Category: Europe

*** A quick note that we wrote this before all of the fires in Los Angeles. Sending love to everyone and hope they can get it under control soon. ***

We originally planned to spend almost a month in Turkey but, for a host of reasons, we decided to switch it out for places that are harder to reach from NYC. That said, we had already bought non-refundable tickets to Istanbul – and we love Istanbul – so we figured we could at least do a short visit and show the kids a few highlights. 

We started the first day with a bit of nostalgia by returning for breakfast to one of the same places Dennis and I ate 15 years ago, and where Dennis decided that people in Turkey are clearly better at doing breakfast than we are.  You can often hear Dennis talking about how much he loves breakfast in Turkey and Japan so he has been waiting a while for this meal. Prices are now a lot higher; we are a lot older; but the food was still just as Dennis remembered it – delicious! 

After that, the first day was devoted to quick visits to bazaars (Grand and Egyptian/Spice), buying sweets, and stopping by one of the historical places to get Lokum (aka Turkish Delight).  And, admittedly, before and after the bazaars we also spent a fair amount of time in small stores looking for things we needed like accessories for Chanukah gifts, jewelry-making supplies, and other small items. Afterwards we took the ferry to the welcoming neighborhood of Karakoy and the kids got to visit the continent of Asia for the first time (check!). We also got lucky with beautiful views from the Bosphorus during sunset and at night on the way back. 

For the second day we hit some historical highlights — Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sophia started in the 6th century as a church, became a mosque in the 1400s upon the fall of Constantinople, was converted to a museum in the 1920s, and was turned back into a mosque in 2020. As a result, you can no longer visit from the main floor and can only view the grand hall from a visitor’s section up above. It is still amazing but not the same as when it was totally open for visitors. The Blue Mosque (which is actually the Sultan Ahmed Mosque) is relatively “new” as it was built in the 1600s and, not surprisingly, got its name due to its amazing blue mosaics and tiles. The large cistern is from the 3rd or 4th century and provided filtered water for the area. It includes a few Medusa heads!

For our final day, we jumped into the present. We went to the Istanbul Modern museum which had particularly great temporary exhibitions. Dev is really on a tear about modern art lately and how much she dislikes it; she’s working on a video to share about that (think all white paintings). We then made a stop at a classic place for baklava where we tried various kinds, before jumping on a ferry to Uskudar for the kids to take a perfume making class. This was super fun and Mira made a video about that experience that I’m sure you’ll see any day now, just like the kids will someday start writing this blog.  To finish off our final night, we took the funicular (uphill trolley in a tunnel) to Taksim Square to make sure the kids could try Turkish ice cream, dondurma, which comes along with a fun show! Dev made sure we got a video – see below!

As we mentioned, our itinerary has shifted a bit.  Here’s what is coming up next:

1. Cairo and the pyramids (4 nights only)
2. Ghana (2 ½ weeks)
3. Rwanda (2 weeks)
4. Tanzania (3+ weeks – worldschool hub + safari)
5. Sri Lanka (TBD)

After an easy train ride, we rolled into Barcelona where we grabbed some groceries, made new menorahs, and celebrated Chanukah. Very early the next morning, before sunrise, Dennis and Mira went to the airport to pick up Mira’s friend Maya who bravely took an overnight flight solo from NYC. 

We spent that first full day rambling along La Rambla, riding the ferris wheel, dipping into the old Jewish neighborhood (though we couldn’t find an open door for the synagogue), and walking through the Boqueria Market.  Before heading home we made sure to find the mosaic on the sidewalk by Joan Miró and Maya was the first to locate his signature in one of the pieces.  We called it an early night after Chanukah celebrations.  

The next day Dennis took the kids to play laser tag.  That’s it.  I honestly don’t know what happened to the rest of the day.  That night we went out to dinner and had a few traditional tapas but mostly the Cronin kids had hamburgers. 

Luckily, we made up for it the following day when we hopped back on the train to Figueres where we had tickets to the Salvador Dalí museum which was designed by Dalí himself and is considered his largest piece of surrealist art.  Maya described it best when she said it was like being inside a fever dream.  Dev loved the piece that looked like Minecraft and Johanna loved the illustrations for Alice in Wonderland.  Mira loved the room with feet on the ceiling, the green projection, some armor here and there (her description). 

Our day of Dali was followed by a day of Gaudi.  We took a small group tour of some of his major works — Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Park Güell, and the still unfinished but amazing Sagrada Familia (over 100 years of construction!). After the kids patiently listened to the tour for over 5 hours, we celebrated with churros. We finished off the night with traditional Neopolitan pizza because, well, why not?  

