Lake Garda, Italy

August 23, 2025 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

We have been back from Italy for a few days now. It was an amazing vacation. We landed in Verona and spent a few days there. We had a lot of fun walking around and exploring the city. We saw the main squares and pedestrian area on the first day, and the second day we went to Giusti Garden and then took the funicular up to Castel San Pietro. We didn’t even see the castle, we just went up there for the views.

From Verona we took the train to Peschiera Del Garda, and then from there the ferry to Bardolino. We stayed in Bardolino and took a few days trips. We visited Sirmione, Lazise, and Garda. We also spent a day at Movieland Park. We wanted to go to Caneva Aquapark, but we just ran out of energy. I tried to plan lots of breaks for this vacation, but we still got exhausted. The highlight of the trip was definitely the lake- we went swimming almost every day and we already miss the lake.

Public transportation was really easy around the lake. The buses were easy to use, and the ferries were fun. I definitely want to go back one day, but I want to go up north to see Limone and some of the other cities up there. All of the cities around Lake Garda are so beautiful. The food was decent, but we didn’t find enough of the non tourist places.

Overall the trip was amazing. It was a good mix of seeing things and taking breaks. We saw and did a lot, but there is still so much I want to see and do in that area. It was pretty hot while we were there, but luckily our accommodation had a/c, and the heat just made it even better to swim in the lake.

We have only been back for a few days but going on vacation made me remember how much I love going on vacation. So I have already booked too many trips and have to slow down now to save some money. I am going on a solo trip to Paris in November. I think that Sofia will love Paris, so I want to go visit so that I can become a bit familiar with it. Plus Paris has some places that I would love to see without being hurried along by the kids- primarily the Palace of Versailles. I’m pretty excited about the Paris trip.

In late January I am taking Leo to Barcelona for a few days. For some reason I haven’t been as excited about visiting Barcelona, but I figure it’s time to finally see it. I think I have been to Barcelona about 3 times now, but I have never actually seen it. We’re always just passing through. Plus Leo doesn’t like the cold, so that really narrows down the places we can go. It seems like there is enough in Barcelona that Leo will enjoy to keep us busy.

In April Sofia and I are going to the Netherlands to see the tulips. That is something I have been wanting to do for a long time now, but I keep missing it. This time I was able to book plane tickets and a place to stay before they sell out or become too expensive. We are going to be staying in Haarlem and going to Amsterdam for a day trip, or maybe two. I love the Netherlands and am always excited to go back there. I’m very excited to see the tulip fields and I think Sofia will love them.

All of these trips are booked, so I’m excited. This year is finally the year we owe a lot in taxes. I kept thinking we would each year, but somehow we didn’t- until this year. Luckily they allow us to make payments, so I am going to be paying off our taxes for 8 months starting in October. So for now I really can’t plan any more trips. You would think that 3 upcoming trips would be enough, but you would be wrong lol. I have thoroughly enjoyed traveling around Europe and getting to see different beautiful places and experiencing the cultures. There are so many places I still want to go.

The kids have another week and a half until they start school, though classes don’t begin until mid September. Leo is excited to go back and see his friends. Hopefully Sofia will make some new friends this year. We know she will be really sad going back and not having her best friend there.

I was able to make a passport appointment for the kids at the US Embassy in Lisbon. We will be going in early September. Unfortunately the latest appointments they have were for 9AM, so we are going to be having a really early day that day. They want everything printed out on American sized paper, which is harder than you would think because we can’t find it anywhere around here. Kyle was able to go to a paper store and they cut it to size. We just need to bring the application, their previous passport, birth certificate, and some pictures to show them aging over the years. Leo looks a lot different than he did when his last passport photo was taken. Kyle found a photo shop and was able to get American sized passport photos taken. All I need to do now is pay online and print the receipt and then I think we are ready to renew their passports.

