Katrine is being loyal and her faithful, and slightly worse for wear, elephant, Nelly, has travelled with us.

The train, as you would expect, was very fast but I was surprised at how quiet and smooth it was. It is a very pleasant and stress free way of travelling. Here is Gregor in the over-large seats.

We spent the afternoon wandering around the narrow streets of Insadong (I forgot to take photos but will get another chance), trying to steer the children away from the tourist traps, they are both complete magpies. They are tucked up in bed now, we have a busy day planned tomorrow, and Richard is preparing tea – Korean pot noddles!

NO!!! OMG!!!

I know people hold their babies every day.  I know I may sound like I’m whingeing and maybe I am, but our daughter starts wriggling and screaming after just five minutes on our lap.  I really hope there are some sympathetic fellow travellers, which I doubt these days.  I am really worried and now I am not looking forward to the trip.  It has really put and dampener on things.

It really bought it home when I flicked on the TV yesterday and I just happened to catch the start of the Ellen DeGeneres show and during her monolog she was talking about the terrible superstorm “Sandy” that hit the US recently.  She was talking about its name and that maybe they should name them after things a little more threatening or bothersome…

“Maybe we should name them after things that bother us like hurricane telemarketer… hurricane screaming baby on an international flight…”

That’s me… I’m the mother of THAT screaming baby on an international flight…

Now I love the Ellen show but I stopped laughing at that point and on any other day I would have definitely found that funny but I can see the serious side of it.

Now if I get stressed out, my daughter will get stressed out.  There isn’t that much room in economy class. So I don’t know how we will manage.

I must admit Singapore Airlines were very nice despite the fact they still couldn’t source us a bassinet.  They have put a request through to that department and we have to wait a week and see if we can get one.  It isn’t looking hopeful as they have already been allocated to other people.

If anyone has any suggestions to help us during our journey please let me know.

Have a great day,

Trish

Check out my website http://www.babiesplainandsimple.com/

]]> http://globetrotting1.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/apple-isle/ Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:20:00 +0000 katepilcher http://globetrotting1.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/apple-isle/ This time next week, I’ll be in a complete spin packing for our mini-break to the Apple Isle, (for my foreign friends, I mean – Tasmania). I’ve never visited our southern state and I simply can’t wait to explore a new part of our sunburnt country. Steven, Miss Finn and I are heading south to road test a new five day ride. I’m super excited about the potential of this new Tasmanian riding destination and the proposed itinerary has the perfect balance of riding, change of scenery and not to mention local gourmet food.

As much as my foreign riding destinations are popular I find that Australian horse back riders love to explore their own backyard on horseback. It’s always a struggle to find top-notch rides in Australia that cater for intermediate to experienced riders that aren’t pony led rides at a market or nose to tail plods along a beach. I’m confident that this ride will live up to globetrotting expectations and we’ll be able to launch it at Equitana at the end of November.

This flick of Tasmania, has me chomping at the bit to ride, taste, feel, smell and absorb this very special state. Have you been to Tasmania? Do you have any suggestions as to where to visit, eat, play and stay?

So far this week we’ve flown BNE - CNS – KIX, spent 3 nights in Kyoto and then flown KIX - ICN where we are still hanging at Boa Guesthouse.  We’ve been filling memory card’s and taking notes like mad so that we can bring you some great blog posts once we return home, but for now you’ll have to make do with the shifty iPhone shot’s popping up on our Facebook page.

So far we’ve fell back in love with Kyoto (And it’s shiny new Yodobashi Camera branch!) Filled ourselves up at the Nishiki Food Markets with the help of our “Vegan Explanation in Japanese” flash cards, strolled the streets of Gion on a Geisha hunt and started to take in and love a new country for all 3 of us, South Korea.

River has been absolutely amazing for us and loves all the new places and people, she lasted the entire 8 hour flight from Cairns to Osaka without crying once and even after that called out and smiled to all her new friends at Osaka Airport before taking the 90 minute train ride to Kyoto without any fuss.  As we thought she attracts a lot of attention, especially from the Japanese Oba-San!  It’s helped us connect with local folk on a much deeper level than ever before, everything from chatting with Japanese Nana’s at a subway stop to talking with Korean Dad’s in Nursing Rooms, which are some of the best we’ve ever come across!

