Lisbon, a city which seems to love looking at itself! Or should I say being looked at? And why shouldn’t it? Its beautiful!
Positioned on the banks of the Tagus River, Lisbon rises up the side of seven incredibly steep hills, providing sweeping views in every direction. These magnificent views were the common thread in every guidebook, blog, or source I consulted prior to our visit, and with good reason! We visited no less than three official view sites on the very first day and while that definitely isn’t necessary I will say that picking at least one of them as your first “to do” is a great way to get an overview of the city.
If paying for a view doesn’t suit you, not to worry, there are very few places in Lisbon that don’t offer spectacular vistas! All you have to do is walk down the street!!
Castelo de São Jorge
The Castelo de Sao Jorge is a medieval Moorish castle which overlooks the historic centre of the city and the river. I do love a castle and this one offers fantastic views, so it was our first stop! We decided to walk there from our hotel, but if you’re not up for climbing the steep hills you can hire a Tuk Tuk to take you there. Walking along the castle walls and going up into the towers was pretty neat, but other than that there isn’t a whole lot going on. There are some archeological sites, a small museum with artifacts and a cafe, but the main attraction are the views. Allow about an hour.
Waiting for Tim to purchase our castelo tickets
The boys peeking over the edge
There were many peacocks in the gardens
Consider hiring a Tuk Tuk to take you places
The Rua Augusta Arch
The Rua Augusta Arch is located at the end of a pedestrian street of the same name in one of Lisbon’s busiest areas and is just across from the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after a devastating earthquake in 1755. The Arch is 100 feet tall and if you decide to take the elevator up to the top you’ll be treated to amazing 360 degree views. I’d say it was well worth the cost of 2.5€ per visitor.
From the Praça do Comércio sideCastelo de Sao JorgeConvento da Ordem do CarmoPraça do Comércio
The Santa Justa Lift
Not only does The Santa Justa Lift provide amazing 360 degree views from 138 feet above the city, but it actually serves an official purpose. Due to the steep hills in Lisbon getting from the lower portion of the city to the upper is no easy task. Operated by the city’s Transportation Department The Santa Justa Lift has been making life easier for residents and tourists since 1902 and It was made a national monument in 2002!
Of all the view points we saw that first day I think this was my favorite, it was centrally located allowing us views of the city in every direction and our visit took place at sunset! The cost to go up is minimal and don’t worry if you see a line it moves quite quickly!
View of the lift from the Rua de Santa Justa
The Cathedral of LisbonThe Rua Augusta ArchRossio Square
The hills in Lisbon are steep, the roads are narrow and the staircases are plentiful. Keep this in mind when planning your day and do consider taking advantage of the many unique modes of transportation offered! With its multitude of twists and turns Lisbon can at times feel a lot like a labyrinth and although we loved wandering aimlessly up and down the hills and through the streets and neighborhoods, we definitely felt it after a day or two!
*Full disclosure: While almost every photo on hilarystyle.me was taken personally by me, occasionally I do use other photos. The Santa Justa Lift was undergoing renovations during our visit, so I’ve used a photo from wikipedia to show you the lift at night.
I really had no preconceived ideas about what to expect on our recent trip to Lisbon, however I can say I wasn’t expecting a city covered in Graffiti. It was everywhere and when I say everywhere I mean EVERYWHERE!
Thankfully, I’m not just talking about your standard tagging and rude obscenities written on bathroom walls or the side of public transportation, don’t get me wrong there is plenty of that too, but this is something else entirely.
This is ART… and its good!
And it’s not just in the “bad” neighborhoods either.
During our wanderings we came upon a number of areas where entire buildings and even city blocks were completely covered with amazing paintings. I wondered, is this sanctioned? Do the city officials actually like it? Do people paint these large murals in the middle of the night? How did they get up there to paint that?
There was no mention of Lisbon’s Street art in any of the guides I read, but once I returned back to the states I did a bit of poking around on the internet and discovered that it’s quite a big deal! Like most major cities street art and graffiti have been in Lisbon for decades. However, in recent years their have been several different initiatives that were designed to help revive various parts of the city and at the same time give a boost to the urban art scene. Street artists came from around the world to participate!
If you’re planning a trip to Lisbon and are interested in seeing this amazing art there are official Street Art tours, but we managed to happen upon a lot of the locations while wandering around.
For answers to some of my above questions, check out this article about the Graffiti Grannies of Lisbon!
We stumbled upon this graffiti covered street on our way to Castello S. de Jorge
This woman was making/selling art inspired by the street art
Escadinhas de Sao Cristovao is the name of the street we stumbled upon quite by accident.
While there is a lot of amazing street art there is plenty of typical graffiti too.
As soon as I knew we would be traveling to Rome, I knew I would make the effort to go just a little further to see the ancient city of Pompeii and It was so worth it!
Although there are many organized tours leaving from Rome, most of them start pre-dawn and I rarely do pre-dawn. We chose to go on our own and in our own time and it worked out perfectly! We even slept in a little bit!
The modern city of Pompei (spelled with one i) is only 2 hours and 20 minutes from Rome. We took an express train to Naples and then transferred to a local train. The station is just down the hill from the entrance to ancient Pompeii. Don’t worry there will be taxis lined up waiting to drive you the two miles up the hill. Our taxi driver let us know that there is no outside food allowed and suggested a nice pizza place just outside the gates. How convenient! 😉
I did notice what looked to be a food stand inside the city, but it was closed until summertime.
While Tim was paying the taxi I was approached by a nice older gentleman who wanted to know if I needed a guide. I must admit I was hesitant at first. I wasn’t sure, was he legitimate? How much is too much to pay for a tour? However, I really wanted to hire a guide and he did seem nice, we had come so far, his badge did look official…
Tim arrived! Okay! He was an official guide and it would be a two-hour private tour. We were visiting during the off-season, so he would give us half price. We agreed and off we went! Our guide, whose name I seem to have forgotten, had been giving tours of Pompeii for 30+ years and had grown up only a few miles away! Did you know Pompeii has been a tourist attraction for 250 years?! Wow!
