We Go With Kids!

Tag: mass

  • Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: 18 hours in Reykjavik

    Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: 18 hours in Reykjavik

    Following our hike out to see the downed Navy DC plane on Solheimasandur Beach, we continued our journey to Reykjavik, where we had approximately 18 hours to spend. Although the weather was mostly dry, with maybe a slight mist during our walk, the drive into Reykjavik was extremely stressful as we encountered near white out conditions from the rain. Not being comfortable on unfamiliar roads, I drove at or below the speed limit and kept getting passed by other drivers!

    When we finally arrived in Reykjavik, it was almost 3pm and we had not eaten anything but some yogurt for breakfast and crackers for lunch. My priority was to find a light snack and a friend, who had traveled to Reykjavik two years earlier, recommended the Reykjavik Fish Restaurant. We were in extreme luck as I managed to find parking directly across the street from the restaurant and, although metered, parking is free on Sundays so we didn’t even have to pay!

    My son can be somewhat of a picky eater, so not knowing precisely how the fish was prepared, I simply ordered one serving of fish and chips to share. Our one order of fish and chip, a side sauce, and a beer (for me!) was $28.

    After our snack, which was just enough to tide us over, we headed to our guesthouse to check in for the night. Earlier that day, I had received check in instructions via email with access codes for both the main entry door and our private room + bath. The guesthouse was easy to find and I appreciated the free and ample parking outside.

    Our room was small, but clean, and provided everything we needed for our overnight stay. The downstairs level contains a small kitchen/dining area with free coffee/tea, but we did not use any of the amenities. Nor did we take the time to check out the rooftop spa on the deck, but it was nice to know that we had options if desired.

    After checking in to our room, we headed off to attend the vigil mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Although not as unique as Catherine’s mass experience in Akureyri, the Cathedral was beautiful.

    After mass, I decided it was time to get my son some actual food. Although he had eaten some fish and fries at lunch, he had really eaten very little during our entire trip. I searched around online for pizza places and quickly located a recommended restaurant only 15 minutes away from the Cathedral.

    The food at Eldofninn Pizzeria was very good, but also extremely pricey. There was one pizza that I was intrigued by, but at $33 for a personal pie, I decided to skip it and just go for a slightly more reasonably priced option. Our total for dinner (two pizzas, one soft drink, one 175ml bottle of wine) was $63. After eating our fill, we headed back to our guest house for the night.

    The next morning, we woke up bright and early and the weather was surprisingly clear. We quickly packed up our stuff and headed into town (the guest house is about 10 minutes walking distance from the main town, but I decided to just drive to save us time). With a noon reservation at the Lava Tunnel, we had about 2.5 hours to pass before we needed to be on the road.

    I was happy to find a coffee shop with pastries, which we gladly indulged in.

    My $3 small coffee!

    Afterwards, we wandered across the street where we happened upon Hallgrimskirkja. I remembered that Catherine had visited Hallgrimskirkja and that she even mentioned it again as something we should strongly considering taking the time to experience while in Reykjavik. Since the weather was beautiful and we had time, we decided to go ahead and head up the observation tower.

    Although the inside of the church was nothing to write home about, the views of Reykjavik from the top were simply astonishing. We spent a good 20 minutes just checking out the city from every angle.

    There is only one elevator that brings visitors to the top and capacity is limited to 6 (although people definitely squeezed in more), so there is a bit of a wait to get to the top. Luckily, the one elevator set up helps to limit the number of people on the observation tower. My son had a great time pointing out the coffee shop we had just had breakfast at 20 minutes prior. Admission for one adult and one child under 12 was just under $10.50.

    The Hallgrimskirkja experience from start to finish occupied almost an hour of our time, so by then, it was time to make our way back to the vehicle and get on the road to our next adventure, the Lava Tunnel!

    Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids?  Continue reading Icelandic Weekend Getaway With Kids: The Lava Tunnel Raufarhólshellir, and be sure to check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland.

     

  • Costa Rica With Kids (Part VII): Easter Sunday and Our Visit to Escuela Pacifica Garcia Fernandez

    Costa Rica With Kids (Part VII): Easter Sunday and Our Visit to Escuela Pacifica Garcia Fernandez

    For Spring Break 2018, my family of four traveled to Costa Rica and spent one full week at the Andaz Papagayo. To read about why we chose Costa Rica with kids and booking logistics, visit Costa Rica With Kids (Part I): Why Costa Rica and Booking Logistics. 

    As Catherine has posted before, attending Mass on vacation is one way in which we regularly immerse ourselves in the local culture when traveling. When traveling, I also jump at any opportunity to visit local schools or villages, such as our visit to the Ndebele homestead in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. During our recent visit to Costa Rica, I was thrilled to celebrate Easter at the local Catholic church and also to participate in a service project in conjunction with Crescendo Juntos, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to education and training in the Guanacaste district.

    Easter Mass at San Antonio Padua

    One of our first orders of business upon arriving in Costa Rica was to check with the Concierge regarding the nearest Catholic church and times for Easter Mass. As I mentioned in my review of the Andaz, the Concierge was extremely helpful. Not only did they have this information readily available, but they gave us advance warning that it would be an open air service.

    On Easter Sunday, we got dressed and drove to San Antonio de Padua in Playa Hermosa. Located approximately 30 minutes from the hotel, it was an easy drive and we arrived with plenty of time. I was delighted to see that the church was truly “open” – no closed walls. Although we’ve attended Mass in many different cities and even countries, I’ve never attended what was intended to be an open air mass (my unintended open air mass was Easter 2017, when I ended up outside the Carmel Mission with an angry toddler).

