I like people to think I'm a gutsy broad, that I'm very strong and courageous and talented. Ok, I know I'm all those things, and more, but what I mean is that I often do things that make people go "wow, I couldn't - or wouldn't - do that! hats off to you!" One of those things I think was taking this trip...with Tyler. The night before I left, laying in bed trying to calm my buzzing mind, I thought to myself "are you on crack?" and then reassured myself it would be ok. On the ride to the airport Tony half seriously suggested that I leave Tyler with him but I told him not to be silly, this was going to be ok. Besides, I haven't spent a single night away from him, nor him me (obviously) let alone 2 weeks! Also there was the fact that Auntie April was dying to see him. I couldn't leave him home. It would be ok. It has been ok - that said, I'm gathering all the strength, patience and energy I have left (which isn't much) to make it through the last few days. Wow, that makes it sound nearly horrible, and it's not, but I also think I'm just being very strong and not allowing myself to admit or really feel the drain. When I land in San Francisco on Wednesday after being gone for 16 days and just finishing nearly 13 hours of flying between 2 flights starting at 430 a.m. I fully expect myself to break down in tears and crumble in Tony's arms when I see him. No, it hasn't been a nightmare, at all, but it has been a HUGE challenge. Throughout each day I beat myself up inside for putting Tyler through all this. I know he will not be scarred for life - or even remember this! But it has taken a toll on me. I know I'm a good mom and I'm an awesome traveler but I also tend to extend myself where I probably shouldn't, all for the sake of Living Life! I don't regret this trip and I don't regret bringing Tyler but I just needed to take a minute to feel sorry for myself, to beat up on myself, to admit that I'm not quite as strong and fabulous - notice I said not quite as ;) I need to cry but I can't, and that largely has to do with my blazing allergy headache and knowing that even though tears may relieve a little of one pain, they will likely greatly increase another, i.e. my headache.
Tyler is napping now on April's bed - maybe there is a god?! We've had a rough morning and I'm pretty sure he's not feeling well. I gave him some tylenol and lots of love but he's refused much of his food and hasn't taken his bottle at all in 12+ hours. I summoned all my patience as he pinched me repeatedly and got into messes and attempted to drink from Auntie April's lotion bottle and then kept waking up as I laid him down after rocking him and singing him to sleep in my arms. April is teaching a class but should be home in an hour, we are supposed to do the last bit of sight seeing before I leave Wednesday at the ass-crack of dawn. All I want to do is stay in this apartment, work on my blog, re-pack, avoid the flying pollen outside and rest my achey bones. But I'll muster up the spirit and pack Tyler into the stroller and at the end of the day I'll be glad I did. And before I know it I'll be home and life will return to normal...and I'll be dreaming and plotting the next trip!!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Official Day 1 Praha
(as I write this it's actually officially a week since it was officially day one but we've been on the go and Tyler has been extra clingy and fussy being out of his element so finding time to write has been a major challenge! when the time does present itself i feel more like taking a load off, as i do right now, but the trip is getting blurry already so i figured i should get some more stuff down!)
SO, Wednesday May 12 began with Tyler doing an adorable thing that he's never done before, and it may have been mere accident/coincidence but just when he needed a change he picked up a diaper and the wipes from the suitcase and brought them to me! too funny! We got a bit of a late start and walked 8 long blocks to a nearby mall called Palac Flora where we had a little brunch at Cafe Paul inside - a non-smoking, yummy, swanky'ish euro decorated little spot April likes. She had the typical Euro breakfast - a coffee and a baguette with butter and jam. I opted for the tuna baguette, it just looked right and felt right and boy did it taste right - once I removed the tomato of course! From there we hit a few stores in the mall for some necessities - toilet paper (I'm sure you can find big, soft, squishy toilet paper like we get at home but it costs a lot more and just isn't as common so hence the rather stiff, colored, small roles of tp they use here) and a few groceries at Albert, the main grocery store here. Grocery stores here are nothing like at home of course, they are much smaller and not filled with as much junk! Incidentally, they don't seem to have applesauce here (just like peanut butter which I mail to April every few months from the states) but since it's just for Tyler's oatmeal I bought a jar of babyfood that had a picture of an apple on it :) Oh and one last note, you have to pay for your plastic bags here at the stores, we should do that at home and maybe we would all recycle more.
