Letting go

It's been eight months since I've last blogged.

Friends in Espana - our last day in Vigo

It's been just over a year since our whanau embarked on an incredible journey (and no, the Spain update still hasn't appeared...sorry!)

I won't recap the past... and I'm not letting go of the blog...

But I'm letting go of a bit of stuff this year to make more space for me, the family and our learning-life (this is the new 'home-schooling/education phrase I am testing out)... or life-learning philosophy.


Stuff I'm letting go of includes:

• taking on too much stuff (other people's problems, staring at stuff on face book, physical stuff...); 
• guilt (for not keeping up blogs, finishing projects, doing what I say I will all the time (mainly to myself)); 
• worrying (about what other people might think about how we do things, judgements for what we do all day, whether I'm enough);
• unrealistic expectations (this blog should be updated every week and be about our learning-life...it is mainly);
• control.. (of whatever I can!)

And in some sense, in the spirit of 'letting go', I 'let go' my daughter from being at my side daily  to follow the travel-adventure spirit we value, and return to Japan with her Obaachan (grandma, my mum), her uncle and aunt (my brother and sister-in-law), for three weeks.

It's not been easy. I miss her. Her brothers miss her and her Dad misses her. In her absence we've acquired three dancers who are part of the MOTH's new dance/kapa-haka/aerial theatre extravaganza, so the house is busy and buzzing... but definitely NOT the same without Miss K.

From all accounts she's enjoying herself, creating new memories with her immediate and extended family.

And to further 'honour' the spirit of letting go - I let go control of my blog for our children to share their learning-life. Soon there may be stories of Japan adventures, lego creations, trips to marine centres, metamorphosis...

I let go in anticipation.

Not doing much

Sometimes I think, when I look over this blog, that we've squashed a lot into our travels...but there are days when we do lots of 'normal' stuff - like we'd do at home, only we're doing it in Spain. The Man of the House (MOTH) and I have, by the last leg of our journey, recognised the importance of breathing and reflection time and if you're travelling with small people for a substantial length of time, this is something we'd recommend.

At home, we aim for an un-aptly termed 'project based homeschooling' (PBHS)  approach (inspired by the philosophy of Lori Pickett), which encourages reflection and extension of experiences and ideas through long, concentrated sessions of play and creative exploration. This was something I had optimistically hoped to continue while on our journey.

It has been somewhat challenging.

But, in the past few weeks, where we've tried for a more 'day on - day off' approach, bought some paints, more paper and other crafty things, and the concept of PBHS, and all the creativity that comes with it, has emerged a little. There isn't so much concentrated focus on one particular area (aside from Master A's life-time project of trains and now planes/rockets and Master T's 'big boats' and 'Gala' (Dali's muse)), but lots of processing is definitely evident.

So what do we do all day, in Spain, when not out and about?

• We go to the supermarket and look at (and try) food, books, and household items that Spain offers.
• We do the everyday stuff of cleaning, laundry etc, sampling Spanish detergents and tools.
• The MOTH works on his next project.
• We work with play dough, draw, paint and model.

Master T presents his turtle, the other two have been making bowls and food 'for winter' - perhaps inspired by a visit to the archaeology museum?

• We talk about stuff we've done and what we want to do. Meals can easily stretch out for more than an hour with discussions.
• We reminisce about home, our friends and family.
• We reminisce about this adventure.
• We build - boats, trains, planes, houses that incorporate all sorts of aspects of things we've seen, heard and experienced.

Tama and his 'big boat'

All the children have disappeared into a tent

• We watch a little bit of children's television in Spanish.
• We watch the Soccer World Cup with Daddy.

Nail biting stuff!

• We kick a ball around outside our apartment.

• We read and look at books.
• We craft and create bringing in all sorts of elements (kiwi, origami, rockets)

Master A and his kiwi burrow on a plane that can be a rocket ship in an emergency.

• Sometimes we go for walks.

A Sunday morning stroll around Castro-Urdiales

• We rest...

Master T, took creativity and rest to a whole new level...

• We probably annoy our neighbours with our loud shouting and noisy toys/games.
• We think about and plan out things to do when we get home. (And I anticipate/hope that the things we've seen and done will creep out over the next five years...stay tuned)

To this extent, Miss K has been talking about collecting fabric, while on our trip, to make a quilt. It's to be our first quilt project but we haven't been able to get to fabric/craft stores (that is we can't seem to find any).

