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	<title>A Modern Mother</title>
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	<description>Family travel and other random thoughts from the BritMums founder</description>
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	<title>A Modern Mother</title>
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		<title>Visiting Hauts-de-France: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and Boulogne-sur-Mer</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/visiting-hauts-de-france-le-touquet-paris-plage-and-boulogne-sur-mer.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=17228</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Le Touquet-Paris-Plage&#160; Drive up the coast to Le Touquet, a chic seaside resort with white sandy beaches mixed with pine forests and sand dunes! In the 20s and 30s Le Touquet was Europe&#8217;s most fashionable resort and popular with the British smart set such as the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor, PG Wodehouse and Winston Churchill. President Macron has his summer holiday home there. It&#8217;s also popular with British golfers. Where to stay in Le Touquet: Hotel Bristol We stayed in Hotel Bristol, a centrally located 3* hotel near the market square and just a couple blocks to the famous “beach of Paris”. The 3* hotel is popular with British golfers. It&#8217;s a majestic 19th century building which is very clean and serves a great breakfast! Where to eat in Le Touquet: La Base Nord La Base Nord has gorgeous views overlooking the Parc Nature Baie de Canche &#8211; you might even see some seals! If the weather is nice, sit on the deck outside. It&#8217;s a lovely atmosphere where you can soak up nature whilst having a wonderful meal. Where to eat in Le Touquet: Perard Tradition in Le Touquet Perard Traditions is a cozy, traditional bistro specialising in seafood. Locals come come to seafood bar with their dogs. If you are not sure of portion size, they will bring out the catch for you to inspect. We had Soupe de poissons maison a volo – a homemade fish soup with all the fixings including Gruyère cheese, rounds of baguette croutons topped with rouille, a thick and pungent aioli-like sauce made with garlic Where to eat in Le Touquet: Cafe des Sport Cafe des Sports is a popular traditional restaurant on the main thoroughfare. We couldn&#8217;t resist moules frites! Sit outside and watch the people of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage go by! What to do in Le Touquet: Explore via bicycle! Leave your car and discover Le Touquet-Paris-Plage via bicycle! There are more than 10k of dedicated cycle paths to explore. You can rent bikes at La Baleine Royal in the centre of town. Try one of the eco-friendly electric bikes which are so easy to use and give you an extra “push” when you need it.&#160; The paths are mainly flat and take you through some of the most gorgeous parts of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage. Cycle through pine forests, past the manicured seaside and sand dunes, through the town (you’ll need to walk your bike in the center) and stop to see the light house. You can take a break anytime to explore whatever takes your fancy. Park your bikes at Parc Nature de la Baie de Canache and stroll across the sand to see the seals! What to do in Le Touquet: Go horseback riding! Le Touquet Equestrian Park is where novice riders can rub shoulder with top jockeys. Indoor and outdoor arenas, and a beginner session that goes out to the beach! Boulogne-sur-Mer Just 20 minutes from Calais is Boulogne-sur-Mer, Frances busiest seaport. It also has a perfectly preserved old town and is home to the Basilica Notre Dam, which has the longest crypt in Europe. The seafront has a long sandy beach, perfect for sports such as sand yachting, kite surfing and canoeing. What to do: Visit Naussica, Europe&#8217;s largest aquarium Naussica is home to 58,000 animals and 1,600 different species. including grey reef sharks, manta rays, sea lions, penguins and more! It&#8217;s the biggest aquarium in Europe and its aim is to educate people of all ages about Ocean life and how to sustain it. The immersive exhibits are mesmerising. Journey on the High Seas explores the coast of Colombia that with depths as great as 4,000 metres. The Big Tank puts you up close to rays, shoals of fish and sharks and Grand Large is an augmented reality experience that lets you interact with ocean life and learn more about sustainability. If you want to learn more about the ocean and how to care for it, I highly recommend a visit! Where to eat in Boulogne-sur-Mer: Le Chatillon Don’t let the appearance of this restaurant fool you! Located in Boulogne’s main fishing port, and tucked in between warehouses, Le Chatillion serves some of the freshest seafood in France. Inside, red vinyl bench seats, wood panelling, and a ceiling made from sails makes you feel as if you are in fishing trawler. But it’s the seafood that draws people here. Dock workers and fishermen mix with businessmen and tourists who all come to enjoy the latest catch from Boulogne’s waters. It’s reasonably priced too, a set menu 28 Euros will get you a 3-course meal. If you are in a hurry (highly recommend you aren’t – it’s France!) get something to take away. Packaging is recyclable and eco-responsible. Seafood doesn’t get fresher than this! Montreuil Sur Mer Another city to visit in Hauts-de-France is the foodie town of Montreiul. Read my article about Montreiul Sur Mer. Montreuil&#8217;s narrow cobbled medieval streets were Victor Hugo&#8217;s inspiration for several locations in his novel Les Miserables. It&#8217;s also a foodie town with it&#8217;s Michelin-starred&#160;La Grenouillere. It&#8217;s chef Alexandre Gauthier, is a bit of a rock star in the foodie world. He caught the eye of President Obama after serving him local Licques chicken at the Paris COP21 conference. Then in 2016&#160;Gauthier was named France’s top chef by&#160;Gault et Millau Guide&#160;– in some circles this trendy guide is even more prestigious than Michelin. Read my review of Le Grenouillere.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17228</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Driving holiday to Hauts-de-France: Saint Valery-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/driving-holiday-to-hauts-de-france.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Nov 2022 17:33:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=17050</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[If you want an easy driving holiday from the UK, Hauts-de-France has lots to offer families. Hauts-de-France is France’s northernmost region, and where you exit Eurotunnel! It was renamed in 2014 when the government combined Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. I explored the region with my teen-age daughter. We spent a few days touring though medieval Saint Valery Sur Somme, chic Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and the seaport of Boulogne-Sur-Mer. The French have perfected the art-de-vivre, the &#8220;art of living&#8221; and Hauts-de France is full of great restaurants, range of hotels for all price points and lots of activities available for families from horseback riding to sand yachting to cycling. We were impressed with the amount of sustainable options! If you like wide sandy beaches, Pine Forests, estuaries, wildlife, and seafood,&#160;you need to check out Hauts-de-France. I&#8217;ve put together some ideas for a driving holiday in Hauts-de-France, featuring Saint Valery-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy. Saint Valery-sur-Somme&#160; Our first stop was the pretty town of Saint Valery-sur- Somme. It’s just 115km from Calais and 30km south of Le Touquet Paris Plage. The quaint town is full of medieval buildings, pastel-coloured fisherman&#8217;s cottages and views over the Somme Bay. Joan of Arc was held captive here before being taken to Rouen to be burned at the stake! Victor Hugo, Edgar Degas, and Georges Seurat also spent time in Saint Valery Sur Somme. Make sure to visit the Medieval Quarter, Fishermen&#8217;s Quarter, and the Sailor&#8217;s Chapel. The Somme Bay is home to a large seal colony, and when the tide goes out you can walk across the Bay with a guide! Le Crotoy Across the Bay is Le Crotoy, a small fishing village with a large South-facing sandy beach (the only south-facing beach in Northern France!). The Somme Bay famously catches the light, and many artists and painters have come here over the years to capture the colours (especially at sundown). Where to stay and eat: Les Tourelles Hotel Restaurant in Le Crotoy We stayed in Le Crotoy at Les Tourelles, which has fantastic views of the Baie de Somme. Earning the European Eco label for its eco-sensitive approach, the 35-room 3* Les Tourelles Hotel Restaurant is a real find. Set on the only south-facing beach in Northern France, the Baie de Somme is at your doorstep. The eco-mindset is apparent everywhere: discreet reminders ask guests if they’d like to help conserve water by re-using towels or use less energy by turning off lights when they leave. And the restaurant serves food from local producers; we enjoyed a terrine made with “vegetables of the sun” with a pesto d’herbes de la baie from a producer in La Crotoy! But best is the stunning sea view! The quaint terrace overlooks the ever-changing Baie de Somme, where you can watch the light dance and sparkle across the water. Catch it at sunset and it’s simply magical. What to do: Ride a historic stream train We rode around the Bay on the iconic steam train, the Chemin de fer de la Baie de Somme. This persevered railway runs March &#8211; December between Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-Sur-Somme. It&#8217;s a nice way to see the surrounding areas, and a good way to get to Le Crotoy which is where many of the walking tours across the bay start. What to do: Walk across the Baie de Somme At low tide we did a 3 and 1/2 hour guided walk across the Baie de Somme!! Our guide Maxim Marzi guided us through streams and sand and clay while sharing his love of nature and the Baie. We learned how to enjoy nature whilst leaving it virtually untouched. Maxim is a naturalist and ecologically minded, stopping every few minutes to show us another miracle of nature, such as soft-shell clams which can filter out pollution and herbs from Bay that can be used in cooking. It’s quite an adventure. Kids would love it – it’s an adventure. It&#8217;s essential to go with a guide so you time it with the tides and you don’t run into any danger. But that’s part of the fun. Want to visit Hauts-de France? Read my other articles about the area! Visiting Hauts-de-France: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and Boulogne-sur-Mer Girls’ Foodie Weekend in Montreuil-sur-Mer A visit to 2 Michelin Starred La Grenouillère]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17050</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>10 things you MUST DO in Dubrovnik</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/10-things-you-must-do-in-dubrovnik.