We all slept really well, thankfully. We needed the rest.

We had a lovely hot breakfast at a nearby cafe this morning. The kids enjoyed their pancakes with maple syrup, and we enjoyed our bacon and eggs.

It was a beautiful morning – clear, blue sky, warm sunshine, and a cool breeze.

Our first stop was the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a really impressive structure. It did look golden in the morning sunlight. To be honest, up close it loses a little of its magnitude. The bridge looks best from a distance. We walked halfway across the bridge, and the view was beautiful across the bay. The US coastguard helicopter kept flying low along the length of the bridge, which was quite exciting for the kids. I didn’t take many pics of the view, because the lingering smog from the bushfires would not have done justice to the view. I think the SF bay is a little like Auckland's Harbour – a big harbour, with mountainous land all around. Really beautiful.

We then got a bus south from the bridge to Bakers Beach. We walked to the beach, and enjoyed the view north to the Golden Gate Bridge, and the rest. The kids had a great time playing in the sand. Olivia found feathers from birds, and found a rock for Pa. Josh had fun eating the sand. He was covered in it. We can look forward to enjoying the sand at the other end in a day or two!

We then caught the bus further down to Golden Gate Park, which is like the Botanical Gardens. We walked along to the Japanese Tea Gardens. They were very beautiful and relaxing. We walked to the teahouse and enjoyed pots of Jasmine and Ou-Long Tea while looking over tranquil Japanese Gardens. We enjoyed walking along the winding paths that took us through the gardens, ensuring that Josh didn’t end up in the water with the large, orange carp.

We finally left the Golden Gate Park and got the bus to Alamo Square, where we saw some of the most beautiful Victorian era houses in San Francisco. Alamo Square also had a great children’s park, so Olivia and Josh had lots of fun on the swings and slides.

We then got back on the number 21 bus and headed to Market and 5^th to get the famous cable car of San Francisco. I have to say, the MUNI – municipal transport system - is very good. We travelled everywhere by bus for $6 all day, and it took us everywhere we wanted to go. Very economical, and very environmentally friendly, too.

San Francisco is an interesting city geographically. The streets run steeply up and down, just like I remember in the great show “The Streets of San Francisco”. We decided to take the old-style cable car from Powell St to Hyde St. It was a really exciting ride! The old, wooden cable car had wooden brakes, so it adds an element of excitement when we are heading down a really steep hill. The views were amazing! Josh was clapping his hands with excitement, and was smiling and cheering. Olivia was very laid back, and ate an apple most of the way.

Once we made it back to Hyde St we walked back up the steep hill to Lombard St – the world’s most crooked street. It is a bit contrived, to be honest, but it attracts the tourists. I would hate to live on this street! You can see a photo of the many twists and turns of Lombard St.

We then walked back to our hotel and on to a seafood restaurant on the waterfront. W had a really great meal of oysters, calamari, clam chowder, crab cakes, scallops and crab. The kids enjoyed the calamari and some cheese pizza. We also enjoyed some great Chardonnay from the Napa Valley in California. It was a perfect evening!

Now, Jason is snoring, and the kids are asleep, so it is time for me to stop. San Francisco has been a relaxing end to our holiday. I’ve enjoyed the laid-back feeling of the place, and the clear, sunny days and cool breeze. Very refreshing.

I barely slept a wink last night. I spent all night lying there waiting for the alarm to sound. Silly, I know.

We got up on time, and were ready to leave at 6.30am when our taxi arrived. It was pouring rain as we climbed in and made our way to JFK. We said our goodbyes to lovely NY, and then checked in for our flight to San Francisco.

We flew Virgin America. The interior of the plane was very hip – ultraviolet lights, cream leather seats with black and red trimming, and background music suggesting we were in one of Manhattan’s latest trendy bars. We had a good flight (Yes, business again. Terrible snobs!) although the food was not great. The three flight attendants loved Josh, and took him for walks, and oohed and ahhed over him. Olivia was allowed to go up to meet the pilots, who wore trendy uniforms – black shirts and pants, again, club gear. She was a little over-awed, but they were very friendly towards her.

The climate in San Francisco provided us with some relief from the humidity of New York. It was sunny with a cool breeze, although our Indian taxi driver nearly suffocated us with hot, stuffy air on the drive to our hotel.

We are staying at a lovely place called the Argonaut, right across the street from the Fisherman’s Wharf, but a little closer to Golden Gate Bridge. Alcatraz is close by in case Jason or Josh get out of hand.

Our room overlooks a courtyard, and right now a really cute couple are singing some of the famous Opera arias. The soprano has a really good voice.

I’m back. I’ve been downstairs listening to them, and I bought their CDs. Olivia and Josh came down too, and they seemed to love the music. Olivia sat quietly listening, while Josh danced around and moved in time to the music. Naturally Olivia then joined in. I sat and enjoyed Schubert’s Ave Maria, and some of Puccini’s arias. It was lovely.

We spent the evening walking along the bay towards the Golden Gate Bridge. It is an impressive structure. There are bushfires around, so there is a lot of smog blurring our view. We’ll go back tomorrow morning for another look.

We’re all pretty tired, and the kids have fallen asleep. Jason and I are enjoying some Portuguese port we found that isn’t revolting, and we’re enjoying our cave-matured cheddar from Cheddar. It’s quiet, and the cool night air is coming in through the window. What a lovely way to relax.