So... we're asking friends both at home and abroad to search their fabric stashes and see if they have an 'international' bit of cotton cloth, about 20 x 20cm that they could send our way. Embellish it if you like; sew your name or country or add some lace to it -hopefully our 'World Piece Blanket' will come to life!

Leave a comment if you're able to contribute and I'll email you our home address.

Buenos noches from us lot and muchos besos!

Big boats and fish-men

Daddy and Master T watching soccer

It's been a historic week for Spain -  we witnessed their tears as their soccer team fell from grace (losing two games in the World Cup and consequently won't make it through to the next round) and their joys with the coronation of King Felipe VI.

This is our second week in Cantabria and our third in Spain. We are slowly adjusting to the fact that everything shuts between about 1:30pm to 4:30 or 5pm, the late eating hours, and the heat. We have started to chat regularly with our neighbours, and continue to work on 'quiet apartment living', given that our hosts, who live below, welcomed a new daughter into the world on Monday. With our noisy lot, they'll be looking forward to our departure in just over a week!



Outside the Maritime Museum

We've had somewhat of an aquatic and historic theme this week, kicking off with a day in Bilbao at the River Maritime Museum. We went on a Tuesday and it just happened to be free! Cantabria is located next to the Pais Vasco/ Basque country (where Bilbao and the more famous San Sebastian can be found) and it is a short 20 minute drive from our 'home' to Bilbao. Bilbao is located along a magnificent river and the River Maritime Museum provided us with a historical account of the development of city, bridges and river bed. The Museum included games for the children (such as pirate fishing and rowing), a life-size replica of a barge for the upper class and dozens of miniature boats.

Wee Master T adores boats - possibly an accumulation of experiences of water-taxis, his favourite Dali book with a 'boat' sculpture included and the fact that Castro Urdiales (the township we regularly visit for food and beach time) is a sea based town - so he was in his element looking at all the ships and nautical paraphernalia.



Dry docked boats

The most outstanding element of the Museum is the inclusion of the Bilbao city exhibition that was presented at Shanghai Expo in 2010. Developed in conjunction with the Guggenheim Museum, this display combined 'architectural lighting' with audio-visuals for an emotive account of development of Bilbao. The static photos don't do it justice (and I was too in awe to take any), but if you get the time, check them out.

Outside the Museum is a dry dock housing a variety of different boats. Unfortunately this area was not open on our visit (perhaps this is why it was free? -although museums in Spain frequently have 'free days'), but we enjoyed strolling around them from above and looking at the massive anchors and chains.

Museum visit was followed by a good lunch in a cafe by a fountain and exploring a park of amazing sculptures... stay tuned for a post on food in Spain in the next few days...

Lunch in Bilbao - despite Master A's face, it was delicioso!



Kids interacting with art.

We also visited Bilbao later in the week to take in the Bizkaia Archaeology Museum, tracing the human archaeological history of the area from Neolithic to modern times. While not exactly a 'child friendly' place (the security guard trailed us through the three levels), our lot really enjoyed watching the video footage of early people in the temporary display, learning about archaeological digs and research and discovering the visual differences in tools, utensils, cemeteries, housing and boats over time. The museum is free on Fridays, but all displays are in Spanish and Basque. We purchased the accompanying guide book, which has detailed photos and information (we got the English version) so we've been able to discuss a lot of what we saw in more detail.

Between visits to Bilbao, we decided to head West towards Santander and visit the small village of Lierganes, where there is a Fluvarium (a river based eco-museum). Many small villages will open their (sight-seeing doors) for two sessions: 10am to 2pm and 4pm (or 5pm) to 6pm (or 7pm), closing for lunch in between. Because our stomachs are still mostly on NZ time, and we have to travel some distance to many locations, when going to these places, we try to get there early to maximise our visit before lunch. On this occasion, the Fluvarium was closed for the morning - no sign posted on the outer gates and we had a some what disgruntled guide inform us we needed to come back at 4pm.

How does one kill four and a half hours with three children in a small town?