    The service was conducted primarily in Spanish and the Priest and servers were extremely friendly and welcoming, although it was clear that very little, if any, English was spoken. My favorite thing about the Mass was that they chose Easter Sunday to be a baptism day for infants and young children. Typically, the 40 days spanning Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday are very somber and the only celebration is the welcoming of catechumens into the Church. I’ve never, in all my years, participated in an infant baptism on Easter Sunday, but I really appreciated welcoming these young babies into the Church. My children, having seen many infant baptisms, were also familiar with the service and I was glad for the opportunity to be part of the larger Church.  Pro-Tip: Although the service was supposed to start at 10AM, it did not actually start until 10:15AM as one of the families who were participating in the baptism arrived late. Nobody seemed flustered or concerned, except for those of us who were clearly foreigners used to a rigid Mass start time.

    Our Service Visit to Escuela Pacifica Garcia Fernandez

    Prior to our stay at the Andaz, I learned that guests were welcome to bring backpacks filled with school supplies to donate to a local school. I immediately jumped at the opportunity and reached out to the Concierge at the hotel to schedule our visit.

    The night before our scheduled visit, I received an email with directions to the school. The Concierge also delivered a printed copy to our room, complete with full color map, which was greatly appreciated. We were told that we would be met by an individual from Creciendo Juntos, who would help facilitate the visit.

    The morning of our visit, we loaded up the kids (and our filled backpacks!) and drove the 30 minutes to the school. The individual from Creciendo Juntos met us at the front of the school and, unfortunately, she did not speak much, if any, English. The first 5 minutes or so of the visit did not go well, I’ll admit. My preschooler had fallen asleep on the drive over to the school so he was rather cranky at having been woken up, and my older son was mostly just shy and feeling awkward and unsure of why we were there. And, the language barrier was really preventing us from communicating in any meaningful fashion.

    After a few harrowing minutes of trying to communicate, the volunteer took us straight to the English teacher’s classroom – hallelujah! The English teacher took over and introduced us to the group of fourth graders she had in her classroom and had us exchange introductions with the students. We played a rousing game of hot potato and then the teacher suggested that we take the kids outside for some soccer. The soccer game really broke the ice and my son had a great time. The kids played soccer for about 20 minutes and my son was quickly red-faced from the heat and humidity. While my oldest played soccer, the Creciendo Juntos coordinator took my youngest to the kindergarten classroom, where he enjoyed playing with the classroom toys. When the kindergarten kids came back, we moved to the playground, which my son also enjoyed.

    At some point, the bell rang and I realized that recess was over. Not wanting to further disrupt the kids from their school day, we signaled that it was time to leave. The English teacher brought us back to the classroom where my kids had the opportunity to present their filled backpacks to two children who had been selected by the teachers to receive the backpacks. Check out this PDF on the Creciendo Juntos Volunteer Program for more information.

    We really enjoyed our visit with the school and my older son said, on a number of occasions, that he had a great time playing soccer with the kids. I wish we had been given more information prior to our visit. I learned, after the fact, that we could have prepared a short lesson or project to do with the kids. With the benefit of hindsight, I would have loved to have done a little presentation on Washington, DC and come prepared with photos or mementos to share with the children. It was awkward to just show up with our backpacks, but we really had no idea what to expect. Overall, the experience was a positive one and I am glad we did it. The Creciendo Juntos coordinator was extremely friendly, despite our language issues, and the school children and faculty were all welcoming and open to our visit.

    For the final installation of our trip to Costa Rica, check out Costa Rica With Kids (Part VIII): Diamante Eco Adventure Park…

  • Attending Mass on Vacation: Our Five Most Memorable Experiences

    Attending Mass on Vacation: Our Five Most Memorable Experiences

    Vacation is often a time when Catholic families forego attending weekly Mass due to inconvenience or lack of familiarity.  However, we make a point of attending Mass when traveling and have had some pretty amazing experiences along the way – even when the service isn’t even in English.  By attending Mass, we have the opportunity to see how Catholics around the world are united by this weekly ritual, which is not something you can generally experience by merely touring a church or cathedral.

    Attending Mass while on vacation requires advance planning, especially when we are traveling with or visiting non-Catholics.  We regularly consult Mass Times online before our trip to find Mass schedules for churches near by our accommodations.  The Mass Times site has helped us locate a services for Easter Mass in Toronto, near a work retreat in Columbus, a few blocks from our friends’ Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan and a newly constructed church in Frederick, Maryland.  One of the most unusual Mass experiences was at Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando.  The Basilica is not a parish and does not have weekly bulletins but was built to service Catholics tourists.  It’s congregation is almost entirely made of up tourists each week.

    St. John Vianney in St. Pete

    Following our favor of fives, here are the five most memorable Catholic churches we visited around the world.

    #1: Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in Goa

    The time we attended Mass in Goa under the protection of armed guards made me realize that I too often take religious freedom for granted.  We spent Christmas 2006 in Goa, where a terrorist alert was issued indicating that Al Qaeda was targeting the area for an attack on tourists.  The church where we attended Midnight Mass was heavily protected due to the large gathering of Catholics.  Luckily, no attacks occurred, but that truly an unforgettable experience.