Because we were there in December there weren’t many other people walking around and we had the opportunity to wander down many of the ancient streets alone and undisturbed. Maybe it was just me, but I could almost feel the people who had walked there before us. Because it was buried under 20 feet of ash and pumice during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius even 2000 years later everything is incredibly well-preserved. Walking where they walked and seeing where they lived and ate goes a long way in helping to bring the past to life.
It seems that the Pompeiians were a very progressive and open-minded people, especially about sex. There were references to it everywhere, even on the streets. Sort of like street signs directing you, there were phallic symbols literally pointing the way to the brothels. Our guide did a great job of telling us all about this part of life in Pompeii without really alerting the kids to what he was talking about. Yay guide!
During the tour we saw some of the plaster casts that were created of the human remains which were frozen in time at the exact moment of their deaths. Although I know they aren’t actually the bodies of these people you can’t help but feel moved when you see them. We also saw many remnants of everyday life in Pompeii: pizza ovens,”fast food” restaurants, the brothels, private homes, the forum, as well as incredibly preserved mosaics and other art pieces.
All four of us really enjoyed the tour and we learned so much about what life was probably like in 79 AD. We couldn’t believe that two hours had gone by when it seemed like no time at all!
The train ride from Rome was lovely
Entering the Sea Gate
We practically had the place to ourselves.
2000 year old speed bumps
There are many fascinating things to see.
This was a restaurant
This was a pizza oven
This reminds me of Legos
It’s amazing how well everything held up after 2000 years.
The little white stones in the street were ancient reflectors lit up by moonlight
Rome is a city packed so full of amazing history and sights that even with 9 full days to visit we came nowhere near seeing everything on my list. We would just have to pick our “must-see” places and everything else would be a bonus.
The Colosseum
We loved this! Although you can arrange private tours and you probably should for a high season visit we took a chance and bought our tickets and booked our tour upon arrival. The tour guides do an amazing job. I can’t explain it, but there is something so moving about being in this place you’ve heard so much about and where so much history took place. It was a very sophisticated structure for its time and it is incredibly well-preserved. You can really imagine what it once was!
There is something so amazing about standing in a place with so much history
The Forum
The Forum was a disappointment to me. Maybe it had something to do with being there alone with two hungry boys who wanted to be anywhere else but the Forum? I just couldn’t concentrate. Simon and I tried to take the audio tour which you do at your own pace, but the ground is very rough and uneven and it was hard to know where to look when consulting the corresponding map. It’s actually quite a large area to cover up and down some hills and requires a lot of walking. It’s on the way to the Colosseum, so if you have limited time and are with small children a quick look over the rail and down into where it used to be might suffice.
After a long day in the Forum the boys were delighted to have a McDonalds happy meal as their reward!Elliot was ready to go. I promised McDonald’s if he could just be patient.This used to be a temple
Piazza Navona
A lovely square with a long history and the beautiful Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi fountain. This is a lovely place to people watch and to grab a bite to eat or a coffee. We visited the Christmas market one evening and had such a lovely time.
The Vatican
No trip to Rome would be complete without a trip to the Vatican and it was especially lovely decorated for the holiday season. While you can arrange guided tours of St. Peter’s we chose to wander at our leisure. Incredibly beautiful and immense inside and out it is hard to really prepare yourself for just how big it truly is. It seems to go on forever, and you’ve only walked halfway down the knave. There is an underground crypt which can be explored, but young children aren’t allowed so we were unable to see it on this trip. Did you know the Vatican is a country? Yep! It has its own postoffice. We sent postcards to our catholic friends back home with Vatican City’s special stamp and postmark.
The Sistine Chapel
No matter the time of year the Sistine Chapel will be packed and the line will be long. Simon and I arrived by taxi at 8:30 am and found the line for those without a pre-booked tour was already three hours long. I highly suggest making guided tour arrangements prior to your arrival. You’ll skip the line! If you do decide to take your chances and just show up, like we did, you will find that there are MANY tour companies out on the sidewalks awaiting your arrival and hoping to draw you in. Knowing which ones are legitimate and if you’re choosing the right one can be difficult especially if you don’t speak Italian. We ended up on a perfectly fine tour, but it was in both English and Spanish which made it quite a bit longer. This wasn’t ideal for a 10-year-old. In hindsight I would have booked this tour in advance and only in english.
The Map Room on the way to the Sistine Chapel is amazing!
On the tour we visited many interior halls and outdoor courtyards of the Vatican Museum before arriving at the Chapel itself. The halls leading to the Sistine Chapel are equal in beauty to the Chapel itself and there is so much to see in the Vatican Museum that one could spend days and not see everything. The tour ended in St. Peters and we didn’t pass up a chance to take another look around!
On the Sistine Chapel Tour
Spanish Steps
Everyone goes to the Spanish Steps and if you’re planning a trip to Rome I am sure you will too! Keep in mind It is a very touristy area and you should beware of pickpockets. The view from the top is quite lovely and they are located right near a lot of really good shopping! During the holiday season many of the shopping streets nearby were lined with red carpets and had “crystal chandeliers” hanging the length of them! Very impressive!
Here I am at the bottom of the steps.About halfway up…Via dei condotti view from the Spanish StepsNot too shabby!
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is one of the most famous fountains in Europe. It’s been in many movies over the years and is definitely worth taking a look at! It’s huge! We went at dusk and it was beautifully lit. There is a legend that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain it will ensure a return to Rome. I read that the coins are collected and used to subsidize a supermarket for those less fortunate. Nice!