Things didn’t look promising for us this morning. We had decided to take the kids to the beach at Coney Island, but there were a few drops of rain, and the sky looked grey.

We took the B line all the way from 113^th St across to Brooklyn and on to Brighton Beach – “Russia by the Sea”. To be honest, Brighton Beach is depressing. The beach was filthy with rubbish and goodness knows what else, and overweight, ageing people were sitting enjoying the sun that was trying to peep through the clouds, all speaking Russian.

We walked along the boardwalk to Coney Island, and the clouds did move on, and the sun came out.

After a few hotdogs and freshly-squeezed lemonade, we took Liv and Josh in to the “Wonder Wheel” Amusement Park for children. They had SO much fun!! Olivia has gotten over any hesitation of going on rides, and Josh never hesitated to begin with. Olivia was smiling, and Josh was squealing with joy. We ended the rides with a go on the “Wonder Wheel”, the large ferris wheel built in 1918 that is now listed as a heritage site. It was lots of fun.

After this we headed to the beach, and we bought a $10 beach umbrella to protect us from the now hot sun. The beach was a little better than Brighton Beach, but still not nearly as nice as our lovely Sydney Beaches – or any of the beaches I’ve been to in Australia, for that matter. Olivia made sandcastles and did “sand dances”, while I took Josh for a swim. I love the novelty of swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. The beach umbrella died in the wind – what can you expect for $10? We decided to end our time there, and after a cold shower, headed back to the subway station.

Just a little note. I had gone in to the toilets to 'illegally" change after my swim. Two Hispanic women were trying to change out of their cossies, when the African American women who were the toilet attendants enforcing the “no changing in the toilets” law decided to have a go at them. The Hispanic women asked “Well where should we change? We can’t be naked outside”. One of the African American women then made reference to Hispanics smelling bad, and some other really racist stuff. I wasn’t sure what to do. I wanted to say something, but the Hispanic women were already answering back. I decided to just leave. I guess racism is everywhere. It’s awful to see it so blatantly displayed.

Anyway, in the evening we had a fantastic meal at Zoma, the Ethiopian restaurant just 50m from where we are staying. The food was spicy, a little like Indian, and was eaten by hand with some flat bread. Very delicious.

After dinner we took the subway to midtown – 42^nd St. We wanted to show the kids the lights of Time Square, and they were amazed. Josh was squealing again. From there we walked along 42^nd St to 5^th Avenue for a view of two of my favourite buildings, the Empire State Building, and the Chrysler Building. Both look very romantic lit up at night, and we took some time just relaxing and gazing at the buildings. Jason was not so keen, but it was my compensation for not going up the Empire State Building.

Finally we took a taxi uptown to our temporary home. The kids were exhausted, and fell asleep as soon as they were washed – holding hands!

We took it easy today. The kids woke just after 5am, but didn’t get out of bed until about 6am. We hung out in our apartment, and I caught up on domestic things like washing. It was quite relaxing taking some time out sitting out in our courtyard garden enjoying the morning before it was too hot. Olivia found some banana chairs, and her and Josh had fun setting them up.

Once we did head out a little after 1pm, we first went to Cafe Society, a great cafe just down Frederick  Douglass Boulevard. The coffee was very good, as was the food. Also, they were very good to the kids, who were struggling a little with the jetlag.

After lunch we walked through Central Park. We fed the ducks in the pond some bread left over from last night’s Italian take away. The kids had a lot of fun doing this. Then we went to one of the many playgrounds in Central Park. It was SO hot and humid. We stripped Josh off and let him play in the sprinklers. Olivia again made friends with the other kids, and also had some fun running through the sprinklers.

Once we got Olivia out of the playground we walked down to 86^th St to pursue one of Jason’s passions. There is some sort of fantastic whiz-bang speaker not yet available in Australia, and he wanted to listen to it before buying one on the net. Talk about a labour of love! Walking a long way in the heat with the children – not fun! Once we got there, they had the speaker, but it wasn’t set up for listening. So, we headed back the long way via the subway system, having to change 3 different times. Wished we’d taken a taxi!

In the evening we had a great Indian meal at Indus Valley, on the corner of 100^th St and Broadway. Our waiter, Wynn Greene, was Anglo-Indian – the same little race within India that Jason comes from. He was a lovely, lovely man, and took really good care of us. Turns out he has family in Melbourne, and has lived in Sydney and Melbourne before. Even more than that, he is friends with one of Jason’s cousins, Brian De Clase. What a small world! He told us about a great Anglo-Indian website that my beloved father-in-law will no doubt love. http://www.pepperwater.com

The kids were asleep before we left the restaurant, so it’s time for me to sleep while I can. The last thing to say is “I love New York!!!”

Today was a long travel day.

We had to be up at 6am to be at the airport. That’s tough going when you’re woken through the night by people playing “knock and run” on your doorbell. Welcome to Friday nights in Prague – the place is swamped with drunken Poms and other EU-ers coming for stag nights and the like.

Anyway, we had a good flight to Zurich, and were able to see some of the snow-capped mountains of the Alps on the way. Once in Zurich we had to haggle with the Swiss Air staff, which had not seated us together. Apparently it is fine for a 3yo to sit alone away from her parents; the important thing is not to upset some other passenger who likes a particular aisle seat. Finally commonsense prevailed, and we were all seated together.

