Scotland was an unforgettable place! The history and the scenery was a magical backdrop to a quest for knowledge and adventure. What child wouldn’t be thrilled with the exploration of a castle, a pasture, a children’s museum or going to the Loch Ness in search of the traces of the Loch Ness monster?

Researching Scotland with my sons ahead of time was key to enjoying it even more while we were there. We prepared questions for our guide who took us through the historic sites of Robert the Bruce.

We usually buy one or two guidebooks from the gift shops of various museums or excursions which help us remember the high points of the places we visited. It’s not necessary to buy too many, but one or two help serve as visual aids for book reports or presentations the kids might do for school.

When we stayed at Cromlix House, on 2,000 acres, it reminded us of the Professor’s house in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe of the Chronicles of Narnia series—or how I pictured that house to look. When you turned a corner down a hallway, you’d open a door and find a study—and that’s where our sons were playing chess.

The warmth of the den with plaid decorated furniture was intoxicating and practically put you to sleep—especially with the scent of the star gazer lilies on the center table. Cromlix House even had its own chapel! Celebrities have held their weddings there. It was quite beautiful and the grounds were magical–full of sheep grazing, hidden gardens, majestic trees and that misty Scottish weather.

Suggested reading: 

• The Story of Scotland–by Brassey and Ross
• If You Were Me and Lived in …..Scotland by Roman
• Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Scotland–by Hayland and Adams
• The History of Scotland For Children by Fiona MacDonald

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

We arrived into Edinburgh, Scotland after being in Ireland. Norton House Hotel was a perfect introduction into majestic Scotland. This imposing estate was a sight which connected us immediately to the grandeur of Scotland. The Renaissance architecture of the house’s porch reflected the detail that it was once a home to John Usher of the Scottish brewing family. The inside of the home has been modernized to hotel accommodations. The home was purchased in 1883 by John Usher. The gardens and patio were breathtaking!   An extra day at Norton House Hotel would’ve been nice so we could indulge in the grounds and great dining hall some more but we stayed on schedule by heading into the city centre. Fortunately, for us, we’ve trained our sons to keep up with our pace which is usually full of daily changes in location. Edinburgh’s Royal Mile was everything we expected and more! We stayed at Edinburgh’s Jury’s Inn. The highlights were:

• The Ghosts and Ghouls Tour –a 90 minute walking tour of the long history of torture and plague, ghosts and underground vaults.
• Hop On/ Hop Off bus tour
• James Scottish Evening at Thistle Edinburgh–a dinner-show
• Edinburgh Castle
• Holyrood Palace
• St. Giles Cathedral
• a children’s museum– Camera Obscura
• dinner at The Witchery

  

  

One thing we observed about the “rules” in Scotland, especially Edinburgh, is that they always seated families in the back of the restaurant. The front of the restaurant seemed mostly for adults. You ordered your food at the counter,  yet in Ireland, the servers waited on you at your table. We loved haggis, benoffee pie (banana + toffee), Smithwick’s Beer and Jameson Whiskey.

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Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

The misted glens of the Highlands moved me to tears. Standing there, taking it in, it was unexpected to find myself tearing up. It may be one of the top 3 most beautiful places I’ve laid my eyes upon. Because I love history, I envisioned what it must’ve been like when the massacre occurred between the enemies; the Campbells and the MacDonalds.

 http://scotlandwelcomesyou.com/glencoe-massacre/                                                                                             

We  spent time just exploring the hills and taking photos. Within seconds, our youngest son had taken off down a hill, surrounded by an electrifying “sea” of green! They say the Highlands are not that tall in actuality—it was surreal. The grandeur of these hills was imposing, majestic, and transported us to and from history to present time.

France…oui oui! Who can resist it? France might possibly be the peacock of Europe. She defines glamour, chic, and espirit  de corps. Joie de vivre and Vive la’ amour. A fun memory of France was that my son, a high school freshman at the time, was going to impress us by ordering our meal in French (mistakes and all). The waitress just looked at us with impatience and we giggled throughout the meal, anyway! The French have a reputation for coming across as aloof but the snug and toasty intimacy of this French cafe made up for it. We studied the terms of the menu on the chalkboard above us as we tried to translate it. We observed the tables of duos and groups around us. The dark wood of this tavern cafe with the drizzly raindrops down the window subsumed us into our afternoon trance in France. The food was fine but the experience was exceptional.

