Days 220 and 221: 20th and 21st Jan 2018 - Poo Poo Poo!

We woke up Saturday morning, hit the emergency rations of bacon grill with Heinz beans and sausages supplemented by cereal thanks to the milk that Lotty had brought us. The kids were desperate to catch up with friends so we agreed to a zero chores day with the exception of coming shopping to stock up on groceries.

The first task was to empty the car so that there would be space for shopping, then off to the supermarket. Patrick prompted me to drive as I was pretty nervous, not sure why as I used to drive in Italy on business on my own with no problems, but that was many years ago. The car felt like driving a go-kart after the Land Rover and I was glad to arrive at the supermarket. Patrick took the kids to the playground while I made a start on the shopping, coming to meet me nearer the end so that the kids could have some say in what food we bought. It was lovely to run into Helen and Annabel as Esmé had been a bit disappointed that they weren't on their boat at the moment as there Grandma is over and so they are living in a rented house with her for a week or so. Might be a good option for when Mum and Dad visit in March.

Back to the boat and the mammoth task of stowing all the stuff from Christmas as well as the groceries. The kids disappeared onto other kid boats, for which I am always so grateful for as having other kids to play with means that they are happy, and we can get on with jobs. By tea time Patrick still hadn't found his phone which he thought he had left on the boat. He rarely loses anything so this really bothered him! He tried to check his bank account to see if anybody had picked it up and started racking up a large bill but the bank website was down which only added to his frustration.

After a late dinner of Thai Curry AJ announced he was tired and took himself to bed. Esmé was still bouncing off the walls so I got her Christmas Jigsaw out and started doing it with her, with Patrick soon joining in.

By 8:30 she was struggling to stay awake so we promised not to finish it without her and put her to bed. 

Patrick and I had a somewhat broken night sleep as first Esmé woke with a wet bed and then Patrick couldn't get to sleep thinking about his phone. In the end we tried to call both vodaphone and his bank to check if somebody had been using his phone, and both had systems down meaning we could get no help until morning at the earliest.

Finally to add to the stress when we woke in the morning Patrick realised that the holding tank outlet was blocked. 

Our priorities quickly shifted, and the laundry went to the end of the list. A 9am phonecall to Vodaphone told us the system was still down so Patrick cracked on with the horrible job of trying to sort the toilet problem out. I am forever grateful that this is a "blue job" on this boat!

I provided moral support and continued to tidy the boat while Patrick spent the morning prodding both ends of the toilet holding tank outlet trying to clear the blockage, first pumping up the inflatable canoe to attack the outside, and then by climbing into the cockpit locker and going at it from the inside. Not a pleasant job! And then the heavens opened and despite no rain forecast, it rained for most of the rest of the day.

By a late lunchtime it was fixed. Result! Not only that but Patrick had got in touch with Vodaphone and put a temporary hold on the account to give us time for a proper search for his phone, We all settled down to Pumpkin soup livened up with thai curry paste and coconut powder and then had 1/2 hour chill out time before cracking on. We had promised to print some pictures out for Lotty to help with the craft afternoon tomorrow and I took the opportunity to plan the weeks school and print out some resources while the printer was out.

So, the weekend is pretty much over and we're still not quite organised. I think it will take most of the week before we are in some sort of order! On the plus side we started our new regime of getting Esmé to read after tea while AJ is drying up, and then getting AJ to do some English while Esmé is being put to bed. It somehow feel less pressured and we made a start on A Pirate's guide t' th'grammar of story. before I read some of AJ's Harry Potter to him as he is finding it quite hard going at the moment but is keen to finish the book.

Day 219: Friday 19th January 2018 - Floating Train!

Another long day!

When we were sailing down the west coast of Italy we regularly saw a train chugging down the coast, disappearing into the cliffs before reappearing further south. It looked like an amazing train journey so when we were considering a few days in Rome I investigated, and in my infinite wisdom thought it would be fun to take a 10 hour train journey with 2 kids, particularly as the train actually went on the ferry across the Messina Straits.

It was cheaper than flying and no charge for extra bags! I just didn't really think through the 7:26 departure before booking. Neither did I consider how to get from Catania back to Ragusa when we arrived after the last bus back home. In the end this forced our hand to book a hire car which I am sure we will use over the next month to explore some of Sicily that we would not have otherwise seen!

So, an early night on Thursday with a 5:30 alarm call. We figured we needed to leave at 6:30 despite it only being a 10 minute walk to the station as we could very easily be extremely slow when relying on 2 kids to carry part of our large selection of luggage. In the end we were there by 6:45 and had a little while to hang around, but better this way round than too late!

