Disneyland Paris

I spent the first twenty years of my life in Southern California, so I am quite familiar with Disneyland. My parents took us to the park many times throughout my younger years and when I was a teenager my friends and I visited frequently. When Eston was two we took him to Disneyland when we were visiting California, so I was pretty excited for this trip to Disneyland Paris. We had a different vacation planned, but we had a lot of family stuff going on in September, so we decided a fun-filled trip to Disney would be a nice thing to do with the kids.

The kids went to school as normal on Tuesday morning and we picked them up after lunch and drove out to the Girona airport, which is a quick 15 minutes from the city center. The airport is small and has only a handful of flights per day, so it is very easy to park and navigate. Both children now roll their own carry on bags, so traveling has become much easier.

 Eston was in charge of all documents (tickets and passports) and he was quite pleased with this responsibility.

 Aurelia is now over the age of two, so she was pleased as punch to have her own seat. The flight to the Paris area is only an hour and twenty minutes. Aurelia slept while Eston completed a few pages in his workbook.

We rented a car at the Beauvais airport and began what was meant to be a drive of just over an hour. Of course, Paris traffic had other ideas. Thankfully we had all the time in the world, so we enjoyed a beautiful French sunset from the car and the kids amused themselves with books and peering at people in cars.

After much debate, we decided to stay just outside the Disney gates. We did seriously consider one of the Disney hotels (there are four), but in the end we could get a large suite at a beautiful five star hotel for the same price as a two star hotel at Disney, so that pretty much sealed the deal. Our hotel was literally a three minute drive and the hotel had their own private shuttle vans that went back and forth to Disneyland all day long.

We purchased the "Three Days for the Price of Two" deal through the concierge at our hotel, so we were ready to go straight to the park on Wednesday morning. It rained Tuesday night, so we brought our rain jackets, but in the end it never did rain on us. 

 The hotel shuttle dropped us right at the gates and the kids began to run because they were so excited. It was such fun to see their faces light up.

Now, for the park. I could not help but compare everything to California. I mean, come on?! How could I not?!

Things looks very similar on Main Street, USA. Everything was decorated beautifully for Halloween, which the kids loved.

Now, the layout of the two parks are very similar, so we decided to head in the direction of what should have been New Orleans Square. The first big difference came when I realized there was no New Orleans Square. The Haunted Mansion was where it should have been, but that was the extent of New Orleans Square. It was not a big deal and the Mansion was really fantastic. It was our first ride and the kids loved it. Yes, all the ghosts spoke in French!

 Sadly, there is no Jungle Cruise ride in Paris. However, they have preserved the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, which I believe was removed from California a few years back. The kids loved the treehouse and we stopped for some crepes afterward. 

 There were characters all over the park and Aurelia was so excited to see Mickey!! We also met Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Wendy, Belle, Cinderella, Chip and Dale.

 Many of the rides are different. Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril is just an outdoor rollercoaster (and kind of a small one at that) instead of the cool ride it is in California. There is no Matterhorn. Space Mountain is a short (and different) roller coaster. However, many of the familiar rides (Pirates of the Caribbean, Dumbo, Star Tours) are planned a bit better in Paris. The entire area is thematic and very well done, so I must commend them for this.

 Since there are not as many rides, the lines in Paris were much longer. We were not there on a particularly crowded day and most lines were at least 45 minutes. We used the FastPass whenever possible and this helped. Thankfully we had three days, so we were able to plan accordingly. 

 Disneyland USA now has California Adventure and Disneyland Paris has Walt Disney Studios. The two are within a 5 minute walk and the kids enjoyed the Cars Land and the Toy Story Land. 

 I think California Adventure is a bit more well done. Honestly, Walk Disney Studios was fun, but it did not seem very Disney-like as far as the grounds are concerned. We did every single ride in the park in less than a day, so it is definitely just an add-on for Disney.

 Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty castle). The castle was gorgeous and I loved the shops inside.

 We did manage to go on every single ride at Disneyland (Small World was closed for renovations). As you can see, the kids just loved every moment.

 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was exactly the same, much to our delight. We rode it twice!

 All of the trees were turning colors and the changing foliage was just gorgeous.

 Ratatouille is the new ride in Walt Disney Studios. Every morning we tried to get a FastPass and they were always gone and the line was two hours plus. Finally, FINALLY, we were able to get a FastPass on the last day. The area around the ride was so well done:

 This ride is in 3D and the kids have never worn the glasses or seen anything in 3D, so this was new for them.