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Nov 2022 17:17:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Croatia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=17152</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I was totally blown away by Dubrovnik. Friends had told me it was amazing but I hadn&#8217;t realised just how amazing! A World Heritage site on the gorgeous Adriatic Coast, Dubrovnik is the perfect mix of culture and beach. It&#8217;s known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. The Old Town is is picturesque with it&#8217;s City Walls and baroque era palaces, monasteries and building. Of course the popularity of Game of Thrones has drawn even more attention to this 15th&#160;century city!&#160; The problem is everyone knows it&#8217;s amazing and it&#8217;s not a cheap place to visit.&#160;Be prepared for London prices.&#160; The main tourism season is April though November. Summer can get very hot and crowded, with lots of cruise ships stopping for city tours. The best time to visit is &#8220;shoulder season&#8221;, so either April/May or September/October. At these times you miss the crowds, but can get some fabulous weather. We went for October half term and had 22 – 24C full sun all week!.&#160;&#160; Going to Dubrovnik? Don’t miss these 10 things&#160;to do 1. Walk the City Walls Walking the City Walls is the Number 1 activity in Dubrovnik. Bring your camera and a good degree of fitness for this mile and a quarter walk/hike on the City Walls around Dubrovnik. You&#8217;ll be amazed at the ever changing views over the blue-green Adriatic sea and terracotta roofs (many relatively new after being damaged in the 1991 siege) . It takes about an hour if you speed through, longer if you stop for a fresh-squeezed orange juice or visit art gallery. 2. Stroll through the Old Town The Old Town is the picturesque bit of Dubrovnik you don&#8217;t want to miss. It&#8217;s completely pedestrianed and you enter by foot through one of the Gates &#8211; Pile or Ploče. Once inside it&#8217;s like a fairytale &#8211; shiny streets, tempting bakeries, artisan shops and restaurant after restaurant. There are several museums, Orlando&#8217;s Column (where town crier made announcements), St Savior Square has a fountain &#8211; and you can drink the water and refill water bottles here. Stradun, the main promenade, is shopping and cafes by day, and at night turns into one big cocktail party. There&#8217;s so much to see here you&#8217;ll want to spend a lot of time here. 3. Relax on a beach Because I live in the UK, I take advantage of any opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and spend time at the beach. I like nothing better than sitting on a lounge chair with a good book and a waiter that will bring me drinks. Banjee Beach in just outside the Old Town, about a 10-minute walk. It’s connected to a restaurant and has very comfy (albiet a little pricey) lounge chairs available for rent. Needles to say I spend a lot of time here. Head to the Lapad Peninsula for more beaches. Uvala Lapad Beach/ Sunset Beach is nice, and if you head take the footpath you will run into lots of little beaches, some with cement platforms, where you can dive into the sea. Other beaches to explore include: Koločep Island (Elaphiti Islands), Copacabana (Lapad), Danče Beach (west of Pile Gate), Pasjača (Konavle), Plat Beaches (Zupa Dubrovacka), Sulic Beach (thth), Bellevue Beach (20 minutes from Old Town), St Jakov’s Beach (walk from Old Town),and Sunj Beach (Lopud Island). 4. &#8230; and swim in the sea! The water is cold but refreshing. Of course you can swim from the beaches. But also all around Dubrovnik where you can scramble over rocks and take a dip into the sea. Many areas have stairs leading into the water. I saw many (young) people jumping from the rocks. But I don&#8217;t recommend that. 😳 Top Tip: Bring water shoes – the beaches are rocky and there lots of slippery areas and sea anemones. Your feet will thank you. We also brought our own blow up ring (from Decathalon!) which we used pretty much every day. 5. Take the Cable Car up Srdj Hill The view is totally worth the price tag. Once up top, you have sweeping views over Old Town, Lokum Island, Lapad Peninsula, and Elephite Islands.&#160;&#160;Another option is to take the cable car up and walk down. Or walk both ways! Many people head up Srdj Hill for sunset. There’s the very pricey Restaurant Panaoramic which is the type of place you’ll witness a birthday celebration or marriage proposal. We heard the food wasn’t as memorable (and we wanted to eat in the Old Town) so we had drink here.&#160;&#160;Don’t miss the Homeland War Museum, which chronicles the 1991 /1991 siege. The main exhibition has English explanations and there is a room that shows sobering ITV coverage of the 1991 attack. 6. Ride the ferry to Lokrum Island Ignore the private tours and take the public boat from the Old Port to Lokrum Island. The ferry price includes entry to the Nature Reserve (Dubrovnik Pass gets you a discount).&#160;&#160;Once there admire the peacocks, swim in the deep blue waters of the “Dead Sea”, a lake bordered by high cliffs, visit the monastery and botanical gardens. There&#8217;s a restaurant and a few food kiosks, but many people bring their own picnic. 7. Climb up to Fort Lovrijenac Fort Lovrijenac (Fort Lawrence) &#8211; made famous by King of Thrones, has fantastic views of the Old Town and Adriatic Sea. Don’t be out off by the steps (apparently there are 200). The steepest part is a few at the end. I’m not the most fittest of people and I easily made it. Go for it, the views are totally worth it (included in Dubrovnik Pass or pay the nominal fee) 8. Visit the Museums Dubrovnik is full of museums that cover it&#8217;s history, culture, art and more. There&#8217;s even a &#8220;Selfie Museum&#8221;. As mentioned, the Homeland War Museum at the top of Srdj Hill is worth a visit. There&#8217;s also: Ethnographic museum &#8211; key to Dubrovnik’s wealth was it’s invest in grain trade. Museum is in old granary where you can peer down 15 holes (rupe) and see where grains were stored in the perfect temperature. My favourite were the displays of folk dress, brightly couloirs outfits I would happily wear today! Rector&#8217;s Palace &#8211; in Middle Ages ruled by rectors (appointed by nobility), and only in power for 1 month. Not a lot here but worth a visit if you have museum pass if only to get a sense of the grandeurs Franciscan Monastery Museum &#8211; century old working pharmacy. Beautiful cloister (some damaged in 1991 siege). View original medieval pharmacy which opened in 1317! 9. Have a drink at the Buza Bar Buza means hole which is what you have to walk through to get to this bar which is perched in the cliff /sea wall in the Old Town. Go up the Jesuit Steps, turn left at Saint Ignatius Church, and follow the signs for “the best cold drinks with a view”. Great place for sunset. Fills up fast. Small cement “beach” where you can jump in the sea. Over priced drinks, but of course they are this place is fantastic. 10. Watch the sunset from the Cave Bar Head over to the Lapad Peninsula and find the Cave Bar, a unique natural cave and beach area. The deck area is a wonderful spot to watch the sunset over the Adriatic. The Dubrovnik Pass Note &#8211; We bought a 3-day Dubrovnik Pass pass which cost just slightly more than the City Walls entry and included several other attractions. If you are walking the City Wall &#8211; which I highly recommend &#8211; then it&#8217;s a no-brainer. We went to many of the museums at our leisure and used to accompanying 3-day bus pass to go to back and forth to Lapad Bay (#6 Babin Kuk) where many beaches are. Read my post: Where to eat in Dubrovnik Coming soon. Read my post: Where to stay in Dubrovnik Coming soon.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17152</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>13 ways to experience the Santa Cruz Surf Culture</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/13-ways-to-experience-the-santa-cruz-surf-culture.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2021 14:02:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Santa Cruz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=16885</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The California Surf Culture goes way back to the late 1800s when three Hawaiian princes brought the sport to Santa Cruz! And in the 1950s Jack O&#8217;Neil famously invented the wetsuit. Now the California coast, especially the Santa Cruz area where it started, is a surf mecca spawning a culture of laid-back fish taco eating sun lovers! If you are visiting California, here are some ways to experience that surf culture for yourself. My suggestion is to fly into either San Francisco or even better is San Jose (BA has direct flights from Heathrow &#8211; scheduled to restart in March) to land nearly into all the action! 