Scheduling on to the continent, weeks 2 and 3 are booked and the cost is staying in control! We will spend 2 days in a simple hotel in the heart of Paris ($180) and then 12 days in a converted barn/cabin in Upper Normandy near Honfluer ($425). That makes the whole first month including taxes, fees, parking and whatnot total $1405. Less than at home....but of course also MUCH less space. We will be compromising and adjusting but not as much as I was prepared to. I haven't yet had to give up a nice kitchen, my own bed and WiFi to get a great deal.
For these bookings in France I again used a broad range of tools for searching and gathered email addresses as I went. I narrowed choices down to those that were attractive, convenient, could sleep 3, had a useful kitchen and WiFi with free parking for the car (more on that in a minute). Out of dozens of inquiries looking for the best deal, several responded positively for each location and we negotiated from there. To get there from our first stop in London, we are crossing the channel by Eurostar train where the competitive frequent crossings put the cost at $70 for all 3 of us.
In Paris I knew I wanted specifically the center city near the river but could only afford the high cost of metro lodging for 2 nights. I was surprised to see the fair price on the many private residences that have really nice guests quarters to rent by the night. Breakfast is included in some of these and you can find them from www.tripadvisor.com or just general searches.
Our off-season timing is really working in our favor in France, where I have booked a Normandy coastal cabin for $35 a night. No one wants a beach vacation in the early spring. Nor do I, except to bundle up and stroll the pretty coastline once or twice. But the bus we can catch in the nearby harbor gets us to Paris cheaply in a scenic 1 hour and 45 minutes. I wish it were closer, but everything else is perfect and we will only go in for 2 or 3 day trips. And how great not to worry about parking or driving or toll-paying while touring Paris! Other days we will use a rental car to see the many castles, landmarks, farmers' markets and festival days that are near our temporary home. Some days we will stay put and rest, cook, study, blog, read and relax. The cottage is a section of a thatched-roof 1700's farmhouse that was divided up decades ago and renovated in 2009. I found it here: http://topsun.co.uk/ They squeeze a family into 34 square meters by putting the beds in a loft above the kitchen/dining/living room, which works fine for me. They don't include linens so we are stopping at Ikea on the way. We could have reserved the place all month but I declined, knowing Italy and Hungary are next to plan!
The only holdup so far has been with the vehicle. Yes, there are plenty of late-model, low-mileage, fuel-efficient used cars on the market. But as I get more responses from seasoned travelers and inquire of more local experts I am getting discouraged. It is harder and more costly than I thought to register and insure a car over there. So I wait for more information from the several international corporate giants that I finally contacted today (it hurt to give in but small companies haven't been able to do it). We may be traveling by rail after all. Or using local public transport options everywhere except this rural cottage in Normandy where we will need to rent a car.
More to come....jump in and comment!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
French sauce cheating
Planning for France has reawakened my interest in the art of sauce making. For last night's dinner of roasted chicken, carrots and brown rice I made a simple (and hopefully really French) glaze to drizzle over everything.
Set aside about 1.5 cups of the juices and drippings that result from cooking the meat. In this case, I was using chicken that had brined (soaked in a flavored salty water bath) with tumeric and a bay leaf so after cooking the liquid had those infusions on top of the usual "salty poultry" flavor. To this broth I added a crushed thread of saffron and simmered for 1 minute in the microwave. The idea is to add any good combination of flavorings to create delicious liquid with a slightly overseasoned taste.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan use a tablespoon of good butter to cook 2 rounded tablespoons of pastry flour. If you don't have pastry flour, use the most finely ground soft white flour you have. Unfortunately this is a case where healthy whole wheat won't work, but you don't use much. Stir this paste in the bottom of your pan over med-low heat for 3 minutes.
Slowly add in the broth and turn up the heat. After a minute or so of bubbling the sauce will thicken and you are done! If you aren't worried about calories, an extra pat or 2 of butter melted in at this stage will give you a glossy finish.
I wish I could credit and thank the many sources I gleaned this technique from; a chef friend, my genius big sister, the Food Network and internet recipe sharers. This is, obviously, very flexible and inexact. I do it differently every time but the method is the same. More art, less science, all yum!
Please add any comments, suggestions, thoughts and results on your own saucy experiences!
