The 4 Reasons hotel in Turkey: a heavenly stay!
We just came back from a week in Turkey where we stayed in the most beautiful, relaxing hotel: the 4 Reasons hotel on the Bodrum peninsula. It was like a dream! The hotel is just amazing: it’s located on a hill top, overlooking old olive orchards with the little village of Yalikavak behind it, located on the Aegean sea with its many islands. The hotel gardens are stunning, with the grand palm trees, the olive trees in bloom, the Murlberry trees full of fruit ready to be picked (the kids loved it), the shady grass area with a lily pond full of quacking frogs and at least one turtle… There’s bocce ball to be played (a ball game similar to pétanque), a huge refreshing swimming pool, an award winning barman who makes the best lemonades in the world and loves children, a well filled library, a pool table for entertainment at nights (my husband and I were both crap at it but so competitive!). We were spoiled with an extensive breakfast on the terrace every morning, overlooking the beautiful bay area and village below, and lunch and dinners were equally lovely and tasteful. The service was impeccable, the staff super sweet and helpful, and never intruding.
The village is a pleasant 20 minutes walk and there are a few nice restaurants, a little harbour, and some touristy shops — it makes for a lovely little outing. We greatly enjoyed the local market with the most amazing fruits, vegetables and textiles on Thursday!
A trip to Bodrum was fun with the local mini buses (dolmus). We spent most of the day visiting the 15th century Bodrum castle with in it the underwater museum with treasures and ship wrecks, a worthy visit — the castle is beautiful, with great gardens, peacocks roaming around, and amazing views over the city and the sea. We also visited the insignificant (but still impressive!) remains of one of the seven ancient world wonders, the Mausuleum of Mausolus. The Bodrum daily market was fun with stalls filled with spices, fruits, veggies, housewares and some handmade wooden toys and utensils.
We booked the 4 Reasons hotel through I-escape and stayed in one of the ‘functional’ rooms, which was not at all big but very nice, fresh and functional, with a separate bed and bathroom area for the two bigger children (5 and 6). We had Ava (1) in a cot in the room with us. We took a flight to Bodrum airport and the ever so nice and helpful hotel staff arranged transfers to and from the hotel for us. All in all, this was a vacation I can totally recommend if you like to go somewhere relaxing and beautiful with little children in tow (or without!). We’ll certainly be back.
xxx Esther
Weekend Away: Paris
We have had so many great contributors tell us about their cities, and each of them has made me want to pack my bag and go explore the city, so I wanted to do a post about Paris. I still sometimes step out of my flat and get a little bit excited. Why? Because I do live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Sometimes I forget and then I look up and think: “Seriously… I am one lucky girl!”
So here is my list of what to do in Paris with your family for a weekend (or more!) in Paris:
SEE:
The Pompidou Centre – great for the whole family. The permanent collection is world-class and well laid out, not too big and not too small. The ground floor has a little exhibition center just for kids that normally runs parallel to the temporary exhibitions and helps kids understand the exhibition. If nothing else, taking the rolling staircases, which are on the outside of the building in the plastic tubes, is an activity in itself.
The Galerie de l’Evolution – Paris’s natural history museum, which has recently been renovated and is worth a visit, especially if it is rainy outside. It is a beautiful space and is set in the Jardin des Plantes, the Botantical Gardens. It is a lovely to have a walk around in.
The Menagerie in the Jardin des Plantes – Also in the Jardin des Plantes is the Menagerie, a little zoo that has been around since the mid-19th century and has not changed a lot since then. It is a great size for smaller children and very charming.
The Sacrée Coeur and Montmartre – Montmartre and the Sacrée Coeur is a fun place to explore – unfortunately a lot of tourists agree with this, so the main streets are often packed with tourists. It is quite easy to avoid them though, as the groups normally stick to a few road and squares.
I recommend taking the funicular (easily my favourite public transportation vehicle) up to the top of the hill (you pay with a metro ticket). The view of Paris from the Sacrée Coeur is one of the best. If you walk back down the steps you will find a beautiful old merry-go-round – you might recognize it from the movie Amelie Poulain.
Musée D’Orsay – The Musée d’Orsay is a really accessible museum for kids from about 5 years and up. It houses a lot of the famous impressionists, so it is a great introduction to art and famous artwork that your kids might already know. It is right in the heart of Paris on the right bank of the Seine, beside the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens, the perfect place to go and have a run about in after a museum visit. Do note that one of the crazy things about parks in France is one is often not allowed on the grass and there are fierce looking officers with whistles paroling the parks to make sure it stays that way!