1. Stroll East Cliff Drive and watch the surfers For an authentic surf vibe head over to the laid-back Pleasure Point beach community on the east end of Santa Cruz. Park at East Cliff Drive and 41st Street and walk across the street to see the popular surf destination The Hook. You&#8217;ll see several people at the fence railing watching surfers and taking in the gorgeous views of Monterey Bay. As you walk down East Cliff Drive there are several places to stop and watch surfers. You&#8217;ll see boarders, beach cruisers, and lots of seasalt-bleached hair. 2. Get a Breakfast Burrito at The Point The Point Market at 23040 E Cliff Drive has THE BEST breakfast burritos. Order &#8220;The Barrel&#8221; a massive burrito filled with eggs, bacon, potatoes, avocado, cheese and salsa! Then walk over to one of the benches on E Cliff and enjoy! The Point Market, 23040 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, United States 3. Shop &#38; Eat on 41st Avenue 41st Street is the heart of the Pleasure Point area. It&#8217;s home to the Santa Cruz Boardroom &#8211; with over 2,000 skateboards and where the trendy Santa Cruz logo wear comes from. Eat at the Penny Ice Creamery, Pleasure Point Pizza, Taqueria Vallarta for a fish taco, Suda for a yummy kale salad, Cliff Cafe for breakfast, and Verve for coffee and local vibes! 4. Look for a bargain at the O&#8217;Neil Surf Shop Outlet Local Jack O&#8217;Neil invented the wetsuit to keep surfers warm in the cool ocean waters. Now the brand is a popular clothing store that embodies surf culture. At the outlet you can get wetsuits and discounted fashion. I got a hoodie for less than $20. 1149 41st Ave., Capitola CA 95010 O&#8217;Neill Surf Shop Outlet, 1149 41st Ave, Capitola, CA 95010, United States 5. Rummage through the Goodwill As long as you are in this end of town, go to the Capitola Goodwill for some great vintage finds. A lot of surf wear gets handed in to this charity and is available for sale! We picked up a BodyGlove wetsuit for $20! The Goodwill Central Coast, 1550 41st Ave, Capitola, CA 95010, United States 6. Get and slice and T-Shirt at Pizza My Heart This surf-themed pizza chain serves pizza made with local ingredients. Each year they commission a T-shirt design which they practically give away when you buy a slice of pizza ($2 extra for the T-shirt). You can also purchase them separately for about $8. We have done this nearly every year since 2005! It&#8217;s such a tradition, that when we couldn&#8217;t visit because of COVID, a friend sent me one! There are a few places to get a slice. Either stand in the long line in Capitola on the Esplanade, or skip the queue and go to 41st Street. Pizza My Heart, 209 Esplanade, Capitola, CA 95010, United StatesPizza My Heart, 2180 41st Ave, Capitola, CA 95010, United States 7. Stay at the Dream Inn My absolute favourite place to stay in Santa Cruz. It&#8217;s the only beach front hotel with a pool! One of the best beginner soft beaches, Cowell Beach, is right out the front door. You can rent boards across the road at Cowells, or just rent and take lessons from Eddies, in high season located right in front of the hotel. Lots of surf decor. Dream Inn, 175 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States 8. Cycle along West Cliff Dr. If you stay at the Dream Inn borrow the beach cruisers and cycle down West Cliff Drive to see the surfers. You&#8217;ll catch them all along the coast, but the most popular area is Steamer Lane, with good access and sweeping views. You can continue on and cycle all the way to Natural Bridges State Beach. 9. Check out the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum This cool museum houses surfing memorabilia from the past 100 years, including surfboard from the 1940s. It over looks Steamer Lane, a famous surfing hotspot. The shop has surf books and surfing-related merchandise. Make sure to look up opening times as they are limited. Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, 701 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States 10. Go to the beach Duh. Of course you&#8217;ll go to the beach. There are so many to choose from. Capitola is one of our favourites. There&#8217;s also Cowell Beach, Santa Cruz Main Beach, Natural Bridges State Beach, Twin Lakes and Sea Cliff. 11. Rent a surfboard and take a surf lesson There&#8217;s no better way to immerse yourself in surf culture than to learn how to surf yourself! Cowell&#8217;s Beach Surf shop is in walking distance of one of the best beginner surf beaches (Cowell Beach) and they have lessons too. Cowell&#8217;s Beach Surf Shop, 30 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States 12. Visit the Ripcurl Outlet There are outlets that say they are outlets, and then there are proper outlets that have discounted items. This place is a bargain. Logo T-shirts for $8. We went twice! Rip Curl Santa Cruz Outlet, 1604 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States 13. Try a fish taco at Hula&#8217;s Island Grill Get some Hawaiian-Cali culture at Hula&#8217;s Island Grill, a popular causal eatery in downtown Santa Cruz. This tropical, tiki-inspired restaurant has a range of Hawaiian food, including fish tacos! Hula&#8217;s Island Grill, 221 Cathcart St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States Planning to visit California? Read my other posts 22 Things to do in Capitola with the family Sonoma wine country: 21 things to do with the family Insider&#8217;s guide to walking over the Golden Gate Bridge 9 family friendly wineries in Napa Valley Silicon Valley Tech Tour: Top 13 sites to visit Home Exchange: California craftsman beach house]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">16885</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Where to stay in Nafplio, Greece</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/vida-hospitality-stay-nafplio-greece.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2021 08:48:59 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Greece]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nafplio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=16190</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[&#160; Looking for where to stay in Nafplio, Greece? If you are reading this you are probably looking for somewhere to stay in Nafplio, Greece. Lucky you! Nafplio is considered one of Greece&#8217;s most beautiful and romantic cities, and I have to agree: it&#8217;s definitely one of my favourites too. Nafplio is about 1 hr 45 minutes west of Athens&#160;in the East Peloponnese region. It&#8217;s full of history and is home to some of Greece&#8217;s most popular archeological sites. My tip? Make sure to check out Vida Hospitality&#8217;s high-end guest houses and residential apartments in the heart of the city. I stayed there recently on a press trip and found my&#160;home away from home. &#160; &#160; Accommodation with a personal touch I just love reading through the Vida-Hospitality website, as the owners, Vasileios and Panagiotis Totsikas, obviously have a sense of humour. &#8220;We are brothers – family, and we live in Nafplio. We also have a dog named Lisa.&#8221; On our stay I discover they got Lisa to keep their parents company with they left Greece to work abroad in Dubai and Canada. Family comes up again and again with &#8220;Bill&#8221; and &#8220;Peter&#8221; as they like to be called. Like most Greeks, family plays a big part in their life. Between the 2 brothers, their parents and extended family and friends that help run Vida-Hospitality, I feel like I have found the family from A Big Fat Greek Wedding.&#160; When the brothers came back to Nafplio after their stints abroad they brought a vision for offering luxury accommodation with a personal touch. Their philosophy is that family time together is precious and limited &#8211; so they want to make sure you have everything you need to enjoy your vacation together. Restaurant recommendations? No problem. Best beach for kids? They have a list. Flat tyre? Yes, they can help with that too (while I was there Vasileios/Bill helped a Singapore family find someone to fix their tyre, and even showed up there to help!) &#160; &#160; As they said on their website: &#8220;We are not providing a traditional, old fashioned small room with just a bed, one window and a small bathroom&#8221;. I can confirm this: the apartment we stayed&#160;in, the Executive Suite, is very spacious and sleeps 4. It&#8217;s 100 square meters and has an open plan with a huge&#160;living room and an oversized sofa, which also converts to a double bed. It&#8217;s very modern, minimal and looks newly remodelled. The girls claim that area as their own, and my husband and I get the bedroom (which has king-sized bed). I love the small touches &#8211; hanging reading lights and lots of electrical outlets (so many older properties don&#8217;t have enough). The bed is very comfortable (Simmons mattress) with crisp new linens. And of course there is wifi (good speed and allows me to catch up with work as the girls watch films) and air conditioning &#8211; Greece can be hot!&#160; The overall feel we got from the suite is comfortable, modern and full of light.&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; Fully stocked kitchen and fridge There&#8217;s a fully stocked kitchen with a toaster, coffee maker (with really good coffee), and juicer (oranges are everything in the Peloponnese &#8211; and in season they will leave you a bag of oranges from their family&#8217;s plot of land). The fridge is stocked with breakfast items &#8211; ham, cheese, fruit, orange juice, milk, butter, homemade fig jam. The counter is overflowing with teas, bread, croissants, snacks. There&#8217;s a grocery store right around the corner to pick up any other items (but what else would you need?).&#160; &#160; &#160; Views overlooking Nafplio port Best of all, there are two balconies with a view to the city’s port! We spent each evening eating out on the balcony, watching Nafplio go by. Vida Hospitality left a gift of local wine from the Koroniotis vineyard (you can visit the winery, Bill and Peter will help you arrange it). &#160; &#160; &#160; &#8220;IF YOU DO NOT WANT A CLEAN, COMFORTABLE AND MODERN PLACE TO STAY DURING YOUR VACATION, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO ENJOY OUR APARTMENTS.