Here's some pictures of her finding some fun in ...Strasbourg.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Daphne's Fun
Traveling with the kids and me is not easy; especially when you are trying to develop the kids and their sense of history or culture or... the other stuff. Sometimes Daphne needs a vacation too.
Day 4 - Champagne
OK - the kids did not choose to visit the Champagne region of France. We aren't going to try and claim that they would, but sometimes, we try and give Daphne a vacation too.
The kids did their best Calvin and Hobs imitation outside the gates and I should have seen the trouble on the horizon. Even Brian, on crutches, wanted in on the fun. By the way - Dom Perignon - the father of Champagne.
Dave asked for the "tasting flight" but they carded and he forget his German fake ID.
Julia was shopping again.
And Daphne could only close her eyes as the boys ran amuck in the cellars of the largest wine cellar in the world.
The kids did their best Calvin and Hobs imitation outside the gates and I should have seen the trouble on the horizon. Even Brian, on crutches, wanted in on the fun. By the way - Dom Perignon - the father of Champagne.
Dave asked for the "tasting flight" but they carded and he forget his German fake ID.
Julia was shopping again.
And Daphne could only close her eyes as the boys ran amuck in the cellars of the largest wine cellar in the world.We went on a tour of Moet & Chandon and, of the 20 participants, only the McNicks brought children. So proud....
Day 3 - Louvre
Day three and the wheelchair again provided the golden ticket to Paris - this time - the Louvre. Julia's main request was to see the Mona Lisa.
Her mother and I tried to convince her that there would be crazy crowds and a good high-resolution picture from the internet would be worth her time. She knew better. She only had one or two requests this trip and couldn't be swayed. Good for her.
Once inside, however, we were with the ~30K visitors that make it in each day. We immediately headed for the Mona Lisa.
Wow. 20-30 rows deep, tourists pushed and shoved to get in front of the small painting. It was grim.
Her mother and I tried to convince her that there would be crazy crowds and a good high-resolution picture from the internet would be worth her time. She knew better. She only had one or two requests this trip and couldn't be swayed. Good for her.We headed back into the city.
With Versailles as our benchmark, my wife walked up to the front of the Louvre and they immediately sprung to action seeing Brian in the chair. They couldn't have been nicer.
Once inside, however, we were with the ~30K visitors that make it in each day. We immediately headed for the Mona Lisa.Wow. 20-30 rows deep, tourists pushed and shoved to get in front of the small painting. It was grim.But not for Brian...
Step right this way sir, walk in front of the ropes and get closer than anyone else is allowed.
My only regret is that we didn't think it through and let Julia sit in the chair to get a good look. She was a good sport and didn't complain.
Brian celebrated with the finest macaroons in Paris. I didn't know the shop but Brian seemed to like Laduree.
My only regret is that we didn't think it through and let Julia sit in the chair to get a good look. She was a good sport and didn't complain.
Brian celebrated with the finest macaroons in Paris. I didn't know the shop but Brian seemed to like Laduree.
Day 2 - Palace of Versailles
Day 2 was the Palace of Versailles. Surely this would impress the kids. David insisted that the Castle near our home was bigger. We assured him that he was wrong. He wasn't convinced.
The big story was the wheelchair. We approached the grounds and saw a 90 minute wait to buy tickets and then an additional 60+ minute wait to enter the building.
Daphne walked up to a staff member and asked if there was anything special to know about bringing in Brian via wheelchair and they waived us up to the building.
He unlocked a door and ushered us in. Daphne protested that we had not yet purchased tickets and he said, "...it's ok..."
Brian's broken foot saved us hours of waiting and only cost us 5 Euros a day to rent. Daphne and I asked Julia and David which one would be breaking a leg when we visit London next year. The lines for Windsor Castle can be murder....
Daphne walked up to a staff member and asked if there was anything special to know about bringing in Brian via wheelchair and they waived us up to the building.
He unlocked a door and ushered us in. Daphne protested that we had not yet purchased tickets and he said, "...it's ok..."Brian's broken foot saved us hours of waiting and only cost us 5 Euros a day to rent. Daphne and I asked Julia and David which one would be breaking a leg when we visit London next year. The lines for Windsor Castle can be murder....Paris - Day 1
We stayed outside of the city since we expected to make several day trips.Day one's plans were to go to the city and see the big sights. Arc de Triumph, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, etc.
Now - if that sounds like a lot for one day - you may want to go back and look at last year when we saw (kind of) Bern, Geneva, Provence, Marseille, Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Cinque Terre in one week.
The weather was grand and we walked the Champs-Elysees where Julia window shopped. Her mother does not know where the shopping gene came from.
Of course the Tower is the most photogenic part of the city. We had lunch and the kids noticed some boys targeting tourists for petty crime. Julia asked 20 questions about why they were acting this way. Paris is a very educational city. 
