Møns Klint. The White Chalk Cliffs of Møn, Denmark

Møns-Klint

A trip to Møn would not be complete without a visit to Møns Klint.  These white chalk cliffs are one of the highest points of Denmark, with a 120 m drop to the beach below and they are stunning.

When you arrive at the site, you are greeted with the Geocentre where you can learn about the cliffs, their formation and also the value of chalk.  It is very interactive and very thorough. We really enjoyed interacting with the exhibits, including chipping away at a crusty piece of dried mud to find a (plastic) dinosaur tooth, or was it a toe nail?

Continue reading “Møns Klint. The White Chalk Cliffs of Møn, Denmark”

A Little Time in Lille, France

Before we landed in the UK, and for some time thereafter, we had no real idea what the itinerary of our European road trip was going to look like. All that we had was a pickup date for our car in Paris and the appropriate Eurostar booking.  At some point, I think it was at dinner with friends in Soho, I hatched a plan to visit my Swedish friend for Midsommar celebrations (more on that glorious day another time). In fact, I became quite obsessed with the idea.  I think I became overwhelmed with the same things many travellers lust after: 1. Contact with old friends and, 2. that illusive “authentic experience of a different culture.” Despite this, I tried to remain rational and reasonable. Rich did some calculating (as he is prone to do, sometimes to the extreme), and it was revealed that it was possible for us to reach Sweden in time for Midsommar. I contacted my Swedish friend to be sure of appropriate etiquette and availabilities.  Replies were positive. Rational thinking and reasoning were cast aside.  And then IT. WAS. ON.

Preparations and planning began for an epic road trip. An extreme journey that took us from Paris, France to Vaxjo, Sweden in not enough time.  Along the way we stopped in the Northern French city of Lille.  And we had ourselves a lovely time. Here’s the report on Lille.

There is probably nothing extraordinary to report about Lille, except the fact that we made it there. You see, it was our first day with the car. Rich had never driven ‘on the other side of the road’ and Paris is a pretty intense introduction. We had also never interacted with a GPS system and arrived to peak hour traffic in Lille. It may have taken three loops of Lille’s business district, but the car was parked and the new hotel was better than expected.

Lille is not a touristy city where you can view iconic landmarks your friends have already seen.  There are interesting old buildings, nice parks and hardly an English-speaking person. We loved it. We wandered through town admiring what it had to offer, but the real adventures were had at the local modern shopping mall. Interesting food finds, practising our very minimal French and just generally seeing how the citizens of Lille went about their daily lives was fascinating.  Once, a shop assistant was so surprised to discover Rich was from Australia she called her friends over and presented her extraordinary find.  From what he could gather she had met people from many countries, but he was her first Australian.

After we rested up for a couple of days in Lille it was time to hit the road again.  More than five hundred kilometers and three countries later we were in Hannover, Germany.

I’ve created a few slideshows below that cover the main sites of Lille we saw. If you want to know more about Lille a good place to start is the Lille tourism website.

Click on an image to view a larger version and enter the slideshow.

Slideshow 1 of 3: Around Porte de Paris

Slideshow 2 of 3: Around the Palais des Beaux-Arts of Lille

Slideshow 3 of 3: Around the Citadel

 

2 kids + carry on only = madness? My tips for traveling with carry on luggage only Part 1

This is our current line up of bags waiting to be tested on our next trip.
This is our current line up of bags waiting to be tested on our next trip.

Not so long ago we took a two week holiday to the tropics taking carry on luggage only.  Mainly because I am obsessed with the concept, but also because of the obvious benefits.  At the time our children were 3 and 5 years old.  Here are five tips if you’d like to do the same. Like so much in life, preparation is key.  I’m yet to score a perfect ten in my packing, but these tips are how I plan on getting closer. Continue reading “2 kids + carry on only = madness? My tips for traveling with carry on luggage only Part 1”

How behaving like an elephant while dressing cute can make airports with kids easier: Three tips on getting through the airport with young children.

Cute outfits+everyone matching+walking like the elephants=triple point score!
Cute outfits+everyone matching+walking like the elephants=triple point score!

After starting my mini travel series I have discovered all kinds of great blogs about traveling with children.  There is one post that I have particularly enjoyed called “Five Ways to Usher Small Children Through an Airport Without Losing or Killing Anyone.”

In it Bronwyn mentions how handy the trunki can be (I’ve reviewed it here) and gives a humourous and thorough analysis of the pros and cons of a stroller/pram. Really, she covers the entire rigmarole of getting through an airport with young children.  It’s worth a read if you’re having anxiety attacks getting your head around the whole thing to help work you through the issues.

I’ve been inspired to add my own tips on how we handle the situation. These are mainly geared towards travelling with kids who can walk easily (3+ years old) and when you have a partner in tow. Continue reading “How behaving like an elephant while dressing cute can make airports with kids easier: Three tips on getting through the airport with young children.”

Product Review: Trunki Children’s Ride-on Suitcase

My local library had a little display of travel books on my last visit that got me to thinking that many people are beginning to plan their Christmas and Summer travel.  So I thought I’d begin a bit of a series I’ve been planning about travel, mainly travel with kids.  Here’s the first post. Continue reading “Product Review: Trunki Children’s Ride-on Suitcase”