&#8221; I can attest to this! Our apartment is pristine. I was especially pleased with the bathroom (which is faultless and doesn&#8217;t have the weird bathroom smells you can get in old towns with ancient plumbing) 😄.&#160;The shower is also 5*, with water power that will please any American.&#160;But don&#8217;t just take my word for it, read the reviews&#160;(9 out of 10 on bookings.com.) &#160; &#160; &#160; &#8220;IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE “CHEAPEST ONE”, WE CANNOT HELP YOU&#8221; While Vida-Hospitality is not &#8220;the cheapest&#8221;, they are very&#160;reasonably priced! They regularly have offers on their website too. And with all the &#8220;extras&#8221; it really makes staying with Vida-Hospitality worthwhile. &#160; What to do in Nafplio, Greece with the family You can follow my Instagram story about our trip to Nafplio here! There is so much to do in Nafplio, make sure to read my post Things to do in Nafplio, Greece with the family! Here are some highlights: &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; Read my post 18 things to do in Nafplio Greece with the family &#160; IF YOU GO Vida Residential Apartments Mpoumpoulinas 37, Ναύπλιον 211 00, Greece,&#160;+30 697 900 5260 https://vida-hospitality.com &#160; &#160; &#160; Watch our video: Things to do in&#160;Nafplio! Embedding… Disclosure: Our stay was provided by Vida Hospitality for the purpose of this review.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">16190</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>18 Things to do in Nafplio, Greece</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/18-things-to-do-in-nafplio-greece-with-the-family.html</link>
					<comments>https://amodernmother.com/18-things-to-do-in-nafplio-greece-with-the-family.html#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2021 07:22:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Greece]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nafplio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=16106</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[&#160; &#160; Looking for things to do in Nafplio, Greece? I&#8217;ve always found Greece fascinating: At the crossroads of the East and West and the cradle of western civilisation, the country offers so much for tourists of all ages. Sunshine, sandy beaches, ancient archaeological sites and fabulous food and drink are all things that come to mind when I think of Greece. But I&#8217;ve mainly visited the islands &#8211; Crete, Santorini, Corfu and Mykonos. I&#8217;ve not spend much time on the mainland, with the exception of a short visit on my epic student European inter-rail trip. And that was to visit Athens and head straight to Piraeus to catch a ferry to the Islands! So when we were asked by Vida Hospitality, who run luxury guest apartments, if we wanted to check out Nafplio as an ideal location for a family holiday, we thought we&#8217;d give it a go. I didn&#8217;t think I&#8217;d fall in love! But of course I did, because Nafplio is one of Greece&#8217;s most romantic and beautiful cities (who knew?!) Nafplio is in the Peloponnese, 1 hour 45 minutes west of Athens by car. On the turquoise-coloured Argolis&#160;gulf and surrounded by majestic mountains, it gives you the feeling of being on one of the islands. There&#8217;s a gorgeous old town that is set in a hilly peninsula around 3 Venetian fortresses, lots of boutique shops, and beaches nearby. Families will find lots to do here. Check out my recommendations below. You can follow my Instagram story about our trip to Nafplio here! &#160; &#160; 18 Things to do in Nafplio, Greece with kids (especially teens) &#160; 1. Get lost in Nafplio&#8217;s old town Be an un-tourist and just get lost in Nafplio&#8217;s old town, which is built on a hilly peninsula and topped by a castle. Start in Syntagma Square and wander through the cobblestone streets, narrow pathways and pedestrianized areas. There are pretty balconies to &#8216;oooh&#8217; and &#8216;ahh&#8217; at, and colourful Bougainvillea draped across the neo-classical buildings to photograph. &#160;Around every corner there are cafes, tavernas, and high-end shops to beckon you. Architecture-wise, there are two Turkish mosques, as well as other historical buildings and monuments (including one that housed&#160;the first Greek parliament). &#160;Nafplio&#8217;s old town very much has the feel of one of the islands. We explored it via horse carriage driven by local orchard farmer Christos Kostakis. The whole experience is magical. . &#160; &#160; &#160; 2. Sit in a cafe and people watch Walk down to the port and sit in any of the coffee shops there. Be a local and order a café freddo (espresso with cream). The food’s OK, but the views out to Bourtzi are amazing. Or you can pick one of the restaurants in Syntagma Square, order a drink, and watch the world go by! Even late into the night families will be out. &#160; &#160; &#160; 3. Admire Bourtzi Fortress Make your way over to the port (in the old town) and you&#8217;ll be treated to a view of Bourtzi, a Venetian fortress that is set in the harbour on the tiny island of Agioi Theodoroi. Bourtzi is one of the most photographed sites&#160;in Nafplio. In the 1860s the town’s executioners of Palamidi prisoners used to live here. Before that it was connected to Akronafplia with a long metal chain to protect the port against invading ships. In high season you can visit via boat trip. We weren&#8217;t able to do this but we just loved admiring it! &#160; &#160; &#160;4. Climb the 999 steps to Palamidi Castle! At the top of the hill in Nafpilo &#8211; 216 meters above sea level &#8211; is Palamidi castle, a Venetian fortress built in the 1600s to house prisoners. You can famously get there via the 999 step path (there is much dispute over how many actual steps there are &#8211; but everyone agrees 999 sounds good!) Or you can do what we did &#8211; get a lift to the top of the hill and then walk down! Make sure to bring your camera as there are stunning views over Nafplio, the Argolic gulf and Mycenaean plain.&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; 5. Take photos on Acronafplia hill Another good place to take in the views over Nafplio&#160;(and to take photos) are from Acronafplia, a rocky peninsula that is the town’s second&#160;largest hill. The name means &#8220;at the edge of Nafplio&#8221;. You can take the small path from the port and walk around the Acronaflia hill to Arvanitia beach and from there walk all the way to the top. You can also just take the main path from the old town and reach the top. The sweeping views are breathtaking – many Greeks will propose to their future life partners here. Go at sunset for some of the best photos.&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; 6. Enjoy a sunset stroll along Arvanitia Promenade When the sun is about to set, take the Arvanitia Promenade – one of the most popular walks in town. It goes around the rocky landscape at the bottom of the Akronafplia hill and you are rewarded with sparkling blue water with green foliage around every corner. Bits of it reminded me of Hawaii (though the green is pine trees and cactus). Halfway around near the lighthouse are some steps that lead up to a chapel. It is where a secret Greek school was held for kids during the Turkish occupation. Start from the cafes on the port and walk to Arvanitia beach. &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; 7. Visit one of the town&#8217;s museums Of course Nafplio has its own museums to visit! There are 7 in total. The Archaeological Museum housed in one of the well-preserved &#160;Venetian structures in Europe, has ancient artefacts, toys, and &#160;jewellery. The War Museum follows the story of Greek state struggles and&#160;Folklore Museum is dedicated to the demonstration and conservation of Hellenic cultural activity.&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; 8. Jump off the cliffs at Arvanitia beach Arvanitia beach is the in the south end of the town, and accessed through a short pine tree-lined path. It’s absolutely gorgeous! Sparkling blue water of the Argolis Gulf is &#160;framed by dramatic mountains. It has small shiny pebbles and rocks – so wear your flip-flops. There are low cliff nearby where you can dive and swim.&#160; In season there are sun loungers and umbrellas, café, toilets and changing rooms. Out of season it’s still a gorgeous beach to walk to Karanthona Beach. &#160; &#160; 9. Relax at Karanthona Beach You can drive to Karanthona Beach or walk there via a scenic path from Arvanitia beach. It should take around 45 minutes, or even less if you walk briskly. This 3 km beach is what you would expect from a Greek beach – soft sand, umbrellas and sun loungers for hire (8 euros for 2 loungers and an umbrella). It&#8217;s a Blue flag beach with calm waters perfect for swimming. We really enjoyed it here! &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; 10. Paddleboard at Tolo Beach Tolo beach was the girls’ favourite &#8211; partly because there were lots of water sports available here. Tolo seems like an endless golden sand beach that goes on and on! There are sun loungers, parasols, water sports and cafes. Sparkling water with a long shallow bit that gradually gets deeper. It’s on the edge of Tolo, so you can walk into the town if you get bored (which you won’t). It’s about a 15-minute drive from Nafplio (a taxi about 15 euros). &#160; &#160; &#160; 11. Be enchanted in a horse-drawn carriage! Local orchard farmer Christos Kostakis is usually tending to his oranges, but he is also very passionate about horses and offers carriage rides to explore the local area with Gasby, a white Spanish horse, and Orlik, a black horse from the Netherlands. Start in the outskirts of Nafplio along the Ersinos River and then takes you to (and in!) the Argolis Gulf. If you are staying at with Vida-Hospitality they often offer this option as part of their package. &#160; &#160; &#160; 12. Shop till you drop 😄 Nafplio has many adorable streets and alley ways with lots and lots of shopping. It’s not cheap – prices match any in upscale area in Europe &#8212; but it&#8217;s a must do.