Stoker Family Adventures

Category: Europe

  • Versailles

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    shannon
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    We got up early today so we could be at Versailles in time for our tour. It was scheduled for 9, when the palace opens, to beat the crowds. It was a pretty train ride. We passed a building on the way with a fence that really makes it seem like they don’t want people…

  • The City of Light

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    shannon
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    Today, we woke up in Paris, fulfilling a dream I’ve had for so many years. We only had one thing planned today, at 2 pm, so we had lots of time to wander. Our hotel includes breakfast, which was simple but delicious. We have croissants and Nutella at home, but they seemed so much more…

  • CERN

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    shannon
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    When I originally started planning this trip over a year ago, I asked all of the kids where in the world they wanted to go. Willow said Paris, River said anywhere, and Liam said “I don’t care, as long as the food is good.” So we decided on Italy, with a stop in Paris. Air…

  • Venice to Switzerland

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    shannon
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    We started our day with rubbish collection. Venice has no trucks, so garbage is collected every day by people walking around with handcarts. They knock on your door in the morning, and you take down whatever type of trash is being collected that day. Today was green waste and recycling. That little cart has to…

  • Glass Island of Murano

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    shannon
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    This morning, we got a slow start before heading out to the island of Murano, which has been famous for handmade glass for centuries. Valentina, who was one of our rowing teachers, gave us these instructions to find her father’s shop on the island. The ride to Murano was really pretty. We went straight there…

  • Pizza and Gelato Making Day

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    shannon
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    The kids have been getting along really well on this trip, and there has been some snuggling. We started the day with breakfast. I have a goal to try all of the exotic pastries that Italy has to offer. Today’s favorites are the pear and chocolate croissant, and the maritozzi. It’s bread with whipped cream…

  • Colosseum and Forum

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    shannon
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    Unfortunately, Liam was sick today and had to stay home. With him not feeling weak, we started the morning slowly. Willow, River and I went out to a bakery to get breakfast pastries. One really cool thing here is their extensive use of pistachios in cooking. They have something that’s kind of like Nutella, but…

  • Pompeii with an archeologist

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    shannon
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    Today we went to Pompeii. The day started out with some excitement. We had booked a train in advance, but when we left our place to catch a bus to the train station, we found that the roads were closed all around our place for a parade (today is Italy’s Republic Day.). it started raining…

  • Exploring our neighborhood in Rome

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    shannon
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    We had no plans today, because we assumed we would be tired from the long flight and the time change. We slept in super late (we definitely should have set an alarm) and then went out looking for food. After breakfast, we walked just around the corner to some ancient ruins that were just in…

  • Our place in Rome

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    shannon
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    Our little Airbnb in Rome was so inexpensive, especially for its location in the middle of everything, that I expected it to be tiny or really shabby or both. We were pleasantly surprised by this adorable little apartment.

  • Our European adventure commences!

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    shannon
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    We took off last night for our family’s first-ever trip to Europe. We’ll be gone almost three weeks, and we managed with just one checked bag and some carryon backpacks. We’ll have laundry in some of our lodgings. We had an overnight flight to Paris on Air France. The service was definitely better than on…