 We saw the Harvest Parade on several occasions.

We stayed at the park each day from 10am-7:30pm and on our last day, Friday, we had to leave by 5pm to get back to the airport on time. All of us were definitely tired and a bit ready to go home, but my goodness, what fun we had at Disneyland.

There are so many things to buy when at a theme park. It is hard for kids and even harder for parents. We allow the kids to choose one thing (within $$ reason). They can buy it on the first day or on the last day, but that is it. We reserve the right to veto the item (usually based on price). We went in pretty much every shop in Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. Aurelia chose a backpack that came with a Minnie Mouse doll and Eston chose a set of airplanes from the Planes movie. Grand total for both items: 34.95. Yes, I was pretty pleased with their choices.

Here is Aurelia with her new backpack at the airport in Beauvais:

 Taking Minnie back to Girona!

I would highly suggest staying in a hotel just outside the park, of which there are many. Nearly all of them have shuttles to the park and there is also a public system that goes to the park. I would also suggest bringing in as much food and drink as possible (they did allow this). We brought in our own water bottles and refilled them in the park and I also walked to a local grocery store and bought healthy snacks (fruit, fig bars, etc). We allowed the kids one unhealthy snack in the park--a plain crepe or waffle. However, you can buy nearly anything--candy, cotton candy, candied apples, etc, etc. We did eat lunch at the park, but we could have easily made sandwiches as well.

We probably won't return to Disneyland Paris in the near future, but it is an excellent option for those living in Europe who want a Disney experience!

The Daily

Autumn has arrived in Catalunya. It is a bit too cold to head out on my bike any earlier than 10am, so I do my daily food shopping before my ride rather than after.

My first stop is usually Mercat del Lleo. This is the big indoor and outdoor market with the freshest food imaginable.

 There are several options for everything--meat, chicken, veggies, fruit. You don't usually skip around, but instead you buy from the same people on a daily basis. It is always nice because you develop a nice relationship with everyone and they know how you like things.

 This is my normal butcher. Actually, there was a different butcher in this spot for many years, but she retired last spring and this butcher took her place, so I ended up going to them by default, but I like them because everything comes from within the Girona region. 

 My chicken lady sells chicken, duck, rabbit, eggs, and honey.  I have been visiting her since 2011, so she knows what I usually buy. Butchers and chicken people will prepare things exactly how you want them--sliced, cubed, etc. It saves a lot of time in the kitchen, that is for sure.

 A lovely array of fruits and vegetables:

I have learned more about cooking with fish since living here in Catalunya. The fish mongers are awesome and prep the fish for you and tell you exactly how to prepare it.

 Occasionally I see something different and will buy from a vendor I don't normally frequent. That happened today when someone had the dark red pomegranates. Usually they have the sweeter and lighter pomegranates, but this morning I found a lady who had the tart ones, which are my absolute favorite. 

 The vendors outside are quite small and offer limited things, but it is usually picked that morning from their small gardens. I get most of my seasonal vegetables from a smaller vendor. She often knows what I am looking for and will "hide" it for me. We like the darker kale with a purple tint, so she always puts some beneath the other kale. This morning I could not find the darker kind and she winked at me and told me it was hidden under the lighter kind. She also had some pears that looked delicious and she insisted I try one before buying any. They were amazing and I bought enough to get us through the weekend. She always gives little tastes to the kids when they do the shopping with me.

 After the market I stroll over to the bakery. We have been going to this bakery since 2011 and Anna, the baker, has watched the kids grow up. When Eston was a young tot she would give him long breadsticks and now he can go in and order and pay. Anna also knows our daily bread and will put a loaf aside for us if she sees the supply becoming low.

 Once I have the bread I walk about five minutes to a different street that holds both the grocery store and the bio store. The bio store has oats, organic flours, spelt flour, nuts, etc. I also get organic creams and such here. The lady is super nice and can order anything for you. She is also an expert in essential oils and makes all sorts of lovely suggestions.

 This is the "normal" grocery store. Here I buy all the boring stuff--toilet paper, trash bags, tomato paste, pasta, milk, etc. It is very small, but after a few years of shopping here it seems large and I am not sure I could handle a USA-sized grocery store at this point! The ladies who work here are lovely and know us and the kids and go nuts for Aurelia. 

