- Sara

- Sara

Recently, wonderful Spanish magazine Caos asked Babyccino if we could compile a list of the 10 top things to do when visiting the city of Melbourne. We were very excited to oblige! Here is the list written up which was of course then translated into Spanish (and which, most will agree, makes everything sound just so much more wonderful).

Hailed as one of the world’s most liveable cities, it doesn’t take long for visitors to see why this is so! Melbourne is lively and dynamic with style and soul and so much to do and see — not to mention a dearth of hidden treasures! And, with its extensive transport network, it is so easy to get around. Here is my ‘must do’ top 10 things to do and see in Melbourne:

Explore the Yarra Promenade:

Grab some coffee from one of the fabulous cafes along the riverfront (you’ll be spoilt for choice) and linger on! Watch people wandering by, the cyclists on their way home, groups of kids doing their thing, buskers, street artists and families walking their dogs.  You’ll discover some great boutiques, some of Melbourne’s best restaurants and incredible architecture and art. And as you do, you’ll be treated to the most beautiful views in Melbourne, especially if you ‘hang around’ until sunset. www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

Go Beachside in St Kilda:

St Kilda is Melbourne’s beachside hub — beaches, cafes, shops, pubs, live music and nightlife. A bit bohemian, a bit shabby around the edges but with sleek and sophisticated elements too! Treat yourself to a slice or two of cake with a perfect coffee brew from one of the many continental cake shops along Acland Street, Melbourne’s most historic café strip. Think big city bustle, village style!  But whatever the weather (and it is notoriously unpredictable in Melbourne) a walk along the historic St Kilda pier is a must. The views are like no other.

Wander the city’s laneways:

Getting lost was never so much fun! Narrow cobbled alleys and dead-end streets hide graffiti and street art, galleries, gorgeous boutiques, quiet café’s and really cool bars. Take note — the best bars are found down the dark alleys, past the bins and through the little doorways! Sometimes it can be a bit of a climb up the old wooden stairways, but the bars are so worth it!

The Royal Botanic Gardens:

Fill a hamper and head to Melbourne’s biggest and best park, the Botanical Gardens. Established in 1846 it is home to about 12,000 plant species from all over the world. Discover the Ornamental Lake or the Australian Rainforest Walk. To explore the indigenous history take a guided tour! During the summer the gardens hosts the ‘Moonlight Cinema’ — an outdoor cinema with twilight screenings of classic and cult movies. Perfect for a summer picnic! Don’t forget the Children’s Garden if you are with the kids – they will have a ball! www.rbg.vic.gov.au

Ride a rattling tram:

Whether it’s one of the classic old green rattlers, trundling through Melbourne streets since the 1930s or a slick streamlined newer model – a tram is the best way of seeing the different faces of Melbourne as well as for rubbing shoulders with the locals. There is even a restaurant tram that glides down to the beach and back up to the city a few times a night. Be sure to look out for the burgundy-coloured City Circle tram – these ones are free and stop at all the major city attractions.

Cheer at an AFL (Australian Football League) game:

You may need help deciphering the rules of this uniquely Australian football code (hey, even I do and I’m a local) but the atmosphere at the MCG or Etihad Stadium is nothing short of ‘electric’. Melbournians are passionate about their footy. Best plan is to adopt a team quick smart! And don’t forget to have a hot meat pie at the footy – it’s a Melbourne tradition!

Head to the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) Galleries:

The Ian Potter Centre, (NGV) Australia at Federation Square: Dedicated purely to Australian art, showcasing works from colonial times to the present day, as well as indigenous art. This one is not to be missed. After this, cross the road and check out the international big names of art at the The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) International. The building itself is a masterpiece! Take note, lying flat on your back on the floor is not only accepted but it is the best way to view the wonderful stained glass ceiling in the Great Hall, created by Melbourne artist Leonard French! www.ngv.vic.gov.au

Walk or jog ‘the Tan’:

In my opinion one of the best things to do in Melbourne is to lace up your shoes and hit the ‘tan’. This 3.8km path runs around Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens – it loops around the perimeter of the gardens and is a popular haunt for joggers, dog-walkers, sports professionals and parents with prams. A beautiful way to see Melbourne. When you are done, stop for another coffee  – after all, you are in the coffee capital of Australia!

