Thank you to everyone who has e-mailed me this summer missing my weekly (sometimes daily) blogs. I do enjoy writing them, but we had a busy summer. We are now back and after a busy week getting Thing 1 ready for kindergarten, getting everyone’s inner clocks on Warsaw time, catching up with old and new friends, etc., I am blogging once more.
Our flight back went better than expected. I was stopped several times by people offering to help and wondering how I was managing with three carry on's, a stroller, and a car seat. They were really curious about how I was managing the car seat. So, here is a visual......to get around the airports with all that stuff, I placed Thing 1's backpack in the stroller storage area (it also contained the DVD player). Thing 2 was strapped into the stroller. Her diaper bag was hanging from the back of the stroller. My backpack was on my back. I flipped the car seat over so that the seat part draped over the stroller's handle bars and the head of the seat was pointed towards the floor. I had Thing 1 hold on to the stroller and I pushed the car seat/handle bars to make my way through the airport. When claiming the bags at the terminal, Thing 1 wheeled Thing 2 around (without the car seat hanging off the stroller) while I wheeled the baggage cart with all our stuff.
Here is a little travel log I kept (partly documented in flight while the children slept)....
2:50pm/8:50pm ( Miami/Warsaw ) – Whew! We made it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare. Thing 1 is confused because he is happy to see his dad, but sad to be leaving the rest of the family. How can he feel both things at once, he wonders?
3:00 pm/9:00pm – Pre-boarding has begun. This is one of the few perks of traveling with young children. Thing 1 is walking in front of me with his backpack and Thing 2 between us. I am carrying a heavy backpack, diaper bag and a car seat. Thing 2 finds a nice roomy chair in the first class area and proceeds to accommodate herself. She has good taste although she gets quite upset when I motion her to keep walking. A nice flight attendant begins talking to her and she forgets about her disappointment. This keeps her entertained while I install the car seat and get situated. Thing 1 is a pro at this and by the time I finish he is already seated, buckled in with his backpack underneath the seat in front of him.
3:30pm/9:30pm – We are beginning to taxi. Thing 1 is "reading" the safety pamphlet. Thing 2 is flipping through a Lufthansa magazine telling me about the pictures. She then plays with her headphones and is amused by the music she hears coming out them. We begin to pretend that we are the Little Einsteins and are about to blast off. Thing 2 begins to pat-pat-pat on her lap and plays along. We are airborne!
5:00pm/11pm – Thing 2 has not had a nap today. A flight attendant brings out an early meal for her. She eats a bit, but she is more tired than sleepy. I need to keep her up a bit longer. Out comes the DVD player and as she focuses on that, Arthur and the Invisibles starts on the flight screens. Both kids are happy and entertained.
7:00pm/1am - The kids need to get some rest. What I am about to describe, only a parent can understand. Thing 2 is constipated. Either that or she is not comfortable pooping on the plane. She keeps grunting in her seat and it is obvious that nothing is happening. I take her to the bathroom which she hates since it is so small. I check her diaper and nothing. I rub her tummy and try to move her legs a bit to give her some support in case she wants to go. Nothing. I put on a fresh diaper. She is irritable at this point. She drinks her bottle of milk (not the best option for her predicament, but a soothing one to her) and passes out within the hour crying out in her sleep periodically due to the gas pains she must have been experiencing. Mylicon is the one medication I wish I had brought.
8:00pm/2am – The DVD player battery dies. Thing 1 willingly falls asleep shortly after. As people begin reclining their chairs, I begin to wonder why small commuter planes seem to have more leg room than these larger planes used for transatlantic flights. If someone reclines their chair, you practically have their headrest in front of your face. It makes no sense. It should be the other way around. I try to dose off, but Thing 2 is obviously uncomfortable and keeps tossing, turning and crying out every so often. Another child is screaming down the aisles. I am thankful it is not my child.
9:00pm/3am – Thing 2 is up again. She tries to wake up her brother, but he is sound asleep. She throws a minor fit before I give her the "not acceptable" menacing look and she gets herself together. She begins watching a little of the second in-flight movie and babbles for about 45 minutes before falling asleep again.
