If you had asked me this time last year when we’d be moving out of Finland, I likely would have said, “not soon enough!” In the midst of the “three year slump”, I was desperate to move, to get out of this seemingly unfriendly country, where everything was a challenge. Now, however, I can fully appreciate the experiences I’ve had here, and look back fondly at the many wonderful things Finland has to offer.
With our moving date set (and now only three weeks away!!), I’m thrilled to be stepping into our next big adventure: Life in the UK. While there are definitely things I’m going to miss about Finland, there are many, many things I’m looking forward to in the UK. Here, I’ll make a list.
Less of a language barrier. (Yes, I know they speak English, but I’m not prepared to say that there will be zero language barrier. I know better.)
A house with a yard. Our very own yard! Young Miss has taken quite a liking to being outdoors, so it will be incredibly nice to be able to open the conservatory door and let her run free.
A conservatory! At the moment, we’re planning to use it as a dining room.
A real bathtub. As nice as it’s been having a drain in the bathroom floor, a bathtub will be a luxury with two small children.
More space. The house we’ve rented is a good deal larger than our current apartment, and, in true British style, the kitchen is separate from the other rooms, so I can reasonably hope to not have half the toys under foot while making dinner.
Having a car. Public transit in and around Helsinki is fantastic (I haven’t found a city to beat it yet), but there were plenty of things we missed out on doing because we didn’t have a car. Hubster and I have agreed that we don’t want to miss out on those things anymore, so we’re planning to buy a car pretty quickly after we move.
A well-established office. We were some of the first people to move to Helsinki for Hubster’s job, and the only ones with a child. This meant that no one really knew the ropes when they moved, and we all had to figure it out as we went along. In Bristol, the office has been operating for a few years now, and quite a few people have kids, so there are plenty of people to answer our very American questions and explain how all the little details work. (There are somany details.)
And, of course, getting to explore a new city and country. There are so many amazing places near Bristol (Bath is only a 15 minute train ride away), and so much history, not to mention castles, that I can hardly wait to step into my Jane Austen-inspired dreams and have a good poke around.
After almost five years in Finland, I’m not deluding myself by thinking that everything will be easy peasy. Far from it. I know there will be challenges, frustrations, and hard days, but it’s difficult to know exactly what those challenges will be until we encounter them. I’ve already managed to sidestep a few by chatting with people in Bristol, and that is more helpful than most people know.
With such a short time left until the move, I feel like there is still a lot to get done. We’ve hired packers and movers (Young Miss is in the fun “unpack everything” stage, so packing would be impossible), but I’m still trying to go through clothing to get rid of what we no longer need/want. It’s not a fun chore, and I never want to do it, so it’s slow going. I should get back to that, but first, here are some fun life updates:
Young Miss turned one! And started walking soon after.Little Man turned five! He’ll be starting school this fall.
That’s mostly it, but it feels like a lot with their birthdays only two months apart. With more travel, or at least new scenery, on the horizon, I’ll hopefully have a bit more to write about in the near future.
We finally took a journey on the “big green train” as Little Man calls the sleeper trains. We had planned to be back in the States this September, visiting family, and introducing them to Young Miss. But of course, in light of the pandemic, we stayed in Finland. On the bright side (because if you know me, you know I always try to find the bright side), we took this opportunity to explore Finland a bit more, and go somewhere I’ve been dreaming about since we moved to this wondrous northern country: Rovaniemi.
Let’s start with the pronunciation: rove-ah-knee-amy. Good. Now, just what and where is this place you may or may not be able to pronounce? It’s located about 815 kilometers, or 506 miles north of Helsinki. If you’re like me, and distance doesn’t mean much to you, that’s a nine hour drive, or approximately 12-13 hours on the train. We opted for the train because, one, we don’t have a car, and two, Little Man loves trains, as you all know by now. Plus, if we took the night train, we could travel while sleeping, and not have to worry about packing restrictions in the same way as flying. Win-win!
Little Man settling into our accommodations
So, to the train station we went! Hefting much more luggage than usual, and pushing a broken-at-the-last-possible-second stroller. I kid you not, I released the break to push the stroller out the door, and one of the wheels jammed. Not about to let that deter us, I pushed it on three wheels all the way to the station, cursing the fact that it was the left back wheel, as my left arm is my baby carrying arm and already overworked. Nevertheless, we made it! We found our rooms easily enough, and settled in to wait for the conductor. We had booked two rooms with a connecting door which the conductor had to open. It worked out nicely as each room has two beds, a sink, and plenty of storage space under the bottom bunk. The toilet was a short way down the car, and never busy when we needed it.
Young Miss was quite content
We ordered dinner in the restaurant car, which we brought back to the rooms (there were no seats left in the dining car). Little Man had no interest in eating as he was so excited to finally be on this train. He took ages to fall asleep, then apparently woke up Hubster at 4 am to go to the toilet. That was the one time I was actually sleeping, so I missed the whole thing. It was easiest to keep Young Miss on the bed with me as she was waking up every two to three hours. I figured this way, I might be able to squeeze in some amount of sleep. It wasn’t much, but I wasn’t too bleary-eyed when we rolled to a stop in Rovaniemi a little after 7:00 the next morning.
Happy to be in Rovaniemi!
It was chilly and threatening to rain as we figured out where to pick up our rental car. Once we had that sorted, we filled the trunk with all our luggage, installed both car seats, and drove to the city center to get breakfast. Oh, and find new accommodations as our Air BnB reservation had been cancelled. Not exactly how we wanted to start vacation. At least we had breakfast pre planned; we went to the Scandic hotel, where non guests can enjoy the breakfast buffet for 19€ per person (children eat free). Amazingly, as we ate, Hubster messaged with our Air BnB hostess, who said she would be able to host us after all, as long as we arrived no earlier than 5 pm. That solved, we finished breakfast and drove to Santa’s Village to see what that was all about. (I’ll be honest, I was in it for the baby reindeer.)
Display inside Santa’s house
The petting zoo didn’t open until 11, everything I wanted to do was outside, and the weather was 100% against me. It was pouring down rain by the time we parked. Have you ever had one of those vacations where everything just tanks and you feel like you would’ve been better off staying home? That’s how this felt. If this was how the weekend was starting, it did not bode well.
