Family & Friends, Travel Adventures August 9, 2023August 9, 2023

UK Day 4: Acrobats, a 5 Wheel Unicycle, a Giant Peach and Princes Street Garden

We had our act together today – and by we, I mean Amir. Last night he booked tickets to an acrobatics clown show at 10, and a theater rendition of James and the Giant Peach at 2.

Daichi and Cheeky, the Japanese duo of Cartoooon

We arrived for the 10 am show a little early, and since this festival is well organized, there was an astroturf kid zone with a coffee truck open and ready for us.

The show was two Japanese clowns, a man and a woman, who performed magic tricks and danced together on unicycles in a playful and enchanting way. #1BigBrother laughed the whole time, while #1BigSister heckled them shouting “That’s not magic! You just did it with your hand!” I tried to slide under my seat to hide in embarrassment, but no success.

I get the sense these artists and entertainers barely make a living from their craft. Each show we’ve attended, whether on the street or in a proper theater, they’ve mentioned that they pay their way to Fringe and receive no compensation from the Festival. This is a global stage, an opportunity to get noticed, and to spend time with like-minded people that appreciate your talent and creativity. I guess that’s enough.

My favorite conference I ever attended was the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) for the same reason. There are only about 2000 other people as nerdy as I am when it comes to EMS… and they all gather in one place every year. It’s invigorating. It’s fun. Being with people who “get you” is irreplaceable.

We grabbed lunch after the unicycles, and all three adults ordered salads. Clearly we all needed vegetables after the parade of sausage rolls, steak pie and fish and chips.

After lunch we walked less than half a block to the Emerald Theater where we saw a 10 person production of James and the Giant Peach. #1LittleSister was restless and not having it, so Liza had to exit stage left with her in tow.

Future surgeon? Should we nip it in the bud?

After the theater, we popped in to the Surgeon’s Hall Museum where #1BigSister took a try at using the Da Vinci and I explained various plastinated body parts to #1BigBrother.

For the last two days we’ve been driving by a beautiful garden with stunning views of the Castle of Edinburgh up on the hill. We finally walked that way, down into the gardens and to the grassy field where tons of kids were climbing old statues with seagulls perched atop and pooping. (The seagulls, not the kids).

After the gardens, we walked in the direction of home and stopped along the way for a pint and a bite. As I mentioned yesterday though, Scotland has some weird rules around kids being allowed in restaurants that serve alcohol. Some restaurants say no one under 18 at all, ever. Some say no one under 5. Some say all are welcome. I’m not sure if they have to pay more to operate and serve all-comers, or if they are intentionally trying to create a kid-free atmosphere.

After dinner, we walked home and helped Liza get everyone inside and settled. Amir and I then ran out the door to go enjoy a kid-free evening out. We took the bus down to the water and found a spot for dessert and after dinner drinks. We scored a table by the window overlooking the water. It was just what the doctor(s) ordered.

Amir ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding, and he talked me into getting the Popcorn Sundae. As usual, he was right. Imagine kettle corn in sundae form. Delicious.

Tomorrow we leave Edinburgh. It’s been a great three days. Street performers day 1, history and learning day 2, and theater performances day 3. While coming during Fringe makes everything more expensive, there’s so much free stuff to do. You won’t quite break even, but your guaranteed a good time.

– Steph

Family & Friends, Travel Adventures August 8, 2023August 8, 2023

UK Day 3: Museum of Scotland, Water of Leith Walkway and more Fringe

This morning, as if by some Scottish miracle, the kids slept until 8 am. I’m cautious though as this probably means the jet lag on the way home will be that much worse.

Once everyone was dressed, fed and pottied, we headed out to grab a bus to the National Museum of Scotland. The public transportation system here, like most European countries, is slick, efficient, affordable – and again makes me want to force everyone in America to travel to Europe so we can learn a few things about light rail and other mass transit, instead of reflexively dismissing them.

Double-decker buses and trams line the streets

The bus was easy – there’s a family day pass available for roughly $13. Buses come frequently and on time. It seems to be the most popular form of transit in the city.

The museum was free admission, with just a requested donation of 5£. It offered a bit of everything for all ages and likes – fossils, fashion and funhouse mirrors to name a few.

We started in the fossil and taxidermy exhibit first. #1LittleSister didn’t waste any time begging to be released from the prison of the stroller straps. #1BigSister researched camels, while Amir and #1BigBrother learned about the planets in our solar system. (I still contend that Pluto is a planet).

The museum was surprisingly oriented to kids – each floor has a dedicated kids zone with hands-on activities akin to a children’s museum.

After the National Museum of Scotland, we hopped back on the bus and headed towards the Water of Leith walkway. There’s a footpath down to a small stream that cuts through this little village, Dean village, down in the valley.