Travelling with Rivi has also reinforced why we love staying in Guesthouses/Backpackers places.  The amount of smiling faces and different languages she’s been exposed to so far has been huge, hearing everything from Hola to Konnbannwa to Guten Tag to Ciao! She’s already managed to get photo’s taken for the Hana Hostel Blog and got a Polaroid up on the wall of Boa Guesthouse.  The Kitchens, common area’s and personal touch of the staff also add to why we enjoy staying at guesthouses, we shall cover this in more detail when we get home though!

We are in Seoul until Friday before heading back to Kyoto for another 3 nights where we shall spend some more time hunting the Geisha, Attend a cooking class and probably spending a bit too much at Yodobashi, Bic Camera or Yamada Denki!

Until our next update, keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for updates and photo’s as they happen

N

It’s a funny thing, being away from Ella. It’s exhilarating to begin with, like sneaking out of your bedroom window, bursting into the night with a sense of adventure and freedom and a full pack of cigarettes. Then, after an hour or two, I start to get twitchy. I begin to realize that it’s never truly carefree anymore. Even when they are not with you, you still care. Your mind always wanders back. You always feel a little weird. The cord is cut but it isn’t really. If I’m really distracted, by say, a very inviting dance floor, some sensational company, and a glass or two of champagne, then the twitch might not kick in for a good three hours. Not until one splits their brand new dress right down to their knickers after one dances with a slightly excessive amount of gusto. Not until Joel is squawked at and ordered to patch it up with with urgency. Then, the twitch might begin; one which signals the end of a night and the inability to hide the fact that one does not get out much. It’s a twitch that beckons you home, to that comfy place where yoga pants live, and to where your precious baby sleeps. You just miss her, and when you return home, you breathe a little easier knowing she’s there with you, safe, sound and sweeter than you remember. I think that’s just how it is now. When they’re not with you, you are always in two different places.

However, those three hours of freedom, when you are with your girls from this tent in real life, fill you up in a way that nothing else quite does, and you thank the stars above that you ended up lucky enough to have them.

This one was in Marseille in a really nice area. I thought it was very French as I have seen more public displays of passion here than I have ever seen anywhere. My youngest daughter has taken to whispering to me each time she sees someone kissing and at one point in Paris she told me she was keeping count and had seen 5 people kissing that very day!!

Earlier in Paris I was making my way down the hill from Sacre Coeur in the streets away from the tourists and the horrid vendors selling all manner of tacky bags and things. To my delight we came across the most beautiful part of Montmartre where up stairs apartments had blue shutters, plants with flowers meandering down the walls and a calm appearance that looked just as I had dreamed a Paris apartment would appear. As we rounded a corner we were presented with my all time favourite piece of stencil art. For a whole range of reasons I think it’s a winner.  The look on his face, his cute little slippers, the pose and the certainty of those hands clasped behind the back, the choice of colour and the general audacity of the artist all combine to make it resonate with me.  Not to mention that what we see is in fact the work of two if not many artists. The red is obviously an afterthought applied by a prankster who I would guess had a nice bright red lippy at hand! Thank God everyone else sees the value in shock, humour and general good fun. No one had defaced it, no one had tried to remove it. Viva La France and the Stencil Artists. Tres Bien!!

At the moment my nights are spent organising, planning and booking our next globetrotting guided ride to Chile and Argentina at the end of the year. I’m brushing up on my Spanish, thanks to a wonderful collection of podcasts by Notes In Spanish. Granted it’s Spanish from Spain rather than Castellano Rioplatense, which is subtly different and spoken in Argentina – nonetheless its good practise. But more on language learning in another post.

In mid-December we’ll be spending ten days at one of my most treasured places in the world (which I only share with special people). It’s an estancia hidden in Argentina’s Patagonia, that sprawls across 100,000 acres that lies beyond all roads – literally. When we arrive at the property in mid-December all of our luggage will be strapped and secured onto pack horses and we’ll ride into the homestead. There are no roads, therefore no vehicle access.

Back in 2006, I stumbled across this estancia thanks to an English friend, and spent four months living and breathing estancia life. It was at a time in my life where I had lost direction. I had run away from home abandoning my comfortable life in Australia, including my business, mortgage, boyfriend, dog and everything I thought I wanted and needed. I often refer to that time in my life as my quarter-life crisis where I spent 9 months travelling.

This vast estancia with no mobile coverage, internet, electricity was the perfect landing pad for me to breathe, write, ride and photograph. I can’t wait to return and experience it again with my husband (who I left in Australia back in 2006) and my baby daughter, Finn and our G.T guests. I still vividly remember my time there. Every morning I would help muster the horses in from the top paddock before working alongside the gauchos or help educate green horses.