 I walk back across the bridge towards home and marvel at the lovely view. 

 I cross La Rambla and it is usually pretty quiet at this time of day. Lots of delivery trucks, but not too many people before the shops open up for the day.

 There are many tunnels in the Barri Vell (Old Quarter) and our kids love them. What is not to love? Who doesn't want to ride their bike or scooter through cool tunnels?!

 This is our pharmacy. In the USA one can pop over to Target and get anything--band-aids, tylenol, anti-wrinkle cream, etc. Not so here. You go into the pharmacy and tell them what you need (or show them a prescription if that is the case) and they go in the back and rummage around a bit and come back with what you need. I love this. Kid has a weird rash? Ask the pharmacist what they need, no need for a trip to the doctor. Aurelia had weird gunk in her eye one day. Solved with the pharmacist. Now, they cannot give you any medication that is prescription only, but they can give you anything and everything else. And, if you are a desperate foreigner who just arrived and has a very sick child, they will give you antibiotics even though you should probably have a prescription.

 More tunnels on the walk home!

 This is the street at the bottom of our hill. I know it looks narrow, but I drive my car on it several times a day, so it is slightly wider than a car, but not by much. You can walk up stairs to our house, but when you are dragging your cart with 20kg of food it just isn't possible. So, you walk up this road...

 Which turns to the left and goes straight up...

 And at the top you have a lovely view!

 Then you need to turn and continue up the hill to our house. I can actually make it up the hill on my crappy town bike with Aurelia in the seat, but it is quite the strength workout. Eston can now make it up the hill on his bike and he loves doing it. 

Shopping here was quite foreign to me at first. I did not know what to buy and I kept buying too much and food would spoil before I had a chance to do anything with it. However, it did not take me long to adjust and now I am not so sure I could go back to a Costco and know what to do (though I would like the free samples).  It would be very difficult for me to walk into a grocery store and buy food for a week. Honestly, that sounds crazy to me at this point. I can barely buy food for two days. There are a couple of larger grocery stores in town and I go to them once a year during the holidays to stock up for guests and parties, but it stresses me out and I always forget so many items--or I simply can't find them because the store seems huge! They also don't carry any items that are different than what my small grocery store has in stock--they simply have more of it.

Life here does seem to be a bit more simple in many ways and for that I am very grateful.

Castell de Montsoriu

Yesterday we drove about 40 minutes away to visit the Castell de Montsoriu, which is one of the most important medieval castles in all of Catalunya. Most of the castle was built during the 13th and 14th centuries, but the chapel dates back to the year 1011. Quite incredible! The family of the viscount of Cabrera was very powerful and ruled over the Mediterranean area. They were also considered to have one of the most noble bloodlines in Catalunya. 

One cannot drive to the castle, though it is open for tourists. Don't you love Catalunya? There is a very nice parking lot (with bathrooms) and a park ranger-type person. He will point you to the right trail. He told us it was about a 40 minute hike to the castle, but we made it easily in about 30 minutes with both children. Aurelia walked, so we were not moving at a quick pace. Now, the hike does become quite steep. Eston was fine on his own, but Aurelia needed help with the steeper bits, so this is not the spot for a stroller. 

We purchased tickets (5 euros, kids under 13 free) for the unguided tour. The people at the information desk provided us with information in both Catalan and English and the translation was excellent, which is rare. We spent about an hour or so exploring the different areas of the castle and then found a spot to sit down and enjoy the zucchini bread I had baked on Saturday afternoon.

 It was a cloudy day, but the views stretch all the way to the ocean from the castle.

We hiked back down to the car after touring the castle and it was the perfect activity for a dreary Sunday morning.

Andorra and La Vuelta

We are back in Girona and I survived a solo road trip with the kids. We left on Monday afternoon and headed towards Andorra. Aurelia has been potty trained since June, so we made a few stops. Maybe more than a few, but thankfully she is willing to do her business on the side of the road. We arrived at our hotel in Andorra after three hours of driving. The kids were full of energy, so we walked to the park in the middle of Andorra la Vella. What an awesome park! The kids had a blast and played for a long time.

We decided to stay in and order room service on Monday evening. Of course, Andorra is like Spain and we didn't eat until late and the kids were not in bed until even later, but I figured it was okay since we were on vacation.