Fountain SelfiePhew, someone to take our photo
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is amazing! Built in 126 ad it’s absolutely incredible looking inside and out! It’s funny, but for some reason we ended up walking by this place 8 out of 9 nights in Rome. I guess all roads in Rome lead to the Pantheon! The area around it is great with a lot of nice places to eat and fun side streets to wander and shop. There is no need for tickets you can just walk right in. How incredibly fascinating that all of this amazing history is just sitting there unprotected right in the middle of modern-day life! Oh, and there is a good taxi stand around the back side.
Capuchin Crypt
If you’re not too squeamish The Capuchin Crypt is quite a fascinating place! Located beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini on the Via Veneto are the skeletal remains of 3700 bodies. But it’s not just the large amount of skeletons that make this place interesting, it’s how they are displayed. The bones are nailed to the walls in various patterns like art and some are even made into light fixtures hanging from the ceiling!
The Rome Zoo
Bioparco di Roma, is a lovely zoo located on the opposite side of the Villa Borghese Gardens. We wandered through the gardens and then around the zoo on Christmas Eve. It was a nice break, especially for the little guy and as far as zoos go, it was a pretty nice one! I’ve visited many…
And the list goes on…
Other sights we found time to see which I highly recommend are: The Basilica de Santa Maria Maggiore, The Jewish Ghetto, the Great Synagogue of Rome, The Jewish Museum, Palatine Hill, and The Arch of Constantine. There were many other places we wanted to see, but we just ran out of time…Good thing we threw that coin into the Trevi Fountain!!
Where to Eat
While there are many restaurants in a Rome, finding places to eat that aren’t too touristy can be difficult. Our family joke is that we can’t sit down for dinner until we’ve wandered the streets lost and starving for at least two hours. I suppose by that time everything tastes good! Anyway, here are a few places we discovered that are worth checking out.
Renato e Luisa was recommended to us by a Roman friend of Tim’s! We don’t speak Italian and they didn’t speak any english, but we were able to ask them to choose our entrees for us and were not disappointed, in fact it was the best meal we had the entire trip.
Gioliti Ice Cream – Located near the pantheon this place is famous for a reason! It’s very good! Elliot LOVED the chocolate and I’m pretty sure we hit this place everyday! You can either have table service or get a cone to go.
Life Pizza – We ate here twice we liked it so much. They take reservations and have a large wine selection!
Ristorante Maccheroni – Don’t show up without a reservation! This place was packed! The staff was very friendly, the food was great and they loved kids! Near the Pantheon!
We stayed at the Westin Excelsior on the Via Vittorio Veneto which is a great location. I couldn’t believe how big our room was and even with an extra roll-a-way bed for the boys there was room to spare! The hotel had a pool which was nice and because it was Christmas time everything was decorated beautifully.
Fed up with doing all the holiday decorating, shopping, present wrapping and cooking when it seemed as though no one actually cared about any of it. I decided I was over it! “That’s it! I’m quitting Christmas!”, I announced to my family!
The following year we spent Christmas in Rome! “Don’t worry. Santa will find you wherever we are.” I told the boys and it was true! 😉
If you’re wondering, the holiday season is a great time to visit Rome. Fantastic even! The Christmas and holiday decorations are beyond compare, the weather is temperate and the lines are short. In fact with the exception of a few places there were almost no lines for anything. It turned out to be the simplest and best Christmas I think we’ve ever had.
The Holiday Decor
I think I can safely say that I have never visited a city with more holiday decorations than Rome! There was scarcely a corner left untouched by festivity. It’s simply spectacular! Where you might think that the streets would be deserted on the eve of a major holiday, it was the exact opposite. The amount of people who are out and about strolling and enjoying the lights and atmosphere is simply amazing.
Visiting the Colosseum was a highlight of our visit!
Creshes were everywhere this one is on the Spanish StepsDecorations like this were around just about every cornerThese lights were incredibly impressive and stretched for blocks and blocks.
Many streets had red carpets on them!Trees in front of the hotelThe Westin Excelsior Christmas Tree
The Christmas Market in the Piazza Navona
We visited the Christmas market in Piazza Navona one evening and had such a lovely time. There were all sorts of holiday themed treats and it was incredibly festive. We picked up a tiny tree for our hotel room and each of us picked out two mini ornaments to decorate it with. A small strand of lights and a little angel tree topper finished it off! We set it up on our hotel room desk! When it was time to leave we brought all of our ornaments home with us and we hang them on our tree every year!
Items for sale at the Piazza Navona Christmas Market
Piazza Navona is also a great place to explore during the day. There is a beautiful fountain and many cafes where you can people watch and grab a coffee.
The Vatican
No trip to Rome would be complete without a trip to the Vatican and it was especially lovely decorated for the holiday season. Not only were their multiple creches on the inside of St. Peter’s, but a large portion of St. Peter’s Square was filled with the biggest nativity scene I’ve ever seen. No pun intended!
an iphone4 can’t do this justice, but you get the ideaThis tree was nice surprise when entering the building for our Sistine Chapel tourLooking out from St. PetersWe visited on Christmas eve and it was so crowded. duh!
Via dei Condotti
Complete with red carpet and “crystal chandeliers” the Via Dei Condotti was all dressed up for the holidays! One of Rome’s most fashionable streets it is located at the foot of the Spanish Steps. Many of fashion’s biggest names have shops here, Dior, Gucci, Valentino, Armani, Jimmy Choo, and Prada, to name just a few. It’s no surprise that the holiday decorations on this street were nothing short of stunning.
Via dei condotti view from the Spanish Steps
Santa? Is that you?
Traditionally we have our big holiday meal on Christmas Eve. Rather then go out for dinner we decided it would be more fun to order room service! After all we were taking a break from the usual holiday traditions this year! A little while later when the food arrived, Elliot, who was only 31/2 at the time, heard the knock at the door and yelled out, “It’s Santa!”
Yep! The holiday magic had followed us to Rome! I think we enjoyed that Christmas Eve dinner more than any other. At least I know I did!
Later that evening after the boys were asleep Santa stealthily put the tiny packages she had hidden in my suitcase as well as the Italian candy she’d discovered during the week into the boys stockings also hidden in the suitcase. Under the tiny tree they went!