The day’s were simple, exhausting and rewarding where you would be covered in dust and dirt and feel completely satisfied. I have such fond memories of standing on my horses rump to pluck wild, sugary plums from hard to reach branches to swimming butt-naked in the crystal clear river that runs wild around the Casa Grande.

At night perched in front of a blazing fire knitting a vest out of the wool that I had learnt to spin to sleeping out under a glorious night sky pinpricked with stars while my horse munched on grass beside me.

A simple life where washing is hung to dry, bread is made by hand, eggs are plucked warm from roosting hens and horses are a part of everyday life.

No mobile coverage, no internet, an estancia where there is ample of space to lose yourself or find yourself depending on what you’re looking for. An estancia where horse is still king and simple pleasures are enjoyed. There are still spots available on this guided group ride, if you’re interested.

As we started our 13 hour flight – things started to get better.

It was exciting flying on the big new A380, which can be seen in the photos below. Have any of you reading this been on it? It is HUGE! Quantas were great with the kids and let them wonder around the aircraft during the journey. We were sat on the lower deck and it was great to be able to literally go for a walk to stretch our legs, going up and down the stairs and exploring the aircraft. The boys liked the snack bar where they could help themselves to drinks and nibbles and it helped take their mind off leaving home. The seats were really comfortable and I liked the net foot rests which meant Bob and I could put our feet up. Jensen Charlie and Edward loved the live webcame on the tail of the aircraft, which enabled us to literally watch everything going on outside over the roof of the plane, including the live descent and landing at Singapore. Here we had a 6 hour stopover and stayed at the ‘In transit hotel’ which was airside at Singapore airport. We had a family room, which buys you a panoramic floor to ceiling window overlooked the runway. As you can see from the pictures – Edward was in heaven. After a quick nap, we went for a swim in the heated outdoor pool, which was just what we needed after a long flight. I thought that for £70 total for the 5 of us for the hotel and pool – it was money well spent. After a chillax in the hot tub as Charlie calls it and a refreshing shower – we were off again. Singapore to Perth was 5 hours.

As we walked into the Arrivals hall at Perth Airport, Edward shouted ‘Wow …are we in Australia?’. A few moments later, as our taxi pulled away and headed towards the hotel, he started to get upset: ‘why are we leaving Australia mummy?’ I reassured him that this was just the beginning, that the building we were leaving was just the airport …and that now he was in Australia!

Caroline x

Hope you’re having a lovely day xx

Thanks to one of my favourite blogs, La La Lovely, I found out about this clever, warm-your-soul project called FashionABLE. This non-profit particularly struck a cord because of its connection with helping and supporting women in Africa. I have a love affair with the Dark Continent which we visit every year to guide our horse riding holidays. So when I read about FashionABLE, I jumped at the chance to show my support and spread the love.

This is how it works, purchase a hand made Ethiopian scarf and you’re helping a African woman get gainful employment and leave behind a life of destitution. When you receive your scarf in the mail, it comes with a cardboard label with a hand written note from the African lady who designed and made the scarf. I purchased the scarf named after its maker Bezuayhu who has left behind the ugly world of prostitution and is proud to call herself a scarf maker.

I love wearing scarves whether its summer or winter and I have a colourful collection from my travels to Africa. I always wear them when on riding safaris to protect my face from the sun and dust, so this FashionABLE scarf is a perfect addition to my wardrobe with a lovely ‘Pay it Forward’ feeling attached to it.

Help me spread the word of FashionABLE by purchasing a scarf and telling your friends.

Here is their video story.