&#160;You can find everything from a few high street brands such as Achilleas Accessories&#160;(I bought a gorgeous dress there) to upscale boutiques and local crafts shops. The town is known for komboloyia&#160; &#8211; a circular chain with beads usually made of amber, and leather sandals. There are also wine shops, herbs, pasta, olive oil products. &#160; &#160; &#160; 13. Visit a Winery (or just drink the local wine) Make sure to go to Koroniotis, a small winery not far from Nafplio. Kyriakos Koroniotis runs everything there &#8211; including the winemaking. And if you stay with Vida Hospitality they leave a bottle of Koroniotis for you to enjoy! &#160; &#160; 14. Go to Epidaurus to see a 4th century amphitheatre Even if archaeological sites are not your thing, you will be impressed with Epidaurus, a 4th century theatre, which is one of the best preserved in Greece. It is arguably the most famous in Greece, and everyone comes here to visit. In summer the national theatre holds a festival there with live performances of `Greek classic (often there is a summary given in English). This is so popular that tickets sell out very soon after released. The acoustics are amazing – test it out by standing centre stage and speaking to someone high up in the audience. It is definitely worth a visit! &#160; &#160; 15. Visit Mycenae and Tiryns And if architectural sites ARE your thing, then you must visit Mycanae and Tiryan because these 3,000 year-old sites are right on your doorstep! We didn’t do this as we ran out of time, but I am told that most people who visit Nafplio make their way to Mycenae UNESCO World Heritage sites. Mycenae is the only surviving monument of the Greek Bronze Age that remains in near perfect condition. Tiryns is famous for its impressive walls which Ancient Greeks didn&#8217;t believe were built by humans. &#160; &#160; &#160; 16. Try local Greek food There&#8217;s so much to try!&#160;Greek cuisine is integral to Greek culture and its fresh ingredients (olive oil, garlic, onions, fennel, dates, lemons, fish) are a good examples of the healthy Mediterranean diet. We tried several and fell in love with several new foods, including &#8220;Bougatsa&#8221; &#8211; a breakfast phyllo pastry with a custard filling sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar (reminded me of Portuguese custard tarts) and &#8220;Tsouréki&#8221; – the traditional Easter sweet bread. &#160; &#160; &#160; 16. Visit a mountain village If you have a car, drive 30 minutes into the hills and explore a typical Greek mountain village. You can walk around and all the fresh air will make you want to have a meal at a local taverna. The village of Karia in the Artemisio mountain is a nice village to shoot for (its picteresque views were used in the setting of a film). Make sure to pronounce it correctly (care – ee – ahh) with a long &#8220;ahhhh&#8221; at the end as the other version is a rude word in Greek. &#160; &#160; 17. Check out the Argos outdoor theatre If you want to visit another example of a Greek theatre, you can visit Argos. The city of Argos dates back 7,000 years! Argos is another one of those Greek towns that has had it day in the limelight, but in decline now (like Corinth). But if you don’t want the crowds, you can literally walk into the site and walk around virtually on your own. There’s also Larissa castle. &#160; &#160; 18. Take cat pics! If you love taking pics of cats you&#8217;ll be in kitty heaven in Greece. Stray cats aren&#8217;t considered a nuisance in Greece, but a natural co-habitant. And with mild weather and an abundance of food they are EVERYWHERE. My 14-year-old enjoyed taking these pics. &#160; &#160; Where to stay: Vida&#160;Hospitality We stayed as guests of Vida Hospitality, who rent luxury apartment in the heart of Nafplio. The business is run by two brothers, Vasileios and Panagiotis Totsikas, who go out of their way to make sure their guests enjoy their visit. From spotless apartments in the middle of town to contacting you before your trip to make sure you have all the information you need, Vida Hospitality is a good choice for families. &#160; Read my full review of Vida-Hospitality. &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; IF YOU GO Vida Residential Apartments Mpoumpoulinas 37, Ναύπλιον 211 00, Greece,&#160;+30 697 900 5260 https://vida-hospitality.com &#160; Watch our video: Things to do in&#160;Nafplio! Pin it for later! &#160; Disclosure: Our stay was provided by Vida Hospitality for the purpose of this review.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">16106</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Where to stay in Cambridge</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/cambridge-weekend-hotel-felix.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2021 07:15:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Cambridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[England]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=10573</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[&#160; Middle daughter &#160;(13) is OBSESSED with Hamilton the musical. She can recite nearly every song&#160;and even has me rapping some of it. That&#8217;s how I got her interested in our review trip to&#160;the Hotel Felix in Cambridge. All I had to do is mention&#160;we were visiting King&#8217;s College &#8211; even though the &#8220;I’m ‘a get a scholarship to King’s College&#8221; lyrics refers to Columbia in New York!&#160; As we were packing she mentioned&#160;she has to read&#160;a non-fiction book for her next school project. She&#8217;s decided to read&#160;Alexander Hamilton, the book that inspired&#160;Lin-Manuel Miranda to create the musical. I told her Cambridge was a university town and I&#8217;m sure we could find a copy there. So off&#160;we went to discover Cambridge as a&#160;family &#8211; and search the bookshops! Hotel Felix is a luxury 4-star boutique hotel just a mile outside&#160;Cambridge city centre. The hotel&#160;combines&#160;traditional 1850&#8217;s Victorian architecture with contemporary design. If you are looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, Hotel Felix is for you. It&#8217;s full of surprising features, including a huge&#160;art collection&#160;that features works inspired by&#160;Edward Muybridge’s famous motion photography studies in the 1900s!&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; We stayed in a Junior Suite overlooking the courtyard. The large airy room has&#160;vaulted ceilings and easy accommodated the 5 of us with a king-sized Hypnos bed, Queen sofa bed and rollaway. Decor was&#160;rich and contemporary with a&#160;heather&#160;tweed sofa, bronze raw silk curtain and a risqué oil painting&#160;of a human bottom (over which we had much discussion over whether it was of a male of female). &#160; The bathroom was nicely done with walk in rain shower and in-bath TV! &#160;The girls loved the novelty of a television in the bath &#8211; the only issue being they probably spent longer&#160;in the bathroom than needed. I loved the fluffy white towels and bath robes and White Company toiletries (I&#8217;m still dreaming about the jasmine, rose and neroli bath and shower gel).&#160;I was also impressed with the coffee-making facilities &#8211; with fresh milk in the fridge and filter coffee. A word on the bed: I&#8217;m a huge Hypnos&#160;fan! After much research, it&#8217;s the bed we have at home (if it&#8217;s good enough for the Queen, it&#8217;s good enough for me!). They are hand-made of gazillions of layers of natural materials and are so so comfortable. I highly recommend them. &#160; &#160; After getting settled we went to explore Cambridge. It&#8217;s a 5-minute journey by car into the centre (or roughly 10 minutes by bus). We found free parking&#160;by Magdalen Bridge, which was the location of our first activity of the day: Punting!&#160;The hotel has a Stay and Punt package which includes an overnight stay, breakfast, 3-course dinner and a chauffeured punt tour with Scudamores. I was so glad we already had e-tickets because once you approach the bridge, you are accosted by tour operators&#160;offering tours. &#160; &#160; We scheduled our tour then decided to pop across the road to Fitzbillies while we waited for our punting&#160;time. Fitzbillies is a Cambridge institution and we were told to try one of their famous sticky Chelsea buns. I ordered one to share, and the girls loved them so much&#160;I had to go back and get more because one was clearly not enough! &#160; &#160; Punting was simply amazing and the highlight of the trip. The Scudamores tour goes along the backs of the colleges, where you can admire the architecture and soak up the&#160;atmosphere. Tourists mix with locals and college students on the water and there are varying degrees of punting talent. It&#8217;s much harder than it looks (I know this after witnessing several self punters fall&#160;in the water or caught up in trees!). I enjoyed&#160;relaxing in a chauffeured tour and learning about the various colleges.&#160; &#160; &#160; After punting we&#160;had lunch (an excellent hamburger at Byron Burger) and then went in search of&#160;the Alexander Hamilton book.