The Golden City of Prague

I remember the first time I caught a glimpse at the city of Prague. It was 1996 and I was watching Mission Impossible, most of which is filmed in Prague. “What a beautiful city!” I thought and put it on my mental “to visit/to do” list. So visiting Prague this past week (and at the most wonderful time of the year no less) was a thrill.

It is true that once you see one European city, you’ve seen them all. They all have several elements in common: market squares, churches representing a variety of architectural styles, history that is intertwined with that of other European countries and cities, old world charm. However, no matter how many things they have in common, each represents a distinct language, culture and cuisine that make the each experience different.

And, this is so of Prague and the Czech Republic. Both the city and country are very similar to Warsaw and Poland as a whole. The Czech language is to Polish was Portuguese is to Spanish and vice versa. The cuisine is similar – very hearty, artery clogging meat based dishes that no one could possibly eat day in and day out even if they are delicious. The drink of choice is beer. Pilsner is to the Czechs what Guinness is to the Irish. The original Budweiser did not come from the Anheuser Busch factory, but from the Czech Republic where it has been brewed for hundreds of years. Bohemian style Absinthe a powerful form of liquor (up to 90% proof) with supposed psychoactive and hallucinogenic elements is widely sold here legally. It is illegal to import Absinthe in the USA, so don’t ask me to make a purchase on your behalf. What is sold in the US is “Absente” which does not contain the same chemical composition as Absinthe. We bought a bottle and will let you know if anything happens.

Prague is known as the “golden” city, not because it is made of gold or resembles gold in the sunset, but because of the many legends and some factual accounts of alchemists who worked in Prague trying to turn metal into gold – although the sunset does make the city look golden as well. The heart of the city has a mix of medieval, renaissance and many times Romanesque charm. This charm is somewhat limited by the tacky souvenir shops that line practically every street in the city. But vendors are not pushy. As you make your way out of Prague, the effects of this post communist country can still be observed here although not as much as in Warsaw.

“Bohemian Rhapsody.” “La vie Boheme.” The term “Bohemian” has been used for centuries to describe the unconventional lifestyles of impoverished artists, writers, poets, or musicians. The region of the Czech Republic is known as Bohemia. The French coined the term “Bohemian” in reference to lifestyle choices because they believed that Gypsies (still unconventional around here) came from Bohemia. So, in essence, the people of Prague are known as Bohemians not for their unconventional lifestyle necessarily (although the lifestyle thrives here) but due to the region from which they came.

Our Drive to Prague

Since we had the time and due to the Polish and Czech additions to the Schengen zone (no passport needed at the border crossing) earlier this year, we decided to have ourselves an Eastern European road trip for a change. It actually turned out better than we anticipated thanks to some recommendations from our Polish friends. The roads (while not motorways) were not bad. Most of the way it was two lanes each way, but there was a good portion of Poland where it was a one way road each way. However, we left around 5am since it was going to be a 9 ½ hour trip and there really wasn’t any traffic. The biggest obstacle in traveling by car through Poland is construction and fatal car accidents which are all too frequent. With the exceptions of two minor waits at construction sites, we really experienced no problems. Once we crossed into the Czech Republic we had a one lane road for a while, but then it turned into an autobahn and it was smooth driving to Prague from there.

“Jill” our trustworthy GPS system led the way talking us through turns and exits. I cannot express how much this little device has change my life. I no longer worry about getting lost so long as “Jill” is in my pocket or car. She even finds restaurants and hotels for us. Lovely gal!

After a couple of stops for bathroom breaks and lunch, we arrived in Prague around 2pm.

The Aparthotel Angel

With a family of four, I always try to find spacious accommodations. Not an easy thing to do in Europe. However, more and more, I find that European cities are renting out apartments like hotels. So when I stumbled upon the Aparthotel Angel and read guest reviews, I knew it would be perfect for our family. Located in a modern section of Prague called Andel, our apartment had everything we could need. It was a one bedroom, with simple modern décor. A kitchen, mudroom area and bathroom with a balcony also included. In the living room, we were able to turn the couches together and make a bed for the kids which they were very excited about because it was the first time they had bunked together. And the Cat and I had privacy as well.

After checking in, we chose to explore the area near the hotel and have dinner. There was an Alberts and Tesco supermarket chain within a block from our apartment . So we bought some milk, water, and basic breakfast/snack items . This way we didn’t have to be in a rush to get out early to find breakfast.

A rather new mall and restaurants galore (including TGI Fridays) were located within a block and so was the Metro Andel and Tram stops 12 and 20 connecting us to the Lesser Town and rest of Prague. It was a quiet yet bustling area and I would definitely stay there again. Since we have been away from the USA for almost a year now, we hit TGI Fridays immediately. People ask why would you eat there if you could eat at a Czech restaurant? Two answers: the kids and nostalgia. Technically, we only live in America 6 weeks out of the year. So, American food has now become foreign to us so we indulge in it when we find it. The menu here was just like the one back home albeit a bit more expensive and the kids were given balloons and paper and crayons to draw. We were quite pleased. We turned in early having been awake since 4am and recharged for the next day.

Transportation

Many would think that riding a Metro to get around is the easiest way to get from place to place. It may be easy, but time and again, we have found ourselves paying for 2, 3, 4 day passes to ride a Metro twice in a day. Europe is meant to be explored on foot. On top of that, it is good to walk because chances are you will be pigging out the local delicacies. Walking helps level off the extra calories. If you really need to avoid walking too much, opt for a tram ride. This way you at least see the city while you ride.

Staro Mesto – The Old Town

We started out around 9:30 with a Metro ride to the Old Town area. We walked to Karlov Most better known as the Charles Bridge and took in the view of Hradčany aka the Prague Castle area across the river. We climbed to the top of the Old Bridge Tower for a view across the bridge and over the Old Town. Prague is a city of many views. You can climb up the Bridge Tower, the Old Town Hall Tower, The Petrin Look Out Tower, St. Nicholas Church, the Castle, etc. I say pick a tower on one side of the river and one on the other and stick to it. Otherwise you are paying people to climb stairs for the same view which is a rather unnecessary form of exercise considering that you will spend most of your visit walking on an incline anyway – did I mention the hills yet? Keep reading!

From Karlov Most, we walked along the tourist trap that is Karlova Street. I have never seen so many souvenir shops selling the same thing in my entire life. Maybe in New York? Is it really necessary to have so many tacky shops? We window shopped as we strolled eventually into the Old Town Square. We arrived just in time to see the Astronomical (i.e the Doomsday) clock at work. Every hour Death, a skeleton figure chimes the bell prompting windows to open so you can see the 12 Apostles moving around. Nice to see, but I wouldn’t wait more than 5 minutes to see it. It was around 11 by then so we decided to have lunch early at an Italian restaurant, U Minuty. They had pizza so we knew the kids would eat. Most restaurants in Prague have a “U” prefix that really mean “under.” This restaurant we later learned was once one of the many homes of the writer Franz Kafka of “The Metamorphosis” fame.

After lunch, we explored the Old Town. There are some art galleries scattered about, a Salvador Dali exhibit and shops selling Kafka books, Bohemian glass and crystal, wood carved Russian nesting dolls, T-shirts, beer steins, etc. We went up Celetna street and back down another street back towards the tour bus stop on the square.
We signed up for a coffee break on the river tour through Martin Tours. They picked us up by tour bus and brought us to the dock where we boarded a small cruise boat (not along the same lines as those in Paris or German cities on the Rhine) where we were served cake and coffee.

The cruise went up and down the river providing yet another view of the city. The kids enjoyed the ride and we had a chance to recharge on caffeine. After the tour, we walked down Pariska street which looked very much like a Paris street. The street took us through Josefov, the Jewish Quarter where we strolled past some very old synagogues and high end boutiques (Louis Vuitton, Cartier, etc) reminiscent of the Champs Elysees in Paris. We continued past the Old Town and into Na Prokipe street ending at Wenceslas Square.