The nine hour flight from Zurich to New York was OK. I know that I am a full-on snob now, but I was surprised that the Business Class seats didn’t recline to allow for any decent rest. “Life is so hard” I thought, as I enjoyed my 3 course meal complete with wine.

The kids were great. Olivia entertained herself on the flight, while Josh entertained everyone else. At one point, three women were gathered around him telling him how cute he was. I find it a little embarrassing being the mother of a celebrity. Josh has become a real show-off, and now smiles on request, and blows kisses spontaneously to his adoring fans. What a shocker!

Arriving to the US via New York is a really pleasant experience, in complete contrast to arriving via LAX.

We were shown to Passport Control by a lovely young black guy, and when Josh decided to do the bolt, and run a really long way away from me to the other side of the large hall we were in, the young guy laughed, and showed me the shortcut to go and retrieve Josh. In LA, we’d have been arrested on the spot! The same courteous, good-humoured conduct was displayed by the Passport Officer and the Customs Officer too.

New York lived up to my expectations – hot and humid. Free bottles of water were handed out to all those taking a taxi from the airport, and that helped us to survive the traffic grid on the Van Wyck Expressway.

We were a little anxious as our taxi took us through Spanish Harlem and Harlem, and pulled up. I was wondering if I had miscalculated the location of our accomodation.

There was nothing to worry about. Our ground floor apartment is beautiful, and very spacious by NY standards. Michele, who is of Indian descent, and her French husband Yves, own the place, and live in the upstairs apartment. The neighbourhood is mixed, and we have been assured that the area is very safe.

We are situated in 113^th street – the far upper west side – near Central Park and Morningside Park. We have the B and C line subways just near us, too.

In the evening we walked to Morningside Park, where a big party was being held for 3 different children. Olivia has really come out of her shell, and raced over to join a couple of little boys who would have been about 4 or 5 playing on the gymset and slippery dip. We had a hard time leaving, because she wanted to stay. I’m so pleased with the way she has made friends in every park around the world, regardless of language, race or the colour of the other children.

The kids crashed at about 9pm – 3am Central Europe time. Jason and I enjoyed our Italian take-away while watching the Papal Mass live on TV. A little taste of Australia.

It’s hot, and the a.c. is blairing. I hope we get some sleep.

We slept in today, and after making sure that Dad was OK (with his retinal detachment), we took the Metro to the north of Novo Mestro – “New Town”. New Town is only new compared to the old town of Prague. It is still many hundreds of years old.

We headed to Jandrisska Tower to the 10th floor for a different perspective of Prague. From there we walked to Wenceslas Square. The place looked more vibrant in the day, and there were groups of dancers in brightly coloured costumes dancing folk dances. Olivia was enthralled!

It started to rain, so after donning our raincoats, we trekked along the main street of Prague, “Narodni”, back to the river, and back to our apartment.

Jason and Olivia stopped off for a rest – the daily grind of travel taking its toll. Josh and I continued on further along the river to the town of Vysehrad. I was able to find a few interesting Czech Cubist designed houses.

When I returned home, I picked up Olivia, and we went to the nearby park on Slav Island. They kids enjoyed playing, and I chatted again to Michael, the groundsman of the park. Jason befriended him two days ago. He was a carpenter until a bad accident gave him a serious head injury. Once he recovered, he was no longer able to work as a carpenter, so now works in the park keeping it clean. He does his best to support his wife and two daughters. He was a lovely man, and was very caring towards all the children in the park.

At 5pm we boarded a boat for a cruise along the Vltava River, just near the Charles Bridge. The cruise was very relaxing, and we were able to see the castle and other beautiful buildings from a different perspective. Josh enjoyed flirting with a group of Spanish girls on the boat, who were flirting back. One funny thing. My Czech is terrible, I'm sure, but the English narrative on the cruise was very amusing. My favourite was (say this with a heavy accent)" And now on your right, the building that is the MinUStry of InDUStry". I could barely understand it. Jason understood perfectly!

After the cruise, we walked back through Mala Strana, and crossed the Charles Bridge. We had noticed yesterday a man who drew beautiful portraits in charcoal, so we asked if he would draw Olivia and Josh.

Josh was first, and he smiled and flirted with the crowd who gathered around to watch. Just as Josh’s portrait was finished, the rain started to fall. So, after waiting 30 minutes for the rain to move on, we returned for Olivia’s portrait. There is something about Josh. People love him. The number of people who stop to talk to him, smile at him, touch him, and take a photo of him is amazing. While Olivia sat for her portrait, Josh had another crowd gathered around watching him dance, sing and smile.

Portraits completed, we walked slowly back across the Charles Bridge, enjoying the afternoon sunlight against the dark blue/grey clouds. We returned for our last meal at our local pub before heading upstairs to pack up. We need to leave at 7am for the airport, before flying to New York via Zurich.

I have really enjoyed our time in Prague. It is a beautiful city, rich in art, music and literature, with an interesting history, striking architecture, and stunning views across the Vltava River. It has been a wonderful experience.

Our new morning ritual is eating breakfast with German “Spongebob Squarepants” on in the background. I think I preferred cartoons in French.

We had our first tram ride this morning. It stops just 25m from our front door, so is very convenient. It dropped us off just at the foot of the Charles Bridge, at its eastern gate way. The bridge is a very popular tourist spot, and the crowd took away somewhat from the experience of being there. Statues of different saints line each side of the bridge, and with the Prague Castle and the Cathedral of St Vitus in the background, it was still lovely.

