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After Josh and I returned home from our whirlwind trip to Lucerne we had a couple of chill days in Strasbourg…going to the parks, the Zoological Museum and running some errands to get ready for Sean and Leila to arrive.

Every time we ventured out though we found something fun. They say there is “an event in Strasbourg every day” and that certainly does seem to be true. On Saturday, while strolling past the cathedral, we came upon a huge festival in the square, Journee Des Consulats. There were at least 20 different countries representing their homelands with food, music and dance. I didn’t know this before we booked our trip to Strasbourg, but it is the home of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. The chosen city not only because of its central location but also due its own unique history of being part of France, then Germany, then France again and finally embracing the blend of cultures with unique success. It was a fun festival and it always feels that much more special when you just find it by surprise.

On Sunday we headed off to walk to a new museum, The Zoological Museum. Just two blocks from our house we got sidetracked by hundreds of crazy people jumping in the river to swim “Open Swim Stras”. Apparently this is a thing in a number of European cities and has been going on for years. In Strasbourg it happens right in the city center and includes a 2.6km swim in the river. We walked by just as it was starting and were able to walk most of the course alongside the swimmers on our way to the museum. The museum (just 6 Euro for Josh and I…I will never get over these awesome prices) was a taxidermist’s dream come true with 3 floors of pretty much every animal you could ever imagine.

On Monday morning we welcomed Sean and Leila back to Strasbourg and had a chill afternoon showing Sean a bit of the city and allowing them both to recover from jetlag with a little touring, some lego building and lots of yummy food.

Tuesday was really rainy so after Sean and the kids did a little exploring we spent most of the afternoon doing school, chores and planning our big trip to Legoland in Germany the next day.

Obviously I have been a total slacker on photos and writing for a few days. Lots of exciting adventures coming up with Paris and London so I will do much better!

When we started planning this European trip, I knew that there was going to be so much that the kids (and I) would never remember. That wasn’t what it was about for me. It wasn’t about the detailed memories of any specific site or day, it was about the cumulative impact and benefits that I believe will stay with all of us for life. However, I REALLY hope that Josh remembers EVERYTHING about these two days.

I hope he remembers that we woke up with the plan of renting bikes to tour around Strasbourg for the day and then have a “fancy” dinner date. I hope he remembers that the bike was a little too big for my liking and a little too pink for his, so we had to change plans. I hope he remembers how we decided instead that we would have a “fancy” lunch. I hope he remembers how excited he was to ditch his usual sweatpants and buy the perfect french ensemble.

I hope he remembers that while we were waiting on our appetites we spent some time researching ideas for things to do tomorrow. I hope he remembers that the internet search then led to us canceling our lunch plans, booking a 3 hour train ride to Lucerne Switzerland, packing our passports and toothbrushes, finding a hotel and taking off on a spontaneous adventure.

I hope he remembers how we navigated the multiple trains and a brand new city like well-seasoned travel pros.

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I hope he remembers sharing the yummiest pizza on the banks or the River Reuss.

I hope he remembers waking up the next morning and exploring Mt. Pilatus for the first time together. I hope he remembers taking three cable cars 7000 feet up.

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I hope he remembers how vast and outstanding that view was from the top.

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I hope he remembers how we watched this lady climb over the “do not pass this point” fence with a suspiciously large backpack. I hope he remembers how he made me PROMISE that we will do what she did when Josh turns 18. I will DEFINITELY do this:

I hope he remembers the confidence he gained as he zipped and climbed his way through the coolest adventure course.

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I hope he remembers how we flew down the mountain together on a toboggan.

I hope he remembers that we were going so fast that our eyes were tearing. I hope he remembers that the only thing louder than our “woohoo” screams on the way down were our giggles at the bottom. I hope he remembers that when he said “mom, can we please do that again”, I said “yes”.