10pm/4am– I finally dose off for about an hour.
5am/11pm (EST) – Coffee and breakfast are being served. The kids are sound asleep. I am exhausted.
6:15am/12:15am (EST) – Passengers clap as we land in Frankfurt . Exhaustion (and Thing 2’s constipation) aside, the flight was uneventful. I change Thing 2 into her regular clothes while we wait to deplane. Thing 1 is not waking easily. He says he wants to stay in Germany . I finally tell him that we have 1 hour to catch our connecting flight and if we miss it, we won't see daddy today. He gets up. We deplane and make our way to our transfer terminal and through security once again. I make everyone go to the bathroom (Thing 2 is still constipated!) and we make it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare.
6:55am/12:55am (EST) - I let Thing 2 walk around the waiting area. A little activity may help her situation. Thing 1 has a snack while I read a USA Today paper.
7:15 am/1:15am (EST) – We board our next flight and the flight attendant tells me that my car seat (which I just used on another one of their flights) does not meet their "regulations" for the aircraft. He will have to ask a supervisor. I tell him don't bother – just take the seat. It has been a hassle to carry.
7:45am/1:45am (EST) – Thing 2 is quite happy in her own seat and looks very proud of her "big girl" privilege. The flight attendant asks me how old Thing 2 is. I know what he is getting at: children under 2 have to be harnessed to their parent during takeoff. I lie "she just turned 2." She is wearing size 24 month clothing after all, so technically she passes for 2. They leave me alone and Thing 2 has harness free flight. She eats her breakfast. Thing 1 plays with his toys.
8:30am/2:30am (EST) – I smell something foul. Thing 2 has pooped. We get up to change her diaper. There is only one bathroom with a changing table and some woman was in it putting on make up for at least 15 minutes. I gave her a dirty look as she exited. Thing 2 feels much better. She is clean and fed.
9:15am/3:15am (EST) - Thing 2 passes out in her seat as the plane lands in Warsaw . We deplane and make it to the terminal for passport control. I am the first in line. However, there are three guys at the window and guess where they are from? United Arab Emirates ! So, we have the Polish version of the national guard reviewing their documents, and not one, but two agents reviewing the passports. I appreciate their thoroughness, but my patience is wearing thin. The only thing that makes it tolerable is that the kids remained quiet during our wait. While I am the first in line, I am the last from my flight to clear passport control. My bags are ready for pick up on the belt. The Cat is calling on the cell phone.
9:45am/3:45am (EST) – The Cat is waiting at the terminal with flowers for me. Thing 1 practically abandons Thing 2’s stroller as he runs to his dad saying "I miss-ed (pronounced just like that) you so much daddy! I am so excited to be home." Thing 2 begins to kick her legs and throw her hands up in the air for daddy to pick her up.
12:30pm/6:30am (EST) – After a shower and lunch, I pass out for an afternoon nap. The kids play with the Cat and begin dropping like flies around 2pm. My nap helps get me through the evening, but I am up Sunday morning at 5am wandering the house aimlessly while everyone sleeps until about 10am.
Jet lag continues for about 5 days….
THE END!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
School is back in session!
You never quite understand the wonderful feeling of school starting again until you are a parent. I have spent three weeks trying to keep two children entertained at home since it has been hovering near 0 degrees for the past 2 weeks and after the holidays I have no interest in seeing a shopping mall for a while. Don't get me wrong - I have enjoyed doing things with both kids while they were home for the holidays. But it is a paradox because it can be exhausting trying to keep idle hands and minds from become too bored.
Since Thing 1 began going to school regularly, I have come to the conclusion that when any given child is alone with their parent, they are a dream to be with. Add another to the mix and it become a chemistry experiment gone awry. Sure, they love each other. I see it when Thing 1 defends Thing 2 as she gets in trouble or Thing 2 gives her brother an impromptu hug. But, if boredom gets in the way, watch out!
