All Over the Map
experiential travel
Brussels with Kids: The New Belgian Chocolate
When you take a bite of one of Laurent Gerbaud’s chocolates you notice a progression of flavors in your mouth. First the chocolate, creamy and dark, from cocoa beans cultivated and collected for their intense flavors from Madagascar and Ecuador. Then the subtleties of the flavors emerge – fruity, nutty, sweet. But wait. Gerbaud is more »
The well-lived childhood
A few years ago, our pediatrician walked into the examination room, took one look at my three boys and said, “They are filthy!” I blushed deeply and took them in through a stranger’s eyes. Their knees were dirty with backyard dirt, their nails had traces of brightly colored paint, and their hair could use a more »
Language Immersion Vacation “En Familia”
In the words of Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini, “A different language is a different vision of life.” As I learned from the a local Mount Vernon-area family, a family immersion vacation is a great way to expose children to a different culture and lifestyle, receive excellent language instruction from native speakers, and discover a new more »
The first steps toward the nomadic life
I can’t say it’s the first step. I’ve been pushing for it ever since the kids were born. My husband and I have talked about it a few times a year since they were toddlers. When can we take the kids on a trip around the world? I always thought age 10 would be the more »
Jacques in the Land of Tintin
In Belgium, dog-eared copies of young journalist Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy’s world adventures litter the bedrooms of kids of all ages. Since I was born in Belgium and lived there until age nine, I consider Tintin to be a major part of my cultural heritage and introduced my own boys to him at more »
DC’s Hidden Gems: The Woodrow Wilson House
We’ve been very busy for the past month writing up our lovely city for the DC Digiguide app. I’ve loved writing about some my favorite places, like the Building Museum, Eastern Market, and the Einstein Statue. What I am relishing, though, is discovering hidden gems that have always been right under my nose. I’ll more »
Can You Eat Like a Local in Venice with Kids?
“Avoid the restaurants with tourist menus.” Good advice, generally. Almost goes without saying in experiential travel. But… in Italy, where even a truck stop meal can satisfy on many levels, would it be so bad to go in search of spaghetti bolognese off a tourist menu if that’s what the kids want? Continue reading
Chocolate for Breakfast
When Mr. T and I lived in the Netherlands for a year, we were determined to live and eat (and drink) like the Dutch. Fresh bread and cheese daily. (Any kind of cheese you want, as long as it’s Gouda.) Coffee all day and all night, but always in the little bitty cups. Indonesian food more »