Crossing over the bridge and to the left, the trees form a canopy and the path becomes a tunnel of nature. The stream flows just beside the walkway, with wildflowers dotting the banks.

The kids (and maybe Amir too) enjoyed throwing rocks into the stream. This is something every single one of our kids loves. It’s an easy win.

Speaking of easy wins – on the walk back we came across the World’s Smallest Whisky Bar. It’s a kiosk slightly larger than a phone booth, offering tastings and sales of full bottles. The man asked Amir what he liked – Amir said bourbon – and a sample quickly appeared. Amir took it like a shot, and from the reaction of the bartender – clearly it was meant to be sipped. His look of shock was quickly erased by a smile when Amir said he’d take a whole bottle.

The rest of the day was spent playing. We found a playground, a food truck rodeo with kids activities and lastly, a LEGO store. We’re adding three more mini figures to the collection. We definitely need a bigger board at this point.

Tomorrow is our last full day here. We’re hoping to hit a contortionist show tomorrow, but it might be restricted to 5 and up. Edinburgh is a bit funny about that stuff – all restaurants and bars have signs displaying their policies on kids. I’ll try to snap a photo of one tomorrow and give a bit more detail. I have mixed feelings on their approach.

– Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures August 7, 2023August 7, 2023

UK Day 2: Edinburgh Fringe Festival

As I mentioned yesterday, we selected Edinburgh, Scotland as a first stop on our trip in part due to the Fringe Festival happening most of August.

Most of the roads are closed, and people and performers fill the streets. From bagpipers, unicyclists and hoopsters, to artists, jugglers and violinists, there’s seriously a little bit of everything. We snagged a balloon animal early, and wrapped up with a Swede juggling toilet paper atop a microwave balanced on three stacked tables. Of course. Why not?

Sven from Sweden

We stopped for beer, fish and chips, gelato, more beer, and eventually groceries. My phone logged 16,241 steps. And my back sure feels it.

In addition to all the free street performances, there are also plays, musicals, circus acts, comedy sketches and variety shows playing in every theater in the city. Most require tickets (and we didn’t plan ahead), so we’ll need to save a show for tomorrow or Wednesday. They have an app, ED Fringe, where you can search through the thousands of events to find one that’s just right.

#1BigSister was able to make friends with a pigmy owl, the smallest species of owl in the world. Unfortunately with that short stature comes a short lifespan – just 6 years.

While the rest of TeamLouka watched a street performer, I snuck into the Saint Giles Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I. Today it’s still a functioning Presbyterian church.

We walked and walked and walked… and heard person after person comment about the weather. 65 and sunny, this was apparently the first day without rain in over a month. Par for the course in Scotland I’m told… and looking back, the sky was overcast throughout the entirety of Braveheart.

Tomorrow we have our sights set on the Museum of Scotland in the morning and possibly the botanical gardens in the afternoon. That all hinges on the cooperation of the rest of the team.

– Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures April 9, 2023April 10, 2023

Italy Days 11, 12 & 13: Celebrazione e famiglia

I’m writing Days 11-13 together because it was 1:30 in the morning before I went to bed Saturday night. Yesterday we were honored to attend my niece’s Bat Mitzvah. Like her parents, I’m so proud of all the work she put in towards this day, studying and preparing for the last three years.

The event started at 5pm with cocktails in the garden of Palazzo Corsini al Prato in Florence. The kids enjoyed running through the garden hedges and gathering the lemons that had fallen from the trees. We took family photos with our cousins and enjoyed the flowing Prosecco.

This was now my fourth bat mitzvah, so while I’m still not fluent in Hebrew, I am much better at following along. We sang and chanted in Hebrew, listened to readings from the Torah, and heard lovely words from family members. It was cold and windy by the end, with the wind blowing out the flame on the braided candle, but both my niece and the Rabi were unfazed.

After the ceremony there was another hour or so of cocktails and photos, but this time in both the garden and an interior room more like a night club. There was a great amount of space for the kids to run around and let off steam before sitting down for the three course meal.

I was psyched to see the photo booth… it was one of my favorite memories from my oldest niece’s bat mitzvah. The props were on point – complete with a statuette of David set to piss off a few Texans.

One smart thing we did, all credit going to my sister for the idea, was to hire a babysitter to attend the event with us and look after #1LittleSister. She was also there as a back up plan in case anyone needed to go home early – we wouldn’t all have to leave the event. It turned out we didn’t need that backup plan as the kids were in full-on party mode. Anytime I set #1LittleSister down in a room that wasn’t the dance floor, she made a B-line back towards the music and lights. That girl loves a party.