Boredom tends to bring on trouble - sibling strife now being the most popular form of trouble in my home. It goes something like this. One child becomes bored. They rely on you to find something for them to do. If you cannot accomplish that task quick enough, soon enough, you will hear the shrieking of your other child as child one decides to have fun by tearing up someone's LEGO creation or taking away their blanket. And as usual, the other child always started it - even in toddler babble!
Silence is never a good sign when a child is in the home. Silence usually means someone is up to no good. In the past three weeks, I heard the sounds of silence a lot and while I usually enjoy it, in this context, it was nerve-racking, especially when my youngest would go missing somewhere in the house. I would find her shortly after she had dragged all her blankets out of the drawer and had proceeded to drag them all over the floor. Then of course, came the screaming when I would pick up the blankets and give her only one - it's never the one they want is it? Other silent moments led me to find her going through my purse and pulling debit/credit cards out of my wallet. To avoid moments like this, we had art time, music time, looking through pictures, ball pit/tunnel time, etc. But there are only so many activities you can do before they (or you) lose interest.
Technology is your friend when you have two kids to entertain. Forget TV - all these websites with kid friendly programming are fantastic. Nick Jr. and Noggin were a big hit. I must have watched every video from Jack's Big Music Show. They have all these coloring pages you can print out. You can make music, read, etc. Both kids love watching animal videos on You Tube too and of course the Jib Jab animations over the holiday were fun and had to be played over and over. Thing 2 even learned how to replay it. Of course, being stuck in the house, you have to find some way to get the energy out. Nothing like giving the kids two soft pirate swords and unleashing the swashbucklers on each other. Keeps them entertained so they forget that you are there.
And the secret weapon - have a friend over! Bring in a third child to make things more interesting. Unfortunately, in our situation, most of Thing 1's friends were away for the holidays, but that first week, we took full advantage of anyone who was still home. Thing 1 and his friends play with each other and Thing 2 just follows them around trying to feel like she is part of the action. Your house is turned upside down and it looks like a hurricane came through, but at least it gives you another way to keep the kids busy - clean up time!
Thing 1 was very excited to go back to school. He is still at the age where school is enjoyable - no tests to study for or papers to write, etc. But, no one is more excited than us parents who send our eager children off to school today - at least through winter break!
Since Thing 1 began going to school regularly, I have come to the conclusion that when any given child is alone with their parent, they are a dream to be with. Add another to the mix and it become a chemistry experiment gone awry. Sure, they love each other. I see it when Thing 1 defends Thing 2 as she gets in trouble or Thing 2 gives her brother an impromptu hug. But, if boredom gets in the way, watch out!
Boredom tends to bring on trouble - sibling strife now being the most popular form of trouble in my home. It goes something like this. One child becomes bored. They rely on you to find something for them to do. If you cannot accomplish that task quick enough, soon enough, you will hear the shrieking of your other child as child one decides to have fun by tearing up someone's LEGO creation or taking away their blanket. And as usual, the other child always started it - even in toddler babble!
Silence is never a good sign when a child is in the home. Silence usually means someone is up to no good. In the past three weeks, I heard the sounds of silence a lot and while I usually enjoy it, in this context, it was nerve-racking, especially when my youngest would go missing somewhere in the house. I would find her shortly after she had dragged all her blankets out of the drawer and had proceeded to drag them all over the floor. Then of course, came the screaming when I would pick up the blankets and give her only one - it's never the one they want is it? Other silent moments led me to find her going through my purse and pulling debit/credit cards out of my wallet. To avoid moments like this, we had art time, music time, looking through pictures, ball pit/tunnel time, etc. But there are only so many activities you can do before they (or you) lose interest.
Technology is your friend when you have two kids to entertain. Forget TV - all these websites with kid friendly programming are fantastic. Nick Jr. and Noggin were a big hit. I must have watched every video from Jack's Big Music Show. They have all these coloring pages you can print out. You can make music, read, etc. Both kids love watching animal videos on You Tube too and of course the Jib Jab animations over the holiday were fun and had to be played over and over. Thing 2 even learned how to replay it. Of course, being stuck in the house, you have to find some way to get the energy out. Nothing like giving the kids two soft pirate swords and unleashing the swashbucklers on each other. Keeps them entertained so they forget that you are there.