I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting from the train but perhaps something a little more comfortable for a 10 hour journey! For a start our seats were either side of an aisle instead of opposite each other across the table, not such a big deal as we just sat opposite the kids and agreed we'd ask anybody who had booked these seats to move so that they weren't sat opposite 7 and 9 year olds. However it was a little uncomfortable asking this as the seat we had actually booked was broken, that said I think the others who agreed to swap preferred the broken seat to sitting opposite somebody else's kids for 10 hours! The second problem was the heat. It was like a sauna and it was making both Patrick and I actually feel ill. There was a window we could have opened, however as most of the native Italians were still sat in Puffa Jackets we felt as if we couldn't!

Finally after a very long day we reached the bottom of Italy, where the kids watched eagerly as the train was manoeuvred onto the Ferry.

We then had a brief leg stretch, enjoying the view of Sicily before heading back to the train.

Another hour or so and we arrived at Catania. Now to find a bus to the airport where we would collect our hire car. I went to find out where the bus stop was while Patrick and the Kids guarded the luggage. As we started dragging our bags across the car park we were accosted by a taxi driver offering to take us to the Airport for 15 Euros. I took an executive decision and said yes! Anything not to have to carry the bags any further, plus Patrick was looking tired and I needed him to drive the 1 1/2 hours journey to Marina di Ragusa. The taxi ride was somewhat scary as he weaved his way through rush hour Catania Traffic and I was glad to arrive in one piece! We were contemplating whether to stop for food at Wood Café before continuing our journey or whether to just get back ASAP. In the end the decision was made for us as it was shut so on we went. It was quite an accomplishment getting all the luggage into the cheapest car they had but we managed it, although I don't think any of us was particularly comfortable.

The kids were great, keeping quiet in the back while I gave directions to Patrick until we were on the road to Ragusa. Perhaps it was sheer terror or more likely the fact that I had threatened them with school all weekend if they argued while Patrick was getting used to the car, in the dark, on roads he doesn't know!

Eventually we arrived back, AJ was already asleep so all thoughts of going to the pizza place for food went out of the window as we grabbed the bare essentials and went to the boat. Luckily our lovely friend Lotty had bought us bread and milk so we had a quick feed of Tinned Ravioli and toast before throwing the kids into bed and quickly following their example!

Esmé happy to be home

Day 218: 18th Jan 2018 - The Vatican

I was a little concerned that the Vatican may not be a huge success with the rest of the family but I really wanted to go so off we went. A few stops on the Metro then following the trusty Satnav to the Vatican Museums, dodging the numerous ticket touts and guides wanting our hard earned  Euro's.

I thought that here may be a place where a guide would bring things to life, but if I was going to pay out for this I would need a recommendation and sadly we couldn't get a positive one, however I did read that the kids audio guide was worthwhile. So after zero queuing despite many of the touts selling jump the line tickets telling us it would be a really long wait, we entered the Vatican.

Esmé was keen for the kids audio guide which was a little like a treasure hunt, with a sheet showing various paintings and artefacts she had to find before listening to the information on the audio. AJ wasn't interested at first so we just sprung the 5 Euros for one. However it wasn't long before he was looking longingly at Esmé enjoying the experience so I returned for one more. The audio guides were fantastic and had the kids really engaged. I soon realised that each audio guide had 2 headphone sockets so I could listen in to Esme's too. Next time we will bring more headphones. The kids were really engaged for about 2/3 of the Museums, far more than Patrick was!

They treasure hunt was great as it really made the kids look at each picture to check they had got the right one. Next was the Egyptian Museum where the kids really enjoyed looking at the different artefacts.

Esmé looking at the mummy and listening to the audio guide

Next there was a section with lots of sculptures of Greek/Roman Gods.... the Romans stole the Greek Gods!

AJ was in his element here as he has done a little of this at school and has also been reading any Greek Mythology books he can find on the boat. He could tell me the names of many before I could read the plaques beside them.

Mercury & Hercules

 Onwards to the Cartography room where AJ insisted I take a picture of the Latin on the floor so he could try google translate for it later.... maybe we'll try this week!

The cartography room was interesting as all the maps were drawn assuming Rome was the center of the universe, so Sicily was actually shown "upside down" with the south of the Island (and our current home of Ragusa) at the top!

The ceilings here were beautiful too.

Finally we went to the Sistine Chapel where Esmé was a little underwhelmed, or perhaps just a little tired but AJ really liked "The Last Judgement" on the end wall, I hope for reasons other than it was painted by a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!

Next was a rather mediocre lunch in the café, and then out down an amazing staircase which AJ loved to photograph. In hindsight we should have gone to a restaurant just outside the Vatican but Esmé was close to meltdown so we absolutely needed to stop for food immediately.