Luckily, having a car opened possibilities we don’t normally have. We drove back to the city center (only 15 minutes by car!), and paid a visit to the forestry museum. The reviews said it was good for kids (it is!), and at only 7€ per adult, well worth a stop. As is typical with Little Man, I didn’t get to spend much time learning about any of the exhibits, but he had fun exploring everything, from the huge tractors you can climb in, to the wooden train tracks, and the dark woods. It was a nice way to escape the rain for an hour, and Hubster fixed the jammed wheel on the stroller! That made the rest of the trip much more enjoyable.
LM investigating one of the giant tractors at the forestry museum
After the museum, we decided it was a good time for lunch. Having located a promising-looking coffee shop, we drove the short distance there and quickly figured out street parking (you can download one of three apps to pay; the one we used let you check in and check out, so you only pay for the actual amount of time you parked). Once there, Little Man enjoyed some chocolate cake, Young Miss had a squeezy pouch, and Hubster and I refueled with hot drinks and a light snack. I don’t know about you, but I always feel better after a cappuccino. By the time we’d finished, the rain had let up and the sky had cleared, so we decided to venture back to Santa’s Village.
This time was much more successful. I had a list of all the touristy things I wanted to do there, so we set about checking them off. First up was the Arctic Circle crossing. We didn’t bother getting the certificate (I can only be so touristy), happily settling for a photo instead.
Crossing the Arctic Circle! And smiling!!
That done, we continued walking toward the petting zoo. Little Man was showing signs of an impending meltdown, and saying that he did not want to see reindeer. We happened to come upon a nice-looking play ground and Hubster offered to stay there with LM while Young Miss and I went in search of the baby reindeer.
Fabulous play ground in Santa’s Village
So, with YM asleep in the stroller, I kept walking, and we soon came to Elf’s Farmyard, the petting zoo with the baby reindeer. This also had a 7€ entrance fee, which I thought was very reasonable. Aside from reindeer, there were alpacas, rabbits, ducks, guinea hens, and a few other animals. Mostly, I just wanted to see the baby reindeer. He was born in August which is quite rare; reindeer calves are typically born in May, so this little guy was quite the surprise!
Reindeer at Elf’s Farmyard
I enjoyed these beautiful creatures for a while, before walking around the rest of the farmyard. When Young Miss woke up, I took it as our cue to return to the playground.
Just hanging out in the Arctic Circle
Reunited, we made our way back to the car, stopping briefly so I could take a look at the Roosevelt cottage. This was constructed in less than two weeks in 1950 for the arrival of Eleanor Roosevelt, who wanted to cross the Arctic Circle.
The Roosevelt Cottage
Having crossed everything off my list for Santa’s Village, we stopped for a late lunch, picked up a few groceries for dinner, then headed to our Air BnB. I love having a homey place to return to at the end of the day, where we can all relax. Little Man always enjoys exploring his new residence, and it was nice to let Young Miss move around after being in a car so much. Not to mention, it was beautiful.
Our home away from home
We had a relaxed evening, finally getting both kids to sleep a bit later than usual. According to the forecast, this would be the night we were most likely to see the Northern Lights, so, once it was well and truly dark, I went outside to see if I could see anything. I came back inside, jittery with glee, as I told Hubster they were happening. We both grabbed our cameras and headed back outside.
It was incredible
We stood out in the cold, taking turns with the tripod, completely in awe of the dancing lights. It was breathtaking to watch them move and shift across the sky.
The Northern Lights
They varied depending on where we looked, lighting up the sky and dimming the stars. That being said, it was so dark that the stars were incredibly bright. Hubster even got an amazing shot over our cottage with the big dipper in it.
Look at those stars!
It was such a fantastic end to what started out as a pretty awful day. It felt like Rovaniemi was saying, “see? I really am wonderful. You should stick around.” I couldn’t agree more.
Oh my goodness, we went somewhere!! Since travel is so crazy right now, we decided to stay in Finland and have a long weekend getaway while Little Man’s daycare was closed for staff training. Alas, I still have mom brain and got the dates mixed up, so Little Man will have a four day weekend at home this week. I’m sure I’ll find something fun to keep him occupied. *fingers crossed*
Back to the travel! After much deliberation, we chose Savonlinna as our destination. Aside from hearing about how beautiful it is, and the fact that there’s a castle there (linna is Finnish for castle), it’s easily accessible by train from Helsinki. We would’ve been happy to rent a car, but something like 90% of them were sold out, and we’re iffy about our licences being valid here, so we went for the safe option. Besides, LM loves trains, and it seemed easier with Young Miss. (She’s never actually been in a car so we have no idea how she’ll react to a car seat.)
LM went to daycare as usual on Thursday, then Hubster, YM, and I picked him up a bit early, and we all walked to the train station. We took the normal commuter train to the Helsinki Central Station, then boarded a long distance VR train bound for Jouensuu. The family compartment had already been booked when we looked at tickets, so we reserved seats in a business compartment instead. It seats four and has a closing door, so it was pretty easy to keep LM contained. As YM didn’t require a seat, there was one extra. It only remained vacant for one stop before we were joined by the chattiest Finn I had ever met. He was very nice, incredibly interesting, and helped pass the three hour journey enjoyably.
Young Miss’ first long distance train ride!
Hopping off the train at Parikkala, we boarded the next (and final) train to Savonlinna. This was only about an hour ride on a smaller, and much older, train. It was nice though, because the windows opened so we could catch the scent of the forest as we plodded along. The scenery was beautiful. From the Savonlinna station, it was about a twenty minute walk to our Air BnB. We checked in, got settled, then YM and I went to the nearby grocery store to get a few things for dinner. Little Man was not too pleased that we’d messed with his routine, even though we’d been talking about this trip for at least a week, and Young Miss had never been away from home for so long, so they both took a while to settle, finally falling asleep at 9:30.
Zzzzz
At least I have babies who sleep well (for the most part); Young Miss woke up at 5:30, and the two of us enjoyed some quiet girl time, complete with coffee and copious amounts of spit up.
She finally wore herself out again. After the boys got up, we walked back to the market square to find breakfast. There were a few food stalls and we picked one with lörtsy, the local dish, to try. Lörtsy is a half moon-shaped pastry with either a sweet or savory filling, and was invented in Savonlinna. We got both sweet (apple, which is the most common, and blueberry with vanilla) and savory (reindeer). I have to say, while I’m usually a sweet pastry person, that reindeer lörtsy was absolutely delicious and I’m pretty sad that we didn’t go back for another one later. Reindeer lörtsy. Served warm and folded in half.
Happily full of pastry and coffee, we set off in the direction of Olavinlinna Castle, walking along the waterfront. It was a bright, mostly sunny morning, perfect for enjoying the rippling water, and a long stop at the playground that was on the way.
