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Jocelyn Cooper
Jocelyn Cooper

Jocelyn Cooper

podróżował/a po 22 krajach. Czytaj więcej
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  • Greece
    Overlooking Lycabettus Hill
    Arch of HadrianTemple of Olympian Zeus1st modern Olympic StadiumParliament

    Last day

    29 października, Grecja ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We were back and forth about whether to head to the archeological museum today, but ultimately decided that we were all set with museums for the trip. Instead we booked a guru walk free tour and went and walked around the Monstiraki flea market and Plaka neighborhood for a bit. We stopped for some delicious gyros (and cheeseburgers for the weirdos) before meeting the tour. It was a lovely 3.5 hour walk around Athens and really complemented what we did yesterday well, with local insight into the landmarks and culture and visits to places that we definitely would have otherwise missed. We saw the cave on the Plaka side of the acropolis, which was where the common folk would gather and worship, and a very special tiny Orthodox Church that receives the flame first for all of the churches in Greece from the central church of Jerusalem at Easter. We tried Fredo Espresso and stopped for gelato. We learned more about columns (which we already knew from Gid’s GT project a few years ago when we turned him into a Doric column) and the mountain where they harvested the marble for the ancient temples. We ended with a visit to the ancient stadium (originally built in the 5th century). that held the first “modern” Olympic Games after they were revived in Athens in the late 1800’s. We also learned a lot of historical timelines and that Greece has lost the location of many important statues:). The tour ended near our apartment in Syntagma Square which is right in front of Parliament. We grabbed jackets and headed out to shop a bit and have dinner, which was at a delicious little Italian spot. Back home to pack up properly and get ready for morning flight home. It has been a great week together, and much needed after a busy first half of Autumn term. We barely scratched the surface of what Greece has to offer and will definitely be back when we need island time again in the future! Czytaj więcej

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  • Greece
    Roman agoraRoman agoraRoman agora entranceAncient agora looking back to AcropolisView of Parthenon from Temple of HephaestusTemple of HephaestusTheatre of DionysusParthenonFrom Acropolis Museum1Excavation under Acropolis Museum

    Athens

    28 października, Grecja ⋅ 🌙 68 °F

    Up with the sun today for our flight to Athens. A short trip, we arrived at 930 and made it to our Airbnb by 1030. Our metro link was closed as we came on a national holiday (Ohi Day commemorating Greece not joining forces with Italy in WW2) but we were able to backtrack from the next station and our host let us check in very early. We are in the center of Athens and, after dropping our bags, we immediately made the 20 minute walk to the Acropolis. The good news - all museums are free on a national holiday. The bad news - we weren’t the only ones that knew this. After getting our free tickets for 3 hours later, we then walked down to the small Roman Agora (market and meeting place). From there, we had lunch - delicious pita ‘tacos’ and Greek salad and meatballs. By far our best meal yet. Afterwards, we went to the Ancient Athens agora with the 2500 year old Temple of Hephaestus - with roof still intact. It was much larger than the Roman agora and the area where all main trade and talk was in Athens. Socrates taught here and the idea of democracy was apparently born here. It reminded us of the Roman Forum. It also had a beautiful view of the Parthenon on the Acropolis. After a relaxing post-lunch stroll in the Ancient agora, we made the trek back up the hill to the Acropolis (‘city on the hill’) for our 1500 time slot. At the top, we finally got to see the Parthenon - temple to Athena. At nearly 2500 years old, it has been through a lot and only the pillars and part of the front still stand but it is a beautiful and impressive structure that did not disappoint. We had another beautiful day and it was a relaxing stroll around the Acropolis with views of all of Athens. After coming down, we made an ice cream pit stop before we walked to the nearby Acropolis Museum for a tour of artefacts. After a full day of touring, we picked up dinner and groceries before heading back to our flat to unwind. A full day - we have one more left! Czytaj więcej

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  • Greece

    Chania

    27 października, Grecja

    We decided to grab food and stay in today to enjoy our villa and embarrassingly recover from the hike. We hit up a local pharmacy for magnesium, more ibuprofen and topical nsaid and then made a big breakfast. The kids have been enthralled with a Sasquatch update (the Apple Arcade game that they started playing together when we visited Idaho in 2021). While the screen time isn’t ideal, watching the three of them play and chat over the game definitely is.

    We swam for a few hours, much hotter today which made the cooler water and breeze welcome and read by the pool. We enjoyed hummus and tzatziki, fresh pita, delicious olives and cookies and just chilled. Groceries can be a bit of a gamble and Google translate struggles with Greek a bit lol.

    Now all packed up, getting ready to grill some beef skewers and sausages and off to Athens bright and early. Excited for the next adventure, but loved our slow time here in Chania.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Greece

    Elafonisi Beach

    26 października, Grecja ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    We paid for our hike yesterday with calves of piano wire when we all got up this morning. Especially difficult when our villa is 4 stories tall. After gripping the walls for support, we all had breakfast before packing up for our beach day. Elafonisi is one of the most popular beaches in Crete but it’s also 90 minutes away. After seeing some pictures in town, we decided to make the trek. It was another nice (though partly cloudy) day and we made the trip without incident. After parking in the market car park, we bought lunch before making the 10 minute walk to the sand beach. Elafonisi is known for its pink ‘sand’ beach - which is actually small pieces of coral and crushed shells of the foraminifera. You could really only make out the pink shells at the shoreline as they washed up but it was very pretty and striking when the sun was out. This late in the season, we had no trouble finding beach chairs even at the lunch hour. After sandwiches on our chairs, we played in the water (American football) which was only waist high even 60 meters out. After a walk on the beach, parents and E read our books while the boys did some beach work and played in the water. With a short end to the day (due to DST), we headed back to car for the 90 minute drive home. Pizza and showers before a little movie time to relax our sore muscles. One more day to enjoy the Cretan sun tomorrow. Czytaj więcej