Set aside about 1.5 cups of the juices and drippings that result from cooking the meat. In this case, I was using chicken that had brined (soaked in a flavored salty water bath) with tumeric and a bay leaf so after cooking the liquid had those infusions on top of the usual "salty poultry" flavor. To this broth I added a crushed thread of saffron and simmered for 1 minute in the microwave. The idea is to add any good combination of flavorings to create delicious liquid with a slightly overseasoned taste.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan use a tablespoon of good butter to cook 2 rounded tablespoons of pastry flour. If you don't have pastry flour, use the most finely ground soft white flour you have. Unfortunately this is a case where healthy whole wheat won't work, but you don't use much. Stir this paste in the bottom of your pan over med-low heat for 3 minutes.
Slowly add in the broth and turn up the heat. After a minute or so of bubbling the sauce will thicken and you are done! If you aren't worried about calories, an extra pat or 2 of butter melted in at this stage will give you a glossy finish.
I wish I could credit and thank the many sources I gleaned this technique from; a chef friend, my genius big sister, the Food Network and internet recipe sharers. This is, obviously, very flexible and inexact. I do it differently every time but the method is the same. More art, less science, all yum!
Please add any comments, suggestions, thoughts and results on your own saucy experiences!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
AdventureMom Planning Progresses to Paris!
Now that the first 2-week leg of the journey is booked, I am diving into the research for France. For London I am lucky to have secured an adorable flat in a historic building for $400 per week including tax, utilities, linens, kitchenware, WiFi and all of our needs. It fits our criteria for a calm and spacious place that connects easily to the city center, in this case by rail in 25-30 minutes. I am using the same strategies for Paris but it looks to be trickier, mostly due to our arrival date in mid-April putting us into their pricier season.
Many potential options are showing on proprty advertising venues like http://www.france-gites.com/, http://www.gites-de-france.com/gites/uk/rural_gites, http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/france/ and scattered around among Google search hits. Some of the areas that I am scouring for privately run affordable vacation rentals (or Gites) include Fontainebleau, Poligny, Chelles, Orleans, Noisy, Melun, and many more. I am surprised to see reasonably priced options within Paris, but I am avoiding those for the same reasons I did for London. We are not used to traffic and noise. We need more space and comfort for our long stay than we can possibly afford in the metro area. I want enough utility in the kitchen to prepare fresh meals while the kids do their schoolwork. The car we will use for our excursions needs a safe place to rest. Most crucially, too many days with intense stimulation will overload us to the point of burnout. So I hope the perfect rural gite in just the right location will be available and in our tight budget!
Feel free to copy all of this if you are planning a trip, but please not until AFTER I get ours booked :) The enquiry I have been sending out to all likely prospects goes much like this:
Bonjour. Je serai en France du 10 avril au 24 avril 2010 avec mes 2 enfants âgés de 9 et 11. Nous sommes intéressés par votre gîte et vous vous demandez ce que le total des charges serait pour les 14 jours avec des rabais, les taxes et les extras. Aussi, nous avons besoin d'utiliser l'internet pour leur travail scolaire et la nécessité de confirmer que WiFi, il est dans l'appartement ou à proximité. Merci, Jodi
Or prior to being translated by the internet and my daughter:
Hello. I will be in France from April 10 to April 24, 2010 with my 2 children aged 9 and 11. We are interested in your smaller gite and wonder what the total expenses would be for 14 days with taxes and extras. Are there any discounts for long stays or paying cash? Also, we need to use the Internet for schoolwork and must confirm that there is WiFi in the room or someplace nearby enough for a short drive.
Thank you,
Jodi
The budget is on track so far, with the tax-included price to fly 3 of us there: $1700
Car rental for 14 of the days in France should cost: $400
Registration, insurance, tolls, roadside assistance coverage and fuel for our little car: $200
Public transportation for 2 weeks in England, a few of the Budapest days and the last week in Venice: $120
Food budget is double what is normal at home: $2000 (Although I will continue fixing most meals from local produce and fresh groceries I do anticipate special costs.)
Accommodations that fit all of our needs, averaging $60 a day for 87 days: $5220
Museums and attraction: $1000 (Most of our most looked forward to activities are free- Louvre children's tickets, all of the British Museum general areas, farmer's markets throughout Europe, many of the best and calmest castles, several stone henges other than Stonehenge, libraries, river walks, wandering the cities and talking to people.)
