Hendersons in the Netherlands – Pt. 4

The second to last day we were back in Amsterdam.  I have to mention that Cal slept record stretches on this trip and was as happy as could be – even with the big time change.  

This day we boarded a private bus first thing in the morning for our own tulip tour.  Tom, our tour guide, was a professional photographer on the side as well – so he was thrilled to take pictures upon pictures for us.  Our first stop was near a petrol station – that had rows and rows of gorgeous tulips behind it.  We were the only people there and took a bunch of family photos.  This one, taken by Zach’s brother Tony, is my favorite of Cal. 

Pictures truly don’t do these fields justice.  The colors are even more vibrant in person.

We drove all around northern Holland and stopped to view more fields, but none were as beautiful as the first.  We had a pit stop for lunch in an art town called Bergen.  It was great timing because it had started to rain and we were able to avoid getting soaked.

Our next stop was to tour some beautiful windmills.  We got to look inside, experience a little of what life was like for the people living there, and climb all the way to the top.  The Dutch countryside is truly stunning – even amidst the moody weather.

Tom brought tons of snacks on our little day trip: chocolate (which was how we learned of our favorite brand – Tony Chocolonley), fruit, nuts, and cheeses.  We were all exhausted and full by the end of the day.

We were so lucky to have incredible weather nearly the entire trip.  That night it poured rain so we took an Uber to an Italian restaurant [Zach was craving some pizza] and then back to the boat.

The next day was our last.  The forecast was rainy all day – so we bundled Cal up in his coverall and set out.

We had a few places we wanted to see and some souvenirs we wanted to score before heading back home.  We stumbled through the Red Light District and Zach took a lovely video of this woman [who was actually a man – the purple light below the red indicates transgender] who was not thrilled we were capturing his/her best side.

Like I said before – I didn’t know how a trip to Europe with a baby would be.  So I prepared as much as possible.  One of the things I packed with us [that Zach told me was a little excessive] was a waterproof car seat cover.  It came in handy our last two days and I am so glad we had it.  Sometimes being crazy prepared isn’t THAT crazy, guys.  Maybe Zach will have that engraved on my headstone after I’m gone?  

After grabbing some souvenirs for Sloan and family members we met up with our group at the Pancake Bakery for a late lunch.  We took our haul back to the boat afterwards and packed our bags for an early morning departure.

That night we had our last dinner on the boat – where the staff made us said apple pie.  Again – mostly because of Sean, but we didn’t mind to reap the benefits of his life-saving gesture.  We ordered everything on the menu we could find the strength to consume and then ended the night with some live entertainment in the lounge.  Mostly Gina dancing/lip syncing to Benny and the Jets.

The next morning we left at 7 am.  A bus took our whole crew and all of our luggage [except Zach’s phone which was accidentally left on the bus] to the airport.  We grabbed a bite to eat and then took off at 10 am.  Calvin did so well on the flight home.  He took three solid naps and was happy and content for 10 hours being cuddled the entire stretch.

Then, back home.  No more Igor bringing us sodas.  No more freshly baked cookies at our disposable.  No more live dance performances from Gina.  But we were so ready to be back with our Sloan.  13 days was too long to be away from her and I have vowed never to be gone this long again if I can ever prevent it.

Overall, it was a fabulous trip.  Spending time with my in-laws and having adult conversations – uninterrupted by hangry kids – was so wonderful.  There were so many hilarious moments that will become memories forever.  Also, I feel prepared to take the plunge if ever in the future we want to take young children to Europe on our own.  Additionally, I respect moms that live in foreign countries more than I ever thought possible AND am singing another tune when it comes to cruising.  *Did I mention I do not like cruises?  Oh, I didn’t??  Well…I am not a fan.*  But a European River Cruise is a whole different ball game than my experience on Carnival Cruise Lines.  Let the record show that this kind of cruising I am 100 percent on board for.  No pun intended. 

It was depressing to wake up and not see all of Zach’s family the next morning.  But one, very energetic face, made up for it.  

Hendersons in the Netherlands – Pt. 3

The next day we arrived in Antwerp.  Zach’s family did another bike tour of the city and the three of us shopped down town.  We hit up a bunch of stores, walked around the diamond district, and saw one of the main attractions:  a beautiful cathedral.  A lot of people warned me about taking a stroller to Europe [with the cobblestone streets and all] but I am so glad we took it.  We logged some serious miles on that bad boy.

The weather the entire trip had been so beautiful – it didn’t get down to the chillier temperatures until the last few days.  We toured inside the cathedral to warm up for a bit.

We ate a late lunch at Wagamama and then did a bit more shopping.

After we hit up the Nike store [and Cal got fed inside of one of the dressing rooms] we made our way over to Laduree to snag some treats to take back to the boat.

We had dinner on the boat that night and got to bed for our early wake-up call the next day.

That day was one of my favorites.  Gina hired a private bus and tour guide to take us to Brussels for the day.  We all loaded up on the coach and set off.

First we saw a popular site – the Atomium – built for the World’s Fair in the 50’s.

My personal favorite photo of the day – featuring Sean.

Then our bus stopped at a gorgeous cathedral and we walked to a popular shopping area with the most amazing glass roof and chocolate shops on chocolate shops on chocolate shops.  Too many to choose from – but I managed to pop into one I had read about in my research and buy two more boxes.