We had a snack drove another half hour to Santander, hoping to visit another Museum, only to discover, by the time we'd parked and located the building, it was also closing for lunch... so when in Spain... do as the Spanish do... we found a cool little restaurant and ate lunch. By which time the Fluvarium was open.

A great lunch finished in Santander

The Fluvarium is a little dated and quite small. The introductory film is very informative and reinforces a sustainable message and the otters in fluvarium area are adorable (even if they are practising their mating - nothing like a biology lesson for our bemused children). We were lucky enough to watch the otters being fed with a group of touring Senior Citizens, who adored the children and ensured they got front row seats!

One of the stars of the Fluvarium

Master T and Daddy check out the turtles

Our little people were in the Fluvarium for a good hour or more - and we decided to wander the streets of Lierganes to find the hombre pez (fish man). There is a legend of this mythical man dating from the 1600s (makes interesting reading if you have the time) and there is a wee house and sculpture depicting this story. While the house was shut when we got there, the fish man was sitting on the banks of the river and the amble through the cobbled and quaint village was lovely.

"We've discovered a fish-man!"

"With scales"!

On our travels we've visited sights where we've queued for hours and been engulfed in hoards of tourists and visitors - thus far, the 'attractions' of Bilbao and Cantabria have been almost void of people (aside from the Guggenheim, but comparative to some places was relatively quiet). It's not that there aren't lots of people, just not lots of people in the museums! I wonder what that says about our choice of activities?

School holidays have just started in Espana, the sun is shining (with the exception of a spectacular electric storm we had last night) and the boardwalks are coming alive...less of the history and more of the mystery of Spain this week me thinks... ciao guapos!

A bottom note
Carrying on from an earlier blog on loos... Miss K has observed an oddity of toilets in Spain - the toilet paper always seems to be placed in the most difficult-to-reach locations (including in our current residence). She asked me to take a photo of the toilet in the Fluvarium to demonstrate this point...

Honesty, Ono and Osos

I read somewhere that when travelling abroad, around about the three month mark one gets a little homesick. In my own experience, this has been true - you hit some weird slump where you'd just rather be back in your own home (in spite of all the amazing around you), surrounded by your own stuff, food and friends.

Maybe it's a coincidence that it's about that three month mark... or maybe it's because we've really slowed down, given the Man of the House (MOTH) a break from daily driving and are doing the things we might do at home (the 'home school' project stuff, cleaning house, eating in a lot more) that all of a sudden, I've hit a bit of a rough patch and am homesick. This time the kids are fine. I'm a bit of grumpy mess.

Jeff-Koon's flower dog

And yes, I will get over it - after all there are so many things to be grateful for and to look forward to and to share. But I have intended to be honest about the joys and tribulations of travelling as a family of five in this blog, and there you have it - the adventuring is awesome, but sometimes, you miss 'normal'. So for my wonderful friends and family who have sent emails and made comments here and on FB, thank you - you help my sanity!

This past week, irrespective of my slight wobblies, we have had fun. The MOTH wanted to visit the Guggenheim in Bilbao, about a 20 minute drive from Otañes (the fact that the location we are living in looks like 'O Tanes', is not lost on the MOTH :-) However, the ñ is pronounced more 'ny' than a hard 'n', so not quite O Tane). After our Park Gaulle parking debacle, we found a parking building via the GPS before we departed, which sped things up considerably!

The Guggenheim, Bilbao

The Guggenheim contains an interesting collection of permanent and temporary art installations. Unfortunately, the exhibit on the second floor of the three story building was being redone/upgraded and was unavailable when we visited. We had somehow missed this on their website and the information wasn't posted at the ticket booth, and visitors still had to pay full price to enter (a tad annoying). However children are free, as are the audio guides, and you can enter and re-enter the museum on the same day, which means you can go for a wander for lunch outside (many places we've been to do not allow this).

Although we only had access to two levels, there were plenty of exhibitions to see and interact with. Richard Serra's massive steel sculptures play with space and shape and are brilliant for children to run through and explore.

The children tentatively enter one of Serra's sculptures

 

"This space makes me feel like dancing!"

 

This is an aerial shot (from level two) of the steel sculptures - they were huge!