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  • Greece

    Samaria Gorge

    25 października, Grecja ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    Today was our big expedition on Crete. After a late night last night, we set alarms to get up for breakfast in before making the 1 hour drive to the entrance to Samaria Gorge. One of the most famous locations in Crete and home to their National Park, the Samaria Gorge was forged after tectonic plates met; later, snow and rainfall would carve the rock with the Taranto River into the 16km (10mi) pathway we hiked down. The entrance was at top of the mountain where we left our car. The first 5 miles were actually through a forest… and nearly straight down hill. It was a very rocky path and we skipped the hiking boots (extra luggage weight) and regretted it. The forest was cool and calm (though we did see lots of goats on the drive up) but you had to keep your eye out as you made your way down. Apparently, in high season, it can very crowded but we decided to start at a little later (9:40 as it turned out) to miss all the early buses from Chania dropping off hikers at the entrance. It was a stiff walk down and we finally decided to take lunch camp at 12:30 at the halfway point in Samaria village (now deserted but it looked like people used to live there). After we had sandwiches and a 20 minute break, we started to hustle as we wanted to reach the end by 15:30. Shortly after taking out, we finally entered the actual gorge. Must less steep (though no less rocky) but with a beach at the end, everyone was eager to make it to the end. The gorge was very beautiful and so impressive. The hike made us think of a combination of Rocky Mountain Natl Park and Smokey Mountain Natl Park. The weather was beautiful and mostly sunny and dry… great for hiking. They even had springs every 2km that you could refill your bottle at. Though very thankful we weren’t doing this hike in the summer months. We finally found the end, with only a couple of casualties (both of Joce’s IT bands) and hopped a short bus to the beach town of Agia Roumeli. Only accessible through the gorge or by ferry, it was a quaint village with a black sand beach. Apparently they have only 40 actual residents. We found the boys some shovels and all got in for a swim. The water was very cool but refreshing after a long hike and we all enjoyed our first dip in the Aegean Sea. We had booked the only ferry out at 1730 and wanted to make sure the kids had time to enjoy the beach… in the end, we enjoyed it just as much as the kids. After about 90 minutes, we had time to rinse off and change back into clothes for the ferry. This was about a 55 min ride to Sougia - the nearest town with a road - while a couple in the party took a nap. After about 400-500 people got off the boat for large buses, we had a private van waiting (thanks ChatGPT for giving me that tip) which drove us 37 minutes (for a 50 minute trip) back to our car park with our awaiting rental. We were happy to be back (alive and only mostly carsick but certainly fast.). Then, halfway through our 1 hour drive back home, we stopped at a small, local, family owned restaurant for some home cooked food (souvlaki - basically shishkabobs, and moussaka). Finally home at 9:30, everyone enjoyed a shower before crashing in bed. Tomorrow, more driving but more relaxing too. Czytaj więcej

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  • Greece
    1

    Hello Chania!

    23–25 paź, Grecja ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    After a busy week of work and exam study for E, we have been so ready for a break. Though we had an early start on Thursday, the London weather (9 degrees and pouring) had other plans and we ended up sitting in the plane for over an hour before takeoff. We landed in Chania, Crete at around 5 pm, the weather a perfect 24 degrees, picked up our car and headed to our spot. We ended up renting a fab 3 story villa with tons of indoor and outdoor space, every room its own balcony and bath and a huge pool on the roof. We decided to head out for dinner and walked about 10 minutes to a small restaurant where we could watch the sun set over the sea. Dinner had some clear winners and after finishing we found our local grocery. Greek is an experience! That goodness for google translate or else who knows what we would have purchased. Afterwards, we headed in for the night. Night swimming for a bit and a much needed good night sleep.

    Pushing a big drive to another day we decided to have a chill morning and swim and read by the pool. Mid-afternoon we headed into Chania (city in the mid-ish of the north coast of Crete). The old town had the cutest harbor area (actually a Venetian harbor with lighthouse from the 14th century). The boys scrambled up wall to a lookout (this was allowed) and we walked the sea wall, enjoying the weather. We browsed in shops and had a dinner we have already put out of our minds! We usually try not to eat in the most touristy areas, but our host recommended a spot so we went. Not great, and H really not feeling well, but the view was amazing! We walked a bit more and gathered some snacks for our big day tomorrow. Chat GPT assisted with something epic (one way or another lol).     Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland

    Witsbergers Never Give Up!