It was a very early morning; waking everyone up to walk Noni and Leila to the train station and help them board a train bound for the Paris airport. Josh insisted on carrying the luggage the whole way and immediately crumbled into tears the minute Leila’s train left the station.

Still very early in the morning, Josh and I decided to go home, climb back into bed and watch a movie together on the iPad. I think we both needed the break…and the extra snuggles. By 9:30 we had rallied and headed off on a hike to the big park where we spent SIX hours running, playing soccer and enjoying the playgrounds.

As much as Josh and I both miss having Leila here, I really cherish the one on one time. The kids are both so different when its ‘just them’ and it certainly makes it easier on me to not be juggling their varying interests, food preferences, demands on my attention, etc. It did, however, feel especially quiet in the evening. Normally, Leila helps Josh with his reading and they spend time together watching a show, playing, putting on a dance performance, etc. Instead, Josh asked if we could play “Who Loves Leila More” after dinner where whoever can draw more hearts fastest wins. I seriously don’t understand where this kid got his competitive streak but he can turn EVERYTHING into a contest.

Early tomorrow morning Noni and Leila will be flying back to Georgia. Noni is heading home to rejoin “the real world” and Leila had to return for a few days due to a dance obligation. Leila (and Sean) will be rejoining us on the 20th. We had a relaxing pre-travel day; some drawing, learning a bit more french, a little school work and Leila and I enjoyed a solo afternoon outing.

Josh and I both did some art in the morning and he finished up his intuitive art project. He has worked SO hard on this the last few days and is SO proud of his finished product.

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For school we were learning about Realism and Abstract art. The kids both wrote about the two forms or art and their preferences. I love what Leila wrote:

Art is fun. Art is cool. There are many different types of art. Two are abstract and realism. My favorite part about abstract art is that the painting can be what you want it to be. It doesn’t have to be anything at all; it could just be random splotches of paint. You can express emotions through colors and tints. In abstract art there is no such thing as “mistakes.” This is because abstract art is NOT supposed to be real.

Moving on. My favorite part about realistic art is that, unlike a photo, you can blend colors in the background, making the painting have more of a feel to it. More emotion.

Although abstract and realism are cool in their own unique ways, my favorite out of the two is abstract. I feel that abstract art is more expressive. More fun. I like how many people can see many different things within the painting. Sometimes it can inspire you to look at the world differently.

After lunch, Leila and I headed out for some alone time before her trip home. She is a bit nervous about the dance but excited for her flight home including the fact that she gets to ride on the top floor of a double decker plane – that is pretty cool!

We spent a relaxing few hours in the cathedral, did a little souvenir shopping and of course enjoyed some macarons (her favorite).

Before dinner, the kids and I went for an evening walk to feed the swans and then Josh and Noni surprised us with the perfect french “goodbye” treat.

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Just a quick 30 minute train ride from Strasbourg, we decided to take a day trip to Colmar. Another Alsace town, it really felt like a quieter, smaller Strasbourg filled with more half-timber houses, a few small canals and a whole lot of bakeries.

It was a treat to board a train without luggage and it was good to figure out the layout and process at the Strasbourg train station because we have a very early departure coming up in just a couple of days.

Arriving in Colmar, we grabbed a map and followed a suggested walking route. First stop – playground. All of the playgrounds we have visited so far in France have been so fun. There are so many of them, they have really unique play equipment and after a complete absence of playgrounds in Italy they feel like a real treat. After about an hour of playing we continued our walk through the town. Colmar’s biggest claim to fame is the fact that it’s the birthplace of Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. Other than that its just a really quaint little town and it was fun to just relax and explore on foot. The walking path around the town has small placards marking the way and the kids had fun finding and following them…of course it was a competition for Josh to find them all first!

We all enjoyed our quick trip to Colmar and then a relaxing evening at home.

Mother’s Day without a father around doesn’t equal the most relaxing of days but there were a few special moments. Our apartment is right in the heart of the city and while that means I am sometimes woken up by the street cleaners at 6AM it also means we get serenaded by amazing street musicians for a good part of the day, especially on weekends.

