Venice with Kids

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March 21, 2017 By Jennifer Lambert 16 Comments

We finally went to Venice in November. It was every bit as magical as we’d expected.

You can’t get lost in Venice. There’s no crime. There are no worries. None of us fell into a canal.

It’s a great place to wander around with little or no itinerary.

Get gelato and explore the little canal sidewalks and bridges.

Find a cafe on busy canal and get a drink to watch the people. Be sure to read the posted menus so you’re not surprised by the cost! Most restaurants have a surcharge. Know how much you’re supposed to pay for that cocktail or coffee.

Venice survives almost on tourism alone. While most of the wait staff are very nice, we did have some who were bland and even unfriendly.

Day 1

We flew on RyanAir from Frankfurt Hahn to Venice Treviso. We bought RT tickets at the airport for the ATVO bus into Venice. It was about an hour on the bus. It dropped us off right at Piazzale Roma.

We walked to our apartment since we were so excited and it’s not really on the vaporetto route. Of course, the main walking route is littered with touristy kiosks and shops.
Our apartment was huge: Appartamenti del Dose in Cannaregio. (Cannaregio is the northernmost of the six historic sestieri of Venice.) We were able to checkin early which was great to drop off the luggage and freshen up.

Then we set off!

I used Rick Steve’s Venice guide.

We were starving, but not wanting to waste time, so we grabbed some pizza by the slice at Arte Della Pizza and it was really quite good.

We began with our Grand Canal cruise. We walked back to Ferrovia and boarded the slow boat #1 vaporetto. It took us all the way to San Marco. It’s about €7 for a ticket and well worth it for the 45-minute ride. It wasn’t very crowded and we were able to get seats all together in the front of the water bus. The weather was outstanding, partly sunny and almost warm.

I read the trivia and history to the kids and it was a great tour!

We arrived in San Marco Square.

It is a must-do to “ride” the lions for a picture.

We decided to go ahead and tour the basilica since there was no line at all. The church is free, but if there’s a line, you can pay €2 for a reservation to skip the line.

Three lovely sights inside: Treasury for €3, Golden Altarpiece for €2, and the San Marco Museum for €5. There are children’s discounts. There’s a free restroom and drink vending machines inside the museum.

The church is stunning with gorgeous mosaics.

The Treasury has some lovely artifacts and bone relics that fascinated the kids, so it was worth the admission fee for us. the 600-year-old crosier is still used by the priest on holy days!

The Golden Altarpiece is a not-to-miss sight. It was absolutely breathtaking. I could hardly tear myself away.

The museum was nice. It’s worth it to get to go up on the outside balcony with the horses and get a nice view of the square. From the indoor balcony (where the women viewed mass) offers a great view of inside the basilica.

Then we got gelato and looked the Bridge of Sighs.

We walked back to the apartment in a roundabout way, taking the side tour St. Mark’s to Rialto walk from the Rick Steves book.

We saw the Scala Contarini del Bovolo just as it was getting dark and closing. It’s pretty pricey to just go up a spiral staircase, but it’s pretty to see through the gate.

We dropped the kids off and found a grocery store around the corner to stock up on food and things. We popped some pizzas in the oven for the kids.

Aaron and I went around the corner to eat dinner together at L’Orto dei Mori. It was highly recommended and we had amazing wine, rushed service (because we didn’t have a reservation), and the food was rather plain and boring.

It was a great first day.

Day 2

We did a Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge’s Palace.

Our guide was awesome and very patient with the kids. We got to see all the places not open to the public and the stories were so fun and exciting! We also got to really explore the dungeons and look from the inside out on the Bridge of Sighs.

Then we were turned loose into the public rooms and I read from the Rick Steves book all about those.

We ate lunch at the cafe in the Correr Museum. It was a great view and yummy simple pasta and sandwich dishes for an ok price. The Aperol spritz is delicious, but the Campari spritz is bitter and tastes like cough syrup!

We didn’t think the museum was really worth the price. Our teen recently read Sisi about Elizabeth, Princess of Austria, and was fascinated with her apartments, but the rest was just ok. There were a few notable paintings on the Pinoteca floor.

There are €16 combo tickets for the Doge Palace and Correr Museum that offer a good deal if you don’t want any special tours.

The girls and I picked out handmade masks at Papier-Mâché.

We explored the Libreria Acqua Alta and got some fun pics in the back.

We walked some more and saw some pretty sites.

We again popped some pizza in the oven for the kids at our apartment.

We had a delightful and utterly romantic dinner at Ristorante Trovatore. We had a pretty outdoor courtyard all to ourselves.

Day 3

We walked on the other side of the Canal and read about the history of the Venetian markets. I used the Rialto to Frari Church Walk in Rick Steves’ book.

View from the Rialto Bridge:

We toured the market and discussed the canal rising. There was a lot of construction, so we couldn’t see everything on the walking tour.

The kids and I went inside the Church of San Polo. Many churches in Venice have a small surcharge of a few € for adults, but kids under 12 are free! The art in this church is magnificent. It’s one of the oldest churches in Venice, dating to the 900’s.