    16 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Today was a day. After packing up, we had breakfast in and had extra time before our flight so did some final shopping on the streets of Gdańsk before heading back to pick up our bags. We even got in a final stop at Żabka - a popular and ubiquitous store in Poland - sort of like 7-11 and the only available grocery option on Sundays. As we loaded up in our Bolt, we got the first notification that our flight was delayed. After making it through airport security, we had a McD’s lunch and got two more flight delays. We try to avoid connections at all cost but Poland doesn’t have a lot of options to Heathrow and now our connection was set to leave Munich about the same as we were set to arrive. When we got to Munich, we missed our connection by about 12 minutes and were automatically rebooked on flights to Frankfurt and then LHR at 6am tomorrow morning. We knew there were 2 more flights to LHR but, as it turned out, over 1,000 other people also missed their connections and we were told nothing could be done. While Joce joined the queue in one terminal with H, I took G and E and looked for a service desk with a shorter line in another terminal while also trying to rebook through the app while on hold for the Lufthansa hotline. In the end, Joce waited 90 minutes and never got to the front of the line but I was able to get her and H on a 10pm flight to LHR leaving E, G and me to fly to Zurich and then to LHR tomorrow. While awaiting Joce and H to join us from the other terminal, I stalked the gate attendant on a late flight to Frankfurt that connected to Heathrow to see if I could get on standby. It was then that I was informed that there was a 1830 flight direct to LHR with last minute seats for all of us but since it was 1820, I wouldn’t be able to make it. After some frantic begging, the gate agent called over and the 1830 flight was delayed so she told me to run… to another terminal, via a train and through passport security. Fortunately, this is when Jocelyn arrived (as she had all 5 passports) and was slightly puzzled when I started yelling to run. Hauling 5 backpacks and 5 overfilled carryons, we ran up 3 floors, down 2, took a train, cut in front of passport security line, then through the terminal… and made it. It was touch and go while they rebooked us for the 4th time at the gate and then we finally made it through as the last group only to find the door to the gangway closed and locked. We pounded on the door and finally an agent came down and we got on. As it turns out, there were at least 11 empty seats. We were scattered through the plane but, after take-off, all joined up in a fully open row. Certainly a stressful, albeit exciting, end to a wonderful trip. Before we left, we got a lot of questions from friends about ‘why Poland’ but it’s clear that anyone that asks that has never been. It was a beautiful week and a beautiful country. Still, it will be nice to see our own beds and Stevie tonight. Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland
    WW2 Museum

    Last day in Poland

    15 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ 🌙 70 °F

    We continued the lazy morning and breakfast in plan and then headed out for the day. We read that there was a terrific WWII museum here and it did not disappoint. Phenomenal. The building was massive and definitely built for the purpose of what was inside. It was a little tricky to figure out the way inside, but once we did, we were blown away. By this point we all have a deeper understanding of the events between WWI and II (by no means comprehensive, still learning new things at every turn), but this place was next level. Every room was basically like an art exhibition, each room different, and everything was in English which was very helpful. Gdańsk (Danzig) was the starting point for WWII, and we could see Westerplatte from the beach later in the day. We learned so much and I think that the kids really appreciated the difference between the American perspective versus the European perspective, especially from Poland, as they (the Jewish Poles and less so the Poles in general), really suffered the worst horrors it seems. We could have stayed there all day, but had promised to check out another beach Breźezko, that had better swimming conditions today. We Übered down to the beach, grabbed a couple of zapiekankas and found a spot along the crowded sand, luckily with the bleachers from the sand football pitch to shade us. Gideon dug a fantastic sand lounge space with a compartment for his feet and arm rests, and E and I finished our books. We ended the day playing catch/volleyball in the 70 degree water (thankfully only up to my upper thigh even 50m from shore). These moments are the best ones. I love that at dinner tonight, Elliot was asking G what he wanted to talk about rather than be on her phone. I love that Hudson walked home hand in hand with E and G from our last dinner here. I love our crew so much and am so thankful for the time that we get to be away and just focus on each other and learn so many new things. Poland has been better than I had hoped and very good to us. However, we miss our beds and our sweet pup and can’t wait to be home tomorrow! Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland

    Beach Day!

    14 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We slept in this morning before the boys cooked breakfast. It was going to be another beautiful day. We couldn’t have been much more fortunate with the weather. Upper 70’s and full sun with low humidity and no wind. We did some early day souvenir shopping to get our amber fix and then walked to a nearby mall to pick up some cheap beach towels. After electing to take an Uber to the beach (we didn’t realize it was 25 minutes away from central Gdańsk) as the train was going to take twice as long, we got dropped off in front of a hotel and then walked through to reach the boardwalk. The beach was absolutely packed but we had read on ChatGPT where we could find beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. There were beach restaurants around, and late in the afternoon, we all ate on the sand. The boys (with some help from Elliot) contributed to a big sand hole on the beach. Mom, Dad and E enjoyed reading. The water was cool but quickly adjusted to, especially on a sunny day. After 5 hours, we decided to make our way back and ordered dinner in after everyone showered. It was a great day with no schedule and we all soaked up the sun. Should sleep well tonight. Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland
    Castle Square WarsawNeptune G'dansk

    Gdańsk

    13 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ 🌙 70 °F

    Late morning train after a fab few days in Warsaw. Train was a little late but first class was worth it. We arrived in Gdańsk, which is a gorgeous little town along the Baltic Sea. There is definitely Dutch influence that you can see in the architecture and we were told that they traded through this region. We walked to our flat, which is on Mariaka Street, one on the prettiest streets in town, lined with coffee spots and cute restaurants. There is a huge artisan fair in town until Sunday, so we dropped our bags and went out exploring. Amber is a huge deal here (deposits in the Baltic Sea, historical trading, lots of jewelry amd gifts now). E got some really beautiful butterfly earrings, while the boys chose geodes and obsidian. We ate, saw the famous Neptune statue, and just walked around on a gorgeous night. Back at the flat with music playing outside, movie night inside:) Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland
    Old town square with Royal Castle
    1Electrownia PowisleOld Town Castle SquareNew Town Market SquareWarsaw Uprising MemorialPalace of Culture and ScienceTomb of the Unknown SoliderMermaid symbol of WarsawMain Street where our flat is located