We stopped at the main square with beautiful buildings all gilded in gold.

Then we walked to Mannekin Pis – one of the most famous statues/fountains in the city.

Also, where Chad had one of many of his waffle breaks.

We stopped at a Cafe called Charlie’s for lunch.  I was totally gaga over the tile.  The food was just as fabulous as the interior of the restaurant.

We met back up at the bus afterwards so we could tour the palace and the royal gardens and greenhouses.  We felt really lucky because the greenhouses are only open a short window of time – and we happened to be there during that period.

Zach and I reported back to the bus so I could feed Cal – but Zach couldn’t resist a waffle truck in the same parking lot.  He got one to go for the ride back to the boat.

We had a dinner reservation later that night in Antwerp at Sir Anthony Van Dijck.  As part of the booking – the cruise line treated us to one fancy shmancy dinner on land.  It happened to have a Michelin Star and was quite the showcase.  Cal was a dream and slept through 4 out of the 5 courses.  When we got back we got ready for bed and ready to head back to Holland.

The next day we arrived in Dordrecht.  It felt like we were in the Dutch version of Cape Cod.  We walked through the entire city in a few hours.  It is small, but so charming.

We stopped by a local market in the square.  Zach got his fries he’d been craving since the first day. 

Then we met up with the rest of his family on our way to a beautiful church.We found them eating soup, bread, and pancakes outside a little bakery.
Afterwards we met up with Zach’s parents for dinner in the Bistro on the boat.  That night they had a tasting menu – which we decided to give a go.

It was a little wild for our taste, but the dessert [banana bread pudding with fresh berries and walnuts] was out of this world.  It was so good, in fact, that we asked for it the following night.  We were disappointed to hear they were out of it – but later the staff made another batch and had it sent to our room.  I could have kissed them all on the mouth.  I feel like we owe the extra special service to Sean.  He saved a Russian guy at dinner a few nights prior by giving him the Heimlich.  The staff on the ship was so grateful they made us a special apple pie our last night for dessert.  Sean saved us too – by packing antibiotics that Zach took advantage of when he came down with a nasty cold at the beginning of our trip.  He was even thoughtful enough to pack baby Amoxicillin for Calvin if he needed it.  Everyone needs an Uncle Sean!  That night we made our last stop – back to Amsterdam where we started.

 

Hendersons in the Netherlands – Pt. 2

The next morning we awoke in Rotterdam.  I went on an early run across the bridge the locals call “the swan”.

I love running in foreign cities.  It’s such a fun way to get your bearings and familiarize yourself with the area.  Then the three of us took an Uber to do some shopping down town.  We walked around all morning and by 11 am felt like it was time to try some famous apple pie from Dudok.  It was a home run.  

Later, we walked around to see more of the city.   We stopped by the Cube Houses and an awesome indoor farmers’ market.  Zach left with some frozen yogurt and I left with a sweet new water bottle.

Oddly enough, Rotterdam reminded me a lot of Johannesburg.  It was a fun city with tons of different cultures.  That night we had dinner on the boat and set off for a new country.

We sailed for most of the day on our way to Ghent, Belgium.  We watched movies in our room, did some services at the spa (I had an amazing facial), did some laundry down at the ship’s facilities, and got dessert ordered to our room that night.

The next day we arrived in Belgium.  The first city we stopped in was Ghent.  My second favorite city of the entire trip.  Zach went on an E-Bike tour with his family that morning and Calvin and I lounged around and had breakfast sent to our room.

Later we took the shuttle into the central part of the city and from the second we set foot there I loved it.  The architecture, the people, the whole city had such a great vibe.

We walked around popping in and out of churches and chocolate shops.  After getting a few sweet souvenirs for family back home – we stopped at a spot to get a legit Belgian Waffle.

The chocolate shop was recommended by a staff member on our ship and everything we bought was delicious.  I know this because…well…I bought tons of chocolate for gifts and ate 80 percent of it.  Only one bar survived the next two days – which I saved for my mom.  We eventually had to go back and buy more in a different city to bring back to my family.  

Something I have never been good at [with both of my children] is nursing in public.  I don’t feel totally comfortable which translates poorly to my babies.  I swear they can sense my anxiousness.  I had to get over my issues really quick on this trip.  In order to get out and see all we wanted to – I had to nurse anywhere and everywhere.  Buses, crowded restaurants, monuments, and even on a canal boat tour.  I’m glad though – I needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone and by the end of the trip it wasn’t a source of worry for me. 

After our waffles we went back to the ship so Cal could take a nap and we could relax for a bit.

For dinner we went back into town to eat at a trendy pizza place – Eat Love Pizza with the whole group.

Afterwards we walked down to main canal in the city and grabbed some ice cream to go before getting back to the boat.

The next morning we had a private tour of Brugge, Belgium.  I didn’t expect it to be – but this city was by far my favorite of the entire trip.  Two large vans picked up our group bright and early and we made our way to Brugge where we met our tour guide, Andy.

We walked around the main square for a few minutes until Cal woke up and needed to eat.

Andy showed us a darling little cafe where we could order hot chocolate and croissants and I could nurse.
After the three of us had our mid-morning snack we met back up with the group.