Cité des Enfants - The cité des Enfants is based in the Science Museum a little bit outside the centre of Paris at La Villette. It is definitely worth the treck out if you are staying for a few days. All the exhibitions are interactive, educational and fun. I have been there with my kids and it is quite interesting how different kids gravitate towards different part of the exhibition. The exhibitions are divided between a section for 2-7 year olds and a section for 5-12 year olds. I would advise booking tickets in advance from the museum’s website.
PLAY:
Luxembourg Gardens – The Luxembourg Gardens is possibly my favourite park in Paris – it is beautiful and very, very Parisian. Again you will stumble over the problem that it is hard to find a piece of grass to sit on, but you can sit on the famous chairs, go on the merry-go-round, rent little boats to push around the little pond with a stick, visit the play area (you will notice all the French parents sitting on the benches outside the area while the foreign parents are running around the area trying to keep an eye on their children). (more…)
Hometown Tulips
Happy May Day! I know I shared tulip photos last year, but couldn’t resist sharing some new ones from this year. Once again, my dad and his girlfriend climbed to the top of their house and took photos of the surrounding fields. So pretty! I grew up in that house surrounded by tulip fields. I used to ride my horse up and down those fields. I even got married in the muddy tulip fields! Such a special part of my childhood.
Anyway, just wanted to share. (Thank you to my dad’s girlfriend, Suze Jungeman, for the photos!) And don’t you love the chicken tip-toeing through the tulips?!
x Courtney
Ten of the best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Europe from i-escape
I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with the lovely team from i-escape which happens to be one of our very favourite travel sites for boutique accommodation. They have recently launched a new kids collection which features over 700 kid-friendly hotels and self-catering properties around the world — hotels which warmly welcome children and yet still offer the wow factor for parents. Their new collection offers everything from city apartments where you can live like a local to far-flung beach retreats with babysitting options. To narrow down some hotel options, we asked them to suggest ten of their favourite kid-friendly hotels in Europe. Here is their inspiring list (which is your favourite?):
We all know that choosing family holidays is tricky; you want to relax but the kids need to be entertained, and trying to find somewhere that achieves both can seem impossible. Which is why we’ve done the hard work for you, and selected the best of our Family Collection in Europe! With endless outdoor activities, beautiful beaches and kids’ clubs for all ages, these boutique offerings might just be that nirvana you’ve been searching for…
Ammos Hotel, Crete, Greece:
You’ll find style with a big smile at this chic beachfront hotel. With sheltered, shallow waters, a sandy beach and a kids’ pool, it’s particularly suited to babies and toddlers, and there’s a kids’ room with a climbing frame and drawing equipment. Parents can enjoy delicious food and panoramic views on the gorgeous dining terrace, and each room has a kitchenette so you can whip up meals for little’uns. Best of all, it’s not too expensive. (more…)
Ten Handy Products for Travelling with Kids
We recently compiled a list of ten handy kiddie travel products for our friends over at i-escape. Check out our list here, and while you’re there make sure to have a look at their newly launched Kids Collection offering more than 700 amazing, family-friendly holiday accommodations.
x Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• The perfect Easter dress from Baby Barn• Win!! Amazing kite from Gray Label!
• Nettle quiche
Weekend Getaway: Sevilla, Spain
My husband and I spent a week in Sevilla over Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) when our oldest was just 8 months old. It was such a magical, sunny week, and such a special time to be there (we lucked out — we had no idea of the Easter celebrations we would get to see!). We loved our trip so much and hope to go back some day. Luckily, one of our readers, Sarah, an American living in Seville, has offered to write a (very comprehensive!) guide to exploring her city. Sarah is mum to a toddler girl called Manuela, and has a blog called Babbles and Bibis where she shares what life is like as an expat raising a bilingual family in Southern Spain. Here is her guide:
Sevilla (Seville) is the capital city of the southernmost region in Spain and it is mostly known for its colorful flamenco, lazy siesta afternoons, bullfighting and of course, its delectable tapas. Visitors will also find it to be a great destination for a getaway with the whole family. There is so much to see and do, you might just have to stay a whole week. (more…)
Looking Dapper
There is a little shop in Encinitas, California (where I used to live) called m.o.m that has the most adorable decor pieces, accessories and handmade clothes for children. They often use one-of-a-kind fabrics with fun prints for their items. I bought the most adorable pink striped tie for one of the favorite little boys in my life when I was last down there and he adores it. These would be darling additions to any easter outfit or to have around for a dress-up occasion. (They don’t show a big selection on their site, but they are great at taking custom orders and letting you pick out the fabrics.)