    Chopin and Food Tour in Warszawa

    12 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We finally got to sleep in this morning but set an alarm for our entry into Chopin’s Museum. We took a Bolt to the museum (we are staying in central Old Town) and got in with no waiting. The museum had many artifacts from Chopin’s life, including his last piano. He was born about an hour outside of Warsaw and trained here before spending much of his later years in France before dying at 39. We got to hear a lot of his music as well and the kids were good. It was a beautiful building. Afterwards, we walked to the nearby Electrownia
    Powisle - a converted power plant that has been turned into a food hall and small mall. We had delicious Mexican food (can’t get it in the UK) before walking back to our flat. After a short break, we headed back out to the nearby Warsaw Uprising Monument (featured in the recent movie, The Big Pain, largely set in and around Warsaw). It was an absolutely gorgeous day (we couldn’t have had much nicer weather on this trip) but after getting some cash (Złotny), we made our way to the downtown of Warsaw for our scheduled (free) food tour. We started at the controversial Palace of Culture and Science - it was beautiful and imposing (and, apparently, the most famous building in Poland) but as it was a ‘gift’ from Stalin after the war, its seen by some as an oppressive symbol in the country. It was a beautiful building though and has a lot of museums and theatres inside with a viewpoint at the top. Unfortunately, we won’t get to go inside but glad we got to see a different part of the city. Our guide (from the Gdansk area, next city on our trip) showed us the first McDonald’s and explained how big of a deal McD’s is to Poles and how special it was the day they opened, with 40k people showing up for the opening. Our first stop was for the Polish street food ‘zapiekanka’ - basically a bagette style pizza sandwich (minus the tomato sauce) - almost like a Chicago hot dog with cheese and full toppings minus the sausage on a toasted bun. It was absolutely delicious (and cost about £3). Lussi’s was apparently the original and most famous stand in the city. We then go to try local pickles, snacks, coffee, a stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a milk bar. The latter is a government subsidized restaurant that serves cheap and fast food (like pierogis and cold beetroot soup - which was surprisingly tasty but enormous and quite the pink color with a strong dill flavor). It was a beautiful night to eat outside and we couldn’t eat the entire $20 meal before moving on to the local chocolate shop and finishing the night with donuts. On our way home, we stopped by the Warsaw mermaid, believed to be the namesake of Warsaw (she being named Sawa and had children with a local fisherman name Wars). After packing our finally dried laundry, we watched the end of the movie Premium Rush before bedtime. We will be sad to leave Warsaw behind so quickly tomorrow. It’s such a beautiful city - given that 90% was destroyed in WW2 and rebuilt in the 50’s, I guess that makes sense - but we didn’t realize how clean and safe it would be.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland
    Warsaw BarbicanChopin Monument in Royal Baths ParkSigismund's ColumnArchcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

    Heading to Warsaw

    11 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    Up early for an 821 train to Warsaw. Comfy train with a private car in first class (the only first class these kids see lol) plus one completely silent older polish woman. Made it to Warsaw by 11. Bought tickets for the tram to our place and hopped on with 5 carryons, backpacks and the leftover food we had. Tige turned around to validate the tickets and the conductor was blocking his path. He then proceeds to fine us 78 pounds for not validating our tickets. Nothing that could be done but pay and ride. We stashed our luggage at a hotel arranged by our host and headed to our tour of the Old Town. Our guide was actually a British ex-pat and we were the only family there. It was a great intro to Warsaw. Warsaw was leveled by the Nazis in 1945 at the end of the war after the Warsaw Uprising, and only the Presidential Palace and a fancy hotel survived. They went from a population of 1.3 million to 160k after the war. They rebuilt the city to be a replica of what it was before. As a visitor you don’t know the difference. It is beautiful and clean (like elsewhere in Poland) and vibrant.

    Afterwards we checked into our apartment- 4 bedrooms right off of the castle square and headed to eat (Polish) before venturing out again. We headed to an incredible Park called the Royal Baths, which is about 1/5 the size of Central Park but incredibly beautiful. Solid playground, beautiful gardens and cute red squirrels, one that would come take nuts from the kids. So sweet!

    After exploring the park we headed back, grabbed ice cream and came back to settle in for our first night here. Lots of sweet conversations and snuggles to end the night, which is the best part of holidays.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland
    Outside of Schindler's Factory

    Schindler and Arcade

    10 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    After yesterday, we took a small step down and booked a guided tour as Oskar Schindler’s factory. The tour was a little rushed but took us through 3 stories of the factory detailing the start of German occupation of Krakow in 1941 and ending in Schindler’s actual office with details about the end of the war. The ‘liquidation’ of the Krakow ghetto was certainly upsetting but, after yesterday, the kids understood what that meant. It was also interesting to learn how Schindler was a complicated character that started out taking advantage of the Jews that worked for him but ended up risking himself to save nearly 1200. Joce and I haven’t watched the movie in quite a while but will have to revisit it soon. It was a sunny and warm day and we stopped by a very odd outdoor flea market on the way back from the train. It had some interesting items but we decided best not to make any offers. We then made our way to a local Polish restaurant for a late lunch but were turned away for lack of reservation. Instead, we wandered around and stumbled upon a Krakow street food stand and had some delicious (and very cheap) plaki (potato pancakes). At lunch, we told the kids our plan for the rest of the day - an arcade museum. We visited our first one in Berlin a couple years ago and had a blast so we put it on our list when we found out that they had one here. The Krakow Arcade Museum was basically an arcade with ‘free’ games from when we were kids. Pay the entry fee and we could stay as long as we wanted (which turned into 4 hours). It was hot but we all had a lot of fun and relived some childhood memories. After dropping off the rental car, we came home for showers and sandwiches with another episode of Clarkson’s Farm. Our last day in Krakow was certainly a good one and it was a beautiful city. Tomorrow morning we have an early train to our next destination. Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland
    Salt chandelier3

    Salt and Hard Truths

    9 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    If you would have asked us 5 years ago about how much fun we could have in a salt mine we would have both said probably zero. So wrong! After a super fun time in Hallstatt 2 years ago we decided to check out the Wieliczka salt mine just outside of Krakow. It was superb! Not the largest in the world but one of the oldest. We saw about 1% of it and walked for 3 hours and were 130m below the ground. They started mining it in the 1300s and stopped in 1996. Great tour guide and impressive operation. One of the things that made it special was that there was so much art within. Carved into walls and intermixed with old marks from hand tools from a long time ago. There were modern spaces for weddings and events (even football matches played there). The most beautiful part was a chapel/cathedral that was entirely carved from salt. Chandeliers of pure salt, beautiful pictographs of stories of Jesus and of course John Paul II, who was so important here. Copernicus (also Polish) had a beautiful sculpture also. We watched a light show over a salt lake set to Chopin (also Polish). We left the site and tried to grab lunch (burgers). After a bit of a wait we asked to takeaway because we were already late for Auschwitz-Birkenau tour. We did make it in time (more positive reinforcement for a family weakness of perpetual lateness).

