Author: dmayert

It is hard for us to believe but we have been in Biarritz, France for almost a month now. The spring weather has been varied and unpredictable. Although this has meant fewer beach days than we might have liked, there has been plenty to keep us occupied.

When the weather has been warm (we have had days of up to 30 degrees Celsius) the beach has been fantastic. We have spent most of our beach time at the Biarritz Grande Plage just a short walk from our apartment. Full days at the beach with picnic lunches and ice cream when it gets too hot have been great fun for all! Between building chateau de sable, playing rugby, soccer or paddle ball and playing in the waves the kids have been fully entertained.

On the Biarritz Grand Plage between the Casino and Hotel de Palais is an original carousel. The boys had a blast trying it out. They also got to try out the two level Carousel from Bayonne dating back to 1900. Matt was quite pleased that he got to ride a bull!

Biarritz has a nice little aquarium on top of the hill by the La Rocher de la Vierge. The boys especially loved les tortues and the giant tank with les requines.

In working to get the boys excited about our trip Katy bought the boys messages in a bottle to throw out to sea. Biarritz was a perfect place for them to write their messages and throw them off the cliff into the Atlantic. They decided the Rocher de la Vierge was the best place and had fun letting them loose on a stormy day. Of course five minutes later Matt was already asking why we hadn’t heard back yet:)

As always the food in France is a highlight. Cooking here often involves a spicy red pepper called espellette, while other favourites for us have included Jambon Bayonne, cerise confiture, olive tapenade, gateaux Basque (a cherry or cream filled cake) and a unique lightly carbonated/low alcohol cider. I also found a fantastic summer wheat ale by La Superbe brewed locally.  Being on the ocean the seafood is also fantastic. The daily indoor market at Les Halles has been a great place to buy gateaux basque, moules, shrimp, local cheese, fresh bread, macaroons, saussicon basque, fruit and vegetables. Moules have quickly become a favourite with the kids. We enjoyed a great lunches at the Cafe du Commerce, Bar St Jean, and moules at La Tandem.

At the north end of Biarritz is the lighthouse. Our first excursion to the lighthouse ended with disappointment as the actual lighthouse was closed (open weekends only) but on our second visit we were able to climb 243 stairs to the top on a sunny day for some amazing views in all directions.

Bayonne was our first trip outside of Biarritz when I took the boys to a rugby match.  Chocolate is big in this region, as this was one of the first places it was introduced from the Americas. At this point in the trip we were without car. One rainy afternoon, we took the bus to Bayonne and found ourselves walking 20mins away from the centre into the industrial area of town where we discovered an Atelier du Chocolate. Here we learned a lot about the production of chocolate, the kids decorated their own chocolate fishes and we sampled many fantastic varieties. Nick even managed to find a chocolate egg, with a real egg shell.  The adventure was well worth the trip!

Bayonne has a much different feel to Biarritz. It is much older and has a more traditional French feel in the centre, but is also a very industrial city spread out along the river. This is a big contrast to the resort areas of Biarritz, Bidart and Anglet. The Musee Basque there is fantastic, giving both the history of the area and the Basque people. There were also lots of hands on exhibits for the boys to explore.

Three weeks in, Katy’s parents cycled into town and joined us for a week in Biarritz. They took the boys for a night so that Katy and I could get away. That gave us a couple days in San Sebastian to fully sample the tapas culture, with fantastic pinxtos including goat cheese risotto, pigs ear, and various other unique combinations of seafood, cured meats, and cheeses on little pieces of bread. It was also a great night away for Katy, Olivia and I, and a much needed break!

The rest of the week the boys had fun taking turns having sleepovers with the Nonna and Papa in their apartment with a fantastic view overlooking the Cote de Basque.

We went with Katy’s parents and their friends down to St Jean de Luz for a day. We were pleasantly surprised by what used to be a fishing and port for the corsaires and pirates. It had a much more traditional feel than upscale Biarritz and it was nice to immerse ourselves in it for the day. The church had a traditional basque interior with balconies on the side for the congregation. It also had a great protected beach which was perfect for the boys. They even found pirate treasure in the form of a pirate candy store.

After renting a car, we have also spent a couple afternoons just north of Biarritz in Anglet. It is a much more modern resort area with the typical condo type accommodations of the 1970s and 1980s and numerous golf courses. There are many great beaches and boardwalks to explore. We also found a great recreation complex at the mouth of the river. Along with an ice rink, there is beach access, a skatepark and huge play areas for the kids. This was one of Matt’s favourite spots as he could “skateboard” and play in the playground. The playgrounds were well laid out with 6 separate areas (2-6 years, 2-8 years, 2-12 years, a small soccer pitch, and two adult exercise area).

We also ventured out into the Basque countryside to take the single gauge railway up to the top of La Rhune. The railway ride was a little steep and unsettling for some of us but the views, landscape and wild horses at the top made it well worth the trip.

While in Morocco we met a nice couple from Ireland. The wife was French and had spent six months in Biarritz as an au pair twenty years ago. One of her recommendations was to go to a “Venta” for dinner. A venta is a traditional family run roadside restaurant in Spain or the Basque country. We found one nearby in Bidart, and while it was a little more commercial than what we may have found in the countryside (or twenty years ago), we had a great meal. Katy and I both had the Plat de Pays. I had a plate of jambon Serrano, followed by axoa de veau (mashed veal, onions, tomatoes sauté and flavoured with red Espelette pepper) with fries, followed by some black cherry gateaux basque and some patxaran liqueur (made by soaking blackthorn fruit, coffee beans, and cinnamon pods in anisette for eight months). Katy went with a salmon cru entree, followed by a tuna main with artichoke and olives, and Basque Brebis (sheep’s milk cheese) with cherry confiture for dessert. It was great to see the multiple pilota courts in the centre of town and the kids playing there while their parents enjoyed a meal or a drink.