All of this is converted to dollars, rounded up and post taxes-and-fees. Hopefully the good results keep coming! Total for 2+ months' adventure of a lifetime if we're lucky and careful: $10,640
Many potential options are showing on proprty advertising venues like http://www.france-gites.com/, http://www.gites-de-france.com/gites/uk/rural_gites, http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/france/ and scattered around among Google search hits. Some of the areas that I am scouring for privately run affordable vacation rentals (or Gites) include Fontainebleau, Poligny, Chelles, Orleans, Noisy, Melun, and many more. I am surprised to see reasonably priced options within Paris, but I am avoiding those for the same reasons I did for London. We are not used to traffic and noise. We need more space and comfort for our long stay than we can possibly afford in the metro area. I want enough utility in the kitchen to prepare fresh meals while the kids do their schoolwork. The car we will use for our excursions needs a safe place to rest. Most crucially, too many days with intense stimulation will overload us to the point of burnout. So I hope the perfect rural gite in just the right location will be available and in our tight budget!
Feel free to copy all of this if you are planning a trip, but please not until AFTER I get ours booked :) The enquiry I have been sending out to all likely prospects goes much like this:
Bonjour. Je serai en France du 10 avril au 24 avril 2010 avec mes 2 enfants âgés de 9 et 11. Nous sommes intéressés par votre gîte et vous vous demandez ce que le total des charges serait pour les 14 jours avec des rabais, les taxes et les extras. Aussi, nous avons besoin d'utiliser l'internet pour leur travail scolaire et la nécessité de confirmer que WiFi, il est dans l'appartement ou à proximité. Merci, Jodi
Or prior to being translated by the internet and my daughter:
Hello. I will be in France from April 10 to April 24, 2010 with my 2 children aged 9 and 11. We are interested in your smaller gite and wonder what the total expenses would be for 14 days with taxes and extras. Are there any discounts for long stays or paying cash? Also, we need to use the Internet for schoolwork and must confirm that there is WiFi in the room or someplace nearby enough for a short drive.
Thank you,
Jodi
The budget is on track so far, with the tax-included price to fly 3 of us there: $1700
Car rental for 14 of the days in France should cost: $400
Registration, insurance, tolls, roadside assistance coverage and fuel for our little car: $200
Public transportation for 2 weeks in England, a few of the Budapest days and the last week in Venice: $120
Food budget is double what is normal at home: $2000 (Although I will continue fixing most meals from local produce and fresh groceries I do anticipate special costs.)
Accommodations that fit all of our needs, averaging $60 a day for 87 days: $5220
Museums and attraction: $1000 (Most of our most looked forward to activities are free- Louvre children's tickets, all of the British Museum general areas, farmer's markets throughout Europe, many of the best and calmest castles, several stone henges other than Stonehenge, libraries, river walks, wandering the cities and talking to people.)
All of this is converted to dollars, rounded up and post taxes-and-fees. Hopefully the good results keep coming! Total for 2+ months' adventure of a lifetime if we're lucky and careful: $10,640
Monday, January 11, 2010
The kids' perspective on the first day of Homeschooling
Maddy (11):
The most efficient things about homeschooling are that there's no classroom full of 10-12 year olds complaining like 5 year olds, there's more room to learn, and you can learn freely, not just in one small, quick subject. Different things will be hard to get accustomed to, like there is not one subject you can focus on. You have to think and research, not have the teacher tell you exactly where to look. But the thing that is beyond compare, is that there's no text books. Text books are heavy and hard to take from point A to point B, being big and bulky. But the undesirable part is that no other kids (other than my brother) here to learn beside me. My brother is wonderful to be with though, plus I can see my friends when they get out of school. In fact today I saw 4 friends for a half hour visit. All in all a pretty good day!
Chris (9):
In my experience (I should have said "one day of limited experience") I believe this is an interesting and exceptional way to do school. Sure, there's no kids (except Maddy but she's not bad for a girl) but it's still agreeable. It feels nice to finally get some quality school time, without paper-airplanes and yelling fourth grade boys. It's more peaceful and less stressing. Just to tell you, I kind of like it already. But the best part is no homework! Yes! Well, we also learned a lot like how to divide fractions and I passed a test on California history. Plus this homeschooling is how we get to go on a trip all over Europe. Au Revoir!