    #2: Saint Anthony’s Friary Church and the Holy Ghost Church in Bangalore

    Spending Holy Week in Bangalore was another unforgettable experience.  While Hinduism is the most common religion in India, there are also almost 20 million Catholics.  Holy Week services at our church at home are well attended but the church is not packed.  If you arrive 20 minutes early on Easter Sunday, you are pretty much guaranteed a seat.  The services we attended in India gave “standing room only” a new meaning.  Multiple services are held almost hourly in different languages, and hundreds of chairs are set up outside with large screens live video streaming the Mass.  We attended Holy Week services at Holy Ghost Church and Saint Anthony’s Friary Church.  We arrived at least 30 minutes before each service began to park and then wait outside the doors for the prior service to finish.  As soon as the prior Mass ended, people rush in to find a seat.  Nonetheless, everyone is dressed up and reverent and patient with the large crowds.  The Masses we attended in India were all in English but celebrated with very different music and crowds than we were accustomed to.

    Waiting for Mass

    #3: Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in San Juan

    Attending Mass on vacation often includes language barrier issues.  While honeymooning in Puerto Rico, my husband and I attended Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas and conveniently located in Old San Juan just across the street from our hotel.  The entire Mass was in Spanish, and while we didn’t understand the exact words being said, we could follow along during the readings, songs, prayers and homily.  The service gave us the opportunity to quietly reflect – a rare opportunity in the excitement of the past few weeks.

    The Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of Saint John the Baptist

    Our experience in San Juan helped us realize that attending Mass in another language can be quite special as well.  On a recent trip to the D.C. area, the most convenient Sunday Mass for us to attend happened to be in Spanish.  Due to our scheduling Jenga necessary to fit in everything we had planned, we decided that the timing was more important than attending Mass in English.  We forewarned our boys, but our two year old daughter was quite confused and stated rather loudly at a quiet moment of the service that she did not understand what they were saying.

    #4: St. Peter’s Parish in Akureyri, Iceland

    Our visit to St. Peter’s Parish in Iceland was definitely an experience we will never forget.  The entire population of Iceland is only about 330,000, and the country has about 12,000 Catholics, seven Catholic churches and about nine priests.  We were lucky that we stayed in Akureyri, the second largest metropolitan area outside of Reykjavik (with a population of 17,000) because one of the few churches outside Reykjavik is located here.  St. Peter’s is located in a building the size of a house.  The sanctuary was comparable to a large living room and seated maybe 25-30.  The priest flew in from Reykjavik for  Sunday Mass, which was said in Icelandic.  After the service, we were invited to the church hall in the basement for coffee and pastries.  The priest could not attend because he was headed to the airport for another Mass.  Our kids never want to miss our church’s monthly Donut Sunday and were thrilled to find a similar tradition in Iceland.  We sat with a few parishioners and had lovely chats.  My daughter was mesmerized by an older gentleman with a long white beard who she was convinced must be Santa.  We were pretty far north, after all.

    St. Peter’s Parish

    #5: St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City

    We have had some pretty extraordinary experiences even during “typical” English Masses.   While attending Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, my mom and I were fortunate to hear Archbishop Edward Egan say Mass.  Our visit was just a few months after Egan participated in the 2005 papal conclave.  He served as Archbishop until his retirement in 2009 and died a few years later in 2015.

    St. Patrick’s Cathedral
    Archbishop Edward Egan

    When I was leaving for a recent work trip, my daughter reminded me that I needed to go to church in Phoenix.  I wasn’t able to fit Mass into my short, packed, mid-week trip, but was thrilled that she sees travel and Mass to be intertwined.  Our tradition of attending Mass on vacation gives us the opportunity to spend an hour not as tourists but as fellow worshipers.  Despite different songs, prayers and even languages, we are united with Catholics all around the world in our weekly celebration.  This cultural and spiritual experience only enhances our travels.

  • New York City With Kids: Five Fun Family Activities

    New York City With Kids: Five Fun Family Activities

    New York City is the most populous city in the United States with over 8.5 million people — more than the entire population of Virginia! Having lived on the East Coast for over fifteen years, my husband and I have spent years making at least twice annual trips to New York City. My best friend from college lives there, so we frequently traveled to NYC for food, wine, and entertainment. Then we had kids. And it took us nearly four years to go back. Why? Because after years of traveling to NYC as single adults and then as a double-income-no-kid couple, the thought of traveling to NYC was daunting.

    Prior to my son’s fourth birthday, I decided our NYC hiatus had gone on long enough and we made plans to travel up to NYC for the weekend, just a short Amtrak ride away from DC. We quickly discovered that many of the things we had enjoyed previously were not off limits just because our son was with us and, as an added bonus, we discovered other activities that we would not have experienced if we weren’t traveling with a child.

    #1: New York Public Library and Bryant Park

    We stayed at the Andaz 5th Avenue, which was conveniently located across the street from the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. Both provided excellent space and people watching, particularly from the coffee shop directly across the street from the NYPL and around the corner from the Andaz. Being located near Bryant Park also provided my son with opportunities to run around in an open space and, we picked up lunch at one of the many eateries located at the Park on our last day there, which we happily ate on the Amtrak ride back down to DC (we picked up sandwiches from ‘Wichcraft, which sadly closed in late ’14/early ’15,  but there are many other options available, and I encourage you to try them and enjoy Bryant Park’s open space).

    eating breakfast across from the New York Public Library

    #2: Central Park / Victorian Gardens

    My godparents live in NYC and recommended meeting up at Central Park one morning during our stay. While my husband and godfather went on a short run through the Park, my kiddo and I decided to check out Victorian Gardens, the amusement park located within Central Park. It ended up being an ideal location to spend a few hours and my son absolutely loved his first exposure to roller coasters. A few weeks after our trip, I happened to mention our trip to NYC to the parent of a classmate of my son, who grew up in Manhattan, but who had never taken her two kids to the city before! When I mentioned what a fabulous trip we had, she realized that she had been remiss in not taking her two kids and planned a trip almost immediately after I reminded her of the existence of Victorian Gardens.