We adore Tintoretto’s Last Supper and Tiepolo’s Virgin Appearing to St. John of Nepomuk. Domenico’s Stations of the Cross in the chapel are stunning. Veronese’s Betrothal of the Virgin with Angels is ethereal.

We ate lunch at Antica Birraria la Corte. Everyone was happy – pizza, pasta, seafood, local unique appetizers, great wine, and even an incredible burger. Seriously, it was an amazing burger.

We were on a mission to find a fox mask for Alex. We went to 3-4 shops under Rick Steves’ recommendations and finally found a lovely one at a great price. We found his fox mask and a mask for our teen daughter at Tragicomica.

We got gelato.

It started raining pretty hard in the afternoon, so we pulled up our raincoat hoods and walked closer to the shops, under their awnings, and dodged people’s umbrellas.

We toured the Frari Church. It was great with a lot of Titian paintings and his magnificent tomb is there.

The Canova Monument holds his heart inside the pyramid. We’re into art.

But we didn’t bother paying to go into Scuola San Rocco. €10 per person is a lot to pay to view a small ceiling and I love Tintoretto, but we had to pass. We could view it through the open doors for a minute.

We got more gelato. It was cheaper on this side of the canal.

Every.single.day.gelato.

We got the kids some pretty takeout sandwiches and pizza from Antico Forno to warm in the oven.

Aaron and I ended up at Osteria Barababao for a light dinner of salami and drinks. I finally got my Bellini! and we learned that a martini in Venice is not the cocktail, but the sweet liqueur by that brand name.

Day 4

We took the vaporetto to the islands of Murano and Burano.

We bought 12-hour vaporetto day passes for €18 at Fondamente Nove.

We disembarked at the Colonna stop on Murano.

We didn’t go into the Glass Museum. It’s €8/person.

I didn’t like any of the glass shops recommended. Much of it looked the same to me and we didn’t like any of the modern looking glass items.

We got some lovely pastries at a bakery to enjoy while we explored.

We stepped into Santa Maria e San Donato Church and enjoyed part of mass. It was a welcome break from walking and lovely inside.

There was a factory outlet store on the way to the vaporetto stop that had some just fine items we liked at a much less price.

The kids each got necklaces. I got Venetian pearls and a pretty vase. Alex got some glass penguins.

Near the lighthouse is the stop to leave Murano for Burano.

We explored the darling canals with pastel-colored homes.

We ate lunch at Pizzeria Bar Sport. Lots of different spaghetti and pizza to make everyone happy. Great soave wine in little or regular bottles.

We explored the little church of San Martino Vescovo with its leaning tower.

We picked out a lovely tablecloth with matching napkins at Merletti d’Arte dalla Lidia. They have their own museum in back of their shop and the ladies were so helpful and kind and showed us so many items we were dizzy. There was even a delightful little grandma who spoke absolutely perfect English who demonstrated her lace-making talent for us on a pillow sham she was working on. The matching duvet cover was stunning.

The Lace Museum (€5 per person) was fun and we got to watch several ladies making lace by the window upstairs. The kids had fun looking into the glass-covered drawers at all the lacy fabrics.

We got gelato on the way back to the vaporetto stop.

We took the #12 boat direct back to Fondamente Nove. It was a long day.

The kids had pizza at the apartment.

Aaron and I had dinner just around the corner at Restaurant Diana. The service was really atrocious, but the food was pretty amazing and great prices.

Day 5

Katie went with Dad to see the Jewish monuments and ghetto memorials.

The Jewish ghetto district had many Stolperstein on the pavement.

We passed by the place where Marco Polo once lived. Probably. Maybe.

We saw the Scuola Dalmata di San Giorgio with lovely art featuring St. George by Carpaccio. It was pricey, but the kids all agreed it was worth it and even pretty upstairs with the fancy altar.

We saw the Scala Contarini del Bovolo again. It’s very pricey to just go up a spiral staircase for a view, but it’s pretty to see through the gate.

Then we played at the public park and relaxed and strolled around.

We had the most delightful late lunch/early dinner at Vittoria Sas di Alessandro, overlooking the lagoon. We ordered pizza, several different pasti, salad, and Amarone wine that was to die for.

We bought some wine and cicchetti from the shop on the corner Vino Vero.

We love Venice and made some great memories and ate some delicious food. We love Italy!

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Normandy with Kids

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November 10, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

We’ve been longing to tour Normandy, France, for months, researching and planning, adding and removing sites to visit.

Our Normandy tour hit all the highlights for the D-Day sites…

and places we’ve studied about the Middle Ages.

I’ve been asked how accessible Normandy is for the elderly or someone with a walker or wheelchair.

We saw the Bayeux Tapestry and it’s a short little tour through the tapestry room and a nice museum upstairs. There are elevators. The Bayeux Cathedral is pretty too, right around the corner from the Tapestry.

Mont St. Michel has free shuttle buses to and from the visitors’ center, but the tour through the castle and town might be long and difficult.

The Omaha Beach and Utah Beach museums are pretty easy to maneuver, with benches for resting. The actual beaches are not far from parking areas and it’s worth a looksee and to just stand there in awe. The American cemetery is, of course, very well-kept and very easy to get around the paved pathways.

