Here for a millisecond!

Hi!  How embarrassing that I haven't been lurking around blogland for a while.  Working full-time and having older tween and almost tween daughters have really cut into my blogging and crafting time!

Even though it seems like eons ago, I've had some great travel experiences over the last 12 months.  We stayed in a yurt at Flora Bora near Emma Lake, SK in August 2013.  A yurt is a really interesting method of "camping".  (I don't really consider having a yurt as a camping experience considering we had a private bath/shower and indoor kitchen facilities).  I loved having our own "sky light" through the yurt's roof.  The mosquitoes were awful at Flora Bora but the landscape made up for all the bites.

Flora Bora

We took K & N to London (UK) and Paris for 3 weeks in April/May 2014.  I did a lot of prep work with the girls to prepare for the trip.  We I borrowed kids' library books on French and English history, culture and travel for the girls to study read.  We read as many British children's books as possible.  We watched British and French children's movies.  It was a lot of work to get ready but worth it.

K adores London.  K was hooked the minute she stepped onto the Tube at Heathrow Airport.  K & N toted the Tube map everywhere.  K carefully marked each Tube Station we entered/exited.  We did all the typical tourist sites and K & N were a bit disappointed that they didn't encounter any royalty.  (Kate & Will were in New Zealand at the time & likely sent their regrets but we didn't get the message in time).

Altho I had lived in London for 8 months in the early 1990s, London had changed substantially in my absence.  It was as if I had never lived there.  Everything was foreign to me, even my old stomping ground of High Street Kensington.  Happily, a couple of my friends still remain in the London area & met up with me and it was so nice to see them after 20 plus years apart!  The improvements to the Tower of London tour was remarkable.  We spent the whole day at the Tower!

The one place where I did not schedule enough time was the Globe Theatre.  I found the tour fascinating and could have spent hours in the Globe Theatre Museum (which included acting lessons on how to joust with real swords and lessons on fabrics/colours in Shakespearean time).  The Globe Theatre's website didn't explain that it is feasible to move about during a Shakespearean play at the Globe (including a visit to the fast food stand outside the theatre's door).  If I had known this, I would have arranged tickets to see a theatre production.  I hope to return to London one day specifically to watch a play at the Globe!

Globe Theatre, London

We didn't really leave London except for a jaunt to Windsor.  It was my first visit to Windsor Castle & was a worthwhile venture!

Windsor

We took the Eurostar to Paris.  Our rented apartment was located adjacent to one bakery and 1.5 blocks away from another bakery.  It was bakery heaven for us!  Despite loading up on French baking multiple times a day, we walked the calories off -- no doubt that the 90 to 112 steps to our apartment helped!  N preferred Paris over London.

Travelling with kids results in different travel opportunities.  We ventured to Luxembourg Gardens. There was a little playground and we thought we'd let the kids burn off a little energy.  And they did as we watched them and shivered for about 2.5 hours!  Our children had never experienced a merry-go-round!  The playground had a zip-line -- I've never seen a zip-line in a public park!

Luxembourg Gardens

Paris turned into a history lesson on the French revolution (before and after).  We went to Versailles and I worried that N would be trampled in the crowds visiting the State Rooms.  We wandered within and outside the immense Versailles park.  Despite the crowds, the park was exquisite.

Place de la Concorde where Marie Antoinette was beheaded.

Versailles

Provins

We travelled to a little medieval town, Provins.  It was so refreshing to leave Paris' crowds and tourists. Provins is about 1.5 hours outside of Paris and is frequented by French school-aged children who come to learn about Medieval France.

We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel internationally with our children.  We learned so much!