(internet photo above)

These French food terms came to life during our jaunt into France. A dreary, drizzly day could not dampen our mood to see all things Francais!

Driving into France from our tour of bordering countries to Switzerland, gave us that thrill of entering new architecture, new language and new cuisine all within a few miles of other countries! —the beauty and magic of the European continent is that it’s so diverse!

Although Paris is probably the most popular destination within France, I am intrigued with the northern cities and villages, like Normandy and Brittany. The Brittany coast is a lovely scenic way to experience this region of France. River cruises are also a great way to get to the city centers where the culture and architecture can be enjoyed, accessibly.

 Build your vocabulary with these French food terms (oooh la laa!) : Pomme frites, quiche, charcuterie, baguettes, crepes, eclairs, mousse au chocholat, tourte, tarte, escargot and croissant.  Look them up for a food translation exercise. Better yet, when studying France words in Francais, make a celebratory Pot de Creme for the occasion. (French dessert custard). Enjoy it was a CD of French cafe music. Get to know the tunes of Edith Piaf, a French cabaret singer. Place a vase of sunflowers in the center of your dining table as an homage to the French countryside.

© Eugenie Marie 

click on this Pot de Creme recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pot-de-creme-recipe0.html

A friend of mine recently told me about a wonderful travel guide program called Soul Strolling a Paris. Their services are very interesting. 

www.liveittogiveit.me/soul-strolling/

Suggested reading:  

“The Cat Who Walked Across France” by Banks and Hallensleben

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

London.  The best way to get around London’s monuments, cathedrals, museums, castles, etc was the Hop On/ Hop Off bus tours! Double decker buses with kid-friendly tourist packets, maps, colored pencils, earphones for the audio tour, etc kept the children engaged in the itinerary. Relaxing on the buses and seeing things from the safety of our seats was a bonus because it provided a break from walking among the crowds with kids. You could choose which sightseeing spot you wanted to disembark onto…or you could stay on the bus the whole time! The ferry boat along the River Thames and a stroll along the sidewalks to interact with the street performers was a great way to  decompress from the stimulating museums and cathedrals.

The Original Tour Bus Co. took us by St. James Palace, Buckingham Palace where we saw a crowd gather to see the Queen and Royal Family.  They were  getting ready to  come out onto the balcony to wave to everyone. It was her state-celebrated birthday. It was so exciting because the guards gathered, the band played, the snipers were on the roof….and then she came out in the brightest chartreuse suit and hat which was so incredibly bright and obviously well-made. The latter was noticeable from afar.

The jets flying above us signaled her entrance. I put the zoom on the camera lens to capture the royal family as best I could. I was especially excited about Prince William and Prince Harry who towered above the queen and had such posture and poise. We took a lunch break at Bag O’Nails for the standard fish and chips lunch. It rained on us at the parade after the Queen waved. The airshow of jets overhead was extremely loud and exciting. It left streams of colored smoke in the sky!

Suggested reading: 

• This is London by Sasek
• B is for Big Ben by Edwards and Rose
• A Walk in London by Rubbino

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

Torture museums in various countries were highly entertaining for my sons. They were a fun break from all of the intellectual, cultural and religious sightseeing we did. Where a kid gets to be a kid!—and some adults, too. Because there’s usually an admission fee, we let the kids enjoy these torture museums on their own while we sat at a cafe or a tavern for a break.

These museums combine fact with gore—perfect for boys! Optical illusion museums are also great fun for the kids. My husband does not love any kind of activity that gives him motion sickness though, so he usually had to skip the exhibits that had optical illusions. If you don’t get a chance to find a torture museum, you will probably encounter similar visuals in the dungeons of castles or on a Ghosts and Ghouls tour, anyway! I specifically remember some small torture museums in the walled cities in Italy and an optical illusion museum along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. My son  remembered the name immediately— Camera Obscura!