Mom:
Wait until I tell them we probably will have many textbooks after we meet with their teacher tomorrow. Never mind all the books I have on request at the library. But wow, did they impress me today. They gave full effort all day long and got much further than I had planned. This makes me feel more confidant about being ahead of the game when it is time to travel. Tomorrow's meeting will bring a lot of fine-tuning and revisions, I imagine.
The most efficient things about homeschooling are that there's no classroom full of 10-12 year olds complaining like 5 year olds, there's more room to learn, and you can learn freely, not just in one small, quick subject. Different things will be hard to get accustomed to, like there is not one subject you can focus on. You have to think and research, not have the teacher tell you exactly where to look. But the thing that is beyond compare, is that there's no text books. Text books are heavy and hard to take from point A to point B, being big and bulky. But the undesirable part is that no other kids (other than my brother) here to learn beside me. My brother is wonderful to be with though, plus I can see my friends when they get out of school. In fact today I saw 4 friends for a half hour visit. All in all a pretty good day!
Chris (9):
In my experience (I should have said "one day of limited experience") I believe this is an interesting and exceptional way to do school. Sure, there's no kids (except Maddy but she's not bad for a girl) but it's still agreeable. It feels nice to finally get some quality school time, without paper-airplanes and yelling fourth grade boys. It's more peaceful and less stressing. Just to tell you, I kind of like it already. But the best part is no homework! Yes! Well, we also learned a lot like how to divide fractions and I passed a test on California history. Plus this homeschooling is how we get to go on a trip all over Europe. Au Revoir!
Mom:
Wait until I tell them we probably will have many textbooks after we meet with their teacher tomorrow. Never mind all the books I have on request at the library. But wow, did they impress me today. They gave full effort all day long and got much further than I had planned. This makes me feel more confidant about being ahead of the game when it is time to travel. Tomorrow's meeting will bring a lot of fine-tuning and revisions, I imagine.
Homeschool preparations
As the departure time (spring 2010) drew closer, I found myself in a position of having a MUCH larger block of time than I expected for traveling. But the employment challenges that gave me time also took half of the allotted funds off the table. I am lucky enough to have that sorted out so we can still comfortably travel. I may even come out ahead if I can get a travel book published, but regardless we are finding ways to use less money while spending the extra time while (see prior and future posts). But how to excuse the children from school for so long?
In a fortunate coincidence, while searching in vain for permission from the district for the children to spend the last portion of this school year learning online or with packets or any other long distance method, I found a local charter school that has been a perfect fit. Most areas seem to have charter schools and a google search or call to your district office will help anyone interested in more information. The one I found has a full-time on campus program but also supports homeschooling families with curriculum and guidance. They even offer a blended program allowing children to attend partially online and in person. All options are aligned with state standards and customized for each learners abilities and pace. Although we have almost eleven weeks to wait before the big trip, the homeschool semester starts tomorrow and we are excited!
My forth and sixth graders will share the same teacher. But, as we enrolled right before the holiday break that ends tomorrow, the meeting to set up lessons has not yet been possible. I have grade appropriate activities ready for the next few days to get us through. More vitally, both kids sat down with me today and mapped out what the daily schedule will be until we leave for Europe and everything changes. Many of their lessons are web-based, so I am thankful that they each have their own (secondhand and slow but reliable) laptop. Our county library system is also a wealth of free tools and information. As we progress I will post more on which resources and sites work best for us. Roughly, our school week will break down like this:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
10:00-11:30 Math (This week we are using tests made from "released California content standards math grade 4" and "....grade 6" to establish what they need to study. Any homeschooler parent or tutor could search for their child's state and grade.)
11:30-12:30 Rosetta Stone (German for Chris and French for Maddy while I brush up on my Spanish. Won't we look funny all in a row with our headphones on, talking to ourselves?)
12:30-1:10 Lunch (Healthy, fresh, sustainable non-prepackaged food that may sometimes even fit with the day's lessons.) :)
1:15 to 1:45 P.E. (I plan to let the kids choose this every day. We are surrounded by walking paths, they have bikes and skateboards and we have videos of everything from yoga and strength training to kenpo.)
1:45 to 3:00 Social Studies (Chris as a forth grader will study all things California from earthquakes and geography to missions. Maddy is lucky enough to have a chance to focus on Western Civilization, particularly this semester ancient Greece, Rome and Hebrews. We will learn about the Romans, for example, while we are in London visiting the Elgin Marbles in the Parthenon exhibit of the British Museum and then many attractions like the ancient walls and public baths that are still open throughout Europe.)
3:00 to 3:30 Break (This is when they used to get home from school and their friends will all be available to play for a bit.)
3:30-5:00 Language Arts (Using proper grammar and growing vocabulary to write about what we are studying, books we are reading, where we are traveling and more.)
Tuesday and Thursday
10:00-12:00 Science (We will start with a unit on volcanoes and earthquakes since Madeline has plate tectonics in her requirements and Chris has rock types plus California geology. Some great resources, visuals and lessons are on http://education.usgs.gov/california/index.html if you are interested. I can't decide if it should culminate in a visit to the San Andreas fault where the cracks show or a model volcano project.)
12:00-12:30 Spelling
12:30-3:30 Lunch followed by P.E. and Social Studies then Break as outlined for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
3:30-5:00 Reading (They read every day already, but these specific time slots will be assigned books with a choice of either a test or a report after they finish.)
In a fortunate coincidence, while searching in vain for permission from the district for the children to spend the last portion of this school year learning online or with packets or any other long distance method, I found a local charter school that has been a perfect fit. Most areas seem to have charter schools and a google search or call to your district office will help anyone interested in more information. The one I found has a full-time on campus program but also supports homeschooling families with curriculum and guidance. They even offer a blended program allowing children to attend partially online and in person. All options are aligned with state standards and customized for each learners abilities and pace. Although we have almost eleven weeks to wait before the big trip, the homeschool semester starts tomorrow and we are excited!
My forth and sixth graders will share the same teacher. But, as we enrolled right before the holiday break that ends tomorrow, the meeting to set up lessons has not yet been possible. I have grade appropriate activities ready for the next few days to get us through. More vitally, both kids sat down with me today and mapped out what the daily schedule will be until we leave for Europe and everything changes. Many of their lessons are web-based, so I am thankful that they each have their own (secondhand and slow but reliable) laptop. Our county library system is also a wealth of free tools and information. As we progress I will post more on which resources and sites work best for us. Roughly, our school week will break down like this:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
10:00-11:30 Math (This week we are using tests made from "released California content standards math grade 4" and "....grade 6" to establish what they need to study. Any homeschooler parent or tutor could search for their child's state and grade.)
11:30-12:30 Rosetta Stone (German for Chris and French for Maddy while I brush up on my Spanish. Won't we look funny all in a row with our headphones on, talking to ourselves?)
12:30-1:10 Lunch (Healthy, fresh, sustainable non-prepackaged food that may sometimes even fit with the day's lessons.) :)
1:15 to 1:45 P.E. (I plan to let the kids choose this every day. We are surrounded by walking paths, they have bikes and skateboards and we have videos of everything from yoga and strength training to kenpo.)
1:45 to 3:00 Social Studies (Chris as a forth grader will study all things California from earthquakes and geography to missions. Maddy is lucky enough to have a chance to focus on Western Civilization, particularly this semester ancient Greece, Rome and Hebrews. We will learn about the Romans, for example, while we are in London visiting the Elgin Marbles in the Parthenon exhibit of the British Museum and then many attractions like the ancient walls and public baths that are still open throughout Europe.)
3:00 to 3:30 Break (This is when they used to get home from school and their friends will all be available to play for a bit.)
3:30-5:00 Language Arts (Using proper grammar and growing vocabulary to write about what we are studying, books we are reading, where we are traveling and more.)
Tuesday and Thursday
10:00-12:00 Science (We will start with a unit on volcanoes and earthquakes since Madeline has plate tectonics in her requirements and Chris has rock types plus California geology. Some great resources, visuals and lessons are on http://education.usgs.gov/california/index.html if you are interested. I can't decide if it should culminate in a visit to the San Andreas fault where the cracks show or a model volcano project.)
12:00-12:30 Spelling
12:30-3:30 Lunch followed by P.E. and Social Studies then Break as outlined for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
3:30-5:00 Reading (They read every day already, but these specific time slots will be assigned books with a choice of either a test or a report after they finish.)
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Adventure Itinerary and Budget, part 1
Now to the meat of it, let's see the itinerary and budget for the 9 weeks. As this is an out-loud-in-public forum, and since the plans are still in progress anyway, the details I am about to share are inexact and flexible. But I do want to give enough information to be useful to anyone interested in undertaking an adventure of your own. Throughout this whole process I will try to uncover and then post as much information as possible on European travel that is exciting, affordable and enlightening for both parents and kids.
First, to get to the continent we obviously have to find the most affordable and practical transatlantic flights. It is much cheaper to depart from the east coast, for obvious reasons. But we live in California and it looks impossibly complex to cart the kids around in order to time a cheaper departure. After much comparing and evaluating, the choice I made is to fly out of Los Angeles to London. The competition between Virgin, United, British Airways and others keeps this route fairly reasonable. Just as key, it is very practical and helps me start and end the trip in a simple uncluttered way. With taxes, fees and nitpicking incidental costs, the lowest priced flights I have found (my favorites currently are www.kayak.com, www.vayama.com and www.tripadvisor.com) are $720 per person round trip leaving late in March. I am monitoring fluctuations and have price-change alerts set, knowing that historically the best time-frame for purchase of this flight is 6 weeks out. Many travelers will choose to go "open-jaw" meaning they will fly in to one country and leave out of another. This saves you from costly return travel and redundant sightseeing. However, I have chosen instead to use a round trip (LAX-LHR-LAX) that involves also a "round" driving route, going in a large circle. This is a cheaper flight, it starts us out in a culturally familiar English-speaking country, and it gives me a comfortable area to start out and then end the trip in.
UPDATE: WE endend up using an open-jaw route after all because we got a deal we couldn't miss. All three tickets with all added fees etc from LAX to London then Venice to LAX for $1750.
The first 2-week block (or fortnight!) will be in the suburbs of London. My military connections gave me a semi-unique advantage or two (although they were not solid enough to enable the free MAC flights that many are eligible for, darn it). We can use lodging options that are really nice and extremely affordable. If you think you may qualify, visit www.afvclub.com and www.dodlodging.net for more information. To begin the trip, however, these great and cheap options were not putting us close enough to the attractions like the British Museum, the Tate, Parliament and all things London. It didn't help that I am insisting on two-week periods of a stable home-base from which to explore. I feel this slower travel style will help the children keep up with their school work (more to come on that) while also seeing that we all get the most out of each experience, place and culture. We also need accommodations with kitchens as I will be making 80% of our meals.
The best options I found near London turned out to be the plentiful and widely varied private "short-term lets" on sites like www.holidaylettings.co.uk or www.bedycasa.com and www.flipkey.com and many others. Obviously the nearer to downtown, the more expensive. Luxury, size, convenience and location all have their price. Be aware that if you are open to a longer stay, have flexible dates or are able to pay in cash, the advertised prices can become negotiable. Just do not ever wire money or send untraceable deposits to anyone. I plan to use Paypal, common sense and advice from seasoned, sensible travelers.
My arrangements are with a nice family in a suburb 30 minutes south of Big Ben on good rail connections. We will rent their small apartment with a tidy kitchenette, bathroom, sitting/dining area and beds for the 3 of us. This little hideaway also offers comfort, internet access and parking at a total cost of $800 for 14 days. They provide all we need including utensils, linens and advice. In France they call these homey rentals gites. A quick google search will show a plethora of options once you know your destination, budget and criteria. It gives us privacy and space, with the ability to cook and space to do evening school work after a full day of adventuring.
While in this first "home" we will use the train to go into London proper to explore the British Museum exhibits (all free!) several times. We will ride the public buses around town and get off at all the squares, monuments and historical spots we can handle. At least twice we will trek off to outlying must-tour areas like Bath and Cambridge for full day trips. Every night there will be maps and background history to study as part of both the fun and the learning. The time spent by the kids for reading and studying lets me prepare dinner as well as portable meals for the next day in between helping them with schoolwork.
While we travel, the children will remain enrolled in public school. We are lucky enough to have an innovative charter school that allows online and distance education. They will share the same teacher who is tailoring curriculum for each of them to fit the state standards for their grade. Best of all, their studies will incorporate all of the different elements of the trip. Their language arts lessons will include journal entries about each day's sights. History and social studies will be taught in situ. Math, while universal, becomes more meaningful as they help me convert currency and distances. Science, spelling and other requirements will be taught via online workshops and packets. Maddy is learning French and Chris is learning German as part of the preparation in these months leading up to the trip.
