Spain & France Day 13: Artouste

The next morning we rose early and jumped in the car, ready for a border crossing. As we drove along the mountain road, there was barely a sign to indicate that we had crossed the border and were now in France, Adventure Girl's tenth country. Shortly after, we pulled into the Artouste gondola station and swung our way up the mountain to board an alpine train. 

The view from the bottom of the gondola

Yup, we'd fall
straight down
the mountain!

Having looked at picutres of the train online ahead of time, we had thoughtfully planned our seating arrangement. We put F on the mountain side of the car as we'd seen some pictures that showed the train perched right at the edge of a cliff with barely any safety precautions. 

To our surprise, the first thing the train did was tunnel through the mountain, coming out on the other side, meaning Adventure Kid was buckled in sitting on the cliff side for the entirety of the ride!

Were there moments when we thought we might plummet to our deaths? - Not really. But it was exciting and promoted a good cuddle for the ride to ensure everyone stayed inside the tiny open-air train compartment. 

The ride was spectacular. Uninterrupted sweeping mountain vistas the entire time. We'll let our pictures speak for themselves. 

If you find yourself in this area of the Pyrenees, this is a must-do!

The ride was approximately 45 minutes long. It was smart to take the first train of the day because it meant no stopping for trains coming from the opposite direction. When we arrived at the mountain station, it also meant that we were the first people up and headed towards the alpine lake. (Pro Tip: sit at the back of the train...it's quieter, has better visibility, and means you are the first up the stairs towards the lake). 

The trail to the alpine lake

The lake hike was easy, with options to add on further distances if you wanted to spend the day. 

Seeing the meadows and valleys in different light on the return trip was just as stunning. It made for an incredibly easy and rewarding day!

Spain Days 11-12: Formigal

We were in awe as we entered the Pyrenees. We spend a lot of time in the Rocky Mountains at home, but our next town, Formigal, was like living up in the alpine meadows. It seemed unimaginable to have views in every direction at all times (hopefully the lack of trees everywhere, including outside ski areas, isn't because of a depressing reason).

The check-in at our Formigal accommodation was late so we had some time to kill. Craig did a little research and discovered a municipal pool we could spend time at for free with lvely views. It was mostly empty and we passed a couple of hours swimming, lounging in the sun, and enjoying the sweeping mountain views. 

After a night's sleep, we headed out to find the Panticosa gondola. A breath-taking half hour ride later, we were at the top of the Panticosa ski hill, headed on foot for the Lago d'Asnos. It felt similar to hiking in Sunshine, Alberta, and it was just as spectacular!

Looking down at the lake trail not taken

Navigating around Ibon de Asnos

We hiked for an hour and a half, gained 250 m and traversed 3 kilometers. Our Adventure Girl put her good hiking background to use and set a strong pace that left other adult hiking groups in our dust!

Snack spot

We took a quick snack break at the lake before mounting the final climb to the mirador into the next valley. At first, Adventure Girl said she didn't want to do any extra hiking, so Erin went up alone...

Looking into the next valley!

Hiking back down - Craig & F in the corner

Adventure Girl then decided that she did, in fact, want to hike up to see the other valley. :)
She and Craig are at the top of the rise.

We returned back down the gondola with the happy feeling of fatigue from a great hike! On our drive back home, we discovered a gem of a restaurant nestled beside a creek in the valley below. We had a delicious, well-deserved meal and chatted with the owner who lived in Whistler for a while. 

One final look before getting into the Gondola

Look at that veggie platter!

Cheers to a great day and a spectacular hike!

Spain Day 10: Sos del Rey Catolico

We chose to visit Sos del Rey Catolico to get the small, hilltop town experience. Also, in the planning stages of our trip, Adventure Girl seemed most excited by medieval castley things. So, we booked a rental car leaving San Sebastian, and took off driving for the hills!

Sos is perched on a hilltop with the town having organically grown around a fort. However, after lengthening our stay in Donostia, our single day in Sos felt like a timed race through a labyrinth of the tiny town's medieval carless streets that weave and curl around the hill, forking off in different unpredictable directions. As we marvelled at the buildings, and views unfolded around every other turn, we were felt that surely our route would be crossing through, over, and under where we had previously walked. Yet through some non-euclidian urban planning, we always found ourselves somewhere new.

Our brief stay was memorable and lovely. It also provided the meal of the trip so far: thistle in an almond sauce and Venison in a chestnut puree and local peach chutney were the stars. (Update from the end of our trip: this still holds true as our best meal of the entire trip!)

The view from lunch

The view from our apartment

Spain Days 2-9: San Sebastian

Up at 4 am, battling the disoriented "pulling an all nighter" + jet lag feeling, we made our way back to the dreaded Barcelona airport. Thankfully, our journey went much more smoothly than our arrival the day before. The domestic terminal was efficient and comfortable, and within a few hours we were in northern Spain in the delightful town of Donostia San Sebastian. 