Gain some altitude at the Eureka Skydeck 88:

One of the best views in Melbourne is not for the faint hearted! From 285m above ground (that’s 88 storeys) you get a 360 –degree view of the city. And if you really are game, step onto ‘The Edge’, a huge moving glass cube that will carry you out over the tower’s east side! www.eurekatower.com.au

Experience the old Melbourne Gaol:

A spooky collection of death masks, a gallows, clanging cell doors – hey, what’s not to love about this creepy place?!  This is where infamous bushranger Ned Kelly was hanged. You can get locked up in the former City Watch House next door, or take part in a mock court in the old Magistrates’ Court! Great for both kids and adults!  www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au

Whilst searching for someone with inside info about visiting Barcelona with kids I remembered Marta. Marta lives with her husband and little son in the wonderful Gracia part of Barcelona. She is a professional translator and also a blogger. Her blog English in Barna, is about life in Barcelona, her blog A Bilingual Bébé gives tips to Spanish speaking parents on how to raise their child bilingually, and finally she  also blogs for the international organisation Pocket Cultures. All in all Marta is the perfect person to start off our new feature. I do hope you enjoy discovering Barcelona through her post. And please do leave us any comments or recommendations you have about Barcelona. The more ideas the merrier…

Marta’s Barcelona

EAT:

1) El bosc de les fades (Ptge. Banca, 5. Drassanes):  I adore this place, although it’s really touristy and sometimes very busy. As the name suggests (translated into ‘The Fairies’ Forest’) you will be surrounded by extraordinary elements usually found in fairy tales. This is really worth the visit!
2) Café Vreneli. (Plaça de la Vila, previously called Plaça de Rius i Taulet, many people still call it like this, in case you have to ask for directions. Diagonal, green line): A lovely café located in the area of Gracia. It’s little, but cosy and child-friendly. Great homemade cakes, milkshakes, juices.
3) La Nena. (Gracia neighbourhood. Carrer Ramón y Cajal, 36): Very, very child-friendly and laid-back. Don’t go there if you’re looking for glamour and sophistication. Homemade cakes, thick hot chocolate with melindros or churros, juices… There are games for children to play with in the back room.
4) Natural Break (Rambla de Catalunya, 66): In Barcelona, most waiters are very friendly with children, but, unfortunately, hardly any restaurants have a special place to change nappies! So, if you are in the heart of Barcelona, you can visit this modern café to enjoy a freshly made orange juice or a fruit salad and change their nappies in a hassle-free spot.

PLAY:

1) Parc del Laberint d’Horta: This park is off the beaten track, located in a neighbourhood called Horta. (Metro Mundet, green line.) Children can try to get out of the maze and you can remember your Greek class! (Theseus killed the minotaur with the invaluable help of Ariadne, who had given him a sword to kill the monster and a thread so he could find his way out of the maze). At the entrance of the labyrinth, there is bas-relief of Ariadne and Theseus. You can also find a beautiful sculpture of Echo, and tell your kids about her story, the nymph who fell in love with Narcissus. She was never loved back as Narcissus was only in love with himself and drowned when trying to kiss his own reflection in the water. Many films and music videos have been shot in this maze including the European film Perfume

2)   Park Güell. A must see! UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you have children and want them to get inspired by talented Gaudí and his art based on nature, I recommend going to Park Güell instead of Sagrada Familia. The Park opening hours are great, there are no queues, no entrance fee and children can run and play surrounded by art and nature. Great views over Barcelona.

3) Parc de la Ciutadella. <M> Arc de Triomph (L1), Barceloneta (L4). You can rent a little boat, or just relax, stroll and take pictures of the amazing waterfall. There are tons of sculptures, my favourite one is called El desconsol, by Josep Llimona, but there’s also la dama del paraigües by Joan Roig and many others you can see when you take a walk. Every child in Barcelona has a photo sitting in the trump of the huge sculpture of the mammoth of this park — it’s a classic! If you feel like seeing real animals, the zoo is right there.