&#160;Our first stop was Heffer&#8217;s, which is related to Oxford&#8217;s Blackwell&#8217;s (my husband&#8217;s favourite book store). Unfortunately they didn&#8217;t have it (backordered and not available from the publisher!). Then we went to Cambridge&#160;University Press Bookshop (they only carry their own books). Our last stop was&#160;Waterston&#8217;s&#160;&#8211;&#160;they had one paperback left! Middle Daughter sprinted up the 3 flights of stairs to get it. &#160;The look on her face was priceless. Turns out that biography of Alexander Hamilton is&#160;800 pages! &#160; &#160; After finding THE BOOK, we headed to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden,&#160;which has&#160;8,000 species of plants from the University&#160;collection. We felt right at home when we spotted a&#160;Sequioadendron Giganteum (Giant Redwood from California!) The Botanic Garden is&#160;a lovely place to have a wander &#8211; Kids will love &#160;all the little secret hiding places and paths that meander through the garden.&#160;My 15-year-old brought a sketchbook and planted herself on a bench to draw. &#160; &#160; &#160; By now our legs were getting weary and we went back to Hotel Felix to relax and have dinner. We were pleased to find plenty of parking, then I ordered a cup of fresh mint tea and started reading about the hotel. It was&#160;built in 1852 and originally used as a family home for a local surgeon from Addenbrookes hospital, then subsequently&#160;as a venue to teach needle work and ballroom dancing. The name comes from Saint Feliz of Burgundy who was the first person to introduce Latin Christianity to Cambridgeshire in the 7th century. The company also run&#160;The Grange, a 4-star luxury&#160;hotel in the centre of York. While I relaxed with&#160;my tea, Middle Daughter got her nose stuck in her huge book, and the other 2&#160;took turns in the bath, making use of the TV. Then we&#160;dressed for dinner (which meant changing into nice tops) and went to Graffiti, the hotel&#8217;s&#160;AA two rosette signature&#160;restaurant which specialises in modern, European cuisine with fresh seasonal ingredients. &#160; &#160; We don&#8217;t usually take the girls to fine dining, but we thought it&#160;would be nice to have a &#8220;grown up&#8221; dinner and take advantage of having one of the best&#160;restaurants in Cambridge just a few steps from our room. &#160;We dressed up &#160;&#8211; which meant the girls changed their Pink jumpers for button down shirts &#8211; and we headed over. &#160;We were shown to&#160;the conservatory, which overlooks the south-facing terrace and gardens and ordered drinks and perused the menu. Middle daughter brought her book, and our two other girls took the camera and iPhone to&#160;explore the property. &#160; &#160; We took the time to discuss was Middle Daughter had learned about Alexander Hamilton (he was born in the Caribbean and his mother was quite a character). The girls compared all the menus and mainly ordered from the bar menu (lamb tangine with&#160;cous cous). For starters I had tagliarini with asparagus, fonduta and breadcrumbs and then roast breast of duck, beets, blueberries, girolle and toasted seeds.&#160; The next morning we enjoyed breakfast&#160;Graffiti (the girls had avocado on sour dough toast and I had the most amazing home-made toasted granola with yogurt and berries).&#160; We packed up and headed back into the city centre and King&#8217;s College and Chapel. Note this King&#8217;s College has nothing to do with Hamilton the musical! &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; Next&#160;we headed to the Polar Museum,&#160;which has&#160;a collection of items (including clothing, maps, journals, etc.) from polar exploration in the Arctic and Antarctic. It’s part of the The Scott Polar Research Institute which has continuing research into our changing environment. Any young environmentalist will find it fascinating. &#160; &#160; The Fitzwilliam Museum was just around the corner on Trumpinton Street, so we went in to explore. The museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, including Constable, Hogarth, and Gainsborough and many say its the finest small museum in Europe. It certainly has that vibe. We walked through one of the recent exhibitions: Madonnas and Miracles. The Fitzwilliam is one of the few museums where the exhibitions are free. I would definitely go back and spend more time and check out the family activities. &#160; &#160; &#160; After heading back to the main shopping area by Market Square and the Grand Arcade, we took one last look at King&#8217;s College before we headed home. Middle Daughter&#8217;s parting words, of course, were &#8220;I’m ‘a get a scholarship to King’s College&#8221;. I told her that&#8217;s wonderful darling, and I&#8217;ll stay at Hotel Felix when I come visit! &#160; IF YOU GO: Hotel Felix&#160;&#160;Whitehouse Ln, Huntingdon Rd, Girton, Cambridge CB3 0LX &#160;One night’s stay at Hotel Felix starts from £190 (B&#38;B basis with free parking and Wi-Fi). For more information or seasonal discounts / packages please visit the website www.hotelfelix.co.uk;&#160;&#160;+44 01223 277 977. Scudamore&#8217;s Quayside Punt Hire&#160;Quayside Punting Station, Magdalene Bridge, Cambridge CB5 8AB&#160;enquiries@scudamores.com&#160;+44 01223 359750&#160;http://www.scudamores.com/punting-quayside King&#8217;s College Chapel, King&#8217;s Parade, Cambridge CB2 1ST +44 01223 331212 http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/index.html Queens College, Silver St, Cambridge CB3 9ET +44 01223 335500&#160;http://www.queens.cam.ac.uk Jesus College&#160;Jesus Ln, Cambridge CB5 8BL +44 01223 339339&#160;https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/index.php Trinity College&#160;Cambridge CB2 1TQ +44 01223 338400&#160;https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk Clare College&#160;Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TL +44 01223 333200&#160;http://www.clare.cam.ac.uk Fitzwilliam Museum&#160;Trumpington St, Cambridge CB2 1RB +44 01223 332900&#160;http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EP +44 01223 336540&#160;http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk Cambridge University Botanic Garden&#160;1 Brookside, Cambridge CB2 1JE +44 01223 336265&#160;http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic Byron Burger&#160;12 Bridge St, Cambridge CB2 1UF +44 01223 462927 https://www.byronhamburgers.com/bridge-street Waterstones&#160;22 Sidney St, Cambridge CB2 3HG +44 01223 351688 https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/cambridge-sidney-str &#160; Disclosure: My stay at the Hotel Felix was provided for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own (and my family&#8217;s).]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">10573</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>10 things to do in Cambridge with kids</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/cambridge-10-things-to-do-with-the-family.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2021 04:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Cambridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[England]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slider]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=10575</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[&#160; You won&#8217;t be short&#160;of things to do when you visit the historic city of&#160;Cambridge no matter what time of year. From punting on the River Cam to visiting the colleges &#8211; children &#8211;&#160;especially older ones &#8211; will be just as awed by the uni atmosphere as the majestic architecture. And if history isn&#8217;t your family&#8217;s thing, immerse yourself in&#160;the natural beauty of the Botanic Garden or get a fresh squeezed lemonade from the open air market. It&#8217;s all cool and it&#8217;s all in Cambridge! On our recent trip to review the Felix Hotel, I researched the best things to do with kids. Check out our tips below. 10 activities for&#160;families in Cambridge 1.&#160;Go punting! If you visit Cambridge, you simply MUST go putting. It&#8217;s a fabulous way to see&#160;Cambridge and soak in the atmosphere. We took a&#160;chauffeured punt with Scudamores Punts that toured the &#8220;Backs&#8221;, seeing some of the main colleges (King&#8217;s, St John&#8217;s, Trinity) from the water. It was very relaxing way to spend 45 minutes. The tour started at Magdalen Bridge and we were very glad we had already had e-tickets (tix are cheaper online, btw) because you are accosted by vendors selling their tours as you&#160;near the bridge. We went on the family tour and our chauffeur was very knowledgeable giving us all sort of tips for kids (under 4s are free and kids get an activity sticker passport). If you are brave you&#160;can hire your own punt and try it yourself, but it&#8217;s way more relaxing to let someone navigate the waters for you. Scudamores has a day trip to Grantham which sounds amazing, I will definitely try that next time! &#160; &#160; &#160; 2.&#160;Visit the colleges There are 29 undergraduate colleges at Cambridge and many allow you to visit their campuses for free or a small charge. The bigger ones (Kings College and Chapel, Queen’s, Jesus, Trinity, and Clare) charge varying fees for an entrance. Make sure to check beforehand as most are closed to visitors during exam season. &#160; &#160; &#160; 3.&#160;Check out the museums The Fitzwilliam Museum&#160;(free) is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, including Constable, Hogarth, and Gainsborough. It is a widely held opinion that the Fitzwilliam is the finest small museum in Europe&#8221;.&#160;The Sedgewick Museum of Earth Sciences&#160;(free) exhibits collections from Charles Darwin’s expeditions. The Centre for Computing History&#160;hosts hands-on exhibitions and educational workshops on&#160;the history of personal computing. The Polar Museum&#160;(free) has is a collection of items (including clothing, maps, journals) from polar exploration in the Arctic and Antarctic. It’s part of the The Scott Polar Research Institute which has continuing research into our changing environment. Any young environmentalists will find it fascinating (and you can try on polar clothing too). &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; 4.