With all of our focus on exploring, we sometimes forget how much beauty there is right in England. A few weeks ago, we took an impromptu day trip to Seven Sisters National Park, which is an easy drive from London. We parked at South Hill Barn car park (free) and found lovely countryside views before … Continue reading Seven Sisters Cliffs
Ten Days in Tuscany Who wants a family-friendly itinerary laid out for them?? This is the bare bones version, but if you're planning a trip and would rather not lift a finger, please reach out to me for the over-compulsive hour-by-hour version. Please note that every day should include a pre-dinner Negroni! Day 1 Arrive … Continue reading Tuscany: Full Itinerary
A travel journalist I know once bemoaned her assignment to cover "Secret Florence" -- obviously not because of the free trip to Florence -- but because every inch of Florence has been covered. It's so hard to plan in places like that, because there are a lot of tough choices. We only had 2 days in Florence, … Continue reading Tuscany: Florence
We couldn't have asked for better travel buddies than my brother Neil and his wife Asia. Our "travel styles" (our balance of gluttony and exploring) are totally aligned, and the kids got quality uncle & auntie time! We spent the first half of our Tuscan holiday based near Pienza. We also did a fun, kid-friendly … Continue reading Tuscany: Montepulciano, San Gimignano and Siena
Ten days in Tuscany. In other words, living the dream. I have loved every wine region I've visited (including South Africa and Provence), and Tuscany was extra special because my brother and his wife joined us. The only thing better than a family reunion is a family reunion in an amazing place! Bring on the vino! Agriturismo Podere Spedalone … Continue reading Tuscany: Part I
One of my favourite things about living in London is having so many different countries just a short flight or train ride away. In two hours or less, you can hop over to Berlin or Budapest, Stockholm or San Sebastián. We take advantage of this proximity whenever we have a spare weekend! But when we … Continue reading In It for the Long Haul
It's hard to beat cycling through the hills of Provence, powered by fresh coffee and the promise of crisp rosé with lunch. Later, you're looking out at the sunset with a glass of wine and a gorgeous dinner, as your children sleep upstairs. And you know it won't be a problem when those children wake … Continue reading Provence
Auden turned 3 this year, and instead of planning a birthday party, I whisked the family off to the Netherlands. After Tristan's fantastic Birthday Adventure weekend in Copenhagen, it was easy to get Auden excited for her very own celebration in Amsterdam. As we often do, the kids and I travelled in and Matt met us … Continue reading Amsterdam
While there are many similarities to train travel alone with two small children, it's worth highlighting a few key tips and tricks to make your airport experience a little easier. Even though some aspects of air travel are painful -- limits on liquids, arriving hours before takeoff, airplane changing tables that are smaller than babies … Continue reading Air Travel Alone with Two Babies
The first solo trip I took was unfortunately also the hardest. I made the rookie mistake of taking a Virgin train on a Bank Holiday weekend. You should never, NEVER, NEVER take the Virgin train on Bank Holiday weekends, whether or not you have help with the kids. I've never seen so many bodies packed into … Continue reading Train Travel Alone with Two Babies