We drove into Austria and Lichtenstein in our rental car while staying in Switzerland. Strolling around a town in Austria (Schlossberg?), shopping and eating was relaxing after spending energetic days on the Alps hiking and doing the alpine ride.

We had quite a bit of schnitzel in Switzerland and the boys were ready for some other cuisine. I think we even had sushi in one of those countries which seemed funny to us, too. Schnitzel is a boneless meat that is tenderized, breaded and fried. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Schnitzel/ . The pastries and bakeries were a welcome sight when we craved a snack and energy boost from all the adventure and hiking! 

The view of the Alps is really that grand and the air is so clean and crisp, you get mesmerized taking it all in. I didn’t realize, until this trip, that the Alps are the highest mountain range covering the large area all entirely within Europe. The Alps border the following 8 countries: Lichtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, France, Germany, Italy, Monaco and Switzerland. Try this arts and crafts project to tie in a unit about mountain ranges.  http://www.ehow.com/how_6467308_make-mountain-crafts.html

Time should be built in to see any of the following in Salzburg:

• Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg
• Ice Caves and Austrian Lakes
• Bavarian Mountains and Salt-Mines Tour from Salzburg

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Educational Family Travel Planning

The stunning landscapes of Germany mesmerized us. Munich and Frankfurt are the big cities I’ve been to in Germany. I was impressed by the greenery and the architecture of course.

The city life at night made me interested in going back for a longer trip someday and making my way through all the burgs and schlosses. A friend of mine made a 3-week trip with her sons out of visiting a friend in Germany so I am curious about creating an itinerary someday to really study it.

When we drove into Germany (while staying in Switzerland), we went to a bakery for some pastries and we drove past a vineyard which we were not expecting in Germany of all places!  Castles and cathedrals seem to be the pride of Germany sightseeing. I’m interested in returning to Germany and seeing the following:

• Neuschwanstein Bavaria—the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle
• Cathedral of Cologne- 3rd tallest cathedral in the world. (I love Gothic architecture)
• Black Forest
• Christmas Market in Nuremberg
• Heidelberg Castle

  

  Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

  http://www.gypsyfamilytravel.com/travel-lesson-plan/

Brussels, Belgium looked like it belonged in a fairy tale. The plaza is called the most “medieval square in all of Europe” because of the architecture of the buildings there. The ladies had a preppy sophistication to them and the square had wonderful aromas of Belgian beer, chocolates, Belgian waffles with strawberry sauce, etc.

We could have stayed all day in the plaza/square and continued to soak up the atmosphere but we eventually left to visit our cousin’s home nearby. At night, we watched him perform in a pub. This was a unique experience for our elementary school aged sons because they had never been in a bar at midnight!

Suggested reading: Belgium for Tourists by Taggart  DK Eyewitness

Descriptions about Brussels can be found in the book A Magic Carpet Ride. Profits from the book will go to various charities.

www.amazon.com/dp/069271393X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

photos by Patrick and Gina Kingsley

Follow this lesson plan to build an itinerary with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

Dubai in United Arab Emirates is a city with incredible skyscrapers AND a desert!  We only connected through Dubai to India. While landing at the airport, we looked for the Burj Khalifa skyscraper out of the airplane window. This city has so many interesting fun facts! When making our itinerary for our India trip, we considered staying in Dubai to do a desert camel experience but changed our plans. However, if we are able to go back someday to Dubai for an actual stay,  I plan to learn more about what to do there and how to prepare for a trip there.  Some of the excursions there include:

• helicopter tours
• desert safaris
• show cruises

My sons were interested in the Burj Khalifa building and I bought them a souvenir of this building in the airport gift shop. This made me curious about the fascinating architecture there and how this modern city has evolved. To learn about the fun facts for kids and adults, click on this link: http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-dubai-3099.html

suggested reading: Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson

Watch this video to see the Burj Khalifa building!

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts