How (not) to bore your children while traveling

When you travel with children to the Places-Of-Significance there is often the dilemma of what to show them.  How to show them history or art without boring them to death?  When I was a kid, my parents took me all over Europe, but all I wanted was to stay on the beach.  However, even if I don't remember everything (I wish they took more pictures), as I become older, I realized that it thought me some important lessons.  I think traveling made me realize that there is always a different way to look at things (because of cultural differences), that we have things in common and can communicate even without the language and also that learning the language(s) would definitely help.  I also took in the sights, the beauty of nature and the competing attempts of humans to create the beauty themselves.  Sightseeing definitely contributed to my love for arts and, of course, left me with a travel bug, always longing for the new vistas.

So here I was, taking my daughter down the memory lane to the place of my birth and my most beloved city, that she knew nothing about it. What do I show her without too many 'oh no Mom, not another church' moments?
    

First of all, I wanted her to experience the feel of the town.  Just wander around ancient streets, discover hidden corners and plazas, eat ice cream in the outdoor cafes, feed pretzels to the pigeons, climb the monuments, feel the water in the fountains, skip on the cobblestones and ride the trolley.

But of course we had to see the Royal Wawel Castle.  This was the old residency of Polish kings and queens, located right on the Wisla river.

Source

Castle insides were not not a big hit (no surprise here, but it had to be done), but my daughter enjoyed climbing the bell tower and visiting the famous dragon's den, a cave under the castle and a stage of the most popular Krakow's legend.  We also went to see Leonardo's 'Lady with Ermine' that was on the display at the time.

She is something else...

It is easy to fall under the spell of the fairytale quality to the castle...

Then, I had to take her to see the Jagiellonian University, one of the first universities in Europe and the school I went to.

Collegium Maius

 They have a museum with interesting Copernicus exhibit, since he went there too.

At noon, a procession of University officials emerges through the clock doors...

The building where I attended many of my classes 

Before WWII Krakow's population was about one third Jewish and the Jewish Quarter (Kazimierz) is definitely worth a stop.

Many visitors to Krakow take a side trip to Auschwitz, located about 30 minutes from the city. We didn't go, I already visited twice and I thought my daughter was still too young to face the horror of it. You can also tour the Schindler's factory in Krakow.

We loved the Chagall-esque mural.

Another interesting side trip was a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine.  It is also about 30 minutes bus ride from the center of the town.  The mine has been used since XII century until very recently (2010?). What is interesting, is that the miners were not only working there, they also created many monuments out of salt and built several cathedrals and places of worship, all underground and well preserved. 

You have to take about 400 steps to go down but it feels like descending into Jules Verne fantasy world.  Even the chandeliers are made of salt.  

Guess what was my daughter's favorite?  Well, none of the above.  It was our visit to the indoor waterpark (sigh).  Now you know why I brought a bikini.

Oh well, cannot beat this thrill :)

 

***

If you are still reading, it means you took the trip too, hope I did not bore you too much ;)

not another church Mom...

  
***
 
Where do you drag your children (or reluctant others) on your trips?
Do you have any tips to m make it more fun?

The Others (Ralph Lauren Polka-Dot Shirtdress)

As you surely noticed, polka dots are everywhere this season. I have not been specifically looking for a polka dot dress but I have been drawn to them almost despite myself.
 
I have previously tried on J.Crew Elinor dress in polka dot and I have been disappointed with the fabric and the fit and I thought it was also priced too high for a simple summer dress.

I saw Polka-Dot Cotton Shirtdress from Ralph Laurem on their website some time ago, but the full price was also pretty high ($144) and, since I have never ordered a dress from them, I decided to pass. But few days ago Fabulous Florida Mommy had it featured on her blog and she alerted us in this post that it went on sale and it was now at $59.99 and with free shipping!!! FFM has a great taste and I trust her recommendations, even if we have a different body type (she has a tiny waist which I sadly lack).

The price was too good to pass on, so I ordered it the same day. I decided to go with bigger of my two sizes, based on FFM recommendation.

FFM did her own review of the dress and after seeing the dress on her I was awaiting it impatiently. The dress arrived today, wrapped in the tissue paper and wrinkle free.

Size 8

Size 8 fits me well with no gaping. The dress is not lined but the fabric has a nice weigth and the dress feels sturdy and  structured. I think it is actually a benefit that it is not lined, as this is a summer dress and I would not want any polyester between my body and the dress. But of course you can add a slip, if you want. The length is perfect and so is the placement and the depth of the pockets. The fabric is smooth and the navy is dark and the dots are crisp white.

Nice length and pockets!

I like this dress better than Elinor dress. Read my review of Elinor here.

Elinor dress in polka dot

Two small cons:

• The shoulder are cut narrow and you may need a racerback bra or you need to add bra snaps. This is minor and the dress design benefits from that narrow cut because it has a collar it reduces the bulk on the top.

• The belt is not removable so you are forced to use self tie. I am not a fan of self tie belt, because it is fun to change belts and it creates bult in case you want to wear a cardigan or a blazer. Looking at the construction I think that you can carefully remove the stitches or have it done at the tailor and this is what I am planning to do.

Sturdy but soft fabric

Other than that it is a perfect dress and I am very happy with it.



You can also read Fabulous Florida Mommy review here.

***

What do you think?
Which one do you like better Elinor dress of Ralph Lauren?
Please share!!!