Santa brought tiny presents so they would fit under our tree.Santa was here!The boys seemed just fine with an International xmas
“Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! Santa was here, he found us!” “Didn’t I tell you “he” would find us wherever we are…”
I’ve definitely got the travel bug and I’m doing my very best to pass it along to my kids! If I’m not traveling then I’m already thinking about where I might like to go next! This drives Tim crazy as he travels extensively for work and doesn’t understand why I always want to leave home when all he wants to do is get back to it. In fairness to me… ha ha, he traveled quite a bit before we met and has been around the world many times for work, so he’s already seen many of the world’s amazing sights… It’s only fair that we should see them too, right?! And of course it is educational for the children…
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had the good fortune to visit many amazing places as a family, it’s just that I hope to visit many more!
“I Like trying new foods and hot chocolates!” – Elliot
Now that some time has passed since our last big vacation I’ve been trying to work out where we should go next. There are a number of places I’d like to check off my list, but there are many factors to be considered when deciding where to go. How much time vacation time do we have? Is it in the budget? Do the kids have any time off from school? Should we stay closer to home, or venture far? If we decide to go far, where in the world should we go? Should it be somewhere new or a repeat destination? Is time of year a factor for that destination? These are just a few of the questions we discuss when thinking about how to spend our vacation time.
All of the above were definite factors when we had the opportunity to visit Japan last year. We had attempted this trip a few other times, but something always got in the way, money, a major earthquake, timing, you get the idea. After 15 years of dreaming about it, we were finally making it happen! This was to be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and we just had to do it right! Weather and time of year were big factors on this particular vacation. I think all four of us can agree that it was the trip of a lifetime! Thanks, kids for having spring break during the Cherry Blossom season!
“The culture, the history, just being there!” – Simon
The Internet is a great source of information when thinking about future destinations and I do a lot of research online, but I love reading printed travel guides! I’m a big fan of Lonely Planet, but Fodor’s, TimeOut and DK Eyewitness are also great! In fact it was reading the About the Author section in my Lonely Planet guide that helped me find the amazing private tour guide we hired in Kyoto. I usually bring the smaller guides along on our journeys and read them on the plane and in the hotel room at night. Sometimes we leave them behind in the room for future travelers, but more often than not I schlep them back home with me. Lonely Planet has a great series for younger children called The Not For Parents Guide to… definitely worth checking out!
Here are some of our most recent destination considerations:
Ireland
Croatia
Japan (repeat)
Portugal
Cambodia/Thailand
So… Our latest adventure begins in late September! We’re going somewhere new and far! The weather will be great and the crowds will be thin! School is in session, but the lessons learned and experiences had will be many!
London is one of our favorite cities and lucky for us we’ve had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of its world renowned museums! This collection of photos spans over the course of 11 years, which is why you’ll notice difference in quality and the ages of my boys.
Traveling with kids close to six years apart can be challenging since they have different interests and attention spans. Our solution is to switch off between museums, historic sites and attractions. This way everyone experiences something they love. We also do our best to stick to highlights in each place, so those of us who aren’t quite as interested in a particular place aren’t too tortured. I’ll never forget the time I took the boys to the British Museum by myself. Simon was learning about Egypt in school and was so fascinated he wanted to read/see everything! I looked over and poor little Elliot was licking the glass of the display case… oops! Time to go!!
The British Museum
The world-famous British Museum has a long and fascinating history and has been open since 1759! The building itself is stunning, especially the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court. The British Museum is home to the Rosetta Stone, ancient Greek sculptures originally part of the Parthenon, and 8 million other objects! Yes, 8 million! It is well worth a visit, after all the 6 million people who visit every year can’t all be wrong! If you’re taking my advice and just checking out the highlights you’re in luck because the museum has ideas for you! They offer suggestions for both 1 and 3 hour visits as well as guided tours and self guided audio tours. There are multiple food options ranging from the extremely casual to fancy. There are a number of gift shops and while a lot of museums just sell the same old junk I happen to think the gift shops here are worth a visit!
The Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum in London is a favorite for all of us. It’s been open since 1881 and the building itself is a site to see! The entire outside and the central entrance hall are just beautiful. The boys and I can easily spend an entire day here, leaving only when they close for the evening. Like most of the museums and castles we’ve visited the food in the cafes and restaurants is quite good, so there is no need to eat first before going. They offer both adult and kid friendly food items and adult beverages too! This is definitely a repeat destination, but extremely popular, it can get very crowded.
The London Science Museum
We visited the London Science Museum when Simon was just a little boy and haven’t had a chance to get back. Maybe we’ll give it another shot on our next visit? Like the other museums admission is free and there are nice places to eat.
The Tate Modern
The Tate Modern opened in 2000 and is located in Bankside in what used to be a Power Station This is one of our favorites and is definitely worth a visit! It’s just across the river from St. Paul’s Cathedral and is one of the United Kingdom’s top three tourist attractions. Like the history and science museums I mentioned above the Tate Modern is also free! It’s exhibitions are always changing so repeat visits are a must, just check the website before you go to see what’s on. Of special note at the museum is the Turbine Hall which has ever changing exhibitions of contemporary art. Here is what the official website has to say:
Since opening in 2000 over 60 million visitors have experienced the Turbine Hall and it has earned a unique place in the public imagination.
It has hosted some of the world’s most memorable and acclaimed works of contemporary art. And the way artists have interpreted this vast industrial space has revolutionised public perceptions of contemporary art in the twenty-first century.
An idea for an itinerary would be so start at St. Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London and then cross the River Thames on the Millennium Bridge and see the Tate Modern. The bridge offers spectacular views of St. Paul’s north side and the Globe Theater is also nearby on the Tate Modern side.