Once we were across the bridge, we strolled around the streets of Malá Strana, the “little quarter”. It is just like a postcard - narrow, cobbled streets lined with beautiful buildings, leading up the hill towards the castle. We visited the Church of St Nikolas, which is a magnificent baroque church whose green dome and tower look down on Malá Strana. We also paid a quick visit to the Church of our Lady of Victories, which houses the Infant Jesus of Prague.

I am Catholic, and I am used to statues and other religious icons, although they don’t play a part in my own faith or spirituality. But this was on a different level. The statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague was dressed in an elaborate blue outfit with gold, and was surrounded with gold statues. There is a museum displaying the elaborate outfits which have been given to the Infant Jesus to wear. None-the-less, the church was very peaceful, and I enjoyed the peace. We bought some things in the shop, and ran in to an Italian priest who was based in Prague, having spent time as a missionary in South America and Africa. He started talking to us, and gave us some lovely holy cards where the image of Jesus and Mary were made out of butterfly wings. They had been made in Peru.

From here we walked up a narrow, cobbled street to the top of the hill, and found a lovely Italian Restaurant called Bella Vista. We enjoyed our lunch while looking over the city of Prague below. Olivia and Josh were given toys to play with, and were allowed to feed the goldfish in the water fountain. Jason and I enjoyed the break –just the two of us. And even though the day was overcast, and it was raining a little, the view was still amazing.

Feeling refreshed, we walked to Loreta Square, and looked at Loreta. It was built as a replica of “Santa Casa”, the supposed home of Our Lady. It contained some beautiful religious artwork, and some lovely chapels, as well as some more Catholic religious items.

We headed on to Prague Castle, and its main feature, the Cathedral of St Vitus. It was very interesting and beautiful. We didn’t know there were so many Czech saints. While the castle is interesting, the gardens around the castle are really beautiful, and the views of the Vltava River and the city are worth the trip.

Finally, we walked up to the top of the hill to Petřín, the largest garden space in Prague. It has beautiful woody slopes, dotted with the occasional crucifix. We walked beside the Hunger Wall, which is the southern perimeter of the old city of Prague. It’s called the Hunger Wall because when Charles IV had it built in the 1400s, the workers were paid food for their labour. An early work for the dole scheme.

Just a funny thing. From our window we can see a tower that Olivia has been calling the Eiffel Tower, which has confused her a little. Apparently the tower is a replica of the real deal, built in 1891. We saw it up close in Petřín.

We let the kids run around in a rose garden within Petřín before we took the funicular railway back down to the river, and walked the short distance to our room.

After dinner at our local, we walked across Charles’ Square to Wenceslas Square. To be honest, it’s not much to look at. Most of the strip clubs etc are in the vicinity, and it had a very seedy feel. Hard to believe so many important points in the history of the Czech Republic have taken place in the square. We finished the evening walking back to the Charles Bridge, before heading back to our room. The lights of the castle were beautiful in the evening, and were worth the walk.

We slept in today. We needed to catch up after yesterday’s early start and travelling. Olivia spent the morning telling us “I’m in the Czech Republic!” – as if she was quite amazed.

We had a taste of Prague’s Metro Service, which was very impressive for its efficiency. We travelled from Karlovo Namesti to Namesti Republiky. One funny thing was the speed at which the escalators moved us down from street level to the station a long way below. I nearly fell down with Josh in his stroller when we first stepped on. That would have been a great start to the day!

When we came back up to the surface and got orientated, we first headed to the old Powder Gate, the main gate which still remains of the old town wall from the 13^th century. We wandered along the Celetna, which is part of the Royal Way – the path old Czech kings would walk making their way to St Vitus’ cathedral for coronation. There were many interesting shops selling Bohemian Crystal and beautiful wooden toys and other wooden objects. We stopped at a lovely cafe near the Tyn Church, called Ebel Coffee House. They had some fantastic coffee, and a really refreshing mint jasmine tea.

After lunch we wandered through the Czech Cubist Museum in the House of the Black Madonna. I don’t know that much about the Cubist movement, but there were some beautiful pieces of art – paintings, furniture, and tea sets. It was very relaxing, and fortunately Josh slept through the whole thing.

We then made our way to the Old Town Square, which is buzzing with tourists. Old Town Hall Tower has an astronomical clock, dating from 1410. Four figures on the clock represent vanity, greed, death and pagan invasion, which were the big concerns of the population in those times. What has changed? When the clock strikes the hour, the figure of “death” rings a bell, and inverts his hour glass. The twelve apostles parade past windows above these figures, nodding to the crowd below. It was very funny to see, and I managed to record the display. Josh found it very amusing.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Old Town, and along the banks of the Vltava. We saw many churches, in particular, the Church of St Nicholas. To finish the day out, the kids played in the park on Slav Island, which is just near our apartment.

We had a pre-dinner Czech beer in the pub next door with some tapas snacks, before heading to a restaurant recommended in many of the travel books. Many celebs have eaten there. Things have obviously changed. We had a strange experience. We were given half of our drinks orders, and then asked the “waiter” if we could order. He answered “in a moment” 20 mins later he took our orders. Nearly 40 mins later half our food arrived. At least the kids ate. We then decided to leave, and of course, only paid for what we received. The “waiter”, who I think was stoned, said “sorry” and shrugged his shoulders. Hmmm.