    The roller coasters in Central Park were the perfect introduction!

    #3: Shopping / People Watching / Dining Out

    There are a few things that always spring to mind immediately when NYC is mentioned, including food, Broadway, and shopping.  After our stop in Central Park, we visited FAO Schwarz (now closed) on Fifth Avenue. My godparents insisted, actually, and my son loved it as he has been to only a handful of toy stores in his entire life (thanks to Amazon.com!).

    He also loved wandering around SOHO that afternoon and just taking in all the street vendors – something that we don’t have in DC.

    Although you might think that Fifth Avenue is boring and not a place for kids, my son found the large buildings and the throngs of people to be fascinating. He also found the Sak’s shoe elevator to be fascinating and, during a subsequent visit to NYC years later, enjoyed popping into St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a window-shopping break.

    The Shoe Elevator!
    Popping into St. Patrick’s to light a candle.

    #4: The Highline

    The first time we visited the Highline, a 1.5 mile elevated park built on a former railway, was with my son. The Highline opened in June 2009, the same month my son was born, so this was not something we could have done in any of our prior visits. The day we visited, the weather was absolutely perfect.  Although the significance of the park as an urban revitalization project was likely lost on my son, it was a great way to spend a few hours.

    Family photo on the Highline.

    #5: Empire State Building

    The 86th floor of the Empire State Building has an open-air observation deck, which my son absolutely loved on a later visit to NYC, when he was nearing his sixth birthday. Tickets are steep ($62 for adults, $60 for seniors over age 62, $56 for children ages 6-12), but because my son was just shy of his 6th birthday, he was admitted for free.

    Open air observation deck at the Empire State Building

    Final Thoughts

    Living in DC, we took the Amtrak from DC to New York which my son loveland helped prepare him for a trip to Japan the next year, which involved extensive train travel.  New York City is one of my favorite places to visit and I am glad we waited until my son was older to visit. Because he was over four years of age, I also felt comfortable packing a backless booster for him to use in short rides around the city (whether Uber or my friend/godparents’ vehicle). If he had been any younger, we would have had to either lug around his big convertible car seat or restrict ourselves to traveling via Subway, as I am not comfortable with young children riding without car seats, even though I know they are legally exempt when riding in taxis.

    Waiting for our train!
    In the backseat of an Uber.

    Although my son has no recollection of our trip to NYC, I loved that we finally “ripped off the band-aid,” so to speak, and took him to a place that many do not think of as a great place to bring young children for a weekend. Obviously, there are people who live and work in NYC who have young kids, but for those of us who only experienced the City as young adults, it was hard to envision the logistics of getting around Manhattan with a young child and even more questionable as to whether we would enjoy the City as much as we did before kids. I’m happy to report that we had a lovely long weekend visiting NYC with kids and am looking forward to doing it again and varying up the activities now that my son is older.

  • A Weekend in Kerala With Kids

    A Weekend in Kerala With Kids

    Our family spent three days exploring Kerala during our trip to India last year.  We spent most of our time in India visiting relatives in Bangalore but spent one long weekend in “God’s Own Country,” which is a favorite holiday destination for Prince Charles and Camilla.  Located in South India along the Arabian Sea, Kerala has been known for exporting spices such as pepper, cardamom, turmeric, cloves and ginger for at least five thousand years.  It is baffling to think of a single region known for one trade for that long and no surprise that the food is glorious.  Literally, every bite of every meal was perfection, and we loved visiting Kerala with kids.

    Why Kerala With Kids?

    We were most excited about houseboat tours through the backwaters, which are the most popular tourist attraction of the area.   These boats, traditionally called kettuvallams were originally used to transport rice and occasionally as living quarters for royalty.  The boats have more recently been converted to accommodate tourists for day and overnight leisure trips, complete with a staff to drive the boat and prepare meals.  We were also drawn to the area’s Portuguese influence.  The spice trade brought Portuguese traders to Kerala in the 15th century and paved the way for the Portuguese colonization of the area.  As a result of the Portuguese influence, Christians in Kerala comprise almost 20% of the population, compared with a mere 2.3% in the entire Indian population.

    Visiting Kerala With Kids

    Many Indian travel companies require payment in local currency or a physical credit card and therefore cannot make advance bookings from the outside of India.  Arrangements for our flights, hotels, driver and houseboat tour were all made locally through Atlas Hoppers, but we understand that Atlas Hoppers can accept electronic payment and make advance bookings for foreigners.

    Transportation in Kerala With Kids

    We hired a driver named Kiran who picked us up at the airport in Cochin (also known as Kochi) in a specially requested six-passenger vehicle and stayed with us for three days while we explored Kumarakom, Alleppey (also known as Alappuzha) and Cochin.   A private driver may seem like a major indulgence – especially on the smaller, more rural roads, but it was really a necessity on this type of trip.

    Kiran not only transported us safely from place to place but also served as our guide.  He pointed out local sights, flora, cashew nuts trees, roadside coconut stands, jewelry emporiums and even a local temple elephant.  He did not quite understand my need to take the boys to the Arabian Sea, but he took us to the beach nonetheless.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Kiran, who tailored our trip according to our preferences and made sure we did not miss the very best parts of Kerala.