The British Museum
Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
Central Entrance Hall
Amazing building details
Natural History Museum
The Turbine Hall with exhibition. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Recently, it was called to my attention that it seems like I LOVE everywhere I’ve ever been so how can I keep saying this place or that place is my favorite? And while it is true that for the most part I have loved almost everywhere I’ve been fortunate enough to visit, there are some places that I love more than others! Scotland is on THAT list!
I absolutely cannot wait to get back and explore more!
Our visit to Scotland was part of a larger month long trip which also included, London, Paris, and Barcelona! Scotland was the one place on our itinerary I had never been to and it did not disappoint! We took the train from Kings Cross Station in London to Waverly Station in the heart of Edinburgh. It takes about 4.5 hours and it’s a beautiful ride through the country side.
On a side note Kings Cross Station is the famed train station from the Harry Potter books and if you are so inclined you can even “pretend” to push your baggage cart through the wall to Platform 9 3/4!
Tim had been to Edinburgh many times and he told me it was beautiful, but I was not prepared for just how beautiful it is! When I came out onto the street from Waverley station. I was floored and I am quite sure that my mouth literally fell open! It is absolutely spectacular! There is a look about the place that I just fell in love with! The station is located between the medieval Old Town and the 18th century New Town and right near Princes Street which is a main shopping/dining street through New Town.
From the train station we took a taxi to our hotel, The Waldorf Astoria Caledonian which is located on Princes Street. I would definitely stay here again! The people were extremely friendly and so willing to help with everything and anything we might need. The room was very spacious and we had a great view of the Edinburgh Castle.
The hotel also has a nice indoor pool which we visited one rainy afternoon. They added nice little touches for the kids which included little bath toys shaped like what I thought were little green dinosaurs. Okay, so I’ll admit that we were home for about a month before I finally put it all together and realized they were little Loch Ness Monsters! How cute is that?! We were able to walk from the hotel up the hill to the Castle and the Royal Mile as well as many other places!
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
Old Town is medieval and is made up of narrow passages, cobblestone streets, and hidden courtyards. It is incredibly well preserved and is a treasure trove of history. You can almost feel what it might have been like hundreds of years ago. I loved Old Town!
View of New Town from Edinburgh Castle
Unlike Old Town, New Town is very ordered with everything laid out in a grid. The streets are wide and the buildings were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. Everything is perfectly preserved and it’s a stark contrast to the very tight and enclosed feeling of the Old Town streets and buildings. This is where the upperclass lived and It’s here that you’ll find a lot of upscale shopping and restaurants. The streets and main squares were named for King George, his wife and his sons. Therefore you have Queen Street, Princes Street, George Street and Charlotte Square.
Edinburgh is a UNESCO Heritage Site and here is what they have to say about it:
Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neoclassical New Town, whose development from the 18th century onwards had a far-reaching influence on European urban planning. The harmonious juxtaposition of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character.
Castles and Palaces
As I’ve mentioned before in earlier posts I have a keen interest in all things history and I do love a good castle or palace! Guess what?! Scotland is an excellent place to visit if you love castles and palaces! We visited two in Edinburgh alone, Edinburgh Castle and The Palace of Holyroodhouse. yep, its all one word!
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is still in use as an official residence of the royal family and both the Queen and Prince Charles stay there performing official duties one week each year. We arrived with one day to see it before Prince Charles arrived, so it was the very first thing we did! It is located at one end of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle is that the other, hence the name! While their have been various forms of the Palace and the Abbey on this site the Palace in its present form has been there since about 1679.
Adjacent to Hollyroodhouse is the Holyrood Abbey which was founded in 1128. Here is what the official website has to say:
The Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland for the Augustinian Canons. According to medieval legend, a vision of a stag with a cross glowing between its antlers came to David while hunting in the area. Interpreting this as an act of God, the King declared that an abbey should be built on the same spot. Holy Rood, the name of the abbey and subsequently the Palace, means ‘Holy Cross’, a fragment of which had been brought to Scotland by David I’s mother, St Margaret, and kept at the Abbey until the 14th century.
There are many things to see and do at Holyroodhouse, The Queens Gallery, The State Apartments, Mary Queen of Scots Chambers, tour the Abbey (summer months only), audio tours, and walk around the gardens.
The gardens are beautiful and vast
We spent quite a long time visiting here and saw almost everything. Of particular interest to me where the Chambers of Mary Queen of Scots and we really enjoyed walking around in the vast gardens. The Queen throws an annual garden party here when she’s in residence. We ate at the Cafe at the Palace which has quite good food and offers many traditional Scottish dishes. It was here that Simon first tried haggis. We didn’t tell him what is was until after he’d eaten it and liked it and surprisingly, he enjoyed it enough to order it twice more during our visit to Scotland! Do you know what haggis is? Just in case you don’t…
Haggis, the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep’s stomach and boiled
Haggis is traditionally served with “neeps and tatties”, boiled and mashed separately, and a dram (a glass of Scotch whisky).
Of course Simon didn’t have the dram of Scotch whisky! Interestingly, even though Simon is one of the pickiest eaters I know he will often try exotic foods while traveling. Once we arrive back home he goes back to his finicky ways. I recently discovered a place near our home that serves haggis, but so far he’s turned down my offers to go and eat there. 😉 He now says he wishes he’d never tried it because he’ll never live it down!
As is often the case photography inside the palace was very limited, so most of my photos were taken outside and in the Abbey.
Holyrood Abbey
View of the Abbey from the Queen’s gardens
The Abbey and the Palace
Trying haggis with neeps and tatties
Hey, I kind of like this!
Royal Dessert!
Edinburgh Castle is located at the top of the Royal Mile on Castle Rock and is probably one of Scotland’s most famous attractions. It sits high above the city and can be seen from almost anywhere. Its spectacular at night when it’s all lit up! We were there during The Moon Walk which is a Breast Cancer awareness and fundraising event. That night the Castle was lit up Pink as were other monuments around town. It was incredibly beautiful. We learned that the Castle is often lit up for special events!
