We’d originally committed to hanging out at our house and eating all day, since everything that’s left in the pantry is double the price back home.
Making the most out of these last moments here
After breakfast, brunch, lunch and then snacks, we decided to escape the house for at least a bit. None of us were motivated to pack up all the towels and gear for a beach outing, so a quick visit to the shaded Phantasea Tropical Botanical Garden seemed just what was needed.
There’s nothing flashy about this place – and that’s exactly the point. The women’s at the ticket booth told us she only works on Sundays, a tranquil escape from her otherwise stressful regular job.
Water garden with tadpoles
The experience starts right at the ticket booth. There are lizards who make their home at the gate, just waiting for specific sweets from guests. The kids quickly found a water garden sheltering new tadpoles and minnows, plus a bird friend who greets all the guests. In the first minute there we saw hummingbirds, geckos, chickadees, chickens and parakeets. The crowd was pleased.
The pathways are narrow, palm trees wrapped with orchids, vines and air plants – symbiosis is everywhere. You have to look up as well as down to ensure you don’t miss a little plant or critter.
It’s very kid friendly – no steep hills or rocky terrain, but it wouldn’t work well for guests with decreased mobility. There’s no hope of getting a stroller in here, so bring a baby carrier or toddler backpack if you think your little one won’t walk.
We all lost each other at some point, but no one was worried as the place is relatively small, and you can always hear someone even if you can’t see them.
There are numerous places to sit down and rest, write or relax. These guys liked the terraces as they seemed to attract a lot of geckos.
If you’re a photog like me, and/or an old plant lady (or maybe both), add this place to your itinerary. It was a great break from the heat and sand of a typical beach day.
Air plants for sale
There’s a small area near the ticket booth where you can buy plants to take home. Apparently as long as there’s no soil, you can take one on the plane and back into the US. I was tempted.
Soaking in the last of pool time
Just up the hill from Phantasea is Mountain Top, a fairly touristy but fun stop offering souvenirs, world famous banana daiquiris and breathtaking scenic views of the islands below. We partook in all three, then headed back to our house to slow down a bit before dinner.
Tonight I’ll begin the packing and cleanup process. We have to be out by 10:30am with our flight departing at 4:45pm back to Dulles.
Somewhere around Christmastime, but before all this winter’s snow, we made a call to book a beach vacation over Spring Break. We had no idea how much we’d need it.
2025 Snow Troopers
January 2025 was just as the Counting Crows would say, “a long December.” A city-wide water crisis in Richmond had spillover effects to surrounding counties and, while our water at home was unaffected, work was a different story. We had two working bathrooms at our hospital, but colleagues at other local hospitals shared photos of temporary employee restrooms – 5 gallon buckets lined with red biohazard bags.
This trip we’re headed to St Thomas in the Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States. We needed to pick somewhere within the US, Mexico or Canada to ensure that Ale, our au pair and 6th member of our family, could travel with us. Added bonus of the St Thomas selection: some of our best friends from home, Dee and Patrick, are coincidentally vacationing there at the same time. More to come on that.
Arriving at St Thomas
A few perks of St Thomas – direct flights from Dulles and same time zone as Richmond. As anyone who’s traveled with kids knows, these may be two of the hugest factors in calculating toddler travel meltdowns. Aside from the 3am wakeup to catch the 9am out of Dulles, traveling here was easy peasy. (I say that cautiously knowing there’s still a trip home to be had.)
Amir rented a three-row SUV from Budget. Things aren’t cheap here, but everything is essentially a 30 minute drive or less. We figured a rental would give us flexibility to explore since we’re staying at an AirBnB, not a resort with built-in shuttles.
They drive on the left side of the road here, but unlike the UK, the steering wheels are still on the left. Despite the small size of the island and its roads, cars and SUVs are just as big as mainland US. I plan to dig into just why that is.
Sea View on the Northern Coast
Sea View was easy to find. The roads winding up and down the mountains with breathtaking views of the sea immediately brought me back to those guardrail-less cliffs in Crete, Greece. As I’ve noted in a multitude of past posts, Amir is a great driver in an unknown environment. I learned that early on when we were duty partners on the ambulance.
