Milan Day 4 - Date With a Castle

And yes, this is a CASTLE -- not a neo-classical or fancy-schmancy marble confection meant to strike envy in the hearts of visiting royalty. Oh no, this is a CASTLE, a fortress, started in the 1300s and meant to look scary and imposing and keep people safe from warring neighbors. How fabulous!!

Castello Sforzesco from the tram stop

Castello Sforzesco is a 15-minute walk from the Duomo. But instead of taking the Metro again, we decided to ride one of the many streetcars or Trams. This short ride made Leah's day. She could have ridden on that tram all day and night. It may be the only thing she remembers about her trip to Italy -- other than the carousel. Sadly, we arrived at our destination.

And actual drawbridge!

The Castello has a long history, of course, and has been demolished, rebuilt and demolished several times in its 700 year existence. Da Vinci was even brought in as part a remodeling job. It's incredibly large, all brick, with towers on the corners. The area where the moat was is easily imagined flooded with water and populated with blood-thirsty alligators. In fact, it took very little imagination to dream up what the courtyard would have looked like hundreds of years ago -- I have been to a Renaissance festival.

Alice, in the courtyard, being 2-years-old

The other side of the Castello looks out over a very pretty park area. Leah, Alice and I stopped there for a snack consisting of a panini sandwich with prosciutto and potato chips.

The rest of the day went by as imagine; nap, park, etc.

Ode to Ice Cream

For the last few days, we've been going to the park after our afternoon naps, riding the carousel and getting gelato ice cream cones ("cono"). We then find a park bench to devour the cones -- and Mom "cleans up" any drips ... or potential drips. Yum!

Just before I took this video, Alice sighed and said "I love ice cream."

Happy 10/10/10 Day Eve!

With 10 being my lucky number since birth -- I was born on April 10th! -- I've been looking forward to 10/10/10 for decades! In high school, I started thinking about ways to celebrate. In college, it was clear a big party would be needed. When Dave and I were talking about a second kid, I knew she/he had to be born before 10/10/10 so I could properly celebrate this day. And at last, it's here ....

And instead of a big party, with ten cakes and a countdown to 10:10pm, I'm in Milan, Italy. Didn't see that one coming!

So, to all those I gave out verbal invitations to: Sorry! You're still welcome to fly to Italy and join me. I'm planning to spend the day on Lake Como! But, unsure as of yet where I'll be at 10:10pm.

Perhaps you're going ahead with some big plans of your own to celebrate -- in this event, do send me pictures!

Happy 10/10/10!!! 

Milan Day 3 - Self Indulgence

So, not much to report on on this day. We ARE on vacation, after all.

We had a very messy breakfast at a little cafe. The owner just wanted us out, though he was being very kind about. Croissants and kids = crumbs. Do Italian kids find the same equation to be true? I'd like to know.

Afterwards, we wondered through a grocery store -- just to see what kind of food they had. Lots of bread, cheese and ham. I'm convinced they eat no other food product here. Not that I'm complaining.

We also found a fantastic little toy store that was well-priced and full of adorable little things. Leah and Alice both got little dolls and other goodies to play with. I also found some holiday gifts for my nieces. Oddly, I have yet to final a similar toy store in Berlin.

Leah riding the airplane

Then, we spent the afternoon in the park, following the familiar pattern of events I talked about in Day 2. Routine is good, right?

Italians love kids, as no other city we've been to does. Strangers often come up and talk to the kids. Alice gets a kind smile and a head pat several times a day. If, for no other reason, this would be a great country to return to. Though, it would be nice to think our next trip will be sans kids.

Lastly, I left my tour book at a neighboring hotel while inviting the new friends we met at the park to join us on our Lake Como adventure. I returned today to pick it up and they didn't have it. How annoying! I had notes in the margins and destinations circled. So, will need to find a bookstore selling English tourbooks STAT.

Milan Day 2 - Duomo!

This city radiates out from the Duomo, the 4th largest cathedral in the world, so we had to see that first.

We had to take the metro here (ATM, it's called) and I found it very easy to use -- it's exactly 3 lines, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out which of three trains to take.

Duomo Milano

The Duomo is really magnificent. It's white and shines like a bright toy in the middle of a busy square. It's very pointy and just amazingly detailed. We got inside with the stroller, which is forbidden according to the posted rules. But there was a nice, armed guard and he winked at me and the kids.

The Duomo girls

The inside is grand but a little gloomy. The stained-glass windows don't allow much light in. But the floor is patterned marble and the circling is incredibly high above us. Leah was incredibly curious and talkative. She loved the offering candles, that she described as a birthday cake. And was impressed by some of the status. She balanced on some of the kneelers and sat down on one, because it was just her size. She also though the platform where a parishioner would place their folded hands in prayer was for food. Ah, the joys of traveling with a preschooler!