And the secret weapon - have a friend over! Bring in a third child to make things more interesting. Unfortunately, in our situation, most of Thing 1's friends were away for the holidays, but that first week, we took full advantage of anyone who was still home. Thing 1 and his friends play with each other and Thing 2 just follows them around trying to feel like she is part of the action. Your house is turned upside down and it looks like a hurricane came through, but at least it gives you another way to keep the kids busy - clean up time!
Thing 1 was very excited to go back to school. He is still at the age where school is enjoyable - no tests to study for or papers to write, etc. But, no one is more excited than us parents who send our eager children off to school today - at least through winter break!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Malls in Poland
I've been meaning to comment on this for a while. I speculate that the fact that they went from communism to capitalism must have made them a bit nuts when it came to building the behemoth malls that spring up around here every couple of month. Since we arrived I think about 3 malls have opened up just here in Warsaw. From what I hear, this is going on all over the country. They seem to have the need to outdo the most recently built mall with an even bigger one.
You can buy just about everything at your local "Centrum Handlowe" which in essence means "shopping center." Each comes equipped (standard) with a supermarket (smaller than those hypermarkets - pseudoTarget/Wal-Mart stores like Real, Auchan or Carrefour), Kino (movie theater), and IMAX (even the movies need to be shown on larger screens). Multiple restaurants are scattered about as well as coffee shops (Starbucks will soon join the fray at long last!). Each mall has a playcenter with some funky name where (get this!) you can drop off your children while you shop. The kiddies get to play in bounce houses, obstacle courses, ball pits, etc. They get to tire themselves out while you enjoy your shopping experience. I haven’t tried that yet because I hate leaving Thing 1 by himself, but by the time Thing 2 is 3 and he is 6, I may let them go together.
Each mall is attached to a covered parking garage. Each parking slot has a a light above it signaling occupied (red) or available (green). Each row of parking spaces has it's own electronic display letting you know how many spaces are available in each row. And, if you wish to have your car washed while you shop, you can drop it off in the garage and it will be ready when you leave. The most convenient thing about this covered parking is the fact that if it’s time to go grocery shopping and it’s pouring rain outside, it matters not. Just head to your local Centrum Handlowe and shop there without getting yourself or your purchases wet.
Apparently, this mall building is a nationwide epidemic because they are now popping up in lesser known cities in Poland. Now what they have to do is pay for newly paved roads to take people to some of these malls!
You can buy just about everything at your local "Centrum Handlowe" which in essence means "shopping center." Each comes equipped (standard) with a supermarket (smaller than those hypermarkets - pseudoTarget/Wal-Mart stores like Real, Auchan or Carrefour), Kino (movie theater), and IMAX (even the movies need to be shown on larger screens). Multiple restaurants are scattered about as well as coffee shops (Starbucks will soon join the fray at long last!). Each mall has a playcenter with some funky name where (get this!) you can drop off your children while you shop. The kiddies get to play in bounce houses, obstacle courses, ball pits, etc. They get to tire themselves out while you enjoy your shopping experience. I haven’t tried that yet because I hate leaving Thing 1 by himself, but by the time Thing 2 is 3 and he is 6, I may let them go together.
Each mall is attached to a covered parking garage. Each parking slot has a a light above it signaling occupied (red) or available (green). Each row of parking spaces has it's own electronic display letting you know how many spaces are available in each row. And, if you wish to have your car washed while you shop, you can drop it off in the garage and it will be ready when you leave. The most convenient thing about this covered parking is the fact that if it’s time to go grocery shopping and it’s pouring rain outside, it matters not. Just head to your local Centrum Handlowe and shop there without getting yourself or your purchases wet.
