Tags: Children, Europe, Expats, Family, Humor, Kids, Language, Perspectives, Travel, Winter
13 days. 4 countries. 3 kids. 1 car. We did it.
All we lost was a pair of earmuffs, a hat, and a black crayon. And maybe a few shreds of sanity.
What we gained was an unforgettable international adventure that included buses, subways, trams, a horse-drawn carriage, a thermal bath, monkeys, seals, a giant Ferris wheel, ice skates, ketchup-flavored Cheetos, glue guns, castles, and butterflies.
And two shots of Slovakian moonshine.
Here’s what made the top 10.
Austria, Slovakia, Hungary: Kid Favorites
10. The longest, fastest escalators in the history of the industrialized world in the Budapest metro.
9. The baboon at Vienna’s Natural History Museum. And his colorful butt cheeks.
8. The big pile of dog poop in the square with the giant Christmas tree.
7. Any machine that involves inserting a coin and watching it get squashed into a souvenir, voilà!
6. Kinder eggs. (Seriously, the U.S. is missing out.)
5. McDonald’s. Anywhere.
4. Graffiti. Anywhere.
3. Elevator buttons. Anywhere.
2. Their first water slide. And bumper car. And can of pineapple soda.
1. The rotating, self-sanitizing toilet at our first hotel. (Hours of fun. Hours.)
Austria, Slovakia, Hungary: Grown-Up Favorites
10. Aforementioned Slovakian moonshine.
9. Kids who refuse to eat anything except single-serving packs of peanut butter. (More mushroom soup, sweet cabbage, schnitzel, and strudel for us!)
8. 38-degree-Celsius heated pools. Ahhhhhhhhhh.
7. Gone with the Wind. And Legends of the Fall. And The Lion King. In Slovakian.
6. Hotel balconies and windows with wide ledges … For dirty-diaper storage, of course.
5. Locals. Who speak English. And offer directions. And help lift strollers onto buses. And return dropped mittens. And offer gingerbread to cranky children.
4. The espresso-cappuccino-hot-chocolate machine at the hotel breakfast buffet. Refill? Yes, please.
3. Highways, glorious highways. Romania, take note.
2. Being quiet and still so the kids can fall asleep. Then accidentally falling asleep ourselves. Before 9. Three nights in a row.
1. The five of us. Together. No matter what country we’re in.
What did your children enjoy most about Christmas vacation? And you? And have you ever had a Kinder egg??
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Fluffy Bunnies in Romania:
Read the tales. See the photos.
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