Their has been a building on this site for close to 3000 years! Really! Since 900 BC! I find that simply Amazing! There is so much to see and learn about at Edinburgh Castle I don’t want to spoil it for you, but here are some of the highlights: The Great Hall, The Royal Palace, The Stone of Destiny (returned to Scotland after 700 years in Westminster Abbey), the Scottish Crown Jewels, St Margaret’s Chapel, Mons Meg, The One o’clock Gun, Half Moon Battery, National War Museum, Regimental Museums, Prisons of War, and the Scottish National War Memorial
I highly recommend visiting allowing the better part of an entire day! If you want to avoid long ticket lines I suggest you purchase your tickets online prior to your arrival.
William Wallace
St. Margaret’s Chapel
Royal Palace
Mons Meg
Mons Meg Cannon Balls
The Castle was used as military barracks
It was also used as a jail
Replica of The Honours of Scotland Sword
More Haggis!
The Royal Mile as I mentioned earlier runs from the gates of Holyrood to Edinburgh Castle and while it isn’t a building or a museum It does have a fascinating history! It’s actually made up of multiple streets Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street, the Canongate and Abbey Strand. The Royal Mile is the busiest area in Old Town. You’ll find yourself here quite often and it’s a great place to pick up souvenirs, see street performers and grab a bite to eat.
Along the Royal Mile you’ll find St. Giles Cathedral. We wandered inside and it has an impressive history, but we didn’t take a tour on this trip. It’s definitely worth a look and if I ever get a chance to go back I’d like to explore more.
St. Giles 2013
Elliot in one of many tourist shops
A sword swallower
haggis chips!
Walking Tours
If you’re looking for something to do with your kids in the early evening I suggest a walking tour. These ancient cities have so much history and with that comes legends, ghost stories and tall tales! If you want to learn more in a fun and even sometimes silly way a walking tour is a great way to do it! We took two in Edinburgh and both were very kid friendly.
Learning about Closes and Wynds
The Cadies and Witchery Tour company was a bit more on the silly side, but offered a lot of fun and interesting history. We walked all over Old Town, but stayed above ground the entire time. There were a few “jumper outers”, some fun reenactments and the tour guide claimed to be deceased. They were dressed in the absolute worst costumes imaginable which made for a laugh rather than a scream! Simon was picked out of the group to participate and he really enjoyed it! Prices are very reasonable!
The other tour was run by a company called Mercat. They offer history walks, ghost tours and an Outlander Experience tour. We chose the ghost tour because Simon had been reading about a place called the Blair Street Underground Vaults and this is the only tour company who go there. As a side note Outlander is a series of books and recently a TV show on Starz that take place in Scotland and that are incredibly popular, I’ve read them, and if you’re a reader I highly recommend. This tour wasn’t available when I was there or I would have liked to go on it. While a bit more than the Cadies and Witchery Tour Company prices are still quite reasonable.
Can we have a volunteer?!
Listening intently to Cadies & Witchery Tour
Costumed characters
Mercat Tour Company
Uh oh! Is this what happens if you don’t listen?!
heading underground
The Blair Street Vaults
The Blair Street Vaults
Museums
We visited the National Museum of Scotland twice and like many museums in the United Kingdom it’s free with donations welcome. The building itself is very impressive with incredible galleries and architecture. They have an incredibly large collection ranging from Science and Technology, Art and Design, Ancient Egypt, Natural Science, World Cultures and Scottish History and Archaeology! You can see why we needed to visit twice!
Victoria Street
Located in the Grassmarket area which at one time, hundreds of years ago, was a market place for selling cattle and livestock, Victoria Street is about a quaint a street as they come! I read that JK Rowling based her magical shopping street Diagon Alley on this street and it makes perfect sense to me! There are many fine places to grab a bite, cute little shops and it’s simply just a nice place to go for a walk! There are so many wonderful places in this city to wander around and often the buildings are so amazing you feel like they just have to be something more special than just a place to eat or shop, but in fact that’s all they are. How cool is that!?
The People and The Food
The people in Edinburgh are incredibly friendly! I cannot think of one instance the entire time where the people weren’t kind, fun and more than happy to assist where needed! I’m inclined to compare it to Disneyland because no matter what everyone was just so nice!
We ate in a number of places worth mentioning during our visit. As I mentioned earlier Tim had been to Edinburgh a number of times prior to this trip and knew of a few worthwhile places. Oink was one of these places!
Oink is a tiny little shop where you can get freshly carved pork sandwiches. Basically they roast a pig each day and make sandwiches out of it until it’s all gone, that it! You can get three sizes, the Piglet, the Oink and the Grunter. You have your choice of a white roll or a brown roll and there are four different spreads to choose from. We went to the Victoria Street location, but they also have another shop on Canongate Street at the lower end of the Royal Mile and are at the Edinburgh Farmers Market on Saturdays. It’s a very unique place to grab a quick bite to eat with not a lot of fuss and the food is excellent!
Also located on Victoria Street The Grain Store is great little place we stumbled upon while wandering around. We ate lunch here and it’s quite a charming place. They have a prix fix lunch menu.
We have a friend in Edinburgh and we met her and her husband for dinner at her favorite place L’escargot Blanc. This is a classic French restaurant that has been around for 20 years. It’s located on Queensferry Street which if I remember correctly we walked there from our hotel. The actual restaurant is upstairs. The food, service and atmosphere were great!
The Edinburgh Zoo
Like we do in most cities we visit we went to the zoo! Not only is this a nice way to break up the days for our little one, but at this point we have been to the zoo in just about every single city we’ve ever visited and we like adding another one to the list! The zoo is located a bit outside the city and we had a really nice visit. It was a rainy day, but we didn’t mind because they had Pandas and Penguins, two of Elliot’s favorite animals! I wouldn’t say this about every zoo we’ve seen, but if the littles are growing tired of yet another historic site or museum and just need a break this is a very nice place to visit!