    Kerala roadside
    Kerala’s greens and blues
    It’s not every day you see an elephant, but Kiran knew just where to find this one
    Fresh coconut water is divine

    Kumarakom and Alleppey 

    Accommodation in Kumarakom With Kids

    We spent two nights at the spectacular Vivanta by Taj – Kumarakom and absolutely loved the property.  This lakeside retreat featured luxury rooms, a private lagoon, boats, bikes, a playground and even bunnies.  The guest rooms were separate cottages situated around the lagoon, so we needed to walk through the beautifully manicured grounds to reach it.  Our room had a wonderful view of the pool, which we had to ourselves the entire stay.  Except for our houseboat excursion, we ate all our meals at the resort and generally enjoyed the activities provided by the resort, evening entertainment and scenery.

    Lagoon
    View of sunset over the lake from the resort
    Duck, duck, goose?
    Breakfast
    Pool fun

    Alleppey Houseboat Tour With Kids

    Most people travel to Alleppey to tour the backwaters on a houseboat.   Day or overnight trips are available, and we booked a five-hour tour through Lakelands Cruise.  There are a wide variety of boats, ranging from pretty basic boats to those tricked out with satellite receivers and air conditioning.   Each boat is staffed with a captain to steer and a chef who prepares traditional Keralite meals.  Even though every meal we ate in Kerala was superb, our lunch on the boat was the absolute best.

    Our boat had covered deck with a large chaise lounge swing and dining table at the front of the boat, an air-conditioned bedroom with an attached bath in the middle and a kitchen at the back.  The front was definitely not baby-proof, so we had to be careful not to let our daughter near the low railings.  I spent most of my time onboard lounging on the swing with our daughter relaxing on my lap.  We also retreated to the enclosed bedroom a few times so that she could run around.

    View out the front of the boat
    A chaise lounge swing is an amazing spot for a nap
    Another houseboat similar to ours

    While traveling the backwaters on a houseboat is pretty amazing in itself, the real excitement for us was really getting a chance to glimpse into the lives of some of the villagers who live on or near the water.  There was constant activity on the river banks as the villagers went about their lives.  We saw many locals bathing, washing clothes and utensils in the water.  For who definitely take modern plumbing for granted, watching people wash in the river is the first thing both boys remembered about this excursion.

    Washing in the river
    Washing dishes
    Doing laundry

    We also saw workers on the rice fields, children walking to or from school, people boating in the river and riding their bikes along the banks.  When we docked by a rice field, the boys got to explore the riverbank, examine the rice plants and see the various states of processing the crop goes through before rice makes it to the plate.

    Paddy field workers
    Coming home from school
    Boat transport
    Biking
    Rice

    In this region, many men wore a traditional wrap cotton sarong called a mundu.  Mundus are usually white or cream with a simple border and are worn folded by laborers and as a symbol of masculinity.  With very high temperatures while we were there, it is also a very practical attire.

    Mundu

    We also saw some beautiful birds along the river, including cranes, egrets and kingfisher birds.

    So many beautiful birds

    I admit that I thought five hours was going to be way too long to spend on the houseboat with three young kids.  At the beginning of the trip, I worried it might be an exhausting day wrangling our daughter.  Luckily, she was very happy to sit with me on the swing and thoroughly enjoyed the excursion.  I found myself more and more relaxed throughout the day and thought we could have enjoyed another hour or two when we docked. Nevertheless, I was glad that we chose not to spend the night on the houseboat with young kids and much preferred our overnight accommodations at the Taj, which were far more luxurious.

    Alleppey Beach With Kids

    On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Alleppey Beach .  I really wanted the kids to have a chance to see the Arabian Sea.  They really do love beaches and not so surprisingly, they needed to dip their toes in the water.  Alleppey is known more for its backwaters than its beach, and this one was almost empty during our visit.

    Dipping their toes in the Arabian Sea

    Cochin

    Accommodation in Cochin With Kids

    After our second night in Kumarakom, we headed back to Cochin along the Malabar Coast.  We stayed at the Vivanta by Taj – Malabar, an exceptional hotel on the harbor.  The highlight of the room for the kids was glass walled bathroom with a privacy blind that raised and lowered electronically with a switch, but they also enjoyed the view from or room.   We had a scrumptious dinner and breakfast at the hotel.  Although, after a busy few days, all three kids fell asleep before dinner was over (a first!).  The outdoor grounds of the hotel were lovely, and our son enjoyed a swim in the pool in the morning.

    View of the harbor from our room
    So sleepy
    Fun elephant sculpture
    The grounds were beautifully manicured
    View of the Arabian Sea from the pool

    Fort Cochin With Kids

    Before colonization, Cochin was a fishing village.  The major tourist attraction of the area are the Chinese fishing nets, which are located at the Cochin Beach and symbolize the history and culture of the region.  These nets were erected in the area starting in the 13th or 14th century and each operated by about six fishermen.  While they have been replaced by modern fishing techniques, they are open for tourists to experience first-hand. Local fisherman are even happy to allow tourists to raise and lower the nets.  My kids absolutely loved our hands on experience pulling up the net.   We visited Cochin beach in the evening and were treated to a beautiful sunset as we wandered through the nearby fish market.

    Chinese fishing nets
    Counterweights
    Helping out

    The nearby farmers’ market offered fresh catch, mostly from boats rather than the nets.  We enjoyed souvenir shopping at the stalls nearby.