Apparently, this mall building is a nationwide epidemic because they are now popping up in lesser known cities in Poland. Now what they have to do is pay for newly paved roads to take people to some of these malls!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
10 Items or LESS!
Thing 2 and I took a trip to our local store to purchase a few things I couldn't find at the other store we went to yesterday. I had 5 items so I got into the 10 artikuly czy mniejszy (10 items or less) lane. There are 3 people ahead of me when a older couple in the line begin to put much more than 10 items on the belt. What the f***? I thought to myself in English ,wishing that I knew how to say that in Polish (need to ask the Polish teacher about that one). I'm not even a native and I can read the freakin' sign.
I haven't been in a hurry since I moved here so while it was annoying, I let it go. The people behind me however, did not. This lady went up to the couple and called them on it. This older man began to justify his prescence in the line by trying to infer that groupings of the same type of items (for example, several different beers, different fruits, etc,)all counted as one artykuly. It got ugly. A manager was called. The guy must have said something derogatory because the manager went off to get security. People in other lanes started chiming in their opinions. It was crazy. I paid for my 5 items and got out of there.
I'm sure that this happens in the States all the time (although I have yet to be a witness, probably because I usually have more than 10 items and wouldn't be in that line anyway). But, it was much more humorous to witness in Polish.
I haven't been in a hurry since I moved here so while it was annoying, I let it go. The people behind me however, did not. This lady went up to the couple and called them on it. This older man began to justify his prescence in the line by trying to infer that groupings of the same type of items (for example, several different beers, different fruits, etc,)all counted as one artykuly. It got ugly. A manager was called. The guy must have said something derogatory because the manager went off to get security. People in other lanes started chiming in their opinions. It was crazy. I paid for my 5 items and got out of there.
I'm sure that this happens in the States all the time (although I have yet to be a witness, probably because I usually have more than 10 items and wouldn't be in that line anyway). But, it was much more humorous to witness in Polish.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Beware of Naming Your Newborn in Poland
This has to be the most amusing story that I have run across since I began reading the Polish weeklies published in English (although the drunk guy who broke wind at mention of the president's name was pretty funny too).
So, I'm reading the Warsaw Insider (http//:www.warsawinsider.pl) the other day and I run across an article about naming your baby. Like in the US, parents need to register their newborn in order to obtain a birth certificate. However, I couldn't stop laughing when I heard that the people who run this Bureau of Civil Affairs have the right to reject the baby's name. A law passed in 1986 gives these bureau employees the power to decide whether the name parents choose is offensive or potentially embarrassing to the child later in life. If you insist on a rejected name, you must petition a court of appeal.
At first, I thought this was a joke based on some rumor. However, I asked my Polish friends and they confirmed this to be true. Now that I think about it, this is probably a good idea for the US as well with all the weird names people come up with nowadays. But, it's not just the weird names. I learned that if I had wanted to name Thing 1 his given name and he was born here, they would not approve the English spelling. This means that Thing 1's name would be Rzecz 1 which is the polish name for Thing 1 (My son is not really named Thing 1, but for this blogs purpose that is his name). I'm afraid at what Thing 2's name would look like. I knew I was not crazy to have my second baby in the USA. Even if we opted for a 3rd while here, I would go back to the US to deliver.
So, celebrities beware! Courtney Cox and David Arquette's baby, Coco, would have had her name rejected for sure. Co in poland means "what." I doubt these conservative polish officials would have allowed them to name their kid "What?What?" Ditto for Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter "Apple," whose spelling would be altered to "Jabłka."
So, I'm reading the Warsaw Insider (http//:www.warsawinsider.pl) the other day and I run across an article about naming your baby. Like in the US, parents need to register their newborn in order to obtain a birth certificate. However, I couldn't stop laughing when I heard that the people who run this Bureau of Civil Affairs have the right to reject the baby's name. A law passed in 1986 gives these bureau employees the power to decide whether the name parents choose is offensive or potentially embarrassing to the child later in life. If you insist on a rejected name, you must petition a court of appeal.