    Leading up to this we have been trying to talk to the kids about the Holocaust because we think that it is an important thing to learn about, but also worried about their ages. Elliot and G to a lesser extent have already learned about this in school, but not H.

    The tour started in Auschwitz I and then we took a bus to Birkenau about 3 km away. 1,100,000 people were killed at these death camps alone. Gideon and Elliot grasped it more having studied it and we were worried that Hudson wouldn’t really understand, but he felt it deeply as well. We saw the rooms, gas chambers, and crematoriums. We saw the shoes and glasses and life left behind, and walked the route from the train to the gas chamber at Birkenau. It was a heavy day with a lot of evidence to make you feel the scope of the tragedy, but certainly worth the visit. This place is so beautiful but can’t escape many hard parts of history.

    We came home and picked up a super delicious Indian takeout and watched Clarkson’s Farm, which if you have access you should totally watch. A British gem that was exactly what we needed.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland
    Outside St. Mary's Basilica
    Overlooking Vistula RiverInside the Dragon's Den caveSt. Mary's BasilicaTown hall tower with rubber band gunsInside St. Marys1Brothers underneath the warning knife of thievesKrakus Mound

    Beautiful Kraków

    8 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    After a good night’s sleep, we had breakfast in our very nice flat before the 10 minute walk to the middle of Old Town Kraków. It was a beautiful morning (leading to a beautiful day) and we met our free tour guide at St. Mary’s Basilica. We joined a group of about 20 and were led around Old Town by a local. We learned about Kraków’s history and enjoyed walking around its streets. We ended at the Wawel Castle and then left via the Dragon’s Den, an underground cave right underneath the castle to find the flame throwing dragon statue at the end. Legend has that a dragon used to haunt the castle but was outsmarted and killed by a shoemaker after all the knights failed. Dragons are sold everywhere in Kraków and, as the former capital, are an important part of Poland’s folklore. After some pics with the dragon and Vistula River, we found some shade before planning our lunch at a milk bar. Unfortunately, we picked a popular one that had a very long line when we arrived so picked a polish place recommended by our guide and had a delicious lunch of soups and kielbasa. We made our way back to the historical large market by the basilica and did some window shopping. We then got tickets to go inside the Basilica. Very colorful inside, it was unique compared to the many churches we have visited. We also enjoyed sitting down and taking a break after a full day. From the basilica, we decided to take the metro to Krakus Mound. The legendary burial place of mythical King Krakus (that founded Krakow), it was essentially a giant hill 6km outside of old town that overlooked the entire city. It was a beautiful view and we were surprised to see that over a 100 people joined us as sunset approached. As the day wore down, Jocelyn found a nearby pizza place (though it was in quite a sketchy area next to the train tracks) and we made our way home for a delicious dinner while watching Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video (an absolute favorite of the kids). A full and beautiful day in a beautiful city. Tomorrow will be a little more somber. Czytaj więcej

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  • Poland

    Hello Kraków

    7 sierpnia, Polska ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    Today we were up at 430 to head to the airport for an early flight. Quick flight and stop in Frankfurt (and a couple of legit frankfurters for the boys) and then flight to Krakow. After a very stinky Bolt ride we found our place. Small but really nice apartment that is very walkable to the old town and shops. We picked up supplies for the apartment and then headed to dinner at Mirror Bistro, a spot known for famous pierogis. They hand made the savory and then sweet dumplings along with some super delicious soup- traditional broth and an excellent traditional sour soup with sausage. I think we prefer the Americanized pan fried version over the boiled, but everything was flavorful and the service was great.

    Headed to bed now, but excited to go on a tour and start exploring tomorrow!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Türkiye
    1
    1Love ValleyLove Valley

    Balloon ride of a lifetime!

    29 maja, Turcja ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F

    We made it! After booking a last minute balloon ride through a third party, we were anxious about the timing being early enough with a 9:45am flight out of an airport an hour from Göreme. We packed up last night and left our bags in reception for our 4:55 pickup. A short drive to the take-off site and we noted balloons already in the air. It was very exciting to know we were a go. We arrived as they were laying out the balloon so we got to see it go up before a hurried boarding process as we started to lift off. We got a basket segment to ourselves (20 total passengers) and had amazing weather as we floated into the skies. I was certainly a little scared in the beginning as we reached upwards of 300m high but it was so smooth and beautiful, it was hard to stop smiling. Our segment stayed aiming forward for almost the entire trip. We went right over the fairy chimney rock formations and we even got to drop down into Love Valley (the phallic stones made the kids giggle) and float just over the rocks. An amazing ride that we will never forget. A smooth touchdown (after making it to the ground, they floated the basket directly onto a trailer before strapping down, pretty cool) and champagne toast later, we were taken directly back to hotel (about 20 minutes away) where our airport van was already loaded and waiting for us. We had time for some coffee before takeoff to Istanbul where we will have some time before our flight to Heathrow. A beautiful and memorable way to end our Türkiye trip. Czytaj więcej

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  • Türkiye
    Uçhisar Kalesi (Castle)
    Uçhisar KalesiFrom Uçhisar Kalesi looking at Rose Valley that we hiked yesterdayTop of Uçhisar KalesiFlaming pottery kebap

    Last night in Cappadocia

    28 maja, Turcja ⋅ 🌙 59 °F

    We found out that our rescheduled balloon ride for today was canceled yesterday at around 4 pm. We slept in but before bed we made a plan to explore a few more places. After breakfast we were talking to the hotel owner and he knew of course that the balloons were canceled. He encouraged us to go for another spot first thing and that he would arrange our airport transfer for no charge bc of slight issues on the drive out. We found one place that could give us 5 spots. After this was arranged, we took a taxi to a nearby village of Uçhisar to see the Uçhisar kalesi (castle). This is the highest spot in Cappadocia and the castle was impressively preserved and incredibly tall. You explore about 8 stories of different rooms and see where water and food were stored. The castle was used as a safe place when invasions occurred.