As our month here comes to an end we are looking forward to our next stop in the Dordogne to explore the regional cuisine, chateaus, and hopefully some warm weather by the pool.

We have been in the French resort town of Biarritz for over two weeks now. The area is really the combination of 4 towns, each with it’s own unique flavour: Biarritz, Bayonne, Anglet, and Bidart. We have spent a little time exploring each but have stayed close to home in Biarritz the majority of the time.

Biarritz is on the Atlantic Coast about 25 km north of Spain. It was a small Basque fishing and whaling port until the late 1800’s when it became a favourite spot for Napoleon III (Louis Napoleon)  and Empress Eugenie, his wife. With them came nobles from around Europe, and Biarritz became a very popular beach destination. Ambassadors and royalty from around Europe spent time in Biarritz and built huge villas on the cliffs. Because of this the architecture is fairly new compared to the rest of France. The location remained a popular resort destination with Hotel du Palais and the Casino being focal points on the Grande Plage. In the 1950s surfing was introduced and the coast became the centre for surfing in France. Because of this there is a unique mix of upmarket tourism and the surfing and beach lifestyle.

In addition to this, Biarritz is part of the Pays Basque (a distinct cultural region in southwest France and northern Spain), which brings with it it’s own language, food, culture and sports.

We have found Biarritz to have a very active and sporty population and have jumped right in alongside them. They have some great public exercise routes integrated into the infrastructure and ideas for the public to keep fit that they can access on their smartphone through posted QR codes. Katy and I have been jogging daily along the unbelievably scenic waterfront. The views make it difficult to work too hard. From the Hotel du Palais, along the Grande Plage, past the Port de Pecheurs, Plage de Port Vieux, Rocher de la Vierge, and along the Cote de Basques beach and up the stairs has been our daily route.

Katy talked in an earlier post about the Plage de Port Vieux and the swim club there. The other thing that has been a common occurrence there and on the Grande Plage is surf rescue training. There is even a school program for high school aged kids during the day where they practice rescues, surf skiing and swimming in the waves..

On our first day here we celebrated Matt’s 4th birthday.  It isn’t easy to pack birthday presents while on vacation, but he was pretty happy with his toy cobra from the markets of Marrakesh and a new skateboard from a surf shop in Biarritz. Of course we had to get one for Nick too, but they have loved skateboarding on sunny days along the waterfront. They are even starting to get the hang of it…

We have been lucky enough to take in two professional rugby games since we have been here. The first was a night game in Bayonne with Avion Bayonais. It was a little late for the whole family to go, so I took the boys. They had fun, but were exhausted and we left just after half time. Matt’s favourite discovery there was a sandwich American, which consisted of a half baguette with two hamburger patties inside and stuffed with fries.

Like watching FC Sevilla, I was in awe of the crowd singing the team song before the game.

The second match was an afternoon game in Biarritz with the Biarritz Olympique playing Montparnesse. It was the last regular season game and Biarritz played well in an exciting, high scoring match to beat Montparnesse. After enjoying so much sevens lately we had almost forgotten what a tough physical game 15 aside is. The boys loved waving their flags when Biarritz scored, and Olivia seemed to love the chanting and drums in the crowd. The crowd was passionate and had a family friendly vibe to it. The Basque supporters singing their songs before hand was great to see.

After the game we went to the otherside of the Biarritz athletics grounds to watch the semi-final of the French Cesta Punta (or jai alai) Championship. It was interesting to learn that jai alai originated here in the Basque country along with several other handball related sports called together Pelote Basque. From here jai alai travelled to the Americas where it is popular in Florida and South America. The speed of the ball was amazing, we were told the ball travels at speeds up to 400km/hour.

Of course surfing is a major draw in Biarritz. Knowing this, the first thing I did was seek out a wetsuit and board to rent. I have surfed a fair bit in Tofino over the years, but for the last 10 years or so I probably get in one weekend a year. The size and the strength of the waves here in spring was therefore a little intimidating. After renting a 2/3 wetsuit which has been plenty warm for here, I unsuccessfully tried out a board left at our apartment that was far too small for me. I soon gave up and pulled out a boogie board, which the boys took a turn with as well. The next day I rented a 7’6″ board for a week so I could surf at the Grande Plage  (although not the easiest of waves it is the closest and a great place for the kids to play on the beach). The first day with the new board started off great and with some hard work I was able to get past the breakers and surf a couple good waves. I found the waves pretty crowded though and was constantly working hard to get out of other peoples way, so after awhile I surfed the inside.  The next couple days as the weather turned and the waves moved to 8-10 feet, I found myself getting a great workout and thrown around by the ocean but not riding a lot of waves, although I got to watch some great surfing. Most days I managed to catch a good wave or two, but the takeoff was a lot steeper and quicker than I’m used to in Tofino and I had some spectacular falls. When the weather turned really bad later in the week it wasn’t worth me going out with the debris in the water and rough conditions. As the weather improves this week I will be back in the water and will probably try out the Cote de Basques waves as well which look far more mellow.

There is an indoor salt water swimming pool right on the beach a short walk from our apartment. This has been a great spot to get the kids some exercise on a rainy day. The swimming pool rules are a little different here though. You must wear a swim cap and only tight fitting speedos or boxer type suits are allowed. We went shopping, picked up some new suits and went with the flow.