Wenceslas Square bridges the area between the Old and New Town. It is a large boulevard like the Champs Elysees, but without the traffic. Streets are lined with hotels, restaurants and shops. The significance of Wenceslas Square lies in politics. When the people of Prague protest, this seems to be the place to gather. The events of the Prague Spring in 1968 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989 took place here. Further, this square may look familiar because it was used to represent two locations in Mission Impossible: The Grand Hotel Europa served as Max’s apartment and the façade of National Museum behind St. Wenceslas Statue was used to represent the US Embassy. St. Wenceslas is the same one represented in the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas.”

From the square, we chose to hike up the hills and across the Vltava river for dinner near our hotel. We then walked back to our hotel to unwind and give the kids some play time before bed.

Hradčany

The Hradčany are of Prague is best known for the Castle Complex. The complex is situated on top of hill. The easiest way to get there is to take tram 22 or 23 to the Prazsky Hrad stop. You can hike up the hill if you really want to, but with strollers that was not a good option for us. And just to warn you, going down may seem easier, but it is not because the trails can be rather steep. So, take the tram!

The castle is not really a castle, but a group of buildings that include St. Vitus Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Old Royal Palace, the Czech president’s home and office, St. George’s Basilica, and Golden Lane. You can pay for each attraction separately or in a bundle. We chose the short audio guide tour because we doubted the kids would survive past two hours. A guard keeps watch at the entrance to the 1st courtyard and there is a changing of the guard every hour. No matter how much you look them in the eye, they do not blink! The beginning of castle complex dates back to 880. Since this time, the “castle” has served as the seat of the head of state, the princes and later kings, and also of the highest representative of church, the Prague bishop. By the 14th century, it was an imperial residence, the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor, King Charles IV. King Charles IV grew up in France and was Francophile. When you look at the way the city of Prague is laid out, it is difficult not to notice the French influence brought here by Charles IV.

St. Vitus Cathedral

As you stroll into the 2nd courtyard, the magnificent façade of St. Vitus Cathedral is the first building you encounter. I have seen many Cathedrals in the last 2 years, but I liked this one most (so far) because of the light. Most Cathedrals in Europe are kept dimly lit, but this one had natural light flowing through the stained glass window making it easier to take pictures.

While the history of the castle complex dates back to the year 880, the cathedral was founded in 1344, a year after Notre Dame of Paris was completed. It was modeled after the cathedrals in France (flying buttresses and all) and was not completed fully until 1929 although it was in use prior to that time. It is reminiscent of Stephansdom in Vienna ca 1160 and the Cologne Cathedral also built over a 600 year period.

A branch of the Habsburgs are buried in one of their many imperial tombs at the center of the Cathedral before the high altar. The remains/relics of St. Wenceslas are kept within Wenceslas Chapel which is not open to the public. The crown of St. Wenceslas is kept in the chapel under seven locks. Seven keys are distributed to various heads of government so that the locks can only be open if all seven keyholders are present. It is only on display once every 8 years. St. John Nepomunk (more on him later) is interred here in an ornate silver coffin as is King Charles IV who practically built the city of Prague himself.

From the Cathedral you exit into another courtyard where the presidential palace is located adjacent to the Old Royal Palace. The presidents palace serves as the office to the Czech President , currently Vaclav Klaus. Only five rooms are open to the public including Vladislav Hall. Its big windows are considered to be one of the first examples of the renaissance style in Bohemia. Other rooms includes a bed chamber, parliament, and a chapel. Walking past the Old Royal Palace, you come upon St. George’s basilica, the oldest church in the complex built around 920. Inside you can see remnants of Romanesque ceiling paintings as well as tombs of other Bohemian kings.

Following St. Georges we walked towards Golden Lane. Dating from the 15th Century, this small street is lined by 11 historic houses which now sell all kinds of souvenirs. Golden Lane got its name from the story of alchemists living in the street during the reign of Rudolf II who tried to make not only the philosopher stone or the elixir of youth, but also to transform metals into gold. Franz Kafka lived here in no.22. The lane itself is charming, but unbelievably overcrowded. I would avoid it or go first thing in the morning if you are claustrophobic or just don’t like people.

As you exit Golden Lane, you end up in front of Daliborka Tower, an old dungeon named after a young knight, Dalibor, its first prisoner. That pretty much sums up the short tour. The grounds are open to the public from 5am to midnight daily, so you can wander through the gardens or take the trails as far down as you can stand it into the Lesser Town.

We hiked down the trails for a while until we found a tram stop and took that down the hill. After an afternoon nap for all, we headed back out for dinner around Wenceslas Square. After dinner, we walked towards Karlov Most for a beautiful sunset over Hradcany. That night we stayed out until about 10pm wandering around Kampa Island and the Lesser Town. We wandered into Kampa Island by accident looking for a bathroom for Thing 2. It is accessed by going down some steps (also featured in Mission Impossible) on the Mala Strana side of the Karlov Most. The island is a tributary of the river and contains some small hotels, restaurants and a nice park. Best of all, it was practically deserted in the evening and it was quite serene on the banks of the river. After the bathroom break, we found a playground and tired the kids out for a while. We headed into Mala Strana from there and ended up at the only Starbucks in town. From there we took tram 20 back to the hotel.

Petrin Hill and Mala Strana

Our last day in Prague was absolutely gorgeous. Not a cloud in the sky. We headed over to Petrin Hill via tram 20 to Ujezd. Petrin Hill is a park on one of the many hills. At the base of the hill before going up to the funicular, is a sculpture memorial to the victims of communism. It contains seven “phases” of a man living in a totalitarian state – from the first statue being a full man, up to the last statue where only a part of him remains. This evaporation represents the gradual physical and psychical destruction of a man who is ruled by any undemocratic regime. The man disappears due to censorship, secret police, no freedom of thoughts and expressions etc. A very moving memorial.

From the base, you walk up to Ujezd (the funicular tram) included in any transportation ticket. You will want to take the funicular as the hill is 1043 feet high! As you ride up the funicular, you see the city of Prague emerging from the trees. The park contains many gardens, trails. It is peaceful and quiet yet a nice open area for the kids to safely run around. Thing 1 was psyched to climb up to the Petrin Observation Tower. A small version of Paris's Eiffel Tower, it was built in 1891. The tower is 60 meters tall, which doesn't sound particularly high until you add the fact that it sits on the top of Petrin hill, overlooking the whole of Prague. Together with the hills height, the altitude is similar to the actual Eiffel Tower. The view is magnificent and well worth the 299 step climb to reach the viewing platform. As we strolled through the park, we came upon an indoor labyrinth of mirrors like the funhouses at carnivals in the States. The kids loved making their through the maze and then ended in a room of mirrors with distorted appearances. Thing 2 was thrilled with this making herself taller whenever possible.

As we made our way down Petrin Hill, we walked towards Mala Strana or Lesser Town. We visited St. Nicholas church which is much more magnificent than the one in Old Town. The interior of St. Nicholas is finely decorated with statues, paintings, and frescoes. The art work tells the story of St. Nicholas which Thing 1 found interesting. Many sections are carved in marble. The church was constructed in the Baroque style around 1702. It was certainly impressive.

We had some lunch in Mala Strana and then crossed over the Karlov Most into the Old Town area for an afternoon of shopping. Prices were reasonable for the most part with the exception of the glass and crystal shops. The Czech Republic is still on the Czech Koruny. The problem is that figuring out the exchange rate is difficult due tot he quantities. Over the weekend 1 CZK was valued at about $16 USD. So you had to do lots of division to figure out the price in USD. Very confusing for me - luckily my husband is a math genius. Thing 2 got a puppy marionette and Thing 1 got himself a wooden biplane. We bought ourselves a canvas painting of Prague at one of the galleries and a few other souvenirs. We headed back to our hotel to pack up for our drive home.