The walking tour was really great – thanks to our hilarious tour guide.  We walked all around the city and got a side of interesting tidbits.


We ended the tour with a late lunch by stopping off at Andy’s recommendation – a local Italian place.  Afterwards we walked around, bought more chocolate [I gambled on some dark chocolate with basil – also a tip from Andy] and met the group back at the vans to head home.

We did a ton of walking and retired to the boat for the rest of the night.

 

Hendersons in the Netherlands – Pt. 1

Every so many years the Hendersons do an “adults-only” trip.  It happened to land on this spring, which wasn’t fantastic timing for us with a brand new baby.  But with 16 adults and everyone’s crazy schedule, it was bound to be inconvenient for many.  Since I am still exclusively nursing Cal, we took him along.  We originally told the Hendersons to do the trip without us – because the thought of taking a new baby to Europe [more specifically the long international flight] totally freaked me out.  But they insisted EVERYONE went or nobody went.  And now that I look back at it all, I’m so very glad we went.  So – party of 17 including Calvin – started prepping for our biggest trip yet as a family.  In years past we have done Hawaii and Costa Rica – but this year was to Europe – specifically the Netherlands – to do a European River cruise to see the tulips [a long-time dream of my mother-in-law].  We’ve known about the trip since Calvin was the size of a blueberry, so luckily I had plenty of time to prepare.  Beforehand I did a disgusting amount of research on what to bring and how to prepare to conquer Europe with a 4-month-old.  I even managed to fit all my swag in one smallish suitcase.  Including 4 pairs of shoes.  Yes, I am a freak and print out our itineraries and all of the clothes I have so I never have to pick out what to wear each day.  It saves time, even though it sounds ridiculous.

Calvin’s belongings all managed to be crammed into a carry-on, which really helped Zach and I due to the fact that we had one small bag and two average sized bags.  It was totally manageable.  When it came down to the week before our departure I had all of us packed and I figured if I could get through the flight there – all would fall into place.

Thanks to blessings from above (I’m serious about this – I prayed every night for weeks that he would do well on this 9+ hour flight) Calvin totally crushed his first international flight.  He slept 7 out of the 9 hours and only woke up briefly to be changed and nursed.  He was a total champ.  Zach and I were the only adults who didn’t take sleeping pills.  We flew KLM on the direct flight from SLC – AMS, and it left at 9 pm.  Everyone had planned to sleep to be fresh the next day when we arrived in Amsterdam, but with a nursing baby that was out the question for me.  Plus I told Zach if he took a sleeping pill he would no longer have a wife once we arrived in Amsterdam [please refer to our flight to Africa where he vomited all over himself due to a sleeping pill].  I knew I didn’t have it in me to babysit two children on that flight.  Some slept better than others.  In fact, I know for certain Calvin slept better than my SIL Gina, who was seated next to me.

She woke up 3.5 hours into the flight thinking we were only moments away – and was incredibly disappointed when she found out we hadn’t even reached the Atlantic yet.

I bought a bouncer insert that had a head positioner that I could fit in my carry-on for Cal to sleep on.  He was safe that way from rolling so I didn’t have to hold him the entire flight and could relax a little bit.

It was honestly a life saver.  The best $20 I spent in preparation for the trip, hands down. 

Once we arrived it was 2 pm in Amsterdam.  Since we were taking a river cruise, we never checked into a hotel – only onto our boat.  It was so convenient to never have to haul our bags from city to city – packing and repacking to your next destination.

After we got settled we showered and went to dinner at a nearby Italian place.

Then we walked over to the central canal for a private canal tour of the city.  By the end I could barely keep my eyes open, but it was so beautiful to see the city as the sun went down.

And there was on-vessel entertainment by Gina.  Who couldn’t resist dancing to Prince’s Kiss.
Car seats are pretty rare in Amsterdam [most people don’t have cars – only bikes] and I did get a few awkward stares, but Cal went on his first boat ride of many and loved it.

Afterwards we walked back to the boat – with a gorgeous view of the city at night.

The next morning Zach and I explored the city together.  A lot of the tours and excursions that his family went on we couldn’t do with a baby [mostly biking tours] so Zach was a great sport and stayed back with Cal and I.  I went to Amsterdam years ago, when I was 19, and so taking Zach around for his first time was so fun.  We shopped, got a couple of fresh stroopwafels, and walked around.

Later that evening we met up with the rest of Zach’s family to head on over to the Van Gogh Museum.

This is the museum that Zach was the most excited for – it’s the only artist he is familiar with.  He did the audio tour while I walked around with Calvin.  Cal had impeccable timing and had a little meltdown right in the middle of the silent museum.  The time change had caught up to him and he had absolutely had it.  Once I got him settled down and to sleep we were able to walk around. 

We took an Uber back to our boat and put Cal to sleep and enjoyed some treats back at our room.  One major plus of the cruise line we were on were the amenities and little perks.  Our fridge was constantly stocked with Cokes and Coke Lights.  Not to mention the freshly baked cookies, fruit, and other snacks in the main entry way.  We were assigned our own Butler, Igor, who was constantly bringing us food.  Mid afternoon on the daily they brought you a snack.  Sometimes it was fresh fruit, sometimes a shrimp cocktail, and even cheese and crackers.  And it was all beautiful.