Of course in San Francisco we have banned plastic bags from grocery stores, so that's a start.
After unloading our grocs at home we headed back out, taking the tram to Letna Park which is this georgeous expanse on top of a hill overlooking the city. Appropriately, there's a large beer garden where you can sit and enjoy said view. We hung out there a while, catching up, giggling as only sisters can, drank a couple beers and were on our way. From here the details get fuzzy, we walked around a lot and saw a lot so I guess I'll have to defer to my photos. We walked through Old Town Square where there were suddenly hoards of people/tourists, esp. in front of the famous Astrological Clock which April said wasn't worth standing around craning your neck at until the top of the hour to watch some minor little display of "cuck-oo" - hardly a reward. I suppose I should really check it out for myself though, just so I can say I've seen it, but it was only ten past the hour. I'll have to try to plan to be passing by at the top of the hour before I leave and then report back! Here in the Old Town Square I saw my first Starbucks since leaving the US! I figure if I get desperate I know where to go - however, I did bring along a bag of my own ground coffee so I wouldn't wake up each morning and freak out wondering when and where the start of my day was going to come! I forgot my single cup cone coffee jobbie tho and actually used a spagetti collander over a big bowl the first morning with my filters until April showed me that her flatmates owned a wonderful little metal euro coffee maker where you screw the top and bottom together, put water in the bottom receptacle and fill the middle container with coffee and put the whole thing on the stove. I feel rather silly to admit that we have one at home but I've never asked Tony how to use it!! I've fallen in love with it though so I'm glad to know we've got one!
There's all kinds of "stuff" in the souvenier shops here that is tempting to buy...but what is the significance and is it truly Czech? For instance, there's a ton of Matrushka (sp?) dolls here, but I saw all that and bought those in Russia! I guess we are close to Russia and maybe the dolls aren't just from Russia, but regardless - been there, bought that. Next is a lot of Czech crystal in the form of georgeous etched wine, apertif and liquer glasses as well as decanters, jewelry and then all kinds of animals and other crap! There's a lot of puppets too and I'm not sure why, but there are whole stores devoted to them. Many of them are kinda creepy but some are cute. April and I had a good chuckle walking through Old Town past some puppet shops where the woman working the shop was standing in the doorway casually working the wrist and fingers of one hand, manipulating the puppet below in some pretty impressive dance moves, as if it were nothing, as she watched the tourists go by. Other random "Czech" items include Cannibis Vodka, Absinthe, Mucha memorabilia (having to exert major control for not purchasing in this category, but we're going to a Mucha museum this weekend and I'll likely splurge then), some funny little mole or groundhog character, etc. etc.
We ventured over the very crowded Charles Bridge next, with all its amazing statues lining both sides. The views both up and down the river were beautiful and the statues very impressive but it was cold, windy and did I mention crowded?! Typical though. There were all kinds of artists doting the bridge, selling handmade jewelry and offering caricatures but most impressive were the photos of the bridge, in black & white, in sepia, in the summer, covered in snow, in the day, in the night but all of them without a single person on the bridge! Was this some sort of photoshop trick? I don't know, but I'm very tempted to buy one, they are truly breathtaking - which the bridge is, if you can manage to zone out the crowds of people and noise of dozens of different languages being spoken.
We walked through the Jewish Quarter. This is when we saw the statue created after some Kafka book? where this dude is riding on a headless suit. It was disturbing but I don't know the story. I assume it would still be disturbing in some sense if I did know the story. We also saw lots of crazy graffiti which is everywhere. The artistic kind is at least amusing, interesting and somehow passable regardless of it being all over the sides of buildings; however, the kind that just look like kids tagging their names - which is really everywhere - is just shit. We stopped for a snack (of nachos!!) and Tyler ate his first green olive - enjoying the first one, spitting out the second one half chewed ;) More wandering after this and then home. It stays light so late here, we hardly realized it was 9! Figuring we had a late lunch and weren't yet hungry we just went home and relaxed from the day and hit the sack!
