• booking airfare for an infant and whether it is better to try and get the bassinet seat or strategize for an empty middle seat
• packing light but still being prepared for everything
• is it better to take the baby carrier or the pram/pushchair/stroller
• getting around without a car seat
• taking fruit through US customs
• planning schedules around naps and meals
• dealing with time zone changes

We just returned from our first major family holiday in Costa Rica, but this wasn’t our first trip by any means. W turned 10 months while we were in Costa Rica and has been to 5 countries and 2 continents during that time. I’ll provide a recap of our trips since last year and a few of the lessons learned.

• St. Ives – In July we took our first trip — a domestic weekend getaway. Our travel strategy was to build up from short trips to larger journeys. We headed to Cornwall on the train for a weekend to celebrate K’s birthday. W dipped his toes in the sea, watched seals playing on the beach, and added his mark to an art exhibition at the Tate museum. It was our first experience with figuring out what to pack. We took the Baby Bjorn and left the pram behind which worked really well as the pram would have been frustrating on the steps, cobblestone streets and seaside trails. W could take in all the surroundings when facing out and nap while facing in. We brought plenty of extra clothes for W, but didn’t consider that we’d need extra clothes as well. Baby mess isn’t confined to only baby .
• Netherlands – In August we took our first flight with W — a short trip to a friend’s wedding in Netherlands. This was W’s first new country and first flight (and first wedding). He breastfed and slept through the flight which won W gold stars from fellow passengers as we were able to avoid being ‘those people’ with the screaming baby. This was also our first time through airport security which was an absolute disaster. With all our travel we have a bit of a system to efficiently get through security. This time we were unprepared and our stuff was scattered across two different lanes, I lost my shoes and the security staff disassembled our pram which we weren’t sure how to put it back together. Fortunately the rest of the trip was much smoother.
• United States – In September we took our first major trip with a long-haul flight back to the States to visit family and friends. W fed donkeys on the farm, sat on a tractor, played in his own inflatable pool, and had his first taste of solid food. This was the last of our three step travel strategy and W was great once again on the flights. The time difference made adjusting sleep schedules a bit tricky; we were up at 3-4am the first couple mornings. We didn’t have to pack much as our parents were eagerly prepared to receive their grandchild with car seats, travel cots, diapers, strollers and anything else we could possibly need. It makes it easy to travel light when all your gear is already at the destination.
• Barcelona – In October K and W took a few days to visit a friend in Barcelona. W played on the beach and the playgrounds in the city and could talk to the other kids in Spanish . A weekend trip like this now seems easy, though having a great host (as in the States) really helps.
• Costa Rica – In February we took our first family holiday together in Costa Rica. We got an opportunity to practice our Spanish, do a bit of hiking and relax on the beach. We took both the Baby Bjorn and the Bush Baby backpack carrier. The backpack was great for hiking and longer walks, while the smaller Baby Bjorn was perfect for shorter trips around town. It may seem silly to have both, but we were glad that we did. Stay tuned for another post soon with more about this trip.

W has become a great travel partner. I’d like to say that it has something to do with the way we are raising him, but it is probably just that we won the baby lottery. Here are a few things that we’ve learned and have made our travels easier.