You could also order food to your room at any time – which we took advantage of way too much.  The boat left for the next city late that night – so it cruised while we all slept.  Calvin crashed hard and slept for 10 straight hours.  They had a card in your room that you could fill out what you wanted for breakfast and what time you wanted it to be delivered to your room the next morning.  So Zach and I had breakfast sent to our room the following morning [and almost every morning] before heading out for the day.  One of the most depressing parts of coming home was not having a hot egg white, spinach, and mushroom omelet delivered at 8 am sharp.

When we woke up the next morning we were in the dreamiest town called Hoorn.  Zach went on an E-Bike tour with his family that morning while Calvin and I walked around the city exploring.

We walked around along the water looking at all the gorgeous boats and homes.

We went back to the boat to have lunch so Cal could stretch out and I could enjoy the buffet.  We sat by the window and watched the boats go in and out of the harbor.

Then we met up with the rest of the group to go and explore the city center.

We got ice cream and walked back to the boat.  It was departing for our next city, and we had a special dinner that night.  It was Gina’s 40th birthday and we had a “Shell-ebration” dinner for her.  Lori planned the whole thing.  There were decorations, a carrot cake (her favorite) served on seashell plates, and she gave everyone scarves and eye patches – to dress like pirates.  She also brought along an outfit for Gina – mermaid pants and a shirt adorned with shells with a 4-0 on them.  My favorite part I forgot to mention is that throughout the day we all gave Gina a little gift 40 minutes after the hour.  Zach and I had 5:40 and 8:40 pm.  It was so hilarious watching the other cruisers and the looks they would give our rowdy crowd in the restaurant at the dinner.  We all wrote her notes saying what we “treasure” about her and she got to read them while we ate.

During our meal we made our way to the next city, Rotterdam.

Paris + the Amalfi Coast 2017

I have to start off by saying that I’ve dreamed of going to the Amalfi Coast for so long.  Months ago Zach and I decided we were going to go somewhere before the baby came.  We decided to swing a babymoon/Zach’s Birthday/anniversary trip before I hit 30 weeks.  We discussed where we would go – and thanks to Zika, my dream of visiting costal Italy came to fruition.  I wouldn’t say it was Zach’s #1 choice, but he came around quickly once the planning started.

We’ve been talking logistics for this trip for quite a while – and as each week went on we grew more and more excited to go.  Zach had a great idea to fly the direct flight from SLC to Paris and I couldn’t complain about spending a few days in our favorite city in the whole world.

We left Saturday afternoon and arrived Sunday morning in Paris.  We didn’t waste any time.  We went straight to lunch at one of our favorite cafes near the Madeline.

Afterwards we went baby shopping [Zach’s idea – can you believe it?!] where we found baby boy’s blessing get-up.

The temperatures were dreamy.  We went back to our hotel to change before dinner and walked around the garden near the Louvre before hitting up Cafe Central for dinner.

I didn’t have to convince Zach to get a crepe with a view of the Eiffel Tower, we had the same game plan.

The next morning I drug Zach out of our bed for an early morning run to the Louvre.  My favorite time to go – when the crowds and tourists haven’t shown up yet and we had it almost all to ourselves.

On our run back Zach requested we stop at a breakfast spot he had found and it was so delicious.  They made me a special poached breakfast brioche sandwich with an artichoke pesto.  It was out of this world!

We showered up and got ready to go out for the day.  We did some more shopping in a few different arrondissements.  We stopped in Bonpoint and got a scarf for Sloan for our family pictures coming up and a cozy outfit for baby boy.  While we were checking out – the saleslady asked if we were having a boy or a girl.  I told her we had a little girl at home and a baby boy on the way.  She said, “Oh!  King’s choice!” That’s where we learned that in France, they call one boy and one girl very lucky (or King’s choice) and we heard it each time we mentioned the fact that we were to have one of each from total strangers.  I thought it was sweet and it made me smile each time.

Afterwards we stopped at Laduree for a little snack and then took an Uber to Supreme for Zach.

We walked to the Ile de la Cité and ate at a restaurant called the St. Regis Cafe [Zach loves their burgers].  Afterwards we passed Notre Dame and shopped some more near Les Halles.

Later we had dinner in Le Marais at a new restaurant we both had never been to, but really enjoyed.

We walked around the corner to a popular creperie [I think Le Marais is currently my favorite neighborhood in all of Paris] and enjoyed our crepes as we walked back to our hotel.

The next morning we made our way over to the Orly airport for our flight to Naples.  We arrived in the afternoon and had a car service waiting to take us to Positano.  We made our way along the coast until we arrived.  It was good to familiarize ourselves a little bit with the area before we ventured out on our own.  As we turned the corner and saw Positano down below – I couldn’t help but get teary eyed.  It hadn’t seemed real to me until I saw all those bright beautiful buildings on the cliffs.  We ditched our bags at our AirBNB and changed our clothes to set out and explore.

We walked around and went in and out of shops until it was time to walk back up to the bus stop for our dinner reservation.  Positano has very few roads – and even less parking.  We thought about renting our own car for the duration of the trip, but we are SO glad we didn’t considering how expensive and inconvenient parking is!  In fact, cars are so uncommon there that most of the restaurants have a free shuttle to take you to and from the restaurants.  Our first meal of this leg of our trip was at Da Constantino.  We were picked up by the driver and made our way up the hillside.

