What Ana Does

While we were in Milan last weekend, strolling around Sforza Castle, I remembered so well the last time I was walking around this ancient castle. Flashbacks! Nine years ago, when Alice was just 2-years-old and Leah was 4 we visited this castle and I was enthralled by the history, but Alice wasn't impressed and she ran around like a nut -- or a toddler. Whatever. I talked her in to standing still for just a few minutes so I could take a picture. So, last weekend, I asked Alice to take the same picture on the same spot (ok, one bench away) in the courtyard and it came out pretty cute.  Alice: Oct. 2010 --- VS --- March 2019 Here are the two original pictures: Alice, Being 2, and Just the Top of Leah's Head Alice at 10!  This is just another perk about traveling Europe with little kids; these are such special memories that I'll have forever. And even get to revisit them. Related posts: Traveling with kids

Before leaving for Milan, an Italian colleague sent David this amazing list of things to do and see in Milan. There's A LOT, so I thought I'd share it, too. Tania, the Author Of This List, After Lunch I trust your wife has already planned your visit to Milan in detail J, however, in case it is of any help, I wanted to share my personal recommendations + few links that contain some recommendations on what to visit in Milan. See them here   My personal recommendations, considering that you are staying only for a weekend, would go to the following: 1. DUOMO DI MILANO – if weather allows try to get to the top, the view over the city is really nice Image result for duomo di milano 2. GALLERIA VITTORIO EMANUELE – just in the same square, it’s a must to see in town. Starred Italian Chef Cracco recently opened another restaurant/pizzeria here. 3. – If you go ‘till the end of the gallery you see the famous LA SCALA theatre. Try to get in as its beauty doesn’t sho...

It was a quickly planned and quickly done weekend trip to Milan. It was our second trip there, as I mentioned here , so we had some familiarity with the city and what we wanted to do. Plus, it's Italy, so we mainly just wanted to eat and eat and eat. Saturday We arrived around 10am after a one hour (YES ONE HOUR!) flight from Paris. The airport is one hour from the city and taxies are about 100€, so the train was recommended to us. It's an hour-long ride, but no traffic and much cheaper. Bonus, our hotel was three blocks from Central Station, so it was perfect.  We checked into the Sheraton Four Points , I found a small suite at a pretty good rate, given we booked a few weeks from the trip. Breakfast included! I had already picked out a lunch place called SoulGreen , an easy walk from the hotel. We love plant-based, fresh restaurants (hello Flax & Kale in Barcelona!) and this one was very excellent, too! Specifically, the ginger-carrot-apple juice was just what I ne...

Last summer, as Leah's bestie was moving away to Milan, we promised Leah we would go visit her pal before we left the continent. Well, seeing our time here dwingling, I quickly booked the airline ticket. Originally, I was just going to fly with Leah, or we'd bring Alice and David would stay behind, but we all decided to go enjoy Italy for the weekend, and who could blame us. We have been to Milan once before in 2010 while we were living in Germany for that short time. And it's always so rewarding to go back to a city after some time and re-experiencing a few things and getting to see more. Kinda of like watching a movie again .... you get more out of it. Plus, the kids are now older so that's a whole new element. Once we dropped off Leah to her friends house, we walked over to the Duomo and shopped in the area. I had planned a museum visit but that was quickly rejected and mutiny ruled the weekend. Oh well. With Leah off at her friend's house, it was just Alic...

We had such a great time on our family trip to Italy. It was easy to get around, most Italians speak English or enough to get by. And the weather was phenomenal -- we lucked out there. And the busy season doesn't start until May, so sights weren't mobbed (or as badly as we expected). And gelato. Every day gelato!  Here's a handy resource page of our Italian trip details and links to the things we did and saw. (I did a lot of research before we left.) I also included one tip for each city and something that made me gasp or get teary.  FLORENCE We flew into Florence from Paris on Air France (and boy did we get lucky around their strike dates) and grabbed a 22€ cab to our hotel.  We stayed at Palazzo Mannaioni on Via Maffia. We got a suite with a kitchen and two bathrooms (such a luxury). It was clean, updated and perfectly located. From this hotel, everything in Florence was an easy walk.  The whole family ended up getting hair cuts at this hair salon ...

We just spent nine days seeing Florence, Venice and Rome. I had the days pretty well scheduled (details to follow on a different post) after doing a whole lot of research. Highlights were Venice -- which I thought would never live up to our expectations, but than did and included a gondola ride, seeing the gigantic Colosseum in Rome, St. Mark's Square and the various churches we got to feast our eyes on. Here are a few photos: The Colosseum, The Area Floor and What Was Underneath The Roman Forum Taken From Palatine Hill It Was So BIG! And Look: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Columns, Just Like They Taught Me In Art History Class We Learned To Make Three Kinds of Pasta  Courtesy of our Gondola Driver. What an Experience! St. Marks! Blew My Mind! Had we gone with older kids or even if our family was in to the Italian Renaissance, this would have been a different trip. With lots more museum tickets purchased. But I know this family, so it was a lot (my leg...

Ten has always been a lucky number for me, so I was looking forward to the magical date 10/10/2010. Four years ago today I was in Milan and Lake Como with the girls as part of our European adventure. It was a very good day. There was a train ride, a boat ride, ham sandwiches, George Clooney's house, and a cheese burger for dinner. Relive the day with me on the Berlin blog . They Were There! Oh my gosh, look how little these girls are! And that bird is not actually on Alice's head. Related links Traveling with kids is the BEST!

A few weeks ago I was talking to my Mom about Under the Tuscan Sun . She was just finishing the book and was shocked that it wasn't at all like the movie. In fact, one of the main reasons she avoided the book was because of her dislike of Diane Lane who plays the main character in the movie. (Which is kinda weird, but ok.) Wanderlust Book! If you haven't read it, there are very few similarities from the book to the movie. Southerner Frances Meyers moves to Italy with her beloved husband Ed! (A Minnesotan, by the way.) And they work on the house together! And it's more of a beautiful travel diary than a story about a depressed single women who just broke up with James Franco! Seriously, it's like someone skimmed the book and created a new main character. Anyway, it got me thinking that I haven't read a good travel book in a long time. I love those travelogue that are so well-written, they just take you someplace and you feel like you've been there. You...