-Elizabeth
Weekend Getaway: Rome
Rome is one of my favorite European capitals. When I visited I was so impressed that so much history, from the Romans to the Renaissance and turbulent 19th century, can be found on a relatively small scale. But how easy is it to explore all this history with the whole family? Sarah Petrucci, a true Roman and the owner of the newly opened toy boutique Il Pesciolino Rosso, was kind enough to write down her recommendations for a trip to Rome with familia!
Rome must be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Maybe because of the warm light so unique to this city which makes its palazzi in hues of gold and terracotta glow at sunset. Perhaps it has to do with the beauty of its flowering balconies and rooftops or the regal stance of the pine and sycamore trees that line the river and fill the parks. Of course it could be the abundance of wealth in monuments and churches, important ruins and treasures. And to top it off, that balmy climate, so mellow in each season giving a romantic feeling you can’t get enough of as you walk the cobblestone streets and listen to the sweet sounds of Roma. Here are some ideas for a weekend in Rome… (more…)
Little Warrior
Little Warrior is a sweet children’s line out of Los Angeles. The Spring/Summer ‘12 Lookbook is adorable and perfectly captures the feeling of endless childhood days. I love all of the super-soft unique silhouettes and the muted palette. Little Warrior just opened a boutique in Hollywood over the weekend. If you are in the neighborhood, you should absolutely stop by!
Little Warrior Boutique (inside Filth Mart)
1038 North Fairfax Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Welcome Elizabeth in Los Angeles!
I was first introduced to Elizabeth Antonia when I discovered her blog about a year ago (perhaps you remember this blog post, which was inspired by a post she wrote!). I have since become enamoured with her life in LA, her relationship with her gorgeous daughter, the traveling she does, and the refreshing take on life she has.
I am extremely excited to say that she will now be our newest contributor, writing from LA and sharing a bit of her life with us! Hooray, hooray! Stay tuned for her first post today…
x Courtney
(Bottom image taken by Lou Mora)
The Obliteration Room at the Tate Modern
This weekend we made it to Obliteration Room at the Tate Modern and my kids loved it so much they’re still talking about it. What a cool idea! The Obliteration Room is the kid’s section of the bigger exhibition by Yayoi Kusama — the dot loving Japanese artist. It started out as a completely white room and then they allowed kids to come in and place colourful dot stickers wherever and however they chose.
It was interesting to watch my kids with their sheets of stickers. My daughter stuck all the stickers on her face, my son kept asking to put them on the ceiling, and my oldest went around creating crazy cyclops monster faces on the floor. What a fun activity (it’s on until the 18th of March)!
x Courtney
PS – Photos above are from the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in Australia where the project started. Aren’t they so cool?!
Paper City Paris
I love living in Paris — it is beautiful, full of life and love and so much fun to explore. If you don’t happen to live in Paris, have a look at the downloadable Paris Paper City, from one of my top favorite children’s craft blogs Made By Joel. Just download the PDFs and you too can start exploring Paris, even if you live on the other side of the world. Have an explore around the Eifel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and a local boulagerie. There is even the sweetest little downloadable Citroën to drive around your city.
Such a fun way to introduce the city of lights to your kids. I love the fact that Joel has, very thoughtfully, included a brief description of all the buildings onto his PDFs, so this game can be educational too.
- Emilie
Welcome Celina from Montreal!
We are super, super excited to announce our newest contributor, Celina Bailey from Montreal. Hooray for some Canadian representation! And hooray for the lovely Celina!
We ‘met’ Celina on Pinterest a couple months ago… and love everything she pins. We then started following her blog and like everything she blogs. I have since been in touch with her over email, and in just a short couple weeks have found a friend in her! (Isn’t it fun, this world we live in? Where we can have virtual friendships with other mums across the world?!)
Celina is a mum of two, born in England but raised in Montreal, and has been in the children’s fashion world for the past 12 years (designer, children’s boutique owner, and blogger). We are incredibly excited to have Celina on our little blogging team, and we look forward to all the fun things she’ll share!
x Courtney
Ice skating!