The meal was out of this world.  The restaurant received amazing reviews and we were both so excited to try it.  We somehow got a table right by the window with the most amazing view.

Zach ordered the signature dish – homemade pasta with seafood – and I got a fresh grilled fish of the day.  But we both started off with an appetizer of grilled mozzarella on a lemon leaf.  It’s a popular dish in the area and we were not disappointed.

After dinner we rode the shuttle back down and walked from the stop down to the beach.  On our way back up the hill we got gelato and some sodas to go.

We had an early morning the next day.  Before heading down to the beach we stopped at Vini & Panini to get some sandwiches, fruit, and supplies to go.  We made our way down to the dock to pick up our boat rental for the day.  This is what Zach was looking forward to the most about this entire trip.  Most people charter a private boat with a skipper that will take them along the coast.  Not Zach.  He knew he wanted to rent his own boat and be his own captain right from the beginning.  At first I was hesitant.  Not in Zach’s ability to maneuver the boat – but in our knowledge of the coast.  We had a lot planned that we wanted to see and I was nervous we wouldn’t be able to do it with such little experience.  As usual, Zach made the right decision.

They packed us a cooler with ice for our food and sent us on our way.  We didn’t waste any time.  We made our way around the bend – bound for Capri!  We ate our sandwiches [which literally blew us both away – we went back to Vini & Panini several times afterwards] and cruised along the gorgeous coast.

Soon we saw the Fraglioni up ahead.  The iconic rock formation was stunning!  We drove our little boat right through it [4 times] and then continued around the island to the Blue Grotto.

This is the part I was the most nervous about.  The Blue Grotto is a total tourist trap and I didn’t know how it would all work out.  But we couldn’t go to Capri and miss it!  How most people do the grotto is by taking a ferry or hiring a private boat to take you directly out there.  Once you arrive outside – your driver ties his boat to a buoy and these men come out on tiny wooden boats to come get you.  You get off your boat and into theirs, and your driver stays with his boat behind waiting for you.  Then you go to the entrance of the grotto – pay your admission – and the “grotto guy” in the wooden boat takes you inside.  Well, we had our own boat and no driver to stay back on our rental boat for us.  When we showed up there were hoards of boats and no available buoys.  And all of these boats were triple the size of ours.  Zach maneuvered his way, with a little help from some other drivers, and we found a spot and a buoy to tie our boat off to.  After some time I sweet-talked a little Italian man into rowing over to our little vessel to come and pick us up.  Soon, we were on our own little wooden boat and in line to make our way into the grotto.  We arrived when the tide was high and I didn’t realize how difficult getting into the grotto itself actually was.  Our driver told us both to sit down on the bottom of the boat and “get down”.  We were confused, but did as he said.  He grabbed a chain alongside the rock wall near the entrance of the grotto and launched us inside, laying completely down on top of us as he pushed through.

Once inside, the light of the sun illuminates the water in the grotto and the results are incredible!  It glows bright blue, much brighter than I expected.

Our driver sang us a song and gave us a little history lesson as he rowed us around inside.  It was totally worth it, and someday I want to go back after hours and swim in it myself – without a boat.  Obviously not recommended, but Zach and I aren’t exactly by-the-book, anyway.

Once we exited the grotto and our driver dropped us back to our boat – we were relived to see nobody had ransacked our little boat and that it was still securely attached in it’s parking place.  We backed our way out of the crowds and continued around the island.  There were waterfalls, little coves, and gorgeous houses on the cliffs.  We arrived at the main port and someone came out to dock us and bring us into the island.

We were both starving and had a late lunch at a restaurant with a great view of the water.  It was Zach’s favorite meal of the trip.  He got another order of the signature pasta and I had the most amazing avocado, pineapple, and fresh tomato salad.

We’re definitely going back there when we make it back to Capri one day.

We didn’t stay on the island very long.

We went into some shops and then hopped back on our boat.  We decided we wanted to see more of the coast instead of walk and explore more of Capri itself.

We made our way back – stopping to see a few little towns along the way, looking for the secret beaches, and then making it back into the bay of Positano.  We anchored our boat and ate the rest of our fruit while we laid in the sun.

We then returned our boat and walked back up the hill to our apartment to get ready for dinner.

We had some time so we walked down to the beach during the “golden hour” before heading back up to Da Vincenzo.

We had to take a little detour [of about 2,000 steps up a steep hill] but it was worth it.  This was my favorite meal of the trip, by far.  I got a homemade pasta with lemon zest and shrimp.

Zach got the grilled calamari and another fish dish.  I would recommend this restaurant to everyone and anyone.  But you have to make a reservation ahead of time and ask to sit outside.  The view is unbeatable.

We walked back those same steps down to water to get gelato for dessert, then back to our place.