Whew... if you stuck with me this far, I know you will want to check back in as I add details.
First, to get to the continent we obviously have to find the most affordable and practical transatlantic flights. It is much cheaper to depart from the east coast, for obvious reasons. But we live in California and it looks impossibly complex to cart the kids around in order to time a cheaper departure. After much comparing and evaluating, the choice I made is to fly out of Los Angeles to London. The competition between Virgin, United, British Airways and others keeps this route fairly reasonable. Just as key, it is very practical and helps me start and end the trip in a simple uncluttered way. With taxes, fees and nitpicking incidental costs, the lowest priced flights I have found (my favorites currently are www.kayak.com, www.vayama.com and www.tripadvisor.com) are $720 per person round trip leaving late in March. I am monitoring fluctuations and have price-change alerts set, knowing that historically the best time-frame for purchase of this flight is 6 weeks out. Many travelers will choose to go "open-jaw" meaning they will fly in to one country and leave out of another. This saves you from costly return travel and redundant sightseeing. However, I have chosen instead to use a round trip (LAX-LHR-LAX) that involves also a "round" driving route, going in a large circle. This is a cheaper flight, it starts us out in a culturally familiar English-speaking country, and it gives me a comfortable area to start out and then end the trip in.
UPDATE: WE endend up using an open-jaw route after all because we got a deal we couldn't miss. All three tickets with all added fees etc from LAX to London then Venice to LAX for $1750.
The first 2-week block (or fortnight!) will be in the suburbs of London. My military connections gave me a semi-unique advantage or two (although they were not solid enough to enable the free MAC flights that many are eligible for, darn it). We can use lodging options that are really nice and extremely affordable. If you think you may qualify, visit www.afvclub.com and www.dodlodging.net for more information. To begin the trip, however, these great and cheap options were not putting us close enough to the attractions like the British Museum, the Tate, Parliament and all things London. It didn't help that I am insisting on two-week periods of a stable home-base from which to explore. I feel this slower travel style will help the children keep up with their school work (more to come on that) while also seeing that we all get the most out of each experience, place and culture. We also need accommodations with kitchens as I will be making 80% of our meals.
The best options I found near London turned out to be the plentiful and widely varied private "short-term lets" on sites like www.holidaylettings.co.uk or www.bedycasa.com and www.flipkey.com and many others. Obviously the nearer to downtown, the more expensive. Luxury, size, convenience and location all have their price. Be aware that if you are open to a longer stay, have flexible dates or are able to pay in cash, the advertised prices can become negotiable. Just do not ever wire money or send untraceable deposits to anyone. I plan to use Paypal, common sense and advice from seasoned, sensible travelers.
My arrangements are with a nice family in a suburb 30 minutes south of Big Ben on good rail connections. We will rent their small apartment with a tidy kitchenette, bathroom, sitting/dining area and beds for the 3 of us. This little hideaway also offers comfort, internet access and parking at a total cost of $800 for 14 days. They provide all we need including utensils, linens and advice. In France they call these homey rentals gites. A quick google search will show a plethora of options once you know your destination, budget and criteria. It gives us privacy and space, with the ability to cook and space to do evening school work after a full day of adventuring.
While in this first "home" we will use the train to go into London proper to explore the British Museum exhibits (all free!) several times. We will ride the public buses around town and get off at all the squares, monuments and historical spots we can handle. At least twice we will trek off to outlying must-tour areas like Bath and Cambridge for full day trips. Every night there will be maps and background history to study as part of both the fun and the learning. The time spent by the kids for reading and studying lets me prepare dinner as well as portable meals for the next day in between helping them with schoolwork.
While we travel, the children will remain enrolled in public school. We are lucky enough to have an innovative charter school that allows online and distance education. They will share the same teacher who is tailoring curriculum for each of them to fit the state standards for their grade. Best of all, their studies will incorporate all of the different elements of the trip. Their language arts lessons will include journal entries about each day's sights. History and social studies will be taught in situ. Math, while universal, becomes more meaningful as they help me convert currency and distances. Science, spelling and other requirements will be taught via online workshops and packets. Maddy is learning French and Chris is learning German as part of the preparation in these months leading up to the trip.
Whew... if you stuck with me this far, I know you will want to check back in as I add details.
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