Anyway, the sun set across the river, and we had a beautiful view from our room. Jason went downstairs and got me some take-away goulash from our pub, and everything is good. So “dobry vecer" to you all.  

We did it!

We were up early, and by 8.30am we were waiting in the queue to ascend the Eiffel Tower. Already the queues were growing, and by the time the tower opened, the queues were long, snaking round and round the area underneath the tower.

We were able to go to the highest level – the 3^rd floor, which is right at the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was a clear, sunny day, and we could see for a long way before the view blurred in to the haze. Olivia was really excited, as was Josh. You can see some snaps of the views – although they aren’t as good as the real thing.

We were also able to buy a replacement hat for Olivia in Monoprix, which was a nice finishing touch to our Parisian sojourn.

Then, we were in our taxi heading for Orly Airport, and the flight to Prague.

Prague definitely has a different feel. The city is built around the Vltava River, with the Prague Castle on the western hillside, and the town clustered on either side of the river. There is a quiet, understated feel to the elegant baroque buildings in our area. Everyone we have met since we arrived this evening has been polite, friendly, and has spoken English quite well.

Our accommodation is amazing. We are in a large apartment right across from the Vltava River, with fantastic views. The ceilings are more than double Jason’s height, and although the facade of the block is old, the interior is fully refurnished and renovated, and quite stylish.

We had a hearty meal of genuine Czech cuisine in the pub next to where we are staying. We sat outside, and started with a beer each. I asked for a small dark Czech beer – I didn’t realize that meant 500mL of beer. Large is 1L. It was really tasty, and even Jason enjoyed his beer. He enjoyed his Moravian "Sparrows" (roast pork with cabbage and dumplings) and I enjoyed my Goulash with dumplings.

So far we have learned 4 words in Czech – good morning (dobry den), good evening (dobry vecer), please (prosim)and thank you (dekuju) - I can't type the words properly because This keyboard doesn't have the Czech symbols which indicate the  pronunciation of the vowels. A basic, but useful vocab.

Time to get some sleep now. Jason is already snoring!

, 

We decided to take it easy today and catch up on some sleep. We all slept in until 10am, which was a real treat.

Once we did get up and out, we walked along the left bank of the Seine to the Jardin de Plantes. There were many things for the children to see and do. They played in the playgrounds, walked through the gardens, and saw many animals in the “menagerie”. It was funny seeing emus, wallabies and kangaroos. Olivia was SO excited, and exclaimed for every animal “Wow, that’s my favourite! Great!”.

By the late afternoon we needed some refreshment, so we stopped at the Mosquée de Paris Salon de Thé. It was really lovely. We had cups of sweet, black mint tea in elaborate glasses with gold trimmings, and ate middle eastern sweet pastries. The tea was very refreshing. Our last metro ride, and then we were back to rest before dinner.

In the evening, we walked to the Marais district to have dinner at Chez Marianne, a Jewish restaurant serving delicious middle eastern food. We had a platter of different things like Hommus, Tabouleh, and Aubergine, served with Pita bread. We took some baklava and Turkish delight home with us for later.

We ended the day with the Bastille Day fireworks display. The children were still awake (at 11pm!), so we all walked across the road to Pont Neuf where we could see the Eiffel Tower, and enjoyed the show. Olivia has been excited all day. She was all “OOOH, AAAH!” with every firework, and called out every colour she saw. By 11.15 I was pretty tired, and Jason had already taken a very tired Josh back to our room. Yet every time I asked Olivia if she wanted to go back, she said “Not yet Mummy”.

I think we are pretty lucky. We've been in New York for July 4th, and now Paris for Bastille Day.

All in all, we’ve had a lovely time in Paris, and have really enjoyed our last full day.

All going well, we will get up early, and finally ascend the Eiffel Tower before we leave tomorrow.

We dragged ourselves out of bed – and it was difficult! – just to get to la Tour Eiffel bright and early. We thought that if we were there by 9.30, then we would beat the crowds. Obviously everyone had the same idea. The crowds were queued for a LONG way, longer than the previous day. But Olivia asked “Please Mummy, can we go up the Eiffel Tower?” So, we waited.

One hour later, we had progressed to the point where we were about to buy tickets and join the smaller queue for the lift to go up. We were so close...

All of a sudden, the Gendarmerie closed in, and closed off the tower pedestal we were going to ascend. Whistles were blowing, and plain-clothed police were running in with walkie-talkies, looking up the tower. We were pushed aside out from under the tower, and the area was immediately taped off. What was happening? We had no idea... Some people suggested that someone was threatening to jump off the tower. Certainly the police were all looking up, so something was happening.

All was revealed when Greenpeace unfurled their banner.

When it comes to it, I think Greenpeace do a good job fighting for the rights of the environment and endangered species. But can you imagine how it feels to have literally dragged your young children out of bed, jumped into a taxi, then waited for one hour while entertaining an active 18 month old boy, and to have just about got up the Eiffel Tower to fulfil the dreams of your 3 year old, only to have it all quashed by the stunt of a few young activists? We were not impressed!

But, it was a beautiful day, so we moved on.