4) Beach: Barcelona has different beaches. If you have time, go to Costa Brava (amazing coves and colder water) or Costa Daurada, in Tarragona, with really long golden sand beaches and warmer waters, or Sitges.

SHOP:

1)  El rey de la magia (Carrer Princesa, 11) Founded in 1881 by Joaquim Partagàs in carrer Princesa. When you buy a magic product, they teach you how to do the trick, a really special and magicical shop.

2)  Imaginarium at Paseo de Gracia 103 (near Palau Robert, <M> Diagonal, green line): A 3-storey shop offering many products for babies and children: toys, bikes, bedroom furniture… And many products for kids and adults alike, such as their little toys to make chocolates or ice-cream! In the -1 floor, your children and you can have your hair cut (no highlights or colour techniques, just a nice haircut). Children love this hairdresser because they can play with the shop toys while they are getting a new hairstyle.

3)  Papabubble Caramels artesans (Carrer Ample, 28, Gothic area):  Two Aussies make fabulous artisan sweets in this shop where you can also see the whole process. They started making candy in Melbourne and then moved to Barcelona. Now, there are Papa Bubbles in Amsterdam, Tokyo and New York, too. Have a look at Papabubble Barcelona(in Spanish)  Video on Papabubble New York (in English).

4)  Zara Kids,  Many Zara shops have a children’s department called Kiddy Class. You can also find Inditex clothes for kids in the shops called Kiddy’s Class. Click here for list of the shops.

SEE:

1)   Barcelona Aquarium I still haven’t found a child who doesn’t like sea animals. This aquarium is great and is supposed to be the biggest aquarium in Europe. Please visit their site for details on fees, opening hours, and special activities for children such as sleeping with sharks!

2) Poble Espanyol This is a classic trip when you’re in primary school in Barcelona because you can see samples of architecture from all over Spain in just one spot. You can also see craftspeople working, my favourite craft workshop as a child was glass blowing, now, it might be the jewelry design.

3) Font Màgica de Montjuic (<M> Placa Espanya, green or red line): Amazing show of music, water and coloured lights every 30 minutes in the evening. This fountain, built in 1929 for the World Exhibition, is supposed to be the oldest of this type in the world. The start and end times depend on the time of the year. From October to April, shows are usually Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm and 8 pm and from May to September, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 pm to 11.30 pm. Check with the tourist office for the specific times of the show.

4) Tibidabo: The historical amusement park where children from Barcelona have enjoyed themselves for 100 years! Tibidabo is located on a mountain where you have fantastic views over the city. There is also another famous park in Tarragona, Port Aventura , but Tibidabo is more relaxed than Port Aventura and way more lovely, as it has the charm of good old shows.

The book is created using uncoated paper, a great surface to sketch on and is staple bound so the pages open flat. It is printed in Australia on 100% recycled paper. It isn’t too long or too short — just perfect to capture their little attention spans.

Available through weheartbooks for local and international shipment.

- Sara

In line with the later books in the series, the colours are slightly vintage and the images are retro and whimsical. And Sasek’s mode of travel to the land down under? Not in chains like the first British colonists, but on a Qantas big bird!! (which incidentally, ‘flies very well’, unlike the Australian penguin and emu!) I absolutely love these books — they introduce children to the people, customs and places of interest in cities around the world, captivating young readers with gorgeous illustrations and a witty narrative. I also think it’s fascinating to see each city from a 1960’s perspective. And…needless to say, in my family we just love the Aussie edition!

Available for worldwide delivery at Amazon.

ps. Courtney, this is the perfect souvenir for your children and will remind them for years to come of their great Aussie adventure!!

- Sara

I personally prefer staying in flats as opposed to hotels now that we have kids — it gives us more space and freedom. I recently stumbled over this website called VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) whilst looked for a short term rental flat for a friend in Paris and I think it is one of the best websites I have seen. The big advantage is this: the site puts you in direct contact with the owner of the flat so that you don’t need to deal with an agency. This saves you a lot of money in agency fees. It also means that you deal directly with someone who has invested themselves in their flat, mostly meaning you get a better, more personal service. There are a lot of family-friendly flats on the site in central locations, and most of the owners I have been in contact with spoke fluent English.

I have no idea if VRBO works well for other cities, but for finding short term accommodation in Paris, it has been great.