The first Sunday we were in Biarritz they had an event called Biarritz en Forme. There were booths setup along the waterfront promenade and casino advertising all the athletic clubs available including yoga, ultimate, surfing, surf rescue, tai chi, biking, zumba, karate, gymnastics, crossfit, golf, swimming and athletics. Most gave people the opportunity to try the activity out. The boys loved getting on some bikes and tried out the obstacle course. Katy got the chance to try out an electric bike and loved it. She could see how handy the little electric assist would be going uphill with Olivia in the chariot behind her. They also had a challenge to record how many steps the people of Biarritz did that day. The boys were given pedometers and Matt ran in circles all afternoon to increase his total. One booth had a bike powered blender to make smoothies with which was a lot of fun to try out.

It has been a great start in Biarritz despite the weather, but I’ll leave the rest of our adventures for another post. Au revoir!

We have arrived in Marrakech, Morocco where we have treated ourselves to a couple weeks at an all-inclusive resort. This is the first time we have ever done this as a family. We decided to go the resort route for a couple reasons. Firstly we liked the idea of a break from cooking and cleaning, but also the ability for the kids to join in the kids club. The kids club gives them the opportunity to interact with others their age, which is one of the main things they are missing having been taken out of school and pre-school. Nick especially had really settled well into kindergarten and is missing school and his friends. It has also given us all a little break from each other… None of us, kids included, is used to being together 24 hours a day like we have been for the last month. Katy and I have had a great time going to spinning classes and playing tennis for a couple hours each morning while Olivia naps in the stroller, before picking the boys up in time for lunch. We would have loved to have stayed in a traditional Riad, but a common courtyard didn’t seem like a good fit for three young kids – the other guests would not have loved us. We have heard since arriving that they are also quite cold this time of year so we are happy with our accommodation. Maybe we will try the Riad when Katy and I come back without the kids someday.

Our first day here was cold with quite a breeze so we thought we may be in for a repeat of unusually cold weather like we had in Seville, but luckily the sun is out and it is nice and hot. Most days seem to hit the mid to high 20s. This means on the very warm days the unheated pools are great, although we have been sticking to the heated pool most of the time. The kids pool has a fantastic water park but is a little cold most days.

We arrived in Marrakech to a beautiful new airport which we were told was entirely run on solar power.  Several planes showed up at the same time and it looked like we would have a real fun time with three kids waiting in the queue, but they saw us and put us in a separate line for families – a huge relief. Everywhere we have gone they have been very accommodating to kids here, they seem to really love children. The initial trip from the airport to our hotel was interesting. The first thing we found out when people heard that we were Canadian is that everyone seems to have family or friends in Montreal. After we found the car for the ride to the hotel we got to see the old city wall, the new city and a strange mix of old and new. Cars and buses shared the road with motorbikes, scooters and carts pulled by donkeys. The rules of the road also seemed to only be loosely followed. We saw a woman holding a baby in her arms sitting as the passenger on the back of a scooter.

Our first trip into the old city was quite an adventure. After being dropped off by the hotel shuttle, avoiding the first of the onslaught of offers for tourists, and finding diapers and formula for Olivia, we set off to find  Jemaa el Fnna square. The first landmark we found was the towering Koutoubia mosque. It looks taller than it is as we have been told the building restrictions say no other structure may be taller than the height of a palm tree, so it really sticks out. Just behind the mosque we found the square.

Jemaa el Fnna market square at mid day was an interesting sight. The combination of snake charmers, monkeys, and their aggressive handlers looking to place a monkey on your shoulder or snake around your neck followed by a demand for payment was a little intimidating. Add to this the musicians, people dressed up in traditional garb to take pictures with and aggressive sales people selling tourist trinkets, selfie sticks, sunglasses or water and it was a bit of a sensory overload. At one point a musician put his arm around Nick and was trying to take him off to play the drum with him. Luckily Katy had a tight grasp on Nick’s hand and saw it happening.  The aggressive sales tactics were a bit overwhelming for us meek Canadians. I don’t think I have ever said “Non merci!” so many times. We passed by the square (I took a noticeably wider birth around the snakes and especially the handlers trying to place them on tourists…) and escaped into the souks.

We randomly chose a road and checked out the shops along the way selling everything from leather goods, shoes, blankets, spices, tourist trinkets, raw meat, pastries, clothes, scarfs, metal lamps, to jewelry. This was not the relaxed shopping experience we were used to. High pressure sales is the norm, not to mention the haggling. Not knowing what a fair or reasonable price might be doesn’t help the process, but we had some fun trying our hand at it and probably overpaid for the clothes we bought for the kids but had fun and they were very excited by their new outfits.

When you were not on your toes dealing with the salespeople you also had to be vigilant to avoid the speedy motorbikes, bicycles, carts and donkeys navigating the same narrow alleyways. A three year old and a baby in a stroller don’t make this an easy task. At one point we almost ran into a donkey carrying a load of bricks to a job site.

We also got out for a ride on the camels. The boys had a blast and even Olivia was able to go. We weren’t quite aware of how large an animal a camel is, it was a long way up. We went for a short 30 minute ride. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride, so as romantic as the camel ride through the desert looks and sounds, the slow jolty rocking would undoubtedly leave you sore by the end of the day.

My travel read for Morocco was Lords of the Atlas by Gavin Maxwell. It was fascinating to read about the not so distant past with the French colonial history and that of the Moroccan warlords from the Atlas Mountains including the Glaoua. The fact that this all ended just 60 years ago was eye-opening. We really wanted to get out to the desert or Atlas Mountains for an overnight in the Bedouin tents, but the length of the bus trip out there just wasn’t conducive for the kids (talking to a few adults who did the trip they felt it was far too long on a bus, so it seems we made the right choice). Again another outing for the future trip sans enfants.

We managed to get back into the souks one more time before we left and felt more comfortable manoeuvring our way through. We decided on a route and stuck to it.  Matt had requested a toy cobra snake for his 4th birthday so Nick and Katy snuck away to buy him one (he was thrilled!).  On our way to the souks the second time, we happened upon the Artisans market.  This turned out to be great! We were able to see some traditional Marrakesh artists at work and we were also able to purchase some true Moroccan pieces. (The prices were listed and there was no haggling which was great, but did take away a bit from the traditional Moroccan shopping experience) We had been told earlier that most of what is found in the souk market is actually made in China.  We purchased a beautiful Moroccan wind instrument called a raita, which we have all attempted to play but so far only I seem to be able to make any sound!  The Arabic writing is beautiful, almost like an art itself.  We found a place that would write each of the kid’s names on a card in Arabic that we could buy as a souvenir.  The boys were engrossed watching for over 10 minutes as this man painted the phonetic sounds of their names on paper.

We enjoyed 12 days of blissful sunshine (and a small amount of r&r) in Marrakesh.  The hotel was great and the staff were awesome.  Olivia was a hit with ALL of the staff.  She was danced with most days and she charmed them all with her infectious smile.  The food was great (especially the tajines) and it was really nice to have planned daily activities like spinning and archery, (I even tried the trapeze!).  Matt loved the mini-disco and was found dancing nightly at 8:30pm (the same 6 choreographed dances every night, so he got to know them well). The pool, tennis and soccer were hits with Nick. We all enjoyed the small animal farm including the day old baby goat. Katy got an afternoon in the spa and Hammam and I even got away for a day of mountain biking in the Agafay desert. I took a guided trip with Pierre-Alain and Rasheed from Marrakesh Bike Action. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend them.

We left the hotel at 3:30am on Easter Sunday morning.  The children were woken very early and loaded into a taxi along with all of our belongings.  It was a VERY long day but we finally arrived in Biarritz to our new apartment 100meters from the beach at about 7pm that night.  And so the next phase of our adventure begins…

Over the last three days we ventured out of Sevilla by train to visit the ancient cities of Cordoba and Granada. We negotiated through the ticket purchase at the Santa Justa station in Sevilla and ended up with tickets for the high speed train to Cordoba and then a late afternoon high speed train to Antequera and a bus (the new line was under construction) on to Granada. The high speed train was great but twice the price of the regional media distance routes.

Day 1

The train ride to Cordoba, the first ever for Matt, lasted about 45 minutes through orchards of oranges, and upon arrival we were ready to locate the famous mosque… that is after we fed the kids.

We found a restaurant with a patio where Nick had calamari (a new staple of his diet), Matt tried the Iberian sausage, but again defaulted to the bread (so far the staple of his diet) while Katy went with the artichoke tapas, and I tried the cold, creamy tomato soup called salmorejo. Yes we are travelling through Spain on our stomachs.

This was also our first hot weather, reaching the mid 20s by the middle of the day. It gave us our first feel of how hot it must be in the summer and why they need siesta time. Cordoba displayed a lot of history with Roman ruins and ancient bridges. We were also surprised by how muddy the rivers were, probably due to the amount of rain we have been experiencing here in Andalusia.

When we finally got to the Mezquita (mosque), it was an amazing mix of a church (16th century), built within a a mosque (8th century), built on top of a church.  We were in awe of the size of the structure, the columns (over 850 of them), the arches and the blending of Catholic and Moorish architecture.

The sun really came out in time to visit the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Palace of the Christian Kings).  The gardens, pools and fountains were outstanding, especially in the sun. With everything in bloom they would be even that much more amazing. It was originally built for King Alphonso XI, but housed Isabel and Ferdinand II during their campaign to conquer the Moors in Granada.

It was then back on the train. For a short trip to Antequera during which Matt had a much needed nap. Passing field upon field of olive trees. We then jumped on a bus to take us into the hills and up to Granada. The valleys and ridges along the way let you imagine the Bandelleros looking down for their next prize, as Washington Irving describes. That is, as long as you can ignore the wind turbines, solar fields and gas stations.

After finding our accommodations for the night, we ventured out to get some dinner before getting a good nights sleep. We have been happily subsiding off tapas in Seville, the serving size is great for the boys and we have enjoyed the variety and price. To our surprise we found the restaurants in the section of Granada were only serving entrees in the restaurants. This was both a lot of food and quite expensive compared to what we had been used to (Spain on the whole has been quite reasonable). We had calamari (for Nick), meatballs (for Matt), and more artichokes (for Katy), and I had some of each. We later found we were in a very touristy part of Granada and received some good recommendations for the next night (unfortunately none of them opened until 8pm…). After getting the kids to bed (with a chapter of Cervantes’ Don Quixote to lull them to sleep) we decided to stay another night in Granada, unfortunately the hotel we were in didn’t have a vacancy and we had to look for another spot, which is not easy when travelling with a young family of five…

Day 2

We woke up in Granada, had breakfast at the hotel, packed up all our stuff and headed for the Alhambra. We took the bus up the steep windy road and arrived fresh and ready to explore. To our surprise, and disappointment, the tickets including the Nasrid Palace were sold-out both for the day, the night and the next day. We settled for the tickets to the Generalife and Alcazaba. My mother-in-law, Annette gifted me with a lovely copy of Tales of the Alhambra– by Washington Irving for Christmas which was a wonderful way to get a feel for the Alhambra before hand. Both Irving’s description of his visit in the early 1800s and the legends of the palace he relays were thoroughly entertaining and set the scene for the visit. The Generalife, which was the traditional summer home of royalty when it gets too hot in the Alhambra, was a highlight with it’s pools, fountains and waterways. It would be marvellous to see when all the flowers are in bloom. We also really enjoyed the Palace of Charles V which was a renaissance building designed by a student of Michelangelo. From the outside it is a square building but inside it has a circular courtyard surrounded by great pillars. The Alcazaba was the bell tower, traditional defences and fortress that offered some amazing views over Granada and down to the Paseo de Los Tristes below. While we were disappointed in not seeing the Camares Palace and the Palace of the Lions, it was a pretty full morning with three young kids. I guess we will just have to come back one day… and book ahead!

Early afternoon we headed back down into Granada and went to find our new hotel, a single room with 4 single beds and a crib… This was looking to be a fun night. We checked out the train schedules and decided we would leave late morning the next day, so we headed for the Cathedral de Granada as we wouldn’t have time in the morning. It was an amazing space and had a great kids audioguide. Unfortunately the audioguide promised a surprise at the end of the tour and the bookmark didn’t quite meet Matt’s expectations, which meant the next hour with a tired Matt, was not a lot of fun.

Since we were leaving the next morning we decided to fight through the meltdown (probably to be blamed on the parents for the heavily scheduled day) and see the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) of Granada with the tombs of Isabelle and Ferdinand II. It was great to see the chapel after reading Dogs of God – by James Reston Jr, a great recommendation from family friend. It gives a great history of the creation of the Spanish nation state, Spanish Inquisition, Spanish conquest of Granada, and the beginnings of the exploration of the Americas. With Seville and Granada being major settings for much of the historical action this was a great travel read, thanks Hugh!

This was an ambitious day with the kids, and as we looked for somewhere for dinner we realized how tired the boys were. When we discovered all of our recommended dinner spots were not going to open until 8pm we decided to split up and Olivia and I hit up the grocery store to buy dinner, while Nick, Matt and Katy headed back to the hotel. Luckily the boys were exhausted and when Olivia and I returned Nick was already in bed. After a quick dinner (bread, ham & cheese) and a reading of the “Legend of the Two Discreet Statues” from the Tales of the Alhambra, everyone crashed (in the morning I discovered this was with the exception of Katy and Olivia who hung out a bit longer, much to Katy’s dismay).

Day 3

After a late start (everyone slept in after the big day before despite all five of us being in the same room) and a packed lunch (yes bread, meat and cheese again), we caught the 11am bus to Antequera and then the media distance (slow regional) train from there to Sevilla, during which Olivia caught a little more sleep.

The high speed route from Sevilla to Granada looks great (most of the line has been laid) and will probably cut the travel time in half, but unfortunately we were too early too take advantage of it. Once in Sevilla, the boys were happy to be “home”. While it was great to explore a little bit more of Andalusia, our little road trip confirmed for us that we made the right decision to base ourselves in one location for longer periods of time. With 3 young kids the varied train schedules, carrying luggage, uncertain accommodations, less than ideal sleeping arrangements, inconsistent meal times and over scheduled sightseeing make short term travel quite a challenge.  We now await the arrival of three of Katy’s aunts who will be visiting during the rest of our stay in Seville. It will be great to again have visitors come see us here in Sevilla!

Each morning we venture out (usually on foot) to explore the city. We try to hit at least one highlight each day. Here are our favourite sights so far.

Plaza d’Espana

Sevilla!

Military Museum: Ohh that’s a big cannon!”

Fans!

Our first outing in Seville was to the Plaza d’Espana, built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition. We walked to the centre and took the tram to the Parc de Maria Luisa. It was a great choice to get the boys acclimated to sightseeing. They loved the tram, the fountain, the boat ride, watching the horse carriages and the flamenco dancers busking in the plaza. They also loved that it was a backdrop from one of the Star Wars movies. We made it back there when our friend Peter came to visit, but unfortunately the Park was closed. We did get to see the rather impressive military museum and will be heading back to spend another morning or afternoon exploring the park (perhaps on one of the 4 person bikes), next time we have a sunny day.

Real Alcazar

Fish!

Peacocks

The maze!

It was easy to see why this was chosen as a setting for the television show Game of Thrones. This former palace built for the Moorish rulers is a fantastic combination of gardens, pools, fountains, tiled floors, and tapestries on the walls. The boys loved the maze and following the peacocks around the gardens.

La Catedral & La Giralda

Waiting in the rain to get inside the cathedral

The tomb of Christopher Columbus

From the top of La Giralda

Learning about the Catholic Church

La Giralda and La Catedral in the background

La Catedral

We visited the La Catedral and were amazed by the vastness of the building, it is the worlds largest gothic cathedral . The columns are huge and the arches and ceilings are pretty awe inspiring. We stopped at a side chapel on the way in and the kids were amazed by the gold altarpiece. This was easily surpassed in the main cathedral with the enormous gold altarpiece the silver side altar and the gigantic organ. We were also able to see a chapel dedicated to Magellan and the tomb of Christopher Columbus. It was evident at every turn how prosperous a city Seville was when it was the main port leading to the Americas, and what an important role the church obviously played to the people of that time. We climbed up La Giralda tower (Olivia in the carrier) and braved the winds to take in some incredible 360 degree views of the city. We returned a couple days later to take in a mass. It was amazing to see the cathedral without the mass of tourists and in everyday use. The children were surprisingly well behaved throughout the service and had lots of questions about the “treasure box”, crackers, smoke, and the people praying. The organ was incredible and the singing (while not to the standard Katy was expecting) added to the experience. There was a considerable lack of female representation during mass. We see convents all over Seville, so obviously women play a major role in the church, but all the major positions are noticeably still filled exclusively by men.

Museo de Belle Artes 

Appreciating the paintings and learning about Christianity- the Last Supper

The well

“That’s Jesus on the cross!”