Sofia’s birthday is also coming up next month and she wants a party this year. There is a place nearby that has some outdoor play areas but also has some pools. Sofia really really loves swimming and being in water, so she wants to have her party there. We already put down a deposit to reserve it. I’m more nervous about this party because they don’t do anything- it’s all on us. When we did her 5th birthday party they took care of everything, including food and the cake. We are figuring it out step by step though and hopefully she will love her party.

Viseu

February 10, 2025February 10, 2025 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

We were in Viseu a few weeks ago. When we got back Leo got sick and then I got sick right afterwards. I think I’m finally on the mend. It feels like winter has been kicking our butts this year. Poor Leo has been sick more than anyone else.

I first heard of Viseu when some friends we met in Leiria moved there a few years ago. Kyle and I were curious, so we looked into Viseu as a potential place to live. We originally ruled it out because it feels a bit secluded. I don’t love Leiria, but I do love the easy access we have to other places, like Caldas, Obidos, and Nazare. Guimaraes also gives a lot of access to other places, including Braga. So that’s a big negative against Viseu that can be hard to let go of.

Unfortunately it was rainy our first two days there. The first day we got a little bit of a break in the rain, so we went downtown with our friends. There is a nice pedestrian only area and we got to see a bit of it. The second day the forecast was rain all day long and we didn’t want to sit in the hotel, so we drove to Porto. The drive wasn’t bad and we went to a really nice mall there. The kids played for hours in the indoor playgrounds there. The third day there was another break in the weather, so we ventured out a bit more.

Viseu has two malls- one of them is massive and has an ice skating rink and a gym with indoor pools. I thought that I would love that mall and, to be fair, I really didn’t get to see much of it. We went before opening because we were looking for an indoor playground. The mall seemed okay, but I really need to see it when it’s open. I actually liked the second mall a lot, even though people say it’s nothing special. I liked the setting because it’s part indoor, part outdoor, which reminds me of the mall in Aveiro. Plus it’s on a river, so it’s fairly unique.

We went to what I think is the main city park and it was big. There are some hiking trails and there were moments when I felt really alone, even though I knew there were people nearby. It feels really peaceful there and I would love to visit that park again.

One big drawback of Viseu was the driving. People say that drivers in Portugal are aggressive, but luckily that hasn’t really been our experience. Sometimes, sure, but usually it’s on the toll roads or highways. In Viseu they felt a lot more aggressive and it was stressful. I usually enjoy driving, but not in Viseu.

We have managed to narrow down where we want to live to Guimaraes and Viseu. We’re not in a hurry to move, but we also don’t want to stay in Leiria indefinitely. We do really love our apartment here and our landlord, so it makes it hard to move. I know we would love the north though. I love Guimaraes in itself, but I also love the access it gives to so many other places. I love that it’s an easy train or bus ride into Braga. I could definitely see us taking the bus into Braga for some events so we don’t have to try to find parking.

Even though I love Guimaraes, Viseu definitely has some positives. We both agree that it’s a better fit for us than Leiria is. We’re tired of moving and want our next move to be a long term one, so I’m not sure if “better than Leiria” will cut it. The only way to decide is to visit both places. We have only gone to Guimaraes for day trips- we have never stayed the night. When I went to Viseu it was rainy and ugly out, so I didn’t really get to see what it has to offer.

We’re planning on staying at an apartment for a week in each place. Somewhere with a kitchen and hopefully within walking distance of the city center. That’s the only fair way to make a good decision. Sofia’s classes end in the end of June, so I think we are going to try to schedule these trips for 1 week in July and 1 week in August. Lots of things close in August though, so I’m not sure that will work either. We might have to do two one week trips in July.

For now we’re just back to work and back to school- hoping that no one else gets sick this winter.