Sea View is as-advertised
As soon as we arrived, I could barely get my sunscreen and suit on before the kids were jumping into the pool. I planned ahead and brought lifejackets for #1BigBrother and #1LittleSister since I knew we’d be doing a good amount of snorkeling. I have a 1:1 non-swimmer to adult rule without lifejackets. Since it was 3:1 this afternoon, the lifejackets went on.
Amir headed to the grocery store almost as soon as we arrived here. We’d barely eaten breakfast, missed lunch, and were about to be eaten by a pack of hungry children. We were warned that groceries are expensive yet still didn’t expect the level of sticker shock. At the Cost-U-Less supermarket, a box of Ritz crackers costs $12, a dozen eggs $15 and somehow a handle of decent rum only $10.
Amir grilled up cheeseburgers on the poolside grill, and Ale finally showed some skills in the kitchen/bar arena, making us all “Pain-Killer” cocktails.
We’re all exhausted from the day – understandably so. We have no plans to wake up by any particular time for any particular reason. If we make it out to a local beach where we can snorkel, that will be a major win.
We were on the go all day yesterday in Normandy, exploring Sword Beach and appreciating the military feat and sacrifice by so many that made D-Day a success. Being here now, seeing the signs saying “Let us never forget,” and knowing that back home many are inching towards repeating this past is just…
We are here at the site of the storming of the beach just two weeks after the 80th anniversary, yet I get the sense that the spirit you feel walking through the town exists year round.
The long walk down to the shore is lined by first hand accounts of survivors of that day – French, English, American, Canadian… all now nearly 100 years old or thereabout. Amir commented that by the next milestone anniversary, there likely may not be any survivors left. Historical events have different meaning when you can speak to actual survivors or even just those who lived through the era. I try to imagine that beach. What it took to step off those boats, watching men fall to the sand, and still stepping forward. Even with all respect given to their accounts, I know it was 100 times worse.
Normandy Bunkers
Ale had the day off yesterday and spent the day exploring a Honfleur and the beach. We caught up with her for dinner at Le Spot, a casual restaurant in the sand, with blue and white decor, romance novel cover-worthy waiters, and an assortment of tapas and zesty drinks.
Somehow the kids talked us into a quick swim at 8pm when we arrived home. Because we are in Northern France, it stays light until after 10pm. It was a little too chilly for my liking – so bath time was a convenient excuse. I edited a few photos, threw them up on Instagram and crashed.
Day 8
This morning Amir ran out to the fish monger to get a selection of fresh catch for dinner tonight. The last two days we’ve eyed up the fresh seafood in the markets, but have waited until too late in the day to have best pick. Our house has two outside grills, and he plans to make the most of them.
This morning we drove into Honfleur to visit the Naturospace Garden, home to exotic butterflies, tropical birds and flowers.
Spend the money and buy a few packs of fish food, whether you have little ones with you or not. The koi are huge and have big personalities, but only if you bribe them.
Feeding the koi
At Naturospace, don’t just look straight ahead or at the butterflies dancing around you. Look up to see a wide variety of colorful birds, and as #1BigSister reminded me from our Lewis Ginter butterfly visits, look down as well to ensure you don’t squish anyone.
We walked just a block to have lunch at Amore Mio as the kids were craving pizza, and I just wanted some atmosphere. I ordered the truffle and boratta pizza, while Ale and Amir both picked a pizza with spicy sausage and Gorgonzola.
Aperol orange dots the decor at Amore MioTruffle and buratta pizza
After lunch we circled back to a special church we first saw online when planning our trip and again on our side car tour, Église Sainte-Catherine, one of the rare European churches built entirely of wood. Its oldest parts date to the mid 15th century when townsmen, who were fishermen not architects, didn’t know how to build a traditional cathedral ceiling.using the techniques they knew, they created a ceiling from two upside down ships. They were concerned the wood might not support the weight of the church bell, so they erected a separate bell tower that is now one of the highest points in Honfleur, attracting frequent lightening strikes.
Church of Sainte Catherine, Honfleur, France
Back at the house, most of the crew went swimming while Amir prepped the fresh fish for the grill. I bought a tiny bug house with a magnifying glass at the Naturosphere gift shop which upon arrival home had many a budding David Attenborough ready to hunt for friends.
First I found a plump earthworm… but Ale had to outdo me and capture a bumble bee who would suck nectar from flowers then try to escape its new little world. The question arose, “Who is going to let him go?” to which I had an interesting immediate answer: “the one who caught him.”