The beautiful Saimaa lake. After almost an hour at the playground, during which LM thoroughly enjoyed climbing all over and going down the tunnel slide, and YM napped, we continued to the castle. We were aiming for the guided tour in English at noon, but hadn’t taken into account that it’s still tourist season, and quite a few people were visiting Savonlinna. By the time we made it to the front of the line, we had given up on the tour, and decided to just explore on our own. (Normally, the tour takes you to towers you can’t access on your own, but those were under renovation, so we weren’t missing much, other than information.) I’m not sure if castles are intentionally built to be confusing, or if this one was simply lacking directional signs, but we walked through the same three rooms a handful of times trying to get outside. When we finally made it, we decided it was a good time for lunch and stopped to eat along an outer wall.Lunch at Olavinlinna Castle
After that, we decided to call it quits (I had carried a sleeping baby through most of the castle, including some fairly treacherous staircases because I had forgotten to bring the carrier), and headed back to the entrance to pick up the stroller. As we were walking through the courtyard, it began to rain. This is where I tell you that we had zero rain gear, other than Little Man’s rain coat and an umbrella each. We then made the decision to go back inside and have some coffee in what was once the great hall, and wait out the rain.
When it eventually let up, the sun came out long enough for us to get a few nice photos outside the castle, and stop for ice cream. It was my favourite part of the afternoon, and I think LM would agree.
Thoroughly enjoying our ice cream
The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to guess the weather. We successfully made it to a restaurant near the square, where we enjoyed some drinks (beer for Hubster, a latte for me, and a huge glass of milk for LM), and a bread plate, before deciding to chance it and walk home. Of course, it started really raining the closer we got to the apartment, so we ducked into the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner. Unfortunately, the rain hadn’t let up any by the time we finished, so the ten minute walk to the apartment was pretty wet. LM didn’t seem to mind, and YM was quite cozy with the rain cover on her pram (though not happy; she cried the entire way home). We stayed in for the rest of the night, happy to be in a home setting and able to relax.
Coffee in the most adorable mug in the house
Saturday morning was a slow start, with Hubster making a run to the store for breakfast, followed by the two of us trying to convince Little Man to go on a steamboat. He was adamant about not going on a boat, for whatever reason. Finally, we figured out that he wanted to go back to the tunnel slide. After that, it was easy to say that we would go on the boat first, then go to the playground.
Steamboats in the harbour
It was supposed to rain off and on all day, so we weren’t in any rush to get out. Of course, that meant that it was gorgeous and clear all morning. It was a bit windy and starting to drizzle by the time we made our way to the harbour; the perfect time to go on a boat tour. We got there about fifteen minutes before departure, right as they were boarding, but early enough to get an excellent seat inside. We parked the pram on the deck and Young Miss proceeded to sleep for the entire hour and a half tour (and longer, taking a two and a half hour nap in total). I think the gentle rocking of the steamboat, along with the rhythmic chug-chug-chug of the engine kept her asleep.
The perfect spot for a nap
We enjoyed some refreshments along with the views. Little Man was happy watching a movie on the tablet, only occasionally glancing out the window. (I didn’t expect a four-year-old to be excited about scenery. As long as he was content, I was happy.)
How to successfully travel with kids
That being said, the scenery was spectacular. Having grown up near the ocean, and often spending time on rivers and various lakes, I love being near water. It soothes my soul.
My happy place
We cruised around the archipelago, content to be inside, while also admiring the many islands and signs of life on them. I always like to imagine what life would be like in these places, probably romanticizing it to the extreme (that’s what I do best). I then forced myself to remember that this is Finland, and, knowing what winters are like, realizing how nice it would be to have a summer home here, but not loving the idea of the icy wind and meters-deep snow. Sigh.
As promised, after disembarking from the steamboat, we made a beeline for the playground. It was ugly windy at that point, and lightly raining. I continued a short way passed the park to the public bathroom; Young Miss had finally woken up and needed a diaper change. Normally, I’d be fine to do that in the pram, but with the weather, it was nice to get out of the elements. Little Man happily spent 45 minutes at the playground before we gave in to the cold (I should also mention that the only “coat” I had brought was a lace sweater with three-quarter length sleeves. Apparently I have no idea how to dress for Finnish weather), and went back to the same restaurant as the day before.
Amazingly, it was packed. At 5:30, we had expected the dinner crowd not to have arrived yet, but we were lucky to get a table. We all enjoyed burgers and a nice atmosphere before once again making the trek back to the apartment. Both kiddos fell asleep pretty easily which was nice, as they both slept in the living room: LM on the pull out sofa bed and YM in a travel cot.
Sunday was our travel home day, so we spent the morning cleaning the necessities in the apartment and doing last minute packing. Our train left at 12:30, but we went into town a bit early so we could try another dish that is well-known in Savonlinna: muikku. A friend of mine had suggested a restaurant on the square that serves them, so we went there when they opened at 11:00. Also known as vendace, muikku is a white fish commonly found in Finland and other northern European countries. Here, they are served fried and eaten whole, minus the heads. The bones are soft enough to not be a problem, but every now and then, I’d get a poker. Still, they were quite delicious. Even YM wanted to try some.
After that, we stopped for one last ice cream before hopping back on the train.
Our shortest day had the best weather!
It was so nice to get away for a few days and see another little part of Finland. Hopefully we’ll be able to explore it more before we move.
Sunday night in Kensington is much quieter than Saturday, so we were all able to get some sleep before our big day exploring London. Hubster, Little Man, and I breakfasted in the flat, then met up with Unky Mark on the way to the tube station. Let me say that I was incredibly happy not to be navigating on this trip; I’ve been spoiled with the Helsinki metro and its one line, with no need to transfer. The London tube, quite frankly, gives me a headache just looking at the map.
We took whichever lines necessary to get from Gloucester Road to Westminster. Little Man, as usual, enjoyed every moment, from booping the Oyster card upon entering the station, to navigating the winding underground tunnels, to climbing the crowded stairs back to street level. Once we stepped back into the chilly January air (ah, fresh air!), we were standing directly across from Big Ben. I looked up excitedly, admiring the beautiful clock tower in all its scaffolded glory. Sigh. I could barely make out the clock face through the criss-crossing metal, and didn’t bother getting any pictures. I’m slightly regretting that now as it is amusing to look back at the disappointment.
We walked a little ways onto the Westminster Bridge, which passes over the River Thames, and admired the Houses of Parliament.
Such a pretty view!
Figuring out the best route to Buckingham Palace
After we all agreed to the route Hubster had suggested, we set off down Birdcage Walk, along St. James’ Park. Deciding to enter the park rather than stay along the street, we walked along the beautiful St. James’ Park Lake.
Little Man picking up some navigation skills
We walked the length of the park, ending up near Buckingham Palace. There were swarms of people gathered outside, and eventually we figured out that they were waiting for the changing of the guards. As cool as it would have been to see that, a nice older gentleman was going through the crowds, informing people that it would be at least a half an hour wait until the new guards arrived. Little Man was not about to stand still that long, and the rest of us weren’t too fussed about watching the ceremony from afar, so we continued walking back along The Mall, which runs along the opposite side of St. James’ Park to Birdcage Walk.
The streets around Buckingham Palace were closed in preparation for the changing of the guard
We lucked out on our choice of route as it brought us alongside the military barracks. We may not have seen the actual changing of the guard, but we did get to see this amazing procession of guards on horseback!
Such a cool sight to see!
We passed Clarence House, the Queen’s Chapel, and the Royal Society before passing under Admiralty Arch and arriving at the famed Trafalgar Square. Maybe I was expecting more people, or possibly more pigeons, I’m not sure. All I know is that Peppa Pig has a lot to answer for when it comes to how exciting Trafalgar Square is. Perhaps not much was happening as it was January and not the best weather, but I did find the whole place rather underwhelming.
Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery
We wasted no time in plotting the course to our next stop: The Royal Observatory in Greenwich. There’s a bit of a back story as to why we wanted to visit, and it’s so random, I feel I should share it. Little Man had become rather obsessed with watching airplane videos on YouTube. (It’s amazing how many people film themselves flying!) One video in particular was his favorite for quite awhile: Flying Around the World in 80 Hours. It’s done by Noel Philips, who lives in the UK, and it starts, you guessed it, at the Royal Observatory. So, because it’s a cool story, but mostly because we spoil the crap out of LM, we had to go. Besides, I thought it would be a great spot for an expectant family photo.
Entrance to the Charing Cross tube station
Back on the Underground we went! At least the entrance to Charing Cross was in Trafalgar Square. Oh, but then we had to walk about a mile through the tunnels to actually get to the train. It was exhausting. (Perhaps I should mention here that the only pair of shoes I brought with me were one inch heels. They’re super comfortable, but holy cow, there’s a reason heels are not recommended during pregnancy! My lower back was killing me by the end of the day.) But of course, being in London has its perks. Not the least of which is making random Harry Potter connections to things you weren’t sure actually existed or not. (I was a little bummed that we didn’t go on a Harry Potter walking tour. Perhaps when the little ones are old enough to appreciate it…or at least humor me.)
This makes an appearance in the 7th HP book. I tried to contain my excitement. (It didn’t work.)
Upon our arrival in Greenwich, we realized it would be a good time for lunch. Deciding pizza was a safe bet for everyone, we found an amazing place called Franco Manca, which serves pizza with a sourdough crust. We each ordered a personal pizza (one off the kids menu for Little Man), beer or juice (I asked for a non-alcoholic cider and the waiter laughed at me, asking, “Isn’t that apple juice?”), and settled in at our cozy table. The food was ah-may-zing! I’m fairly certain it was the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, and we’ve ordered pizza in just about every country we’ve been to. Besides having the best crust I’ve ever tasted, it’s served with a choice of oils for dipping. I went with the chili oil since spice is sparse in Finland and, hello, cravings. But don’t take my word for it; the true test of how good food is, is how much of it Little Man eats. He ate his entire pizza. The whole thing.Hubster and I were shocked. That was the most he’d eaten at one time in at least a month, if not ever. (He’s not a big eater at the best of times, but for him to eat that much of one thing goes to show how delicious it is.) Also, it was pretty big for a kids’ pizza.
The best pizza ever at Franco Manca
Completely stuffed, we heaved ourselves away from the table and began walking to the Royal Observatory. (At least we had a decent walk to help us digest!) It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, if a bit chilly, and Greenwich is a gorgeous place for a stroll. Hubster once again took the lead with navigating and we moseyed through a park full of dog walkers and squirrels, always a hilarious combination.
Eventually, we came to the base of a hill, atop which stood the Royal Observatory. There was a sign stating that it was a six minute hike up (I say “hike” because it was a steep hill), or you could take the handicap accessible trail, taking 18 minutes. I decided to brave the six minute path and go slowly. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to look back halfway up and was rewarded with a stunning view.
View of Greenwich on the way to the Royal Observatory
At last, we all made it to the top. Unfortunately, that’s when Hubster realized that we’d come to the Royal Observatory, when what we actually wanted to see was the Prime Meridian…at the bottom of the hill. Cue long-suffereing groan. The nice thing about this park is that there seemed to be no end to the number of paths, so we chose a different one for our descent. About ten minutes later, we reached our planned destination. (Looking at the map now, where we really went was the Millennium Sun Dial, next to the Greenwich Boating Pond. This was where Noel filmed his flight video and luckily, exactly where we wanted to be.)
Although the boating pond was empty, and being used as a playground for happy pups, we were not the only ones admiring the sundial, and had to wait our turn for a photo opp. It was well worth it.
Family photo at the Millennium Sun Dial in Greenwich
As Little Man was still fairly energetic (it takes quite a bit to wear him down), we stopped at the Children’s Playground next to the sundial. Another excellent play area, he had a blast and ran off the last of his pizza.
Ready to head home (and get cake at Fait Mason near our Air BnB), we made our way back to the tube, stopping briefly at a souvenir shop along the way. We had been telling LM all day that we would get cake on our way home. I was so excited to stop at the beautifully decorated cake place, with beautiful-looking cakes, not to mention eat some of that beautiful deliciousness. Alas, as I was getting ready to place our order, Hubster noticed the sign that said “Cash Only”. What a blow! Of course, none of us had cash, and we didn’t feel like finding an ATM and coming back. Seriously, why was this sign next to the cash register and not on the door?! I was heartbroken. Fait Mason, you will always have the cake that got away.
I’m sad every time I think about it
Slightly depressed (don’t come between a pregnant lady and cake!), we said farewell to Unky Mark for the final time, swung by a store for some form of dessert for LM since it was so constantly talked about, and went home. LM couldn’t have cared less about his dessert, and passed out close to 6 pm. (I guess we did wear him out.)