At first, I thought this was a joke based on some rumor. However, I asked my Polish friends and they confirmed this to be true. Now that I think about it, this is probably a good idea for the US as well with all the weird names people come up with nowadays. But, it's not just the weird names. I learned that if I had wanted to name Thing 1 his given name and he was born here, they would not approve the English spelling. This means that Thing 1's name would be Rzecz 1 which is the polish name for Thing 1 (My son is not really named Thing 1, but for this blogs purpose that is his name). I'm afraid at what Thing 2's name would look like. I knew I was not crazy to have my second baby in the USA. Even if we opted for a 3rd while here, I would go back to the US to deliver.
So, celebrities beware! Courtney Cox and David Arquette's baby, Coco, would have had her name rejected for sure. Co in poland means "what." I doubt these conservative polish officials would have allowed them to name their kid "What?What?" Ditto for Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter "Apple," whose spelling would be altered to "Jabłka."
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Spring Break 2007: Southern Germany Theme Parks
Who says Florida is the theme park capital of the world? For spring break, we decided to have a fun family weekend and explore what Germany had to offer in the way of theme parks. Unfortunately, our trip did not get off to the best start.
I had reserved a taxi for the morning, but when the time came, there was no taxi. When I called, they said they could send one in half and hour. It was Saturday! How many people actively need cabs on a Saturday morning at 7am? There was no time to lose so we packed up the car and opted to pay for parking at the airport instead.
We rushed to the airport and parked in long term parking. Unlike other airports that have shuttles to take you to the terminal, we had to do without. The Cat took the bags and I took the kids up a hill to the departure terminal.
Things were not looking up since there was a very long line at Lufthansa's check in counter. There was no way we were going to make the flight. When it was finally our turn, we were informed that the Embassy travel office had not provide Thing 2 and me with a ticket, only a receipt. We were definitely not going to make the flight.
We went to the Carlson Wagonlit office at the airport to take care of the problem. The problem actually ended up saving us thousands of dollars. It turns out that, despite our late arrival at the airport, since the ticket agent made the mistake in not issuing the ticket, they would have to rebook our entire family at no cost to us. It was a major holiday week (Constitution Day and Labor Day) and had we had to change our flight for being late, we would have ended up paying nearly $1000 per ticket. So I am grateful for the agent's mistake.
The next flight to Munich was not until 3:30pm. So we had about an 8 hour layover in the Warsaw airport. Let me tell you about the Warsaw airport. There is only one terminal at this time because they keep delaying the opening of the new more modern one. There is a place to grab some ice cream, a cafe to have lunch and a few souvenir shops. That's it. No window shopping at Burberry or Coach. No toy store, nada!
After exhausting the ice cream and lunch options, the children played with some of their toys and Thing 2 practiced her walking throughout the terminal. She also peed on herself which required a change of clothes and since I had my luggage with me for a 6 hours of that 8 hour wait, it worked to my advantage.
We finally left for Munich around 3:30 arriving around 5pm. We rented our car and hopped on the autobahn towards Nuremberg which is mostly known for the war crime trials against the Nazis. The German autobahn is fantastic. It reminds me of home, but much more scenic.
Originally, we had planned to travel to the mountains to see Neuschwanstein Castle. The Cat and I had been there in 2000 and the kids had never gone. Thing 1 was familiar with it from the Little Einsteins. However, we had to cut that out of the itinerary because it was more out of our way than our other two destinations.
We arrived in Nuremberg in time to check in to our hotel and have dinner. We stayed a the lovely NH Hotel Nuremberg which was very clean and very modern looking. It reminded me of the decor at the Pizza "Bistro" Huts that I have previously described. I like chocolate brown so I was right at home.
We stayed overnight, had breakfast in the morning, packed the car again, and headed to Playmobil Fun Park. Playmobil is a brand of toys native to Germany that sell around the world including the US. Ironically, in researching the park, I found that there is a similar Fun Park in West Palm Beach about an hour from where I used to live. Go figure!
Anyway, the park is themed after the toys. It's not so much an amusement park as it is a play park. Different play areas were themed after different Play Mobil Sets. There was also an interactive indoor area where kids could explore the different toys and of course the gift shop.
