at sw Jana 3 is really great and kid friendly, even though the waiters are ‘cranky’. It’s a bit of a show I think, they eventually really warmed up to us. Bring your appetite and an adventurous stomach.

If you want to walk off all that food…no problem…this city is MADE for walking. Krakow has defined walking ‘routes’ on all the tourist maps and the most ‘kid-friendly’ one is THE PLANTY, which is a ring of greenery (like a park) that encircles the Old Town. History buffs would be happy to know that this is where 13th Century walls and a moat once stood. Bike it or walk it. Speaking of bikes, there are rental places all over the city and biking around town looks like fun, although we did not rent bikes when we were there. Maybe next time. Also, maybe next time we will have time to take a side strip to the WIELICZKA SALT MINE (say THAT 3 times fast!). The poor miners of old, spent most of their lives underground, toiling tirelessly…thus the expression ‘like working in the salt mines’. Since they didn’t have much to do, the miners began carving everything from chandeliers, to a chapel out of the salt and so the mines are like a great underground art treasure trove. (www.krakow-info.com/wielicz.htm)

In fact, our whole visit to Krakow was like unearthing a treasure. We had no expectations of this small town with the big square by the Wisla. Each corner we turned, each café we sat in, each person we met was just a piece of the great treasure of Krakow, the little Polish town that could, and did, and does.

So: Run, I mean, walk, I mean bike, I mean…just go to Krakow. You and your travelling family will love it.

Bike Rentals and/or tours:

www.krakowbiketour.com

www.dwakola.neostrada.pl

www.retrobikes.pl

• See Google map below for Krakow Live!

The Travelling Kid: SAN FRANCISCO!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:40:34 -0700

“I left my heart in San Francisco high on a hill it calls to me…
To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars
The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care.”*

*“I Left my Heart in San Francisco”
Words by Douglass Cross and Music by George Cory

These lyrics could easily have been written by my three year old on his first visit to SAN FRANCISCO! My son sleeps with his little green plastic cable car and still reminisces about ‘Rico’ the cable car gripman letting him ring the bell at the end of our ride on a foggy morning in August. Clearly, San Francisco left its impression upon my toddler and perhaps we actually did leave a bit of our hearts in this foggy city by the bay.

Consistently listed as one of ‘the best’ cities in the world for travelers, San Francisco is a charming, exciting, walk-able and kid-friendly destination. Even though I lived in San Francisco after college, I think that I have never enjoyed this special city as much as this recent trip with my Travelling Kid. As I child, I traveled there often and it still is magical and memorable.

We only had one day to wonder and wander and can’t wait to go back for more. Since I sincerely hope that your Travelling Family will have more time in this hilly, fun town - I will not only share our adventures, but I will also mention some of the other GREAT things to do with your travelling kids.

CABLE CARS!
I suggest starting with a cable car ride FOR SURE!! It’s fun for everyone and is a great way to get your bearings on the city. We made a B-line to the cable cars, planning to travel from downtown to Fisherman’s Wharf (which should DEFINITELY be on your agenda) and discovered a LINE – a big one- at the Powell/Market turntable. No worries. You can avoid this aggravation.
Here’s what you should know: There are three cable car routes. Do yourself a favor and check out the cable car site where you can familiarize yourself with the routes, tickets, etc. www.sfcablecar.com The line was JUST for the turntable. You can skip the line. You can catch the cars en route (although you risk them being full-up, especially in summer). Older kids may want to wait in line just to help turn the big ‘ol cable car around and if yours do…prepare to wait up to 1 hour. We didn’t want to wait and jumped on the Powell-Mason line a couple of blocks from the turntable and ended up at Fisherman’s Wharf. Other lines will take you other places. Simple. If you don’t care about planning…just jump on any cable car and see where it takes you. You can even buy transportation passes that enable you to hop one form of transport to another as you navigate the city. http://www.sfmuni.com/cms/mms/fares/fareinfo.htm

I HAVE to HAVE to tell you about our ride! We lucked into riding a cable car operated by a gripman named RICO. Rico made our day – he paved the way for us to jump aboard the cable car ahead of the crowd and helped us with our stroller and then made a big ‘to-do’ about Jacob on board and at the end of the line…he let Jacob ring the bell. Clang-Clang!