- Emilie

- Emilie

-Emilie

Luckily enough, the sea and the little harbour town of Honfleur is only about 2 hours (and what feels like another world) away.

Though it doesn’t have its own beach, the village is centered on its own picture-perfect harbour and you can while away time wandering around the lovely little cobbled stone streets. If you feel like some beach fun you can find a long, sandy beach only 10 km away in Deauville.

The one place I would recommend (especially if you do happen to fall upon a rainy day), is the Satie Museum, la Maison Satie. Satie, a famous composer, grew up in the house but died in poverty so none of the original furnishings were left. This gave the curators a blank canvas to work with, and they managed to create one of the most inspiring museums I have ever visited. It is very interactive so it will keep both parents and children mesmerized.

We stayed in a hotel called Hotel des Loges, which is a lovely modern hotel in the centre of the town. Though it is not specifically geared towards kids, it is super kid friendly. Nothing seems to be a problem; I was able to use the hotel breakfast kitchen to cook dinner for my kids, and to keep food in. The owner organized a babysitter for us and was really good at recommending kid-friendly things to do.

Honfleur is definitely worth visiting, even if you are just on holiday in Paris. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

-Emilie

Courtney and Esther have another version, either the totseat or the grogoup chair harness.
Another very portable option, not really pocket-sized but definitely more sturdy, is the Phil&Teds Mee Too chair that was already praised by Esther.

Now you can enjoy your meals while on holiday!

-Michela

One fail-safe trick I have is to buy a few cheap toys (small books, little cars, Schleich animals, mini puzzle, etc.) and wrap them up individually before the flight, heavy on the scotch tape. I keep them hidden and bring them out at different intervals throughout the flight. The extra scotch tape makes it a bit more difficult to open (think – an extra few distracted minutes), and then the novelty of the new toy keeps them happy for a good long stretch.

It’s not exactly bribery (though I’m not entirely against the idea); it’s just a fun way to break up the hours of sitting and sitting and sitting…

-Courtney

-Michela

But, no need to panic! The solution is simple, cheap, and educational on top of it: audio books! Often narrated by famous actors or even full casts of performers, they are great entertainment for the entire family. Music and sound effects are added, so even the simplest stories grab your attention…

Audio books come in a variety of titles suitable for different age groups. Did you know the complete Harry Potter series will soon be available in the form of audio books?

Our personal favorite in the car is Julia Donaldson & Alex Scheffler’s astounding book, ‘The Gruffalo’. Told by Imelda Staunton in such an exciting and compelling way that my daughter still listens to it with red cheeks — and I’m sure she knows it by heart by now (like me)…
Available through Amazon UK or US.

xxx Esther

Give your kids a wrapped lollipop and it will give you at least 15 minutes of quiet time: five minutes to get the wrapper off, and then at least 10 to enjoy their lolly!

You can even buy sugar-free lollipops these days, which are better for their teeth, and they can’t tell the difference! Oh lolly, lolly, lolly, lollipop!!

-Courtney

- Emilie

Try to remember everything — worst episodes always happen when you forget some element of the rescue kit!

-Michela

• It’s a must-have in airports when you need both your kids to sit still, or if you’re in a hurry and you don’t have time to walk at your child’s pace. (Try traveling on your own with two kids and being dropped off by a taxi to the wrong terminal at Heathrow airport while running late to begin with!!!)
• The double buggy is brilliant if both your kids still take naps. Who wants to spend any extra time in the hotel waiting for nap time to be over? Both kids can sleep, even at the same time, in the Phil&Teds!
• It’s also quite useful even if one of your kids isn’t riding in it, as it provides storage space for all your shopping!

It’s obviously not as light-weight or travel friendly as, say, the Maclaren, but if you’ve got two kids and you’re going to a city where you’ll be walking, the Phil&Teds is a life-saver!

-Courtney

Crayola makes mess-free color-wonder travel packs that are brilliant. The markers only work on the special paper, and while the ink is clear, each marker magically shows up as a different color on the color-wonder paper.

These kits are perfect for long-haul flights, as you’ll need more than just a few tricks up your sleeve to keep your kids entertained…

-Courtney