Tuesday was Rory's rest day. The kids and I played at the park all morning and then we drove about 20 minutes to Rory's hotel. We had to wait for him to finish training, so the kids played in a random rock parking lot. A lot of bike racing is waiting and waiting, so the kids are able to find random things to entertain themselves.

Rory finally arrived from his training ride and the kids were so excited to see him. They hadn't seen him in nearly two weeks, so it was a sweet reunion. Aurelia refused to let go of his hand as we walked to his hotel.

 Of course, it is difficult to be in Rory's hotel for very long on a rest day because Rory needs to actually rest and the kids want to play. We had lunch with the team (Eston was very excited about this) and then said goodbye. Of course, the kids did give "resting" a try...

The kids and I played a bit in the afternoon and Rory called as we were getting ready to go to dinner. He wanted to see the kids once more (he was only able to spend about an hour with them earlier in the day) and he asked if I could bring them back up to his hotel. The kids were excited about the chance to see him again, so we headed back up the mountain and Rory sat with us while he had our dinner. He eats dinner with his team, but he was happy to sit with us and enjoy another hour of time together. The kids did not go to sleep until 10:30, so we were super Spanish during this trip!

Wednesday was going to be the big day--an epic mountain climbing stage. The kids slept in until 9am, so we had to hurry with breakfast to get to the race in a timely manner. The start was just a five minute walk from our hotel, thank goodness. Of course, once we arrived there was not much to do but wait.

We did purchase some La Vuelta goodies to keep us occupied!

 Family members do not usually get any special treatment at a race. We can get to the bus area to see our significant other, but even that is tricky as there are fans everywhere and it is just not a very private setting to have a family moment. It is odd to have strangers snap photos of you while you chat. We also watch the race with everyone else, which usually means we can't really see a thing. See Rory in this awesome photo I took? Yep, neither do I.

 The race started and we ran back to the hotel and piled in my car. We drove up to the mountain town where the finish was taking place. Traffic and parking was a nightmare, but we figured it out and got as close as we could. The road to the top of the mountain was closed and the line for the gondola was hours (!!!) long, so we decided to walk as far as we could and then watch the race pass. Eston and Marc did a quick grocery store run for snacks and water to get us through the day.  Aurelia was asleep in the stroller and we piled rain jackets, food, umbrellas, etc in the stroller and took turns pushing it up the steep incline. We actually had the best time laughing about how funny we all must look, but it was so much fun. After about 3km we found a nice little area to set up camp. It drizzled a bit, but we had plenty of gear to keep up warm and dry.

We were sitting in front of a gorgeous mountain house and after a bit the family who lives there came out in their yard and they were chatting a bit with us in Catalan. They were so excited that we knew people in the race and the woman was super sweet--she let us use her bathroom and brought little treats out for the kids. There are always nice people wherever you go, really!

 We watched the race go by and we were on a very steep section, so the riders were going pretty slow, which delighted the kids. We may have cheered slightly louder for the Catalan riders. Well, rider. The kids loved cheering for everyone and Rory gave them high-five's as he passed. 

Having friends there to help was a lifesaver. I always bring "side of the road" activities, but having a group of friends with us made things so much more fun. The kids laughed and played and our friends helped me so much. I am so grateful.

We walked back down the mountain and by some miracle the team buses were parked next to our car! We were able to say goodbye to Rory as he loaded the bus for his shower and meal. The kids were so thrilled.

By this time it was nearly 8pm! We all piled back in the car and went down the mountain to town where we had a nice dinner. The kids were so Spanish and did not go to bed until 11pm, hahaha!

On Thursday morning I had to drag the kids out of bed at 9am because we had to pack up and leave the hotel. We drove to the start and managed a few minutes with Rory outside the bus.

We watched the peloton leave Andorra and jumped in the car to head back to Spain, though I went the opposite way to avoid traffic. We took a slight detour through France and though it added about 15-20 minutes to the drive, it saved us hours of sitting in traffic. We went straight from Andorra to futbol practice in Girona, so it was definitely a long day!

Games of Thrones filming is in full effect and as I type there are three large trucks sitting in front of my house. The generators are blaring and I can hear English below my kitchen window, which sounds odd. Eston and I watched a stunt double jumping the stairs on our street this morning, which delighted him. She was hooked up to this weird harness and jumped from a trampoline-type thing to a bunch of pads. Eston liked the "3, 2, 1...action!"