    We grabbed a Döner kebab and took a taxi to the Göreme open air museum. We shopped a little and then looked at the cave buildings from a distance.

    We had planned to finish on a high with another Hamam visit in light of the balloon letdown and just kept our appointments (which was such an arm twist). We walked back from the museum to Deep Cappadocia, a local Turkish bath/Hamam. We booked a 60 min massage and Hamam (scrub and bubble massage) for everyone. This place wasn’t as fancy as the first, but still received rave reviews. I fear that they re ruined at 8,10,13 and will expect spa life going forward. No more of us going to a spa while the stay at the kids club.

    After that we went to a wood fired bbq restaurant and had a delicious last dinner here. We walked home, packed our suitcases and backpacks, and if all goes well in the am we will have flown in the balloon and have made our flight to Istanbul!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Türkiye
    2The commoner side of the White ChurchBasilica of the White ChurchTige in front of nunnery

    Balloon:( and epic hike

    27 maja, Turcja ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Today was supposed to be our balloon day and is largely the reason to visit this area. We were collected at 350 and drove to the Royal Balloon center for breakfast and sent to our launch site. The federal aviation association makes the final call about whether we take off or not, and despite perfect ground conditions, it was a no go. We were bummed and went back to the hotel and slept for a bit before second breakfast. After we ate we walked to the center of town to meet Mehmet, the guide we had hired for a 7 hour hike for the day. Kids were worried that it would be too long, but it ended up being perfect. Mehmet took us on an amazing, if not quite difficult hike with lots of climbing and exploring. The unusual landscape is made up of volcanic rock shaped by wind and water long ago. The cave houses have changed purposes over the years with most starting as monasteries with incredible chapels and rooms that were hand carved by the monks themselves in the 6th century. The last monks left the cave houses in 1925. The White Church was so beautiful and intricate inside, and one of the small chapels had incredible frescoes from the 11th century. The final building we saw was an 8 story nunnery with special rooms to feed animals and their troughs were even at different heights based on the individual animals. Incredible!Uses changed over time, and also included pigeon houses. The farmers depended on the droppings for fertilizer for crops. He was a fun guide and really engaged the kids and gave many of his own opinions on the world:) we trekked back into town right at 5 pm exhausted, dusty and a little bit sunburned. We rested for an hour and headed out for dinner. We sat out on a terrace and watched the sun set over Göreme. Chilly afterward but worth it. It was a day well spent and like most places like this, the pictures do not do it justice. Czytaj więcej

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  • Türkiye

    Cappadocia

    26 maja, Turcja ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Up early with our birthday boy for a chocolate croissant and happy birthday candle and then off to catch a car to the airport at 8am. Unfortunately, our van reservation didn’t show but Uber was nearby so only cost us 20 minutes. After getting to the airport, kids got some BK breakfast before our 75 min flight to Kayseri and, after luggage, a 75 minute van ride (with a sleepy driver that made things interesting) before being dropped off at Vineyard Cave Hotel for our 3 day stay in Göreme (a city in the middle of the area called Cappadocia). After 1400 check-in (thankfully the owner let us in early) we got to see our first cave hotel. They are all over the valley and built inside the rock walls. Very cool. We finally got to celebrate Hudson’s birthday with a few gifts brought from home (though most waiting for him in the UK) before meeting the owner and getting recommendations for the area. We then made a small hike through the main area of town and the shops and then up to Sunset Point. Amazing views over the surrounding area and a peek at what we will see tomorrow. Clouds overhead looked menacing but Elliot’s pleas to go back down were ignore as the weather was blowing the other way. After some great pics, apologies were made after the sky opened up and drenched us with pelting cold ice. Wet and cold, we made our way down and found a burger place in town (needed to switch up from Turkish food) and had a yummy dinner. On the way back, we scheduled a hiking tour guide for 7 hours tomorrow and then bought a few small things in the gift shop before buying some groceries for our hike tomorrow. Back home for showers and earlier bedtime as we have to get up at 3:30 tomorrow. Czytaj więcej

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  • Türkiye
    Overlooking Bosphorus
    Hagia Sophia behind usOn Galata Bridge

    Last day in Istanbul

    25 maja, Turcja ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Today was a much slower day than yesterday. We were beat after walking all day and eating late, so we slept in a little and went out for a late lunch down the street. Good food but chilly on the rooftop terrace. As we were heading down the owner of the restaurant also owned a rug shop (they are everywhere so you need to look a bit off the main streets for cheaper and better quality rugs. I have been looking for a Kilim rug (handwoven flat wool rug with natural dye) after seeing one I liked in the bazaar yesterday. The best made Turkish rugs can last for decades. They clean and repair them. There was one in the store that was 80 years old, which is crazy. We bought 2 sizes and headed out for the day. We took a ferry to Asia for the day. Definitely a sleepier part of the city and we really just wandered in and out of shops. We definitely preferred the liveliness of the European side. We have taken a lot of public transport together, but none have been as confusing as trying to get the ferry tickets back. We thought we had enough and it let G through but none of the rest of us. I left to try to buy more (impossible), then Tige had to leave kids on both sides of turnstiles to try to help (still impossible:). After all of that you could tap in. So frustrating!