Scandinavian Airlines

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to Travel to Europe with Scandinavian Airlines to experience there on board product.
SAS / Scandinavian Airlines offer the most competitive business class airfare to major points in Europe in combination with online carriers Thai Airways & Qantas.
They give you the opportunity to connect their Hub in Copenhagen via Bangkok, Peking & Tokyo.
From Sydney my home port the flights via Bangkok work best with Thai Airways offering the optimum connections.
After a couple of changes in my plans I opted to fly to take 3 weeks leave from DBT Corporate and travel to the UK on the 14th of May.
The 14th was a Monday and as any seasoned traveller knows why would you travel on a Monday if you finish your working week on a Friday. Well the availability of seats to Europe was a problem and I needed 3 so a Monday departure it had to be.
My family and I travelled to Sydney on Sunday the 13th of May and stayed the night with friends in Dulwich Hill.
On the Monday morning I headed over to DBT to wrap up some loose ends before heading off.
I made sure I had my insurance policy issued but sadly left the office forgetting to check in online.
Online checkin is changing the way we experience airports and it’s something I would advise all travellers do.
Our itinerary looks like this.
TG 472 14MAY SYDNEY – BANGKOK DEPARTS 1555 ARRIVES 2215
SK 972 15MAY BANGKOK – COPENHAGEN DEPARTS 0025 ARRIVES 0635
SK 501 15MAY COPENHAGEN – LONDON DEPARTS 0745 ARRIVES 0850
SK1516 31MAY LONDON – COPENHAGEN DEPARTS 1800 ARRIVES 2055
SK 973 31MAY COPENHAGEN – BANGKOK DEPARTS 2250 ARRIVES 1445
TG 475 01JUN BANGKOK – SYDNEY DEPARTS 1920 ARRIVES 0720
Being a plane buff the itinerary was exciting with a multitude of airlines/aircraft and airports to experience.
The unknown quantity in our plans was our 2 young children Grace and Mac.
Grace had travelled to Europe twice before as an infant experiencing Qantas/British Airways and Singapore Airlines. On both occasions she was a perfect travelling companion.
Mac our little boy was about to turn 2 and our objective was to complete our trip before his birthday on the 3rd of June.
So Mac had never been on plane before as we had never had a chance to have him take a domestic flight we were a little worried how he might go.

Mac is quite an active little boy and thus we were a little worried how he would go.
We made sure we packed Kanga his little cuddly friend as he is his companion where ever he might go and it’s always important to give your some familiarity when experiencing something new.
We were driven from Dulwich Hill to the airport in our own car and arrived approximately 2 hours prior to departure.

We said good bye to our friend and proceeded inside the terminal.
It was at that point I was reminded that I forgot to check in online. The queue was huge.
I joined the queue and Gabrielle Grace + Mac proceeded to a seating area to wait for me to reach the front of the queue. It took just under half an hour and I was at the front of the queue and we were at the front of the queue and quickly checked in. We had managed to pack 2 large suitcases and they checked in under the 20kg Thai baggage limit.
Gab, Grace and I each had a piece of hand luggage to travel with.
I thoroughly recommend when travelling with a young child still in nappies that you carry a small rucksack big enough to hold a change of clothes for the kids along with nappies, wipes and nappy bags. This bag should be easy for you to just grab when you need it as you really don’t want to be hunting through bags when you child needs their nappy changed.
So a back for you and bag for the kid’s needs and then a small bag your child might carry with some toys and cuddly companions for the flights.
On my suggestion we opted not to take a buggy as I knew there was one waiting for us in England.
However practical that was I learned a few hours later it was a mistake.
We proceeded through immigration and customs and then through duty free.
We had time to stop in the McDonald’s play area to give the kids a few minutes to burn energy.
This spot was great as our Thai aircraft was parked at the next gate and it gave the kids something to get excited about as they could see their big plane.

Thai Airways

Our Thai Airways flight TG 472 was departing from gate 51 the first gate in the southern complex of the international terminal and a very short walk from McDonald’s.
On arrival at the gate they called forward people travelling with young children and boarded us straight away.
We were lead to our seats 41 H,J,K on the right hand side of the aircraft in the first of 3 Economy cabin zones.

Thai Airways Seat Map A340 -600

When the cabin crew saw Mac they immediately came over and advised it was not a full flight and to hold off on settling into our seats as they might be able to find us a spare so Mac had a seat.
Shortly they returned and advised seats 42H, J, K were empty and I should move to occupy all 3 seats before takeoff. This was great as it gave us 6 seats between the 3 of us and plenty of room for the kids to spread out.

Thai Airways normally offer the A340 -600 aircraft to Bangkok however due to the floods in Bangkok they were unable to plan maintenance on these aircraft and thus had to plan to substitute them with their 747 aircraft. The A340 has an excellent product in Economy and the substitution had me a little worried. I had read that these aircraft did not offer seat back TV in economy but I was wrong. While not the updated A340 product the aircraft did offer a seatback video on demand that met our needs.