• Breastfeeding – It’s wonderful. It makes things so much easier both from the perspective of feeding and comfort. With new and different places, sometime W just wants that comfort that only come from Mom. Obviously there is less to carry and it is available anywhere, anytime. We’ve continued breastfeeding longer than we anticipated because it does work so well.
• Baby-led weaning – We discovered a book on baby-led weaning and felt like we discovered secret treasure. We skipped the purees and baby-food; W started eating food from the table, feeding himself, when he was ready. We include him at the table at every meal and eat together as a family. From a travel perspective, W eats what we eat so there is no concern about having to carry special food for him or finding baby food at the destination. In combination with breastfeeding this makes feeding so easy — except for a bit of mess, so we pack some extra wipes.
• Bed sharing – I’m not as proud of this one as the breastfeeding and baby-led weaning. Due to a number of circumstances, W sometimes shares the bed with us. I was adamantly against this before becoming a parent, but sometimes becoming a parent changes your perspective. Because W is accustomed to sleeping with us at times, we don’t have to have a separate bed for him when we travel. That means we don’t have to carry a travel cot with us, and we can be more flexible in our accommodation. This one is a bit of a blessing in disguise.
• Baby Carrier – Our pram/pushchair/stroller is fantastic and we love it. When traveling though, just having the Baby Bjorn or Bush Baby backpack can make getting around much easier. It can depend on the type of trip and destination though.
• Shop at your destination – We learned that we don’t need to take everything with us. There are babies all over the world and they all need diapers, wipes, and other various things. We make sure that we have the essentials for the initial journey and any potential emergencies (e.g. allergy medication), and then buy what we need along the way.
• Flexible schedule – Traveling inevitably means that the typical daily schedule is going to be disturbed. We don’t adhere to a strict schedule (aka Gina Ford) but do have a regular pattern we try to follow (e.g. morning nap, afternoon nap, bedtime routine). We learned that while W is a real trooper and adapts well, we need a bit of consistency and plan around his naps and meals where we can. This makes him much happier.

That briefly covers most of the travel since last year. We’ll have our Costa Rica post up with photos soon, so stay tuned!

We had a fantastic time enjoying the highlights of the city and sharing some of our knowledge and experience from this spring when we lived in Barcelona for a month. But it wasn’t all old favorites — as we always try to mix in new experiences.

As we were riding into the city from the airport, my dad asked “Do they have Segways here?” to which we replied, “Funny you ask…” My dad had been wanting to ride a Segway and saw them around Washington DC which was perfect because we had booked a Segway tour of the city. The actual tour wasn’t the most comprehensive, but that was just as well. We were much happier cruising around on our Segways than standing in front of an old church. The beach walk and waterfront are great areas to ride a Segway with nice wide open spaces free of cars and traffic. Once the tour was over, we sorely missed our zippy transport as we were relegated back to our feet.

We were also pleased to dine at Cafe l’Academia, a highly rated restaurant, which we missed out in the spring because we hadn’t booked ahead. We booked ahead this time and it was worth the wait.

Another highlight of this weekend was our location. We rented an apartment in the central Born neighborhood. It is in the old part of the city with narrow twisty pedestrian roads and lots of charm and character. We hardly needed the metro as we were able to easily walk from the Ramblas to the beach.

Ah… the beach. We really enjoyed sitting on the beach and taking in one last bit of warm weather before returning to the winter months of England. We hadn’t planned this as a beach trip — and it wasn’t. We thought it would be too cold for the beach, but the weather was brilliant, especially for November (23ºC/74ºF). So we joined the thousands of locals getting in a little beach time. It is interesting the difference between a city on the beach and beach destination. Similar to Tel Aviv, the people of Barcelona just go hang out on the beach. They don’t bring umbrellas or blankets, sunscreen or sand toys. Because the beach is right there, there is no need for planning ahead or packing a lunch. They simply take a break from the bustle of the city and sit on the beach for an hour or two. We did the same. We just took off our shoes, found a nice spot of sand and enjoyed the warm air and mediterranean sea.

When leaving for holiday, I told my co-workers that I was going to sit on an island and do nothing. I was off to a good start our first day on Naxos. We grabbed a couple of beach chairs, lathered up with sun (screen) cream and soaked up a bit of sun while listening to the waves lap against the shore. Ah… holiday!

Naxos was a great low-key island. It has great beaches and plenty to do, but isn’t overloaded with tourists. It does have a healthy share of tourism and the typical shops and restaurants that come with it. But it also has substantial industry otherwise supporting a good population of friendly locals. This mix allowed us to enjoy generous portions of great home cooked Greek meals as well as get fruity drinks delivered to our beach chairs.

We stayed in the north of the island on the edge of the main town. Our hotel was convenient to the beach and a short walk from the main street of restaurants and shops.

The highlight of our time in Naxos was Wednesday, which happened to be our 9th wedding anniversary. We rented bicycles and rode about 40km to the south of the island taking in the scenery and local character. It was a windy day which brought out the wind surfers an kite boarders in full force. It was fascinating to watch them zig zag across the sea skipping and jumping over the waves. The wind also made our ride fly by which we noticed on our return trip where we had to pedal twice as hard!

