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Portuguese Tile Spotting In Porto: What To Know About The Azulejo Tiles
Walk down the streets of Porto, Portugal and you will no doubt clock all of the gorgeous tile facades on the buildings that line the streets. The Portuguese tiles, called azulejos, are iconic and there’s not just one design, so I ended up making it a mission in our Porto itinerary to take a photo of as many different tile designs as I could. If your family likes scavenger hunt style traveling like ours does, give everyone the mission to spot the different tile work along the way. It certainly kept our eyes busy. Some of the azulejos create historic scenes on the sides of historic buildings, while others are…
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De Hallen: From Foodie Fun To A Shopping Delight In Amsterdam
Headed into Amsterdam from Haarlem for a little adventure on the weekend, we set our sights on Foodhallen to get our party started. With a number of picky eaters in the group, we decided a hall with various food stalls would start us off on the right foot… and it did. What we didn’t count on though, was all of the other fun “hallens” in the building. Why does everyone always talk about Foodhallen and neglect mentioning the awesome design market, filmhallen, and other fun spaces? We had no idea there was so much to see there and rather than moving on to a nearby park, we ended up staying…
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How To Spend The Day In Zaandam, Netherlands
When we first came to the Netherlands, we found a great spot to call home for a month in Zaandam, a city just north of Amsterdam. We would wake up and when the breezes were headed our way, we’d smell chocolate thanks to the Verkade chocolate manufacturer in the area. Not necessarily a touristy hot spot, there are some very fun, beautiful, and historical reasons to spend a day in the area. If you asked me how to spend a day in Zaandam, this is what I would tell you: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking…
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Why we didn’t pay to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic tourist sites in the world and topping most lists of things to do in Paris, France is heading to the top to take in the views. Though that’s true, my family and I made the conscious decision not to go to the top. Going for a more budget-friendly weekend in Paris, we decided the iconic site was a must-see but from the parks, benches, and riverside instead. Was it the best choice? It was for us and here’s why it might be a good choice to avoid the Eiffel Tower views for views of the Eiffel Tower instead. (This post contains…
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The Tulip Barn: An Experiential Tulip Field In The Netherlands
If you’re visiting Netherlands in the spring, chances are high that you’re looking to visit the iconic tulip fields. You might even join a tour out to the popular Keukenhof Garden. The garden is beautiful of course, but if you actually want to walk in tulip fields, you’ll want to find an experiential tulip garden. The Keukenhof gardens keeps their tulips very protected and the farmer’s tulip fields in the area, while beautiful, shouldn’t be traipsed in without express approval. If you don’t want to get in trouble in someone’s private tulip field but want that epic photo, find a tulip garden like The Tulip Barn which plants the iconic…
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Tips To Visit The British Museum with Kids: A Family-Friendly Guide
We were only going to be in London for a weekend and it was just me and my kiddo traversing the city. We had a number of things we wanted to see after reading some books on British history and the sights, but I wanted to make sure we were efficient. Not to mention, I know my little lady won’t walk for ages and ages happily, and we wanted to be budget-friendly too. How to line it all up? With all of my specs in mind and searching up free things to do in London, I came upon the British Museum which not only drew me in thanks to its…
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Element Bali Ubud: Where To Stay In Ubud With Kids
When we planned our vacation in Bali, Indonesia, I was torn between staying in Nusa Dua and Ubud because it seemed like both areas offered a lot to explore, to see, and experience. The town of Ubud is known for its vibrant culture, lush landscapes, and serene ambiance, so of course, we were going to go there… but should we stay there? In the end, we decided to split our time between the fabulous beachside Westin Resort Nusa Dua and Element Bali Ubud. Staying in both areas made for the perfect and family-friendly Bali itinerary that we were looking for. If you’re looking for a great hotel in Ubud that…
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Playing With Kids In Haarlem: Haarlemmer Kweektuin
What’s one of the first things you do when you move to an area? For me, it’s walking. A lot of long walks to get the lay of the land and learn about my new area. On one such early walk in Haarlem-Noord, I happily found Haarlemmer Kweektuin, a fantastic park with playgrounds for kids, all of the natural scenery for me, and even some history too! If you’re looking for one of the best parks in Haarlem, it has to be Haarlemmer Kweektuin. This sprawling 4.2-hectare park sees 50,000 visitors annually and yet there’s always plenty of space when we’ve visited. This park in Haarlem blends recreation, education, and…
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Discover the Museum of the Mind In Haarlem
There are some very cool museums in Haarlem, Netherlands and since we’ve been living here, we’ve been trying to visit them all. We stopped into the gorgeous and fun Teylers Museum and checked out the art at the Frans Hals Museum and then we found the Museum of the Mind. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Also translated as Museum of the Spirit (Museum Van De Geest), this stop is a unique look into the human mind through art. The museum has an innovative approach to their exhibition which blends art, science, and history and because of that was named the Museum of the Year 2022. Get ready to find out about…
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Is There A Beach In Amsterdam? No, But Zandvoort Is The Closest
When we first moved to the Netherlands and our Dutch friend drove us to the beach for a day on the coast, I realized I knew nothing about Dutch beaches. I had never even thought to look into beaches in Netherlands and didn’t realize they had such a beautiful seaside with gorgeously soft sand. Though there is not a beach in Amsterdam (well there are a few “urban beaches”), you can get out to the coast easily from Amsterdam Centraal Train Station in under an hour. If you’re visiting the Netherlands in the summer, I highly recommend spending a day on the coast. Even in the other seasons, the seaside…