Thai Airways

Thai Airways

Thai offer a colourful cabin offering excellent legroom I would say it felt like up to 2 inches more than average. The service throughout the flights was excellent with a constant drink service coming through the cabin.
The movies offered on board were reasonable but most were currently available on DVD.
I had my Ipad and opted to watch a couple of movies on it.
What was the best part of the flight were the extra seats giving the kids room to sleep and space to still sit comfortably. Do note the arm rests with Thai do not fold fully back into your seat so when the seats are in the fully reclined position they do get in your way.
The food was good and we enjoyed 2, meal services during the flight.
The flight attendants were always in the cabin making sure everyone was kept fed and watered with snacks and drinks.
We touched down in Bangkok late evening and followed the directions for the Thai Royal Silk Lounge.
The Thai lounges are dotted all over the place and we experienced the large Royal Silk Lounge in concourse D which was just a short walk from our boarding gate.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Our Royal Silk Lounge was one of the largest in Bangkok and offered showers and children’s play room which the kids loved.
We were able to shower and eat and get the kids into their Pyjama’s ready for the night flight. Time flew by and it was soon time to make our way to the boarding gate.
I had opted not to bring a stroller with the thinking if the kid refused to ride in it then it’s just another thing to drag around. At this point we missed it as it was quite a long walk from the lounge.

Thai Royal Silk Lounge

Scandinavian Airlines

Once at the gate we were escorted as some of the first onto the plane as we had kids.
The SAS A340-300 has 2 business class cabins and we were to be seated in the last row of the main cabin with the last 2 seats in the middle of the aircraft and me in the row in front.

SAS Seat Map A340-300

Once all the business class passengers had boarded the crew came over and advised as they had 2 families with small children they were going to try and find us a way to all have seats/extra seats for our kids. After a couple of minutes we were moved to the smaller business cabin that consists of 2 rows of seats in a 2 – 3 – 2 configuration.
We were allocated 7, A, B, .D, E which were bulkhead in this little cabin.
Since this flight I have been able to recommend this small 2nd cabin as its great. Minimal seats equal minimum pax and disruptions especially overnight.
Row 7 is close to the lavatory but its proximity is not bothersome. It’s also close to the gallery which is great if you need anything. We were served a full meal and then the lights were dimmed for so everyone could get some sleep.

The SAS Business class product is in my opinion the very best value for money Business class you can purchase for travel to Europe from Australia. While an offline carrier their partnerships with Thai + Qantas via Bangkok give great connections onto Europe with a good product all the way to your destination.
While SAS don’t offer a horizontal flatbed they do offer angled flat.
I had a little trouble trying to sleep in this position as I did find myself sliding down. Once I raised the seat into more of a Z position I found it much more comfortable and fell asleep.

SAS Angled Bed

SAS Food Service – Child Meal | Adult Meal

We all enjoyed are meals on SAS and having just eaten in the lounge we all happily made room for the on board offering. We made good time and the kids slept the whole flight so it was not long before we were served a good breakfast and made our descent into Copenhagen.
On my inbound journey I was lucky to be travelling In Economy Extra.
This is the SAS Premium Economy Product configured in a 2-3-2 layout with 4 rows of seats. The seats are good and offer a leg rest and good recline. If you are travelling in Economy plus long-haul you will find yourself seated in the first couple of rows behind business class on your short haul connecting legs.

SAS Economy

If you are on a budget you can mix Economy Extra with the business class fares and do one direction in business and one in economy as we did. The 2-3-2 configuration and the small cabin does give you an exclusive feel.

Once we disembarked in Copenhagen at Terminal 3 we cleared security and checked the gate number for our next flight.
We would be boarding our next flight 2 gates down the concourse from the one we arrived at.
This area of the terminal was strange with just a small duty free shop and newsagent. I could see the only place to go from here was the gate or clear passport control to what I thought would be baggage reclaim.
After a little investigation I realised that the area of the airport we were in at Terminal 3 was for flights going to outside the Schengen zone and so to this was the only area with passport control.

Copenhagen International Airport

Once through passport control you can walk freely through all the terminals without having to go outside.
The last leg of our trip was the short flight from Copenhagen to London. This was on a McDonnell Douglas MD83 aircraft.
This flight was configured 2-3. The plane is pretty old and feels cramped but the legroom is still excellent. If you are seated on the right hand side of the aircraft SAS block the middle seat for business class passengers so you only every have a 2-2 config.
Breakfast was served and was very nice as I love a cooked breakfast. We soon descended over London and touched down at London Heathrow on time.
Heathrow Terminal 3 has had numerous refurbishments over the years and our aircraft stopped at a stand close to the new A380 Pier used by Qantas, Emirates and Singapore Airlines.
We made our way through to immigration and thanks to my UK passport we were able to taken the very short queue and were soon at the baggage claim. Both immigration and the baggage hall have been refurbished but once you reach the arrivals area you can’t help feel the roof is a little low and with so many people waiting to meet friends and family it’s a little squashed.