Alice was bored, half a sleep in the stroller.

I had read that the Duomo was finished (hundreds of years after it was started) so Napoleon could crown himself King of Italy here. So, when Leah ordered me to sit and look around, I basked in the thought of being here that day, of seeing little Napoleon crowned in this very room. If walls could talk....

We spent the afternoon, not surprisingly, in the park. The weather was overcast, but warm. Low 70s. The events in order: Carousal, gelatto ice cream cones, swings, slides, then one more ride in the carousal before heading home.

Milan Day 1 - Such a Different City

It occurred to me while wandering around today that I have seen three such vastly different cities -- something I really didn't expect. Sure, I knew they'd each have their own signature theme -- like Paris's feminine architecture, Berlin's buttoned-up feel and Milan would be rustic. But a city is just a city, right? I work in NYC every day, how different can they all be?

Sheesh. What a difference! They all feel like they exist on different planets -- not a 2-hour plane ride.

And it's not just the language, though that certainly sets them apart. There's a completely different feel here in Milan than anywhere I've been. Milan is like walking into a neglected attic. Where Parisians are stewards to their buildings, lovingly restoring them, Milanese rough them up. They show their age. They even smell their age. Even the newer buildings look dirty and old.

The city I've seen so far is a complete 180 from the order of Berlin. It's total chaos. Even the park had seen better days. The people are not formal, they nap on park benches, pee in public corners and smile openly at my kids.

I feel like I have to start completely over here. Nothing from Paris or Berlin has prepared me for this rough city.

Speaking of the language, I thought I'd get a leg-up here with Italian since I know so much Spanish. Nope. Not helping me a bit. I actually think it helped me more with French. But maybe that opinion will change after a few days. (Though, I can't stop danke-ing people -- where I am again?!)

Milan Day 1 - The Greatest Park Ever

We had a 4:30am wake up time this morning to catch our 6:30am flight out of Tegel for Milan. Ugh! The flight was half empty so Dave and I took up two rows. The girls choose to bless Dave's row with their company, so I half-slept. I got a great view of the Alps, as well. Amazing!

It took nearly 2 hours for our cab to navigate morning rush hour and arrive at our hotel in the Northeast section of town. We got to our fairly standard room and I was ready to make do with it, but Dave didn't think the logistic of two twin beds would work, so we moved to a gigantic room with a king bed and a small twin. Okay, maybe it's not gigantic to some standards, but after the shoebox in Paris, I'm pretty pleased. There's plenty of space to run around in.

Once we settled in, I was off with the kiddos to explore the neighborhood and get my barings -- and hopefully stumble upon a playground. Dave was off to his all-consuming conference that will keep him busy for pretty much our entire stay.

A supermarket, some delis, a pharmacy -- so far this neighborhood was proving to be full of what we needed. And crowded and lots of traffic. I crossed a few streets toward some greenery and ended up in a park. I followed a woman pushing a stroller and ended up at a playground. The fates were with me.

But it didn't end there, oh no. The woman was from San Francisco and she had also flown in that morning with her adorable 2-year-old. She's also attending Dave's conference and brought her mother along to babysit. We talked quite a bit, actually and I might try to meet up with them later this week. After ample time to run around and get to know our new friend, we continues to explore the park. It not only contained three play areas, a lake with fish and ducks, and several busy cafes -- it had ice cream. And a carousel. Making it Leah's favorite park in all of Europe!!

No pictures today as I was too exhausted to bother digging out the camera, but we'll no doubt be returning to this park soon.

Eating In Berlin - Still Getting Used to It

One of my main areas of trouble (other than traveling with two young kids) is figuring out how Berliners eat. And when. And what.

For example, I went out on Sunday morning with the family to do some grocery shopping for the half-week we had left before leaving for Milan. The grocery store was closed. All the grocery stores were closed. All that is open in Berlin on Sundays is bakeries (thank goodness) and flower shops. That just doesn't make sense to me. Why close something as necessary as a grocery store?

And dinner... when and what do they have? The to-go places around the apartment close at 4. Other than the tapas place (a blessing) there is one other restaurant and its nearly always empty. Do most people eat at home? And we normally don't see kids in restaurants, where are they?

So bascially, if I miss lunch out (which I usually do), I miss out on the one hot meal I get all day. Otherwise, it's bread and yogurt for breakfast in the apartment. And frozen pizza or pasta in the apartment at night.

Change Of Venue - Hello Milan!

We're off to Milan tomorrow morning, so I've been studying the travel guides -- something I neglected to do before, as I was studying Paris and Berlin.