Learning about heaven and hell

On our first rainy day we decided to take in the Museo de Belle Artes located in a former convent. With our recent bedtime bible stories this was a bigger success with the boys than we expected. We jumped on the little C5 circle route bus and stayed dry for the morning. The boys were a hit with the seniors on the bus, so we were able to practice our spanish and learn a little more about the city from a lovely older lady. They happened to have a large Murrillo exhibit at the museo on loan from one of the churches. While there were some amazing canvasses on display from Murillo, Zurbaran and Valdes Leal. The boys favourites were those of the bullfighters and the battles, especially a work called “Death of the Maestro”.

Metropol Parasol

The “Mushrooms!”

Resting

The view over Sevilla

On top

Churros con Chocolate

One of the boys favourite places in Seville is the “Mushrooms”. It is a unique architectural insulation that really does resemble a clump of mushrooms. In the basement there is an exhibition of the roman ruins found below, on the ground level there is a great food market, on the upper level there is a playground and fountains (not operational this time of year, but perfect for the boys’ Beyblade battles), and you can even go up on top to get a great 360 degree panoramic view of the city. There are also a few great places nearby to get Churros con Chocolate, which has been a favourite treat for the boys.

Calle Feria Market

Helados

The butcher

Calamares Fritos y Pescados Fritos

Paella Carne

Lagostinos

The FC Seville match

Just down the road from us is one of the first little Sevilla gems we discovered, the Calle Feria Mercado. It is a food market in the mornings with seafood, meat cheese, bread, fruits and vegetables, but also has a tapas market in the afternoon and evenings. For 4 Euros you get a bebidas (drink) and a tapas at one of the various stalls. We have sampled some great paella, calamari, fajitas, noodles and salted cod with a vino tinto or cana. There is also heliados (gelato) for the boys and they brought down the big screen to watch the FC Sevilla match on the weekend. It seemed that the boys and I were more into the game than anyone else, so we are guessing that the locals are fans of the other local team FC Betis. We are hoping to get to a live match before we leave.

Alameda de Hercules

Coffee time

Bumper Cars

Cafe con Leche

Chasing Birds!

Still Chasing Birds!

The Alameda has been a go to spot with the boys first thing in the morning, late in the afternoon and after dinner. They chase the birds, play in the playgrounds and interact with the local kids. There are plenty of places for us adults to grab a seat and have a coffee, beer or glass of wine with a tapas while keeping an eye on the boys. There has been a craft market and a small carnival type fair there as well at times which was a big hit for the kids. Especially riding the bumper cars.

Toro del Oro

The Toro del Oro from the river

“The Golden Tower”

Columbus’ Santa Maria

The view from the top

The tower was originally a defensive lookout on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. It is now a maritime museum holding a model of Columbus’s ship and exhibits that included details of the Magellan and Columbus expeditions and of special interest to us from Canada and the BC Coast, those of Malaspina, Galiano, Cortes, Valdes and Cordoba.

Casa de Pilatos

A grand palace located in the middle of the Santa Cruz area of Seville. A mix of Italian Renaissance style with Roman statues, moorish Mudjelar style. We took a wonderful tour of the rooms upstairs with the furniture and artwork still in place that gave you a real feel of what life would have been like in the palace. The boys were enthralled by the audio guides which gave us the opportunity to really enjoy the palace.

Guadalquivir River Cruise

We took an afternoon cruise down the Guadalquivir River that gave us a different perspective on the city. There were some amazing views. It was a lovely way to spend a sunny afternoon.

La Maestranza Bullring

This was the first thing the boys wanted to see in Seville. While they were disappointed not to be able to see a real bullfight (we weren’t sure we really wanted to take them to one anyways), we all appreciated the tour. The spectacle of the bullfight was well represented by the costumes, paintings, mounted bull heads, and the stadium itself.

Hotel Alphonso XIII

“We are statues!”

Avenue de Constitucion

Cafe cortado y chocolate for les niños

Katy outside Hotel Alphonso XIII

After sitting through mass at La Catedral we took the boys over to Seville’s most exclusive hotel for coffee. The Hotel Alphonso XIII was built for visitors to the 1929 Exhibition.  We were eager to check it out, as the building our apartment is located in was designed by the same architect. He also built a wonderful building on the Avenue de Constitucion. We ordered a couple cafe cortados, chocolates for the boys and pastries to share and pretended we were wealthy for a little while.

Still to come….

A Flamenco Show, Triana, and weather permitting a football match.

We have settled into the first stop of our adventure, after surviving the 15 hour journey with 3 young kids, and are staying in an apartment in the Macarena district of Seville. Life here is a little different from life in Comox… It is an adjustment for us for sure, but entails a lot of unknowns for the boys.

The Language:

We are just outside the main tourist areas of Seville. This means that most people here only speak Spanish. For our five year old in French Immersion this has been a little uncomfortable, as he expected to be able to speak french during “the big trip” but was surprised to have to wait another month for the opportunity.  Katy and I know a little of the language from basic Spanish lessons, a few trips to Mexico and using the Duolingo app. Katy has some Italian from her music training and spending time as an au pair in Italy as a teenager, but the similarities have actually made it more difficult for her as she keeps shifting into Italian. When this means we are now relying on my Spanish to get by, we are in trouble. For Nick and Matt to see their parents, who they think have all the answers (poor innocent kids), a little vulnerable is a little scary. We have however been able to get by okay, without too many blunders. We have had some surprise orders in restaurants, smirks from locals, and a few moments of inability to communicate, but for the most part we get by and are able get what we need as long as we try. This has been a great lesson for the kids. You don’t need all the answers, and remember you are allowed to make mistakes and figure it out as you go. Our Spanish is improving daily… I now know to order a vino tinto instead of a vino rojas, and heard today that by copying the local pronunciation for gracias as “gracia” (as I have been doing since my second day here), it is kind of like saying something is humorous, as apparently the Andalusians are just lazy with their “s”‘s. I’m still unsure but I am going back to gracias…

Religion

Living in Canada, organized religion does not play a very big role in our lives. Katy and I were both raised going to Sunday School and have a basic understanding of the stories of the bible. We haven’t really had reason to explain religion of any kind to the kids. We hadn’t actually really thought of it at all until we walked into a church just down the street from our apartment here in Seville. Then came the series of questions and observations from the boys:

• What is a church?
• What do you do there?
• That guy has blood. Is he dead?
• He has nails in his hands!
• Who is the girl?
• Who is her baby?
• That’s gold! That’s silver!