The park was great. Our visit did not quite turn out that way. Thing 1 who has been suffering from terrible migraines, started experiencing a headache shortly after lunch. He ended up throwing up. We decided to cut our visit short and head to our next hotel, but he was really sick and was throwing up in the car. Luckily, I had a souvenir cup and let him use it to throw up in. It was not a pleasant day.
We checked into the Hotel Zettler in Gunzburg which was a bed and breakfast turned hotel. Thing 1 was feeling very ill and we just let him rest into the evening. We did not know if he would be up to going to his most anticipated attraction, LEGOLand Deutschland, in the morning. I think he heard us talking about it and made a complete recovery by dinner.
We headed to LEGOLand Deutschland the following day. It is every LEGO fan's dream. They had different areas themed after the different LEGO sets as well as a Mini Land of cities designed entirely with LEGOS. The park was more geared toward children Thing 1's age and older. I think 6 would have been a better age for him to have gone. Thing 1 enjoyed it anyway and Thing 2 was happy just tagging along, not quite understanding why her brother would disappear every so often. We spent a pleasant and very cool day at the park before heading back to Hotel Zettler.
The next morning we had a very pleasant and beautiful ride back to Munich to catch our flight home. The Bavarian region of Germany has loads of attractions for families and I'm not talking Oktoberfest here. The Germans are quite child friendly. For example, since Thing 2 is still drinking milk, I had to purchase milk every so often for her bottles. The Germans gave me free milk everywhere I went for her. Any time we went somewhere the kids would receive special treats. Young families would enjoy a vacation here.
I had reserved a taxi for the morning, but when the time came, there was no taxi. When I called, they said they could send one in half and hour. It was Saturday! How many people actively need cabs on a Saturday morning at 7am? There was no time to lose so we packed up the car and opted to pay for parking at the airport instead.
We rushed to the airport and parked in long term parking. Unlike other airports that have shuttles to take you to the terminal, we had to do without. The Cat took the bags and I took the kids up a hill to the departure terminal.
Things were not looking up since there was a very long line at Lufthansa's check in counter. There was no way we were going to make the flight. When it was finally our turn, we were informed that the Embassy travel office had not provide Thing 2 and me with a ticket, only a receipt. We were definitely not going to make the flight.
We went to the Carlson Wagonlit office at the airport to take care of the problem. The problem actually ended up saving us thousands of dollars. It turns out that, despite our late arrival at the airport, since the ticket agent made the mistake in not issuing the ticket, they would have to rebook our entire family at no cost to us. It was a major holiday week (Constitution Day and Labor Day) and had we had to change our flight for being late, we would have ended up paying nearly $1000 per ticket. So I am grateful for the agent's mistake.
The next flight to Munich was not until 3:30pm. So we had about an 8 hour layover in the Warsaw airport. Let me tell you about the Warsaw airport. There is only one terminal at this time because they keep delaying the opening of the new more modern one. There is a place to grab some ice cream, a cafe to have lunch and a few souvenir shops. That's it. No window shopping at Burberry or Coach. No toy store, nada!
After exhausting the ice cream and lunch options, the children played with some of their toys and Thing 2 practiced her walking throughout the terminal. She also peed on herself which required a change of clothes and since I had my luggage with me for a 6 hours of that 8 hour wait, it worked to my advantage.
We finally left for Munich around 3:30 arriving around 5pm. We rented our car and hopped on the autobahn towards Nuremberg which is mostly known for the war crime trials against the Nazis. The German autobahn is fantastic. It reminds me of home, but much more scenic.
Originally, we had planned to travel to the mountains to see Neuschwanstein Castle. The Cat and I had been there in 2000 and the kids had never gone. Thing 1 was familiar with it from the Little Einsteins. However, we had to cut that out of the itinerary because it was more out of our way than our other two destinations.
We arrived in Nuremberg in time to check in to our hotel and have dinner. We stayed a the lovely NH Hotel Nuremberg which was very clean and very modern looking. It reminded me of the decor at the Pizza "Bistro" Huts that I have previously described. I like chocolate brown so I was right at home.