Three years in Portugal and my trip to Seville

October 19, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

I can’t remember the exact day we came to Portugal, but it has been 3 years now (give or take a few days)! I remember that on our 1 year anniversary it still felt kind of surreal and at this point I suppose I have accepted that we do actually live in Portugal. We have come a long way and I feel pretty good about things except for our language skills, and that we still have our US driver’s licenses. Now that things are starting to settle down, we will be focusing on those things. We started a Portuguese class a few weeks ago through Portuguese Language Lessons that we are liking so far. It feels nice at least making the effort to learn Portuguese again.

The kids started school last month and they are absolutely thriving. I still can’t believe how much they enjoy school- especially Leo. Sofia has always enjoyed going out and doing things and socializing, but Leo is more of a home body. He absolutely loves going to school though and even has some friends. They started swim class again last week and they’re liking that too. It’s so nice to see them really thriving and enjoying life.

I just got back from Seville, Spain a few days ago. It reminded me of Portugal in some ways- probably mostly because it has a lot of the cobblestone sidewalks like Portugal does instead of the smooth ones that we have seen in other parts of Spain. When we looked at moving to Spain people said that they don’t really speak much English in Spain, which we have found to be true of Barcelona and Valencia- but it’s absolutely not true for Seville. My Spanish is good enough to get by on, but every time I spoke to someone in Seville they almost immediately switched to English. I heard a ton of English speaking tourists there as well.

I like Seville- it has some nice sites and a lot of variety in their restaurants. There is a ton of shopping there as well. I only stayed on one side of the river and it seems like there was stuff to do on the other side as well. It was a good sized city, especially if you’re traveling around on foot. Unfortunately it rained most of the time that I was there, but I came prepared with my umbrella and rain coat. I did get a break in the rain to go see the view from Setas de Sevilla. That was definitely my favorite experience in Seville. The structure was interesting to look at from the ground and the views from the top were great. I have a very strong fear of heights, but I also love views from up high. I almost always have a panic attack when I go up to high places, but it’s worth the view. In this case I didn’t have a panic attack because the structure masks how high up you up. You have to deliberately lean over to look down, which I only did once. So I got to walk around without having that fear constantly triggered, which was a really nice thing, lol.

I forgot the name- this was another palace

My second favorite was Palacio de las Duenas. There is a self-guided audio tour and most of it involves walking around the grounds. They had a beautiful garden there and I really loved walking around there. Traveling alone wasn’t as fun as it used to be. It has been at least 10-15 years since I have gone on a solo trip. I’m glad I went, but it’s just more fun to experience with someone else. Sofia would have enjoyed a lot of what I was doing and I wished she was there with me.

Every time I leave Portugal I don’t mind coming back. When we lived in the US I never wanted to come home. That applied to everywhere we lived- Colorado, Florida, South Carolina…we would go on vacation and I would get so upset at having to go back home, but now a part of me enjoys coming home. Portugal really feels like home more than anywhere else has in a long time. When we moved here a part of me worried that we would visit Spain and I would like it more. When it was just me, Kyle, and Sofia, we were 100% set on Valencia, Spain. Then I got pregnant with Leo and the income requirements for Spain became higher than I wanted to deal with, so we started to look more seriously at Portugal.

At first it kind of felt like Portugal was our backup choice, though I quickly found things about Portugal I liked. Since moving here Portugal has never been a backup choice. I have been to Spain a handful of times now, and I have even been to Valencia. I don’t dislike Spain, I just like Portugal more for our current stage of life. I even liked Valencia, and there is a ton to do there, but I’m happy we ended up in Portugal. It’s a nice reminder every time I leave how much I love it here.

Speaking of leaving, I’m already working on a few trips. My number one priority is to go to The Netherlands with Sofia next year to see the tulips. Tulips season coincides with Sofia’s Easter break from school, so I really want to make that trip happen. Originally we were planning on going to Disneyland Paris for Christmas this year, but we just can’t make that happen. The only money I will lose is on our plane tickets to Paris because that is all that I paid for so far. Now that I know I have plane tickets to Paris already my brain has been turning and I’m wondering if I can make some kind of trip happen, even if it’s not to Disneyland. We’ll have to see. Work has been really feast or famine lately, and I really want to build up more savings so I’m not so stressed when the famine part hits. But if I can make Paris happen right before Christmas I definitely will. Paris is definitely out of my comfort zone because of the language barrier, but I know I need to visit eventually and Christmas seems like a great time to see Paris.