Apparently anxious to get home, he woke us up at 4:30 the next morning. Oy, kids. At least we weren’t rushing to get to the airport. While checking in, I was finally asked if I was expecting. I was so flattered that someone would ask that I’d completely forgotten about my Finnair form. Of course, it was on file, and the counter agent was simply doing her job by asking, but it made me happy nonetheless.
A friend of mine had upgraded LM and I to business class for the flight home, and Hubster had paid for his seat upgrade, so we all flew in style. (After also flying business class to Mexico in November, I’m getting used to this. It’s an amazing way to fly.) There’s so much leg room!
Other than Little Man having a complete screaming meltdown when he had to put his seat belt on for landing, it was a pretty good flight. Those last twenty minutes made me feel bad for everyone else in business class, but hey, at least it wasn’t the entire journey. Of course, as soon as we touched down, he passed out. That’s what happens when you wake up too early. One day he’ll learn…I hope.
Good thing he’s cute.
And just like that, Little Man had completed his 59th flight. This was also my 14th flight while pregnant, the same number as with LM. These two were born with wanderlust in their veins.
It transpired that in January this year, Hubster made a business trip to Bristol. As I was desperate to see London, and Hubster’s brother was also there on business, Little Man and I flew out to meet them on a Saturday.
At this point in time, I was 31 weeks pregnant. We were flying on Finnair, who, at the 28th week of pregnancy, require a doctor’s certificate to prove that the pregnancy is progressing normally. You’re required to send the certificate to Finnair prior to your flight, and they will send you an approval, which you must have in order to board. In Finland, this certificate can be signed by a midwife, but when I asked mine about it, she said that only private clinics will provide them. So I made an appointment at the Terveystalo (literally “health house”; this is the private clinic), saw a doctor for about 15 minutes, and obtained my certificate for a whopping 154€. (Insurance did eventually cover it, but it took being submitted twice before that happened.)
For Finnairs requirements for flying while pregnant, click here.
The day of our flight to London, no one asked to see my certificate or, indeed, asked if I was pregnant at all. I had been emailed an approval from Finnair, so I wasn’t worried, but after all the hassle, it would’ve been nice to know that it was needed. All the same, Little Man and I boarded the flight, and spent an enjoyable three hours on the airplane. It was probably one of his best ever flights, behaviour wise, other than the ones where he slept the entire time. Lucky for me, since being so pregnant is not comfortable at the best of times, but especially not on an airplane.
This was Little Man’s 58th flight!
We landed safely in London, breezed through immigration, and made our way to the train that would take us to Paddington Station. I love Paddington Station. It’s so iconically British and has everything the harried traveler could need, and then some. We had timed it perfectly so LM and I had only about a ten minute wait for Hubster’s train from Bristol. I managed to find which track it would be arriving on and planted LM in front of it while pointing out various dogs to keep him occupied. Soon enough, Hubster appeared, and we all made our way to a nearby cafe for a quick coffee and snack before catching the tube to our Air BnB in Kensington.
We picked up the keys from a hotel, then decided to stop at Waitrose for a few essentials. We then proceeded to walk from the Gloucester Road tube station to Queens Gate. Turns out, that’s where a lot of Embassy’s are, and it felt very fancy, walking through Kensington, surrounded by high end cars and gorgeous buildings.
Our accommodations were a small but nice ground floor flat, with drafty windows and the noisiest neighbors I’ve ever encountered. Little Man had started running back and forth around 6 pm, causing (I’m guessing) the neighbors below us to slide a note under the door asking that we not run “noisily”. I felt bad for disturbing them, but then again, it was 6 pm on a Saturday! I really wanted to know if they had a word with any of the people coming and going between 10 pm and 3 am who decided that yelling up the stairway (directly in front of our door) was the best possible way to communicate for extended periods of time. I doubt it. At least LM managed to sleep through all the ruckus.
Sunday morning dawned bright and crisp. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the flat, before setting out to explore Hyde Park. I was thrilled to finally see it. After reading all the Jane Austen novels, and so many others that reference this marvelous green space, my romantic teenage heart was swooning. With the sun shining through the trees onto the frost-covered grass, the smell of the fresh air, and the lovely English accents surrounding us, I felt like I’d walked right into one of those novels. Little Man found no end of enjoyment in chasing after the various dogs taking their morning constitutionals, and we slowly wound our way to Round Pond. Here, we marveled at the geese and innumerable swans floating merrily on the still water.
We continued our explorations by passing Kensington Palace (OMG, that’s where Will and Kate live!!), and admiring the pretty, if not yet in bloom, gardens.
Kensington Palace and the statue of Queen Victoria (she’s my favorite)
From there, we walked to the Diana Memorial Playground. We picked up a coffee and pastries from the little coffee shop outside, before entering the most amazing play area. Any adult entering must be accompanying a child, and the gate is unlocked by someone inside. This place is indescribably fantastic. All the play structures are made out of wood, with the exception of the metal slides, and there are numerous little areas, all with different themes, and separated by foliage. (One area is filled with a huge ship. It was incredible, and clearly a favorite of the kids.) You could easily spend an entire day there, but we called it quits after about two hours of nonstop running by LM.
Well, he did stop to eat a chocolate pastry in a play house
As we left, we met up with Hubster’s brother or, as Little Man calls him, Unky Mark. At this point, Little Man was pretty worn out, not to mention hungry (he does this great thing where he gets too distracted by playing to realize how hungry he is or, indeed, eat), and showed all the signs of an impending meltdown. It was nearing lunchtime anyway, so we made our way to a pub for a classic British lunch. I had a chicken and mushroom pie (not at all the type of “pie” Americans think of, more like chicken pot pie), and the boys had pub food and beer. It was all delicious. I have no clue where the idea that British food is awful comes from, but I love it. Of course, it could have been the pregnancy hormones (give me all of the food!), but I’d recommend trying it before writing it off.
Happily full, our little group then trekked to the nearest tube station (the riding of the train being the highlight of Little Man’s day), and headed to Vauxhall City Farm. Hubster and I had taken LM to a city farm on our trip to Bristol two years previously, and thought he might enjoy it this time as well. We had also tried to plan things specifically that he would like, hence the Diana Memorial Playground. Honestly, he would’ve been happy riding the tube all day long, but it was nice to have a destination.