SO, Wednesday May 12 began with Tyler doing an adorable thing that he's never done before, and it may have been mere accident/coincidence but just when he needed a change he picked up a diaper and the wipes from the suitcase and brought them to me! too funny! We got a bit of a late start and walked 8 long blocks to a nearby mall called Palac Flora where we had a little brunch at Cafe Paul inside - a non-smoking, yummy, swanky'ish euro decorated little spot April likes. She had the typical Euro breakfast - a coffee and a baguette with butter and jam. I opted for the tuna baguette, it just looked right and felt right and boy did it taste right - once I removed the tomato of course! From there we hit a few stores in the mall for some necessities - toilet paper (I'm sure you can find big, soft, squishy toilet paper like we get at home but it costs a lot more and just isn't as common so hence the rather stiff, colored, small roles of tp they use here) and a few groceries at Albert, the main grocery store here. Grocery stores here are nothing like at home of course, they are much smaller and not filled with as much junk! Incidentally, they don't seem to have applesauce here (just like peanut butter which I mail to April every few months from the states) but since it's just for Tyler's oatmeal I bought a jar of babyfood that had a picture of an apple on it :) Oh and one last note, you have to pay for your plastic bags here at the stores, we should do that at home and maybe we would all recycle more.
Of course in San Francisco we have banned plastic bags from grocery stores, so that's a start.
After unloading our grocs at home we headed back out, taking the tram to Letna Park which is this georgeous expanse on top of a hill overlooking the city. Appropriately, there's a large beer garden where you can sit and enjoy said view. We hung out there a while, catching up, giggling as only sisters can, drank a couple beers and were on our way. From here the details get fuzzy, we walked around a lot and saw a lot so I guess I'll have to defer to my photos. We walked through Old Town Square where there were suddenly hoards of people/tourists, esp. in front of the famous Astrological Clock which April said wasn't worth standing around craning your neck at until the top of the hour to watch some minor little display of "cuck-oo" - hardly a reward. I suppose I should really check it out for myself though, just so I can say I've seen it, but it was only ten past the hour. I'll have to try to plan to be passing by at the top of the hour before I leave and then report back! Here in the Old Town Square I saw my first Starbucks since leaving the US! I figure if I get desperate I know where to go - however, I did bring along a bag of my own ground coffee so I wouldn't wake up each morning and freak out wondering when and where the start of my day was going to come! I forgot my single cup cone coffee jobbie tho and actually used a spagetti collander over a big bowl the first morning with my filters until April showed me that her flatmates owned a wonderful little metal euro coffee maker where you screw the top and bottom together, put water in the bottom receptacle and fill the middle container with coffee and put the whole thing on the stove. I feel rather silly to admit that we have one at home but I've never asked Tony how to use it!! I've fallen in love with it though so I'm glad to know we've got one!
There's all kinds of "stuff" in the souvenier shops here that is tempting to buy...but what is the significance and is it truly Czech? For instance, there's a ton of Matrushka (sp?) dolls here, but I saw all that and bought those in Russia! I guess we are close to Russia and maybe the dolls aren't just from Russia, but regardless - been there, bought that. Next is a lot of Czech crystal in the form of georgeous etched wine, apertif and liquer glasses as well as decanters, jewelry and then all kinds of animals and other crap! There's a lot of puppets too and I'm not sure why, but there are whole stores devoted to them. Many of them are kinda creepy but some are cute. April and I had a good chuckle walking through Old Town past some puppet shops where the woman working the shop was standing in the doorway casually working the wrist and fingers of one hand, manipulating the puppet below in some pretty impressive dance moves, as if it were nothing, as she watched the tourists go by. Other random "Czech" items include Cannibis Vodka, Absinthe, Mucha memorabilia (having to exert major control for not purchasing in this category, but we're going to a Mucha museum this weekend and I'll likely splurge then), some funny little mole or groundhog character, etc. etc.