We walked through the Champs de Mars, a large area of gardens just southeast from the Eiffel Tower. There was a playground for children, including a carrousel. At first Olivia refused to go on, but Josh jumped at the chance. So of course, Olivia then wanted a go. They each had a lot of fun. They played in the playground for ages, and again, Olivia made friends with two little girls, and didn’t want to leave. She told Jason, when he went to ask her to come with us “No, Daddy, you just go away please”

We then walked a fair way, past the Ecole Militaire and Uncesco, and on to Place de Bruteuil. From there, we walked along the Avenue de Bruteuil to the Hotel des Invalides. The Hotel des Invalides was built in the 1670s by Louis XIV for war veterans, to provide them with housing. It has a very ornate, gold dome, which stands out in the city skyline. Quite elaborate housing for war veterans, or anyone, come to mention it.

From there, we walked toward the Pont Alexandre III and the River Seine, and then walked along to the Musee D’Orsay.

Jason and I both love the Impressionists, and Neo-Impressionists. It was a real treat to have to the chance to view some of our favourite works by Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh, and Monet, just to name a few. I found it really relaxing, like a little trip to heaven.

When we left the Musee D’Orsay, it was raining lightly, so we quickly walked back along the river to our accommodation.

In the evening, after dinner at Bouillon Racine, we took a cruise on the River Seine. It was just on sunset, and the surrounding sights looked even more beautiful in the evening light. Josh was quite restless, to say the least. Olivia was very excited, and particularly enjoyed seeing the Eiffel Tower again. I think “London Bridge” has been superseded. She keeps asking me “Mummy, why did the police close the Eiffel Tower?”

We’ve promised her that we will see it before we leave.

We all slept well, Josh included. Fortunately he is much better this morning.

We were off reasonably early for our first metro ride to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. We decided to buy a second stroller from a nearby Monoprix so we could travel around further, faster.  For the equivalent of a bit more than $50 it has been worth it.

Our next stop was a little further along the metro line, Les Sablons, for a walk through the Jardin d’Acllimatation. Olivia and Josh had so much fun. We were going to have a picnic, but a short shower of rain forced us indoors into a cafe. I’m having lots of fun ordering food in French, and I’m actually receiving what I think I am ordering.

After lunch we went on a few rides in the amusement park. The vintage carrousel was designed to look as though it was from the early 1900s. Olivia and I went for a ride. Josh was having too much fun running around chasing pigeons.

We then walked further to the Bois de Boulogne, a large woodland park area in the western part of Paris. The tracks through the woodlands were beautiful. We headed toward Lac Infériur, and hired a row boat. Yes, we all sang “row, row, row your boat” many times. Josh and Liv were very keen to paddle, but Jason did all the hard work. I sat back to enjoy the ride. Unfortunately Olivia’s hat blew in to the lake, and in spite of our best efforts, we could not rescue it before it sank. That caused a few tears, but at least none of us ended up in the lake!

After this, we walked toward the Trocadero and on to the Eiffel Tower. We decided not to wait in the long queues today – we will try our luck tomorrow morning.

A handy taxi then sped us to St Chappelle, on île de la Cité, to view the beautiful stained glass windows. We saw them on our last trip, and were keen to see them again. Olivia thought they were lovely. Josh was too busy working the crowd to notice.

In the evening we walked past the Louvre and along the nearby streets. We found a lovely little restaurant for dinner, and the food was very tasty. Josh and Liv had already had their dinner, but they enjoyed the crusty bread and butter.

We ended the night with another walk through the Louvre. The lights had just come on, and we stayed long enough for Josh and Liv to run around in the cool, evening air. They were in their summer PJs. Most other people were in jumpers and jackets. Olivia was quite excited to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. Hopefully we will climb it tomorrow.

Poor old Josh has developed a cold, and has developed a bad, wheezy cough. Fortunately I am prepared, so have already started the oral prednisone, and the round-the-clock ventolin. Jason was up most of the night, not only because of Josh. The A.C. is not so good in the room he is sleeping in. Olivia and I slept very well.

Paris really is a beautiful, beautiful city. We are staying in a lovely part, too. Our accommodation is on the left bank, across the Quai des Grands Augustin, with the River Seine on the other side. We are just near the Pont Neuf, with the île de la Cité across the river.

After a very leisurely start to the day (quite a change after the last few days) we walked along the Blvd St-Michel to the Gardens of Luxembourg - 25 hectares of formal gardens with sculptures, with the Palais du Luxembourg at the northern end. Olivia and Josh had a wonderful time. First they chased pigeons all around the place. Then they watched ducks and small sailing boats on the Grand Bassin (the octagonal pond). The best part was playing in the children’s playground. They played in the sandpit, and climbed all over the wooden cars, trains, and truck. Olivia, in particular, was in heaven. She was running around playing with all the children around her, and was chatting to everyone. I don’t think she realised that some of the children were speaking to her in French. With children, you can be friends even if you don’t speak the same language.

In the afternoon Jason and the children needed some rest, so I went for a quick walk along the île de la Cité, passing Notre Dame, and then on to île St Louis. It was a warm afternoon, and the views were beautiful as I walked along the cobbled streets. I love Paris!

We fed the children some pasta in our apartment, and then tried our luck eating out at a French Restaurant recommended to me by Mattieu Guillou, the French Vascular Fellow I am working with at RPA this year. We were certainly in luck. Josh fell asleep, so Jason and I were able to enjoy our 3 course meal of escargot, canard, boeuf, and charlotte au chocolate and tarte tartin for dessert. Olivia was a very good girl, and enjoyed her vanilla ice cream, and read her books. I was proud of myself, because I ordered the meal in French. The waiters spoke only a little English, but everything went well.

Hopefully Josh sleeps well tonight...