The next morning was even earlier than the one before.  We had the same car service, La Mommola, pick us up at the bus station near our apartment bright and early in the morning.  This day was a bunch of my requests – which I know Zach wasn’t completely ecstatic about.  Our driver took us to Sorrento – where we rented our own little Fiat 500 to drive to Pompeii.  We were really lucky, because this was the only day that projected rain in the forecast.  As soon as we rented our car and stopped for some sodas it started to rain, hard.  We were safe and warm inside our little rental, though, and zipped down the coast to Pompeii.  Like I said, Zach wasn’t thrilled about taking a whole day to see an archeological site, but I promised him it would be worth it.  Once we got there the crowds had dispersed.  We found a killer parking spot and entered the site.  There was hardly anyone there – we assume the rain had driven almost everyone away.

Most people spend half of a day – and some even entire days exploring the site.  But we made it through in 1.5 hours.  In under those two hours – Zach devoured a whole can of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles and a bag of Doritos.

We didn’t want to pay for a private guide (100 euros and up!) so we downloaded a free professional tour (along with a map on our phones) via Podcast and made our way to each highlight.  Long story short:  Zach enjoyed it even more than I did.  I had been warned how hot Pompeii can get.  There are zero trees which means no shade and temps were supposed to be high 80’s that day.  Luckily, the recent rain meant overcast skies and it was beautiful.  We saw a bunch in such a short amount of time and then made our way back to our rental car.

Seeing the victims was the most humbling part.  It was amazing to see how these people lived their lives and a little eerie to see how their lives ended.

Afterwards, we drove around Mt. Vesuvius to Naples to get some lunch.  Eating pizza in Naples has been on my bucket list forever – and we got to check it off (twice if you count the fact that we actually came away with two giant pizzas).  We went to one of the oldest and most famous pizzerias in the city – L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele.  The line was crazy long at 3:00 pm.  We waited outside until Zach had the brilliant idea to do a take-away order.  We ordered two mozzarella pizzas (they only make mozzarella or marinara, that’s it!) and decided to eat it on the street.  We purchased some sodas at a nearby cafe and the shop owner let us sit at one of her tables to enjoy our spoils.  It was by far the best pizza we’ve ever had.  Totally worth the hype, and Zach agreed even worth the drive.

After we finished our pizza we made our way back to Sorrento.  Driving through Naples was a total circus.  I’m convinced our prayer for we set off in our little Fiat saved us a few times on those streets.  I thought Rome was madness on Vespas – Naples in a car was absolutely terrifying!

Once we arrived in Sorrento, we dropped off our rental car and then walked to our dinner reservation at Il Buco.  It was our very first experience at a Michelin starred restaurant.  It got amazing reviews [as you’d expect – they don’t give out stars for nothing] and it did not disappoint.  The bread selection alone was enough to impress us both.

They asked us what we were celebrating for dinner and I told them the truth – our anniversary, our second baby, and Zach’s birthday.  So they set us up in this little private cove all to ourselves and after our gorgeous entrees – sent us out a plate of bite-sized desserts.

We finished up late and took a taxi back to our apartment in Positano.

The next morning we woke up and walked straight down to the dock to catch a ferry to Amalfi.  We debated on which cities to see, and decided Amalfi would be best for that particular day.

We walked the streets, got lemon sorbet, and saw the main square and explored until we went back to Positano.  On a whim, I convinced Zach to wait at the dock with me to try and get onto the Da Adolfo boat.  It’s a long story, but this infamous restaurant called Da Adolfo is impossible to get reservations at.  Everyone goes crazy for it, and the recommendations are never ending.  So, before our trip I called them.  I called maybe 14 times to get a reservation.  Nobody picked up the phone, not even once.  I heard that if you are lucky, you can hop on the boat with the red fish and catch a ride out to the private beach where the restaurant is.  Sometimes they have availability for lunch and if you’re lucky you can get a table.  We saw the boat arrive and hopped on with 5 or 6 other couples.  We met a nice couple from New York that had been waiting with us on the dock to get a ride on the boat.

As soon as we approached the dock I hopped off the boat and ran up to the little shack.  Yes, literally a shack.  The restaurant is built on stilts on the rocky beach and the kitchen is in a tiny white house up on the hill.  I was first in line and asked if there was any availability.  Zach and I got a table, along with another couple behind us, but that was all the available room they had.  Turns out we even had to share a large table for six with two other couples – and the couple that was already seated at our table had already been there for over an hour waiting for their spot.  The couple from New York we rode out with didn’t even get a spot.  The whole thing was so bizarre.  Nobody came over and took our order for quite a while.  I mean, at least an hour.  But we were happy – munching on the complimentary bread and sipping on sodas.  We got a table right by the water and group after group started showing up for their reservations on the same little boat with the red fish that we came to the beach on.

How they got these reservations is beyond me, honestly.  But they kept showing up.  Soon the place was absolutely packed – not a single seat was empty.  Then our waiter took our order and later brought out our food.  We both got the special – pasta with shrimp and started off with their mozzarella on a lemon leaf.

The pasta was unreal and although the shrimp completely intimidated me, it is one of my favorite pasta dishes I’ve ever tasted.  Then the situation got even weirder.  I heard that the boats stopped coming to the little private beach around 1:00 and take a break for lunch.  Little did we know they don’t come in OR out for three hours.  Zach and I contemplated waiting two more hours at the restaurant and decided we wanted to get back to Positano to spend our afternoon on the beach.  So we called a private water taxi to come and get us to take us back to Positano.  Best 10 euro we’ve ever spent.  One of the couples who shared our tables asked to split our taxi with us – which was even better!