We stayed overnight, had breakfast in the morning, packed the car again, and headed to Playmobil Fun Park. Playmobil is a brand of toys native to Germany that sell around the world including the US. Ironically, in researching the park, I found that there is a similar Fun Park in West Palm Beach about an hour from where I used to live. Go figure!
Anyway, the park is themed after the toys. It's not so much an amusement park as it is a play park. Different play areas were themed after different Play Mobil Sets. There was also an interactive indoor area where kids could explore the different toys and of course the gift shop.
The park was great. Our visit did not quite turn out that way. Thing 1 who has been suffering from terrible migraines, started experiencing a headache shortly after lunch. He ended up throwing up. We decided to cut our visit short and head to our next hotel, but he was really sick and was throwing up in the car. Luckily, I had a souvenir cup and let him use it to throw up in. It was not a pleasant day.
We checked into the Hotel Zettler in Gunzburg which was a bed and breakfast turned hotel. Thing 1 was feeling very ill and we just let him rest into the evening. We did not know if he would be up to going to his most anticipated attraction, LEGOLand Deutschland, in the morning. I think he heard us talking about it and made a complete recovery by dinner.
We headed to LEGOLand Deutschland the following day. It is every LEGO fan's dream. They had different areas themed after the different LEGO sets as well as a Mini Land of cities designed entirely with LEGOS. The park was more geared toward children Thing 1's age and older. I think 6 would have been a better age for him to have gone. Thing 1 enjoyed it anyway and Thing 2 was happy just tagging along, not quite understanding why her brother would disappear every so often. We spent a pleasant and very cool day at the park before heading back to Hotel Zettler.
The next morning we had a very pleasant and beautiful ride back to Munich to catch our flight home. The Bavarian region of Germany has loads of attractions for families and I'm not talking Oktoberfest here. The Germans are quite child friendly. For example, since Thing 2 is still drinking milk, I had to purchase milk every so often for her bottles. The Germans gave me free milk everywhere I went for her. Any time we went somewhere the kids would receive special treats. Young families would enjoy a vacation here.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Longer Days, Short Nights
When the clock sprung forward last month, it was a welcome change to the short days we had been having for 6 months. But soon, this too became somewhat of an adjustment. You see, the closer you live to the Arctic, the shorter or longer your days become depending on the season. Unfortunately, with the longer days, comes a really early sunrise (5:19 AM today) that continues to come earlier until summer solstice on 6/21. Why they decided to lengthen the day by adding time to the morning baffles me, but the point is that by summer solstice the sun will be rising at 4:13 AM and will then begin its decline until DST begins again. Sunset will be around 9:03 PM.
We have blackout curtains in our rooms. My problem is of a greater nature. We have always taught Thing 1 that he is not supposed to get up before he sees light in his window. Lately, he has been rising earlier and earlier. Not a good prognosis for summer vacation!
Speaking of which, if you are planning European travel, Scandinavian countries and cities along northern Europe are great to take in during the summer. Certainly, it may be crowded, but the weather is usually gorgeous with temperatures rarely getting into the 80's (average is 75) and if you travel in June, you will experience the longest days ever thereby maximing your vacation dollars or euros (especially in Oslo or Helsinki where the sun rises around 3:45AM and will not set until nearly 11PM).
We have blackout curtains in our rooms. My problem is of a greater nature. We have always taught Thing 1 that he is not supposed to get up before he sees light in his window. Lately, he has been rising earlier and earlier. Not a good prognosis for summer vacation!
Speaking of which, if you are planning European travel, Scandinavian countries and cities along northern Europe are great to take in during the summer. Certainly, it may be crowded, but the weather is usually gorgeous with temperatures rarely getting into the 80's (average is 75) and if you travel in June, you will experience the longest days ever thereby maximing your vacation dollars or euros (especially in Oslo or Helsinki where the sun rises around 3:45AM and will not set until nearly 11PM).
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