San Sebastian was what our family needed. Our apartement was comfortable, with enough space for us to spread out and settle in, complete with a little Harry Potter broom closet bedroom for F! (That she chose for her room). We were walking distance from two different beaches ("swim beach" and "surf beach"), and the food was outstanding. The week there was fuel for both our bodies and souls.

We fell into a comfortable routine of sleeping in (for those who know F, yes, gasp!), breakfasting at home, doing a quick beach check for flags (red - no go, yellow - caution, green - swimming!, or the dreaded jellyfish flag). Then we'd hit the beach, have a late patio lunch, siesta, then head back to the beach and dinner at home. 

Noooo! Hoy hay medusas!!!

Adventure Girl loved the beach. There was lots of delight in playing in the sand - building castles, getting burried, digging holes, and creating taxis and bakeries for imaginative play. In the water, she learned how to body surf, boogie board, and dive through oncoming waves. Faced with waves twice the size of her, she reacted with excitement rather than fear. Getting knocked around or even flipped head-over-heels, didn't slow her down or dampen her enthusiasm.

We were beyond thrilled to discover a lactose-free popsicle stand that we visited every subsequent day. You got to choose your popsicle base, then your dip flavour, then add on your topping. Pure deliciousness! We're willing to support anyone looking to branch out Loco Polo internationally!!!

Twice we climbed up the hill, Mount Urgull, in the Old Town. Once, to the statue at the top and once to have a drink and a snack at the bar overlooking the Bahia de la Concha (swim beach). We also leisured through the old town in early morning rain to check out the architecture and meander through alleyways. 

For Adventure Girl's take on San Sebastian, click her Blog Page on the right-hand side bar or the link below:

http://www.highfiveadventures.com/p/adventure-girl-posts-spain-france-and.html

:)  (Also...ummm... how cute it is that she wanted to blog herself?!?!  Very proud parents, here!!!)

Spain Day 1: Travelling Again

We're back!!! After a few tough years managing COVID and Cancer, we're ready to hit the road again as a full-on family of three! Adventure Baby is a baby no more; it's now Craig, Erin, and Adventure Girl (aka F)!

There was a new sense of excitement leading up to this trip. First of all, it was going to be our first family "backpacking" trip...no suitcases, no stroller; just us walking with our bags! Adventure Kid was also old enough to be a part of the planning, decision-making, and packing. A whole new adventure awaited us. With plans to long-term travel as a family in the upcoming future, this trip will be a real test...

It didn't start on the best note. We were scheduled to leave at 8pm Toronto time. It took us about 45 extra minutes sitting on the plane for them to resolve an issue with the bathrooms before we could actually take off. We let F watch tv during the delay so it was no big deal. 

When we got into the air, we said it was time to try to sleep and within minutes of stretching out on us, F was alseep. It wasn't the most comfortable for any of us but we hoped that by prioritizing her sleep, it would be worth it in the end. 

For the most part, F slept. She woke after every sleep cycle (40ish minutes), cried for a minute in a confused, half-alseep state, then would settle back in to the same position and sleep again. She got about five hours like this, with Erin and Craig resting as much as possible before the crew started to serve breakfast and F woke up. Not too bad for an overnight flight...we were thankful to not be the people trying to console a young toddler the entire time we were in the air!

Things got worse when we landed. We were stranded on the runway without air conditioning for another 45 minutes as they struggled to get the plane connected to the terminal. The temperature and tempers both rose. When we finally de-planed, we followed the throngs of other passengers to an endless hallway where we joined a chaotic, unsupervised line that stretched out of sight. No one knew if they were in the right line, nor could they get close enough to any relevant sign to figure that out. After 30 or 40 minutes airport personnel arrived to direct EU citizens and those with connections to squeeze past the hordes of tourists. For an hour, we inched along, completely exhausted from the flight, the heat (without air-conditioning the hall was in the mid thirties), and the complete lack of any food or drink services. People were literally collapsing on the verge of fainting, children were slumped in akward heaps against the walls. Finally, some staff were seen walking up and down the line and they began pulling families with babies and young children in strollers. We waited for a sign that we might also be chosen but our child was clearly "too good" of a traveller to be deemed essential for a bump up the line. With Erin and F's eyes starting to glaze over from the heat and a day without meaningful sustenence, Craig asked a passing personnel if we could join the other families (with older children) that had passed. They granted our request and we gathered our things and headed up alongside the line. 

It went on FOREVER. Easily three more hours of waiting to pass through Spanish customs with no services available. We were so grateful that we got bumped and we will certainly avoid flying through the Barcelona airport in the future...

Finding our bags would be the next struggle made worse by our hour's long wait to get through customs. We entered a sprawling baggage claim area devoid of landmarks. With thousands still stuck in custom lines, their bags had been thrown haphazardly all over the floor to make room for more recent flights. Everything was unattended. Toronto had long since left the claims board so we split up and dragged ourselves up and down each carosoul aisle searching for our luggage. In a far corner, Erin overheard someone mention Canada and she went to investigate. She asked about the flight from Toronto and was told that all of the bags from the TO flight, along with Montreal and New York were "here" with a vague gesture of the surrounding area. Miraculously, she looked down and Craig's backpack was at her feet. She surveyed the scene and spotted what she thought was her bag, three deep up on a carosoul. She was able to track down a baggage handler to mount the stack of bags and he turned over her pack.