Ice-skating is something of a national sport in the Netherlands, especially in winters where we’re lucky enough to have temperatures so low the many natural waterways in the city and countryside are frozen. Last week was such a lucky week, and children and parents alike put on their skates and hit the ice. Even the canals in the city centre here in Amsterdam were frozen, which is pretty rare! After some initial hesitation on whether or not to get the kids their own skates (after all, you never know how much they will be put to use) we did give in to the temptation. Especially after I found out that skates these days are expandable! Sara’s pair for instance is size 32-36, which means she will be able to wear them for years to come. (We got their skates at Decathlon.) It’s amazing how fast they pick up the skill, and how they love the activity. Fun, fun, fun!
xxx Esther
PS Photo of Pim (4) skating on the Keizersgracht in Amsterdam over the weekend.
Please, do call me Mademoiselle
When I was younger and a bit more feisty, I was vehemently against being called Mademoiselle. Why should men only have one description while women are categorised by being married or not? But now, though I still agree with this sentiment in principle, I secretly love it when a shopkeeper adresses me as Mademoiselle, mostly accompanied by a wink. Makes me feel young and sexy!
You see, in France we still address each other with Madame, Monsieur and Mademoiselle — the equivalent of Sir, Madam and Miss. These terms, as far as I can tell, have completely dissapeared out of the English/American vocabulary. I really like this politeness. When I walk into a bakery I greet everyone in there with a general “Bonjour Monsieur/Dames” and when it is my turn I get told “A vous, Madame”.
There is a campaign in France to get rid of the Mademoiselle, which makes total sense. My grandmother’s two best friends, 90 and 92 respectively, are still known as Mademoiselle as they never got married. I address them as Mademoiselle, whilst they call me Madame, and there is not a lot of logic in that. I do hope the shopkeepers will continue to call me Mademoiselle though (and not forget the wink)!
What about in your country, are women still being addressed as Senorita, Senorina or Fräulein?
- Emilie x
The illustration is of Coco Chanel, one of France’s most famous Mademoiselles, by Adrian Tomine for the New Yorker.
Autolib’ – An urban revolution
There has been an exciting development over here in Paris. Our mayor, Bertand Delanoë (who might possibly be my favourite politician at the moment), has introduced a new scheme that could revolutionise the way we live in this city. After the Velib’, we now have the Autolib’, an electrical car which, just like a Velib, you pick up on the street and drop off when you arrive at your destination.
I love using the Velib’, but cycling around a city with kids in tow is just not possible. The arrival of the Autolib’ was announced months ago and I have been peeking down my road, to see if there were going to be any cars parked close to me. And suddenly there were 4 neatly lined up electrical cars right across the road!
I now just walk a few meters, swipe my card, unplug the car from its power socket and off I go. It’s brilliant and has already taken me all around Paris. There are not yet that many parking stations, but new ones are opening every day. For the kids, I just bring along booster seats, which are easy enough to carry.
-Emilie
P.S. Have you ever driven an electrical car? It is soo quiet!
Weekend Getaway: Munich
Courtney and I spent a hilarious weekend seven years ago (pre-children) at the October Fest in Munich. It was great fun: there was a lot of beer, schnapps, bretzels, German sausages, sleeping and card playing involved. I don’t think we had ever seen so many people our age in lederhosen and dirndls. It was definitely not the kind of weekend you would have with kids.
I am pretty sure that a weekend in Munich now would be very, very different, but potentially as much fun — it is a beautiful city, very traditional but also very happening. For some local insight on what Munich has to offer for kids, Mitali, a stay-at-home mom living in Munich, has very kindly given us her tips and recommendations on what to do in the capital of Bavaria. She is a mother of two (son Nilay 6 years, daughter Nalini 7 months) and the proud owner of a crazy dog, Greta. She loves travelling and has lived all around the world, but, in the end, has always enjoyed coming home to Munich. She has some great ideas of what to do in Munich! (more…)
Weekend Get-Away: Madrid
I love Spain — the culture, the cities, the people and the great, great food. I have not been to Madrid in years (actually decades) and had no idea if it is a good place to visit with kids. Luckily we got some local intel from the lovely Beatriz.
Beatriz, a Spanish native, lives in Madrid with her husband, her daughter Martina and her dog. During the day, she works in communications for a Spanish Luxury Brand. During the night, she runs her blog Con Botas de Agua about things that inspire her.
Here are Beatriz’s recommendations if you happen to be in Madrid (or need an excuse to go!): (more…)
Weekend Get-Away: Stockholm!