We stopped over our first night before heading out on an early morning ferry. With just an evening to spend we’d have to save the Akropolis for our return, but we were able to enjoy its floodlit beauty from below in the city center. With the well-lit pedestrian streets and the shops open late, the city not only felt safe, but indeed pleasant. We browsed the shops and settled in to kick off a week of al fresco dining on authentic Greek cuisine. Yum!

I wouldn’t rank Athens among my favorite destinations, but would certainly recommend it for a weekend break.

We’re excited for a bit of time in Athens, Naxos and Santorini and will be taking along our snorkels AND running shoes for this bit of sun. G and I are training for the Royal Parks Half Marathon (10.10.10) and will be running the Grecian hills as part of our training (though admittedly not too keen about this aspect of the trip ).

Though it may seem crazy to plan a trip just before a race, our timing was planned. Next Wednesday will also mark our 9th wedding anniversary. And this month marks our 13th anniversary together. We’ve been blessed in so many ways, but perhaps one of our greatest blessings is that we still enjoy one another’s company after all these years and continue to find new adventures to undertake–together.

Stay tuned for photos and posts from the road. And do let us know if you have any pointers

But for the first time since we arrived in England, we’ve experienced what a good summer in London has to offer! Sunny days, mild nights, little to no rainfall…it’s been absolutely gorgeous. So gorgeous, in fact, that I haven’t been carrying an umbrella–that’s unheard of!

We’ve stayed domestic this summer for lots of varied reasons and have done what we can to take advantage. There have been loads of balmy drinks al fresco, park days and runs through the borough. So nice! It rained on my birthday. But that’s one of only two rainy days that I remember since returning from the US in May.

Speaking of my birthday, G treated me to a domestic day away this year–in Kent (by the Channel). We spent a rainy day at the beach in Broadstairs and then headed to Read’s…a Michelin Star restaurant with rooms. It was so cozy. And the french macaroons and fun games made the rain romantic rather than wretched. [photos of the beach, Read's and our Room at right]

Getting back on the travel bus, we’re planning to travel to the Cotswolds for my triathlon 5 September, for a dose of Mediterranean sun in late September (and our first yet unvisited country of 2010…) and to see G’s parents in Barcelona come November. We’re also hoping to see the Gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda this year…but that’s all contingent on the political situation come November/December…we’ll see…

Though we certainly enjoy traveling, it’s been nice reinvesting in ‘Life in London’ this summer. It’s been a definite change of pace to our usual rapid fire travel appetite, but certainly a more sustainable pattern for the longer term. Maybe it is possible for us to stay in one place for longer than 4 weeks at a time, afterall.

In other news, G and I purchased a racing bike for my first triathlon last weekend. It’s a used Giant SCR 2.0. City roads kind of freak me out a bit, but I must soon get over my fears and take to the road. I have a helmet…and G’s old iPhone in tow…fingers crossed that the sunshine will hold!

Yesterday, we ventured over to the East of London for the Broadway Street Market and have decided that we’ll ride bikes down the canal from Camden next time we visit. It’s such a lovely little part of London–AND they have the absolute best cupcakes in London! Though two fit inside the palm of my hand, they’re packed with more punch than their full size counterparts. [Currently rushing our to buy fairy cake cups, a star tip and metallic beads to recreate these ]

Oh. And for anyone who has an ice cream maker…try Basil!!! It’s my favourite (had it at Arzak in San Sebastian). There are loads of recipes online, but since we don’t have a way to make it, G found a quirky ice cream place that makes it with liquid nitrogen within walking distance of our flat! Heaven!

[I'm still loving the Graffiti about London...the additional snaps here were taken along the Canal near Camden and Victoria Park]

Beaches.

While most tourists stay in around ‘Barceloneta’, our preferred beaches were further north. Still in Barcelona, but far from the majority of tourists. Here, the paella joints and beach cabanas had free tables and the food was more authentic. And the people here actually spoke Spanish…yay!

Restaurants.