Pointe du Hoc is amazing. The visitors’ center has a good video. Behind the center are info plaques to read about the history and heroes. The grounds have rough paths and it’s a lot of walking, but there are good maps, so you could just see one bunker or get a view of it all. Take it slowly as you need.

We also went to Rouen to see the Joan of Arc church and fun new interactive museum. There was a parking garage right beside the church and marketplace, but the museum was down a pedestrian road. We didn’t make it to the Rouen Tower, but we saw it from the museum window.

Our Normandy Itinerary

Day 1: Grandcamp Maisie

We drove from home to our apartment-hotel in Grandcamp Maisie. It was a looooong road trip.

We cooked a dinner with marinated chicken from the cooler and walked along the beach before bedtime.

It was quite cold, but we loved exploring the tide pools and looking at the crabs!

Day 2: Bayeux and Utah Beach

We drove to Bayeux to see the tapestry and cathedral.

Here’s the entrance to the Bayeux Tapestry building.

Upstairs is neato little museum.

There’s a replica of a Viking church boat. They would take people across the fjords to church.

Also, a copy or replica of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

There’s a great little place to eat right on the canal: Le Moulin de la Galette.

In 1794, a liberty tree was planted on the cathedral grounds.

In the afternoon, we visited Utah Beach Museum and monuments.

See my post about the Normandy Memorial Sites.

It was one of the few sunny days of our trip. It was chilly but lovely.

The beach is beautiful now, but holds so much history.

It’s hard to imagine all the lives lost on this beach.

Day 3: Mont St. Michel

We drove to Mont St. Michel.

At the entrance of this medieval town is the ancient Burgher’s Guardroom now the Tourist Office.

After going through the Boulevard Gate and then the King’s Gate fortified with its portcullis, you will find the Grande Rue or main street with its museums, shops, and houses dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The parish church consecrated to St.Pierre, the patron saint of fishermen, is a small edifice from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Mount consecrated to St. Michel in 708 was one of the first places of cult for the Archangel Michel with the Gargan’s Mount.

The abbey is open every day except the 1st of January, the 1st of may and the 25th of December.

2 May to 31 August: 9 am to 7 pm, last admission at 6 pm.
1 September to 30 April: 9:30 am to 6 pm, last admission at 5 pm

In case of high tide preventing access to Mont St. Michel, the opening time of the abbey can be changed. Pets not allowed.

Adults: 9 €
Reduced rate (18-25 years old which are non-European): 7 €
People under 26 years old who are citizens of one the 27 countries of EU or are non-European permanent residents of France: FREE of charge
Children less than 18 years (family visit): FREE of charge

There are free shuttle buses to/from the castle town.

The area surrounding the castle and the little village around the visitors’ center are pretty touristy. There are lots of little shops and restaurants. They only open during lunch and dinner time. We had to get a quick pastry at the bakery in town when we missed lunchtime. Don’t miss buying some Mere Poulard cookies from the touristy shops though! They’re amazing and we still wish we had some.

Our first glimpse of Mont St. Michel rising from the marshes:

My son loves models and we thought these showing the development of Mont St. Michel over the centuries were great.

Mass is sung at 12:15 every day except Mondays. The acoustics were amazing.

The church facade:

classic-facade-of-the-church-abbey-saint-michel

View of the tides:

The light in the cloister was beautiful and peaceful.

Three arches of the cloister are opened to the sea or to the outside. Those openings were the entryway to the chapter house that was never built. The columns, arranged in quincunx, were originally made of limestone from England but were later restored using puddingstone from Lucerne.

The cloister has in the middle a medieval garden recreated in 1966 by brother Bruno de Senneville, a Benedictine monk. The center is made of box tree surrounded by 13 Damascus roses. The squares of medicinal plants, aromatic herbs and flowers symbolize the daily needs of Middle age monks. In the middle of the box trees were monsters to remind that in the middle of any marvel evil could still be there.

The refectory. The little stair on the right is where the head monk would read during mealtimes.

The old windlass:

The crypt has massive pillars erected in 1446, holding up the foundation of the choir.

It was a long day. We had dinner in Grandcamp Maisie. The cafe is now Crèperie du Joncal.

I had local oysters (the best I’ve ever eaten!) and a regional salad with Andouillette sausage, apples, and Camembert cheese. It was amazing!

Calvados is apple brandy and it was a great accompaniment to dessert.

Day 4: Rouen

We drove to Rouen to see the cathedral and Joan of Arc sites.

Rouen Cathedral is gorgeous:

Eternal flame where Joan was executed:

Eternal Flame at Base of the Cross outside Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen

Cross Monument Église outside Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen

Joan of Arc church in marketplace:

Front Facade of Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen

The church is shaped like an overturned ship.

Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen downspout

Statues inside:

The new Joan of Arc museum and doorway to the old bishop’s palace.

Interior courtyard of the Bishop's palace Rouen

We really enjoyed our day in Rouen.

Day 5: Normandy American Cemetery, Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc

We went to the Memorial Day service at the American Cemetery.

It was very emotional.