 

Yoko Ono's Half-a-wind-show took up the entire third floor and included many interactive exhibits such as climbing into giant sacks and become 'moving mountains' and a video of just bottoms, which the children thought were amusing! I've always been a bit sceptical of Ono's work, but this exhibition really demonstrated her ability as an artist to evoke thought and reaction (photos were prohibited here - I think they may have been in Serra's too, but no one said anything to the dozens of visitors taking pictures).

Not Ono's work, but another sculpture outside on the Guggenheim's terrace by Jeff Koons

And after all that 'art and culture' - a play ground! Parents and children happy all round.

We followed our day of art with a day of nature at Cabaceno Wildlife Park. While a little pricey, this drive through Safari park is an incredible opportunity to view wildlife in huge open spaces. Glimpsing animals in the midst of these spaces is sometimes a lucky treat (such as the hippos) and I can't count the number of times I cursed the limited zoom on my camera. Zebras, camels, gorillas, jaguars, rhinos, baboons...only a handful of the many animals we were blessed to spend time observing. Being spring time, there were lots of babies to see.

We were a long way from this Mummy and baby hippo (yay for zoom on camera!)

 The only issues we faced were getting in and out of the car dozens of times (a bit painful with car seats) and the heat increasing over a four hour time span (but hey it's Spain). This wildlife park is worth every penny and a definite must do. Here I've included some long shots of the 'enclosures' and some of the animals my poor pocket camera could capture... We'll leave with you with the Osos...besos a todos...

What can we see here? I've only got about a quarter of the enclosure in this shot.

 

A family of elephants who did an elephant walk for us! - spot the baby?

 

Can you see what Miss K is looking at?

Tama points out the Osos to the MOTH - how many can you see?

Adios from the endangered Osos (bears)of Cantabria

The trials and treasures of toilets

Public toilets found at a rest stop on the Toad (Toll) Road in France.

Most parents, I guess, when venturing beyond home, generally keep an keen eye on where the nearest ablutions are for their small people (who usually, when need to go, need to go NOW). This is a wee post of tips and info about what we've encountered on our travels (inspired by a very long queue at Guell Park today).

Must haves
These are pretty much essential no matter where you go - rationale to follow...

• a face cloth, microfiber cloth or handkerchief (easily accessible in handbag or pocket)
• hand sanitizer and/or wet wipes
• a packet of pocket tissues (with enough tissues for all bottoms under all circumstances)

Toilets in Japan

• In most cases toilets are readily available at tourist attractions, parks and temples. Department stores and shopping malls have plenty available. All train stations have toilets, but their level of hygiene and rating on Miss K's 'good smell factor' is very low.



This website where the photo comes from includes how to use this toilet and other amusing information.

• Generally speaking, there are western style toilets in most toilet areas; there will also be the traditional 'squat' style toilet that requires some practise (see photo above).
• Western style toilets, particularly in department stores and airports can come loaded with a variety of buttons - bidet, bottom washing, some have bottom drying options and real fancy ones include air freshener and 'music' or 'sound' so that others can't hear you while you are busy - it is best to experiment with these buttons while one is seated on the toilet... little people need to make sure their bottoms cover the entire hole when experimenting or it can get rather wet (particularly when the bottom washer comes on).
• Toilets tend to be clean; the worst we encountered was at Ueno Koen in the children's area (a bit pongy and a bit dirty).
• Most toilets have hand dryers. It is rare to find paper or cloth towels to dry your hands, and some toilet facilities do not have anything to dry your hands with. On these instances, it is essential to have a wash cloth/handkerchief to dry hands, preferably located where you can get to it when you've been caught out and have wet hands, or small people have wet hands and are dripping at you.
• Convenience stores, such as 7-11 or Family Mart have toilets available if your child needs to go and can't make the 20 or so meters back home. These are clean and free.
• Nappy change and baby feed stations are generally plentiful in shopping malls and department stores. Baby feed stations are usually apart from the toilet (fair enough too) and may include play areas for the 'waiting children', drink vending machines and microwaves to warm formula. Nappy change zones don't always include a toilet, but they are generally nearby. Most toilets will include a nappy change table in the disability toilet.