SAS

SAS

As we came down from the clouds we headed to an adventure playground where all kids big and small were welcomed. The big ones we were directed on the entry notice board had to be accompanied by a child! On the way there we ran into the most amazing array of street performers. The kind that dress up and stand around all day. I wish I knew what this performance art form was called as there were heaps of them all over London. Some better than others but here is a taste of our favourite.

You are wished ‘God Bless You’ more times in a week than in your first 39 years

You put on bug repellant to go out and night to feed the stray dogs

When respected business men tell you of juju spells that have been cast on them

‘Good morning, how is your family?’ ‘They are very well, and yours?’

Mini goats, mini goats, mini goats. On the roads, perched on walls and market stalls, and eating out of cooking pots

Buildings in the capital wreathed in red and black mourning fabric for a deceased president

Dried fish, fetid drains and the lingering scent of palm oil

No more Estabar, Three Monkeys or One Penny Black for morning coffee; but Start the day with Jesus, Obama’s Spot, the Black Moses Spot, and the Last Supper Fast Food (your last supper or Jesus’s?).

Houses painted, not in muted greys and sophisticated shades of taupe, but brightly emblazoned with mobile phone branding

Children walking along the road to school

Old trucks, struggling up hills, leaving a trail of gut wrenchingly slow traffic behind them

…and corn that really is high as an elephants eye.

The children and I had a wonderful 6 weeks in Australia. Jock experienced the joys of a very special Australian kindergarten (Thanks Mrs T.), and the girls, as did I, slipped back in seamlessly with our friends and school environment. And while we’ve only been gone 7 months, they have been very full and in their way quite life changing. All of our eyes have been pried wide open to the realities of living in, not just travelling or visiting, a poor nation. The children have a much greater sense of how blessed we are to have been born in a wealthy nation, and a strong sense too, of what it feels like to be different.

I hope one day they appreciate that.

Otherwise, we’ll never afford their therapy bills.

A very special thank you to all our friends, family and teachers who made our trip back to Australia so special, so easy, and so much like home. We hope you all appreciate how much you mean to us.

Last week we sojourned to Bali for five days to celebrate my cousin’s wedding. We stayed at Villa Laut at Padang Padang. Our driver told us Kelly Slater stays at this very same Villa. It made sense as soon as we arrived. It’s a leafy, bespoke villa (the bathroom is bigger than our bedroom at home) with remarkable outstretched views to the surf breaks that line Bali’s coast. It’s only a sleepy barefoot stroll from your king size bed to the balcony to see if there are waves worth tackling.

Over the five days I was lucky to sneak away for a handful of surfs thanks to MeMe (Finn’s doting grandmother). While Finn slept, Steven and I hung out in the salt water. With the Padang Padang surf break on our doorstep, we would smear ourselves in sunscreen, zipper on surf booties and follow the rock staircase down to the water’s edge where we would launch into the tepid saltwater. It’s quite a paddle if you have to access the point break from the beach, fortunately being guests of Villa Laut we were paddling for waves moments after leaving our room.

For me an enthusiastic surfer, it was the best point break I could of asked for to gain my confidence back since having Finn. A consistent supply of fat, slow to break waves and no surf rules or surf rage to be seen. On high tide beginner surfers would muster on the shore line for surf school accompanied by their studly, bronzed Balinese teachers. Like a school of fish they took to the waves flat-back on their foam surfboards. Echoes of Spanish, German and French tongues bantering back and forth. I really loved the vibe of this break where everyone was generous to share a smile and truly happy to be bathing in salt water and being dumped by white wash. For experienced surfers like my brother and Steven, this surf break was infuriating with its lack of surf etiquette. Toby (my brother) broke his brand new board, after a beginner surfer cut him off on a wave.

Every afternoon on dusk the ocean floor would reveal itself. Beach goers armed with cameras would tip toe across the rocks, sea fossicking and wading in shallow rock pools. The sea floor was spongy and covered in a seaweed that resembled limp iceberg lettuce. With Miss Finn harnessed into the Baby Bjorn we would watch the experienced surfers tackle the low-tide break where the waves crashed hard and fast.