Normandy American Cemetery hosted its annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Sunday, May 29, 2016, at 10.30 am.

We got to stand right up at the railing!

Program:

Master of Ceremonies	René Huard, AOMDA
Superintendent	Daniel L. Neese
Deputy Superintendent	Michael Coonce
The Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner
Welcoming Remarks	Daniel Neese
Opening Remarks	René Huard
Opening Prayers	Father Xavier Signargout, Diocese of Bayeaux and Lisieux Capt. Gary P. Weeden, Command Chaplain of U.S. European Command Rabbi Meyer Malka, Jewish Community of Caen
Addresses	Sara Harriger, U.S. Consul for Western France Patrick Thomines, Mayor of Coleville-sur-Mer Laurent Fiscus, Prefect of Calvados Department Lt. Gen. William B. Garrett, III, Deputy Commander of U.S. European Command
Closing Prayer	Father Xavier Signargout, Diocese of Bayeaux and Lisieux
Laying of Wreaths
Taps-Raising of the Colors
Retiring of the Colors
Participation of Troops	5th Signal Command Color Guard, U.S. Army Europe Unit Garrison of Cherbourg, France French Military Band of the Artillery of Rennes, France

9,387 Americans are buried at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France.

The Memorial faces the United States at its nearest point to the cemetery – between Eastport and Lubec, Maine.

The 22-foot bronze statue entitled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.

The reflecting pool and chapel:

The beaches from the orientation table:

beaches-from-normandy-american-cemetery-orientation-table

We got to watch an interview with WWII Veteran Curtis Phillips.

My kids got to shake his hand and thank him for his service. This is something they will always remember!

We remember the fallen.

After the memorial service, we toured the Omaha Beach Museum and monuments.

There’s a good video in the museum and lots of static displays.

The Omaha Beach has a monument in the sand: Les Braves.

An airplane did flybys around Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach for Memorial weekend.

In the afternoon, we hiked around Pointe du Hoc.

I never learned about this in school!

Pointe du Hoc is a promontory with a 100 ft (30 m) cliff overlooking the English Channel on the coast of Normandy in northern France. During World War II it was the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. The German army fortified the area with concrete casemates and gun pits. On D-Day (6 June 1944) the United States Army Ranger Assault Group assaulted and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs.

Day 6: Home

We drove home. We had planned to visit Giverny, but the weather was terrible. It rained from Paris to the border. There was tragic flooding in Paris and Germany. It was a rough and wet and loooong drive home!

Our Normandy trip spanned many eras of history. We’ll remember it forever!

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Florence with Kids

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October 25, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

Florence, Italy, is one of our favorite places.

They say you either love Rome or Florence.

We love Florence.

We only spent 4 days in June. It wasn’t near long enough. Nothing would ever be long enough to experience all of Florence.

We flew from Frankfurt Hahn to Pisa, then took the train into Florence. There’s a little shuttle bus from the airport to the train station.

We bought Firenze Cards to save time and money on all the museums.

We took a city bus to our apartment. It’s probably our least favorite booking we’ve ever stayed in.

Then, we waited outside the door of the building for about an hour for the agent to arrive and let us in.

Then, we headed to dinner around the corner.

Day 1 (evening)

We ate dinner at Perseus Restaurant.

Florentine steak.

There was enough for our entire family to share.

Tori loved the tiramisu.

I got the porcini mushroom pasta. Divine.

Tori got some lovely ravioli.

The table wine was great and we had a few glasses. They estimate and charge accordingly.

Our precious waiter took amazing care of us.

He brought us bread and fagioli all’uccelletto, or cannellini beans made in the manner of little birds.

According to Florentine gastronome Giuliano Bugialli, the curious name of this dish comes from the manner in which little songbirds were traditionally cooked.

He absolutely adored Alex and pet him every chance he got.

We walked across the street to explore the Piazza della Libertà.

Day 2

We went to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see The David.

Also, Michelangelo’s Slaves line the hallway leading to the David.

We walked down Via dei Calzaiuoli from the Piazza del Duomo all the way to the River Arno.

We passed the Orsanmichele church, but didn’t go inside. Niches hold statues of the saints from Donatello.

We strolled through the Piazza della Signoria. There are lots of statues – modern, replicas of ancient, and some actual originals.

We went to the Uffizi Museum.

I don’t recommend doing both museums in one day. Whew!

There’s a darling little rooftop cafe. We got some drinks to rest a bit.

Around the corner was the Dante House and museum.

We were pretty exhausted, but it only took a few minutes to explore. Our Firenze card covered it, so…

We learned a lot about Florentine politics and Dante’s life. There were lovely illuminated copies of The Divine Comedy.

Day 3

We spent the morning in the Piazza del Duomo.

First stop was the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.

Alex was enthralled by this crucifix and just stood there for the longest time, gazing up at it.

The Penitent Magdalene is a wooden sculpture of Mary Magdalene by Donatello, created around 1453-1455. The sculpture was probably commissioned for the Baptistery of Florence.

The Deposition by Michelangelo, completed between 1547 and 1555, depicts four figures: the dead body of Jesus Christ, newly taken down from the Cross, Nicodemus (or possibly Joseph of Arimathea), Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary.