We chose Vauxhall City Farm over a few others for a couple of reasons: First, it was close to a tube station (about a ten minute walk), and convenient to get to from our flat; second, it was open on a day and time that we could visit; and third, it was free! (London is expensive, so any free activities are a total bonus.) It wasn’t very big, but the farm had alpacas, goats, chickens, rabbits, and horses. The people are friendly, and they ask for a donation, if you’d like to give one, at the entrance. We managed about twenty minutes there before Little Man tried making his way back to the tube station, so we gave in and headed home. Unky Mark had some more work to do, so we said “see you tomorrow” after disembarking from the Underground, stopped again for groceries, and had a quiet dinner in. LM fell asleep at 8:30, I’m assuming in order to recharge for the next day which, unbeknownst to us at the time, would be the most jam-packed of the trip. But I’ll save that for the next post…which I promise I’ll publish much quicker than this one!
This place had gorgeous cakes. Find out in my next post why that makes me so sad!
I never really wanted to visit Italy. Sure, I’d seen pictures of the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum, but it seemed so overdone. I mean, who’s been to Italy and hasn’t seen those things? (Answer: Me.) I guess I’ve always been more of the road-less-traveled type. Oh, you’ve already done that? That’s cool, but I’d rather do something different. Something less common.
The fact that we decided to stay in Sicily, rather than mainland Italy, was a big help. One of the first things I came across while planning things to do there was Mt. Etna, an active volcano not far from our lodgings. The more I researched it (and you know I hate research, right?) the more excited I became. You mean I can climb an actual volcano?! Sign me up!!
The view of Mt. Etna from our rooftop balcony
So, on our last day in Italy (which was also the last day of our vacation), Hubster, Little Man, and I set out to do some light hiking. (Saba and Oma were having a well-deserved rest day and stayed home.) If you recall from my previous post, A Warm Welcome to Greece, I had to do the driving as Hubster had left his license at home. I was more worried about this in Italy than on Crete; the roads were narrower and the drivers much more aggressive. Luckily, the drive up the mountain was an easy one, with wide lanes and hardly any traffic. (Turns out those wide roads are there to accommodate tour buses, many of which were already taking up places at the base of Mt. Etna.) As this is a photographers dream, the multiple pull-outs came in very handy when we wanted to stop and take some pictures. Little Man had fallen asleep on the curvy roads, so Hubster and I took our time getting to the parking lot.
Wide, easy roads up to Mt. Etna, lined with volcanic rock and ash
I may have grown up around volcanic mountains (Mt Saint Helen in Oregon last erupted in June, 1980 during my parents honeymoon, causing them to evacuate), but I’d never actually seen lasting evidence of an eruption. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the black rock we saw lining the road. This gave off a sort of surreal feel. Everything was black. It was pretty cool to see in person. It made me feel small because it just kept going. Kind of like the ocean, but at the same time, completely opposite. Apparently it’s difficult to explain. Let’s move on.
When we arrived at the base of Etna, we discovered all of the tourists. I knew before going that this was a tourist destination, but it felt like all the tourists on Sicily had converged here. Multiple coach buses, along with endless cars, were taking up the parking spaces. There were pay-to-park spaces, but we hadn’t figured them out and, luckily, managed to find a free parking space along the road. At this point, we had to wake up LM, who was not happy about that, and protested the idea that we should attempt to make him walk. Eventually, we made it to one of the two craters you can trek around for free and began walking. However, we quickly realized that this would take longer than expected, and the going was more difficult than we’d anticipated as we were walking on lava rock. So we decided to turn back (leading to a meltdown from LM) and head instead toward the cable car that would take us to the mountain station.
View of the craters from the cable car
It was a bit of a wait as there were so many people, but the cable car runs continually which helped move the line along. We payed 30€ per person (LM was free) and thoroughly enjoyed the ten minute ride to the mountain station. Here you will find a large gift shop, a cafe, and a rental place offering coats, boots, and hiking and climbing gear for those brave souls trekking to the summit. The coats are definitely a necessity since the temperature drops drastically at the summit. There was still snow on the ground at the mountain station and the summit is another couple hundred kilometers up! (We were told the summit was -2C when we were there in April.) We had decided before getting there not to go any further since the shortest trek you can do is about 40 minutes and requires a drive up in a jeep. The cost of the jeep didn’t seem worth it with a toddler, so we enjoyed the views from here, grabbed a snack at the cafe, then took the cable car back down.
The sunny but cold mountain station at Mt. Etna
For all the information to plan a trek around Mt. Etna, check out this super detailed website. They made it incredibly easy for me, and I hate planning. Prices, opening times, and how to get there are all in one place.
This is the 2nd generation cable car. The first was destroyed by lava flow in 1971
There was exactly one other thing on Sicily that I had honed in on and was determined to see: Aci Castello. It was a castle on the sea. That’s all I really knew about it, but it was a short drive from Etna, so off we went, yet again not really knowing what to expect. It was perfect. One of those gems you find that you could easily skip but are so glad you didn’t.
Aci Castello
It’s actually a museum. With a reasonable entrance fee of 3€ per person (again, LM went for free), we enjoyed looking at the interesting architecture and lovely sea views. As far as museums go, this one is not very good. They do have some interesting archaeological finds from the sea surrounding the castle, and what was boasted as botanical gardens (which is really just a small garden area), but LM had the best time running up and down through a tunnel, climbing stairs, and looking for birds. It was a great way to spend an hour, and, if you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a castle, so I was happy.
The clear water surrounding Aci Castello
The only way we were able to tear our little adventurer away from his tunnel was to tempt him with chocolate. (He’s definitely my child.) We had yet to try gelato on this trip, so we stopped by a place called Slurp and gave it a taste. Yes, it really is as good as it’s made out to be. Little Man adored it.
Enjoying chocolate gelato outside Slurp
A small cup was just the right size, especially when served with a waffle cookie.
After a day of sun, snow, castles, and chocolate, we went home on a sugar high for a relaxing final evening in Italy. LM gifted us an early night, falling asleep by 8:30pm which allowed me to pack. This really was an excellent end to a long, at times exhausting, and fun-filled holiday.
Aci Castello is narrower than it looks at first glance
Question: What hidden gems have you found while on vacation? What made them so great?
If you thought we were capable of sitting still, you’d be mistaken. Two weekends after coming home from our two week whirlwind trip, we took a train to Turku. (The only reason it was two weekends is because last minute train tickets for a Sunday were almost twice the price as the following Saturday.) Nevertheless, we boarded the “big train” at the station ten minutes from our apartment (it has two levels and therefore looks pretty massive compared to the regular commuter trains). We had booked seats in the family compartment for no extra cost and were able to stretch out a bit more than in regular seats. (This compartment has four standard seats, luggage racks, coat hooks, and electrical outlets. There are also two little stools for kids next to a play table, but I’m not sure there’s a limit to the number of kids allowed; they don’t need a ticket until the age of 7 and don’t show up in the booking.) Plus, Little Man had more room to play. The family compartment is also located just below the play area, so we could easily climb the stairs to the slide.