Honestly, we tried to eat at home most days because it was a bit expensive to go out and our friends were on more stringent budgets than we were. We’d generally eat at home and then head out. That said…Pinchos are our favourite, so we loved this little place named ????? in the Barrio Born. Their little open-faced sandwiches looked like works of art! Gorgeous and delicious. Perfect!

That said, we attempted to buy the freshest, nicest ingredients and visited the local specialty stores. Yum! And we even learned to make Paella, Tortilla and other local favourites at a cooking class during our visit. Can’t wait to replicate those back at home in London, adding a bit of variety to our usual weeknight line-up.

Places/Sights

Magic Fountains

It’s in all the tourist guides, but it’s seriously cool. At an art museum near Placa Espanya, the city has installed fountains which are synchronised to dance and light-up in synch with the music played over loud speakers. While we’re not at all light show experts, we have to say that this is one of the coolest free experiences we’ve encountered during our travels. Both tourists and locals were out to see the show…though, I’m sure, the majority were tourists since it happens for at least 2 hours, twice per week, every day for the entire year…

Lunch at Bouqueria Market

we had a great time propped on bar stools, sipping glasses of Spanish crianzza during a leisurely lunch at Bouqueria market. The pulpo (octopus) was wonderfully fresh and the mushrooms were gourmet. Yum!

Escriba Patisserie

We always have a favourite cafe. For me, this was a favourite in Barcelona…for two reasons, or should I say locations?

First and foremost, we visited this cafe’s location on the Ramblas for the first time ONLY because it features prominently in one of our paintings. Figured we should visit and enjoy the place if it may grace our walls for decades…thankfully, we loved it and had a wonerful time.

Second, the cafe which has been around for over 100 years, has 3 locations. The second was located a 10 minute walk from our flat. Not only was it great for a rainy day coffee, but the waiter is from Argentina and taught us a bit of Spanish…and gave us free chocolates (they are famous for their chocolates for good reason!). The key to my heart…

One of their chocolates is filled with a yummy vanilla liquor which congeals when chilled. It’s as if you’re eating an ice cream bonbon coated in cocoa. Heaven!

Art Market at Placa Sant Josep Oriol

Every Saturday and Sunday, the local artists convene in this plaza to sell their wares. It’s somewhat akin to the art market in Krakow given the quantity and cost of the art on display for sale. we had a great time chatting with the artists [in Spanish] to learn about the locations they painted in the works displayed. We loved it…

Churros con Chocolate

So, we had Churros con Chocolate for the first time a few years ago in a place recommended in Madrid. It supposedly provided the ‘best churro in town’. We were unimpressed and generally concluded that if these were the best, we’d happily abstain.

Upon arriving in Barcelona, we decided to give it another try…and gosh are we thrilled that we did. This little sticky cafe near Placa del Pi (and also the art market) serves Churros con Chocolate fresh and warm….they’re the tiniest bit sweeter than the Madrid version and we loved them so much that we went back for more!!! That’s kind of unheard of on a K&G trip…double-dipping is generally frowned upon

Cycling Gran Villa

We loved the cycle paths along Gran Villa the best…they were lovely and tree-lined.

Bars

Mojitos

Rosa Negro and it’s sister mexican restaurant had the cheapest and most delicious mojitos in town. I had a raspberry mojito…it was heaven!

American Theme

Dow Jones bar…it’s a bit kitch, but a lot of fun. Basically, the drinks menu works like the stock exchange. Popular drinks cost more than cheap ones and the prices change in real-time with each sale. Every hour or so, the market crashes bringing each drink back to average…it’s a great way to spend a couple hours and provides a good ‘jalapeno’ if you’re in the mood.

Basically, it seems that people in Barca eat, drink and be merry…and little more…

Spain is one big ‘YUM’! Between the jamon, chorizo, paella, tortilla, pan con tomate, pinchos, it’s hard to take a breath. Add to that that Barcelona has at least one of every other sort of restaurant imaginable and we found ourselves in for a treat. Though, admittedly, the food in Barcelona was basic and simple, the abundance of fresh and cheap seafood and fruit and veg make it a delicious city for the palate.