Giotto’s Campanile or Bell Tower stands beside the Duomo. The line was super long to walk up, so we skipped that.

We also didn’t wait in the line to go up into the Duomo. The actual church is rather bare, except for the lovely ceiling.

Architect Filippo Brunelleschi is entombed in the Duomo crypt, near the bookstore.

The Baptistery has a lovely ceiling also.

We had a fun cafeteria lunch at Leonardo right off the square. The kids had fun choosing what they wanted.

We toured Santa Croce Basilica in the afternoon.

It was raining and made for a fun walk from the Duomo.

Michelangelo, who died in Rome in 1564, was buried here beneath a monument with allegorical figures of Sculpture, Architecture and Painting, designed by Giorgio Vasari. Michelangelo’s tomb served as the model for others, such as the tomb of Galileo, who died in 1642 (his monument was made by Giovanni Battista Foggini). Funerary monuments continued to be added to the interior, including ones to Niccolò Machiavelli, Vittorio Alfieri, Gioachino Rossini and the cenotaph to Dante Alighieri (1829).

The chapels are amazingly gorgeous.

The great Giotto frescoed the chapels of the banking families Bardi and Peruzzi (1320-25), respectively, with scenes from the life of St. Francis and from the lives of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

bardi-chapel-by-giotto-the-death-of-st-francis

Don’t miss the leather school in the back of the church and tour all the beautiful chapels!

Michelangelo’s house is now a museum. Casa Buonarroti is just around the corner! We weren’t able to make it and it was pouring rain.

Day 4

We went to the Galileo Museum.

We arrived just as they opened. Super fun for kids and adults!

There’s a neato sundial right outside the museum.

There are two of Galileo’s fingers, removed from his corpse by admirers in the 18th century, on display!

They took the most sacred parts of Galileo’s body—the fingers the scientist used to hold his pen and adjust his telescope—as holy relics, and stored them in a glass container.

We walked around the Oltr’arno.

I was so excited to see this masterwork of Masaccio, Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise.

We ate a lovely lunch riverside at Golden View.

We took the city bus to San Miniato.

The evensong service in the crypt is not to be missed. It was breathtaking.

Our grand finale was viewing Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo.

Florence is definitely a city we’d love to return to and explore even more.

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Michelangelo Unit Study

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October 11, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

We’ve traveled to Rome and Florence and studied Michelangelo’s art extensively.

Michelangelo was a true Renaissance man: sculptor, painter, poet, engineer, architect.

His memorial is in Santa Croce church in Florence:

Some of our favorites:

The Doni Tondo at the Uffizi Museum in Florence.

Tondo means “in the round.” Michelangelo designed the frame, but didn’t create this one. Michelangelo hated painting, especially portrait painting.

Funny story has it that the minor nobleman who commissioned this piece for his bride’s wedding gift disliked the peasant look of the Holy Family and the nudes in the background, so refused to pay. Michelangelo had a fit and doubled the price. They went back and forth, even shouting in the streets, and all of Florence watched it like a tennis match until he finally agreed to pay.

Michelangelo’s 4 Slaves or Prisoners at the Accademia Gallery in Florence:

He designed these (and the Moses) for the tomb of Pope Julius II, that was never completed.

Also, St. Matthew at the Accademia Gallery in Florence:

He was commissioned to complete all 12 apostles for the city of Florence, but they were not completed after the Republic government fell.

Palestrina Pietà at the Accademia Gallery in Florence:

May or may not be Michelangelo. There’s very little info about it.

The David, of course! At Accademia Gallery.

He won a contest to create a statue for the city of Florence from a damaged block of marble that had been lying open to the elements for almost 50 years.

The Deposition, also called the Florence Pietà, the Bandini Pietà or The Lamentation over the Dead Christ, and thought to be a self-portrait as the face of Nicodemus. At the Duomo Museum.

Giorgio Vasari noted that Michelangelo began to work on the sculpture around the age of 72. Without commission, Michelangelo worked tirelessly into the night with just a single candle to illuminate his work. Vasari wrote that he began to work on this piece to amuse his mind and to keep his body healthy. After 8 years of working on the piece, Michelangelo would go on and attempt to destroy the work in a fit of frustration. Vasari gave several reasons why Michelangelo destroyed his Florentine pieta:

“…Either because of defects in the marble, or because the stone was so hard | that the chisel often struck sparks, or because he was too severe a judge J of his own work and could never be content with anything he did. It is | true that few of his mature works were ever completed and that those entirely finished were productions of his youth. Such were the Bacchus, the Pieta of the Madonna della F^ebbre [in Saint Peter’s], il Gigante [the David], at Florence, and the Christ Risen of the Minerva [Santa Maria sopra Minerva], which are finished to such perfection that a single grain could not be taken from them without injury. Michelangelo often said that, if he were compelled to satisfy himself, he should show little or nothing. The reason is obvious: he had attained such knowledge in art that the slightest error could not exist without his immediate dis- covery of it. But once it had been seen in public, he would never attempt to correct it, but would begin a new work, for he believed that a similar failure would not happen again. He often declared that this was the reason that the number of his finished works was so small.”