There are many places of worship worth visiting in or around London, but most recently we visited St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Both are so much more than just houses of worship and if you have time I would highly recommend trying to fit both in.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
In my generation St. Paul’s is probably most famous for having been the location where Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, but there has been a cathedral dedicated to St. Paul in its current spot for 1,400 years! If you’re an English history lover, like me, you’ll also be interested to know that theirs was the first wedding of an heir to the throne to take place in St. Paul’s in 480 years, following the marriage of Prince Arthur to Catherine of Aragon in 1501. This is also the location Mary Poppins is singing about in the song Feed The Birds in the movie Mary Poppins! Information about the current building from the official website:
The present Cathedral, the masterpiece of Britain’s most famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, is at least the fourth to have stood on the site. It was built between 1675 and 1710, after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and services began in 1697.
This was the first Cathedral to be built after the English Reformation in the sixteenth-century, when Henry VIII removed the Church of England from the jurisdiction of the Pope and the Crown took control of the life of the church.
There are many things to see and discover inside St. Paul’s and my boys were both very interested, however I think my older son was the more engaged of the two. Sightseeing times are between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm and both guided and audio tours are available. We went with the self guided audio tour.
The Whispering Gallery Photo Credit: Wikipedia
It seems like Simon and I climbed just about every staircase in Europe the summer of 2013 and St. Paul’s many staircases were no exception! There are three galleries to visit in the dome, the Whispering Gallery which is 257 steps up from the cathedral floor and is on the interior of the dome. If you whisper into the wall your voice can be heard clear on the other side of the gallery, hence the name!
Next is the Stone Gallery which is on the outside of the dome and is 376 steps up from the cathedral floor. Finally after climbing 528 steps you’ll reach the Golden Gallery! If you make it to the top you won’t be disappointed because the panoramic views of London are spectactular!
We also visited the underground crypt where many famous people have been laid to rest, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Nelson and the architect of St. Paul’s, Christopher Wren, are just a few. Also located in the Crypt is the St. Paul’s cafe which serves lunch as well as tea and snacks. You’ll find a loo down here as well.
The West Front
St. Paul’s with Iconic Double Decker Busses
The Stone Gallery
Beautiful Views from the Golden Gallery
The Shard
The London Eye
85 meters up!
Westminster Abbey
Photo Credit: J-Ronn
Located near Big Ben and the House of Parliament Westminster Abbey was founded in 960 and with that much history behind it, it is definitely worth a visit! It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Every coronation since 1066 has taken place here as well as sixteen royal weddings, most recently the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011. There are 3,300 people buried or commemorated at Westminster Abbey, many of them among the most significant in England’s history.
Kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers; poets, priests, heroes and villains – the Abbey is a must-see living pageant of British history. Every year Westminster Abbey welcomes over one million visitors who want to explore this wonderful 700-year-old building. Thousands more join us for worship at our daily services. The Abbey is in the heart of London.
They offer audio guides in multiple languages, but on my last visit I paid an additional £5 to take the Verger guided tour. It was SO worth it! The tours last for about 90 minutes and include a tour of the Shrine (containing the tomb of Saint Edward the Confessor), the Royal Tombs, Poets’ Corner, the Cloisters and the Nave. Many of these highlights aren’t available on the audio or self guided tour. Tour times vary and the number of people is limited, so you’ll need to ask at the ticket counter. Sadly most of my personal photos of the outside were lost a few years ago, but I still have these few selfies and I scanned a few from way back. Maybe I’ll need to go back and take some new ones…
There are so many people buried here it’s impossible to list them, but here is a short list of some that are of particular interest to me:
The Tower of London is my must not miss of all the places in this post. It might be my must not miss pick for all of London! It has something for everyone and is very family friendly. It’s been around since 1066 and is still in use today! I am absolutely fascinated by the idea that a lot of these buildings have been in constant use for 1000 + years!! WOW! There are many exhibits in the different buildings and the restaurants here have quite good food! Think fish & chips, roast beef, fresh scones, kid friendly food and even wine and beer.
You’ll probably recognize The Yeoman Warders when you see them as they’re a very iconic symbol of England and there is even a photo of one welcoming you to London in the airport! They’ve been guarding the Tower since Edward IV’s time! Their history is quite fascinating and they give free guided tours of The Tower in a very family friendly and funny style!
The Queen keeps the Crown Jewels here and even though they are still in regular use there is a very nice exhibit which displays them for public view. Often the lines for this exhibit can be quite long, but if you’ve never been I highly recommend it. There are two ways to view. The first is via a moving sidewalk that you just stand on and it moves you slowly by each display case and then on into another room filled with various items like plates, goblets and other types of jewelry. The second room doesn’t have the moving platform so you can wander around at your leisure. The second is via a raised platform on just the other side of the display cases with more detailed information printed out and displayed in front of each case. You’re a little further away but you can take your time. Both times we’ve visited we’ve gone through twice and done both, but we’ve never done this in high season, so I’m not sure how it would be with large crowds. My older son and I both love this exhibit!
Did you know that for 600 years the Tower of London was a zoo?! Apparently past kings and queens needed a place to keep the exotic animals gifted to them from other monarchs around the world. There is a great exhibit here showcasing the different types of animals that lived here including a polar bear who lived in the moat and fished in the River Thames! There are super cool wire replicas of the animals throughout the grounds!
The Tower is also where they used to mint the kings money and there is a fairly recent exhibit. My boys were divided in their interest on this exhibit.
The first time we visited The Tower Simon was afraid to visit what is called The Bloody Tower, but on a return visit he decided he was brave enough to go in and discovered that it wasn’t really as scary as the name implies. Of course we are safe in the 21st century! This is where The Princes in the Tower disappeared/were murdered after being imprisoned here and there is a quite good exhibit offering many theories about what happened to them, but in the end it asks you to decide.