London

August 12, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Today is our third day in London. I tried not to plan a ton so that we could leave lots of time for breaks and spontaneity. Our first day we went to Hyde Park and the Princess Diana Memorial Playground. I hadn’t gotten tickets for Kensington Palace because I didn’t think Sofia would enjoy it, but she wanted to go. She brought her camera with her and took so many pictures.

Yesterday we went to the aquarium, which she also loved. Today was the Natural History Museum but we barely stayed because she is just too tired. She doesn’t want to walk around anymore. We were going to visit the Science Museum but she won’t have the energy for that either. Right now we’re taking a break in the hotel and then I think we might head over to Oxford Circus. Tomorrow afternoon we have a tour of Buckingham Palace scheduled.

We’re staying in Victoria, which is pretty bustling but seems to be a great central location. Everywhere we have gone so far is easy to get to using the underground metro. We flew into Stansted Airport and it was easy to get here by train.

If I had come to London directly from the US I’m sure that I would notice lots of differences. Since I had a three year detour in Portugal, I’m noting so many similarities between London and the US. Most of them are silly, but still…they have ice cubes and drip coffee here. They say “hi, how are you?” Food here is much more familiar than in other parts of Europe, even though they have some dishes that aren’t at all familiar. Obviously the language is the same. Culturally London feels a lot more familiar than I expected it to. I’m not sure about the rest of England since we have only been in London.

I knew coming here that London is a massive city with tons of people. I guess I expected the people to spread out over the city a bit, but so far everywhere we have gone is pretty packed. The metro has been standing only more often than not. People are pretty quick to give up a seat for Sofia, which I really appreciate.

I haven’t been around crowds this big since we were in the US. They don’t make me as nervous as they used to. Sofia notices the crowds but doesn’t seem to mind them. I guess I finally wore her out though lol. She usually has a ton of energy and always wants to be out doing something, but site seeing in London has even worn her down 😂

So far London has been pretty easy, although expensive. I knew these things coming in. I’m not surprised by the prices but I guess being here is reminding me of somethings I miss. Me and Kyle always talk about how the main thing we miss from the US is the food. It has been so nice knowing the language here because I have no problem asking for things or how to do things. It makes me want to learn Portuguese even more because I really miss the ease of knowing the local language.

I am adding more because we just got back from Oxford Circus. All we really did was eat lunch and go to a few stores but we spent hours there. We stumbled upon what is probably the biggest toy store I have ever been to. It’s called Hamley’s and it was something like 5 levels. We spent hours in there. They had a puppet show and the staff did all kinds of fun things, like dance parties and toy demonstrations.

We have been really enjoying London! I think we would both love to come back again soon.

Peniche

July 22, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Our babysitter recently moved to Peniche, so she hasn’t come to our house to watch the kids for a while. She has been missing the kids and they have been missing her. She texted to see if we wanted to drop the kids off with her for a few hours in Peniche. Peniche has been on our list of places to visit and somehow we just hadn’t made it over there yet, so we agreed.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and when I first moved out on my own I moved to Santa Cruz, CA. Peniche brought back some memories of Santa Cruz. Driving around Peniche we saw tons of people in wetsuits carrying surf boards and the main beach seemed really popular. You can’t see it from the road because there are steps leading up to it, but the street lining that beach was the only time we ran into traffic.

We dropped the kids off and headed to the restaraunt that Kyle had picked. It’s called Profresco and he chose it because it’s seafood and has tons of reviews. We decided to splurge since we haven’t gone out in a long time and we got the lobster and prawn rice pot. It was amazing! The restaraunt also has a small seafood market that you see when you first walk in. Everything seems really fresh. The decor was nice but casual. Some people were there in swimsuits, towels, and sandals. I really liked the beach town casual vibe.