Prague is a wonderful long weekend getaway. Prague can be divided into four quadrants, three of which hold the majority of attractions, so three full days is all you need. Any extra days can be spent wandering around the city or taking day trips to the other castles within the Czech Republic. The city is great to see in conjunction with a trip to its sister country Slovakia or southern Germany. Dresden is a few hours away.

If I had to do it again, I would not come with young children. We just happen to be living in Europe so the kids tag along. But young children (my son in particular) are picky eaters and tire easily walking up the hills. Being on a slight incline, you feel like you are always walking up a hill. The streets are mostly small cobblestone. So, while we managed with strollers, it was challenging. Eating out, unless it was American fast food, pubs or Italian restaurants serving pizza is a challenge and there are only so many meals I can allow my child to skip. We had Czech food for lunch on one day and the Cat, Thing 2 (who eats anything) and I are the only ones who ate while Thing 1 refused and snacked his way through the day instead. Very frustrating!

The attraction information above was made available via attraction brochures, the Insight Guide: Prague and the following websites:

Prague Experience: http://www.pragueexperience.com/http://www.prague.net/

For tours, we recommend Martin Tours: http://www.martintour.cz/

For accommodations, we recommend Aparthotel Angel: http://www.prague-rent-apartment.com/?gclid=CN-YzIeAypMCFQ1LQgodATxdiQ

For currency exchange rates: http://www.xe.com/

A mother's mission to find sand in Warsaw

Just when you think you are fully acclimated to an environment something happens to shake things up a bit....Over the holidays, the kids received a sand and water table. They have not been able to really use it until now because of the cold weather. Now that Warsaw is coming out of hibernation, so has this table. So, Thing 1 and I went to OBI, the Polish/German version of Home Depot. Mind you, I had done my research. the polish word for sand is "piasek." So, I came prepared to ask if necessary.

So, we look around and find all kinds of potting soil and other gardening ingredient, but no sand. We went next door to REAL, the Polish/German version of Target that also has a gardening section. Nothing. So, I came home with one disappointed child, but no sand. So, I am trying to wrap my mind around this because at most stores, the big plastic animal shaped sand boxes are on sale along with pails and shovels for the sandbox. So, where are people getting sand? I jokingly mentioned this to Thing 2's preschool teacher and she commented that the school director got her sand for the large sandbox they have from a construction site. She just bagged it herself. So, I begin telling the Cat that we have to take a trip to a construction site late at night and take some sand. This table only requires a small amount of sand, so a few grocery bags would do. Being the straight arrow he is, he refuses. He also refused to go out to find some after I told him about getting his pronunciation right: if you say piesek instead of piasek apparently you would be asking for a small dog. So, I continued my search.

Finally, as if by Divine Intervention (the law of attraction, perhaps), sand began to appear everywhere. I passed a car advertising "piasek" and it turns out that the Embassy is doing construction and I came to my Polish lesson last week to find a mound of sand at the compound. But, I continued looking and finally learned that the local Home Depot received their sand shipment. So, for Mother's Day, I had two happy, but muddy messes, on my deck!

A Stompin' Good Time Amidst Unbeknownst History...

I am very pleased to report that we had enjoyable time at STOMP last night even with our two year old daughter. The Cat was dreading the evening out of fear that we would have a repeat of the Nutcracker. For those of you who do not know, we tried a theater outing with Thing 1 and Thing 2 over the holidays to see the Nutcracker Ballet. Thing 1 watched, but did not enjoy it citing “I’m a boy mom – ballet is for girls.” Thing 2 enjoyed it for a bit, but we did not make it through the second act. When I heard STOMP was coming to Warsaw, I had a feeling that this would be Thing 2’s type of production.

I was not surprised that my two year old sat for an hour and 45 minutes in awe of what she was watching and hearing. Between numbers, she could be heard saying “uh oh” thinking something was wrong because they stopped “stompin.” If you have seen this show, you probably participated in the call and response section of the show. So did Thing 2 as best as she could. She had an incredible time. Now of course, she is trying to replicate what she saw, trying to bang on our empty water jugs from the water service.

Thing 1, on the other hand, slept through most of it. I don't know how he did it. Despite that, he said he liked it in his "dream." Whatever! He initially said it was too loud. Understandable. But if you know Thing 1, he can be pretty loud. I constantly have to remind him to use an indoor voice. So, it was a bit ironic.

STOMP was performed at Sala Kongresowa within the Palace of Culture and Science/Pałac Kultury i Nauki (PKiN). This “palace” was a “gift” from Stalin to Poland during the 1950’s. Similar “gifts” were given to other communist bloc countries so if you visit these countries you may encounter similar buildings. The building is very controversial and for some time it was a bit of an eye sore. Older Poles hate it and will tell you that it should be bombed or destroyed. Young Poles do not have the same associations with the building as their parents or grandparents. To most, it is now a place for entertainment that includes museums, a movie theater, clubs and performance venues. There is an elevator that will take you up to the 30th floor for a view of the city which is probably nicer to view during the evening when it is lit up.

When we took our seats in Sala Kongresowa, we noticed a few things. In front of each seat was a wooden fold out table like the ones found in front of you on an airplane. These, however, remained at an incline as if their purpose was to hold a book or to be used as a small writing desk. The seats were rigid with high hard backs obviously not intended for an entertainment venue. The only thing I could think of was that the seats were used by people who needed to stay awake because they are not the most comfortable (you can ask Thing 1 who tried to sleep amidst the noise from STOMP). As I looked around, it struck me that this looked like a meeting place. The name itself “Congress Hall” gives that impression.

Knowing the history of the building, I commented to The Cat that this looked like it might be a former “congress” or meeting place of the communist party. I even took some pictures of the place because it seemed to have some historical significance. So, imagine my surprise when I learned that my hypothesis was correct. The hall was used for meetings or “congresses” of the Communist Party during that era. To think a comrade was sitting in that seat 50 years ago!

Easter in Poland - Part Deux

I don’t want to jump the gun. Meteorologists, who so far have failed to predict any weather accurately since we got here, are calling for snow next week. However, all signs point to spring. I’ve seen more birds around and some trees are growing flower buds. After a disappointing winter (depending on how you look at it) that included several days of snow showers without the anticipated accumulation, I think we are all ready to ditch the coats and sweaters for some lighter clothes. The weather is warming and changing between occasional showers and beautiful sunny days. Daylight Savings time does not begin until March 30th, but already the sun is setting later than usual.

We have got a busy week coming up leading to Easter. Since there is not a white egg to be found in Poland, we must get creative in our egg decorating. Just dyeing the eggs won’t do – we are painting them this year. I have a feeling that this is where the tradition of pisanki or hand painted eggs in this part of the world is derived from. If you chip away at the paint on one of those beautiful hand-painted eggs, I bet there is a simple brown egg under the paint.

Easter or “Wielkanoc,” as it is known here, is bigger than Christmas in this part of the world and especially here in Poland. While I wrote about this a bit last year and some may be redundant, I have learned more about the local traditions so I thought I would share.

The Poles go all out with their colorful palm creations, religious and secular activities. There are activities in local museums to teach you the art of pisanki and entire sections of large hipermarkets become Easter headquarters selling all kinds of chocolate eggs, animals (stuffed and edible), décor, flowers for arrangements and so on. Dyeing Easter eggs, the Easter bunny and egg hunts are not part of traditional Easter here, but you can see the American influence of such traditions creeping its way into stores. The preschools here (at least the international ones) hold Easter egg hunts for young children.