In Rome, we stood in awe of The Pietà, in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Also, we kept putting in a Euro to light up the chapel with the statue of Moses, in St. Peter Vincoli:

Shhh…we snuck a picture of the Sistine Chapel ceiling at the Vatican:

We love traveling to see art and history come alive!

Activities:

Notebooking with famous art and artists printable pages from Productive Homeschooling.
We made our own paints from natural materials when we reviewed Michelangelo for Kids. There are 21 educational activities in that book!
We made little frescoes of our own and realized how difficult it is!

Alex painted a beach scene.

Katie painted a river with flowers on the bank.

Tori painted a fruit basket.

In the morning, they were dry and the colors were faded. We realize how precise and complicated making the perfect consistency of plaster is for the colors to stay true. We used liquid watercolors, which probably aren’t the best for fresco-painting.

Michelangelo is one of our favorite artists of all time!

Resources:

Mixing with the Masters Mixed Media Workshop, Volume One

I also like this art website.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo by Irving Stone.

Famous Artists & Picture Study Notebooking Pages

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Bernini Unit Study

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October 6, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

We fell in love with Bernini’s sculpture in Rome.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini is considered the founder of Baroque art.

Bernini designed and created the Chair of Saint Peter, also known as the Throne of Saint Peter, AND St. Peter’s Baldachin, a large Baroque sculpted bronze canopy, technically called a ciborium or baldachin, over the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica.

We got to witness The Pope give Christmas morning Mass and saw the Chair and Baldachin up close!

We got to quickly explore the area near the altar after the Pope and Cardinals left the floor of St. Peter’s Basilica to prepare for the Christmas Benediction from the balcony.

Bernini also designed the piazza and colonnade in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Also, at the Vatican, he is responsible for the Scala Regia (1663–66), the monumental grand stairway entrance to the Vatican Palace, along with the Cathedra Petri, the Chair of Saint Peter, in the apse of St. Peter’s, and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in the nave.

Around Rome:

The Turtle Fountain in the Jewish district is a favorite with Tori, love of all turtles and tortoises!

Fountain of the Moor in Piazza Navona

Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona

Fountain of the Old Boat by Pietro Bernini, father of Gian. This is near the Spanish Steps.

We visited the Borghese Gallery in Rome, which houses so many Bernini sculptures:

I have to say that I really, really, really love Bernini’s David.

Hades and Persephone are so lifelike. The fingers pressing into her thigh!

Apollo and Daphne. Her fingers are turning into leaves.

We also saw the statue of Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius from the Aeneid and the unfinished Truth Unveiled by Time. Spectacular.

Bernini’s family tomb is in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

Bernini Family Tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore

We’re on our way to see more Bernini sculpture at The Louvre and Versailles. Stay tuned for photos. Follow us on Instagram!

The Sleeping Hermaphroditus in The Louvre:

The Bust of Louis XIV in the Salon of Diana at Versailles:

We carved our own statues from soap!

It was really hard. Tori and Alex just made reliefs. Katie cut out a PokeBall. We can imagine how difficult sculpting from marble must be.

Love this:

I also like this art site.

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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

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September 29, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We visited the Big Island of Hawaii for Elizabeth’s 9th birthday in October 2009. I was pregnant with Alex at the time.

It’s a quick and cheap hop over from the island of Oahu on Hawaiian Airlines. We lived in Honolulu for three glorious years.

We actually stayed inside Volcanoes National Park.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a very educational family trip with so many activities for everyone.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Family Trip

There are two campgrounds and lodge.

We stayed in an amazing 3 Bedroom Cottage with Kitchen & Jetted Tub at Kilauea Military Camp.

Here is where a newer lava flow meets an older lava flow.

On Steaming Bluff, overlooking the caldera.

Walking past Steam Vents. It was ethereal and made the forest look misty and magical.

We loved seeing the vibrant and stunning flowers that grow nowhere else in the world!

Aaron and Liz walked along the Sulphur Banks Trail (Ha‘akulamanu). It’s 0.6 mile.

The warning signs said the odor could be hazardous to pregnancy, young children, or anyone with heart or breathing problems, so I took the younger girls to the visitor’s center to wait.

Aaron also took the girls to view the Lava Tube. It was wet and slippery and dark, so I stayed behind for that one.

The rock formations inside the lava tube were very interesting.

As easy hike for kids is Crater Rim Trail to Waldron Ledge. It’s 1 mile.

There are some awesome views!

Our last day, we hiked Devastation Trail. It’s 1 mile.

It is still revitalizing after being buried by cinders from the 1959 Kīlauea Iki fountain eruption.

The kids loved the Jagger Museum.

Liz earned her Junior Ranger badge!

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

Areas of Study at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:

Botany, Geology, Mythology, History, Ecology, Meteorology, Forestry!

