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I firmly believe that family traveling is one of the most rewarding parts of life. It's an opportunity that may never come again and just takes a lot of planning and flexibility. We had three glorious days to talk and share experiences with Sarah's undivided attention. Not like the usual phone calls or visits where I ask.."What's new?" and they reply..."Nothing"...while I.M.'ing to friends, i-Pod earbuds on, the television on and heavy metal music all going at one time. There was just the three of us for almost four straight days.
Sarah's, 13-year old teenage thoughts:
- Rome was a ball and is already planning where she should travel when she graduates college and lives with her parents (Michael...Paula...are you ready for this? No job...just travel?)
- What is a bidet and how do you use it?
- Roman baths were gross. How could everyone bath together and why was it a big social event?
- The people at the 5**** Hassler Hotel across the street were snobs.
 photo taken by Sarah looking down the Spanish Steps
Continue reading "Traveling With Teenagers (or Children)" »
The driver took us back to Fumincino Airport for check-in at Lufthansa. Our return entailed a short Rome to Frankfurt flight, overnight at the IBIS Hotel and fly home to Chicago on United early the next day. Lufthansa offered to check our bags all the way through to Chicago. Sounded good to us, took out some clean clothes for the night and checked those bags through.
In a lounge until flight time. Sarah loved the Lufthansa flight and thought they were the greatest. Lufthansa had:
- Little Diet Coke and Sprite Cans in German..."Grandma, aren't they cute?"... (Had to wash them out and take as souvenirs.);
- Cheese sandwiches on a cheese bread. (Got an extra one from the flight attendant and she snarfed both down); and
- Interesting wax paper bags the sandwiches were served in. Each bag described a different fruit or vegetable in German and English along with its origin.
 Sarah inside a Rome airport lounge
Continue reading "Sarah says: Arrivederci, Roma" »
No one could have asked for a more wonderful last day in Rome. Not a cloud in the sky and hot! Breakfast and then we have to finish packing. Today Sarah ate Jif Peanut Butter on bread along with Honey Nut Cherrios. Many evenings she'd eat some of the dry cereal as a snack before going to bed.
Final packing over with Sarah's presents locked in our suitcase (TSA lock), we took them out of the room and left with the owner until 4:00 pm when the driver would take us to Fuimincino Airport. We had a plan. The first stop? Trevi Fountain where there was only a small amount of people this early and Sarah was able to throw her coins into the fountain to ensure she returns to Rome one day....View image...
 Sarah throwing important coins in the Trevi Fountain
Continue reading "Sarah's Last Day in Rome: Much To See and Do" »
Rome is very, very crowded this week. Easter Week, Spring Break in many countries, families with small children, school groups, locals, tourists from every country in the world. I knew the lines at the Sistine Chapel would be long and were advised to go around lunch time. We did, but still....
The line stretched for blocks, creeping towards the one and only Vatican entrance unless you pay for a tour. Tour groups enter differently and free-lance tour guides stationed themselves along the line offering tours (expensive tours). We crept slowly onward until we reached security. Everything goes through the x-ray machines, you step through the sensors and once through, you must check backpacks. Then, buy expensive tickets and enter.
 around the Vatican
Continue reading "Sarah's 2nd Afternoon in Rome: The Sistine Chapel" »
I had just dropped off into a deep sleep last night when I heard someone crying. Sarah was a little homesick, couldn't sleep because Grandpa Sonny was snoring and there were too many noisy cars outside. A little comfort, few hugs, poked Grandpa to make him stop snoring and she fell asleep. For the next two nights, the two of us will use ear plugs.
Up around 7:30 am for breakfast. I came equipped with Honey Nut Cheerios , Cocoa Puffs, individual packs of Jif Peanut Butter, lunch-size packs of Doritos and Potato Chips AND one Kraft Easy Mac n' Cheese just in case Ms. Finicky Eater didn't like the food. Sure enough. The bread was okay, she didn't like the milk and ate Cocoa Puffs dry and I nuked the Kraft Easy Mac n' Cheese in the B&B's microwave.
 approaching the Pantheon
Continue reading "Sarah's 2nd Morning in Rome: Fountains, Pantheon and Castel Sant'Angelo" »
The B&B was picked by me for location...location...location... Right by the Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti). Left backpacks and bags at All'Obelisco and immediately started taking pictures, walked down the Spanish Steps lined at the bottom with all the big-name designer stores. Dior, Prada, etc., with their stratospheric prices. ...View image... They actually have to gall to put prices in the windows. Probably deters riff-raff like us from setting foot in the stores. A pair of mini-shorts for 1,500 Euros? That's $2,300 U.S. Dollars at today's conversion! These places are only for the Paris Hiltons of the world.