Where ever we walked with Finn, she would attract adoring glances and cajoling from fellow travellers and the gentle, happy-go-lucky Balinese. I must say, travelling with a baby is such a lovely experience and brings out the best in people. The Balinese would come up and clap her tiny hands and ask ‘Boy or Girl?’ ‘How many months?’ They would point to her spiky mohawk and giggle. Soon Finn was entertaining an audience of clucky Balinese women who would smile, laugh and clap singing ‘Hello Baby, hello baby’.

At Padang Padang resorts cling to the cliffs edge threatening to topple into the water like a badly-constructed sandcastle. I loved watching the transformation of the beach from dawn to dusk and what the different tides brought.

On dawn each morning I would take Finn for a walk in her pram. My skin crinkled with sea salt, the sweet smell of incense perfumed the air and a musty haze hung on the horizon. White-socked, ribby cows spooked on their tethers when I wheeled past at a power-walking pace. Offerings lay squished out the front of driveways.

Padang Padang picks -

• To get a much-needed caffeine fix we would climb the hill to The Mango Tree Cafe
• Sitting cheek-to-cheek with The Mango Tree Cafe is a white-washed fashion boutique named ‘I Love Bali’. Its well worth a gander with cool, coastal print tee’s, maxi dresses and bikinis. While you’re there, check out the bathroom, very chic!

Steven has recently purchased the new Go Pro, so we had fun filming Miss Finn with her first swim in the pool and my surf efforts. Enjoy.

But if I was asked if I’d do it again the answer is definitely yes.

The children really enjoyed themselves – and in fact the Ferry was a big part of their excitement.

There was things for them to do and see also. Not constantly being in the car for the journey meant I was less tired when we arrived as well as my husband. The Ferry was paid for by using Tesco vouchers and I didn’t have to worry about having enough Euros for fuel/tolls on the way home.

I certainly prefer taking our car to the plane as we don’t have to be limited to what we can take.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Posts:

Travelling with children

Sun Holidays all the codes for a cheap 2012/2013 holiday

Instead of just going to the most oppulent palance in France we chose to take the bike tour around the town and into the magnificent gardens that surround the grand residence. The tour started with bikes and a quick trip to the local Sunday open market in Versaille where we stocked up on supplies of bread,cheese, fresh hot chicken and some veg to have with our local wine and cheese while we picninced on the banks of the monsterous lake inside the palace gardens. The market was packed and in the 45 minutes we were alloted to explore (way too short) we only apporached a small portion of the vast outdoor market. Enough time to grab supplies and taste the local crepe delicacies for a mid morning snack.

Children loved the colour and spectical of the market and the banana, chocolate and cream crepes! I went for the lemon and sugar one which was equally delicious.

After visiting the market we rode our bikes through the town and into the massive grounds which once belonged to the kings of France. At one time 4,000 acres surrounded the palace now only 2,000 is left in the form of parkland and gardens surrounding the many palaces and out buildings that make up the grand palace of Versaille. Our tour guide was well versed in the history of the French Kings and took us through a detailed history in a short amount of time. We stopped at the little house where Marie Antoinette made her escape pad ( no one could come in unless she invited them) in the early part of her married life to Louis XVI before she had 4 children, spent all of France’s money on gambling and clothes and eventually got her head cut off!!
Our guide told us lots of juicy stories about all manner of goings on and the story of the Louis and Marie was rather sad and in a medical sense R rated!! She had this little house built in the early years of her time in France (she was from Austria and only 15 when she came to France) so that she could escape the hellish

life at court where she was watched every minute of the day..yes every minute of the day! In this little hide away she had cows and chooks and vegetable gardens. It is said that she even donned the clothing of the peasant while she was there as she wanted to feel like a real French peasant! Passing Marie’s quaint little hide away we rode on to the palace through the amazing gardens. A lake in the shape of the cross, fountains and flowers on a scale I have never seen before. We stopped and picniced on the banks of the lake enjoying a view of the grand palace from afar. After lunch kids played by the lake, feeding enormous fish and beautiful whites swans. Of course our risk averse children pushed it just a little too far and I ended up fishing Willy out of the lake! He went head first in after straining and stretching just a little too far out into the lake to feed the fish!

Before we turn our sights on the main game of seeing the grand palce we will leave this post with a view of the lake and the bikes. Fat tire bike tours were fantastic and our enthusiastic English/French speaking guide was brilliant. Stay tuned for the next installment of Versaille more than just a royal palace.