Finding Craig and F seemed insurmountable given the size of the baggage claim area, and seperating was starting to feel ill-advised. Thankfully, due to Craig's affection for wearing orange and his impressive height, it wasn't too long before we were reunited. 

On to the next hurdle...the line up for taxis stretching back and forth outside the arrivals area. 

Needless to say, by the time we arrived at our apartment close to the Barcelona airport, we were spent. Thankfully, it was situated right across from a lovely sand beach, and it had air conditioning. 

We were able to spend a couple of hours in the water, grab some dinner (lunch? breakfast?) and head to bed at 6pm local time, knowing we'd be up at 4 am for our next flight. It was time for a high-five and a cheer for Adventure!

Tips for Travelling with a Two Year-Old

Lac La Biche

We pretty much blew our travel budget for the next couple of years during our mat leave so we decided to lay low this summer and play closer to home. Thanks to Alberta Provincial Parks and Air BnB, we found some cool spots to relax at, while also getting the chance to explore parts of the province we hadn't seen before.

During an 11-day stretch, we ventured up to Edmonton, Lac La Biche, back through Edmonton, then down to Stettler. So four different accommodations in under two weeks. Although Adventure Baby is a fantastic sleeper, this definitely put some stress on her. Ways we kept this trip as calm as possible are listed below. We hope you'll find some of our tips helpful for your own getaway!

The Hi-Level Streetcar in Edmonton was a huge hit!

How to Prepare
Our daughter is very verbal and she likes to know the plan ahead of time. So we started talking about our road trip the week before. We used vocabulary she could understood and laid out the plan for her a day in advance while travelling so she knew what to expect. We'd say things like, "Today we're going to play at the playground, pack up the car, then do a big car ride. It will be a sleep in the car day. Then after nap, we'll get to ____ house. We'll set up your bed, and the potty, and have a snack." She knows how to count sleeps so we'd keep track of how many sleeps until we moved on to another location or until it was a "big car ride" day. We gave each place we stayed an easy name for her to use, such as "Lake House" or "Farm House."

If you're travelling by plane, we'd recommend showing your child the TSA video on Youtube. It prepares them for the different phases of airplane travel such as checking in your bags, going through security, and then finding your plane.

Watching the harvest in Stettler

Car Rides
We kept our driving days to a maximum of 2.5 hours. We always left at her usual nap time, put on our sleep sounds app, and were off. Adventure Baby has never been a big sleeper in cars but she slept every time for roughly an hour (not great, considering she normally sleeps 1 hour 45 min, but it was manageable). Then we had some activities on-hand in case she got antsy once awake, such as Water Wows, tablet games, and CDs with kid songs.

Stettler

Accommodation
By contacting the hosts ahead of time, we were able to have late check-outs and early check-ins to work around her nap schedule/our driving time as best as possible. Hosts were super accommodating when they knew we had a small child. Upon arriving at each place, we immediately set up the potty and show her where that is, find her room and set it up with the pack-n-play, her owl (sleep sounds), the monitor, and lay out her books and clothes on her bed. Then, we show her where our room is and that is enough to settler her in. We try to find places with two bedrooms so she has her own sleeping space and where we can have nice views to enjoy after bedtime. Lac La Biche and Stettler were both great for this!

Food
The great thing about a road trip is that you have the space to bring a cooler in the car. We pre-made most of our meals at home and brought them along with us frozen in the cooler. That really helped cut down on the time we spent on vacation grocery shopping, preparing food, and cleaning up so instead, we could just enjoy the location! It also meant that we were confident we'd have food on hand that Adventure Baby would eat. For us, that meant spaghetti and meat sauce, ramen, chili, corn on the cob...all easy-to-cook items that are kid-friendly. A little comfort food on the road can go a long way.

We also packed some of her favourite snacks to have when we were out-and-about in each city. She learned the words "special treat" pretty quickly on this trip and some crackers, a granola bar, or a pouch became a bit of an expectation. But for us, we've found that it can make transitions back into the car or stroller a lot easier!

Toys
Since we had the space in the car to pack a few toys, we brought whatever we could that was compact and had longevity in terms of entertainment. The magna-blocks turned out to be a great hit and really helped keep her occupied when we were packing up our bags. Colouring supplies with lots of new stickers went a long way. We let Adventure Baby choose one stuffed animal to bring, along with her doll, and those plus a few diapers are always a big hit.

Lastly, make sure you trade off and plan some time to yourself. Living out of a suitcase can be stressful and kids pick up on that. By giving yourself a break, you'll be more relaxed and so will your child. I don't think we could have managed a trip that was longer than 12 days at the pace we were going, so we know for the future that three nights is what we need in one location if we're going to be on the road for a while. Happy Travelling, Everyone!