Stockholm is SUCH a cool city. I have been only a few times, but each time I felt an urge to move there (and not many cities do that to me!). It’s beautiful, it’s trendy, it’s kid-friendly, most people speak English, and it’s always voted one of the best cities for families to live… so it must be true! I recently met up with the lovely Britt Hanson, freelance illustrator, one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind fanfamfun blog and beautiful mama of two, and she had me green with envy over her recent three-year stint in Stockholm. I asked her to write a family-friendly guide to the city, and thankfully she obliged. Here is Britt’s guide complete with her own cute illustrations…
It’s horrible. It really is an awful place to visit. Hungry polar bears have even been known to roam the streets looking for food! There, that should do it. That should keep this geographical gem off the radar of the visiting hordes.
Ok, I’ll come clean. Stockholm is one of the most beautiful (and clean) cities in the world and we absolutely love visiting. I should also mention, we’ve lived there for three years. So what’s so special about it? Isn’t it cold, dark and miserable? It’s cold and dark in the winter, but oh so beautiful. And even more beautiful in the summer.
This is a city built on fourteen islands at the mouth of a lake and the Baltic Sea. These islands continue out to the Stockholm archipelago, where you’ll find around 30,000 more islands and islets that will literally charm your socks off. So, there’s water here, there and everywhere. What else? Do acres upon acres of parks and greenery take your fancy? Not forgetting culture, fine architecture, fashionable people and cutting edge design amidst this sea of blue water and ever so green greenery. And to top all this off, it’s as child friendly as a cuddly toy polar bear.
Here are our favourite places to have some fantastic family fun.
SEE
- Stockholm Waterfront Walk – Take a stroll from the edge of Södermalm where it meets Slussen. As you walk across Slussen to Gamla Stan you can see Lake Malaren on your left and the Baltic sea on your right. Walk along the waters edge around Gamla Stan (the tourist friendly old town that’s also a must see destination), towards Kungstragarden, Take in some magnificent architecture along the way, this includes The Royal Palace, The Grand Hotel and the National Museum. You’ll also come across local fishermen catching salmon. When you reach Nybrokajen (the harbour with lots of tourist tour boats), follow the arc of the dock around and meander slowly down the beautiful tree lined avenue, Strandvagen. There are many landmarks to see as you approach the bridge that goes across to the island of Djurgarden. Once on Djurgarden you’ll find lots to see and do. This really is a wonderful way to see the city.
- Gamla Stan – You go back in time when you stroll around the narrow cobbled streets of Gamla Stan (Old Town). This is the original Stockholm, most of the buildings are from the 1700’s. It’s a wonderful island to stroll through and pick up some tourist gifts. You might want to bring your Babybjorn on this trip, small stroller wheels really struggle on the very old cobbled streets. Be warned, it can be very touristy, but it’s well worth a visit. And if you’re lucky enough to be here around Christmas time be sure to visit the Christmas market at Stortorget square.
- Modern Museet – Get inspired at the beautiful modern museum on the island of Skeppsholmen. It has one of the world’s finest collections of 20th and 21st century art. Make sure to visit on Family Sunday, there are fun and educational tours and workshops where your little ones create art inspired by the collections they’ve just seen. When you’ve got your fill of art, take a walk around the island and see all the house boats and views to many impressive landmarks.
- Fotografiska – The Photographic Museum is new to Stockholm. It’s one of the worlds largest photography museums with some of the worlds biggest names showing. The building is next to the water front and views from the cafe are worth a visit alone. So take in a few floors of photos, even if some of the photographs are a bit racy it’s a great place for kids to spend a few hours and learn about art.
- Sightseeing Boat Tour – See Stockholm from a boat. It’s a wonderful way to explore this city of islands. There are many different tours you can choose from, but the Hop on Hop off is probably the best way to go. Kids love taking a boat trip! If you don’t get a chance to take a boat tour, at least take the ferry from Djurgården to Slussen.
- Sergels Torg – Feel the buzz of the city at Stockholm’s central point. Sergels Torg is made up of a very large pedestrian plaza with an iconic black and white triangular pattern. The plaza is surrounded by a busy roundabout with a tall glass obelisk at its centre. Three busy streets converge and there is lots of shopping and the imposing building Kulturhuset (www.kulturhuset.se) and the Stockholm City Theatre. (more…)
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Want to know what I thought about the London Eye? You can read my review on Gogobot here.
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-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Children’s Photographer Emily Ulmer• Inge Van Den Broeck at I Dream Elephants