We ventured over the very crowded Charles Bridge next, with all its amazing statues lining both sides. The views both up and down the river were beautiful and the statues very impressive but it was cold, windy and did I mention crowded?! Typical though. There were all kinds of artists doting the bridge, selling handmade jewelry and offering caricatures but most impressive were the photos of the bridge, in black & white, in sepia, in the summer, covered in snow, in the day, in the night but all of them without a single person on the bridge! Was this some sort of photoshop trick? I don't know, but I'm very tempted to buy one, they are truly breathtaking - which the bridge is, if you can manage to zone out the crowds of people and noise of dozens of different languages being spoken.
We walked through the Jewish Quarter. This is when we saw the statue created after some Kafka book? where this dude is riding on a headless suit. It was disturbing but I don't know the story. I assume it would still be disturbing in some sense if I did know the story. We also saw lots of crazy graffiti which is everywhere. The artistic kind is at least amusing, interesting and somehow passable regardless of it being all over the sides of buildings; however, the kind that just look like kids tagging their names - which is really everywhere - is just shit. We stopped for a snack (of nachos!!) and Tyler ate his first green olive - enjoying the first one, spitting out the second one half chewed ;) More wandering after this and then home. It stays light so late here, we hardly realized it was 9! Figuring we had a late lunch and weren't yet hungry we just went home and relaxed from the day and hit the sack!
Monday, May 17, 2010
never been accused of International Child Kidnapping!
now that was a first! but let me begin at the beginning...
The flight from SF to Amsterdam was only mildy painful, Tyler slept a good chunk of the way and ate well and only threw minimal tantrums when the flight attendants instructed us to return to our seats from our unending aisle cruising due to turbulence. I was just as happy to sit down as I'm sure many of the passengers were who were victims of Tyler's leg grabbing as he steadied himself down the aisles - it was totally amusing watching people jump and then look over to see this little kid staring at them! But no, the real fun came when we were making our way through the Amsterdam airport to make our connection, which we were running late for since our flight coming in was delayed. What a confusing airport! I had to go to some random transfer counter because when I tried checking in to the connecting flight via self-check-in machine outside the gate we came in to it rejected my attempt. I was worried the flight was cancelled due to the volcanic ash drama or something, but there seemed to be nothing wrong except that I had to unnecessarily worry as I watched the clock ticking while the transfer counter lady slowly checked me in and then told me which gate to go to and how to get there...first through passport control. No problem - so I thought. The passport control officer seemed nice enough, he was young and attractive and taking extra time looking at our passports - yeah my photo is pretty heinous, different color & length of hair, pre-invisalign, pre-rhinoplasty, but it's me, i swear! oh yeah, and pre-name change - that's been on my to do list since I don't know how long. well, since almost 3 years ago when I got married actually, that's how long. So my passport still has my first married name on it :( Never thought it would be an issue...until the nice officer asks me how old my son is and I say "14 1/2 months" (duh, can't he read his birthdate right there on his passport?) and he asks "why do you have a different name than him?" and I reply "oh yeah, i've been meaning to change that since I got married, that's my old name" and then the thundering question that nearly sent me to the floor "how do I know this is your son?" I think my chin hit tyler on the head, chillin out in the carrier I was wearing, as my jaw dropped open. "What??" I asked? "How do I know this is your son, you have different names!" and as my mind raced as to how I could prove it short of showing him my stretched out...ahem...I looked down at Tyler and then up at the guy and said "well just look at him, he's happy and content with me." That wasn't good enough for the officer though. "We are very strict here due to child kidnapping, if you can't show me some kind of proof that this is your child we will have to detain you and call your embassy." I searched through my carry-on bag for anything that had showed my last name as Baer but there was nothing! I had left my driver's license at home and who carries their Social
