International Travel with a Four Year Old – Day 13: Ponta Delgada, Azores (Portugal)

We were able to stop at Ponta Delgada in the Azores despite the high winds and rain we encountered on the way in. I'm glad we did. A part of me had thought it would be nice to go past and continue on our way back toward home, but that was before I saw just how beautiful the city is. I really wish we had more time and better weather to explore more of this place. Even though the streets were dead due to the weather and the fact that it's a Sunday in the off-season, we still got a good chance to walk through a big chunk of it. It felt kind of like a Disney resort with how… Continue reading International Travel with a Four Year Old – Day 13: Ponta Delgada, Azores (Portugal)

Cruising with a Four Year Old – Day 12: At Sea in the Atlantic

Today is either the last break between European ports before we are sea or it's an early start to our long journey across the Atlantic. The winds will decide our fortune for tomorrow as we near the Azores. As for today, it was not bad. There were some surprises, a lot of the familiar and a whole lot of ocean. The first surprise was how well we all slept last night. After passing Gibraltar the night prior and suddenly being woken up to drawers being opened and closed rapidly, we thought we were in for it for the rest of the trip. That would certainly make the remainder of the trip a slog. Thankfully, Kiley thought to pack painters tape… Continue reading Cruising with a Four Year Old – Day 12: At Sea in the Atlantic

Cruising with a Four Year Old – Day 9: First Full Day at Sea

We spent the whole day at sea today. This was much needed and appreciated after yesterday's big walk through Barcelona. It also served as good practice for when we finally leave land behind us after departing the Azores, in less than a week. I think it went well, though I know it will take some patience and resilience on all of our parts to cross the Atlantic. That's the part of the trip that Andy told me there was "no way in hell" he would do it. Declan has it easier than us. He has his kids club and the arcade, both of which he could easily spend all of his time in either one. As adults who don't really… Continue reading Cruising with a Four Year Old – Day 9: First Full Day at Sea

International Travel with a Four Year Old – Day 8: The Ever-Beautiful Barcelona

Whew! 21,000 steps later, we are in our cabin and resting up for the night. This was the one city along our journey I had visited before, so it was the one I was mentally prepared to stroll through. After running through options last night with Kiley about the best way to see the city and not die of exhaustion, we decided to just suck it up and walk anyway. I'm glad we did. The highlights of the day for Declan were simple: he liked the gelato we stopped to get and he also liked shooing pigeons. That's it. He wasn't really a huge fan of the things that enticed us, but that's to be expected. After all, he's still… Continue reading International Travel with a Four Year Old – Day 8: The Ever-Beautiful Barcelona