There are so many things to see here I could go on and on! I would allow at least half a day to visit and maybe longer in the summer. This is the place where Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII’s second wife) famously lost her head and she is buried in the chapel here. If you’re interested in what it was like to go to war 500 + years ago there is an entire exhibit dedicated to arms and armor. Ever wonder what plumbing was like hundreds of years ago? You can see what it was like to use the toilet way back when and there are rooms decorated with period furniture too!
We always visit the Tower when in London and in fact it was my pick for a birthday activity one year! There is no water in the moat and often they host activities in the summer months. We had a chance to shoot a bow and arrow and wow it’s much harder than it looks!
Last year in honor of 100 years since the start of WWI there was an incredible display of ceramic poppies dedicated to those who lost their lives which I would have loved to have seen in person. There was one poppy “planted” for each life lost. This photo is provided by the Historic Royal Palaces website as was the photos of the Yeoman Warders.
If you want to learn about a large span of english history with your family (or on your own) in a fun, interactive and inviting way this is the place to do it!
View of the Tower from the rivers edge.
Traitors Gate
This was the toilet!
Archery in the moat
Changing of the Guard
Memorial to those who, GULP, lost their heads
Window View
Replica of Lions that once lived at The Tower
Elephants
The polar bear who swam in the moat
The Armory Exhibit from our 2006 visit
2006
View of the Tower Bridge from the T owed of London 2006
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is another great place to visit, and It’s celebrating its 500th anniversary this year! It’s located a bit outside of the city so if you have very limited time you might not want to make the trip. But I highly recommend it! If you do decide to go you can there via train or by boat! We went in the winter and took the train.
It was the favorite residence of King Henry VIII and I especially enjoyed visiting the hall where he presided over his court! Unfortunately I lost a lot of my personal photos a few years ago, so these photos are courtesy of the Historic Royal Palaces website which is a fantastic reference.
Like most of the royal residences it’s very family friendly and there are people dressed in period costume performing and showcasing what life was like when this palace was still in use. Because this is the 500th anniversary I am sure there will be many spectacular activities and events taking place all year long!
The gardens here are spectacular and worth seeing all on their own. They include a hedge maze which dates back to the 1600s! It’s fun to try and get to the center and harder than we thought it would be!
Searching for the center
Is it this way?
We found it!
Buckingham Palace
I was fortunate enough to visit Buckingham Palace during Christmas time and it was spectacular! I highly recommend it but would suggest that younger kids might be bored. Every now and again they offer special tours and this was one! For five weeks they offered two tours a day with 30 people per tour. It seemed very private. We were the only ones there in this 700+ room palace! We were able to walk through around 20 rooms and got to see everything up close and personal. No velvet ropes keeping us back from anything and nothing removed to accommodate the thousands of visitors which trample through every summer. We entered through a side door in the palace wall and it was all very exciting!
The palace has been largely untouched since Queen Victoria lived there and yet everything is in perfect condition and of course incredibly beautiful! All of this was made even more special by the fact that everything was decked out with incredible holiday decorations and Christmas trees! At the end of the two hour tour we had champagne and got to shop in what’s normally the billiards room. I picked up some ornaments and a few tea towels. Here is the crown ornament I purchased on my own tree at home.
Kew Palace
Kew Palace is located within the Kew Botanical Gardens and is only open April through September. It was a royal residence and retreat and although a quite lovely place from the outside there isn’t a lot to see inside. I recommend visiting only if you’re already going to Kew (a fabulous place to visit, but more on that in another post).
Windsor Castle
We visited Windsor Castle in 2006 on our first family trip to England. This was in the springtime when the Queen was not in residence and we took an audio tour. Tim stayed with Simon and I went at my own pace. Like Buckingham Palace there are at times special tours of Windsor and if I ever get another chance to visit I’m definitely taking one!
St. George’s Chapel is located on the grounds of Windsor Castle and there are 10 monarchs buried there. Including Henry the VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. If you are a lover of history and especially Tudor history this will be a must not miss for you!
Windsor is not only a castle but also a town and there are quite a few nice shops and restaurants to poke around before you take the train back to London or wherever your next destination might be.
Gardens on the Castle grounds
To the Castle
Riding the train to Windsor
The town of Windsor
Kensington Palace
We also visited Kensington Palace on the 2006 trip and weren’t all that impressed. there was an exhibit of Princess Diana’s gowns, but I didn’t think it was done very well. I’m not sure what it would be like now since it’s been quite a few years, but at the time I remember being very unimpressed and disappointed that I had wasted the price of admission. I recently looked online and see that there are many exhibitions on display and some are probably very good as it looks like they’ve updated it quite a bit. The gardens are also very beautiful. I have a similar picture in my collection, but this one provided by the Historic Royal Palaces website is just a tiny bit better. 😉
The Castelo de Sao Jorge is a medieval Moorish castle which overlooks the historic centre of the city and the river. I do love a castle and this one offers fantastic views, so it was our first stop! We decided to walk there from our hotel, but if you’re not up for climbing the steep hills you can hire a Tuk Tuk to take you there. Walking along the castle walls and going up into the towers was pretty neat, but other than that there isn’t a whole lot going on. There are some archeological sites, a small museum with artifacts and a cafe, but the main attraction are the views. Allow about an hour.
The Rua Augusta Arch is located at the end of a pedestrian street of the same name in one of Lisbon’s busiest areas and is just across from the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after a devastating earthquake in 1755. The Arch is 100 feet tall and if you decide to take the elevator up to the top you’ll be treated to amazing 360 degree views. I’d say it was well worth the cost of 2.5€ per visitor.
Because we were there in December there weren’t many other people walking around and we had the opportunity to wander down many of the ancient streets alone and undisturbed. Maybe it was just me, but I could almost feel the people who had walked there before us. Because it was buried under 20 feet of ash and pumice during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius even 2000 years later everything is incredibly well-preserved. Walking where they walked and seeing where they lived and ate goes a long way in helping to bring the past to life.