Elated from our ride, we tumbled out onto...
Fisherman’s Wharf...
perhaps the city’s most popular destination. Oddly unchanged from my childhood memories, this iconic place on San Francisco Bay may have more things, more people, but the sites and the smells were fun and familiar. A cacophony of people and food and shops, this historic waterfront is a bustling, family-friendly destination. From here you can view the iconic GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
(http://www.goldengatebridge.org), visit the famous
ALCATRAZ ISLAND (http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz), take a pedicab, visit the aquarium and/or take a ferryboat or a cruise on the bay.
Or you can do what we did and just meander.

Passing the many souvenir stands, we noticed a plethora of sweatshirts. They sell a lot. Why? San Francisco is shockingly chilly at times. When the fog rolls in the hoodies come out and many a tourist is caught unprepared for cold temps in summer in California. Mark Twain supposedly said: “The coldest winter I ever spent was in summer in San Francisco.” Some say he never said this…but you can be wearing a tank top one minute and be wishing you had some long johns with you the next. So, you can make a choice. Be prepared or be prepared to buy a souvenir sweatshirt. Warm or cold, the Wharf is fun for families. Check out the Wharf’s official web site – as it can give you more info than I would ever be able to. (www.fishermanswharf.org)
This town is a seafood-lovers paradise and since my husband loves seafood and we had to pee, our very next stop was an historic restaurant at
Pier 43 1/2 called THE FRANCISCAN (www.franciscanrestaurant.com). It is not about the food here. It’s about the view and, I must mention that the wait staff was lovely. This second floor restaurant overlooks the hubbub of the pier and provides a perfect place to watch the boats coming and going. Cries of: “Look at that boat!” “Wow…that’s a big one!” “Mommy, mommy…that’s a submarine!” “Can we go on that!?” , filled the air as we ate our crab chowder. It was the perfect choice.
We could have stayed at the Wharf a LOT longer, but we wanted to see Chinatown and time was a tickin’. Chinatown was a lovely walk from the Wharf…some of it STRICTLY uphill. Walking the neighborhoods of this city enables you to touch the charm of its streets, uphill or no. You really shouldn’t miss North Beach (basically Italy on the Pacific /http://www.sfnorthbeach.org) and Chinatown (http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com).
Chinatown is a LIVING Chinatown. Yes, you’ll find tons of tourists and tourist shops lining the famous Grant Street, but step one block over to Stockton and join the residents as they go about their daily shopping and lives. You can go on sensory overload in this city within a city…check out the ducks hanging in butchers windows, smell the strange looking herbs, listen to street musicians playing traditional instruments, ogle the Chinese architecture, where even the Bank of America, covered in golden dragons is photo-worthy. Kids can play at the Portsmouth Square playground (located at Kearny Street, above the parking garage) or the Willie Wong Playground (Sacramento Street, one block from Grant). Shops are filled with great, cheap little toys and things that kids will love. Hungry? Do I even have to mention the possibilities? We WISHED that we were hungry as we passed fabulous restaurant after the other. Maybe next time.
Lack of hunger also really made us cranky when we passed through North Beach and spied cannolli and gelato and smelled the garlic wafting from plates piled with pasta. Our commitment to attend a surprise party in nearby Palo Alto nipped any future meal plans in the bud. Without anytime left in our day for even a cappuccino we marched on.

As we got in our car to drive to the Palo Alto party we vowed to return…hearts in hand…tummies empty…eyes and spirit open. For as the lyric says, “I left my heart in San Francisco...high on a hill, it calls to me.”

GOT TIME? DON’T MISS:

THE EXPLORATORIUM: www.exploratorium.edu This amazing and unique museum housed in the Palace of Fine Arts is a mélange of hands on science and art exhibits. Even the web site is cool. Plan on a day here.

LOMBARD STREET: The crookedest street in America. I LOVED this brick paved crazy street when I was a kid. One of my best friends lives on the street now. Wave to her as you go by. http://www.sftravel.com/lomabardcrookedstreet.html

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE: Depending on your kid’s age (s) you can walk across the bridge. It’s a fun thing to do. Not for acrophobic types. (http://www.goldengatebridge.org)

BOATS, BOATS, BOATS: There are ferries to towns across the Bay. SAUSALITO is a lovely little town to walk around and go have lunch in. There are also tons of tour boats with various themes. (http://www.sanfrancisco.worldweb.com/ToursActivitiesAdventures/BoatTours)

MUIR WOODS: An ancient Redwoods forest less than 1 hour from the city. Run, jump, play and picnic! http://www.sanfranciscovisitor.com/muirwoodssanfrancisco.html

FAO SCHWARTZ TOY STORE: FUN to play in. Located on Stockton and O’ Farrell Streets

• See Google map below for San Francisco Live!