Security card around with them? My credit card also only shows Ciaccio. Next thing I know I'm being passed off to another young, attractive officer who beckons me behind the passport control booth and reiterates what the first officer said to me. Again I was asked "how can you prove this is your son?" and again all I could say was "look at him? he's happy with me" but of course that wasn't any good. I told him how common it is in the United States to have a different name than your child due to divorce, etc. and that I just didn't think this would be a problem or I would have made sure I changed my passport before traveling. My mind continued to reel over the next possible course of events - would I miss my flight to Prague? How would I get in touch with April waiting at the airport? Were they going to take Tyler away from me? How could this be happening?! In a momentary flash of genius (!!) I exclaimed "OH, I have pictures of him on my phone!" and of course the guy was like "no, that's not good enough." He left me alone for a minute while he...I don't know what, consulted his superior maybe? Or scanned my passport again to make sure I had no record?? I'm not sure, but by sheer luck or my guardian angel stepping in the officer came back and handed me our passports and told me he hoped I was telling the truth and sent me on my way!! Holy Crap!! I was a total zombie the rest of the time in the airport, which seemed to drag, and then on the little plane for the short flight to Prague. Tyler slept the whole way and I ordered 2 beers from the flight attendant even though it was still mid-morning. Duuuuuuuuuuuuude! #1-I'm glad I'm not going back through Amsterdam on my way home #2-I hope Paris isn't as strict #3-I'm changing my passport as soon as I get home!
All that drama behind us, when we arrived in Prague (NO passport control at all!!! couldn't even get our passports stamped for posterity!) and saw April's face waiting for us everything stressful melted away. We hugged so tight and long, I had dreamed of that moment. Then she looked down at Tyler and her expression was of pure happiness and peace. He wasn't so sure about her right away, but I know he was just so out of it anyway. She showed us the way to her apt via bus and tram and a little walk in the misting rain, my body vibrating from pulling my huge suitcase over the cobblestone streets. Up some stairs and in a tiny, euro elevator and we arrived at her place. Her place is so cute and her flatmates so nice - Lukas (pronounced Lukash, with a hachek accent or mini "v" over the s) and Simona, young Chemistry students and owners of adorable Ariel (a Basenji - a non-barking dog that looks a lot like a little deer) which they pronounce like "ah-die" for short. I collapsed on April's bed shortly and then we were out to see a little bit since the day was still young, even though I felt like the walking dead. We had a beer at the little pub right downstairs and around the corner from April's place - beer is very commonly drunk here, more so than water because it is cheaper (the water, by the way, from the tap tastes just as good as in San Francisco!) and it is also higher in alcohol :) We had a little snack too, VERY yummy but not low-cal at all, some fried bread and "beery cheese" which was a salty, head-cheesey, orange spread that smelled slightly reminiscent of Tyler's dirty diapers but just like those stinky cheeses that you can't resist (unless you are the people who can) you just reveled in the raunch as you devoured it! Next we walked to this big park park where dogs were running free and playing together and the smell of Lilacs filled the air - the bushes are everywhere in light purple, dark purple and white blossoms. There was an amazing view of Old Towne below with all the steeples and rooftops and the castle in the distance. We had dinner at a little place in the neighborhood called Chuduba where I ordered a traditional Czech meal - goulash and dumplings, and of course another beer! Fully stuffed, we waddled back home as the light was finally fading for the day at 9:15 p.m. I crossed my fingers that Tyler would be able to sleep and we crawled into bed on the pull out sofa in April's room and our full day of travel and first impressions of Prague drifted away as we fell asleep.