    St Francis Church was the first European church built in India.  After his death, Vasco da Gama was buried here for 14 years until his remains were returned to Portugal.

    St. Francis Church

    Inside St. Francis
    Biking is such a common mode of transportation that the church yard is full of them

    We also enjoyed a Kalripayattu martial arts performance and were the only members of the audience.  Kalripayattu techniques include combinations of steps and postures and use a variety of swords and blades.  At the end of the show, the boys got a chance to participate with the performers.

    The performers’ strength was amazing

    We had a luxurious and truly spectacular vacation in Kerala.  Although we enjoyed seeing the tourist sights, I hope to spend more time relaxing at the beautiful resorts next time we visit.

    Planning a trip to India with kids, check out our posts on planning and Bangalore.

  • Visiting Bangalore With Kids

    Visiting Bangalore With Kids

    Bangalore may be known more as an IT mecca than for tourism, but this “Garden City of India” is a great place to experience India. With a population of 8.4 million, it is the country’s third largest city and the capital of Karnataka.  We spent two weeks visiting family in Bangalore when our kids were 20 months, 5 and 8 and had an unforgettable trip.  We can’t wait to return to Bangalore with kids.

    When I first traveled to Bangalore over the 2007 New Year, I saw no more than three other blondes during our five-day visit.  That trip was the first time that I had ever been a minority.  I definitely attracted attention and a fair number of double-takes, but no one ever approached me on the street.  Minorities in the US have historically been treated with suspicion or viewed negatively, but that was definitely not my experience in India.  Indians seemed to be merely intrigued or interested in my uniqueness but not viewed in a negative light.  I was clearly identified as a tourist and constantly encouraged to enter stores.  When we visited again in 2016 with our three kids, we saw far more tourists in Bangalore and “blended in” a bit more.  Here are our favorite five family activities for visits to Bangalore with kids:

    #1:  Eating Out in Bangalore With Kids

    We ate like royalty in India.  Our family’s favorite cuisine is Indian, and all of our kids enjoy some spice in their food. With many meals, my husband and I enjoyed Kingfisher, the most popular Indian beer.  Kingfisher is available in the US, but only a version that is also manufactured in the States and does not taste like the Indian Kingfisher.

    Kingfisher, our favorite Indian beverage, complete with never-ending bubbles

    We ate lunch out daily and enjoyed some phenomenal restaurants, including:

    • Tandoor features palatial decor and traditional tandoori cooking and is located on MG Road.  The butter chicken, milai chicken and roti are our favorites  We loved Tandoor so much that we ate here twice.
    • Chutney Chang is a buffet offering Indian and Chinese dishes where we ate Easter lunch.  The buffet is so large that you have to do a quick preview before you start serving yourself.  And, save room for the delicious desserts.  Our kids particularly enjoyed the cotton candy.
    • Le Brassierie at Le Meridien was another unbelievable buffet where we dined for lunch on our last day in India.  La Brassierie’s buffet offers North Indian, South Indian, Japanese, Chinese and continental food.  When the server heard that we were celebrating our son’s birthday, they brought out an entire cake inscribed with Happy Birthday.  My little dimpled guy has never smiled so big.

    #2:  Bangalore’s Lalbagh Botanical Garden

    After a few hours in Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, it will be clear why Bangalore is known as the “Garden City” in this outdoor oasis located within a crowded city.  We hired a guide to take us around the gardens in an expanded golf cart and thoroughly enjoyed a few hours away from the hustle and bustle (and honking) of the city.

    We particularly enjoyed the 300 year old silk cotton tree, bird watching and generally exploring the foliage.

    #3:  Shopping in Bangalore With Kids

    Shopping was one of our favorite activities in Bangalore.  Almost everything available in India is offered at a fraction of the price you would find in the US.  Additionally, handicrafts made in India and jewelry are so much more unique and interesting.  We made a number of purchases, including a tailor-made suit made to measure for my older son’s First Communion, prescription glasses, jewelry, shoes and clothes.  While I never had trouble with substandard products, shopping at a government emporium is a good way to ensure quality at a reasonable price.

    Some of our favorite shopping areas include:

    • Brigade Road/Mahatma Gandhi Road (aka MG Road) is a popular tourist shopping area with a wide variety of popular international stores including Nike and Adidas.  Both Brigade Road and MG Road are very busy streets, and you have to be careful when crossing, but there are sufficient sidewalks for pedestrians.  Make sure to cross when the locals do.  There are often stalls set up on MG Road, and we purchased belts personally fit to each of us and a Panama hat for our younger son at one of these stalls.  Bargaining at all stores except emporiums and international chain stores is common.  Fast food chains McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Dominos are all available, but we definitely did not waste any of our meals on fast food and didn’t choose “Western food” once.
      • Cauvery Emporium at the intersection of Brigade and MG Road is a can’t miss for authentic handicrafts, including textiles and sandalwood and rosewood products.
      • Cottage Industries Emporium is another government  emporium located a short drive away where we always find amazing Indian handicrafts.
      • PN RAO is a tailor that specializes in made to measure suits.  After picking out your material and pattern, your custom-made suit is ready for a first fitting about a week later.  We had a suit made for our eight-year old who was about to make his First Communion.