One of the most impressive event of the evening was the performance art show of building the dessert. Four men laid layers of wafer, piped gallons of creme and poured chocolate chips in distinct layers to create a giant cannoli. It not only looked impressive but was delicious.

The DJ played great music – a mix of American pop hits set to discoteca type club tracks. I was caught off guard when a pounding track with a euroclub beat turned out to be the hippest version of hava nagila ever heard. Up went my nieces in chairs into the air. Somehow my sister skipped out on flying high this time around.

We lasted til just after 11 and left the dance floor full. By the time we got home, got everyone to bed and packed up for our morning departure it was nearly 2 am. The next morning we were to be at the garden of Palazzo San Niccolo for a send off Easter brunch.

The garden setting was perfect for Easter. Casual, airy, with wisteria in full bloom. The food was excellent and surprisingly kid-friendly. My kids are fruititarians, so they were in heaven.

The brunch started with an Easter egg hunt. The caterer laid out simple white baskets and hid chocolate eggs all around. The kids were elated. We’d done an egg hunt at our house before leaving for Italy as we weren’t sure what traditions to expect. I can only hope they don’t expect two egg hunts again next year. $50 says #1BigSister remembers and calls me out on it next April.

It was nice to have just that little bit of extra time to spend with family and talk in a more quiet setting. After losing my dad and his brother in the last 14 months, I’m reminded how little time we have with some people. Yes, you’d think as a part of my job I would know that because I see it play out everyday… unexpected car crashes, seemingly benign pain that turns out to be cancer… but somehow I think I’d lost part of that awareness you get when you touch death regularly. I hadn’t actually realized I’d fallen into it until just now as I type this out actually… which makes me feel a bit of shame… because that’s always been one of the greatest gifts of my job. Perspective. To keep that focus on what truly matters. It’s why I left my last career. And here I am taking it for granted again.

For me, and I know Amir as well, travel is the reason we work as hard as we do, trudge through some of the monotony and the grind of those other days. Yes, those little mundane moments are beautiful in their own messy sort of way, but sometimes beautiful is just beautiful, too. I like to mix it up.

We’re on our way home and contemplating our next adventure. Last Christmas we discussed a change in tradition – instead of the pilgrimage home to Virginia Beach – perhaps a trip to London since half the family lives on that side of the Atlantic. But… that would mean giving up that tradition for at least this year… which wouldn’t have to be forever, but sometimes forever comes before you expect it.

So I’m not sure. But I do know this trip has been like a marathon… I’m not going to lie and say it’s been as rosy as my posts may seem. It’s been painful, long, difficult at times – but full of moments that recharged us. And as we approach the finish line on flight 2 of 3, I feel that sense of accomplishment, fulfillment and purpose. I’m still going to give it some time to decide about London though. I’m not sure this is the right time for big decisions.

~Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures April 7, 2023April 7, 2023

Italy Day 10: Turista massimo

Amir’s mother, Julia, is staying with us in Florence which has been a nice way to spend time together. We’d been on the lookout for ways to explore the city that don’t involve a tremendous amount of walking. Our kids can be hit or miss with cooperation, and Florence is quite hilly. So when Amir identified a golf cart tour, it was a perfect fit.

We booked through a company called EcoToursItaly.com. They were most responsive by WhatsApp and were able to pick us up right at our front door.

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We liked the golf cart because we were able to see parts of Florence we’d never have wandered to on our own, and the speakers in the cart explained the history and architecture of everything we were seeing as we went along. The only down side of the cart is that since it’s motorized, it’s restricted in some areas like the plaza with the Duomo. But if you or anyone in your party have mobility limitations, it’s a great solution.

Somehow we managed to work up an appetite riding in the golf cart, so of course we headed to lunch next. More pizza. I might be reaching my pizza limit.

After lunch we walked to the Palazzo Vecchio just to take a closer look at some things. We didn’t have the attention span to commit to the whole museum, so we walked through the ground floor only. It did not disappoint.

At Palazzo Vecchio we spotted some horse drawn carriages. Amir and I were content with our city tour via the golf cart, but the kids desperately wanted to meet the horses. For 50€ we hired a horse-drawn carriage to take us on a second and very different (no motor) tour of the sites.

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After leaving our horse friends, we headed back to the AirBnB for some R&R. Tonight we had the first of many events this weekend in celebration of my niece. This evening my sister hosted all of the out of town friends and family at her home (Galileo’s house) for dinner, drinks and great conversation. Amir and I took our obligatory rooftop view photo, despite the fact that it was pouring rain.

View of the Duomo and Florence from Galileo’s rooftop

Tomorrow we are free until 5 when the bat mitzvah begins. Then I’m somehow expected to stay awake until two as to not miss any of this amazing experience. I may try to sleep in tomorrow… or even nap… if my kids last longer than I do, I’ll never live it down.