Toilets in London and Australia

• Overall, we didn't find too much difference between loos in the UK and Oz with New Zealand. In Primrose Hill there were queues, but the toilets included the expected amenities of toilet paper, soap and hand towels, and were, overall easy to find.

'Relieving' history in the knights' toilet in Dover Castle

Toilets in France

• The biggest issue we faced in France was finding free public toilets. When we explained to our French host family that we had to pay to use a loo on the Champs Elyse, they advised either going to a bar/café or simply finding a bush (not easy on the Champs Elyse).
• Public toilets (such as those found at rest stops along the Toad Road) were without toilet seats (good for strong thigh development) and may have been equipped with soap or hand towels. Not always both.
• What is strange is that although there may not be toilet seats (by design), every single toilet I went into had a toilet brush!
• One public toilet at a rest stop was a squat one. Miss K gave it a very high pong factor.
• We encountered a tardis type toilet box on the street near Montmarte. While free, it required  waiting outside for about one minute after the person who had just exited, to automatically wash the entire cubicle. Only one person at a time was supposed to enter, but we crowded in (small people couldn't wait for full cubicle washes) to discover a wet space, but adequate for our needs.
• Sometimes there are long lines for toilets at tourist attractions. While the architecture in France is phenomenal, there seems to have been a serious design flaw in the number of toilets available (particularly for women) - this also has been our experience thus far in Spain.
• Commercial Centres have free, clean toilets.
• Some places have nappy change facilities for baby - Master T has become an expert at being changed standing up or in his stroller.

Toilets in Spain

• As mentioned, there seems to be a serious absence in plentiful toilets in public places, although if you ask, staff at businesses are often okay with allowing you to take your small people to staff loos (we found this today at the car park building in Barcelona). Both Dali's museum and the Guell Park had a shortage of loos for the number of people visiting. Miss K and I queued for ages for what turned out to be only three toilets for women in a park that can have up to 25,000 people a day visit!
• Toilet paper may not be topped up regularly - always take pocket tissues!
• Soap sometimes isn't available - need for hand sanitizer!
• Often there is nothing to dry your hands on - washcloth comes in handy.
• Big supermarkets have free toilets and restaurants/cafes have loos that are pretty clean.
• Bars/cafes are happy for you take small people to the toilet, but generally you would buy a drink/coffee/snack for the privilege.
• Some toilets have bidets. Never, ever, under any circumstances pee in the bidet.
• There are hardly any places for nappy changes, but no one seems particularly bothered if you change baby in public, with discretion.

 Public loos have become an area of somewhat trepid exploration: "what's it like?" before one of the children venture in... but they are also a great lesson in cultural differences in something that all humans have to do... we do it the same, but different :-)

We'd love to hear any of your interesting/funny potty-stop stories too!

The Toad Road: Travelling South through France

One of the challenges we've faced on this adventure is sometimes having to sacrifice budget for convenience. When deciding between an extra hour (or more) in the car to save the cost of a toll road between France and Spain, we always opted for the toll option. There are only so many squabbles parents can survive, and then there's the fighting amongst the kids.

On our second day of travel, Master A asked if we were going on the Toad Road. It's become one of those 'family things' that happen on a trip. A bit like the 'zunda mochi' pose you see the kids striking in many of our photographs. Zunda Mochi is a Sendai delicacy of green bean paste and sticky rice cakes. Sendai has adopted this phrase as the new 'cheese' for when you take a photograph, and our children, fascinated with the ninja pose they learnt at the same time, have incorporated it into pretty much every photo... but I digress...

The road from Paris to Barcelona can be driven in around nine hours (according to Google Maps and if you are able to whizz along toad roads without a dozen toilet stops). We decided to break up the trip, travelling on average two hours a day and stopping at little villages along the way. The Man of the House (MOTH) was in charge of sleeping sites, which he arranged via booking.com, with varying outcomes.

Day one - we departed Paris and visited Versailles on what had to be the wettest and windiest day we'd encountered in France. Having started out a bit later than intended (packing for five who have spread out over an apartment is time consuming), we opted to visit only the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. The queue for the palace was LONG. Usually, visits to the garden are free (except for Sundays and Tuesdays) and as it was Tuesday we had to pay (kids 5 and under are free) and we were also treated to displays of the water fountains.