Once we made it back to Positano I wanted to get some custom leather sandals made.

I quickly got sized before walking back up the hill to our apartment.  We changed our clothes, freshened up a bit, and then made our way back down to the shop where my sandals were ready and waiting for me – and they fit like a freaking glove!

Then we went down to the beach and rented some lounge chairs and umbrellas, which was another strange politics thing we didn’t know about.  The main beach of Positano has rows of beach chairs.  You can’t just sit on any chair – you pay for a chair and an umbrella and you pay depending on which row.  Front row is most expensive, then second row, then so on.  We decided we weren’t fancy and that third row would suit us just fine.  You pay at a kiosk at the entrance of the beach and then a lifeguard leads you to the chairs HE wants you to sit at.  I was nice to the lifeguard and asked him about his day – and even though we only paid for third row, he gave us a front row available spot.  He didn’t seem to mind when I hugged him in appreciation.  We stayed there – swimming in the ocean, laying in the sun, looking for sea glass, and taking in the scenery until it was time to back to our apartment to shower for our dinner reservation.

After getting ready to go out for the night we made our way up a windy road to our dinner spot.  Just our luck – the entire restaurant had been rented out for a private party and they couldn’t honor our reservation.  So we decided to head down to the water and eat somewhere with a beach front view.  It was our least favorite meal, but still delicious.  We were laughing about how it was the Olive Garden of Positano.  The only menu we read the entire trip that was entirely in English (this is usually a bad sign, FYI).  People often tease me about my research on food and my reservation quirk.  I hate going somewhere without reservations.  I don’t know why – it’s just a thing I have I guess.  And this experience reaffirmed that I am not a total nut job!  It really does pay to do a little research and find a table that comes highly recommended.  Or else all you get to experience is the Olive Garden of Positano.  But the gelato that night made up for our mediocre meal.  Half hazelnut – half chocolate for the win!

It was our last full day in Positano and we spent the remainder of it buying souvenirs for all the people at home taking care of our Sloan (mostly lemon chocolate and lemon candy) and exploring the city a little more.  We headed back afterwards and did some laundry – one of the biggest perks of our AirBNB was not only location, but that we could do laundry in the privacy of our own kitchen.  Then we packed our bags to go back to Paris.

The car service picked us up bright and early at 6:30 am and drove us back to Naples to catch our flight to Paris.  It was sad leaving our little apartment.  The drive back was dreamy though – through Sorrento and a few other little coastal towns.

We arrived in Paris in time for a late lunch at Les Antiquaires near the D’Orsay.

Then we walked across the river to the Louvre and took our photo – the same photo we have taken ever time we have visited Paris together.

Afterwards we took the metro to a few stores on Champs-Elysse.  We had a dinner reservation but were both still completely full from our intense lunch.  So we wandered around and decided to ditch dinner for one last crepe.  Worth every calorie and I swear this particular crepe guy smeared half the bottle of Nutella on mine.  I wasn’t mad, though.

We got some sodas and walked back to our hotel.  We had an early night and packed our bags for our departure in the morning.

I woke up early for one last run around the city.  I ran over and down the street where Zach and I first stayed on our study abroad together – off of Grenelle.  The hotel has been completely remodeled and renamed, but it was still fun to see it.  I also saw the restaurant we’ve been going to up the street [We actually didn’t dine at it this time, and ironically it’s called Pizza Amalfi.  We knew it wouldn’t live up to real Italian pizza, so we skipped out this trip.] since our first trip to Paris together back in 2007 – 10 years ago!  It was a short run but just what I needed before the long flight home.  It felt nostalgic to me. I have a feeling we won’t be back to Paris for a while.  With the new baby coming I know it’s only going to be more and more difficult to travel with Zach.  So it was bittersweet to see these little landmarks – it will hold me over for a while.

We arrived at Charles de Gaulle with only enough time for me to grab some macarons for my family at Laduree to go in my carry-on.  We were one of the last people to board our flight.  Poor Zach’s television monitor in his seat didn’t work the entire flight – so we shared mine and watched an entire season of Suits on our way back home.  We were completely shocked when Delta credited us 5,000 sky miles for the trouble!

This trip was an absolute dream.  I can’t even talk to people about it without tearing up.  It’s so hard leaving Sloan – but worth it for the time I get to spend with Zach.  Even just talking to him, uninterrupted, for 8 days was enough for me.  It was magic and I’ll never be able to repay Zach for the time and effort he put into helping me plan this trip.  Even though this wasn’t number one vacation destination, I think it totally won him over.  And I’m smitten.  Forever.

La Jolla 2017

I’ll be completely honest:  I get a little emotional every time I think or talk about this trip.  I had been asking Zach if we could go on a family vacation for a few months prior and he planned this trip – without any help from me at all – and it couldn’t have gone better.

We flew from SLC > San Diego on Thursday afternoon and I would cringe each time I would think about the timing before we left.  We had to leave for the airport right at the beginning of Sloan’s nap.  So I let her skip it – hoping she would get some rest on the flight.  She was so amped once it was our time to board she could have cared less who she got on the plane with [thank you kind businessman who humored her].