Josh and I had an early walk and picked up croissants which I was pretty excited about but apparently my lovely children are sick of them…this proclamation was not the right way to start my “special” day. A trip to the park and a nice run improved things a bit but the highlight was by far our afternoon at the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Our walk there took us over the bridge Pont Couverts where you get a great view of the city from the roof promenade.

The museum itself is stunning and huge. I also have to note how incredibly reasonably priced this museum…and everything else is…especially when it comes to kids. The four of us went to the museum for 10 Euros (that’s about 11 dollars). I can’t go to a museum alone for that price in Atlanta. On average, the kid’s train tickets have been a third of the price. In Switzerland they could ride all trains/buses/gondolas for 30 Euros for an ENTIRE YEAR. So far I am incredibly impressed by the family-friendliness of everywhere we have been in Europe.

At the Museum of Modern Art, not only did they have a huge two-story hands-on exhibit for kids but throughout the museum were all these little spots where kids could sit down and make their own art. I mean when better to do a little art than right after viewing a Picasso or Cezanne?

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It was a treat to see so many of our favorite artists on display!

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We had planned to pick up groceries for dinner after the museum but SURPRISE, all the stores are closed Sunday afternoon. With some quick thinking from Noni, we made do and got to enjoy a little serenade outside our window.

Shortly after dinner I went to bed (thank goodness for Leila who read to and tucked Josh in for me). It’s tiring being mom, travel agent, tour guide, teacher, translator, cleaner, entertainer, shopper, chef, chaser, judge, warden, etc. So grateful for the help from my mom but also ready for a true mother’s day makeup day when Sean rejoins us.

None of us can remember what we did on Saturday. I’m trying to piece the day together from photos but it’s a bit blurry…this is why I need to write more often!

I do remember that Josh and I started out the day with a walk to the outdoor farmer’s market where we bought a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Noni and checked out all the local veggies, breads, cheeses, jams, etc. On our way home we stopped to buy fresh tagliatelle from the pasta store, some brie from the cheese store and a baguette from the bakery – yum, yum and yum!!!

At some point in the day the kids did a cooking competition. I was the host and judge, Noni was the guest judge and with just 20 minutes to prepare their dishes the kids had “travel” as their theme and the 15 minute twist was that they had to incorporate pretzels. They were both remarkably tasty and we declared a tie…which the kids refused, so the tie breaker was cleaning up. Leila won by a landslide.

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I think this was the day we started our school lesson on Jean Arp. Arp is from Strasbourg and was the inspiration for our “intuitive” art project. The goal of this project was to embrace chance and randomness (like Arp did) with our squiggly lines and then use our intuition to figure it out as we go rather than planning. For a couple of planners this wasn’t the easiest assignment and one of the two may be doing a little more planning than SHE should be…but I am loving their work so far and can’t wait to see the completed masterpieces.

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My walking buddy and I started out the day with another early exploration of the city. We probably covered close to two miles.

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Then I went for a run…that was five miles. Afterwards, we all walked to the park, played a tough game of soccer and walked home…4+ miles. Then Leila and I really spoiled ourselves with a manicure (Leila) and a pedicure (me and my exhausted feet). Then Josh and I went on another walk (half mile) and toured inside the spectacular Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre Dame and its unique astronomical clock.

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It’s thanks to these kind of days that we can all be enjoying ALL these French treats! The kids are rock stars when it comes to all the walking. They are pretty good at the pastries too!

Josh and I started the day with another morning walk to explore the city and we brought home the “best” kugelhopf in Strasbourg. This sweet, raisin filled bread is THE specialty of the Alsace region of France. My expectations were exceeded – it tasted really fresh and had the perfect mild sweetness to it.