Grill master
We enjoyed dinner on the back veranda, a fish new to us all called “bar,” mackerel, sausages and an assortment of cheeses and fresh strawberries. Oh and wine.
Tomorrow is our last day here. In true vacation mode, I have no idea what day of the week it is but do know I have a few days off after we get back to recover.
Confession: I’m writing Day 3 on Day 4 because day three ended at 1:30am on Day 4, which didn’t leave any room for late night writing. And with a post title that long, I feel justified in my exhaustion. I did manage to make a video before crashing.
Yesterday again lead to a late wakeup with a late start. We took the metro from Rue D’Amsterdam towards the island in the Seine. We arrived just before 11:30am only to find that our desired Seine boat ride was sold out, with the next available tickets at 2pm. We purchased six and shifted gears, in search of some “Take Away” lunch.
Tickets for the MetroPink in a sea of graySomeone skipped the team photo
We always rely on the subway/tube/Metro whenever traveling in big cities, but this Metro has presented a challenge. The gates on the turnstile are super-quick, especially for kids. We are 2 for 3 of kids getting “eaten” by the closing turnstile gates. We’ve looked for the stroller lanes without luck. There might be a little metro PTSD working against us after this one.
Bahn mi believerBeef and bread
We arrived back to Vedette Du Pont-Neuf with plenty of time to spare. We snagged seats up top and were quickly surrounded by a few elementary school field trips. Our kind of crowd.
The cruise was one hour long and traversed both sides of the island. We had great views of Notre Dame, the cathedral devastated by fire in 2019, now slated to reopen five years later in 2024.
After our boat ride, it was clearly time for cocktails and snacks. Amir has a knack for finding picturesque little spots off the beaten path. He spends months ahead of our trips watching YouTube videos, inspecting Google Maps and searching Instagram for inspo.
We stopped at Brasserie Des Pres for ice cream and drinks. The kitchen was closed (it was 3pm) but it offered everything we wanted. Fresh drinks, a selection of ice cream and sorbet, and decor to die for.
Amir and I were the rate limiters for our afternoon snack as we needed to get back to the apartment to get ready for my birthday dinner. When Amir told me we’d be traveling with three kids on my birthday, but it would save us a ton on flights, of course my gut reaction was “well then I want dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower.”
Le Jules Verne, located above the Olympic rings
I’d actually said it in jest… and it was 5 months ago… so I never expected anything to materialize. My husband listens when it counts. He learned that reservations open 90 days in advance, set a calendar reminder and snapped up a table for two.
Seven course tasting menu
With its two Michelin stars, Le Jules Verne is known worldwide for amazing views and unforgettable setting. You take a private elevator to the top – not only skipping the tourist line but avoiding it altogether. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, just above the Olympic Rings. The tippy top floor is an enviable private apartment of the late Mr. Eiffel. He was known for his posh and exclusive dinner parties. #aspirations
The front of the house staff outnumbered the guests by 2:1. Each table only had one seating per night. Our reservation at 7:15, lead us through a seven course culinary adventure that with wine and conversation, lasted well past midnight. At 11 and again at midnight, the tower lights up and flashes for just five minutes. We were lucky to catch both. Good job babe.
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France Day 4: The Louvre with Family Focus Tours
Embarrassingly, I only planned one thing on this trip – a kid-focused guided tour of The Louvre conducted by Alexandra, a child psychologist. Check out her list of family friendly tours for kids of all ages. She chose the Treasures Hunt tour for us – complete with clues to collect along the way and “treasure” to be unlocked at the end of our quest.
Doing things at kid levelLearning about the masterpiecesDecorate your own fruit faceUnlocking the treasure with our clues
Alexandra is a professional. She came highly recommended in one of my favorite Facebook groups, Mama Docs Travel. They’ve delivered with great recommendations for past trips, so I knew we were in good hands.
I’ve taken a few art history courses back in my day, so it was satisfying to see so many familiar works of art. Ever since seeing La Guernica in Spain, I’ve understood that the in-person experience of a piece is just that – something to experience, not just look at.
The Four Seasons (Guiseppe Arcimboldo)
Alexandra engages the kids at every step. She brought age appropriate booklets the kids could read, color and decorate with stickers. One favorite activity was creating our own fruit faces a la The Four Seasons by Arcimboldo.