Coffee in the family compartment on the train
Less than two hours later (and only four stops!) we arrived in Turku. We attempted a visit to the cathedral, but that was an absolute disaster. Entrance to the cathedral is free, and it looks stunning, but LM was having none of it. Silence was requested at the time we visited due to the choir practice taking place, but “silent” is a skill that LM has yet to master. After a total scream-fest while we bundled him in his outer gear (it had started snowing while we were inside), we finally managed to get outside and start walking toward the castle. Not long after we started walking, Little Man dozed off. Wanting to let him sleep, and not willing to risk another tantrum, Hubster and I decided to stop for lunch. We found a restaurant along the waterfront, and totally lucked out: There was a window seat available so we could park the pram outside and keep an eye on LM while he slept. (Leaving a sleeping child outside in a pram is such a Scandinavian/European thing to do! I still get a little worried, but it’s so normal here that no one thinks twice about it.)
One of the only ways to eat in peace these days
The food was delicious, if a bit pricey and…unique. I think we stumbled upon a higher end place without realizing it. I saw pizza on the menu and didn’t look much closer. Have you ever had strawberries on a pizza?! I hadn’t either, but it was surprisingly tasty.
Strawberry and goat cheese pizza at Nerå
If you’re ever in Turku, I highly recommend Nerå. Quite aside from the food, the cocktails are yummy, and the service is excellent.
Little Man woke up and saved me from a slice of mouthwatering chocolate cake. (Had he slept for another five minutes, he could’ve had some!) We finished eating and proceeded to walk the remaining ten minutes to the castle. As it was only a little after one in the afternoon, we planned to see the castle, then head to the maritime museum. Little did we know, the castle is HUGE. It took us two and a half hours to walk through the entire thing. At 12€ per person (and free entrance for Little Man), it was totally worth it.
Main Castle
A Little History
Construction on the castle began in the 1280’s. It was originally on an island, situated in an estuary of the River Aura. In the 1500’s, land uplift caused the island to expand and eventually connect to the mainland. Throughout the Middle Ages, the castle grew into a magnificent stone structure that guarded the sea route into Turku. Today, you can still visit the dimly lit rooms from the Middle Ages, located on the lowest levels of the castle.
The castle continued to expand throughout the Renaissance in the 1500’s. This can be observed in the bright, spacious rooms on the castle’s topmost floors. During this time, fortifications around the castle grew into the bailey. The bailey was used in the 1600’s as the Governor-General’s office and the center of regional administration. Later, it served as a prison up until 1891. Currently, the bailey houses exhibitions on the history of the castle, the Children’s Castle, and model rooms decorated to represent different eras.
The Tour
Okay, cool. But what does that all look like? Lucky for you, I took pictures.
Model of Turku Castle
This model shows the castle in its current state. The outermost section is the bailey, with the rounded bit being the prison. As you walk through the castle, that’s the last part you tour. At that point you’re astonished that there’s still more to see.
Middle Ages room
The majority of the castles rooms are empty and look a lot like this one. This is one of the older rooms, but to go further back in time, you have to go to the lower levels. Unfortunately, the lighting there is quite poor (as you can imagine) and photos don’t turn out so well.
Model of original Middle Ages castle
I love it when museums have models! I like seeing the whole picture, but oftentimes that’s hard to do when the building is so large. This is what the original castle looked like. This particular room had models of the different times of construction, even including the seasons!
The castle during the Renaissance
As is the case with most castles, the rooms were large and there were many staircases. Little Man had fun running around, but he was not in a mood to stand still or wait, so I was unable to read (any of) the plaques explaining what things were. According to Hubster though, most of the rooms did not have an explanation, which was a bit of a bummer when you want to know which era a particular room is representing.
Sitting Room
Unbeknownst to me, the map I was handed upon purchasing our tickets had all the explanations. Now it is not quite so useful as many of these rooms are listed simply as “Regency”. Still, it was fun to see how they could have been decorated at different periods in history.
Kitchen from the 17th Century
It was like walking back in time, which is my absolute favorite thing to do.
Gustavian Dining Room
I particularly enjoy the various outfits of the times.
Music Room
It wouldn’t be a museum in Finland if there wasn’t a part for children! They did an excellent job of including their younger visitors in the fun. There are interactive exhibits in the bailey and I believe there’s also a day when children can dress up as knights. Little Man didn’t stop long here, however. Apparently he was in a hurry to see the prison.
Model of the castle yard in the childrens area
I think we walked every inch of this castle. Some more than once, as LM ran back and forth as Hubster and I tried to take turns looking at things. There’s an exhibition of the full history, excavation, and renovation of the castle, but we were unable to stop long enough to see it. Needless to say, you can easily spend the day exploring the castle.
Once out in the sunlight again (it had stopped snowing and was now sunny, if a bit chilly; welcome to spring in Finland!), we checked out the rest of the courtyard. There wasn’t much besides cobblestones, but the facade had been neatly painted.
Impressive, even from the courtyard
Since there was not enough time to go anywhere else before we needed to catch the train home, Hubster found the quickest route back to the station. There’s a bus stop right outside the castles main entrance, and after figuring out how to buy a ticket on his phone (3€ for a single ticket; I went free with LM and the stroller), we waited about five minutes before boarding the bus to the city center. Turku is such a lovely city! Even on a sunny spring Saturday, the main shopping street was hardly crowded, there’s a plethora of restaurants, and it had a nice, relaxed vibe. Much slower paced than the bustle of Helsinki.
The train ride home was much like the ride there; although we had seats in the family compartment again, LM spent the majority of the ride playing on the slide in the children’s area. It’s a nice way to pass an hour and a half and soon enough, we were home, already longing to return to the calm of Turku.
Courtyard balcony
Question:What’s your favorite thing about castles?
Every trip we take is an opportunity to check something off of my “I’ve always wanted to do that!” list. (This list is updated every time I find something new and exciting that I want to do/see.) So far this trip we’d checked off the following:
Go to Greece
See the pink sand beach (Elafonisi)
Visit the Parthenon
Go to Malta
Try pizza in every country I visit
Also try coffee in every country (it’s surprisingly different!)