        Brigade Road at night
    Handcrafted wooden toys that you can sometimes see being made outside of Cauvery Emporium
    • Commercial Street is one of the oldest shopping areas in Bangalore.  It is extremely busy shopping street known for sale of clothes, shoes, jewelry and electronics.  Sidewalks are not consistently available, and the main street is shared by parked cars, moving cars and a fair share of pedestrians, so you need to use extra caution with kids here.  Soch (my favorite Indian clothes store) and Mex both have large stores here.  I was thrilled that Soch shortened my  kurti to my desired length for no additional charge and had it ready in about an hour.
    • The Forum in Koramangala was India’s first shopping mall development that includes five stories of shops and a multiplex movie theater and a food court.  Soch also has a store here.

    #4:  Religious Celebrations in Bangalore With Kids

    Spending Holy Week in Bangalore was a truly unique experience.  While Hinduism is the most common religion in India, there are almost 20 million Catholics.  My husband’s ancestors come from Goa and Mangalore, which are areas with large Catholic populations.  While some Indians were converted to Christianity at the time of Christ, most were converted during the Portuguese and British colonial periods.  In Goa, it was common for Indians to change their names to Christian names after conversion.  They often adopted the Portugese surname of the missionary who converted them.  As a result, there are about 50 very common Indian Catholic surnames.

    Holy Thursday and Good Friday services at our church at home are well attended but there are always plenty of seats.  If you arrive 20 minutes early on Easter Sunday, you are pretty much guaranteed a seat.  The services we attended in India gave “standing room only” a new meaning.  Multiple services are held almost hourly in different languages, and hundreds of chairs are set up outside with large screens live video streaming the Mass.  We arrived at least 30 minutes before each service began to park and then wait outside the doors for the prior service to finish.  As soon as the prior Mass ended, people would rush in to find a seat.  Everyone was dressed up and reverent and patient with the large crowds.

    Easter 2016 coincided with Holi, a Hindu Spring festival known as the “festival of colors” that is popular with non-Hindus as well.  People cover each other with brilliant colors and spray each other with water guns and water balloons.  We enjoyed watching this joy-filled celebration.  We worried about the color getting in the kids’ eyes and didn’t participate in the bright celebration, but found a great list of tips for celebrating Holi in India.

    Waiting for Mass
    Throwing color to celebrate Holi

    #5:  Sporting Events in Bangalore With Kids

    With two boys, sporting events are always high on their list.  Our trip occurred during the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 cricket tournament, and we watched cricked almost every night.  It was amazing to see my boys fall in love with the sport that their dad grew up with.  Cricket is an extremely complicated game, but they started picking up the rules and the lingo.  My husband purchased tickets to a match held in Bangalore between West Indies and Sri Lanka, and the boys couldn’t wait.  Unfortunately, our oldest spiked a  high fever on the day after we arrived in India, which was the day of match and was crushed to watch from home while his brother had an experience of a lifetime.  West Indies went on to win the tournament in a heart wrenching game against England.  Admittedly, even I enjoyed watching that.

    The boys also had unique experiences playing soccer in the school yard of their dad’s school, St. Joseph’s.

    Our older son also played soccer every night he could with neighbor children in the complex we stayed in.  His brother opted for swimming in the pool where he made a few friends himself and taught himself to swim during our stay.

    We were lucky to have about two weeks in Bangalore and explore at a slow pace.  To make the most of a short visit, check out this ultimate Bangalore itinerary.

    While both boys note that visiting family was the best part of our time in Bangalore, we really enjoyed exploring the city, which was so different than our everyday lives.  Visiting India with kids, check out our posts on planning and Kerala.

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  • Spring Break ’17 Part II: A Week in Monterey With Kids!

    Spring Break ’17 Part II: A Week in Monterey With Kids!

    Although I have driven from Southern California to Northern California more times than I can count, I had only been to Monterey once prior to our family trip this spring. As an avid fan of aquariums, however, I have long wanted to take my husband there and when I started researching options for things to do in Monterey, I quickly realized that it would be a wonderful place to spend the week with the kids. In Part I of this series, I discussed the logistics of our flight from DC to Los Angeles and our decision to spend the night in Santa Barbara and take our time driving up the Coast. In this post, I’ll describe the activities we packed into a seven day trip to Monterey.

    What did we do?

    Carmel Mission Basilica

    My Fourth Grade year was spent studying California history, which included an exhaustive series on California missions. I spent a lot of time as a child wondering about the missions and intrigued by their history. Although I did not get a chance to visit many as a child, my husband and I have explored many together through the years.

    If you spend any time driving up and down the California Coast, you’ll invariably see signs indicating that you are traveling on the Historic Camino Real, the road connecting the 21 Spanish missions.

    photo credit

    Happily for me, the house we rented was just a short 25 minute drive to the San Charles Borromeo de Carmelo Mission, or the Carmel Mission, and it was the perfect location for our Easter morning mass.

    The mission was built in 1770 and many parts of it show its age. Luckily, it is now the home of a vibrant parish and school. The early morning mass we attended (7AM) was completely full, with seats in the courtyard for the overflow. Since I had a defiant toddler with me, we ended up exploring a lot of the grounds during mass. Unfortunately for me, a Southern California native, it was much much colder than I expected so I was freezing by the time my son and husband were done. Definitely do not underestimate how much colder it is in Northern California than it is in Los Angeles!

    Juniper Serra, the Franciscan priest who founded the first missions in California is actually buried in the sanctuary floor. My then-seven year old, who had learned about the Spanish missionaries during Spanish class  was intrigued by the historical significance of the Mission and we stopped by the gift shop to purchase some items to bring back and share in class.

