Everything described in this post was paid for at my own expense, and I did not let anyone know in advance that I would be blogging about my experiences. E and D were treated to complimentary desserts at the Four Seasons Hotel in celebration of E's fifth birthday. I haven't asked, but I'm guessing that the elaborate sweets totally swayed their opinion about the meal - and the entire day.
Rain. Nobody wants to wake up on their first full day of vacation to pouring rain. Unless they are five years old and obsessed with gutters.
We could barely contain the kids enthusiasm this morning, and once we had fed them breakfast (nearly every hotel in Istanbul includes it) and dressed them in full rain gear, we were off to the races. Giggling and burbling, the kids followed the same crazy, gutter obsessed path they had the day before as we desperately tried to keep ourselves and baby Eilan dry.
Every twist and turn was a cause for exclamation, and by the time we reached Aya Sofia, (an ancient cathedral that was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years) the kids were a bit more sedate and ready to go inside.
Like most cathedrals, there is a step at the entrance that makes you look down at your feet as you enter, with the result being that as you look back up the interior seems even more grand (and you feel even smaller). It was fun to see and hear that effect work on E. He let out an audible ooooh as he looked up at the ceiling of the cathedral, and exclaimed "Mommy, it's so pretty".
It has been a while since E has been inside a massive cathedral, and he has so many more questions about the world now than he did when we were in Sevilla two years ago. I'm finding that answering his questions is helping me engage more directly with what I'm seeing and making me enjoy the trip in a new way. In Aya Sofia, we worked through the details of how those big paintings got way up high, and he was fascinated to watch artists up on scaffolding restoring some of the artwork. The ramps up to the second floor became secret passages to be explored, and we're planning our own mosiac art project back at the apartment (I just need to buy some colored paper)
Still, the kids are just 5 and 3 (Eilan doesn't count, he's young enough to be happy pretty much anywhere as long as he is in mommy's arms), and it didn't take long before they ran out of interest and started dragging us down the stairs. E is reading well enough now that he found the exit signs himself - our days of delaying or "not seeing" signs are officially over. Perhaps he was so anxious because he had an inkling of what was coming next?
Did I neglect to mention that today is E's 5th birthday? He certainly wouldn't have. He's been talking about it for months, and it has taken him that long to accept that we would be traveling on his birthday. Don't worry, we did lots for him before we left home, but it is always important to celebrate the actual day too.
We planned a meal at the Four Seasons. As you might guess, at age 5, the prospect of a "fancy restaurant" isn't much of a draw for E, but we knew that the menu would be. E is a picky eater. Pizzas must be round, chicken fingers must be uniformly coated with breadcrumbs, and hot dogs must have their ends cut off. Eating out can be stressful for him, and even more so when we travel. A reprieve from the kabobs, stews and other Turkish foods that bring me so much delight seemed like the best gift we could give him, and the Four Seasons delivered in style. E devoured two pizzas while D wolfed down some broiled salmon (sauce on the side, thank you very much).
After lunch, the restaurant gifted each of the kids a special dessert - a chocolate molten cake with vanilla custard, cookies and ice cream. Wow, were they in heaven! I don't think they've ever had such an elaborate dessert.
We spent almost two hours at lunch, and then with full tummies and jeltag kicking in, we wound our way back to the hotel, hoping to get the kids into bed (or at least quiet) before they fell asleep standing up. Today, jetlag and all, was a pretty great day. We all enjoyed exploring, and lunch at a nice restaurant felt like a true luxury for all of us. The night will probably be rough, but the big kids seem to be getting old enough that we can settle them in with a quiet activity and continue to rest while they are awake.
Related Links:
City Guide: Istanbul with Kids
Arriving in Istanbul
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Posted on May 3, 2010 |
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E was absolutely fascinated by the gutters in Istanbul - they came in so many shapes and sizes, and sometimes even ran down the middle of a sidewalk! Whether there was water in the gutters or not, that fascination made it easier to keep him moving as we trekked between different sites.