The intention then was to go to St Peter's Basilica however when we got to St Peter's square there was quite a queue so we decided to just enjoy the square and let the kids have a run around before heading back to the apartment.

Day 217: Wed 17th Jan 2018 - Gladiator Training

So today was the eagerly awaited gladiator training. Not sure if there are other "schools" in Rome but we got a good feeling about these as they are a bunch of people who do re-enactments and use this as an income source to fund big events such as a march they do in Rome on 21st April each year. TripAdvisor had mixed reviews, some based on the fact that this was not in the center of Rome and a little tricky to get to down a bumpy track. Rome2Rio said it would take 1/2 hour so we allowed 1 1/2 hours to be sure. Walked to the station, found the right bus, tracked our progress on google maps, negotiated with school kids to help us get off the bus at the right time, and then walked to the school. We arrived with 15 minutes to spare!

On arrival we paid the balance of the 135 Euros for 2 kids to do the "training". We were then taken to the Museum by Julio who was extremely knowledgeable. After about 15 minutes another family arrived to join us and the learning continued. We learned about how the Romans conquered surrounding countries despite being severely outnumbered, largely due to the fact that they were the only professional army at the time, and the fact that they were generally healthy due to good sanitary conditions. We were shown weapons, allowed to try on helmets, and generally given an excellent grounding in Roman history!

Once the museum tour was over we were taken outside where the kids were given tunics to wear.

First off was circuit training. Click here for video.

Next up was practicing some techniques.

And finally some fighting!

Before finally being awarded certificates.

After all that the kids were so exhausted they just wanted to go back to the apartment so we grabbed some groceries and had sandwiches back at the flat. 

After a couple of hours rest we headed back out, walking to the Spanish Steps.

We then went back towards the Trevi Fountain again to find a prosciutteria? recommended on TripAdvisor. It was tiny but great fun. Kind of like The Company Shed for meat but with the ability to by beer and wine too! Help yourself to water, plastic plates and cutlery and they will bring wine and a wooden slab filled with food.

Three of us thought it was fantastic but Esmé wasn't too impressed.... wasn't even that sure about the bread despite this being a usual favourite. Despite this she tried so much new food we promised her a big Gelato by the Trevi Fountain before we returned to the apartment!

All in all a lovely day but my legs are starting to ache. Vatican tomorrow!

Days 215 & 216: 15th and 16th January 2018 - Rome!

Monday 15th Jan 2018

Up at 1:45 after a broken 5 hour sleep ready for our taxi arriving at 2:30 to take us to Manchester Airport. A huge sigh of relieve as our humongous charity shop suitcase along with our two holdalls weighed in under the required 60kg to satisfy Ryanair's baggage policy. Quick munch at our packed breakfast, drinking as much water as possible before emptying the bottles. We then proceeded to be the family you don't want to be behind as we rescued various electronics from our multitude of bags before going through security. In the end we used about 10 crates for our various devices and bags and still forgot the pouch of chargers which meant that one of our bags got diverted for a manual security check leaving me to deal with the other 9 crates and 2 kids while Patrick retrieved the culprit bag blaming it all on me! In the confusion I managed to misplace my phone, only finding it in one of our bags after I had asked the security staff to check all the empty trays in case AJ or E had put the tray back with it still in. At last we were through, and managed to find a water fountain to refill our bottles for the flight.  Next step was to hope that our hand luggage also met their new requirements. We'd got priority boarding as it was part of a deal which only cost an extra £6 on top of our required luggage and allocated seats which luckily meant that nobody looked twice at our abnormal amount of carry on luggage.... result! 

Flight was good, Esmé and I got some extra space as there was a spare seat next to us and very quickly we were on the descent into Rome, spotting the Colosseum much to the delight of the kids. Once out of the airport we got a coach transfer into Rome Termini Station and then stood staring at our multitude of bags figuring out the next part of the plan. It was 11:30am and we weren't due at the airbnb until 1pm. Our plan to find somewhere to eat at the station was thwarted by there being nowhere open for a substantial lunch until noon. A taxi driver refused to take us the short distance to the Airbnb where we hoped to find a more suitable restaurant so we decided to walk. The kids stepped up and both carried more than any of us thought possible while Patrick and I managed the rest. About half way we were waning and after initially walking past a very touristy restaurant we retraced our steps and went in! A rest, pasta, pizza and a beer for the adults was very welcome before we managed the last few hundred metres to the apartment. Eventually we were met by Paris, the owner, who showed us around and pointed out the basic groceries he had left for us. Biscuits, milk, tea bags, melba toast and Nutella!