All fueled up, we decided to walk to the Children’s Science and Discovery Museum, Le Vaisseau. Almost a two mile walk to the museum, we were able to see another side of Strasbourg; a more modern and industrial area it was quite a contrast to the historical area we live in. It was a great long walk but we were excited to arrive at the lively museum full of school groups and other young kids. Now if anyone is under the impression that french children are a more refined and demure breed, one trip to the Strasbourg children’s museum will cure you of that misperception.

I watched teenagers literally kick, punch and laugh as they broke one of the exhibits, there was absolutely no attempt by older kids to yield way for younger kids and there was certainly no common courtesy displayed when it came to the fact that people were clearly waiting to try an exhibit. I tried a few firm “excusez moi s’il vous plait’s” with no success and while I tried to relax and go with the flow it’s certainly possible that there may have been a few severe eye rolls directed at the most obnoxious of the crowd. That said, the museum itself was amazing and we spent about four hours there. Everything was interactive and so different from anything I’ve seen at other kids museums. There was a disabled experience area where you had to navigate through with a wheelchair or crutches, brain jousting that used electrodes to measure each player’s brain waves and move a ball closer to the lower frequency (more relaxed) player, there was a design workshop that printed out a box of your own design for assembly, an interactive dam that demonstrates its affect on the area, all kinds of construction activities and SO much more. It was truly impressive.

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Extracting the kids from the museum was no easy feat and by the time we finally left it had started raining. So this became our chance to figure out the city tram system. Strasboug has six different tram lines that go all over the city and are a great way to get around. Unfortunately, like most of Strasbourg, there isn’t much in the way of English signage and the ticket system was not self explanatory. Luckily, a very kind local who was buying a ticket helped me out and we managed our first tram ride.

While Strasbourg certainly has some tourists it isn’t the primary focus of the city. So finding English-speaking residents is much rarer than we experienced in our last few locales. It makes it a bit tougher at times but I like it…it feels more authentic and despite the language barriers it is a very kind and friendly city so with some smiles and hand gesturing everyone is patiently helping us out.

After Leila and I did a little solo-exploring in the afternoon we then had a relaxing evening at home and topped off our day with the most amazing desserts!

Well Leila has declared that she is moving to France and Josh is busy planning the beach house he is going to build us on the Amalfi Coast. I’m in!

While there was a forecast for rain all day we were spared till lunch time so we ended up getting up and out pretty early…at least Josh and I did. We were both up by 7:00 so we headed out to enjoy the quiet city. The iconic Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre Dame is literally around the corner from us and it was such a treat to enjoy it when the square was empty (it’s a holiday here so no one was heading to work).

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Our next stop was the river and our mission was to feed the beautiful swans.

With the entire city smelling of fresh baked pastries it was impossible not to stop at our new favorite patisserie and buy fresh baked croissants and raisin rolls to bring home. My croissant had to wait as I treated myself to another run. Running serves multiple purposes (1) a well needed break from the day’s stresses and constant mommy…mommy…mommy demands, (2) a chance to explore wherever we are without worrying about anyone else, (3) time to scope out new sites and the easiest routes to take with the family, and (4) they afford me the ability to eat the aforementioned croissants. Today’s run was routed past a dance studio I have been researching for Leila, the city’s botanical gardens and a loop around the canal. Then it was home to this:

After that deliciousness I escorted Noni and the kids to the park and then raced home to enjoy a quiet shower, some cleaning/laundry and flight/train reservations. I think this was the first time in 5+ weeks that I have had solo-time in one of our houses. It was a treat, especially since the kids and I are even sharing a room right now while my mom is still with us. Luckily its super cute and my kids are pretty awesome roommates.

We spent the rainy afternoon doing lots of schoolwork; learning, writing and drawing about Strasbourg. We made some more travel arrangements, played cards and cooked a yummy dinner.

Josh wrote about his favorite things in Strasbourg and Leila drew this beautiful picture (she made a ppt too that she will hopefully add to her blog soon if I can tear her away from her book).

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Here are a few more photos of our current (and perhaps future) home in Strasbourg.

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