We knew it was going to just be the start of the questions. So Katy and I had a quick chat about how to approach it, and I was “elected” to start the conversation about religion and Christianity that night. The old social studies teacher in me took over and I started by asking them how they thought people came to be. We talked about how nobody over time really knew for sure but every civilization had a creation myth to explain it. We then talked a little about evolution and that we could prove through science that people evolved from cells, to animals, to apes and then to humans. We then talked about how we couldn’t prove the other creation myths were true, but we also talked about how we couldn’t prove they were untrue. I then fumbled through an explanation of Christianity and how god created the world in seven days. What they really wanted to know after the visit to the churches though was the story of the statues they saw. Who is Jesus? Who is Mary? So I continued on about Jesus being the son of god and that Mary was his mother, while successfully saving the birds and the bees discussion for another time. This opened another can of worms about sins and the ten commandments and coming back to life. I have been telling another bible story (along with reading one of the only other books we have with us: If I Built a Car, The Snail and the Whale or Oi Frog) every night since to attempt to answer their questions… At least it means I can give myself a refresher after they go to bed in order to be one class ahead of them. I am sure Katy is giggling listened to my feeble attempts from downstairs (thankfully she is doing it quietly so she doesn’t get “elected” to give the next bedtime story).  Tonight they asked me whether there is a book with these stories in it…….

Food

Eating with young children is always a challenge. What they loved last week they won’t eat today. Take away most of their current favourites and you are playing with fire.

The first night here we ended up at a Mexican restaurant (primarily because it was next to a playground) in the Alameda de Hercules. Our first Spanish tapas experience was nachos with ground beef, cheese whiz and canned salsa. The kids were okay with it, but we were far from impressed by our first Spanish culinary experience, while thoroughly intimidated by our lack of Spanish language skills.

Calle Feria Day 1 – Tapas bar: We heard that there was a great market just down the road from us, (Katy picked up some fruit and bread there the first morning) so after a morning of sightseeing we decided to check it out. The Calle Feria market includes fresh tapas, so I used my limited Spanish to order us drinks: dos cervezas and a couple bottles of coca-cola as a treat for the boys, and then ventured off to find some food. I spotted some fried Calamari so I ordered some calamares fritos. I was expecting them to give me what was on the tray. Instead they breaded a fresh batch of calamari just for me and put that into the fryer. While waiting, I attempted to ask what the small fried fish was on the tray. I totally missed their explanation but they told me to try one. I liked it and ordered some of them for everyone to try. They explained that there were no more left to cook, but put the rest of the cooked ones in a paper cone and  gave it to me for free. Things were looking up, or they were taking pity on my poor Spanish. I took the paper cones of pescaditos fritos and the calamari back to the family. Nick was excited but Katy and Matt were far less impressed, especially with the pescaditos. “They have eyeballs” was Matt’s only remark. Nick was a trooper trying the pescaditos and wolfing down all of the calamari. Katy and Matt were still left empty handed so I tried again. Katy requested some empanadas she had seen, so I looked at the menu board and picked an empanada at random. I think it was tuna. What I received looked more like a meat pie than what I thought of as an empanada, so I also ordered a chicken empanaditas which was the filled pastry I was expecting. Katy was happy, and I found something Matt would at least try. We called it a day and bought some pasta at the store on the way home for dinner.

Calamares Fritos y Pescados Fritos

Empanada y Empanaditas

Calle Feria Day 2 – Tapas bar: With a bit more confidence now, we decided to try the market for a late lunch. An older gentleman came up to me and started explaining something to me far too quickly. When he noticed I wasn’t really following along, he switched to English and explained how the market works. For 4 euros you get a  ticket included 1 tapas and 1 drink (alcohol or pop) anywhere in the market. I ordered a couple glasses of vino tinto and a chicken fajita tapas, while Katy chose a ‘carne’ paella. The boys even let us order them some chicken chow mein.  This I ordered with a “uno … (finger point)… por favor”. By all accounts this excursion was a success and we planned to make it a regular stop, until we went back the next day at 3pm and it was closed. We ended up with Italian thin crust pizza that night. We tried the next day at 4pm and again it was closed, so we headed out to the Alameda (avoided the Mexican restaurant) and had some delicious pork cheeks tapas while the kids played in the playground. We headed home around 8pm and the Feria market was now open. We are still figuring it out. The late night lifestyle seems to be the rule but we haven’t yet figured out what they do with the kids.

Paella Carne

Pizza Tradicionelle

Calle Feria food market: The food market is great to have just down the road. I ventured out with Matt the other morning to pick up a few things. One of the vendors noticed Matt’s Canada sweatshirt and asked where we were from. He used to live in Vancouver, worked on Granville Island, and had a brother in law in Nanaimo. Small world. He left us to shop, but came by a couple times to help when my Spanish was failing me. I ordered some fruit, vegetables, bread, Queso Manchego and sausage for sandwiches. I then eyed up the Jamon Iberico and had a sample. Delicious.  I was sold and ordered 200 grams. I took advantage of my new friend from Granville Island and asked him to recommend a bottle of red wine, as what we had sampled so far was quite cheap (3 Euros a bottle) but not as enjoyable as we would have hoped.