As if a gift from heaven – we got to ride on a brand new Delta aircraft that had TVs in the headrests complete with boat loads of free movies.  Moana and Beauty and the Beast got us on our way.   And after she got bored of watching her shows we messed around with Play Doh, which was honestly the hero of the whole flight.  She played quietly for the remainder of the trip there.  

When we arrived we grabbed our baggage and picked up our rental car.  Sloan took a 30 minute nap in the car while we drove to La Jolla and got all checked in at our hotel.

I unpacked all our gear while Zach and Sloan ventured out to the beach.  They didn’t waste any time at all.

Zach booked us a beach front room – so the sand was less than 10 feet away from our door!  They both got soaking wet and sandy and I ordered food for dinner to our room from one of the hotel restaurants.  We put Sloan down to bed, grabbed the baby monitor [I know I am super repetitive…but if you travel with kids you MUST pack your baby monitor] and went out to the beach for our bonfire date.  Zach scheduled with the hotel in advance and they set up a beach bonfire for us complete with a s’mores kit!  The best part was that they did everything.  Hauled the fire pit out to the beach, set us up with chairs and towels, and left the s’mores get-up in our room.  All we had to do is walk out a few steps and start up the fire!


We ended up doing it our first two nights and I looked forward to it throughout the entire next day.

The next morning Zach let me run off all my s’mores from the night before with a glorious 4 mile run.  The weather was perfect.  Meanwhile – Zach and Sloan checked out the park the hotel had in the sand.

Then we all walked over to the pool and swam until lunch time.

We practically had the whole place to ourselves.  We got food poolside and relaxed in our loungers.

I’m not huge on “pool food”.  It’s usually chicken strips, nachos, and the like – but they had the most amazing hummus wrap that I could have ordered every single day.  Zach was elated to have hamburgers and chicken quesadillas along with Sloan.  The food actually surprised us.  You never know when you stay somewhere new how the service and food is going to be – and we were all pleased with everything.  I was already telling Zach we needed to come back and we hadn’t even left the place yet!

I took Sloan back to the room to nap afterwards and then met Zach out on the sand in front of our door to lounge for a bit.  When Sloan woke up we promised her we would build a sand castle – and we really went for it.  We built and re-built tower upon tower for 3+ hours!


Afterwards we all showered up and went to dinner at the Shores nearby.  All three of our meals were a home run.  They had me sold from the second they handed us piping hot bread as we sat down.

After dinner I got Sloan ready for bed and Zach ran to a nearby grocery store for some supplies.  Our room had a full kitchen and dining room so we decided to stock up on breakfast food and soda for the remainder of the trip.  He also got more s’mores supplies.  We had ourselves another bonfire and the weather was even better than the night before.

The next morning I explored the fitness center and had a run barefoot on the beach.  It was crazy crowded for 8 in the morning.  There were surfers, lots of other runners, a few yoga groups, and tons of families already out scoping their spots.  Luckily our place had a private beach – so I zoned in on a spot of our own and had some of the staff set us up some chairs and umbrellas.  We decided to go the same route as the day before – pool first, lunch, then beach.  Two little girls even shared their pool toys with Sloan and she couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Sloan rarely sits still.  At all.  But she went so hard at the pool on Saturday that I got a lengthy towel-wrapped cuddle.  I was afraid to breathe too deeply in fear she might wiggle away from me.

We had lunch and then took Sloan back to the room for a nap.  While she rested Zach played a round of golf and I binge watched Anne with an E on Netflix.  I know there are mixed reviews on it – but I LOVED IT [yes, I finished it already thanks to Zach’s late night hockey games] and would recommend it if you are an Anne of Green Gables fan!

When Sloan woke up we hit up the beach.  Sloan made some friends – who shared their “hot tub” with her and even some slices of watermelon.

Afterwards we showered up and took a little drive to the San Diego Temple.  Sloan kept calling it a “giant castle” and we happened to be walking around the grounds when a beautiful bride walked out of the doors.  She kept calling her a princess and waving.  It made me feel a little bit guilty about not taking her to Disneyland while we were there.  But…we just can’t.  Yet.

And because it was so convenient on our drive home – I made Zach stop at Sprinkles for a small box of cupcakes.

We fed Sloan dinner back at the hotel, had one more round of fun on the beach, and then got her tucked into bed.  We had dinner plans with just the two of us – which Zach set up.  He got us food sent out to the beach where a fancy table was waiting for us – literally 12′ from our room.  Grilled chicken, mahi mahi, asparagus, and chips and salsa.  Plus drinks and our cupcakes for dessert.

It was the perfect finale to our trip.  All three of us were sullen when Sunday morning came.  We spent the morning packing up and then grabbed lunch before heading to the airport.  Sloan did incredible on the flight home.

She even fell asleep when we were taxing to our gate and stayed asleep until we got in the car to drive home.

When we got home and unpacked, Zach and I were sitting in our bedroom together and had a chance to talk about the weekend.  We both agreed it was the best family trip we could have hoped for.  I can’t thank him enough (and haven’t stopped since we got home) for all the time and thought he put into the prep for this vacation.  Planning a long weekend away with a toddler is never simple – but it was honestly so relaxing and enjoyable.  We are honestly going back – hopefully sooner rather than later.