(no subject)

[vaznetti]

Spartacus has now, at nearly 17 months, been to more countries than either of his parents had at 17 years. Possibly more than both of us combined. BH was giving a paper in Paris on Friday, and it being his birthday and the start of the Valentine's weekend, we all went.

Things I need to remember for next time:
1. Crayons and scratch paper are important during train or airplane journeys.
2. Subway systems are not friendly to people with toddlers in strollers. Spartacus (in his stroller) actually got stuck in a metro gate in Paris; luckily he was asleep during the incident, although it's possible that a screaming child would have brought assistance more quickly. Plus there are many stairways and escalators involved and and almost no elevators; this is also true in London, especially when (as on our return Sunday) half the tube is down for Scheduled Maintenance. It is time for me to learn to use the bus systems in both Paris and London. As the last time I tried to use a bus in London I ended up going halfway to Croydon (not my intended destination) I am not filled with confidence.
3. Museums with sculpture galleries are very exciting for small children, and good places to run around. It was bitterly cold on Saturday, so we spent the morning in the Musee d'Orsay. Spartacus had a good time toddling about, and we had a good time mocking the horrid 19th century sculpture. I found this tip on a website somewhere, and it was a very good one.
4. Parisian restaurants do not have high chairs, although in other ways they were all perfectly child friendly -- everyone made much of Spartacus and no one seemed put out by his odd little ways, like hurling his bread around or trying to dunk the mustard jar into his hot chocolate. I had this thing called a "totseat" which is like a cloth harness to tie your toddler to a regular chair, and that worked quite well, but I was surprised by the lack of high chairs. Perhaps everywhere we went was just too small or too crowded.
5. The hot chocolate at Cafe de Flore is the best hot chocolate that Spartacus has ever had, and believe me when I tell you that he knows from hot chocolate.

I think we will keep an eye out for Eurostar special offers, especially later in the year when it is warmer and Spartacus can enjoy the parks; we are very lucky that he's such a good traveler, I suspect, because long weekends away seem entirely feasible. He did melt down a bit on the train back to Oxford, but it was packed and passing through Didcot Parkway is enough to make anyone weep.

Comments

[cofax7]

Lovely to hear from you! Please wave at jonquil in passing: she's either still in London or on her way to France as I type.

17 months! These kids, they grow so fast!

I hope you're doing well otherwise.

[vaznetti]

I am starting to feel less overworked, which may be an illusion. But I am thinking I might start posting again someday.

We'll be back in San Francisco at the end of March/beginning of April, so if you like, you can see Spartacus toddling about with your own eyes!

[fourteenlines.livejournal.com]

*g* My nephew went with his parents and grandparents to England at about 17 months; I was 25 the first time I made it overseas!

[vaznetti]

This is kind of how BH feels!

[thimble-kiss.livejournal.com]

It's so nice to hear from you! Sounds like a very fun trip, and it does make such a difference travelling with a kid when people are generally child-friendly and positive, as much as the practical things.

And wow, 17 months! Spartacus has got so big! (Or, at least, so much bigger.) And already a connoisseur of hot chocolate! :)

[vaznetti]

It was fun! And we've been generally quite lucky in that everywhere we go seems to be child-friendly (maybe living in England just makes you think this!) I read some travel posts about how awful the French were if your child wasn't 100% well-behaved, but nothing like that happened to us. (Of course, it was mostly about waiters being rude, which, you know, there is a class of Parisian waiter who will be rude to you no matter what -- the kid has nothing to do with it.)

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

I cannot even imagine trying to navigate a stroller through the Metro, but I was a bit intimidated by the bus system myself. I used them a couple of times, but I never quite figured out where to catch the ones I needed.

ETA: But I am not surprised that Spartacus is a master traveler, or a connoisseur of hot chocolate--he is a discerning child!

[vaznetti]

We got stuck in the gate! I can't even begin to explain the horror! What if his little fingers had been crushed! But he slept through the whole thing, and some guys basically jammed the gate open wide enough for us to push through. I get the impression that French people cheat on the metro a lot, and we probably benefited from that attitude.

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

I saw a lot of people cheating the system on the Metro when I was in Paris, especially at times of day when teenagers were on the prowl--it made me feel quite at home.

[angryhamster.livejournal.com]

yeah, the paris subways are kind of... god-awful even alone let alone with a child. you did good!

[vaznetti]

I had forgotten how transferring between lines always involves walking half a mile through dank tunnels -- even worse when you're carrying a stroller up and down the stairs!

[cassandre.livejournal.com]

Yay for Spartacus in Paris! The whole trip sounds really fun - and inspiring - since when have we tried to pop across the Channel for a weekend?

I remember trying to negotiate the metro with a stroller. It's hell. I couldn't believe how nice people were to us, though. In my experience, the only way to make Parisians treat you nicely if you're a tourist is to travel with a small child - which is something I would never have expected.

[vaznetti]

I meant to email you about apartment rentals, but the seminar had a deal with a hotel and were paying for the first night, so that was the best thing for us.

In my experience, the only way to make Parisians treat you nicely if you're a tourist is to travel with a small child - which is something I would never have expected.

I know! Everyone was so nice (mostly -- the security people in the Musee D'Orsay kept eying us with suspicion and dislike)! It was like we were in some alternative Paris where you get to walk to the front of lines, and people smile a lot.

[cschick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's why we stopped hauling strollers around with us. I found the Egro Baby carrier to be great for travel (it packs well, and we were able to use for hours up until recently), but it's probably getting to a point where you wouldn't get full use out of it for the cost. I can still carry Odin in it at 3.5, but in the past 3-4 months he's just gotten a bit too tall for it to be all that comfortable.

[vaznetti]

Actually, I have an ergo, but I stopped using it at around 12 months because I didn't feel comfortable carrying Spartacus on my back. Maybe I should get it out again, though, because it is very convenient. Do you happen to know the weight limit? But if you're still using it past 3 it must be pretty high.

[cschick.livejournal.com]

The official weight limit is 40lbs, I believe.

It has gotten to be a bit much for my back at about 34lbs, though. I carried the kid up and down some of the easier mountain hikes in the Adirondacks high peaks region last summer when he was about 32lbs/37 inches and felt pretty comfortable with it still then, but he put on two more pounds/two more inches during the fall and after about a mile hike in late fall on flat ground, my back and hips said "no".

[cschick.livejournal.com]

Here he is in it last winter, so about 2.5 . . .

http://www.odinfinn.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10002/normal_20090214-wolf1.jpg

and this past summer, hiking . . .

http://www.odinfinn.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10002/normal_20090815-baxter12.jpg

You can maybe see in the second picture that the "long leg" issue was starting to get a bit much. (In the bigger version of the second picture, it's pretty obvious he was kicking me in the butt with his right leg.)

[se-parsons.livejournal.com]

How awesome is jetsetting baby Spartacus!

[vaznetti]

He is very awesome indeed. At least, we think so! Even though he got so excited on the Eurostar that he threw up on me.

[fillyjonk.livejournal.com]

jet-setting child, your Spartacus! I see a Eurovillage and Atomium in his (near?) future.... and the metro here is utterly stroller friendly - there are no gates at all (and I'd be guessing a fair amount of cheating, not quite sure how they manage it, I've never once been checked)

[vaznetti]

We were thinking, now that we've figure out how to travel by Eurostar, that Brussels would make an excellent long weekend later in the year... if you'll be around?