I was pretty happy with myself for getting all the items I had sought and was ready to go home proud of my first shopping adventure and hadn’t really thought about price until I was given the cuenta (total) which was far higher than expected. Not wanting to admit my lack of understanding, further stretch my Spanish language skills or just admit my mistake, I simply paid for it and headed home. It wasn’t until I looked at the bill closely that I realized the Jamon Iberica sold for 100 Euro/kilogram (I spent 20 Euros on ham!) It was delicious though and went tremendously well with the recommended vino tinto (Viejo Mundo for 9 Euros), but I won’t be repeating that purchase…

Jamon Iberica y vino tinto

I am sure there will be a few more stories to tell before we are done.

Katy and I have both travelled a bit before, but this trip required a lot more preparation than we are used to. Planning for 4 months with a family of five adds unique challenges. It has meant countless hours spent researching destinations, flights, accommodation and transportation. With 3 kids aged five and under, we wanted to be as prepared as possible.

Packing for 4 months with three children who cannot yet carry a suitcase means choosing what to take very carefully. We are travelling with only two checked bags, a stroller, a diaper bag and a carry-on backpack each.  We know we can get what we need here, but with 3 young kids the more logistics we could take care of ahead of time the better. This meant packing diapers, pull-ups, baby wipes, formula, toys, bottles, medicines, first aide kit, sunscreen, nightlights,  and of course in this day and age there were laptops, phones and LeapPads for the kids. Just minutes before leaving for the airport we were still cutting weight to meet the flight restrictions….

Travel insurance was another piece we needed to do a little research on. My extended benefits from work give us 30 days of travel insurance and we booked everything through our travel credit cards which in the past would normally be enough for us. This time, with a trip length of 120 days, (not to mention a five month old) we decided we needed to supplement this. When I tried to extend through my benefit provider we found that they would only insure the entire length of the trip, so we couldn’t benefit from the existing insurance. Luckily with the help of our insurance agent we were able to find a plan that would compliment our existing coverage and give us some much needed piece of mind.

Speaking of 120 days… We had originally planned to spend all 120 days in Spain, Portugal and France. We booked our flight into Seville and out of Paris accordingly. After booking the flight I discovered that my visa would only allow 90 days because of the Schengen Agreement. This wouldn’t have effected Katy as she also holds a UK passport which means (for at least the near future) she holds an EU member passport. This meant a little juggling of our plans. Luckily we are allowed 90 days within an 180 day period. We decided to detour south after Seville to visit Morocco for a couple weeks, before flying to France for a couple months. After our time in the Dordogne we required a second detour, so we decided that three weeks in Croatia would be a nice way to end the trip, before returning home by way of Paris. This did cause a little initial stress but it was definitely a first world problem that added a little more unknown to the trip to that will stretch our comfort levels a little and help us grow.

Phones required a little more planning than in the past. Worldwide calling and roaming plans are getting better. We first checked it out with our carrier and we were able to add $10/day to call and use data in Europe to a max of $100 per month. This would have worked well for Katy to keep up with work back in Canada, as even though I am off until July, Katy needs to keep working with her show, the Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular, while we are away.  Unfortunately, when we called back to confirm a couple weeks ago the price was $12/day with a maximum of $200 extra per month. This put adding to our existing plan financially out of reach, so we are back to the more traditional plan of purchasing sim cards at each destination and Katy communicating through email as much as possible. With the necessity of naps with young kids and wanting to be able to split up during the day and find each other again, we believed having phones was a must. Luckily we found a voice and limited data plan for just 10 Euros/month in Spain. It means no texting, but it is a cheap way to stay in touch. We will see what we find for options in France and Croatia.

The flight was the first thing we booked after sketching out an itinerary. I checked out our travel points, but sadly we were woefully short for airfare for five. Happily, I found a great tool to aid in the process. Google Flights was a handy way to explore flights, compare prices, flight length, layover and levels of service. It even emailed alerts when the price went up our down and kept a history of prices so that we could book at what we believed would be the best price. I used it to select every single one of the flights (9 in total) we ended up booking. The actual booking was done through the individual airlines and I found that knowing the options and itinerary before working with the airline made a huge difference. In the end I booked using each airline’s website because in all instances it gave me a better price than over the phone.

Our initial flight found us leaving Nanaimo at 12:15 pm and arriving in Seville at 3:15pm the next day. We had a 3 hour layover in Calgary that allowed the boys to run around and wear some energy off, us to get some lunch, and a much needed diaper (and clothes…) change for Olivia. We then had an 8 hour flight to Frankfurt. The flight went well, with Olivia sleeping a respectable amount in the basinet (the other screaming baby nearby actually let us relax a little as it wasn’t our child keeping everyone up), the boys glued to the in-seat TV’s for the better half of the trip before sleeping for the other half, and Katy and I catching perhaps a couple hours each. The connection in Frankfurt left us with a mad dash to an adjoining terminal after going through security. We were the last to show up for the connecting flight to Seville and after some tense moments when they couldn’t find the booking for Olivia and Katy, we breathed a sigh of relief as we went through the gate to board a bus to the plane. I’m not sure how well we would have handled the missed connection with the three kids… The flight itself was uneventful and we landed in Seville on time. We then unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a taxi for all of us to our apartment, but they were adamant that they could only take 4 people maximum in a car, even though they didn’t require car seats in taxis in Spain. So Matt and I went in one with the luggage and Nick went with Katy in the other with Olivia on her lap. I counted two occupied seats and two empty seats in each taxi… With our limited Spanish we decided it best to just nod and say “si”. I’m sure it won’t be the last time we do that…

When we arrived at the apartment we breathed a huge sigh of relief as it looks like a great home base for the next month. More to come soon after we catch up on some much needed sleep!