The holiday gets underway on Palm Sunday. The palms you find here are the most elaborate you will ever see. They are so decorative that people place the dried palms in vases for decoration as we did this year with ours. In some areas of Poland, palm decorating contests take place followed by a live depictions of Jesus' donkey ride into Jerusalem played out while people with their decorated plams line the route. The most well known of these festivals is in the city of Lyse. During the following week, families, usually the women, do some spring cleaning, preparing their homes for the Easter family breakfast on Sunday.

Everything closes on early Saturday afternoon and will not open until Tuesday morning since Easter Monday or “Wet Monday” as it is known here, is also celebrated here - more on that in a second. On Saturday afternoon/evening, families go to church with large decorated baskets filled with foods they will be having at their traditional Easter breakfast. The food is blessed by the priest and the family returns home. On early Sunday morning, the majority of Poles head to their local church for Easter Mass. Then, the entire family including extended family, gathers at someone's home for Easter breakfast. This is unlike what we know of as breakfast. It is more like a brunch because it includes salads and soup, bread, meat dishes, kielbasa, baba (a type of funnel cake) and mazurek (another type of cake). The meal begins by sharing pieces of hard boiled eggs among family members. The rest of the day is spent visiting with family.

That is all followed by "Wet Monday." You may wonder why they call it “wet.” If you venture out on that day, you will likely find out if you are not careful. It is tradition for boys to wake girls early on Easter Monday by pouring a bucket of water over their heads. A variation of this includes “whipping” the girls legs with the decorated Easter palm although that tradition is rarely practiced today and makes absolutely no sense. Supposedly these traditions date back to 750 and the name for the water/whipping action is called “Smigus-Dingus.” In the last century, the tradition turned into more of a courting ritual between unmarried girls and boys. Under the threat of being drenched, girls gave the boys decorated eggs. No eggs and you get splashed. It’s a like some sort of Trick or Treat/Fertility ritual (symbolism of the eggs). A girl who was not targeted for such activities was generally considered to be beznadziejna (hopeless).

Today, the whipping part is no longer as popular and the holiday focuses on mutually attacking everything and everyone brave enough to venture out on this day. Teenagers are the worse, armed with water guns, buckets of water, water balloons, etc. They find it amusing to attack strangers on the street with their water bombs and the like, which is why you either stay indoors or be hypervigilant of your surroundings. Since it is still cold here, being doused with cold water is not very pleasant.

We will be painting Easter eggs throughout the week, especially towards the end since next weekend is a 4 day weekend for the kids. I have lots of egg related activites to keep them busy. Tomorrow, we will have our first Easter egg hunt of the week at the Ambassador's Residence, followed by another egg hunt at Thing 2's preschool later in the week.

Thing 1 is following in his uncle's footsteps and begins T-ball tomorrow with an indoor clinic at his school. Games start in April. Thing 2 seems to be following in my footsteps with her interest in all things musical. We could not pass up the opportunity to take my little musician to see "STOMP" this weekend at Sala Kongresova in the Palace of Culture and Science. We think this is the perfect show for a child who turns everything she finds into a drum. We think that even Thing 1 will find it interesting. I will follow up on that one with another post over the weekend.

If you wish to view some pictures taken by a local photographer about various aspects of Easter in Poland, please go to: http://www.pbase.com/jolka/easter_in_poland. It pretty much covers everything a discussed above.

The City of Lights

Paris. The name alone brings to memory romance, culture, art, some of the world’s finest cuisine and a rich history dating back to the Romans. When you add children to this mix, it is what you make of it. Certainly, the Cat and I were not planning a romantic trip when we decided to bring the kids. We contemplated making the trip without them, but just could not bear not to share Paris with them. Surprisingly, there was a lot to do with them in Paris. What follows will give you an idea of what it is like to travel with a young preschooler and a school age child and the logistics that go into planning such a trip as well as my opinion of Paris after having visited once without and now with children.

Before the Trip

Packing for a family is very different from packing for one or two adults. Children require lots of planning and the more thought out your plan the smoother your trip will go. Since I have lots on my mind to keep track of who needs what. I began a "packing list" for each child with what their particular needs are. I have been doing this since before Thing 2. I print out each list prior to packing and start adding items to the suitcase and crossing things out. I have yet to forget anything of importance for them. As much as I hate it, toys are a must. If you are in a hotel, you will want your kids to be entertained while you get ready in the morning. The TV channels abroad do play programs from Disney and Nickelodeon as well as programs produced in their country, but these are usually dubbed int he native language, in this case, French. So, it is wise to pack crayons, coloring books, stuffed animals for the little ones, games, videos in English, books and special small toys that you know they like.In preparation, I did my homework and came up with several books and movies that Thing 1 could read and watch about Paris. We also went on the websites for the different attractions and took a look at the information. Lots of the sites provide a section for kids.

When traveling with the kids, I always pack enough entertainment and food for the trip. I never go anywhere without crayons and paper or a coloring book, especially not in Europe because restaurants here don’t give your kids crayon and paper to entertain them.

Puzzles, children’s magazines, and the thin step into reading books work wonders for Thing 1. Thing 1 loves her FP3 player, books, crayons and paper. Small figurines or action figure can also keep kids entertained. Don’t count on in flight entertainment – most movies are for adults. Portable DVD players or a laptop computer with a sampling of DVD’s works great.

To travel light, we have copied many of our DVD’s onto our I-Pods with the IM Too DVD Ripper Software (you can find this on line). It is time consuming, but now we have all the most popular shows on a hard drive and when we take a trip we transfer what we need to each of our I-pods and voila! Instant entertainment for the most bored child. Yes, they may take on a comatose look in flight, but would you prefer to have a bored kid annoying other passengers or one sitting quietly albeit like a zombie looking at a screen? Sometimes you need to choose your battles!

Getting to Paris

Paris has three main airports. But, Charles De Gaulle (CDG) is the most well known of the three. It is located about 30 km north of Paris. All airports provide transfers into the city center. If you are traveling with kids and plan to stay at the Disneyland resort, Disney provides a courtesy coach shuttle to the resort from both CDG and Orly. You are most likely to fly into Charles De Gaulle airport so I will focus on that one.

Unlike some European airports, CDG planes pull into a terminal (no shuttle buses to the terminal). Signs are posted in English and French and even with the most minimal exposure to French you can make out what the signs say. Most airport personnel speak English. The airport has lots of moving walkways that make navigation with a stroller easy. Enjoy the convenience while you can – more on that later! Getting into Paris from the Airport

Taxis from CDG run about 60 Euros/$88 USD one way. Pretty expensive! The cheapest mode of transport into the city is the RER B train. It takes you straight into the city with a stop at a main transfer station Chatêlet/Le Halles. You can either buy a one way ticket to your location or depending on the length of your stay, you can purchase a Paris Visité pass for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. This pass allows for unlimited access to metro trains (including RER’s) and buses for the length of the pass. If you are taking the metro from the airport, make sure you buy a pass for zones 1-6. There are different passes for different zone inclusions. The more zones, the more it costs. My recommendation is to figure out how many days you plan on traveling to zones 4, 5, 6 which includes the airport, Disneyland Paris and Versailles among others. Then, purchase a zone 1-6 pass for those days and a separate zone 1-3 pass for the remaining days.

Of course, if you have young children, a stroller and 3-4 bags, taking the Metro from the airport can be a challenge. A nice alternative to both the taxi and metro is the Air France Shuttle Bus. They serve many stops around Paris and will save you about $75 USD in taxi fare. The shuttle bus is a coach bus. Children 2 and up pay ½ fare, under are free. If you choose this option prior to booking your hotel, it is a good idea to locate hotels in the vicinity of your bus stop. Our hotel was across the street from the bus stop making it very convenient for us. For information on all these options and more, visit: http://aircityshuttle.tourpackagers.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=119 .