    Being that it was Easter, we, of course, did an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids.  The garden at the vacation house provided the perfect spot for hiding eggs.

    Monterey Bay Aquarium

    As you might expect, we spent a lot of time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This was the driving force behind our decision to visit Monterey and we visited every single day for a few hours at a time. The house we rented came with two guest passes to use for the duration of our stay and children under 3 are free, so we really only needed one more ticket. One day admission is $49.95 for an adult, so we decided to go ahead and purchase a $95 annual membership for my husband to use. Had our house not come with the two guest passes, we would have purchased a family membership which, at $250, is a bargain for a week of entertainment.

    Many of the days ended up being rainy, so the aquarium was the perfect place to let off some steam and get some toddler energy out. My seven year old never got bored and my toddler loved the playspace.

     

    The only downside to the experience is that my husband and I didn’t learn a single thing while there! We were too busy chasing our toddler (who thought it particularly fun to run like a maniac through the dark aquarium gallery). I did catch this video of the sea gooseberry, which was probably my favorite organism at the aquarium.

    My kids loved the sardines swimming in an endless circle. I remember being fascinated by this very aquarium as a child, so it was neat to see my kids experience it as well, even if it is much smaller than I remember it being!

    Dennis the Menace Park

    Monterey happens to be home to the Dennis the Menace Park.  Unfortunately, our stay occurred while it was under construction, so we did not get a chance to actually experience the park.  The park, however, is adjacent to Lake El Centro, where you can rent paddle boats from El Estero Boating.

    We took advantage of a sunny afternoon for our first family paddle boating experience.

    my fearless munchkin

    The water was calm and as we were there in the middle of the week, it was not crowded. I believe we were the only people on the water that day. Now that the Dennis the Menace Park has reopened, this is an easy place to spend the afternoon with kids.

    Asilomar State Beach

    Our vacation rental was only a 15 minute drive from Asilomar State Beach, which turned out to be a surprisingly delightful place to visit. Across from the beach is the Asilomar Dunes Natural Preserve:

    where a landmark stile stands at the gateway to this preserve and the Asilomar Conference Grounds. A ¼ mile boardwalk meanders through 25 acres of restored sand dune ecosystem where visitors can discover the native plant greenhouse where more than 450,000 plants, representing 25 species, have been grown and planted in the effort to preserve the dunes and coastal bluffs. Several boardwalk outlooks provide panoramic views of Asilomar State Beach and the blue Pacific Ocean.

    coastal trail @ Asilomar Dunes Natural Preserve

    Both my kids enjoyed the boardwalk and so did we! It was not crowded and the wooden pathways were easy for my toddler to manage on his own. Although it would be a bumpy ride for a stroller, it is certainly manageable – the bigger concern would be sand from wind. My seven year old had a blast playing army on the walk with his cousin while my toddler enjoyed stopping and throwing sand every few feet.

    Later that week, we returned to the beach for some play time in the sand and despite the stiff wind, both kids had a great time.

    Jacks Peak Park

    My husband and I are avid hikers and there was no doubt that we would try to sneak in as many walks as we could. Of course, it is necessary to adjust your expectations when hiking with kids and we try to find small walks that they can enjoy.  Jacks Peak Park fit the bill. Although there is a nominal fee to park (I believe it is $5/car), it was well worth it.

    Looking out over Monterey with the map pointing out major destinations.

    The trail was well maintained such that my toddler had no trouble walking most of the path himself.

    Dad was happy to give him a ride when he got tired!

    Although this is not a stroller friendly spot, it is a relatively easy walk without too much elevation change and the path is maintained such that I would not hesitate to bring a child in a carrier. Most of the walk was shaded and cool – especially with the ocean breeze coming in from the west.

    Jump-N-Around

    Being in Northern California, there were many days in which it rained too much for us to do anything other than go to the Aquarium. One day, we took the kids to the Aquarium in the morning, but were desperate for indoor activities for later in the afternoon. My brother (who was visiting with his wife and two kids) ended up taking all the kids to Jump-N-Around, a local chain bounce house. My kids had a great time and it provided them with some much needed jumpin’ around time (pun intended).

    Wine Tasting

    Although we did not intend to do much, if any, wine tasting while in Monterey, we spent one afternoon exploring the Monterey tasting scene after we discovered there were a number of tasting rooms all centrally located in one area, thus saving us from having to drag the kids to and from wineries. One of the tasting rooms we visited was Georis, located in nearby Carmel.

    The day we visited was pleasant enough to be outside and there is a little garden where kids can play without disturbing others (although there are cacti, so be careful)! Georis also has a limited menu, which we did not take advantage of, but it would have been easy to get a snack for the kids and keep them entertained while we sipped. Many of the other wineries we visited had similar set ups and it was definitely a more laid back environment than Napa. I would not hesitate to bring my kids along for some wine tasting next time we are in the area.

    Relax

    Reading through this post, it sure does surprise me how much we managed to work into a week long stay in Monterey! My husband and I each worked in a few visits to the Monterey Sports Center, where we paid a nominal fee for a day pass so that we could get some exercise in and we also spent plenty of time sitting around and just enjoying the cool, ocean air from the comfort of our rented backyard. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how much there was to occupy ourselves with and we never got bored. We tend to focus on big, exciting places to visit – London, San Francisco, DC, New York – visiting the sleepy town of Monterey was a nice change of pace and there was plenty to do while also providing us with some much needed down time.

    And just like that, it was time to pack up the car and the kids and head back to Southern California. Continue to Part III – Driving Back Down the California Coast