After lunch we headed downtown. On the way there we drove through the city walls. I only know Obidos is walled, I didn’t know that Peniche is too! At least some of it. Most of what we did was outside of the city walls, but some of it was inside. We went to a cafe downtown and it had the best cake we have had since moving to Portugal. Actually some of the best cake we have had ever, anywhere in the world. I am very much a pie and cake girl. Pie is my love language 😂

We both love carrot cake and this one came with a cream cheese frosting, which we haven’t had since the US. It was amazing. The second peice we chose because of all the caramel on top. I already love caramel more than chocolate, but caramel in Portugal is one of the best things I have ever tasted. You really can’t go wrong with caramel. It ended up being a Snickers Pie and it was also amazing. I can’t wait to go back there. There was another cake with caramel and chocolate on top and that’s the one I’m going to try next time!

There is a fort in Peniche and we made our way that way, passing lots of restaurants along the way. Most of the them have their menus on display. There is an Italian place with pesto gnocchi and there was another place with California Rolls. I haven’t seen California Rolls since we were in the US. The fort had some beautiful views.

Lastly, we walked along some of the cliffs. The views are amazing. I’m terrified of heights, so I didn’t get very close to the edge. There was a really cool ladder that lets you climb down into the rocks a bit, but I was too scared to even get to it. To get to the ladder you have to walk across a couple of the rocks. It’s near the edge. Obviously you can make it to the ladder without falling off of the rocks, but when I’m really high up I tend to freeze, so my body physically wouldn’t even let me make it to that ladder. Kyle made it there, but he was too tired to climb down it. We found an area that felt a bit safer for me, with some bridges to cross. I loved walking along all of the cliffs and it’s definitely a non kid-friendly activity, so it was time well spent without the kids.

The babysitter took the kids to two different beaches and they had a blast. We are heading back to Peniche in two weeks to do it all again, although maybe with some variations. We will try one of the restaraunts downtown, although I want to go back to the same cafe. Peniche is known for an island off the coast, but I’m not sure if we will have time to go there. I’m excited to go back. Obviously I know that we’re in Portugal and I love Portugal, but something about Peniche reminded me of some of the things I loved about growing up in California. The surfers, wetsuits, rocky beaches, fresh seafood, sandals…I just really loved it.

This week I am taking the kids to a resort in Nazare for two nights. The summer gets harder the longer it goes on, so we’re trying to make it through without completely losing our sanity. Leo is going through something and tells us he hates us every single day when he gets angry. I’m hoping that we can have some fun at the resort. Kyle will stay home and get the house to himself. Then when I get back a day later Kyle is going to take the kids to Aveiro and I will get the house to myself!

CenterParcs Zandvoort Part 2

July 9, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Well the week is over and I can say that I have not come to love this CenterParcs like I thought I would. Actually the longer we stay the more I dislike it. I don’t want to make a whole post complaining about a hotel, so I’ll just say that things here feel harder and more inconvenient than at the other CenterParcs.

There were just lots of small disappointments over the week. The trip would have been so much better if things were a little different, but I have been trying to appreciate the important things. Leo is having fun and has no idea of all the things I was hoping to do. I got an entire week off of work and got to spend it all with Leo. We have never taken a trip just the two of us.

The weather has been awful. I have been kind of shocked. I didn’t know it could be so cold and rainy during summer! It has rained every day that we have been here, but there have been some breaks. The worst has been the wind though. It has been so cold and ugly out.

Yesterday the weather finally changed and we were able to get some beach toys and head to the beach. Leo really wanted a big pirate shovel so hopefully they will let us carry it onto the plane because it’s not fitting in a suitcase 😂

I will be at home for a few weeks and then it will be my trip to London with Sofia. I’m so excited to go to London. This trip has made me realize that I need to find some inside activities, just in case London has crappy weather when we go. Leo doesn’t mind hanging out inside and being a bit lazy, but Sofia would hate that.