Not too bad for just over one week! Next up was flying on Ryanair. I know, I know, it’s a silly thing to put on that list, but I was so disappointed when we had to cancel our Ryanair flight from Barcelona to Palma de Majorca two January’s ago, mostly because we ended up skipping Majorca all together. Major bummer! (Find out why in Cava, Paella, and…seriously?)
As it was time to move on from Malta to Italy, however, Ryanair had the cheapest flights and one that worked with our schedule. (Saba and Hubster seriously scouted ferries, but the times were awful. Like having to arrive at the dock two hours before a four am ferry. Not with a toddler, crazy people! So we flew.) We did run into a snafu with the boarding passes; not being EU citizens, we were unable to obtain mobile passes and were required to print them. You know, on paper. Well, Ryanair charges 25€ PER PERSON to have them printed at the check in desk. And no, you can’t do this at a kiosk. Not willing to shell out 125€ for the five of us, we went through quite a bit of stress trying to find a printer to use. (Okay, Hubster and Saba shouldered the stress, I went to find souvenirs.) In the end, our Airbnb hostess saved the day.
With that settled, we loaded our bags in the back of a taxi and piled in for the ride to the airport, slightly illegally as Little Man was perched on my lap. (I think it’s interesting how I’ve become more lax about the need for a car seat in certain situations. When he was first born, I would’ve told you that he’d never ride in a car without a properly installed child seat. Now it doesn’t seem to be an issue, at least for short rides while on vacation.)
We made our way directly to the gate for the 25 minute flight to Catania, Sicily. (I think boarding took longer than the entire flight.) I was in stitches when I saw the safety card was printed on the back of the seats and there were no seat back pockets. I knew Ryanair was a budget airline, but still! Where was I supposed to put my phone?! That being said, the plane was very clean, and the flight attendants were some of the friendliest I’ve had.
EasyJet planes at the Malta airport
As we had carried everything on the plane (which we almost always try to do), we were able to walk straight from the gate to the rental car pick up. When we finally got to the car, we struggled to install the car seat. I’m not convinced we ever actually figured it out, but it worked well enough for the week. Finally, we were off! We drove straight to the Airbnb, an amazing apartment with a separate guest house and rooftop terrace. LM fell asleep on the drive, and was able to get a decent nap.
View of Mt. Etna from the rooftop terrace
After asking all the relevant questions of our host and getting settled in, we walked to a nearby grocery store to pick up some essentials, as well as dinner items. And wine. We were in Italy, after all. We had a quiet night in and planned our trip to Taormina for the next day.
Taormina
We drove the winding seaside roads to Taormina, opting for the views over the tolls. The drive took about an hour and we parked in a garage in downtown. Rather than take the eight thousand stairs up to the historic city center, we took a free bus provided by the car park. The ride took about ten minutes. Admiring the adorable streets, we checked out a couple restaurants before deciding on one with outdoor seating for lunch. Pizza and wine was just the ticket to fuel us up.
Prosciutto, tomato, and arugula pizza
We had a grand time exploring this beautiful town, especially admiring the pure Italian-ness of the alleys. Everything was very picturesque. Little Man was in his element, running around the pedestrian street and chasing pigeons.
I love this little courtyard!
Eventually, we made our way to the Funivia, or cable car, that takes you down to the beach area of Mazzaro. Four cars run every 15 minutes, so the wait wasn’t long. A one way trip is 3€ with no discount for a round trip. LM was under the required height, so he traveled for free. (For full prices and opening hours, check here.)
Not having any plans to go swimming (I think it was mostly British tourists daring the cold of the water) we took turns relaxing in the sun and keeping LM out of the water. He very much enjoyed throwing pebbles into the sea and watching the resulting splash.
Throwing stones with Saba
We spent about an hour this way, before heading back to the cable car. On the ride up, there was an older couple in the cab with us. I was doing something on my phone when I heard the lady say “kissa”. My ears perked up, knowing this word, and I asked (in Finnish!) if they spoke Finnish. (Silly question, really, as “kissa” is Finnish for cat. LM was carrying his stuffed cat with him, as usual.) We had a short conversation, using up most of my foreign language skills, before switching to English. I was so proud of myself! It’s somehow so much easier to speak Finnish when I’m not in Finland. Maybe because I know the person is not likely expecting to speak their native language when traveling. It was pretty cool to meet (and talk to!) Finn’s while exploring Italy.
View from the pedestrian street
Back in the downtown area, we walked around a bit more, enjoying views of the ocean, and even popping into a small church for a peek. (My mom loved going in churches while she was visiting us in Helsinki, so I really wanted to get a picture inside an Italian church for her.)
An Italian church!
On the way back to the car park, we took the giant staircase down. LM was super excited about this, while I was impressed he was still awake. I lost count, but I don’t think it was even 300 stairs. Definitely better to go down than up though. Having taken the scenic route there, we decided to check out the tollway on the drive home. It was a grand total of 1.70€ and totally worth it. The scenic route was moderately curvy, but rather narrow in parts; the tollway was much straighter and hardly had any traffic.
As was our modus operandi on this trip, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up dinner. (We went to so many different grocery stores! From a tiny corner market with only the essentials, to a massive two-story hypermarket that had more than I could possibly need.) Even though we had a relaxed evening, we decided to have a down day on Wednesday. LM definitely needed it; he took a two hour nap, the first one in a bed this entire trip! As we didn’t do anything all day (seriously, nothing), we splurged and went out to dinner.
Nannetti
Nannetti is a highly rated restaurant two doors down from where we stayed in Catania. This fit perfectly with our down day vibe. Being Italy, they didn’t open for dinner until 8 pm and it was a slooooww meal. Delicious, but if you’re impatient, this is not the place for you. Our waiter was incredibly helpful, translating the menu, and listing vegetarian and vegan options for Saba and Oma. I, of course, channeled my inner coasty and went with the seafood pasta. (I’ve never met a clam I didn’t want to eat.)
Seafood pasta and white wine
As much as I love these shelled critters, I was a bit daunted by having to pick every single one out of the shell. I mean, that’s a lot of clams! But they were so good. The seafood was fresh caught that day and displayed in a case as you entered the restaurant.
Seafood display at Nannetti
We walked the three minutes home after finishing our meal, all of us ready for bed as it was almost 10 pm. Thursday would be another busy day and we wanted to be ready.
Mazzaro beachfront
Question: What’s the coolest cable car you’ve been on?
Adventures Abroad 