The boys wanted to know how the African guys aggressively hawking souvenirs could sell mini-eiffel towers for one Euro and make money. More educational experiences. I love the city worker taking a nap behind them in the city park.
By the time we arrived at Notre Dame, they were asking to head home. I wonder what they will take from this. For goodness sake, Brian was wheeled everywhere through Paris. Does it get any easier?
Now - if that sounds like a lot for one day - you may want to go back and look at last year when we saw (kind of) Bern, Geneva, Provence, Marseille, Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Cinque Terre in one week.After hopping on the train, we emerged from the metro at the Arc. Yawns from the boys.
David said he's seen bigger.
David said he's seen bigger.Several places, as a matter of fact. Notice Brian in the wheelchair - more about that later.
The weather was grand and we walked the Champs-Elysees where Julia window shopped. Her mother does not know where the shopping gene came from.Of course the Tower is the most photogenic part of the city. We had lunch and the kids noticed some boys targeting tourists for petty crime. Julia asked 20 questions about why they were acting this way. Paris is a very educational city. The boys wanted to know how the African guys aggressively hawking souvenirs could sell mini-eiffel towers for one Euro and make money. More educational experiences. I love the city worker taking a nap behind them in the city park.By the time we arrived at Notre Dame, they were asking to head home. I wonder what they will take from this. For goodness sake, Brian was wheeled everywhere through Paris. Does it get any easier? Spring break 2011
Day one of our spring break week and we headed off to Paris by car. Halfway to Paris is Strasbourg, France. 
We arrived a bit late due to a nuclear power protest that blocked the bridge from Germany into France but we parked and wandered into the square for a nice lunch on a sunny day. Notice the smiles and comfort of the kids even though we were not at McD for lunch. They've come a long way.
After lunch we wandered down some cute streets (you can see Brian on his crutches with his cast) and turned a corner to find..
It is the largest building from gothic times and was the tallest building for over 225 years. Even Brian was impressed.
Just one stop on our way to Paris. Sometimes the kids even put down their iTouch and Nintendo games.
We arrived a bit late due to a nuclear power protest that blocked the bridge from Germany into France but we parked and wandered into the square for a nice lunch on a sunny day. Notice the smiles and comfort of the kids even though we were not at McD for lunch. They've come a long way.
After lunch we wandered down some cute streets (you can see Brian on his crutches with his cast) and turned a corner to find..
..the It is the largest building from gothic times and was the tallest building for over 225 years. Even Brian was impressed. Just one stop on our way to Paris. Sometimes the kids even put down their iTouch and Nintendo games.3 hours into the trip they get some sightseeing and only 4 more hours to Paris. Only Julia is looking forward to Paris.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Barcelona
For my Birthday, Daphne gave me a trip to Barcelona - just the two of us. The kids were excited for a weekend with the 'cool' babysitter and Daphne would be able to get some early spring sun.
We only had 48 hours in the city but it was a great trip. The weather was sunny and warm, the people were friendly and helpful, and the food was wonderful. Too bad we kept saying Danke Schoen to all the helpful people.
We did many of the tourist things including riding in the double-decker bus to get a general feel for the city. Daphne got some advice from friends that recently visited (restaurants and fun things to do) and from a friend who was born and raised in the city (favorite museums and her favorite hidden things to see).
Daphne was a good sport letting me take pictures of her all over the city (for a while). Here she is in front of the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. Even for jaded New Yorkers, the market was incredible. It dates back to 1215 and sells a variety of fish that the Baltimore aquarium would be envious of.
We visited museums, cathedrals, and generally wandered throughout the old gothic parts of the city. In other words - we did everything we couldn't do with our children.
A clear highlight was connecting with my cousin who lives outside of Barcelona. Adrienne and her boyfriend Mike graciously hosted us for a traditional lunch at a great local favorite restaurant. 
The recipe was classic Catalan:
The recipe was classic Catalan:Ingredients: begin at 2pm, mix in good, inexpensive Spanish wine, wonderful fresh seafood, liberal portion of lively conversation, simmer for 3+ hours
Not only was the experience great - we were able to experience a local, seasonal favorite.
Calçotadas
The internet says:
Calçots are a type of scallion grown during the winter.
The calçots are vine roasted and served in massive quantities. To eat the calçots, you hold the top of the scallion with one hand while you gently pull off the grilled outer layer of the vegetable with your other hand. You then dip the stem in romesco sauce, which is traditionally made from almonds or hazelnuts, roasted garlic, olive oil, and dried red peppers. To eat the calçot, tip your head back toward the sky, lower your calçot into your mouth, and enjoy!
A great trip.
What will the kids think? David got a shirt from FC Barcelona (Messi) and was over the moon. Julia was happy to spend some time with the slightly older female babysitter. Brian - he was one day away from breaking his leg. I consider it his gift to Daphne that he didn't break it while she was landing in Spain.
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