&#160;Wander around the Botanic Garden Set in 40 acres, the gardens boast 8,000 species of plants from the University of Cambridge collection the Botanic Garden is&#160;a rich research resource. We felt right at home we found the Sequioadendron Giganteum (Giant Redwood from California!) It&#8217;s a lovely place to have a wander &#8211; kids will love all&#160;secret hiding places and paths that meander around the grounds.&#160;&#160;My 15-year-old brought a sketch book and planted herself on a bench to draw. &#160; &#160; &#160; 5.&#160;Ride a bike!&#160; Jump on a bike and see Cambridge the old-fashioned way. It is definitely the preferred mode of transport for locals and students. Bicyclists are everyone &#8211; make sure to be aware of your surrounding so you don&#8217;t run into one. To hire a bike try Rutland Cycling.&#160; &#160; 6. Take the &#8220;Hop on Hop off&#8221; bus Take the&#160;‘Hop on and Hop off’ bus tour which leaves from the Visitor Information Centre and takes in all of the City’s important landmarks. &#160; &#160; 7. Go shopping High street shops mix with boutiques and specialists creating a unique shopping experience. The Grand Arcade shopping centre has just about everything (including an Apple store). The Cambridge Market on Market Square is an outdoor marketing and is open daily. You can find books, clothing, 2nd hand bikes, fruit and veg and food stalls. Don&#8217;t miss Cambridge Satchel Shop which is just around the corner. &#160; &#160;&#160; 8. Get a Chelsea Bun at Fitzbillies Fitzbillies is Cambridge&#160;institution known for its sticky Chelsea buns. You must stop by and try one, but make sure you get a few because one is not enough! &#160; &#160; 9. Browse the bookstores! Choose from Cambridge University Press Bookshop, Heffer&#8217;s and Waterstones. Many have a kids section and special activities. &#160; 10.&#160;Climb a church tower You can climb the tower at Great St Mary’s (the university church). Once at the top you are rewarded with spectacular views the city. Entrance to the church is free, but there is a small charge to climb. &#160; &#160; Where to stay: Hotel Felix Just a mile from the centre of Cambridge is Hotel Felix, a luxury 4-star hotel just a mile outside&#160;Cambridge City Centre. The hotel&#160;combines&#160;traditional 1850&#8217;s Victorian architecture with contemporary design. If you are looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, Hotel Felix is for you. It&#8217;s full of surprising features, including a huge&#160;art collection&#160;that features works from&#160;Edward Muybridge’s famous motion photography studies in the 1900s!&#160; It&#8217;s a very comfortable (think Hypnos beds!) place to base yourself to explore Cambridge. The Junior Suites are very large and can easily accommodate a family of 5. Plus there&#8217;s free parking &#8211; a huge plus for Cambridge. Make sure to eat at Graffiti, their AA 2 rosettes restaurant.&#160; One night’s stay at Hotel Felix starts from £190 (B&#38;B basis with free parking and Wi-Fi). For more information or seasonal discounts / packages please visit the website www.hotelfelix.co.uk / 01223 277 977. &#160; IF YOU GO: Hotel Felix &#160;Whitehouse Ln, Huntingdon Rd, Girton, Cambridge CB3 0LX+44 01223 277977 http://www.hotelfelix.co.uk Graffiti&#160;Whitehouse Ln, Huntingdon Rd, Girton, Cambridge CB3 0LX+44 01223 277977&#160;http://www.hotelfelix.co.uk Scudamore&#8217;s Quayside Punt Hire Quayside Punting Station, Magdalene Bridge, Cambridge CB5 8AB enquiries@scudamores.com +44 01223 359750 http://www.scudamores.com/punting-quayside King&#8217;s College Chapel, King&#8217;s Parade, Cambridge CB2 1ST +44 01223 331212 http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/index.html Queens College, Silver St, Cambridge CB3 9ET +44 01223 335500 http://www.queens.cam.ac.uk Jesus College Jesus Ln, Cambridge CB5 8BL +44 01223 339339 https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/index.php Trinity College Cambridge CB2 1TQ +44 01223 338400&#160;https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk Clare College Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TL +44 01223 333200 http://www.clare.cam.ac.uk Fitzwilliam Museum Trumpington St, Cambridge CB2 1RB +44 01223 332900 http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk Grand Arcade St Andrew&#8217;s St, Cambridge CB2 3BJ +44 01223 302601 http://www.grandarcade.co.uk The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EP +44 01223 336540 http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk Cambridge University Botanic Garden 1 Brookside, Cambridge CB2 1JE +44 01223 336265 http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic Hop on and Hop off bus tour https://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/cambridge/cambridge-hop-on-hop-off-tour_5106 Fitzbillies 51 &#8211; 52 Trumpington St, Cambridge CB2 1RG +44 01223 352500 http://www.fitzbillies.com Great St Mary&#8217;s The University Church, Senate House Hill, Cambridge CB2 3PQ +44 01223 747273 http://www.gsm.cam.ac.uk Rutland Cycling 156 Great Northern Rd, Cambridge CB1 2JW +44 0330 555 0080 https://www.rutlandcycling.com Disclosure: My stay at the Hotel Felix was provided for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own (and my family&#8217;s).]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">10575</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>7 things to do in Oxford with kids!</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/weekend-oxford.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2020 07:22:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[England]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oxford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=7174</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Ah, Oxford, the&#160;city of dreaming spires! With 39 colleges, world-class museums and architecture, dining and shopping, Oxford is one of England&#8217;s most vibrant cities.&#160; Oxford parking tips Parking is expensive and can be hard to find. Most opt for Park and Ride (there are 5 locations), but you can also park at Westgate Shopping Centre, &#160;and by the ice rink. There is very limited free parking near University Parks on Sundays.&#160; Below are my suggestions for the top things to do and where to stay while visiting Oxford&#160;with kids. 1. Stay central! We stayed at The Randolph, which is right across from the Ashmolean Museum. The Randolph is an Oxford institution, popular with&#160;heads of state, film stars and parents of Oxford University students. Much of Colin Dexter&#8217;s&#160;Morse mystery series was based at the iconic hotel. If you don&#8217;t stay at The Randolph, at least pop in for a traditional afternoon tea. If you would like a more economical option, when it is not term time you can stay in student accommodation. Most of the colleges rent their rooms and doubles and family rooms are available through University Rooms. Try some of the centrally located college like Wadham, Mansfield and Jesus. For other accommodation&#160;options, check out Visit Oxfordshire&#8217;s extensive listing of places to stay. 2. Visit the museums! There are so many! You must go to the Ashmolean Museum to check out its latest exhibition, and then make your way to the very top and try their rooftop restaurant. Actually, don&#8217;t miss the restaurant even if you just have a drink. The view is fantastic! There&#8217;s also the&#160;Modern Art Oxford, The Story Museum, Museum of Natural History, and Pit Rivers. 3. Explore Oxford Castle This castle dates back to Norman/Saxon times, and was used mainly as a prison. A costumed guide gives a 45-minute tour of the castle, some parts of which date back 1,000 years, bringing to light the human suffering of Victorian England prisons. The youngest prisoner was 7, and was incarnated for stealing a pram. Climb the Mount, a 1,000-year-old piece of human civil engineering.&#160; &#160; 4. Check out Bodlein Library OK, if you have little, little kids, this might not be the best option, but&#160;if you have Harry Potter fans &#8211; they will love it!&#160;Duke Humfrey&#8217;s Library was used as the Hogwarts library and the Divinity School as the infirmary.&#160;Parents will be interested in the Gutenberg Bible, Magna Carta documents and an original Tolkien drawing. 5. Visit the colleges 39 colleges make up Oxford, and many have visitor hours where you can come in and have a peek! The largest is Christ Church (think Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland). &#160;For £1, we strolled through Balliol, admiring the gardens, Hall and Chapel.&#160;It&#8217;s the&#160;oldest college continually on site and co-founded by a woman! 6. Go shopping! The &#8220;town&#8221; part of &#8220;town and gown&#8221; includes shopping! Oxford has all the high street shops, plus lots of interesting independents. &#160;One of our favourites ways to spend an hour is wandering through Blackwells Book Shop. Kids will also love&#160;Pylones, a French gift shop which has lots of brightly coloured eccentric items made of rubber!&#160; Read my post: Cool places to shop in Oxford &#160; 7. Eat like a student A friend of mine who lives in Oxford told me it&#8217;s a &#8220;known thing&#8221; that there aren&#8217;t any good eating establishments. I guess that depends on your perspective. There are loads of inexpensive student restaurants, such as Nandos and Mission Burrito&#160;(there are 2!). Also get ice cream or a pizza bagel at G&#38;Ds. And for a special view, don&#8217;t miss the rooftop dining on the&#160;Ashmolean. Read my post: Best coffee shops in Oxford Read my post: Eat like a student: Oxford cheap eats&#160; &#160; IF YOU GO: Visit Oxfordshire&#160;Read their list of 20 things to do in Oxford&#160; Macdonald Randolph Hotel Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2LN +44 01865 256400. &#160;Trip Advisor gives this hotel a 4 out of 5, which is probably about right. An Oxford institution since 1864 (and not related to Winston Churchill), the hotel is a bit dated but the location is STUNNING. Across from the Ashmolean and right in the heart of Oxford, it&#8217;s a perfect base for exploring the site. Oxford Castle Unlocked 44-46 Oxford Castle, Oxford, OX1 1AY +44 865 260666&#160;oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk&#160;This castle dates back to Norman/Saxon times, mainly as a prison. A costumed guide gives a 45-minute tour of the castle, some parts date back 1,000 years, bringing to light the human suffering of Victorian England prisons. The youngest prisoner was 7, and was incarnated for stealing a pram. Climb the Mount, a 1,000-year-old piece of human civil engineering.