Category Archives: Destinations

Canada, Destinations, Europe, London, Madrid, Maine, Poland, Prince Edward Island, Spain, Travel Tips, United Kingdom, USA, Where we stayed

Clam Chowder from Scratch: An Ode to Vacation Rentals

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Digging for clams is hard.

First you look for the “clam shows” – the air holes in the sand that show where a clam might be. Once you find a nice, big hole, you dig the wet, heavy sand around it, pushing your shovel as deep as you can. Then you bend, squat, or kneel to look through the pile of sand you just turned over, or plunge your hand in the hole feeling for clam shells. And then you stand up again, and move to dig in another place.

Dig. Squat. Stand up. Repeat.

my sister-in-law and I, digging for clams in St. Mary's Bay on Prince Edward Island, photo courtesy of my brother-in-law, Brian Sutton
my sister-in-law and I, digging for clams in St. Mary’s Bay on Prince Edward Island, photo courtesy of my brother-in-law, Brian Sutton

Continue reading Clam Chowder from Scratch: An Ode to Vacation Rentals →

Canada, Europe, Florida, London, Madrid, Poland, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Spain, United Kingdom, USA

Playgrounds around the World: Photo Essay

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Wherever we travel, if we see a playground, my daughter always ask to stop and play, and we let her. She’s learned to be patient when when we drag her around museums, castles, and other “sightseeing” places we want to see, and we figure she deserves some fun time too.

In general, all playgrounds, event the smallest ones, have a slide, and possibly a swing or some other rocking structure. The bigger ones allow quite extensive climbing structures, and places to run around.

Some playgrounds are quite simple, but some, even small, are quite creative, like the insect-looking play structure in the featured photo above that we stumbled upon in Quebec City.

Here are a few examples of other playgrounds, from several places around the world, submitted by fellow travel bloggers. Continue reading Playgrounds around the World: Photo Essay →

Attractions, Europe, Historic Sites, Tours, United Kingdom

Have you ever seen the village of Lacock? You might have

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Have you ever seen the village of Lacock in Wiltshire, UK?

Before you say “No,” let me ask you – Have you ever watched the 1995 Pride and Prejudice, Moll Flanders, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Cranford, Wolfman, Downton Abbey, or Harry Potter?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above, then you have seen Lacock. On screen.

Compare the image above with the shot below. Look familiar?

shot of the corner of East and High Streets in Lacock, during filming of the BBC Pride and Prejudice
shot of the corner of East and High Streets in Lacock, during filming of the BBC Pride and Prejudice

You can also see some great shots of the cast of Downton Abbey in “Downton Abbey filming held back by local tour guide.”

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Attractions, Canada, Guidebooks, Historic Sites, Museums, Québec, Science, Tours, Travel Tips, UNESCO

How much can you see in three-and-a-half days in Quebec City?

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Mind you, just so we’re clear on that – three-and-a-half days is NOT enough to see everything worth seeing in Québec City and the area.

From its centuries-old stone buildings that look like they were transported straight from France, to its many museums, this charming city of about half a million has a lot to offer to visitors.

Unfortunately, we only had a long weekend for this visit, but if you have more time, do yourself a favor and spend a few more days in this capital of the Canadian province of Québec.

It’s an about six-hour drive from Boston, another old city worth seeing, but it’s very different than any American cities you will see, including the also-French New Orleans.

We saw the following attractions in Québec City. You can decide whether you want to put them on your to-see list as well.

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Attractions, Europe, Museums, Poland, Science, Warszawa (Warsaw)

Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland = Fun for the whole family

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Have you ever seen a fire tornado, experienced a simulated earthquake, or turned on a light bulb with a stair master?

You can do all that and more at the Copernicus Science Centre (Centrum Nauki Kopernika) in Warsaw, Poland, which opened in 2010, right on the bank of the Vistula river.

We’ve been there twice – once right after it opened, and the second time in January 2013. Both times not only the kids had a lot of fun, but the grown ups as well.

What can you see at the Copernicus Science Centre?

Well, looking at the Centre website I see that several of the exhibits that my kids loved, have been replaced by new, probably just as exciting exhibits, but a few of the old classics remained:

“Roots of Civilization”

The “Roots of Civilization” area, located on the ground floor, explains how some inventions, some quite ancient, changed the world and contributed to the development of the civilization.

At one of the exhibits, you can see what your name would look like when spelled in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

my name, Jolanta, in hieroglyphics
my name, Jolanta, in hieroglyphics

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Attractions, Massachusetts, Museums, Science, USA

What to do during the April Break? Go To the Cambridge Science Festival!

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If your kids have a vacation break in April, like the kids in the New England states (Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut), consider heading to Cambridge, Massachusetts next year to geek out during the annual Cambridge Science Festival.

As they say on their website,

the Cambridge Science Festival is a celebration showcasing fun and the leading edge in science, technology, engineering, art, and/or math in our region.  A multifaceted, multicultural event, the Cambridge Science Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun, highlighting the impact of STEAM in all our lives.

Be mindful, though, that the science-related events start before the festival officially opens, and sometimes go on after it ends, so you may not be able to see everything if you come for just a week.

This year (2015), for instance, the Cambridge Science Festival included a series of events marking the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which started with a March 26 event “Cosmic Loops: Music Beneath the Stars” at the Museum of Science.

 

And the “Black (W)hole” interactive experience at the Central Square Theatre ran into May.

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