Hotels

Hotels in Paris are expensive even if they call themselves “budget.” The budget hotel I am familiar with here is the no frills “Ibis” chain. There are also hostels to be found here. If you are single or traveling as a couple, these are good choices if you don’t wish to spend a fortune on a room you only use for sleeping.

We have been unable to stay at any budget accommodations since we had kids because we need more space, another commodity not easily found in Paris. To give you an idea, when I visited 9 years ago without kids (before the Cat), I stayed at a hotel where the bed itself took up the entire room. You only had space to walk around the bed to get to the equally small bathroom.

Secondly, when looking for a hotel for a family with children, you have to look at the fine print. As I said, rooms run small. Many hotels have child policies. In some, you have to book two rooms. Some have you pay a percentage for a child; some allow children to stay free when using parent’s beds. While this may work with infants, it does not work with older kids. If you search for hotels through a travel search engine and input 2 children and 2 adults, your choices will be very limited. One site I like is Booking.com. They have the hotel policies on children for different hotels and they also tell you what your entire stay will cost based on the nights entered.

I picked out the Novotel Gare de Lyon. Novotel is a mid range hotel chain about 3 – 4 stars depending on what you pay. It is popular here in Europe and run by the Accor group. They are not unlike typical USA hotels. Our hotel was ideally located right across the street from Gare de Lyon, a Metro and major train station that services trains to the south of France. I also chose this hotel because it was on RER A train line to Disneyland Paris, which was in our plans.

Our room was actually big by European standards. There was a bathroom with a separate tub and shower area and the toilet was located in another enclosure. The room had a king size bed and a sofa. Both sides of the sofa pulled out into two twin beds. By bedtime, you could not walk around your room, but we really did not have to. In the morning, we just pushed the beds into place and had a small living room that the kids turned into a play area. The hotel and the room itself were clean. They included an instant coffee and tea making machine free of charge and an exorbitantly priced mini bar (5 Euros for a bottle of Evian!). The room was air conditioned, but the air coming out felt more like a fan. Luckily, it was winter time so we only had to open the window to get some cool air. This is another consideration. If, like me, you cannot stand to be hot, do not travel anywhere in Europe over the summer. Most hotels do not have A/C and if they do, the rooms are climate controlled. In some places, you can get away with traveling in April or May because it is still cool and you can open a window.

The hotel offered petit dejeuner (breakfast) every morning. We only ate there on the morning we left. The breakfast was pretty good – scrambled or hard boiled eggs, bacon, sausage, cold meats, cheeses, cereals, and authentic French bread, toast and chocolate and butter croissants. However, at 30 Euros for a family of four, it was quite overpriced. We bought some croissants at the local boulangerie (bakery) every couple of days during our stay.

There are two small markets within a block of this hotel: Monoprix and Super Marche. Both sold water, milk, snacks (including American brands) as well a Pain au chocolat (chocolate bread/croissant). We bought what we needed every few days.

For Novotel hotels go to: http://www.novotel.com/novotel/index.html
For website with a great selection of European Hotels go to: http://www.booking.com
 

Transportation

The Metro and Bus are all you will need. Don’t bother driving here. The traffic is horrendous. There is a beltway they call the “Peripherique” that circles the city and I hear that it is a nightmare for foreigners to navigate. The guide book told us not to and after what happened to us in Dublin last year, we listened.

Something to keep in mind is that in order to really see the city, you have to walk. If you are ok just going from attraction to attraction, then you can literally travel underground never seeing the city above ground. But, walking through Paris is part of the whole experience. We used the Paris Visite Pass, but we feel we probably would have done well paying for individual tickets because we walked all over the place. We mostly used the Metro to get to attractions outside of Paris and in the morning and evenings to get to attractions or head back to the hotel. The metro is extremely efficient with trains at any time of day running every 3-5 minutes. We never waited more than 5 minutes.

The RER trains tend to run every 12-15 minutes. There are 5 RER lines (A, B, C, D, E) going in every direction towards the Paris suburbs. Think of it like the Tri Rail in Miami or the VRE in Virginia or the train from New York to Long Island. RER A runs to Disneyland Paris and RER C to Versailles.

Make sure you get on the train going in the right direction especially on the RER. You may board a train that looks like it is going in the direction you need to go, but then it splits off at the end. This happened to me last time I visited. Today, they have boards with all the stations and all stops related to the next train are lit up. Make sure your stop is lit up or you may end up elsewhere.

We did not use the buses, but from what I saw, they are modern looking and have a feature I think every bus should have. On the outside of the bus, instead of advertising, they actually have all the bus stops listed like they do on the metro trains. So, if you are walking along and come across a bus that is going where you are headed, just hop on!

For more information on transportation in Paris go to: http://www.ratp.fr/
 

Crime

Pickpockets are everywhere and you will see signs posted telling you to watch your pockets and handbags. We did not have any problems. Just make sure your purse is closed or zipped, same for any backpacks.

Accessibility

Normally, I would not write about this, but I felt it was a must. The question on our minds throughout the week was: “How do disabled people get by in this city?” This question came to mind most in Metro Stations. It was rare to find an elevator or a gate accessible to wheelchairs. We had an easily collapsible umbrella stroller which he either had to collapse or the Cat had to pick up with Thing 2 in it and carry it up flights of stairs. If there are Metro entrances with elevators, I never saw one. If you take RER trains you will find a random elevator to move between platforms, but that’s it. For this reason, I would not travel here with infants. The umbrella stroller was ok but those bulky travel systems are too difficult to navigate. We saw many parents with oversized stroller and prams and I felt sorry for them because the metro and some attractions are not stroller friendly.

Bathrooms

Ok, not something people usually write about, but this is useful information. When I came here in 1999, you had to pay 2 Francs to use the public toilets found in the middle of the street. Most people prefer to use clean bathrooms found in restaurants or cafés. The French are very greedy when it comes to people coming into their establishments just to use the bathroom. Nothing is free in Paris so if you want to use their bathrooms, you are supposed to buy something. Since they converted over to the Euro, the public toilets are now free (and as dirty as ever), but the restaurants have found more ingenious ways to keep you from using their toilets without buying something. The most unbelievable case of this was at McDonald’s of all places. We had stopped to eat there and Thing 1 needed to use the bathroom. This Mc Donald’s had a coded entry into their bathroom. And guess where you could find the code! Yep – on your receipt.

Another useful tip: always carry 50 cents (Euro) with you. At the Carrousel du Louvre, they had pay toilets for 50 cents. I had 1 euro coin so I put that in. It did not work. I ended up having to make change and paid 1.50 to use a toilet. That’s like $2.25 USD!

Aesthetics

When I say aesthetics, I am not talking about art. One of the biggest surprises I encountered with this visit was the blatant disregard that locals had for their city. Trash littered the streets even on the Champs Elyse. Everywhere we walked cigarette butts littered the street. We had to watch our step because with the number of dogs out and about and owners that do not clean up after them, you were bound to step on something if you did not watch your step.

The number of homeless people begging in subway stations and sleeping on the banks of the Seine was staggering. Along the river, you could see pup tents lined up and homeless people building fires. Thing 1 wanted to give money to everyone and we did give some Euros to some people, but we had to explain to him that unfortunately we cannot give to everyone or we to would end up sleeping along the river. In addition, I saw disabled homeless people lying about. I’m not a doctor, but I saw one man with what looked like a really bad case of cellulitis on his leg just laying there sleeping. This is surprising for a country with a socialist system of medical care and economics to a certain degree. You would think that their people would be better cared for.