&#160; The Bodleian Library&#160; Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BG&#160;01865 277162 bodleian.ox.ac.uk the real Hogwarts Library and “the most beautiful room in Europe”. Ashmolean Museum Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH +44&#160;01865 278000 ashmolean.org&#160;Recently redeveloped, the Ashmolean is a world-class museum of art and archaeology. Britain&#8217;s first &#8220;free&#8221; museum, its display approach presents the collections over five floors, showing how cultures have developed as part of an interconnected world. Ashmolean Roof Top Restaurant&#160;www.ashmoleandiningroom.com &#160;Serves breakfast, lunch and traditional afternoon tea and is open until 10 pm on weekends. Glass of wine or a traditional European dish. Modern Art Oxford 30 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP 01865 722733 modernartoxford.org.uk&#160;Modern and contemporary art. Make sure you check out the kids programmes. The Story Museum&#160;Rochester House, 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP 01865 790050 storymuseum.org.uk&#160;A museum to celebrate and promote children&#8217;s literature. Christ Church&#160;St Aldate&#8217;s, Oxford OX1 1DP +4401865 276150 chch.ox.ac.uk One of the largest colleges, it&#8217;s dome dominates the Oxford landscape.&#160; Balliol College Oxford OX1 3BJ +44 01865 277777 balliol.ox.ac.uk. The oldest college continually on site and co-founded by a woman. Nandos&#160;77-79 George Street Oxford +44 01865 727465 The formula works. Chicken with its famous sauce plus a choice of sides. Fast food, with the option of a glass of wine. If it&#8217;s good enough for the prime minister, it&#8217;s good enough for me. Mission Burrito&#160;8 Saint Michael&#8217;s Street Oxford +44 01865 202016 and 2 King Edward Street Oxford +44 01865 722020 missionburrito.co.uk All I can say is THANK YOU for bringing California-style burritos to the UK! G and Ds &#160;94 St Aldate&#8217;s&#160;Oxford OX1 1BT +44&#160;01865 245952 and &#160;5 Little Clarendon Street Oxford OX1 2HS +44 01865 516652 gdcafe.com&#160;Probably one of the best ice creams shops in the UK. There&#8217;s one right across from Christ Church. Don&#8217;t miss! Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP blenheimpalace.com. Only&#160;18 miles from Oxford, a visit to the birthplace of Winston Churchill makes a nice day trip. SaveSave SaveSave]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7174</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>St Lucia: 13 things for teens to do!</title>
		<link>https://amodernmother.com/st-jamess-club-morgan-bay-13-activities-teens.html</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susanna]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2020 10:12:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Caribbean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St Lucia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://amodernmother.com/?p=11816</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Thinking of going to the fabulous all-inclusive St James&#8217;s Club in St Lucia? The resort is one of the best all inclusive for families, especially those with older kids. From learning to water ski to making new friends playing pool volleyball, there&#8217;s so much for teens and tweens to enjoy! We visited the resort recently on a press trip to check out the facilities and below is a list of some of our favourites. If you&#8217;re thinking of going, ask me any questions below and make sure to read my full review (coming soon). St James&#8217;s Club Morgan Bay: 13 activities to keep teens busy! &#160; &#160; 1. Try the motorised water sports! In addition to &#8220;regular&#8221; watersports such as paddle boarding, kayaking, peddle boats and sailing, St James&#8217;s Club Morgan Bay offers waterskiing, wake boarding and banana boat rides! It&#8217;s all included, all you need to do is sign up (your parents sign the permission&#160;form at check-in). Top tip: get there when they open at 8 am to sign up for the day. Then show up about 10 minutes before your allowed time (especially for water skiing lessons). &#160; My 12-year-old&#8217;s perspective One of the best things about St James&#8217;s Club Morgan Bay was they had motorised watersports. My favourite was the banana boat rides. Lots of people could go and it was exciting. You sign up in the morning and then they take groups out. We signed up to go with some new friends we met at the resort. So fun! &#160; &#160; &#160; 2. Get you hair braided!&#160; Perhaps the best souvenir to take home! All you need to do is decide if you want your whole head in plaits &#8211; which can take a couple of hours &#8211; or just a few on the side, which is quicker and cheaper at $3/braid. Get your plaits done early on in your holiday so you can enjoy your new fuss-free hairstyle. Top tip: Remember to use sunscreen between plaits so your scalp doesn&#8217;t get sun burned! &#160; My 13-year-old&#8217;s perspective Every time we go to the Caribbean we get our hair done in plaits! I&#8217;ve had a hair wrap (which took a really long time) but I think the best is just getting a few cornrows on the side. It doesn&#8217;t take as long and keeps my hair out of my face when in the water and doing sports. I always leave them in for a little while when we get home.&#160; &#160; &#160; 3. Play pool volleyball. Playing volleyball in a swimming pool is a great way to meet new friends! Just grab the volleyball and hang out by the net, or join in the organised times. You can can get tan and fit at the same time! &#160; My 13-year-old&#8217;s perspective My favourite activity was pool volleyball, located in the main pool. It was challenging at first (I had never played before) but I soon got the hang out if. After Aqua Aerobics, there is usually open volleyball, which was loads of fun and we met some kids our age that we hung out with. &#160; &#160; 4. Participate in the organised activities. Each day is packed with activities such as Caribbean dance, Float Fit (aged 13+), tie dye, horse shoes, sand castle competitions and even Sprite pong! Activities are posted daily near the main bar. &#160; &#160; 5. Go to the spa! The Tranquility Spa isn&#8217;t just for adults! Kids and teens can get their nails painted and there&#8217;s a special Teen Spa Day where older kids can get a special massage, facial and pedicure pampering. &#160; &#160; 6. Play giant chess, pool AND pingpong. Tired of swimming, watersports and organised activities? How about playing giant chess? There&#8217;s also a pool table and ping-pong area where teens hangout.&#160; &#160; 7. Try ALL the mocktails. The menu has 6 official mocktails, but the possibilities are endless. Try them all and pick your favourite. Ours was the Pink Lady and the refreshing Mint Cooler. Make sure to check out our Mocktail Tasting video! (Coming soon!) &#160; &#160; 8. Make new friends. There are lots of families and teens at St James&#8217;s Club Morgan Bay and it&#8217;s a great place to meet new friends. My girls met most of their friends in the drop-in pool volleyball sessions and then they would meet up later for a ride on the banana boat. &#160; &#160; 9. Ditch the parents. Parents are so 2012. The nice thing about St James&#8217;s Club Morgan Bay is that the resort is compact, with all the main areas &#8211; beach, main pool, restaurants &#8211; in close proximity. That means mum and dad could go to a fancy dinner at Le Jardin while teens try out the buffet or perhaps have a pizza night at Tree Tops with their new friends. &#160; &#160; 10. Try something new at the buffet. The Palms is the main restaurant and each night is a different theme. From West Indies to Middle Eastern, kids are sure to find something new to try (and like). My family loves buffet style for precisely this reason &#8211; curious eaters can try just a little bit of a new food to see if they like it, and then come back for more! &#160; &#160; 11. Swim in the pool and the Caribbean sea! The Caribbean sea at St Lucia has an average of 28C, which i like bath water. It&#8217;s perfect for hanging out in the water. If you borrow a life vest &#8211; you can float and gossip at the same time. &#160; &#160; 12. Sail on the Calypso Cat. OK this one you&#8217;ll need to do with your family. There are various tours and we opted for St James&#8217;s Club Signature tour, the Soufrieres Express, a boat trip on the 42-foot catamaran down the west coast of St Lucia to Soufrieres where you can see the famous Pitons. Then you can either visit the mud baths or the drive in volcano (everyone picks the mud baths). A quick stop to the power shower Toraille waterfall and on the trip back you stop for snorkelling. The best part is the friendly and fun crew. &#160; &#160; 13. Tour with the Pink Panther Safari. Based on site, the Pink Panther and their brightly coloured Land Rover has several tours to choose from to explore St Lucia. Visit the historic north of the Island or venture south to&#160;Soufrieres. The tours include an experienced guide, lots of stops and binoculars! &#160; &#160; &#160; IF YOU GO Elite Island Resorts has several Caribbean resorts that are perfect for families with children of all ages, including St James&#8217;s Club Morgan Bay, St James&#8217;s Club Antigua, The Verandah and more. Book direct here&#160;https://eliteislandholidays.com/book/. &#160; &#160; Disclosure: Our stay at St James&#8217;s Club Morgan Bay was provided by Elite Island Resorts for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">11816</post-id>	</item>
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