Weathering the wind and fountain in Versailles

The gardens are massive and excellent for small people to run around and let of steam. We'd packed a picnic lunch (must be eaten in designated areas) and admired the beauty of the site. Miss K enjoyed the history of the palace, particularly a diluted account of the French Revolution, being in Versailles made history come to life. If doing Versailles without small people, I imagine taking the two day passport to see garden, palace and other buildings option would be well worth it. Miss K suggested in 10 years she and I come back and do so - here's hoping!

From Versailles, via the toad road, we headed to Jargeau. A small quaint town near Orleans, where we stayed in a small, quaint, but clean hotel (Cheval Blanc), ate ok Pizza at a local restaurant and discovered that Joan of Arc had a historical moment here.

Statue of Joan of Arc in Jargeau

Day two -We missed breakfast at the hotel (overslept) and wandered hungrily around the village, searching for a wee café. Found a boulangerie and it was croissants for breakfast. Having embarked on discussions about St Joan we decided to visit the city of Orleans.

Miss K and I on a fountain in the plaza near the Cathedral of Orleans

This township is beautiful. Its cathedral inspired questions about different biblical stories, we saw a peaceful protest march and lunched at a local creperie. There is also a Louis Pasteur Park here, which Master A was thrilled about: "I know him," he announced (we'd read about him last year), although it was too wet to go to the park. A short stop here and we pressed onto a little hotel on the outskirts of Bourges. Our hotel (ACE) was new and clean. A family friendly restaurant was located nearby and breakfast was relatively cheap and plentiful.

Travelling France reminded me to be grateful for my (and my children's) love of history and stories, my high-school French and the MOTH's fearless driving skills.

Day three- We pressed onto Clermont-Ferraund where I suggested that our two star hotel room reminded me of a hospital. The MOTH's response was that that was an insult to hospitals! Inspired to escape our dreary accommodation, we headed out to explore the volcanic region, taking a train from the base of Puy de Dome to its gusty top, buffering ourselves against the wind and cold. It was thrilling.

A Zunda Mochi pose in front of the train for the Puy de Dome

It's cold up here Dad!

Day four - Most hotels have a stand with brochures enticing you to local visitor attractions and Vulcania in Clermont looked amazing. Touting itself almost as a  volcanic Disneyland, we joined throngs of locals to visit this attraction that draws on the natural landscape for its theme. We 'rode' two rides, queued for lunch and watched an ecological film. Unfortunately Vulcania didn't live up to our expectations with very long queues, inefficiency and too many people for two few attractions. Over priced, while we mostly enjoyed ourselves, we wouldn't recommend a special visit.

Zunda Mochi at Volcania

Leaving Vulcania around 3pm meant we arrived at our next destination of Le Caylar (a remote village in the mountains) a little late for our tired and hungry children. The hotel proprietor was a warm and welcoming lady and directed us to a nearby quirky restaurant for a home-cooked meal. This was probably the best meal we had paid for in France, aside from the reasonably priced breakfasts we'd enjoyed at the hotels (this one included).





Day five - Across the border on the Toad Road to Bascara (Hotel de Les Roques) where the food rocked and the host rocked and the price was pretty rock bottom too for two rooms, plus a playground for the children! The sun was shining - bliss!

Amazingly good food - 'pica pica' in Catalyuna

Tama discovers 'planking' in a play ground in Bascara.

Day six - Before heading to Barcelona for the week, we stopped at Figueres to fulfil the MOTH's dream of seeing Dali's Museum. While not overly recommended for children (particularly on a Sunday and the place is full of people), our small people enjoyed looking at the various installations and creations for a few hours before becoming tired. Wee Master T (nearly 2yrs) points out his favourite display in his Dali book he chose from the gift store and talk continues about Dali's art and life.

Dali would have loved the eclectic Zunda Mochi in his Museum!

 Plans for Barcelona include visiting Gaudi's famous works, but today, we supermarket shop and rest in our lovely casa. Buenos noches amigos!

Rest time before Europe

The Man of the House (MOTH) is a very, very brave person. He survived Paris rush hour traffic and managed to get leased car and entire family from one side of the city to the other in-tact (although it has to be said that I think my life-span has been shortened by a good two years due to stress from that experience!) I should also mention that it was raining and the three children were hungry following an afternoon exploring the La Cite des Enfants (part of the Science and Technology Museum). Sadly I forgot my camera, so no shots of what as a very cool interactive place for the children. Even wee Master T (22 months) got completely soaked at the water play activities!