Not much to write today – just a day for travel, really. Looking forward to having a home base now,  since we’re all quite tired from the day-to-day travelling.

Up bright and early to leave Bradford-on-Avon and travel on the M4 to Heathrow. Flew out of the new terminal 5 – and fortunately things went very smoothly.

No sooner had we taken off from London that we were descending in to Paris.

We are staying in the Citadines serviced apart’hotel in the 6^th arrondissement, an area known as St Germain des Prés. Our apartment is compact, but at least we have a kitchen.

First experience of dining in a Parisian restaurant with Josh tonight. No luxurious 3 course meals for us this time around!

Rain, rain, and more rain!

Today was the first day we had to change our plans because of the weather.

After another hearty English breakfast (yes, we are becoming fatter) we left the Denes and drove to the neighbouring town of Lynmouth, right on the coast. Instead of being able to get out and wander around, we stayed sheltered inside our car. We could no longer see Wales across the Bristol Channel. We could only see mist and fog.

We drove on many narrow, windy roads along the coastline, bordering Exmoor National Park. We had a brief patch of beautiful heather and gorse (again, very atmospheric in the rain) before rejoining the lush countryside of Wessex. The views were still impressive of the coastline, but would have been better if it weren’t bucketing down.

I must say, the 2 hour drive along the narrow roads at 20-30mph was really tiring – and I was just the passenger. Jason has done incredibly well driving every day.

Our first proper stop was the town of Cheddar – and you can guess what it is famous for. We visited the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company for a tour, which was really interesting. We saw cheddar cheese in its various stages of production – all made by hand. Jason, of course, made friends with the head cheese maker, so we got a special tour on the side. The highlight was being able to sample all the different cheddars on offer. We can say that we have had cheddar cheese from Cheddar!

Next we headed east and up through the Cheddar Gorge, which was quite impressive, especially in the mist and rain.

From there we travelled on to Bath.

Bath is a pretty, historic city, and the home to one of my favourite authors ever, Jane Austen. We visited the place that she lived in between 1801-1805.

Bath is famous for the hot springs that the Romans discovered and utilised in the first century. We visited the Roman Bath Museum to see the Sacred Spring and Great Bath. The Romans were obviously so advanced for their time. We could still see lead pipes that they had laid nearly 2000 years ago to drain the water. Why are we having so much trouble with our plumbing in Five Dock?

Our GPS system died briefly when we were travelling from Bath to our final destination, Bradford-on-Avon, and the Woolley Grange. We were wet, exhausted, and hungry. We picked up a map from a servo, and after an impromptu loo stop for Liv (weeing in mid-air while Jason held her up, screened by the car), we finally arrived at our accommodation.

The Woolley Grange is beautiful, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone, particularly those with children.

After a hot bath, we had a fantastic meal in our room, and now Liv and Josh have finally settled to sleep. Our room is huge, our bed comfortable, and Jason and I will finish our red wine with our cheese platter now. We will save our special cheddar cheese for Paris.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our trip around the south of England, and are now ready to head to Paris. So au revoir for now.

We had a relaxed start to the day, and took some time out to enjoy Alexandra Hotel and the beach of Lyme Regis. It really is a beautiful, beautiful area – green, rolling hills leading to the blue sea, with the occasional rocky cliff. Liv and Josh had a lot of fun playing in the children’s play area, complete with swings and a slide.

Once we did hit the road, we headed west in to Devon. Although we were on the M5 motorway, we were still surrounded by beautiful green pastures with hedges fences in between.

We continued west along the border of the Dartmoor National Park, and on in to Cornwall. The scenery, and weather, changed. The landscape became more rugged, with purple heather, and the grey clouds rolled in, along with the misty rain.

We stopped for lunch at the Jamaica Inn, which is in the Bodmin Moor. Daphne du Maurier is another of my favourite English authors, and Jamaica Inn was made famous by her novel of the the same name. It was very atmospheric, with the rain and mist. We took a drive along some very narrow tracks in to the moor to enjoy the scenery.

From here we headed to the coast of west Cornwall. We visited Tintagel, supposed birthplace of King Arthur. The village itself is tacky, in my opinion, but the views of the coastline are spectacular. One of the highlights of the day was the drive from the Bodmin Moor to Tintagel. We travelled on some extremely narrow roads, lined with stone walls, or surrounded by so much vegetation that it was scraping against the side of the car as we drove. Good thing it is a hire car, and we took out insurance!

We then drove further north to visit the old fishing village of Clovelly, which is actually in Devon. The village is perched on a very steep cliff. We walked along the cobbled path down the main street of the village, passing all the old cottages. It really was a very steep descent. At the bottom of the cliff, we reached the sea and all the fishing boats. We had a half-pint at the Red Lion Inn, while watching the rain start to fall again. Fortunately we didn’t have to climb back up through the village. For £2 each we were driven in a land rover – the best money we had spent all day!

Our final stop for the day is “the Denes”, a B&B in Lynton, on the northern coastline. Our hosts, Sally and John, are very friendly, and the place is clean and cosy.

After dinner the four of us took a stroll along the main street to the cliff edge to see the view. We looked out across the Bristol Channel, and could see the southern coastline of Wales. Tomorrow we plan to explore the area some more before we head to Bath. But for now, some sleep.

A rainy start to the day. But you never know how the day will turn out here.