For Maya’s final day with us, Dev and Dennis went to play a couple more rounds of laser tag.  When the older kids dragged themselves out of bed, we went up the hill to Parc del Laberint d’Horta, a large, walk thru labyrinth made of tall bushes – a Dennis favorite! Dev got through first and we all eventually caught up.  The entire place was beautiful.  Afterwards we went walking around Born and other shopping areas where we made important stops at (gasp!) Claire’s, the Vans store, and other classics.  We also finally had a proper tapas dinner (Johanna’s still not convinced).  Dennis and Dev braved the Museum of Nightmares where the staff gave Dev free gifts for being braver than most adults and completing the entire experience.

Maya left the following morning and we were all sad to see her go, especially Mira!  We encourage other visitors anytime;)  

Next up:  Istanbul!

We landed in València, Spain around midnight and in the taxi to our AirBnB, Mira quickly surmised, “It’s like Paris but they speak Spanish!”

We had a beautiful apartment and everybody had their own room which was a nice break. We spent the first day exploring the neighborhood and taking care of errands, especially buying some new clothes for the kids who apparently keep growing. And have you noticed our hair getting long in our photos? Well, thankfully we finally found hair cutting scissors and Mira, our resident hairstylist, saved the day by cutting everyone’s hair. We ended the day with educational videos like the Jose Andres show where he takes his daughters all over Spain teaching them about the local foods. 

The next day we visited the old city, making sure to stop at the amazing La Lonja de la Seda (silk exchange) where the kids discovered individualized audio guides that enabled them to explore independently. The building was also amazing. And, of course, we stopped at the obligatory Central Market where we accidentally spent 27 euros on a very small amount of fruit. After that, we focused on meals. We waiting on a very long line to have “cocas” from the place Jose Andres recommends (they were disappointing) and then headed to the Horchateria Santa Catalina for horchata and fartons (also just fine but at least we got to say the word fartons and the place was beautiful). 

We spent our last day in Valencia — Christmas — visiting the La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (the city of arts and sciences) which was amazing. It’s a complex of modern buildings and museums, many designed by Santiago Calatrava (who did the Oculus in Manhattan). While most things were closed, we spent hours at the Oceanogràfic and particularly loved watching beluga whales play together. 

For the first night of Chanukah the kids made impromptu menorahs with aluminum foil (thanks internet!); we Zoomed with Marla and Lisa to light the candles; and we gifted the kids comfort foods from the nearby “Taste of America” grocery store (thanks for the tip, Raha!). I’ve never seen the kids so happy to see Honey Nut Cheerios and Annie’s Mac’n cheese. We also introduced the kids to the movie A Christmas Story in honor of Chrismukkah.  

Wishing everyone health, safety, and more peace during this holiday season, and extra love to those for whom the holidays are a difficult time. 

Tomorrow we take the train to Barcelona where the highlight is most definitely a visit from Mira’s friend, Maya!

We thought Montepulciano had a lot of hills but then we got to Spoleto!  We immediately went to see Zia Maria Anna and Zelda and their beautiful new-ish home.  Zelda is the cutest and the kids proceeded to spend the week vying for her attention.  Luckily for their sibling rivalry, we’re pretty sure Dennis won.      

Uncle Hank came from Rome for the weekend, Zia Maria Anna gave us a tour of the town, and they both introduced us to some wonderful places to eat (and eat again).  We were particularly excited to visit with Maria Anna’s family and her sister generously invited us over to her house a couple times.  The kids all played well together, Dev learned the Italian rules for hide and seek, and Mira got to practice the drums on a real set.  Maria Anna’s sister is an amazing cook – everything is easy to her – and Mira had a blast learning from her.  

The kids also got to pick up Zelda from school and once even went to drop her off.  Only Zelda could get them up that early!  For our last night in Italy we drove into Rome.  We booked a room last minute and when we walked in, we realized we had rented a room in the same exact building thirteen years ago when Mira was a baby!  We walked around the coliseum and learned something we didn’t know before – that it was paid for with plunder from the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and built by Jewish slaves.  As Mira said, I think that means it’s basically ours?  We finished off our trip with a lovely dinner with Uncle Hank at one of our favorite spots where he taught us about things Americans do that are not actually Italian and we taught him about the latest slang.  

Tomorrow we’re off to Casablanca, Morocco.  

(Click on the photos for a full sized slideshow.)

After a whirlwind tour in Venice, we rented a car and drove down to Montepulciano in Tuscany for a more extended stay to visit Grandpa Steve and Tiffy who have a home there.  The drive was beautiful but the highlight for Dennis was probably the amazing tunnels through the mountains.  We didn’t have to go around the mountains, we just went through them!

Our AirBnB was in the center of the historic center up on a hill so we had an incredible view.  It was a pretty fabulous place and even just spending time there was a treat.  We also had a wonderful time with Grandpa Steve and Tiffy with many wonderful meals and lots of fabulous wine.  And Grandpa Steve started giving the kids some history lessons – including what are the differences between the Bronze and the Iron Age?