After a brief snooze we headed out and got on a hop on hop off tourist bus where we got a great deal as it was late in the day and we just wanted to do one circuit. It wasn't particularly great but it killed an hour our so and got us out of the apartment whilst giving us an overview of Rome. Next stop was a local tiny supermarket to supplement the supplies left by Paris. Trying to put some kind of meal together at minimal cost, using the minimal kitchen at the flat, shopping in a tiny supermarket was a little bit of a challenge but we left with some beef stock, tiny pasta and a bag of frozen minestrone veg which made a lovely soup along with some crusty bread and butter! Cereal for morning and drinks completed our haul!

Tuesday 16th January 2018

A manic day of sightseeing. Off to the Termini Station to buy our Roma Pass that would give us entry to the Colosseum, public transport and discounted gladiator training. Next on to the metro to get to the Coliseum before too many crowds. It was quite a dismal day and despite the Colosseum being amazing, there is a limit to how much time you can stand in the rain looking at even the most fascinating structure. However our kids guide to Rome proved worth it's price tag as it is pitched at just the right level and Esmé loves it. She has just enough attention span to read and or listen to its narrative about the major landmarks in Rome. AJ listened to Rick Steves podcast audio guide as did I. It is a wonderful free resource compared with the 6 Euro audio guides available at the site.

Onwards to the Forum where again the Kids Guide to Rome came up trumps. AJ wanted us to take a photo of him down below from our high viewpoint. Feel free to play "Where's AJ" on the following photos.

We now had a long walk towards the Pantheon which could have been better planned, perhaps there might have been bus option. The kids were pretty tired by now and their whinging was only silenced by the occasional viewing of a fountain!

After hunting around we found a reasonably priced restaurant for lunch and again enjoyed pizza and pasta, this time sampling a mushroom and sausage lasagne! Well rested we spent 20 minutes inside the Pantheon, marvelling at the domed roof with the skylight open to the elements which let the rain fall through onto the marble floor below where two drain holes marked the centre of the building.

A short walk then to the Trevi Fountain which both kids absolutely loved! Then back to the apartment for a well earned rest!

Days 182 to 214: 14th December to 14th Jan - Christmas in the UK

A brief summary of our Christmas in the UK in pictures!

On one of our first days back the kids wanted to ride their bikes (not seen them for 6 months) so we took them round Yeadon Dam. Half way round and we had to stop at the ice cream van for hot chocolate. Esmé was inconsolably cold and Patrick had to walk back for the Land Rover to pick her up while Mum and I huddled round her keeping her warm.

Happy cousins re-united! Playmobil rocks!

Early on in our stay Patrick and I had a sneaky night away in Leeds to do some Christmas Shopping and have a well earned rest from 24/7 childcare. It was lovely to reconnect as a couple and enjoy some childfree time. This is the view from our window, looking out across city square at the old Post Office Building where my Mum used to work.

AJ and Esmé meeting up with Bertie, their canine friend.

Christmas dinner is now served on Christmas Eve in our family!

A slightly smaller haul than usual due to lack of space!

Kids got lots of lovely iTunes and Kindle Vouchers  as well as experiences such as Gladiator Training in Rome, Rock climbing sessions and a weekend away.

Esmé helping Dad with his present!

Nana makes the best boiled eggs

 And then it snowed! This was the first time (other than Mount Etna) that Esmé has had the opportunity to play in snow!

Videos here,  here, and here.

 Next was a journey down south to Essex. It was strange to drive down our old road, stranger still for AJ to look at his old school.

We toured spare bedrooms, arranged playdates, and generally spent nearly every waking moment catching up with old friends! Thanks so much to everybody who put us up (or put up with us!), fed us, and donated pre-loved clothes for the kids.

video here

A quick turnaround once we returned to Leeds as we had booked a weekend away with Grandparents and cousins to Filey. Location was not really relevant, a large house where we could all be together plus a small flat nearby for the grandparents to retreat to! First stop was the Railway museum at York as a bit of a return to education (the cousins were back at school and would meet us later at Filey). Both kids enjoyed the science show where they both got a chance to go to the front and demonstrate some of Newton's Laws.

A couple of lovely days spent on the East Coast. Games, dohnuts, arcades, swimming and beaches, (swimming in the pool not the beach!) as well as some rifle shooting and cycling.

Then on to Jorvik and "The Dig" on the way back.

 

Digging for artefacts at "The Dig"

During our last week at home we started school again slowly, researching Rome and catching up a little with maths and English as well as meeting up with local home educators at the trampolining center and football training. Then just time for a girlie shopping day with Afternoon tea for Nana's Birthday before our last weekend in the UK.

Final birthday meal out for Nana followed by cousin Michaels Birthday party and then it was time for sad goodbyes, although this time there are plans for family to visit us in Ragusa and Greece!