Jason and I are undecided about the place we stayed in. It had a beautiful outlook, and was beautifully appointed, but there was something funny about it. The lady who owns and runs the place, Pauline, was so shy and reserved that she gave off bad vibes. At breakfast, she asked us “Do you want a cooked breakfast? I mean, there’s already cereal and toast...”  We felt as though a hot cooked breakfast was a lot of fuss. We had one, though.  That was just one example of many we experienced.  She was alright, I guess. Anyway, the breakfast was lovely.

It was still pouring rain as we loaded the car and drove from Arundel to Salisbury. Before we left Arundel we caught the 10am mass in the Cathedral of St Philip Howard, one of the local saints martyred for following the Catholic faith. The cathedral is quite new, by local standards, having been constructed in the 19^th century. Mass was held in one of the cute little chapels in the cathedral.  It was lovely to have such a peaceful start to the day. The priest took a liking to us, and chatted to us for ages when mass ended.

I t was still raining when we left Arundel, but the rain cleared as we arrived in to the town centre. Salisbury is famous for its cathedral, built between 1220 and 1258. It is just amazing to think how something so large could be constructed by hand, so long ago, and so quickly. Dazz, you would find the small scale models of the cathedral’s construction interesting. The cathedral also houses one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. We have now seen two of the four copes – the one in Salisbury, and the one in the British Museum.

Salisbury is quite a pretty town, and we strolled around the streets, including a walk along the river. Liv and Josh had fun looking at the ducks and swans.

Next stop was Stonehenge. I know it is a very popular tourist stop, but we found it really interesting. To imagine what life would have been like when the first work began at the site in 3000BC was hard. To think that people carried those stones, each weighing several tonnes, from as far away as Wales, is mind blowing.Those stones have stood there for so long...  Even though we couldn’t get close, we still found Stonehenge a fascinating, mystical spot.

From Stonehenge we headed southwest to Lyme Regis – on the far west of Wessex. Lyme Regis is another spot I’d thought sounded so romantic because of Jane Austen’s reference to the coastal town in “Persuasion”. Even the road trip to the town lived up to my romantic imaginations – lots of winding, narrow roads lined by green trees, and rolling green hills leading to the coast.

Our accommodation for the night is the Alexandra Hotel, which is right on the seafront. Another “Fawlty Towers”, but very smoothly run, and more elegant. Please see the photos to get a sense of how beautiful the gardens and coastline are. We are the youngest guests here by a few decades. Everyone was dressed in their finest gear for dinner – which was eaten by most at 6pm. In fact, most places out of London seem to close down quite early – certainly before the sun sets.

We took a stroll down from the Hotel to the seaside in the evening, and the kids loved it. We built a few sandcastles, and had a lot of fun.

I can’t believe that one week has passed – but there are 3 to go!

The day started fine and sunny, but by the time we finished our hot English breakfast, the wind had whipped up and the grey clouds were rolling in. The breakfast room of our B&B reminded me of Fawlty Towers – minus Basil, Sybil, Manuel and the lousy service.

We left Hythe and headed SW along the coastline. Before the rain came we stopped to get out and see the beach. I asked Olivia if she wanted to come and see the beach – her response when she did come and look “I don’t see a beach! Where is the beach?”

Our first stop was Rye, a pretty Medieval village in East Sussex. It was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday, and we were able to stroll around the Tudor buildings in peace.

After Rye we visited the town of Battle – named after the Battle of Hastings. My knowledge of English history is pretty poor, but is improving with this trip. On the 14^th October 1066 King Harold was defeated by the Normans, led by William, the Duke of Normandy. It just amazes me that on the site we were standing such a bloody battle took place, nearly 1000 years ago. We also walked amongst the ruins of the Abbey that William built to atone the loss of life from the battle. Apparently all was forgiven once the Abbey was built!

The weather was pretty wet and wild as we drove on to see the Bodiam Castle, which dates back to 1385. It is the sort of castle depicted in fairytales – a moat, drawbridge, and four large towers. Olivia was interested to hear all about moats and drawbridges, and again, wanted to know where the princesses had gone.

Jason and I are really enjoying the drive. The countryside is very beautiful, and the narrow, windy roads we often find ourselves on are fun, if not hair-raising. At times we drive for a mile or so under a canopy of green trees, and it feels as if we are in some sort of hidden forest.

We then continued west to the coastal city of Brighton – very bright and beachy, but not really my thing. The seafront extends for what seems like miles, lined with identical off-white buildings with holiday flats crammed inside. 

Our resting spot for the night is Arundel, which is surprisingly lovely. The rain was clearing as we approached the town, and the sunlight was streaming between clouds. The view of the Arundel Castle and Cathedral, perched high in the hills, seen through the sunlight was just beautiful.

Our accommodation is another B&B, called Brooklands. It is a converted barn, and is really lovely – although our room is quite small. The view more than compensates. Our room overlooks the rolling hills of West Sussex, and we can see the Castle and Cathedral of Arundel in the distance. There is a swing and slide, too, so Liv and Josh have had a lot of fun. We’ve also enjoyed a swim in the heated indoor pool – very luxurious.

Dinner was quite memorable tonight. We ate at a local pub – the Red Lion. Nothing flash, but the food was really good, hearty, English fare. We ate while watching the fourth set of the men’s singles final between Federer and Nadal. It was one of those great moments I will remember. The tension of the tie-breaker, the kids having a ball eating their fish and chips, enjoying a fine lager and a steak and ale pie with mash and beans, and really enjoying the holiday feeling.