Paella was a favourite and we now know how to make it ourselves! Apparently, Paella really is the Spanish equivalent for American barbeque or potato salad. Everyone can make it and has their own variation. Though I felt a bit touristy ordering it at times, the locals also seem to love it and eat it at least once a week. Even in our very non-touristy borough in Barca the grocery had a special package of seafood pre-packed for the perfect paella! It’s just as easy to make as Jambalaya…and as tasty. Yum!

With jamon, we’ve learned that the trick is in the skill of the one who cuts it. To us, the best cuts are done by hand (not ours, but the shopkeeper’s, of course) and in long, thin strokes. While machines can be used, in our opinion, the hand cut is a bit nicer overall–they are less ‘slimy’ and because the hand cuts are a bit thicker than by machine, you’re able to savour a bit more of their flavour.

Jamon iberico is basically worshipped here. And while we’re also fans, we also find the cheaper breeds/types nice, as well. It just feels wrong somehow to put iberico on a sandwich, so we’re keen to have two types about the house. One for savouring (iberico) and one for casual use (sandwiches).

Pinchos are an artform in Basque country, but also in Barcelona. Many little hole in the wall bars have pinchos lined along the bar for the taking. You pick up a plate from the barkeep and count your toothpicks (one for each sandwich) and pay up when you’re finished. But, when you’re eating pinchos don’t walk in hungry…afterall, they’re tiny sandwiches!

My favourite pinchos were crab. Generally, fresh crab with mayonnaise, finely chopped onion, salt and pepper–or some also included a bit of paprika. Then, the trick to a perfect pincho is the garnish…the Basques have a crazy attention to detail and appreciate aesthetics (afterall, they are right next door to the french ). For example, my favourite crab pincho included a bit of the crab salad piled high on a thin slice of baguette. Then, on top they placed a small bit of pickled red pimento and a filet of anchovie–all topped with a bit of a fresh green herb.

Here are a few other pinchos that we enjoyed (assume all are on top of a very thin slice of baguette):

Potato Salad

Sounds strange, but there’s some sort of potato salad that they place on these bits of bread. It’s like an American mayonaise-based salad with a bit of sugar added. Then, in addition to the usual bits, they add ham, of course. Topped with an anchovie filet and a fresh shrimp and a tad of paprika.

Tortilla

They take the typical Spanish tortilla, slice it in half, place a bit of crab salad (sans the paprika) in the middle. Whah la!

Goat cheese

This one’s plain and simple…a tiny bit of green leaf lettuce, a ring of goat cheese, a bit of olive tepanade (the type with sundried tomato).

Mushroom stack

A tiny thin slice of iberico jamon topped by 3 pre-roasted mushrooms which are still firm to the touch. Topped with a bit of bechamel sauce and served warm.

Coleslaw

Not quite sure of what’s in this one, or what to call it. But it’s delicious! Looking at it and tasting, it would seem to include julienned [plain] ham in very tiny cuts, scallions very thinly sliced, mayonnaise and salt & pepper. All topped with a slice of hardboiled egg.

Most pincho places also serve warm and cold racions (a half portion of a main dish intended as an appetizer). Our favourites, so far, have been seafood (ssteamed shrimp OR octopus) marinaded in lemon juice, olive oil and thinly chopped onions and fresh peppers. I would assume that a bit of s&p is also mixed in…

YUM!

No…San Sebastian isn’t ‘really’ a theme park. But, in my world, it fits the bill…

The city, with a native population of around 180k, is smallish compared to Barcelona and London. It’s situated on a lovely Bay along Spain’s North Atlantic coast and just about the only things to do are nibble on yummy pinchos in all the local pubs, play on the beach or in the ocean, run, cycle or go to the spa. And the city has more Michelin stars per capita than any other place in the WORLD (1 per 10k pop). It’s scenic and laid back–a perfect end to our Spanish adventure.

And, perhaps the best part, we found a quaint Pension just inside the Old Town with a cute room with balcony available for our entire stay…and it comes at a nightly rate less than the typical American motor lodge. Wow!