Related Links:
City Guide: Istanbul With Kids
Photo Friday:
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Posted on April 29, 2010 |
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Posting has been very light lately, as I have been on a big adventure. We spent 10 days in Istanbul, exploring the city and generally having a lovely time. Flying back home, we were scheduled for a three-hour layover in London. Imagine our surprise when the captain announced after landing that an ash cloud had spread over Europe, closing many airports, including Heathrow. Instead of snacking and running the kids around before our next flight, we were to proceed through immigration, collect our baggage and head into the city!
I have lots more stories to tell, about both Istanbul, and the 9 days we ended up spending in London, but first I need to do a little laundry and catch up on my life here in Seattle. In the meantime, you can read my post, about our first day in Istanbul here.
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Posted on April 28, 2010 |
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Everything described in this post was paid for at my own expense, and I did not let anyone know in advance that I would be blogging about my experiences.
Lost bags seem to be a way of life for us. At least one bag has been damaged or delayed on every long-haul trip we've taken since E was born. This trip was no exception. Add to that a multi-hour flight delay, the inevitable missed connection that comes with it, and a nearly-lost (but miraculously found) stroller, and, of course 3 kids, and you wonder why we do it at all.
We were so badly delayed that we decided to skip our pre-paid reservation at the Istanbul Airport hotel, and head straight into town. Luckily our room at the darussaade, where we will spend the next two nights, was already available.
We rolled into Istanbul bleary eyed after almost 24 hours of travel. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the morning mist made the Bosphorus river, and the ships on it hazy, as if we were in a dream. The kids didn't care about the majestic view though, they were busy spotting the playgrounds that line the riverfront one after another. As tired as we all were, I could almost hear them thinking "Istanbul is going to be fun."
After a quick round of showers, and clean clothing for those of us who had luggage, it was time to explore on foot.
My husband and I had distinct ideas about what we'd like to see, but as we exited the hotel, the first thing E noticed was the street gutters. Built out of curved tile, they look different than the gutters we are used to seeing at home. He was completely caught up in them, and so we followed the gutters downhill, away from the major sites, and had a morning that I'm sure we'll remember for a long time.
Instead of spending time with touts or in tourist shops waiting for the major attractions to open, our quest took us past a restaurant with its own sheep and chickens. As we visited with the animals, we noticed the ancient unmarked ruins boarded up next door. Then we were off again, surrounded by a stream of children headed to school. We stood outside, alongside their mothers, and watched as they lined up by class in the school yard, passed inspection, and were ushered into the school building. Finally, with the kids laughing and following the gutters, we wound our way uphill and found ourselves where we had planned to be in the first place, in front of the Blue Mosque, just as it was opening for the day.
E, who often has a difficult time trying new things, was hesitant to enter the Mosque's open courtyard, and for a moment I was worried that we were in for a difficult day. Luckily my husband pulled some marbles, given to the kids by one of the hotel staff, out of his pocket. The idea of rolling the marbles on the marble courtyard made E giggle, and we were off again, checking to see which way each of the aged and worn stones sloped.
We ducked through a narrow tunnel, and then it was time to remove our shoes and enter the Mosque itself. D and E loved the opportunity to walk barefoot on the mosque's soft red carpet, and we sat down in a quiet corner to give ourselves time to take it all in.
This memory is the one E came back to when he woke up at 3am, jetlagged, and decided to dictate email to his best friend back home.
With all that adventure, we were positive the kids needed a nap, and headed back to the hotel for some down time. We tried, and tried, and tried, but nobody fell asleep, and finally - realizing that we would topple over ourselves if we didn't get some sunshine, we headed back out for lunch.
Doi Doi, a nearby kabob house fit the bill perfectly - or so we thought. The kids could watch fresh bread being made in the wood fired oven. There was a great selection of Kabob for us, and the offer of traditional Turkish pizza for the kids. The restaurant was casual and bustling - the perfect mask for any fussiness on the part of the kids. But there was none to be masked. D ate two pieces of pizza and then planted her head on my lap and fell asleep. E complained for a few minutes about the food choices before falling asleep sitting up! With the baby asleep in the sling, my husband and I finished up our meal in peace and the struggled to get three sleeping kids back to the hotel room where we all crashed for the night.