    Back to the other side and we had dinner at the Old Ottoman Restaurant and with full bellies went home to shower and pack before our early pickup for the flight to Cappadocia.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Türkiye
    Waiting outside Hippodrome
    Inside Blue MosqueOutside Blue MosqueInside Hagia SofiaHagia SofiaBasilica CisternGrand BazaarOverlooking the Grand BazaarOutside Hagia SofiaOutside Blue Mosque

    Walking tour

    24 maja, Turcja ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We had another amazing day of weather. It was tough to wake up this morning so we got some pastries around the corner on the way to our private tour guide for the day. Just a 5 minute walk away, we met him in the Hippodrome - which has two Egyptian obelisks that used to sit in the middle of a huge horse track. They were moved by ship and part of one was lost at sea. Next to the Hippodrome was the Blue Mosque - so named because of the blue tiles inside. It was a beautiful mosque and, at the time of its building 500 years ago, it rivalled the most important mosque in the world in Mecca. Domes became very important to Islam and this dome was the largest in the world at the time. Just across from the Blue Mosque was the Haggia Sofia. Now open in the upper levels as a museum (and, so, not free like the Blue Mosque) the HS is a converted cathedral that was built before Islam existed 1500 years ago. It was converted to a mosque in the early 1900s and still had mosaics of Jesus and the Virgin Mary intact. Though less pretty, I thought it was even more special given its age. Also with largest dome of its time, it stood as an example for many later cathedrals like St. Peter’s in the Vatican City. On our way out, we met one of the many, many cats in Istanbul (though he wasn’t keen on being petted). After a stop for some Turkish tea, baclava and Turkish delights, we went to the Basilica Cistern. The largest known cistern in Istanbul, it apparently had enough water for 500,000 for one year - holding water from Roman aqueducts stretching 30 miles. It was enormous. The cool temperatures and lighting made it feel even larger and the Medusa head bases on two of the columns were thought just to be used as filler to hold up the roof. From the cistern, we walked to the Grand Bazaar. At nearly a mile long, over 60 streets, it was overwhelming. Our tour guide took us to a secret spot for some photos overlooking the roof (and some shopping for Jocelyn) but we decided not to buy anything in the Bazaar (and unfortunately it’s closed tomorrow) before we made our way to the new side of town across the Golden Horn. We walked through a hookah bar (or ‘hubbly bubbly’ as our guide called it) and finished with snacks and drinks at local bar. After a full day, we made our way back past the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque and had a delicious and well earned dinner near our stay. After over 10 miles, we all got to shower before bed. Czytaj więcej

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  • Türkiye

    Day 1 in Istanbul

    23 maja, Turcja ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    We arrived in Istanbul at around 1230am this morning and took a car to our apartment in Sultanamet, which is a popular first spot to land on the European side of Istanbul. We had to get cash for the driver and the kids enjoy the stack of 10k Lire that we got for £200! We got our sleepy kiddos into bed, grabbed water (markets open until 3 am here which is crazy when you live in the UK where stores close at 4 p on Sundays. I didn’t fall asleep until 4 and we let everyone sleep in. We headed out to explore around noon and ended up having a delicious lunch at Mavi Döner. Tige and I shared a chicken and beef kebab plates, H had a beef pita and E had a beef wrap called a Durum. G was boring and had chicken and fries. Everything was super flavorful and just what we needed. The city is huge from a footprint and a citizen standpoint, twice the population of NYC and London. We walked through the city for about 40 minutes until we came to the Suleymaniye Mosque which was built in the 16th century- supposed to be one of the most beautiful of the >3000 here in Istanbul. We covered up and went inside. It was so beautiful and a student volunteer sat with us and talked about the mosque and Islam itself. Good for the kids to hear about other cultures and religions. He was super kind and informative. We headed from there about a 20 min walk to our Turkish bath spot called the Zeyrek Çinili Hamam. Fancy and beautiful. Highly recommended if you are ever in Istanbul and they will allow kids also which not all hamams do. The boys went off with Tige to the men’s area and Elliot and I went to the women’s. My bath partner was an absolute treat to hang with! We changed into towels and disposable bikinis and went for the hot treatment- you sit on a hot marble floor and sweat out all of the toxins for 15-20 min and then our lovely guides (2 women) would come and rinse you with water and then did a full body exfoliation. Then we moved to a hot marble platform and they did a super cool bubble treatment and massage. I can’t quite describe the sensation of being covered head to toe in small bubbles, but the whole experience was heaven! Next they rinse you and wash your hair, wrap you up and you chill in a lounge area. 10/10 for all of us. Elliot said it was the best start to a trip ever!

    We left the bath and walked across the golden horn body of water that divides the European side. We had booked a sunset cruise on the Bosphorus river (connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea), cruising between Europe and Asia. We ate fresh fruit and had tea, and it was chilly in the end.