It’s very fortunate for G that I love the city so much because he’s having to work full days from SS and my outside interests provide him a much needed respite to get a bit of work done. Though, of course, he’s also making time to enjoy the city and its many delicious excursions.

If there’s ever been a culinary culture the Basque in and around San Sebastian have cultivated it. It’s said that this region is the culinary center of the world! In fact, cooking is such a big deal here that the men have special gentlemen’s clubs here where they get together to sing and cook!!! A gourmet Gentleman’s club….Allan, if there’s ever been a place made for you, I think we’ve just found it

And we believe the town’s reputation for being the center of culinary culture is right-on, because even the little pincho sandwiches in the local pubs are fresh and mouth-wateringly good. Not to mention Arzak–a posh restuaurant with 3 stars…stay tuned because this institution is worth a blog post in and of itself.

So. What have I (K) been up to in San Sebastian?

My days start with a simple breakfast with G out on our flower-boxed balcony. Then, off for a run while G has his daily ‘scrum’ for work. Our Pension has a full kitchen so I then venture out to the market for fresh bread, fruit, meat or cheese—whatever we need for the day’s lunch and snacks. After making a picnic lunch and enjoying it either on the Balcony or Beach with G, I head out for the beach (though today it’s raining and I’ll go to the spa, instead). When it’s nearing ‘quitting time’ for G, I head back for happy hour. We have a bit of a nice Rioja and some snacks, then either go out for a walk together or I head back out alone to enjoy the sunset/sunshine. Upon returning, we venture out for pinchos or a simple dinner at a local pub.

There’s lots of eating in San Sebastian….good thing I’m able to run along the many bike and foot paths, otherwise I would not be a pretty sight when I return back to London…

To see more photos from San Sebastian, click here…

First up, how to get home…and when?

Mother nature can’t be reasoned with. And with K traveling to the US from London in a week and a half from our original flight date–and G needed back at the office in London, we decided that it would be best to sort rail or boat travel as an alternate to trading dates for our flight (esp since the earliest available date for a return journey by air was EOD the following Saturday, 24 April!).

So, looking at trains next…the Spanish and French sites for trains were completely overloaded with traffic and essentially ‘broken’ for browsing. But, from what we could gather, there were no trains available to travel north to France on Saturday…or Sunday (17/18). It could be possible to travel north on Monday/Tuesday, but the costs altogether would essentially double those of our EasyJet journey refund. And, the Eurostar was adding additional journeys to their schedule, but at a cost of £400-450 from Paris, not including the journey costs north, we decided an alternate would be best. Traveling by train would be neither FUN or cheap.

Finally, upon reviewing a few maps in our Spain guidebook, we found a ferry route to the UK located in the Northwest of Spain–an easy train journey from Barcelona. Centered around the cities of Santander and Bilboa, the journey back to the UK would just about equal out to the cost of our EasyJet return refund (including the domestic train journeys at either end). And, it would afford us a week in lovely San Sebastian. On the downside, this option includes a 29 hour ferry ride back to the UK…but at least we’ll have a room…

Next, up rail tickets for the 4.5 hour journey to the north to San Sebastian. So, we woke up bright and early on Sunday morning to purchase our train tickets for [hopeful] same-day travel to San Sebastian. Upon our arrival at the station, the line was already snaking! For an hour and a half, we waited behind an army of people who visited the window with questions like ‘do you have tickets available for ANYWHERE in France?’. Wow. We took turns standing in line so that the other could grab a number (as in number to be seen) to purchase train tickets for the next day’s travel–just in case train travel for same-day service had sold out. And we also took turns visiting a park outside the train station which was lovely enough to somehow feature in the guidebook. After waiting for 2.5 hours at the station in total, we secured tickets to San Sebastian [the attendant was pleased to speak with some people with a very pointed request and sold us tickets for Monday (next day) since the Sunday journey had sold out when we reached the window!!--though he could have sent us to stand in yet another 1.5 hour line].

After a painless train journey on Monday morning, we’re now safely stowed in a lovely and CHEAP room in San Sebastian’s old town. While it’s true that flights are now running to the UK, we’re happy with our choice…

Stay tuned for more on San Sebastian…