What Ana Does

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...

Could another trip to the City of Light be in our future? Pictures From Our 2010 European Trip And if so, what will we explore and discover this time?

I love to travel! And so it's important to me that our kids our comfortable travelers, too. I want them to understand how big the world is and that there is so much to see out there. For that reason, and the fact that my sisters live far away from me, we're getting on a plane a few times every year. This means a lot of packing. And when it comes to packing, I'm all about the strategy. I'd like to someday be a Master Carryon Packer. If there was a Master degree program on family travel and packing, I would take it. And then I'd have business cards created. The challenge lies in the kids -- as they grow, the rules change. Tucking away extra pacifiers gives way to packing crayons and markers, to packing iPads and chapter books. It's ever changing. Though, as they get older, they can be responsible for their own bags and keeping themselves entertained on the plane. The strategy of what goes in their bags and in mine just adds more variables to the equation. And ...

If I could be doing anything right now -- this minute, money being limitless, I would be in a different country soaking up all it has to offer. With my family. Exploring. Writing. Walking. Eating. That's what I would do. And this blog would have a whole different flavor. But ... Anyway, a few months ago a friend pointed out this site, that's similar to AirBnB (which I would highly recommend) but with rental properties that cater to families with small kids ... and very large wallets. Each time I receive a Kid&Coe newsletter in my inbox I spend the better half of an hour clicking on the properties and imaging us all there. What would I have done this morning if we were staying in this apartment on Blvd Voltaire in Paris? Or the flat a few blocks from the Prado in Madrid. Is that kitchen big enough? Is there a market down the street? Sigh. Related posts: Other travel stories to prove my wanderlust