Vacationers

I realize this is probably the only time in our lives (or close to that) that we were able take a 4-week-long family trip to Europe. We had a great time! We bored our family to death with all of our vacation pictures, so, lucky for you, you won't have to go through that torture. Here are the best of the best.

Packing up for vacation... Wouldn't it be so nice just check-in the kids on the plane? The trip was was a disaster... Ophelia stayed up almost the whole 16 hour trip, cranky, whiny, and all. Needless to say, PJ and I were cranky and whiny too!



First day in Dublin and already getting into trouble:



Just realized this is the only decent family picture of us three from the whole month in Europe...



Love this picture! My parents look great and Ophelia... well, she is just smelling the flowers :)





Ophelia became a tourist attraction in Stephen Green park in Dublin due to her running after the birds and yelling "birdie! birdie! birdie!". One bird was lucky enough to even get stepped on... People not only were watching her but also taking pictures of her :)



Our trip to Germany was exciting! Despite the scare of E.coli cucumbers and tomatoes in North Germany, we still enjoyed eating out. It turned out in the end that it was sprouts that were tainted and we never ate any. This was in Travemunde in North Germany.



Lubeck, Germany:





Back in Dublin, Ophelia (the blue little speck) running around St.Patrick's cathedral:



The fam:



London trip:





Madame Tussaud's museum. Doesn't PJ remind you of Bruce Willis?





We stayed with my best friend Nastya and her roommate Vlada. They were great hostesses despite lack of toilet paper and expired milk :) They took us to a little town of Rye on the coast of England.







PJ and I took a day trip to Northern Ireland. I didn't know it is a country that belongs to the UK and they use pounds, not Euros.





This is a famous rope bridge right on the coast. If you are scared of heights, you may want to consider never visiting this place.







Giant's Causeway should be considered another great wonder of the world. I am so amazed that something like that was made in nature, no humans involved, all through volcanic lava works, ice, and basalt salts!







Our trip back was hard and long. Ophelia did sleep a lot though. Unfortunately it was on my lap... She was so exhausted on the last leg of the journey, car ride from airport to home. But the minute Ophelia got back home and saw all her toys, it was like Christmas morning! She got so so excited! Every toys she picked up, she exclaimed "Wow! Cool!". The living room was a disaster:



10 things that I learned during the last month:

1. Always buy an airplane seat for your 21-month old.
2. Benadryl works for some kids, but for some it does not...Ophelia falls into the latter category.
3. Vacations without kids are awesome!!! (PJ and I went to Germany and to London on our own while Ophelia stayed with grandparents in Dublin)
4. It only takes 4 weeks for a 21-month old to start speaking Russian when immersed in it.
5. Mom's cooking always tastes better!
6. When in Dublin, always carry an umbrella with you...or better a rain poncho. And summer temperatures are 50-60 degrees F! Now that I am sitting in 100 degree weather, I can't believe that 2 weeks ago I wore jeans and long-sleeved shirts.
7. When they say London is expensive, trust them! It's true! It is ridiculously expensive...
8. Germans are extremely punctual! To the half minute...
9. Ophelia's new favorite dessert is whipped cream from a can.
10. I am getting old and stuck in my ways...meaning that I'm having a hard time leaving the comforts of our home for a long time and I am happy to be back!