When I came back, I talked to some people who confirmed what I thought: Paris was not like this 10 years ago. I was told that the riots in 2005 had much to do with deterioration of the city.
Further, take a good look at my pictures and notice the smog all over the place. There was so much pollution that all of us ended up on some sort of respiratory symptom during the trip. My Polish friends were surprised to hear me say that Warsaw was cleaner and less polluted than Paris.

Dogs

They are everywhere and they are welcomed just about anywhere. On my last visit here I recall seeing dogs at the Galeries de Lafayette, at restaurants (eating at the table with their families), etc. So, don’t be surprised if you are eating and find that Fifi is sitting at the table next to you having gourmet French cuisine with her owner.

Kids

I list them below dogs because it seems to me that the French like their dogs more than kids. I'm sure those with children love their kids - it's just everyone else. Many restaurants do not have children's menu. We ate dinner one night at a fondue restaurant across the street from our hotel. You would think kids would like cooking their food and dipping it into sauces and cheese, but no.

The alternative for kids is a sandwich called a Croque Monsieur. Basically, it is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. On top, it is layered with beschamel sauce covered with cheese. It was quite good and the kids enjoyed it. Crepes are also an alternative. Some places do have chicken nuggets. If you don't have picky eaters than there is no need to worry. We tried to get one good meal into them per day and the rest was just a bonus.We always bring snacks and drinks for the kids (and the birds you will encounter) when we are out. Capri suns and juice boxes work well. Crackers are popular with the kids and the birds. Granola bars, wafers (very popular here) – anything small. I bring the snack size glad bags and sort out daily snacks for any outing.

Customer Service

Leave your expectations about customer service at home and you will not be disappointed, maybe even pleasantly surprised when you receive good service. The French in Paris (not necessarily around France) are definitely rude and have no concept of service. When you occasionally find good customer service, tell everyone you know.

On the first day there, we were trying to find a restaurant where the kids would actually eat. We ran into Planet Hollywood on the Champs Elysee. Since we are not living in America at this time, I can totally justify eating at this type of place since I no longer have the opportunity to do so on a whim. So, we stopped there around 4:30pm for an early meal because we were all tired and wanted to head back to the hotel early. The place was largely empty except for a few families also having early meals. We waited 30 minutes and despite two requests for someone to take a drink order, no one stopped by our table. By that time, the kids were hungrier and tired. We got up to leave and that’s when someone came over to apologize. It was too late and we ended up having McDonald’s on our first night in Paris. Mind you, I spoke French to them and I at Disneyland a lady taking my order commented that my French was quite good. So, I think that the further you get away from Paris, the more pleasant the French become.

The Euro

With the dollar losing its value, the Euro is very expensive. We have visited many cities in the past year that were on the Euro, but I can say that Paris was the most expensive – getting the bare minimum for your Euro. In Vienna, for example, I felt that what I paid for something was worth it. But, here, a lunch consisting of 2 pizza slices, a drink and a dessert for 4 people cost 40 Euro. A ham and cheese or plain cheese baguettes, fries and a drink, cost about 50 Euros. Even the Parisians have complained recently about the rise in the price of their precious baguettes. It is such a difference from when I visited previously and they were still on the Franc. Just keep that in mind if you travel here in the near future.

To see how much your dollar can buy in Euro go to: http://www.xe.com
 

The Paris Museum Pass

The Paris Museum Pass for 3, 4 or 6 days is available everywhere that it is accepted. The pass allows admission to about 60 museums (including Versailles) for the number of days you purchase. Kids are free. The more museums you visit, the more cost effective it is. The only must see attraction that is not included is the Eiffel Tower. The best part is that with this pass, you avoid queuing at attractions and museums. It’s the Fast Pass of Paris.
Buy the pass in advance through their website or buy it at the tourist information kiosks at the airport. We did not do this and spent 30 minutes (maybe more) waiting in line at Versailles to get ours.

For more informations: http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php
 

Things to Do

Believe it or not, there are tons of things to do here with children and ways to interest them in the things you want to see.

Other than the main attractions, there are parks everywhere and where there is a park, there is a playground. We took them to at least a playground a day so they could play in between the sightseeing. There were some places that we could not visit like the Science and Music Museums at Parc Villete, the Natural History Museum, the Paris Zoo, a cruise on the Seine (too cold). There are places I went to see on my first visit (Napoleon’s Tomb, Pere Lachaise Cemetery, and Montmartre) that we did not see on this one.

The guide book I used to plan the trip was “Paris with Kids” 2nd Edition by Valerie Gwinner. It provided lots of helpful tips and ideas to make Paris fun for the kids. The list below includes only those sites we actually went to see.

Eiffel Tower
http://www.eiffel-tower.com/

This is a must see for kids. Its sheer size, the lift to the top, and the view from such a high point captivates kids of all ages. At night, the tower lights up and sparkles with flashing lights that kids really enjoy.

Lines can be long to get in. We waited about 30 minutes, but in the spring and summer the lines can be pretty bad. There are kiosks within the area to get a quick snack, a carousel to entertain kids and the Champs de Mars – the field between the Tower and L’Ecole Militaire.

If you want to save money, are ambitious or just plain crazy, you can walk up to the second level and then pay to take the lift to the summit. There are two restaurants within the tower, Altitude 95 and the more upscale Jules Verne. With kids who are not picky eaters, Altitude 95 works, but after viewing the menu on their website we decided to pass because Thing 1 would not have eaten anything.

Within the tower are several gift shops selling all kinds of souvenirs. I tried to buy something practical so I ended up with an oven mitt and a print of the Tower in the fall (my favorite season) and Thing 1 found a Christmas ornament. Thing 1 found a pair of toy binoculars (very useful for looking for gargoyles later) and Thing 1 found a yellow piggy bank with views of Paris.

I have had the opportunity to go up during the day and now at night. My recommendation is to make the trip to the top during the day, but see the light show in the evening as well. The best thing would be to time your visit in the late afternoon or early evening way before sunset. This way you can get a beautiful view of the city during the day and then walk over to Trocadero Plaza to take pictures and watch the tower come to life with lights. Metro: Trocadero or L’Ecole Militaire

Arc de Triomphe
http://arc-de-triomphe.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/?fl_r=4

Again, kids tend to enjoy this site because of its size, the view and the fact that you can climb to the top. Thing 1 enjoyed hearing the history behind it. And of course, there is always the gift shop.
It is dangerous to cross the Place d’Etoile, so access the Arc through the underground passage. There is a lift or you can climb 200+ steps to the top. The Arc is included in the Paris Museum Pass so you can skip the line and go straight to the lift or the steps.

The view from the Arc tends to be most impressive at night from what I have heard. So my suggestion would be to time your visit to the outer part of the Arc (no charge to view the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or architecture) during the late afternoon/early evening before sunset. Have dinner along the Champs Elysees and then return to the Arc for a trip to the top around sunset or later. Metro: Charles de Gaulle/Etoile

Notre Dame
http://www.cathedralenotredameparis.com/

Another European Church – not much fun for kids you may think. Wrong. Have your kids watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame or tell them the story and they will be fascinated. I talked up the story throughout our visit. I had Thing 1 use his binoculars to look for the gargoyles and then took him up for a closer look.

The Cathedral itself is free. There is a charge to see the Treasury and to go up to the top. Entry to the tower is included in the Paris Museum Pass. There is no lift to the top. You must be capable of climbing 422 stairs up a spiral staircase. We were able to do it, but I must admit that my heart was going to jump out of my chest. On the way down, since it is a spiral, I felt quite dizzy after reaching the bottom and my leg muscles were so active that my legs were twitching uncontrollably until I walked it off. That said, it was worth it to see the view and the gargoyles up close.