This trip has been good for a Leo. Since he’s the baby of the family he can be pretty reliant on Sofia. He has gained some independence this trip. He even made some friends all on his own at the playground. It has been great to see. Since him and Sofia won’t be in the same class at school anymore I am happy to see him making friends all by himself and gaining that confidence.

I’m surprised that Leo doesn’t seem to be that homesick. 7 days is a long time for him to be away from home, his dad, and his sister. He hasn’t talked about home while we’ve been here. I thought he would get homesick but I think he would actually love even longer vacations. Leo loves routine and he has fully adjusted to our vacation routine. This morning he has even been trying to convince me to stay.

We’re at the train station now waiting to head to the airport. Even though it wasn’t the trip that I envisioned we are both sad to be headed home. I’m back to work tomorrow already. It’s always tough getting to spend so much time with a kid and then going back to work and not getting to see them nearly as much.

Amsterdam

July 4, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Today there was a break in the rain so we took the train into Amsterdam. The Zandvoort train station is an easy 10 minute walk from the hotel. Buying tickets was super easy. They have yellow machines at all the train stations. You can also buy tickets online. From what I understand you don’t even need to buy tickets, you can swipe your credit card at the machines to enter and exit the stations. I didn’t want to do that because kids age 4-11 cost less so I wanted to get a kids ticket for Leo. Kids under 4 are free and kids 12 and up cost the same as adults.

I looked online and saw that there are trains to Amsterdam about every 30 minutes, so we decided to just walk to the train station when we were ready. A train arrived a few minutes later and it was so quiet that I didn’t even hear it approaching. I only noticed it because the whistle blew. The train we caught was scheduled for 9:20. It arrived at 9:09, doors closed at 9:19 and it left at exactly 9:20. The train has screens in each car telling you what the next station is. Taking the train in the Netherlands has been one of the easiest things I have ever done.

It’s not raining today but it is really windy and cold. We went to the NEMO science museum because it’s only 10 minutes from the train station and would give us a break from the wind. Leo was not into the short walk at all. He did love the museum though.

After the museum Leo had a bit of a tantrum because he just wanted to go back to the hotel. I guess he is all waked out even though we hadn’t even walked that much at that point. After stopping to get a snack I was able to convince him to go on a boat tour. I figured that would be a unique way to see the city since Leo definitely wasn’t going to let me see the sites on foot.

The boat tour was an hour and it was a nice break. Leo had a few toys that he played with so he (mostly) let me look around and take pictures. The houseboats in Amsterdam are amazing. Before the boat ride I had made a deal with Leo that after the boat ride we would get lunch and then head back to the hotel. He was really done with walking and luckily we saw a hot dog stand in front of the train station. He’s a pretty picky eater but he loves hot dogs!

Finding our train back was a little more complicated but still easy enough. The Amsterdam Centraal station is really beautiful from the outside. I don’t really remember the inside because I wanted to make sure we didn’t miss our train. We’re on the train right now. Fingers crossed there’s not another meltdown when we get off because we still have a 10-minute walk to the hotel.

Amsterdam looks like a beautiful city. I spent about 4 hours there so I really didn’t get to see much. Obviously it’s on my list to visit again some time. I don’t think we will come back this trip, but we’ll see.

CenterParcs Zandvoort Part 1

July 3, 2024July 3, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

We made it to CenterParcs Zandvoort! When I booked this one I noticed the reviews are quite a bit lower than some of the other CenterParcs Resorts. I see why and I don’t like it as much as the one we went to before, but I chose this one more for its location than the actual resort.