Education Resources:

Volcanoes National Park Junior Ranger Program
Volcanoes National Park Teacher Curriculum Materials
Hawaiian Unit Study from Adventures in Mommydom
Hawaii State Study Notebooking Pages from The Notebooking Nook
State Study Pages Bundle from NotebookingPages
Volcano Unit Study from Stacy Sews and Schools
Volcanoes Lapbook and Unit Study from Homeschool Share
Volcanoes Mini Study from DIY Homeschooler
Volcanoes Unit Study AND Hawaii Unit Study from Homeschool Helper Online
Winterpromise Free Volcano Study
Hawaii Activities from Rose Garden Homeschool
Hawaii State Pack from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom
The Island Below the Star Literature Unit Study from Homeschool Share
Hawaii Unit Study from Craft Knife
Hawaii Printables from EdHelper
Enchanted Learning Hawaii Printables
DLTK Hawaiian Activities and Printables
Education.com Hawaii Resources
Hawaiian Activities from ChildFun
A to Z Kids Stuff Hawaii Facts and Fun

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Big Island Hawaii with Kids

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September 27, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 30 Comments

We visited the Big Island of Hawaii for Elizabeth’s 9th birthday in October 2009. I was pregnant with Alex at the time.

We stayed in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

It’s a quick and cheap hop over from the island of Oahu on Hawaiian Airlines. We lived in Honolulu for three glorious years.

We included FUN activities for the whole family – parents and little kids (we had a toddler and preschooler) and our older daughter.

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

We hiked ʻAkaka Falls State Park. It’s a circular hike through a jungle. It was super sticky in the rainforest. The waterfall view was so worth it!

We visited the small but lovely Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens to see Namaste, the white tiger, who has since passed away. They have a lovely monarch butterfly sanctuary.

The gardens were beautiful.

We toured the lovely Japanese-inspired Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens.

lili%ca%bbuokalani-park-and-gardens-pagoda-bridge

bridge-in-lili%ca%bbuokalani-park-and-gardens

We should have worn swimsuits to play in Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue). The water is calm with a little sandy bank and there’s always a rainbow to be seen!

The black sand at Punaluʻu Beach was lovely for pictures in white dresses.

The best kid beach we found was Kahalu`u Beach Park. Great little sandy beach area and tidepools for exploring. Perfect to view the sunset.

Visiting Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park was like traveling back in time.

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park preserves the site where Hawaiians who broke kapu (one of the ancient laws) could avoid death by fleeing to this place of refuge or puʻuhonua. The offender would be absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors and non-combatants could also find refuge here during times of battle. The grounds just outside the Great Wall that encloses the puʻuhonua were home to several generations of powerful chiefs.

The 420-acre site was originally established in 1955 as City of Refuge National Historical Park, but was renamed on November 10, 1978. It includes the puʻuhonua and a complex of archeological sites including: temple platforms, royal fishponds, sledding tracks, and some coastal village sites. The Hale o Keawe temple and several thatched structures have been reconstructed.
The park contains a reconstruction of the Hale O Keawe heiau, which was originally built by Kona chief Kanuha in honor of his father, King Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku. After the death of Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, his bones were entombed within the heiau. The nobility (ali’i) of Kona continued to be buried until the abolition of the kapu system. The last person buried here was a son of Kamehameha I in 1818.

pu%ca%bbuhonua-o-honaunau-national-historical-park-tiki

We were disappointed in the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. No tours, just looking through the window and there’s a gift shop with samples.

We wasted a drive to the South Point to snap a photo of the plaque. It looked like a desert and only a portable potty.

But don’t miss a trip to the Punalu’u Bake Shop!

We only viewed the Captain Cook Monument across Kealakekua Bay.

Although there are theories that Spanish or Dutch sailors might have stopped here much earlier, the first documented European to arrive was Captain James Cook. He and his crews on the Resolution and Discovery sighted Kealakekua Bay on the morning of January 17, 1779. He estimated several thousand people lived in the two villages. On January 28, he performed the first Christian service on the islands, for the funeral of a crew member who had died.
Cook had entered the bay during Makahiki. This was a traditionally peaceful time of year, so he and his men were welcomed and given food. Cook and his crew stayed for several weeks, returning to sea shortly after the end of the festival. After suffering damage during a storm, the ships returned two weeks later, on February 14. This time relations were not as smooth.
After the theft of one of Resolution’s small boats by a local native Hawaiian, Cook attempted to lure Hawaiian chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu aboard to hold as hostage until the boat was returned. A skirmish ensued during which Cook was killed, near the spot where he had first set foot on the island.

The monument can be accessed by a 1-hour hike from the road or by crossing the bay by boat.

Where we ate:

I cannot express how much we loved eating at Merriman’s. They also have locations on Maui and Kauai!

Ken’s House of Pancakes is great for breakfast or brunch. We took Liz for her birthday breakfast.

Hilo Fish Company is a lovely restaurant for seafood.

We did not enjoy touristy and commercialized Kona, but we stopped at Kona Brewing Company for my husband to try their beer. Since I was pregnant, I didn’t get any!

The Big Island of Hawaii has so much to offer everyone – history, lovely gardens, great food, and natural wonders.