This is a church and if you visit consider what you are wearing. We had no problem since it was winter, but if you come in the summer be aware that shorts and tank tops are frowned upon. As a rule, your shoulder and your legs (up to right below the knee) should be covered.
Metro: Cite or St. Michel

Crypte Archeologique du Parvis de Notre Dame
http://www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=6468&document_type_id=5&document_id=19971&portlet_id=14628

This is located in front of Notre Dame underground and is also included in the Paris Museum Pass. It is worth a visit if you are interested in history and ruins, etc. The exhibits have buttons that highlight sections of the exhibits with light – little ones will love the cause and effect of it all.
Metro: Cite or St. Michel

The Louvre

http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en

How do you make the Louvre interesting to children? You won’t be able to see the entire Louvre if you come with children, but you can see the main sites and then some. We focused on some paintings and antiquities. I had already shown Thing 1 pictures of some of the major works of art in the Louvre. I also linked some of the painters showcased to the Ninja Turtles and it worked wonders. I showed him a picture of the Mona Lisa and had him look for her and we talked about what he thought about her: is she happy or sad? He was very interested. The collection of Egyptian antiquities was even more interesting to him.

With a child Thing 2’s age, it is a bit more difficult. She had no clue what we were seeing and could not care less. She wanted to climb on sculptures and we had to constantly chase after her through many exhibits so she wouldn’t touch or climb anything.

The Louvre is also included in the Paris Museum Pass. At the basement of the Louvre is the Carousel du Louvre with shops, restaurants and an international food court. It was extremely expensive. Skip it and head outside. You can buy crepes and sandwiches from local vendors at the Jardin de Tuilieries outside the Louvre. Metro: Palais Royale/Musee de Louvre

Jardin de Tuilieries
http://www.paris.fr/portail/english/Portal.lut?page_id=8212&document_type_id=5&document_id=34234&portlet_id=18987

This is a lovely garden and park situated between the Louvre and Place de Concorde. It is a great place to picnic, let the kids run around, feed animals, ride a carousel and take donkey rides in the spring and summer.

Chateau de Versailles

http://www.chateauversailles.fr/

This is another must see attraction if you visit. While the palace won’t hold much interest for children, the gardens are lovely and the kids loved exploring it along with the fountains and park. We had Thing 1 watch the Little Einsteins Halloween Special where the characters trick or treat at different castles and palaces including Versailles. So, this sparked his interest a bit. As he did in the Louvre, he asked lots of questions about the Palace, the paintings, and the history.

But it was the gardens that they enjoyed. There were fountains, labyrinths, dogs walking with their owners and birds. The restaurants on site, La Petite Venise and La Flotille, both served chicken nuggets for the kids. I tried one and they were actually better than any I had ever tasted.

You can easily spend an entire day there. Versailles is also included in the Paris Museum Pass.

Metro: RER C train from any RER C transfer station to Versailles Rive Gauche. Make sure you are on the right train because the C Line splits into two on the way to and from Versailles. You can also take a bus from Pont de Sevres Metro. Place de Concorde

You will undoubtedly cross this area either going to or from the Champs Elysees. There is an Egyptian obelisk dating back to 1450 BC and a fountain right across. It is here where a guillotine was set up during the French revolution and where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette met their untimely ends. Metro: Concorde

Jardin des Plantes
http://www.paris.fr/portail/english/Portal.lut?page_id=8212&document_type_id=5&document_id=34205&portlet_id=18987

This is a nice park that I can recommend if you have kids. The main reason to come here is either to take in the Natural History Museum or The Menagerie. This is not a zoo as the collection is small, but they had about 100 – 200 animals including reptiles and birds and the children loved it. It was a nice break from running around seeing other sights. There is also a playground near the menagerie for the kids to tire themselves out. Metro: Gare d’ Austerlitz

Latin Quarter

No, this is not where a large population of Latin people live. The area gets its name because this is where the universities are and at one time, the language spoken in academic circles was Latin. Here you will find lots of shops, cafes and restaurants. Since it is a student area, prices are slightly cheaper than other areas of Paris. The Cluny Museum and the Sorbonne are located in this area. I enjoyed the energy here and like last time it is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris.
Metro: St. Michel or Cluny-La Sorbonne

Disneyland Paris
http://us.disneylandparis.com/index.xhtml

Want to get the kids excited about Paris? Tell them about Disneyland. I do advise that you save it for the end of the trip so that they have something to look forward to throughout. This is my third visit to this park. Disneyland Paris merges attractions from the Magic Kingdom, MGM Studios and Epcot in addition to others that are new to us like “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril” Rollercoaster.

There are two parks: Disneyland Paris and the Walt Disney Studios. The Studios tends to appeal to older children and has rides like the Rock N Roll Roller coaster that my kids are too young to ride. So, we stayed with Disneyland Paris.

Like all Disney parks, it was clean and well kept. However, unlike the parks in the US, people were smoking everywhere so beware! Despite this, I enjoyed the fact that it was not very busy despite kids being out of school for half term in England. The weather was cool, but not freezing. Not scorching hot like in FL – something I never miss about the state.

Disneyland is very easily accessed on the RER A train towards Marne de la Vallee-Chessy. That is also the name of the last stop on the train ride which happens to be the station right in front of Disneyland. Trains run every 12-15 minutes and they have seating below and upstairs like a double decker bus. So, we were not packed like sardines like we have been in the Florida Disney Buses to the hotels.

The park usually opens at 10am and it is recommended that you buy your tickets before going to avoid the queue. Tickets can be purchased at the Disney Store on the Champs Elysee or at the train station. If you plan to stay at the resort, tickets usually come as part of a package. The parks were only open until 7pm when we were there which is why we returned for a 2nd day because there was so much to do. If the park stays open late you may be able to do it all in one day.

Overall, we had a great time. The kids always put a spin on things that you may not notice. But now that they have seen it, I think next time we will go without them and take in the cuisine, nightlife and other things we may have missed.

Christmas in Poland - Year 2

After not having my Christmas decorations last year, this Christmas season has been one of the best ever. Just opening my boxes with all the decorations was in itself like Christmas since we did not receive our shipment in time for Christmas last year. It was so much fun to decorate and watch Thing 2's face light up.

We got into the spirit by gathering and delivering donations to a local orphanage. This was a two fold project that involved giving and also clearing my house for the onslaught of toys that would soon be arriving. Do my children really need any more toys? NO. But this does not stop our well meaning family from spoiling them to pieces. On a more positive note, I see an end in sight since Thing 1's toy requests are becoming more expensive. I think we will be seeing a decline in quantity real soon. But not this year.

We have a tradition here where the kids get to open gifts from family on the 12 days prior to Christmas. This clears the way for Santa's gifts. This also keeps the Santa thing going since they have no reason to believe otherwise. But the real reason for this pre Christmas hoopla is to give us parents practice in opening those annoying twisty tie things that manufacturers use to bolt down toys.

This year, I think our families have gone over the top. I mean seriously is one gift not enough? Do people not realize that too many toys equals overwhelmed children and lots of donations of neglected toys the following year? I can't wait for the request for expensive ticket items (game systems, video games) coupled with retirement checks. The grandparents are simply going to have to be satisfied with giving the kids one gift each.

Unlike previous years however, I am done and ready for the holiday. Gifts are wrapped, food and water purchased. Come to think about it, except for the gifts, getting ready for holidays here is a little like preparing for a hurricane. The stores are closed for up to 4 days depending on when the holiday falls and the day prior people are making hurricane warning worthy lines to stock up on their last minute necessities.

I will be spending the next few days making cookies for Santa, decorating cookies and making edible snowmen since the snow has been a dud thus far this season. I can actually enjoy the holiday weekend rather than scramble about fighting crowds.

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Markets in Köln

We just got back from a weekend trip to Cologne/Köln in the North Westphalia area of Germany. The purpose of our trip was to drink lots of glühwein (hot spiced mulled wine) and shop until Thing 2’s stroller could hold no more packages. Mission accomplished and then some!