Related Links:
City Guide: Istanbul with Kids
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Posted on April 26, 2010 |
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I always hope that the kids will be inspired by our travels, and that the opportunity to see new places will help them be open to new ideas. Of course I have no control over which ideas will resonate with them, and sometimes that puts us in amusing circumstances.
For the past year and a half, E, my little literalist has insisted that when he grows up, he wants to be a "grown-up." Not a firefighter, a police officer, chef or a doctor.... a "grown up." And then, when we were at Disneyland a few weeks ago, he saw this:
Turns out he was just waiting to find his calling. His new chosen profession? Balloon seller!
Related Links:
City Guide: Orange County With Kids
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Posted on April 23, 2010 |
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One thing that can be tricky about visiting urban areas with kids is finding a playground near the major attractions. I've written before about using Google Maps to locate a playground when there is one, but what do you do when there isn't?
Here are a few things I carry in my daypack so that we can turn any town square or open space into a fun play area for the kids
- An inflatable Gertie Ball
. These balls are compact enough to carry in my daypack, easy to inflate, and sturdy enough to stand up to lots of kicking. If you don't inflate them fully, they're easy for a young baby to grab a hold of, but if you inflate them all the way, they are nice and bouncy.
- Bubble solution is easy to pick up anywhere in the world, inexpensive, and makes even a small open space fun. When you run out, you can experiment with your own solution of hotel shampoo, restaurant packet sugar, and water.
- Birdseed is easy to pick up in a grocery store or from a pet shop. As long as you are careful to follow local norms about where it is ok to feed the birds, a little birdseed is a great way to entertain children of any age.
Readers: What do you carry in your daypack when you travel?
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Posted on April 20, 2010 |
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What could be better than a tomato and mozzarella sandwich in Rome? Don't you wish that had been your first sandwich ever?
Related Links:
City Guide: Rome With Kids
Enjoying Meals and Cultural Activities with Kids
Photo Friday:
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Posted on April 16, 2010 |
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I have countless pictures of E and D asleep in museums around the world. If you didn't know better, you might think that they just slept through every trip. The fact is that until they were over 2, we tried to time museum trips during naptime. Sure, we could find ways to entertain them if we had to, but it was so much more pleasant to enjoy the artwork at a grownup's pace.
Related Links:
City Guide: Rome With Kids
Enjoying Meals and Cultural Activities with Kids
Photo Friday:
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Posted on April 8, 2010 |
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Whenever it makes sense, we like to stay in an apartment instead of a hotel. It gives us more space to stretch out, but more importantly, we can prepare breakfast and the occasional picnic or dinner in the apartment. The kids love having some familiar foods, and we love the opportunity to both save a little money and cook with local ingredients.
I have a short list of favorite "travel recipes." These are recipes that accommodate different ingredients well, don't need a lot of spices, and are easy to prepare without specialized equipment.
Here are some of my favorites:
- Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Pasta. This works well with onions instead of garlic or other roasted vegetables, and left over vegetables can be used in a omlettes the next morning.
- Marcela Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Butter. This is delicious, and if you have not tried it, you should!
- Chicken pieces roasted with shallots, garlic cloves, fresh herbs and shallots, olive oil (you can add apples, fennel or red onions too)
- Salmon broiled with pretty much any spice (fresh or dried) and salt
I could use some new ideas for our trip to Istanbul, and I'm hoping you'll share your go-to recipes. Add your recipe in comments, or use the linkey to link to a recipe you love (on your blog or elsewhere).
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Posted on April 6, 2010 |
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We took a quick trip down to San Francisco a few weeks ago and found ourselves in the middle of some unseasonably warm weather. Instead of visiting all the museums, we spent our days outdoors in Golden Gate Park.
D, who used to make "snow angels" in the sand when she was 10 months old thought it was the perfect opportunity to stick Eilan's feet in the sand for the first time. Poor little guy, he looked up at me as if to say "normal ground doesn't feel this way" and started crying. His big sister has a lot to teach him.
Related Links:
City Guide: San Francisco With Kids
Photo Friday:
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Posted on April 2, 2010 |
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