Getting in some play time in Kent

The MOTH and I have also realised that we are just over half way through this international journey and we seem to be getting into the flow of things. In the past four weeks there hasn't been all that much 'sight seeing', more 'people seeing'. Sometimes it's hard not to get agitated about the fact we're on the other side of the world watching the kids run around a garden or play Monopoly, rather than visiting some must-see monument or building, but these times are must-dos as well.



Travelling - the physical act of packing up belongings, sending luggage ahead, shedding stuff you don't need and squashing newly acquired 'can't live withouts' into existing luggage space is hard work; the physical act of saying 'goodbye', getting on trains, sleeping in hotels, flying in planes, waiting in line at customs, finding luggage, moving said luggage through security checks (and on and off trains) is tiring. I worked out last night, we've slept in 13 different beds since March (including campervan and our current abode) - unsettledness is to be expected, Recovery time is really, really important. Being conscious of small people's limits and cutting them some slack is something we're getting better at.  (Check out Miss K in this photo - even a sunny day in London is not an antidote to feeling displaced and tired sometimes).



Hooray for trampolines and cousins

Because it took almost two days to travel from Sendai to London (two hours via shinkansen, a night in Haneda, 12 hours on a plane (British Airways (AirNZ co-share) was not very child friendly)) and add to that a 3 hour car drive to Broadstairs (Kent) and an 18 hour time difference, it took all of us almost  five to six days to find' normal'. The children's jet lag and tiredness manifested in rounds, rather than all three in one go (there's a silver lining somewhere in that), so there was quite a bit of grumpy for a
while.

New friend

Yet we relished the time to meet old friends and make new ones. Rita and Willie (family friends) hosted us all with much love and laughter. We took walks on the beach, a windy day at Dover Castle and explored Broadstairs' village. Three days in Norwich involved being cloistered indoors because of the wet weather, reading magazines and a visit to Tane's Great Aunt Pat and her mother Great-Great Aunt Frieda (99). Miss K and Master A made a great many comparisons of nursing homes in Japan and the UK, the first being that they didn't have to put slippers on in the UK.

Looking out from the London Eye

The MOTH's generous sister and her gorgeous family opened their home to us in St Albans for a week. We got in one day 'sight seeing' around South Bank in London, where we discovered a fantastic café on street back from the Globe Theatre, rode on a city river ferry and looked over London via the London Eye. The simple pleasures of engaging with street performers and eating an ice cream, before hearing stories of the Tower of London as we crossed the river, were what the children enjoyed most.

Yesterday we arrived, via Eurostar in Paris. I'd booked Blacklane Services (a private shuttle company) to take us to Orly airport for our leased Citroen. Two important things to note here: 1. A private shuttle, while perhaps more than a taxi, is a stress free way of travelling in Paris with a group of five. We were met at the station, assisted with our luggage and safely taken to the somewhat obscurely positioned car pick up point near Orly airport in a nice big black limo-style van. 2. We're in Europe for eight weeks. It works out cheaper to lease a new car than to rent one for this length of time, particularly as we pick up and return the vehicle in the same country. We arranged this through Citroen DriveEurope New Zealand and so far, aside from driving on the opposite side of the road to that which we're used to, it's been pretty hassle free.

We were welcomed to Paris, by our host Nadia,  with a Moroccan feast for our hungry tummies (photo to come). With much laughter, we are all learning French (Miss K has quite an ear for accents, even picking up a touch of an English one from her cousins) and Nadia's two girls (3 and 2) and her husband are all teaching us new words. Brioche for breakfast, huge chunks of camembert and other cheeses are less than two Euros, bread is amazing... with such wet weather and such good food I think we might come rolling home!

The children continue to delight us with their observations and questions...Miss K is curious to know why Big Ben got its name, and Master A wants to know why, when travelling through the tunnel between London and Paris on the Eurostar, it didn't feel like we went down a slope under the sea? Responses imagined (preferably not googled (yet)) are welcome!

Bon nuit!