PARIS for Teens!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:33:37 -0700

When I told my friends that I had plans to take (my then) thirteen year old stepson to Paris - they took bets. One pal planned to have a t-shirt printed for me that said: ‘Oo-la-la. I took a thirteen year old to Paris and survived.’

In fact, some of the trip was challenging. But thirteen year olds are going to roll their eyes whether you’re in the grocery store or in the Louvre. I’ll choose the Louvre over the frozen-foods aisle any day.

Our trip was actually wonderful for many reasons. Yes, we bonded. But more importantly, we showed each other things that we might not have seen if we were each flying solo in this grand and beautiful city. Without Noah, I doubt I would have discovered the joys of seeing an English-speaking movie at a Champs Élysées movie theatre. Because “Twister” (pronounced: TWEE-STER) was sub-titled in French we found ourselves laughing before the rest of the audience and marveled that many people were chattering through the whole movie because they weren’t necessarily listening. We still giggle about this theatre experience from time to time. We also wax nostalgic about the delicious Pizza we found at little restaurant on the Left Bank.

Noah and I have returned to Paris since then. On the most recent trip, he brought his lovely girlfriend and it filled my heart with joy to see him sharing the city he ‘knew’ so well.

So, what will a teen like in Paris? Lots of stuff! The teen ‘age’ is the WONDERFUL time in their (and our) lives where interests of all sorts bud and bloom and are SO ELECTRIFIED! You, as a parent will ‘know’ deep down which kinds of things will knock your teen out. You will also know which things they will roll-their-eyes-at-today-but-will-be-totally-glad-that-they-saw-it-tomorrow. (Okay. Maybe, not tomorrow. Perhaps, next year. But for sure: glad). For example, Noah rolled his eyes all through the Louvre as I ‘drug’ him from the Mona Lisa, to the Winged Victory to the Venus de Milo. BUT when we got home, I overheard him boasting to one of his pals, “Yea. I saw the Mona Lisa. She was cool.”

So, all anecdotes aside, here are some of my suggestions:

1. THE CATACOMBS: They are cool. Not doubt about it. Filled with skulls and all sorts of bones, these cool underground labyrinths were home to the French Resistance during World War II. I’ve never seen anything like it and it scored big with Noah, who thought it was one of the creepiest, coolest things he’d ever seen. (Les Catacombes: 1pl Denfert-Rochereau (14th) 01.43.22.47.63 http://triggur.org/cata/ Metro: Denfert-Rochereau)

2. PERE LACHAISE CEMETERY: This is ‘rock and roll’, creepy and beautiful all rolled into one. Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the Doors is buried here, along with a lot of other famous people.
(http://www.pere-lachaise.com/Metro: Pere Lachaise)

3. MUSEUMS: I have found that Museums are parts of the ‘recipe for fun’. My advice is that you should add and stir according to ‘taste’. Luckily, Paris is a Museum Mecca, with museums that appeal to every interest.