Sneak peek!! The amazing window furnishing inside the palace took my breath away – one example of so many I will share in the next blog.

We took to the metro.  Wow.  What a system!  I love the Dubai metro.  Clean, fast, efficient.  Probably helps that they were starting with a blank canvas.

Destination:  Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa.  

There was much excitement amongst the Misses as we approached “the tallest building in the world” pronounced with an awed reverence.  I admit to feeling a bit under-whelmed.  The outline of the Burj is simple, the lego architecture model of it – a thing of beauty.  In reality, close up?  It has windows, everywhere.  Yes, I know, a fairly crucial piece of kit in a building but they break up the simple outline and make it a bit, erm, fussy.  My opinion only, obviously!

After a rather toasty walk from the Metro to Dubai Mall, we gratefully entered one of Dubai’s air-conditioned palaces of shopping.  We have come from Doha; the Qatari national sport is shopping, I wasn’t expecting to be quite so amazed!  HUGE. 1200 shops.  And it must be said, it made the Qataris look like amateurs!  

And then…

Ooh, hello.  That’s a rather large fishtank.  An aquarium.  In the Mall.  With the world’s largest single piece of perspex (or something – it was certified by the Guinness Book of Records). The Misses were delighted, so much so that, even though we could see that much, we forked out to go inside too.  

The tunnel under it was great (sorry, people of Hull, it blew The Deep into a cocked hat). The rest of it, not quite so impressive but the Misses had a blast.  LittleMiss was given her first free-range experience here, out of the pushchair – this is as still as she got the whole way round…

All this excitement led to an early night in the hotel, with Himself and I sitting in the dark playing Monopoly on the Ipad.  It’s all about the glamour.

More soon. LINX

Looking out my window

The neighbourhood

Woot, Woot! We survived our first overseas trip with miss muppet. Granted it was only to Fiji, a hop, skip and jump away from our home land, but adventurous all the same for new parents that have ‘L’ plates stamped to their foreheads. We left the blistering winter winds behind us, packed to the eyeballs with gourmet cheeses, surfboards, pram, baby and three suitcases (travelling with carry-on is a thing of the past) to an island shimmering in sunshine, where coconut palms grow wild and frangipani trees are in constant bloom.

I was anxious about the flight over, even though it was no more than four hours, I was petrified that I would be one of those mothers with a hysterical, screaming baby receiving death stares from child-less, fellow travellers. Shame faced to admit, I used to be one of those travellers who would groan and roll my eyes when baby’s would scream on flights. So, I thought karma would play a part in this first flight due to my ill treatment to mothers before hand, but Finn travelled beautifully.

Fortunately we were travelling with our best friends who are well-seasoned jet-setters with their three kids in toe. Their youngest, Grace, is four weeks younger than Finn so under my friend’s instruction I breast fed Finn on take-off to help equalise her ears. By the time we hit the run way the poor little poppet was so exhausted she was falling asleep on every suck so Steven had to pinch her to encourage her to feed. Nasty Dad!

Once arriving, Finn was strapped into the Baby Bjorn so that she could look out and absorb her new surroundings. It soon became apparent that the Fijians adore babies and both her and her travelling partner Grace, attracted a lot of attention from the locals. Finn rose to the occasion and was offering wobbly, toothless smiles to anyone that would gaze her way.

We took the morning ferry across to Malolo Lailai our island home for the next 9 days, a snappy 50 minute motor to the island. Malolo Lailai is a pint-sized island at 553 acres and is family to the Mamanuca group of islands. Back in the day, before resorts occupied its sandy shores, it was operated as a copra plantation by the Wong Ket family up until 1966 when it was purchased by three partners who developed it for both tourism and a destination for themselves.

As we disembarked the ferry met by our gorgeous hosts, the Fijian rain gods decided to bless us with a downpour of plump raindrops. Nothing could curb our enthusiasm and with the golf buggies out of order, our entourage had no other choice but to walk to our  beach retreat that was on the other side of the island.

The next seven days we fell into warm, hazy state of Fijian bliss. Sun-bleached days were spent snorkelling out on the reef, stand-up paddle boarding, slurping on green coconuts, falling asleep reading by the pool, combing the island on foot while pushing a pram, harvesting sea grapes from the ocean floor, toasting sunsets with cocktails and devouring sweet, meaty mud crabs.

We couldn’t of asked for a better destination to spend our first family holiday.  And in two days we leave for Bali for a wedding. Finn is quite the traveller!

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