We started out our journey on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day. Needless to say our kids were very excited especially after they found that St. Nicholas had left him a small gift in their boots that morning. Thing 2 had no idea why she received a stuffed animal, but she enjoyed it anyway. After breakfast, we headed to the airport to catch our flight. Our friends and their daughter, (the girl Thing 1 holds hands with and gives flowers to) joined us.

We flew with German Wings this time. All I can say is that I highly recommend using them while flying within Europe. They saw that we had a toddler and took their time to orient us to their baby policies and where the changing tables were, etc. This airline is like the Southwest Airlines of Germany. No one is assigned a seat so it is a free for all. Luckily, most people hate sitting next to children so we had 2 rows to ourselves. On my children’s behalf they both behaved appropriately, eating, napping or watching their DVD’s. The only thing about German Wings is that there is no beverage or snack provided for free. But, you can purchase snacks and beverages on board if you wish. The way I see it airline food is not very tasty and with kids, I always bring my own snacks along. No loss there.

Lastly, another reason for loving Germany – their honesty. For the second time in 15 months we left our beloved DVD player on the plane. We were unable to contact the airline over the weekend. I thought it was a loss, but it was actually left at the airport lost and found intact. Thing 1 was delighted to be reunited with it. Back in 2000, I left my purse with passport at a restaurant near Ramstein. I came back for it the next day and it was there untouched with all my things in it. The Germans have yet to disappoint me.

We arrived in Köln around 2pm. After collecting our bags, we headed to our hotel, the Dorint Sofitel Köln. Fantastic! A descent sized room, clean hotel, private bath and right in front of the metro. We arrived to find a cookie making/decorating activity in the lobby complete with a chocolate fountain and a visit from St. Nick. After checking in and settling in, we met up with our friends.

We were starving by that time and decided to have dinner before heading to the markets. We ate at a restaurant at the hotel. Mistake #1! We had soup, sandwiches and beverages to the tune of 90 Euro!!! Gasp! The service was great, but the food was nothing special.

After dinner, we headed to the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) Christmas Market through the mist of light rain, the red light district with it’s sex shops (appropriately named “Hohe” Strasse if you pronounce it in English), and the shopping district. Along the way we noted some magnificent window displays some of which were animated. The kids loved those. Not to worry – there were none of these in the red light district!

We got to the market just in time to browse a bit and drink some glühwein. These markets are located in every major city in Germany and now in many European capitals (Vienna has a beautiful market in front of their Rathausplatz as does Prague). Every year wooden stalls come up during November to house the many vendors that will be selling their goods. Every year they develop a design for a ceramic mug in which the glühwein will be served. Each market has a different mug so the goal is to go to each market and collect these mugs by drinking more wine or hot chocolate for the kids (with Bailey’s for the grown ups). The Cat and I collected some back in 2000 when we visited his parents in Germany and we now have half a cupboard filled with these. The wine is hot which helps since it was pretty cold out there. Google glühwein for several home recipes if you want to try it.

So, what do they sell? Just about everything. Many times goods are focused on the country or region you are in. In Germany, every market will have the following for sale:

ORNAMENTS – Not just any ornament – these are usually hand painted with attention to detail. They are works of art. The most remarkable one I saw was by Mr. Zhou from China. He and his students hand paint the ornaments from the inside out. Meaning, he inserts and thin brush into the center of the ornament and paints the scene or figures from the inside. Truly remarkable!

PYRAMIDS – These date back to medieval times before Christmas trees. It is a carousel with several levels depicting Christmas motifs, such as angels or manger scenes, or secular ones like mountain-folk, forests, and other scenes from the everyday life of people in the Ore Mountains where it originated. The spinning motion of the pyramids is traditionally achieved with the help of candles whose rising heat spins a propeller above.

BAVARIAN HOUSES – Very cute! You put scented oil in the chimney and a tealight inside. Lighting the house and releasing the aroma. My collection is now at 10.

BEER STEINS – Each of these is decorated with different scenes and the name of a German region or attraction. I traded in the shot glasses of my youth for these when we started traveling to Germany in 2000.

NUTCRACKERS – You will find them in all shapes and sizes here.

SMOKERS - Wood carved figures that come in many types. You will find Santas, snowmen, skiing figures, gnomes and even a NYC Firefighter. Why are these unique? Because you place incense within the cavity of the figure and light it. Smoke (incense) then comes out of the figure’s mouth as if it were smoking. The only smoke I care to inhale.

LINENS – Handcrafted in Germany, some in China, these are beautiful linens used for decorating your tables during the holidays. They are quite ornate.

SWEETS AND OTHER FOOD - Gingerbread, truffles, and all kinds of sweets, bratwurst, crepes, champignons (mushrooms – French style), other cuisine – Yummy! Speaks for itself…

Other vendors sold jewelry, candle holders (interesting designs), musical instruments and music (Thing 2's and my favorite), wooden toys, German wines, art, wool hats/mittens/slippers/socks and just about anything you can think of. You can see pictures of some of these items at http://www.christkindl-markt.com/index.php.

They have some amusements for kids as well as live nativity scenes or carved nativity scenes. It is a tradition in Europe to visit churches especially on Christmas Eve, since each has created their own “crib” or nativity scene centered around different themes.

There are six Christmas markets scattered through Cologne: The Cathedral Markt, Alter Markt, HeuMarkt, Rudolfplatz (with a fairy tale theme), Medieval Markt, and one held on a cruise ship on the Rhine. We made it to 5 of them in about 3 days. My favorite was the Cathedral Markt and the Rudolfplatz Markt. The Medieval one, while it sounds interesting, did not sell many useful items although the entertainment (archery, medieval music and dancing) was fun.

The kids had their moments, but for the most part they behaved well. Thing1 and I shopped for a gift for his dad and some of his teachers. We gave him an allowance to buy something for himself. Luckily, he understood that he would not receive any more money. He saved his money until the last day after seeing the local LEGO Store. He bought a small LEGO set and a kaleidoscope at one of the markets. Thing 2 was content as long as she was out of her stroller and someone gave her chocolate. We had to hide the stuff from her because she would just go nuts. She rode her dad’s shoulders a lot and enjoyed that.

Köln is one of the cities located directly on the Rhine and it is the stop of many Rhine cruises. We unfortunately did not have much time for that this time around although it is on our to do list. We were able to go to the Lindt Chocolate Museum (or factory as the kids called it). That was great fun for all (especially Thing 2 who continued trying to get one of the workers to dip more waffles for her in the chocolate fountain – she was a mess by the time we left). We got to see actual chocolate being made including those hollow Santa Claus statues and Snow Men.

Josh had been here previously so, while Thing 2 napped, we went into the Cologne Cathedral/ Kölner Dom so that I could check out the Cathedral Treasury. This Cathedral is famous because it is thought to hold the relics (remains, body parts and/or personal belongings) of the Magi or Three Kings in addition to the Staff of St. Peter and a chain link from the chains that once bound St. Peter. They also have pieces that are thought to be parts the Cross of the crucifixtion. I snapped pictures of just about everything until I got caught and was told I couldn’t take pictures. Too late! The Cathedral itself was magnificent, but they keep the lights dimmed so it was difficult to get a truly worthwhile picture.

If you ever decide to take the family or yourself on a Christmas vacation, Germany is definitely worth visiting. Many of the traditions that we observe today in the United States originate from this area (i.e. advent calendars, Silent Night, German-American Thomas Nast’s modern image of Santa Claus, most famously, the Christmas tree tradition which began in Strasbourg in Alsace (then in Germany, today in France). If you go early enough (around Thanksgiving), you will find the most unique Christmas gifts (by American standards of course). I highly recommend it.