a. Noah LOVED the CLUNY MUSEUM on the Left Bank. This medieval museum is most famous for The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry but it is also FILLED with Medieval armor and swords and all sorts of stuff that fantasy-game-playing teens can only, well, fantasize about.
(www.musee-moyenage.fr Metro: Cluny)
b. Train buffs and dance fans might like the MUSEE D’ORSAY. The building is actually an old train station and the architecture is fabulous. Filled with Impressionist art (among other things) – dance fans will love the extensive Degas collection. (1 rue de la Legion d’Honneur (7th) www.musee-orsay.fr Metro: Solferino)
c. THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM is a fantastic collection of BIG animals and dinosaurs. Some teens I know are still fans of such things. (Daily: 9am-8pm, 36 rue Geoffroy St.-Hilaire (5th) www.mnhn.fr Metro: Gare d’Austerlitz)
d. THE LOUVRE. How can you go wrong? Even if your teen hates you for dragging them to see the Mona Lisa, it will at least give them bragging rights. Also, any budding archaeologist will love the creepy Egyptian stuff. (Rue de Rivoli (1st) www.louvre.fr. Metro: Palais Royale)
e. THE PICASSO MUSEUM in the Marais, might appeal to teens who love Picasso’s fabulous abstract stuff. (5 rue de Thorigny (3rd) www.musee-picasso.fr Metro: St-Sebastian-Froissart)
f. THE MUSEE DES ARTS ET METIERS was founded in 1793 and is a mecca for lovers of science and industry, as it houses more that 3,000 discoveries and inventions including Pascal’s original calculator and Foucault’s pendulum. (60 rue Reamur (3rd) http://www.arts-et-metiers.net
Metro: Arts et Metier)
g. Young ladies might like to take tea at the MUSEE JACQUEMART ANDRE, which is a charming museum in the 8th, housed in a Second Empire mansion, and after you see their Botticellis and Fragonards, you can have a lovely tea in the downstairs salon. (Daily 10-6; 158 bld. Haussmann (8th) www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com. Metro: Miromesnil)
h. CENTRE GEORGE POMPIDOU – if your teen is not a modern art fan, you don’t have to go into the museums. Just go check out the crazy architecture of this fabulous ‘inside-out’ building and ride the escalators. (pl. Georges Pompidou (4th) www.centre-pompidou.fr. Metro: Chatelet)

4. RENT BIKES or SKATES! Weekends in August - the city closes the major road along the Seine on the Left Bank so that people can cycle or skate their way through the city. Riding bikes all the way to the Marne River and then into the Marais, was one of my most favorite Paris memories. ( http://www.rouelibre.fr) Also, Friday nights there is a giant ‘skating’ party. (http://www.sfpix.com/dees/pariroller/index.html )
Again, roads are closed and THOUSANDS of people skate through the city.

5. DANCING/CLUBBING: Teens love dancing and going to clubs. Paris is FILLED with them. THE BUDDHA BAR is world famous. There are also places like FAVELA CHIC. Look to local listings. Stick to the well-known, established ones and the whole family will enjoy it.

6. THE BATEAUX MOUCHE: You can catch these boats that cruise the Seine every hour from Pont D’ Alma in the 8th. It’s great to sit and see the sights.

7. FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD!!! What teen doesn’t like to eat? The way to my teen’s heart was definitely through his stomach. You’re in luck. Paris has lots of delicious food: go to a crepe stand, try Berthillon Ice Cream, or pop in almost anywhere for steak frites (because what teen doesn’t like fries?).

8. Teen girls will revel in the many shopping opportunities. Window-shop till you drop! You don’t have to re-finance your house to find fun things to buy. Go to MONOPRIX…the French answer to Target. They have LOTS of great make-up and cheap accessories and fun things to buy. They have cute little camisoles and flip flops, etc. There are several Monoprix stores throughout Paris. The one in the Marais on Rue St. Antoine is the nicest and has the best selection. www.monoprix.fr

9. MUSIC - Paris is home to all sorts of amazing music. Pop into any of the FNAC stores (there is a big one on the Champs Élysées) and check out availability and buy tickets.

10. FILM: Go see a movie. If you are looking for English, just look for movie that was originally in English with the designation: VO (version originale) and it will be in English. There are many theatres around Paris, but the main cluster of theatres is on the Champs Élysées)

11. TEA AND CHOCOLATE: For teen girls. Most love chocolate and almost all love elegant, girly, get dressed up, ‘just be fabulous’ activities. I suggest going to lobby bar at THE PLAZA ATHENEE HOTEL on Ave. Montaigne in the 8th for tea and/or hot chocolate. You will thank me for this. Silver pitchers, delicate china, ladies with small dogs and impeccable service in an elegant setting.
(http://www.plaza-athenee-paris.com )

12. JUST WALK: Do as the Parisians do and just walk and talk and enjoy one another. Sites such as the Eiffel Tower are wonderful and evocative and you will feel as if you are in a groovy foreign film.

I would wish a trip to Paris on any parent of a travelling teen. You will never find a better tour guide in your life.

• See Google map below for Paris Live!

The Travelling Kid: AMSTERDAM!

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 14:13:14 -0700

I won’t lie to you. Amsterdam was never one of my favorite towns. BUT, a recent fall visit with my Travelling Kid...changed my mind.

