The Yellow Brick Road

A bright spot during our rainy week in London was an afternoon with the Wizard of Oz. Set at the historic London Palladium, the four of us acquired last-minute-worst-seat tickets and weren't bothered in the least. My daughter had memorized the songs from her school chorus, and witnessing those moments come alive on stage sent tingles down our spines. This kid-friendly London show turned out to be more Mom-friendly than expected, and left me delighted by those red shoes, brainless scarecrows, and wicked witches.

Highlights of Paris with Kids

 

Eiffel Tower at night? Yes! The boat taxi along the River Seine? Yes! The bridge with all of the locks that people put there for a memento? Yes! The souvenir extravaganza of mini Eiffel Towers that kids buy with their own money and play with at the hotel? Yes! A sidewalk cafe with shelter from rain? Yes! The Mona Lisa at the Louvre? No! (too crowded - kids get stampeded). The merry-go-round at the Jardin des Tuileries OUTSIDE of the Louvre? Yes! The Musee de l'Orangerie that hosts two dedicated circular rooms of Monet's water lilies, without crowds? A resounding "Yes!". The photograph of your kids in Paris that you will treasure, despite the fact that you found a mouse in your room the morning of your departure, on a day that ended on an overnight layover at an airport hotel? Yes. C'est la vie!

Villages in the French Alps

 

Our time between London and Paris was spent just west of Geneva in the French Alps near Lake Annecy. We spent our days exploring the lake, villages, restaurants and alpine scenery. Most notable in my mind are the abundance of flowers planted in windowsills and along roadsides. A simple arrangement of color can make the oldest building look fresh and timeless. Thanks France for reminding me that beauty is in the details.

Scenes from London

 Big Ben 

Houses of Parliament

Taxi near Theater District

Underground Train

Boat ride under the Tower Bridge, along the River Thames

Night at the Tower of London

Lady Gaga

The Booth

The Palace Guards

Mandatory Tourist shot of Mom & Girls

View from Trafalgar Square, after a long day!

These photos were taken during our family vacation to Europe during July 2011. We stayed in an apartment in London that I'd like to describe in a future post because it was so convenient and a big part of making this visit such a success. I hope these pictures capture what I felt, which is the excitement of being overwhelmed with wonderful things to see and do.

Florence, Italy

Boboli Gardens

Gelato

Chianti

Pinocchio

Plaza Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio

Duomo

Cityscape

The man responsible



Breakfast

This incredible journey took place March 23rd through 29th, 2011.