I chose this one because it’s right on the beach and there is a train station that’s about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The train can take us to some cute nearby towns, and Amsterdam is only about a 30 minute train ride away. Sofia loves site seeing and traveling, but Leo needs more breaks and down time. Sofia is much more independent, but Leo doesn’t like to do things on his own.

I’m like Sofia in my travel style, so I figured this specific Centerparcs would be a good compromise for me and Leo. He gets lots of down time and we can go to Amsterdam for a few hours of site seeing. We can be together 24/7 which Leo loves, but we will also have lots of different things to keep us busy when we want to be.

We haven’t even been here for 24 hours yet so I really can’t give a fair assessment of this place. It’s not as charming as the last one and just has a different vibe. It also doesn’t have quite as many activities on site, but that’s okay because there is so much more nearby. The other resort we couldn’t even really leave because we didn’t have a car. Unfortunately it has been raining all morning, so we haven’t gotten to venture out much. We did check out the indoor playground. It’s not as big as the other one, but it’s still nice and Leo loves it.

This CenterParcs has cottages like they all do, but it also has a hotel. Leo and I chose the hotel for a few reasons. First, it was hundreds cheaper. We’re staying for 7 days and I think the cheapest cottage was €400-€500 more. Plus the breakfast buffet is included with the hotel, so that’s one less meal to pay for. It doesn’t have a kitchen though, so we can’t cook. It has a beach view, which I really love.

Last night we walked to the main dome, which has the pools and the restaurants. We haven’t gone into the pool area yet, so I’m excited to check out the pools later. The rest of the dome was okay, nothing particularly impressive. They also have a farm/petting zoo here somewhere.

The weather makes me realize how lucky I was on my trip with Sofia. If it had rained it would have really sucked because we were outside the whole time. At least here we have inside activities to keep us busy. Even so, I really hope the rain lets up soon so we can go into the nearby town and maybe head to the beach. And go to Amsterdam of course.

I will make a part 2 once I have actually gotten to see the park. Like I said, we really haven’t seen much. I don’t dislike this place at all, but I bet I will end up loving it by the time we leave.

Summer Vacation

June 16, 2024June 16, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Right now Kyle and the kids are in Castelo Branco and I finally get a little bit of peace and quiet. I took the kids to Castelo Branco for a day trip a few weeks ago and it’s nice there. I need to go back and see more because we barely got to see it.

Summer vacation has been kind of rough, but we’re making it work. It’s so much easier when the kids are split up, so I’m taking Sofia on one more trip before school starts. Sofia has been wanting to go somewhere where the kids will understand what she is saying. I have been wanting to go to London for a long time, so that’s finally on our agenda for August! Obviously the language will be easy and I think that Sofia and I will like the food. I love palaces and gardens and London seems to have plenty of those. I love natural history museums and really miss them. London has one so we will definitely visit. Even better is that it’s free!

When the kids are in school we won’t be able to keep pulling them, so traveling will drastically slow down (for the kids anyway). Kyle and I agreed that we can each go on a 2-3 day trip by ourselves during the week while the other parent stays home. We will probably each take a trip every few months. In September Kyle will be going to Vienna to visit his sister. I’m excited for him. Vienna is on my list- really everywhere is on my list!

My first solo trip is going to be to Seville, Spain. I have been wanting to go but have heard about how hot it is during the summer, so the timing hasn’t been good. I think October or November will probably be a good time to visit. I’m excited to go but it will also be weird. I traveled before I met Kyle, but we met when we were 26. Then we had Sofia and Leo in our mid thirties. Things have been pretty loud and hectic since Sofia was born 5 years ago. It will be really strange to have so much silence and to not be showing the kids stuff. Whenever I go out without them I notice things that they would like and that I wish I could show them. I haven’t traveled completely solo since my early to mid twenties, which was a few decades ago now! I’m a little nervous about solo travel just because I have really come to appreciate the company of my family even though they drive me crazy sometimes.