Education Resources:

Volcanoes National Park Junior Ranger Program
Volcanoes National Park Teacher Curriculum Materials
Hawaiian Unit Study from Adventures in Mommydom
Hawaii State Study Notebooking Pages from The Notebooking Nook
State Study Pages Bundle from NotebookingPages
Volcano Unit Study from Stacy Sews and Schools
Volcanoes Lapbook and Unit Study from Homeschool Share
Volcanoes Mini Study from DIY Homeschooler
Volcanoes Unit Study AND Hawaii Unit Study from Homeschool Helper Online
Winterpromise Free Volcano Study
Hawaii Activities from Rose Garden Homeschool
Hawaii State Pack from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom
The Island Below the Star Literature Unit Study from Homeschool Share
Hawaii Unit Study from Craft Knife
Hawaii Printables from EdHelper
Enchanted Learning Hawaii Printables
DLTK Hawaiian Activities and Printables
Education.com Hawaii Resources
Hawaiian Activities from ChildFun
A to Z Kids Stuff Hawaii Facts and Fun

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Yellowstone National Park

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Please see my suggested resources.

September 8, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 23 Comments

Since we were stationed in Utah, I couldn’t let up the opportunity to visit Yellowstone pass us by.

It was a little daunting to plan a long road trip with little ones, but they did great!

We all agree it’s our favorite trip in the USA so far.

We visited Yellowstone National Park over several days to see everything.

The park is essentially two big loops and we did a section each day.

We stayed at Colter Bay Cabins in Grand Teton National Park which was awesome and nearby.

We ate a lovely breakfast buffet each morning at The Ranch House Restaurant then drove into Yellowstone Park to see the sites and picnic, but we came back to Colter Bay each evening to grill dinner and play at the rocky beach.

We entered at the South Entrance.

There were forest fires, and we had to check on road closures each day.

We saw the remains of trees. We learned that forest fires are healthy for the forest since many cones won’t open without the heat. The ash replenishes the soil and new growth is already seen!

It was desolate, but beauty from ashes!

The only stretch we didn’t get to make it to due to the fires were from Canyon Village to the Fishing Bridge.

I splurged and bought Tori and Katie these lovely scavenger hunt cards and notebooks for our car rides.

It was pretty exciting to see the Continental Divide.

Day 1: Old Faithful

There is a ton of stuff to do at the Old Faithful Geyser area.

Educational backpacks for kids to check out with thermometers, drawing tools, and all sorts of fun stuff.

Boardwalks to walk around to view all the other fun geysers and hot pools.

A great little museum where kids can learn and explore and earn a Junior Ranger badge.

We watched Old Faithful about three times. It was so fun and fascinating.

The best part?!

Our son had been toilet training and was *this close* to having everything just click right into place. He refused to wear diapers or pullups anymore, so accidents were horrendous and messy and we were traveling and worried about all that. A lot.

When he told me he had to go, I took his hand to lead him to the single toilet bathroom in the visitor’s center. The girls were reading signs in the little museum and Aaron was at the viewing window.

He didn’t want me inside with him, so I waited right at the door.

A few minutes later, he opened the door a crack. He was so proud.

We flushed and washed. I told him to go tell his dad.

My favorite memory of Yellowstone is my son running through the Old Faithful Visitor’s Center towards his dad, yelling, “I pooped! I pooped! I POOPED!” while all the French people and Asians stared at him like he was being abducted.

Then we got to see Old Faithful again.

We had a lunch picnic outside the gift shop at Old Faithful.

Then we got some ice cream at the shop and sat on a bench to rest. And watched Old Faithful again.

Day 2: Geysers and Gibbon Falls

These elk crossed our paths and were so close we could almost pet them. But we didn’t. We were so good.

We stopped at Madison for a picnic lunch and break.

Norris was probably our least favorite location. We didn’t even complete the trail before we headed back to the car.

When driving, you have to watch out for the animals!

This big guy stopped traffic:

Day 3: Mammoth Hot Springs

Historic Fort Yellowstone is near Mammoth Hot Springs. There’s a little museum and lots of shops and restaurants.

We drove from Mammoth to Canyon. It’s a beautiful landscape.

From the car, we saw lots of deer and antelope.

Deer were frolicking and foraging by the roadside.

Day 4: Canyon Village, Yellowstone Falls, and West Thumb

Liz completed the Junior Ranger program at every center in the park. The hardest one was at Canyon Village.

We saw a baby bear! Lots of stupid people had pulled over and were out of their cars, chasing it with cameras. We slowed down and I snapped this out the window. We left before Mama Bear appeared.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Falls were lovely.

West Thumb was our last stop at Yellowstone.

The geysers, hot springs, and colorful pools are always amazing.

Yellowstone tips:

Clothing layers and good walking shoes. The weather changes quickly. It’s cool in mornings and evenings, but warms up during the day. It’s very bright if the sun shines, so sunglasses and hats are good to bring.

We ate picnic lunches every day to save money. And it was easier to have a cooler of healthy foods and snacks with us. We could stop whenever we needed at a picnic site for a break or meal.

Stay on the boardwalks, walking paths, and trails. We didn’t venture away from the safety of these.

Don’t bother animals. Don’t try to touch them or feed them.