Security card around with them? My credit card also only shows Ciaccio. Next thing I know I'm being passed off to another young, attractive officer who beckons me behind the passport control booth and reiterates what the first officer said to me. Again I was asked "how can you prove this is your son?" and again all I could say was "look at him? he's happy with me" but of course that wasn't any good. I told him how common it is in the United States to have a different name than your child due to divorce, etc. and that I just didn't think this would be a problem or I would have made sure I changed my passport before traveling. My mind continued to reel over the next possible course of events - would I miss my flight to Prague? How would I get in touch with April waiting at the airport? Were they going to take Tyler away from me? How could this be happening?! In a momentary flash of genius (!!) I exclaimed "OH, I have pictures of him on my phone!" and of course the guy was like "no, that's not good enough." He left me alone for a minute while he...I don't know what, consulted his superior maybe? Or scanned my passport again to make sure I had no record?? I'm not sure, but by sheer luck or my guardian angel stepping in the officer came back and handed me our passports and told me he hoped I was telling the truth and sent me on my way!! Holy Crap!! I was a total zombie the rest of the time in the airport, which seemed to drag, and then on the little plane for the short flight to Prague. Tyler slept the whole way and I ordered 2 beers from the flight attendant even though it was still mid-morning. Duuuuuuuuuuuuude! #1-I'm glad I'm not going back through Amsterdam on my way home #2-I hope Paris isn't as strict #3-I'm changing my passport as soon as I get home!
All that drama behind us, when we arrived in Prague (NO passport control at all!!! couldn't even get our passports stamped for posterity!) and saw April's face waiting for us everything stressful melted away. We hugged so tight and long, I had dreamed of that moment. Then she looked down at Tyler and her expression was of pure happiness and peace. He wasn't so sure about her right away, but I know he was just so out of it anyway. She showed us the way to her apt via bus and tram and a little walk in the misting rain, my body vibrating from pulling my huge suitcase over the cobblestone streets. Up some stairs and in a tiny, euro elevator and we arrived at her place. Her place is so cute and her flatmates so nice - Lukas (pronounced Lukash, with a hachek accent or mini "v" over the s) and Simona, young Chemistry students and owners of adorable Ariel (a Basenji - a non-barking dog that looks a lot like a little deer) which they pronounce like "ah-die" for short. I collapsed on April's bed shortly and then we were out to see a little bit since the day was still young, even though I felt like the walking dead. We had a beer at the little pub right downstairs and around the corner from April's place - beer is very commonly drunk here, more so than water because it is cheaper (the water, by the way, from the tap tastes just as good as in San Francisco!) and it is also higher in alcohol :) We had a little snack too, VERY yummy but not low-cal at all, some fried bread and "beery cheese" which was a salty, head-cheesey, orange spread that smelled slightly reminiscent of Tyler's dirty diapers but just like those stinky cheeses that you can't resist (unless you are the people who can) you just reveled in the raunch as you devoured it! Next we walked to this big park park where dogs were running free and playing together and the smell of Lilacs filled the air - the bushes are everywhere in light purple, dark purple and white blossoms. There was an amazing view of Old Towne below with all the steeples and rooftops and the castle in the distance. We had dinner at a little place in the neighborhood called Chuduba where I ordered a traditional Czech meal - goulash and dumplings, and of course another beer! Fully stuffed, we waddled back home as the light was finally fading for the day at 9:15 p.m. I crossed my fingers that Tyler would be able to sleep and we crawled into bed on the pull out sofa in April's room and our full day of travel and first impressions of Prague drifted away as we fell asleep.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day
When I booked my flight to Prague I didn't think anything about the fact that the day before departing would be Mother's Day and that I might not be able to fully relax and enjoy myself as I should today. But whatever, there it is. My nerves about the trip and getting all ready to go finally kicked in today so I've been a bit of a wreck, trying to get all packed but still taking part in Mother's Day activities. Had brunch with mom and dinner with Tony and now I'm looking forward to the couch and the season finale of Amazing Race. Tony thinks the cowboys are going to win but he really wants the models to win just to stick it to everyone who thought they'd never make it. We'll see. Think I'm going to request a Mother's Day massage when it's over and hit the sack early since tomorrow is going to be CRA-ZY!
p.s. Welcome to my new blog! i'll be posting throughout my trip so everyone can share in the adventure!
p.s. Welcome to my new blog! i'll be posting throughout my trip so everyone can share in the adventure!
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