Seems that much like Berlin, many of Milan's buildings were bombed in WWII and have gone through extensive remodeling. And I keep hearing it's the least-charming city in Italy -- not a very kind description. But the guide is filled with Renaissance architecture, quaint museums and a lot about shopping, so I'm not at all worried about being disappointed.

I'm also very excited to read about the slew of FREE museums listed. That means I can wander through and make a hasty exist when the kids get bored without spending a single euro. I'm happy about that.

This is my first trip to Italy, a place I've wanted to see forever. Again, I'll reference a book (and its movie), which is on my Top 10 list: "A Room With a View" by EM Forster as one reason for my desire to visit.  I highly recommend both the book and movie. And Lucy visits Florence with Charlotte. It's where she meets George. And no, Milan isn't Florence, and I won't have a view of the Arno from my pension window. I'll still be in Italy.

Wish you were here!

Traveling Momma: The Experiment and Routines

Originally, this blog was going to be about my exploration of being home with my kids in a foreign city. As a working mom, this trip is the longest I'll have spent with them non-stop since their maternity leaves, so that's a pretty big deal. But, the travel stories and sightseeing was just way more fun to blog about, so I've neglected it.

And, actually, I've censored out most of the parenting issues that I've been having -- being completed unaccustomed to the role of hands-on parent 24-hours a day, 7-days a week -- guessing that it probably paints me in a bad light.

So, if you want to keep to the travel stuff, I'll post soon about our departure to Milan next that you can skip ahead to. Meanwhile, I'm keeping it real....

My thoughts on being a stay at home mother: not for me. Though, I should append that statement with: not with a 2-year-old and not living in a foreign city with no classes to attend or family/friends to see. But, the experiment was tainted from the get-go. I wanted to learn what it was like to stay at home, but since I'm not technically "home," I'm not getting clean results. So the question will always be there for me.

It's still an experiment in parenting and being with them every second of the day in a strange place. So I'm learning quite a lot about who my kids are and what they're capable of -- which they're learning, too. Leah is narrow-minded (ice cream, ice cream, ice cream) but she's got a memory like a steal trap for things that interest her. And because I've had to rely on her help with Alice, she's taking on a bit of a maternal role (read: bossy). Alice is floundering with no routine. Leah was a handful at 2, and Alice seems to be going that way. She's taken to acting out, running away, tantrums and screaming at us in frustration.

And you can't blame her. The great thing about my kids is that they were always meant to be day-care kids: institutionalized in daily routine. I've seen kids at day care who can't handle it, the routine or separation. My kids thrive on it. Which as made leaving for the office far less complicated, but is now working against me. And imposing a daily routine here just isn't practical or possible. So, now what?

The best I can do is have a daily plan of attack and talk to them about what we're doing next, feed them (they are monsters on empty stomach) and listen to them when they need something (and not just ice cream). I know I'll look back on this as a wonderful adventure spent with my family -- or at least that's what I mumble to myself as I'm strapping a screaming 2-year-old to her stroller in a busy Berlin square. Good times.

Celebrating the Reunification - 20 Years Later

View of the festival

Today is a national holiday in Germany: Happy Unity Day! (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) So, we did our duty and got to "downtown" for some celebrating, eating and people-watching. Yup, it was tough but someone had to do it.

We're not much of street festival people, so we were pretty impressed by the turn-out. The main part, which we saw, was centered around the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate -- as Leah, Alice and I saw on Friday. There were several stages set up here and there with music. And vendors lined up along the street leading into Brandenburg Gate called Avenue of June 17 (which has it's own significance in German history). We stumbled upon two swing bands who were great -- we danced a little -- and a little chorus of kids singing "We Are the World" karaoke-style -- which wasn't so good.

And, yes, we ate our way up the street and back -- the food was fantastic. We started with a bratwurst, a huge pretzel, followed by French fries (pommes) and some dessert. Everyone got something they wanted...

Couldn't be happier!

Dave got an obscenely large glass of beer -- good thing we took the S-Bahn (subway) and not the Benz! No need to worry about a DD.

Hello, Kitty!

Leah got a very large Hello Kitty balloon. Which annoyingly banged us and fellow festival-goers who passed to closely. Grrrrr!

Vanilla and Chocolate cone and nose

Alice got ice cream, which she was very excited about. Unfortunately, she didn't finish it. It was drippy and she dropped in on the ground -- which was a tragedy of mythic proportions.

The greatest kabob ever

And I got a stick of chocolate-covered strawberries. One of my favorite treats. I shared with Alice, after the ice cream cone disaster. Just call me a giver.

Believing we made the most of Unity Day in Berlin, we headed back home with full bellies. I'm hoping they'll televise some of the concerts tonight on TV -- meanwhile, Dave found an American bar where he can watch some football.