Instead of Fendi, McDonald's down the street. Sarah was hungry. She said her stomach was telling her dinner time but McDonald's didn't start serving until 10:15 am. That was okay. We just hung out and waited for them to fire up the fryers. By the way, if you every need a toilet in any country, McDonald's is the place to go. Always clean bathrooms. A caveat: In some countries, you must eat there and show your receipt to use the bathrooms. Must show it to a guard. (Just so you know before you go.)
 YES...we are here in Rome
Continue reading "Sarah's First Day in Rome" »
We have no private jet (what a surprise...) and have "schlepper class" seats (economy). Chicago to Washington, DC and then Washington to Rome on United. There are direct flights on Alitalia and American Airlines from Chicago but we are loyal United flyers and Sarah is on a free ticket (turned in miles). Because we do fly so much on United, we burned some upgrade certificates and Sarah and ex-Marine ("Grandpa") will sit in Business Class on the way from Washington, DC to Rome while I sit back in economy.
Sarah arrived at our house hours before she needed to because she was so excited and wanted to head right out to the airport. Just what we needed...a few extra hours sitting around O'Hare... ex-Marine also volunteers at O'Hare Airport and a very nice United person gave us a personal invite into the First Class Lounge. That made the waiting a lot easier and talk about spoiling a teenager from the get-go. Sarah may never be the same again...
 excited Sarah waiting in the United lounge
Continue reading "Sarah Flies and Arrives in Rome" »
Major Concerns?
- How do you make Roman History interesting to a teenager? It's dry and, sorry history buffs, pretty boring. Sarah's homework was to buy a few guidebooks, read them, and decide what her important "must sees" were. Her tentative decision: We'll plan on hitting the highlights - Roman Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon and definitely St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel. Other than that, we'll spend most of the time around the fountains, walking through Rome, stopping when something interests her and of, course, shopping.
- She is a very picky vegetarian eater. Doesn't like a lot of different vegetables, only pizza with tomatoes and cheese, no ravioli or other filled pastas, won't eat fish... Solution: I'm packing two boxes of her favorite dry cereals, Doritos, Potato Chips, and small cups of peanut butter for emergencies. There will always be spaghetti, pizza, Gelato and french fries at McDonald's. For three days, Sarah can live on this easily.
Continue reading "Planning Rome With A Teenager" »
There's nothing like a family trip to building memories that will last a lifetime, especially one memorable month (1978) in Europe with five children, age 9 to 16 years. This never-to-be-forgotten chaoatic, frustrating, dramatic experience did nothing to change my mind about traveling with children. Even with the unforgettable memories of:
- Robyn (14) upchucking her spaghetti dinner in our pensione sink, clogging up the drain and driving the little maid crazy trying to unclog i;
- All five youngsters rooting through and under the garbage in Florence, looking for unique empty beer cans to take back to America because Michael (16) decided it would make a great collection;
- Tracie (15) sulking because she was missing "parties" at home until Nice when cute French boys materialized;
- Jamie (9) only loved the pigeons and remembers nothing else about Europe;
- Joel (14) kept us in stitches when he wasn't reducing Jamie to tears by calling her "monkey";
- ex-Marine (husband, Steve) pounding down an Amsterdam street, shouting he was going to kill the first chld he could get his hands on after they send him "over the bend" one too many times;
- A noteable crying scene in a Rome restaurant (not far from the Spanish Steps) when the entire family melted down in tears, and stormed out with ex-Marine shouting he was returning to the U.S. (That lasted until he found out how much return tickets would cost!)
 kids spead out on a train platform in Europe, passing the time
Continue reading "Visiting Rome With A Teenager (Or Child)" »
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