My previous visits were business trips…travelling with the members of the famous rock band, Aerosmith. Although my trips were very ‘rock ‘n roll’ …staying in the very best of accommodations, taking limos everywhere and eating the very best food…all I remember is that it rained a lot and that the Anne Frank house was depressing. Cut to a few years and a two year old later, add in an eclectic hotel and …and voila! Amsterdam finally rocks!

Amsterdam was an ‘add-on’ to our family vacation. My husband had business there and since I did not want to fly home solo with a two year old…I went. And to my delight and my surprise…Amsterdam suddenly was filled with light and laughter and lots of things to do.

First of all, we took a flyer and checked into a (then) new hotel called THE COLLEGE HOTEL, which is a ‘training’ hotel…kind of like a training hospital, but people are learning service vs. surgery. Nice, although at times it felt as if we were part of an experimental procedure. I have described it as, “FAWLTY TOWERS with good linens”. It actually was a perfect place to stay. The good points outweighed the bad - especially the location which is in a lovely neighborhood near the famous VONDEL PARK and the MUSEUMPLEIN where the famous Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are located. Although Van Gogh is an artist that kids seem to like (there are tons of kids books using Van Gogh’s works) – the best part of staying in this area was the MUSEUMPLEIN itself with its GIANT expanse of grass to run on. The Museumplein was filled with families with kids and Jacob ran wild. But the Museumplein is an itty-bitty baby compared to Vondel Park, which is the largest city park in Amsterdam and possibly the most famous park in the Netherlands.
(http://www.amsterdam.info/parks/vondelpark)
Filled with families, the park sports six play areas for kids, a big playground near Groot Melkhuis and is home to an open-air theatre where you may be able to catch a free concert in the summertime. The theatre also has free shows for kids on Wednesday afternoons. (www.openlunchtheater.nl) If that’s not enough for you, the FILM MUSEUM (http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/filmmuseum) has shows for kids on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons.
We missed the Film Museum - because on this last trip we found ourselves in an Amsterdam where there were more things to do than our short time allowed. If you also only have a short time, never fear because Amsterdam is a relatively small city with lots of easy transportation options.

BIKES are definitely the transport of choice. You have to see it to believe it. THOUSANDS of bikes cruising dedicated bike lanes. If that’s too crazy for your blood, the tram system is very user friendly and Jacob loved it because it was a ‘train’. You can also rent pedal boats, called “canal bikes” and zip around the canals that way. We didn’t rent the pedal boats, but we did get to cruise the canals on a CANAL BOAT. I suggest a one-hour cruise vs. a longer dinner one. Kids will get antsy. The cruises leave often from the dock just across from Centraal Station. Jacob LOVED the boat…the canals and bridges are very cool and at night the bridges are all lit up with twinkling lights. We went around sunset, which proved to be a lovely time of day.
The weather was ‘iffy’ when we were there which is normal for this part of the world. Be prepared for rain. Rain proved to be a serendipitous event for us when we were caught off guard and flagged down a pedicab driver, whose pedicab sported a little enclosure that kept us dry on our journey back to the hotel. Rainy days also drove us to the local library and that was fun. Museums are a great refuge from any deluge of course, but the place that is on my agenda for our next soggy day in Amsterdam is the SCIENCE MUSEUM: NEMO. (www.e-nemo.nl) This hands-on science museum lives in a CRAZY green building on the waterfront. SOOO bummed that we missed it. I guess we’ll just have to go back to see this museum and the Scheepvaart Museum which has a full size replica of the AMSTERDAM, a ship from 1749. Looks fab.
As you can see, we plan to go back to Amsterdam for many reasons. Amsterdam really made an impression on me this last time around. It made an impression on Jacob too. Just a few days ago we were watching a TV program and Amsterdam was featured. He pointed at the screen and said, “We went there. I like that place.” And here I thought that the only thing he remembered from Amsterdam was his little plastic windmill that sits on his bookshelf.

OH!! Right…! Next time we have to go and see some proper windmills. There is supposed to be a big beauty on the Amstel River in Amstel Park, just south of Amsterdam. I guess we’ll rent bikes and ride along the river, have a picnic and then decide what we should do next.

So, go to Amsterdam. You’ll have a great time. We did and I’m sure we will the next time we go back.

• See Google map below for Amsterdam Live!

COMING SOON! Amsterdam Part 2!