Rainy day at The Louvre
Our tour lasted 3 hours, just in time for lunch. Alexandra was kind enough to recommend a kid-friendly crepería, Buckwheat. Offering both sweet and savory crepes, everyone in our crew found something they loved.
We had some trouble getting an Uber back to the apartment from the Louvre area – likely due to the thousands of people using up the bandwidth in the area. We walked a few blocks down and connected no problem. We’ve been using a combo of metro and Ubers this trip. The Uber Van is a perfect for with 6 seats and plenty of legroom for Amir. Our stroller folds up easily and tucks under a seat.
Gift shop post card
This afternoon we have to pack and prepare to leave Paris for Honfleur tomorrow. Somehow we’ve already come to the end of this first part of our French adventure. We’ve rented an AirBnB in Honfleur, in the Normandy region. As usual, we try to balance our busy city visits with a stop in the countryside to slow down and let the kids run around, and mom, dad and au pair relax.
Time to start packing if I wanted to catch any of the EuroCup match tonight…
Ever since Peppa Pig went to Paris back in 2018, this trip was inevitable. For the next two years #1BigSister, then a toddler, thought every cell tower in Richmond was the Eiffel Tower and would give a verbal recount of Peppa’s adventure magnifique.
Like most of our trips, the hardest part was deciding on and securing the time off. Now with a rising 2nd grader, we’re limited by the school calendar. And, having been spoiled by business class the last few years, affordable flights dictate where we go.
Amir found some good options on Iceland Air. We’re driving to Dulles, connecting in Keflavík, then flying in to Charles de Gaulle.
On the drive up, we celebrated my 46th birthday in style at Taco Bell. Did you know you can now get an oversized Cheese-It shoved into a burrito?
After a roll-call to ensure we were six again, I polled the team. “Name one thing you really really really want to do in France!”
#1BigBrother: ride a motorcycle!
#1BigSister: Disney!
Ale: eat a GIANT macaroon
#1LittleSister: play in the airport
Amir: go inside a German bunker at Normandy
Me: wine, a baguette and good people watching at an outdoor cafe
#1BigSister prepares for the safety briefing
We hit no traffic on the way to Dulles, and once there, we sailed through TSA security screening with little hastle. Amir and I both commented that the TSA seems much more organized and family friendly over the past year – maybe they finally hired Chick -Fil-A as an operations consultant.
We didn’t get to explore Iceland as we had a tight connection, but we’re definitely adding it to the travel list. Tourism here has exploded in the last ten years – so much so that they are building a new airport but already seeing the volumes of a huge European hub. From the air, the entire landscape was flat, no trees, but not brown or dead… and not all snow covered… moss. It’s the land of moss. I’m in love.
Man to man defense
The flight to Paris was smooth and easy – less than three hours. I managed to squeeze the Whitney Houston movie in with just 4 minutes to spare. When I was in 6th grade, I was the new kid, just having moved from Midlothian to Virginia Beach. I was feeling a little down and lonely, but distinctly remember when the music teacher asked me if I would do a solo at the chorus performance. Just me and one other girl. Can’t remember her name. Just two lines each, but I remember them.
“Everybody searching for a hero People need someone to look up to I never found anyone who fulfill my needs A lonely place to be And so I learned to depend on me.”
I went on to do All-City Chorus that year… only thing is – I can’t really sing. Even though my mom is musical and sings, I’ve never been good. Maybe I was cute back then?
Anyway, I did tear up a bit for Miss Whitney. Everyone wanted a piece of her. She got caught in the wheel.
We took at Uber from the airport to our AirBnB, and for the first time ever, the host wasn’t there when promised. Nearly a half hour later that we said we’d arrive, Shirley appeared with keys.
The place is more spectacular than the photos showed – a private outdoor courtyard, cool art and right next to the Saint Lazare train station. I give credit for that last detail to Amir. He researches these places for weeks before booking. We’ve learned access to public transit is a must. Especially as most taxis and Ubers max out at 5 people, and we are of course a team of 6.
Coincidentally our friends Lety and Peter are here in Paris right now with their two girls. We have to nail down the details, but plan to meet them for lunch tomorrow.
TeamLouka 