Soon after we arrived, it was the election.  After following the debates and news from afar, Mira and Johanna got up at 3am to watch the results and Dennis joined soon thereafter.  And then we got back into bed… for the next four years. 

We also took some incredible field trips.  One of the highlights was a trip to Pienza where Grandpa taught us all about the architecture and the difference in artwork from medieval times vs. renaissance times.  We also had lunch at one of our favorites spots, Latte di Luna, and revisited our favorite playground to re-take some pictures from the kids’ earlier visits.  We also went to Sarteano to visit a museum about some Etruscan tombs and then went to see an actual tomb nearby!  It was a good thing we went to the museum beforehand because the entire tour was in Italian.  It was really a special treat.

Grandpa and Dennis also took the kids to Siena, one of our favorite cities, where Dennis climbed the clock tower and everyone else wimped out.  After running around in the piazza, everyone was off to the Siena Cathedral (aka the “black and white” church) which we love and now the kids do, too.  The day was topped off with a visit to our favorite restaurant in Montepulciano where they remembered us and we felt like regulars.  

After all this (not actually that strenuous) touring and many great lessons from Grandpa, the kids took a much-needed break by heading to the thermal baths at Bagno Vignoni with the grandparents where they swam, soaked, and lounged to their heart’s content.  

Our last day in Montepulciano was Mira’s 13th birthday.  We surprised her with many wonderful videos from friends and family (thank you!) and she was really touched.  We asked her what amazing thing she wanted to do for her birthday and her request was to stay home all day, in her pjs, with unlimited screen time.  And that is what she got, though we did force her out for a special birthday dinner.

Next stop is Spoleto in Umbria to see Uncle Hank, Zia Maria Anna, and the one and only cousin Zelda!  

(Side note: this was also written before the election even though we are just now posting.)

For our first stop in Italy, we are spending less than 24 hours in Venice.  We weren’t going to go because it’s so touristy but Dennis and the kids have never been and who knows how long it will be before it’s underwater.  The night before we watched a fascinating video about the history and engineering of Venice and it was fun to see it in real life.

It is off-season so while it was crowded, it was completely manageable and actually super fun.  We got an airbnb right on a small canal that was lovely.  After a big lunch, we took a long walk to the jewish ghetto – seeing the Rialto Bridge and Bridge of Sighs on the way – where we took an amazing tour and learned about the history of the first ghetto, the term ghetto, and the jewish community.  On the way home we meandered much more slowly, stopping for a gelato dinner, and ended up in Piazza San Marco where the kids bought overpriced spinner toys and had a blast throwing them into the air and chasing them, only hitting random strangers maybe 30% of the time.  

The next morning we had a touristy gondola ride which was sweet but completely eclipsed by our subsequent water taxi ride to the train station.  We loooved that and felt very fancy, and we got to go much faster through the canals, and stand up in the boat.  We were living large and it was a great way to end our visit. 

Next up is a drive to Montepulciano to see Grandpa and Tiffy!

(Click on the photos for a full sized slideshow)

(Side note – this was written before the election – when we felt so young and carefree!)

We were hungry and happy when we landed at our hotel in the Montparnesse neighborhood of Paris. Luckily, there was a nice cafe with baguettes and croissants right on the corner – yum!  We wasted no time after our quick snack to walk to the Luxembourg Garden – which had just closed. But it was wonderful to take in the Paris evening strolling in the park around the garden, playing with dogs, racing to statues, and challenging each other on the public exercise machines.

One of Dev’s big requests for the trip is to go to amusement parks so we made sure to hit Jardin d’Acclimatation, France’s first leisure park founded in 1860 by Napoleon III.  After that we were off to Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées where we had fun comparing them to our neighborhood in Brooklyn.  Based on wise advice from Grandma Martha, we made a stop for dinner and dessert at Laduree, famous for its macaroons.  

The next day we walked around and marveled at the outside of the Louvre – but did not go in – and followed Mira’s suggestion to go on the nearby ferris wheel.  We got an incredible view of the city!  We meandered around the gardens and then spent the afternoon at the Musée d’Orsay.  We loved the recent installation of modern sculptures, the clocktower, and especially seeing Van Gogh’s self portrait.  We finished the night having a picnic at the base of the Eiffel Tower.    

The next day we made a mandatory stop at Dennis’s metro stop (Saint-Denis) en route to the Marais district where we had afternoon tea, wandered a bit to do some shopping, and then finished the day at the historic Jewish area of Rue de Rosiers. The kids were excited to have dinner at a family yiddish bakery where they all shared a pot of matzoh ball soup and we bought a challah for shabbat.

On our final day in Paris, we went to the very top of the Eiffel Tower.  It was high, it was fun, and it was a lot of waiting in lines.  We still had a blast and Johanna only had to close her eyes once!

Next stop – Italy!

(Click on the photo for the full size slideshow)