In a few weeks I’m taking Leo to a Centerparcs in the Netherlands. Leo and I haven’t gotten a trip together, so it will be nice to spend a week with him. I loved Efteling, but that trip was hectic and busy so I am happy for a more laid back trip this time. Then I will have another hectic and busy trip when Sofia and I go to London. The Centerparcs Leo and I are staying at will be really close to a train station and only a 30-minute train ride from Amsterdam. I’m planning on going into Amsterdam for at least a few hours and hopefully we will be able to check out a town or two nearby.

This year has been absolutely insane travel wise. Once the kids are back in school I will have to start saving money, but that should be pretty easy. We have been bleeding money this summer. Entertaining kids is expensive! Kyle has been taking them out while I work and we have been paying a babysitter once a week so that Kyle and I can go out for a few hours. I suppose that all of the travel isn’t helping my savings account either, but after paying the bills I will almost always prioritize traveling. We have finally gotten used to living in Portugal, but it does still feel surreal how much we are getting to travel Europe and that we will get to do so for years to come. Especially now with Kyle and I planning on taking trips for 2-3 days at a time. I will get to see a lot of different places next year.

It has been different splitting up to go on these trips. It’s weird making memories with only half of my family, but I also think these trips can help future family trips. Now Sofia and I have a pretty good feel for Efteling, so when we all go as a family we will know what rides we’re excited to take Leo and Kyle on. Sofia and I will get to know London, which will definitely help in future trips because we will know which neighborhoods we do and don’t like. Kyle will know a bit about Vienna so whenever we all go together he can show us around. It has been an adjustment to go with only one kid, but it does make the trips a lot more affordable!

Efteling

June 7, 2024June 22, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Today was day 3 at Efteling. Tomorrow will be our fourth and final day. When I booked this trip I knew a lot of people compared Efteling to Disneyland and said that Efteling is better. I definitely on board with that! We go back to Disneyland Paris for Christmas so I will be able to compare again, but I think I Efteling will always be the winner in my book.

Efteling has so much green space and beautiful flowers. They have tons of fountains and ducks. Sofia has developed a sudden interest in ducks because there are so many here. Efteling has an abundance of benches that are in the shade, which I really appreciate since we have been getting 18,000 steps each day! I also appreciate how Efteling uses scents to add to the ambiance.

We meant to spent a day in each area of the park, but on our first day we were so excited that we walked around most of the park. We went on the big rides we wanted to do. The second day we went to a part of the park we hadn’t seen yet. Today we stuck to the fairytales and playgrounds in the park. Tomorrow we will have to revisit our favorite rides.

Sofia’s favorite ride is Max & Moritz, which is the family racing roller coaster. We both like Max best- the blue side. My favorite ride is droomvlucht, which I just call the fairy ride since I have no idea how to say that word. I love the track on the ride (it’s above instead of below). I love the displays you see and at the end you go up a bit and then down semi quickly. It’s cute and it’s fun.

Sofia also loved the Carnaval ride. It’s fine although the music is kind of annoying and gets stuck in my head. I liked the gondola ride. A few people said to skip it but I really enjoyed it. It was a nice way to rest for 20 minutes and to see parts of the park from a different view. There is a train here with two stations, but one of them is closed right now which is why we have been walking so much.

We rode all three tracks of Symbolica. We both really liked the treasures one. Sofia isn’t quite tall enough for most of the roller coasters yet. We did go on the wooden one which I really thought she would like. She ended up hating it because it was too intense.

We want to bring Kyle and Leo here of course. I think next summer we will try to come visit. Efteling seems like a great park for so many ages. Sofia’s age (5) is great but I could see older kids liking it too because of the coasters. The dark rides are nicely done and I think most people would appreciate them. I love Efteling- it is definitely one of my favorite theme parks and I’m excited to come back. Next time we’re going to stay at one of the Efteling hotels. We’re staying off site this time which is fine but next time we want to be in one of the hotels on site. They’re building a brand new one right next to the entrance with a sign saying it opening in 2025!