    We ubered near home and after a weird initial sit down at what turned out to be a cafeteria, we found our spot at a local small place (3 tables inside, 8 outside) where the delightful owner ran around taking care of everything. We had delicious hummus, kebabs, a meatball dish called kofte, and local pasta:) We finished with tea and baklava (which I mistakenly thought originated in Greece, but it turns out really the Ottomans). 12,000 steps and looking forward to our big walking tour tomorrow.     Czytaj więcej

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  • United Arab Emirates
    Worlds largest hand woven carpetQasr Al Watan palaceQasr Al WatanCorniche Beach

    Last Day in UAE

    19 lutego, Zjednoczone Emiraty Arabskie ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Today was our biggest day out in Abu Dhabi. We started out the day with a morning visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It was stunning! The entire mosque was made out of marble and I think we needed sunglasses for the mosque as well as the sun. The detail inside was even more beautiful. There were columns with inlaid marble flowers, beautiful chandeliers and in the women’s prayer hall the walls were covered with marble flowers done in a relief style. Pictures don’t do it justice. There was a huge food hall and we sampled Dubai chocolate (chocolate with pistachios inside, which is a huge thing here) and sat down at a restaurant that I had actually planned to eat at in Dubai, but we ran out of time. We had hot and cold apps that included delicious hummus, labneh, mutabal (basically baba ganoush), tabouleh and a beet salad, wings, calamari and shrimp. After lunch we headed to Qasr al Watan, the presidential palace where the president (leader of UAE and Abu Dhabi) and vice president of UAE and leader of Dubai, and the crown prince all have offices and receive foreign dignitaries. Incredible mosaics, gold and marble everywhere and exhibits about their contributions to science and medicine.

    After the palace we headed to Corniche beach and let the kids play in the sand while we enjoyed our last day of sun for a while. We walked along the boardwalk to the grand souk so that the kids could get last souvenirs. We found a Lebanese/Italian (weird mix) spot for dinner and the owner really spoiled the kids with free desserts. Came back home and packed up for our flight in the am. This has been such a great trip on a new continent, filled with adventures and family time, which is what we really love the most. We definitely recommend a trip to the UAE. The people have been super kind and welcoming and there is so much to do!     Czytaj więcej

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  • United Arab Emirates

    Abu Dhabi, Jubail Mangrove Park

    18 lutego, Zjednoczone Emiraty Arabskie ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    We had to leave our wonderful Dubai flat this morning and took a 1 hour taxi ride back to Abu Dhabi. We arrived just before lunch and dropped our bags before taking another taxi to the nearby Yas mall. We picked a location close the airport as there is no central area in AD and we ended up on Yas Island. YI is home to many family attractions (Sea World, Warner Brothers and Ferrari World - with the world’s fastest roller coaster at 150 mph) but we didn’t book any of these stops given our previous excursions and limited time. Instead, after lunch and shopping at the mall, we headed to Jubail Mangrove Park for a private electric boat ride. The park was peaceful and quiet and we learned a lot about the ecosystem including AD’s plan to plant a million trees by 2035 to become the greenest city in the world as the mangrove consumes 4-5x more CO2 than regular trees. We had a slight hiccup after we got dropped off and realised E had dropped her phone in the taxi and we didn’t have a way to contact the driver. Fortunately, we had used an app and toward the end of the boat ride, we were able to get his number and arrange for him to come back. Feeling much better with phone in tow, we enjoyed the 2km walk on the mangrove boardwalk. It was cool and started to rain at the end of the walk so we hailed a taxi and headed home for some groceries and cooked in while introducing the boys to Titanic. Up early tomorrow for sightseeing. Czytaj więcej

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  • United Arab Emirates
    The Storm rollercoaster slideView from Blackout of Burj Khalifa and Burj Al ArabDrop slideBlackoutArabian SeaRoyal resortSeascapes

    Aquaventure and Royal Atlantis

    17 lutego, Zjednoczone Emiraty Arabskie ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    We paid for staying out too late last night when we got up early today for our trip to Atlantis Aquaventure. Billed as the world’s largest (most slides) waterpark, we couldn’t pass it up. It opened at 915 and it was a 30 minute taxi - we arrived just after opening. After getting our locker, we jumped on the first slide we could which ended up being a water slide roller coaster with ups and downs. It was a great start. A couple rides later, Gid and I got in line for Leap of Faith, a near vertical drop slide while E and H took Mom to the Shark tank that ends in an underwater tunnel surrounded by a tank full of rays and sharks. Both were the most popular rides so took nearly an hour. After some family raft rides, it warmed up a little as the sun finally came out - it was supposed to be mid 80s but felt more like low 70s especially when you were wet. A few slides later and it was already time for lunch and drying off in the sun.

    After lunch, we talked Elliot and Joce into trying the intimidating drop slide before moving on to the 4 person mat racing slide and 3.5m ‘cliff’ jump pool. Gideon and I split up again to tame the fastest slide in the park - Blackout. The biggest vertical drop in the Middle East, it did not disappoint and was definitely the favorite. Shorter lines helped though 10 flights of stairs made us work. After our second time, we got Joce and Elliot to try as well and it ended as the favorite slide of all. Hudson loved the roller coaster like Medusa’s Lair where you also raced the raft next to you. We ended the day with the world’s longest family raft ride (nearly 2 minutes long) which was also a big hit. The park closed at 6 and we stayed till the end (though we were all freezing by then) before lining up in the showers - which took much longer than planned.

    Since we had a big lunch, I found a place nearby called Seascapes to get drinks (Muslim country so no alcohol sold anywhere aside from some hotel areas) and snacks. We walked 15 up the road and got caught in a mini rain shower. When we arrived, we realised the restaurant was actually a beachside bar at a brand new 5 star resort called the Royal. We were slightly under-dressed when we walked into the lobby to flames in the walls, elevators surrounded by a waterfall feature and multiple 50 foot tall aquariums with a huge outdoor fountain and jumping water features. It was the most amazing hotel we have ever seen. We hurried through with our wet suits and dirty clothes and, fortunately, down at the beach, we were all alone and got to enjoy sliders, guacamole and drinks by the Arabian Sea. On the way out, I wasn’t too shy to take some pictures. May be a future getaway for Joce and I. After relaxing, we took a cab back to our place to crash after our last day in Dubai.     Czytaj więcej

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