Malta, Sunshine, History and Seaside on a budget

Most families travel on a budget, and sometimes that budget is tight with the demands of all the family. Our mission for summer 2015 was to book a week for the 5 of us in 5-star hotel with guaranteed sunshine for under £2,000 including all travel and most of the food. With the help of Ryannair’s route map, we rediscovered Malta. We had stopped off there in the days before children, vowing to return after an all too brief run around a tiny part of its amazing history.

And this history is visible history on a monumental scale – with bloodthirsty tales through the crusades, and pretty much every War affecting Europe and North Africa since. As the home of the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet since 1800, it was besieged by the Nazi’s and Italians until 1942, and became the most bombed place in the world, ever. The destruction of the the stunning capital city of Valletta (since entirely rebuilt) and fortitude of its citizens earned Malta the George Cross, an honour of which the island remains very proud. This piece of history is excellently recounted in the Lascaris War Rooms under parapets of Valletta. We were shown round the welcomingly cool subterranean corridors by a guide who never wavered from his view that Britain really is the greatest country on earth (apart from Malta). The reality of Europe of War is brought alive in this network of rooms, where Eisenhower and Montgomery planned the invasion of Sicily, and where hundreds of military planners lived and worked throughout the war.

Moving further back in time, Malta’s place in the British empire from 1800 is re-enacted daily by a superb group of enthusiastic historians in Fort Rinella. Dressed in Victorian military costumes, they provide genuinely interactive demonstrations of signalling, weaponry, and cavalry attacks which all our children were encouraged to actively participate in. There can be few opportunities in the EU today for 10 year-olds to don a pith helmet and fire a Victorian Musket, but this is one of them. Being about half an hour bus ride from Valletta, and therefore slightly off the beaten track, Fort Rinella feels like a hidden gem, right from getting off the bus and being unable to see it concealed in the hillside; to being one of only three family groups there during our visit.

And so the history goes back, through the Maritime History, the Knights of St John, the great siege of Malta, Normans, Arabs, St Paul, Phoenicians, and even further to Stone-Age settlements. But this is a holiday rather than a history tour, the rest will wait for another visit.

Back to the original specification. There was sunshine, lots of it. This is the Southern Mediterranean. Malta has a few beaches, but we didn’t head to them as we could jump into a clear blue sea from a series of little platforms and steps from the hotel. The hotel pool was welcomingly cool, good enough to spend a few relaxing days there without venturing beyond its borders. I had the impression that most of the guests never left the hotel complex at all, which seems a tremendous loss.

We slightly exceeded the £2,000. Ryannair flights were just under £200 each, but by upgrading to a suite big enough for the 5 of us, the cost on a B&B basis stretched above £1,000. However eating out was cheap and plentiful. Our hotel was close enough to stroll for 10 minutes into St Julian’s, which (beyond the more obvious drunk British teenagers on the seafront) provided plenty of excellent family friendly restaurants. There is a strong Italian influence on the food, with numerous “proper” pizza restaurants and a range of gelato bars. We also wandered along the beach one evening to a local bar which seemed to be full of families, where we ate a delicious meal of seafood for around EUR 5 – 10 each.

So sunshine, yes; £2K budget – nearly.  Extras for interest – completely exceeded. Malta is definitely a place to come back to, both to see the rest of it, and to see it again through the eyes of the children as their ages and interests change.

Three generations boys adventure trip II: Peak District and Caves

Buoyed by the success of the earlier 2012 trip to the Peak District, we decided to return 2 years later, but with the addition of a few friends this time. Each son brought a friend and each friend brought a father, making 3 men and 4 11 and 12 year old boys for the first few days. We stayed in Eyam, taking over the family rooms in the coach house adjoining the excellent Youth Hostel. This was a brilliant decision, we had a 4-bed room, and the other 2 families had a twin room each, with a shared bathroom. It was perfect for coming home muddy each evening, and waking up after a good nights sleep, at a phenomenally low price. Eyam itself, famous as the plague village which shut itself off from the world during the Black Death to protect neighbouring villages, was a 10 minute stroll across the fields down the hillside. Once again, the Youth Hostel provided breakfast and packed lunches, the excellent pubs of Eyam filled us up in the evening. 

 

We stopped at Carsington Water on the way up for an hour of kayaking. It was the first time that we had all got together, so bonding in wetsuits while soaking one another with oars as water beaters was a superb start to the trip. There is something marvellous about water for all ages. Strangely - everyone seems to be equally good / bad at kayaking, its a kind of natural action that anyone can pick up. This was exactly what we needed at the end of a tedious trek up the M1. From there it wasn’t far on to Eyam.

 

We had made arrangements with the excellent team at Pure Outdoor to provide activities over the weekend. They were extremely helpful on the phone in advance with suggestions, so we had high hopes as we arrived at their outdoor centre early on Saturday morning. After a thorough run through the options, I was outvoted on my plan to abseil off a railway bridge as we had originally planned. Instead we would spend the morning rock-climbing on Stanage Edge, and the afternoon “Weaselling”.  

 

Early adolescence is the stage where not only do boys start to realise that their fathers are not the majestic sporting heroes they thought, but they also overtake us in terms of sporting ability. Nowhere is this more apparent than rock climbing, where progress up a sheer cliff is dependant entirely on the ratio of strength in your fingers to overall body weight. That is to say, athletic skinny boys make a better job of it than middle-aged men with large feet and beer guts. All of the boys felt they were skilled climbers based on their experience of climbing walls. However a cliff face is a different matter entirely. Now the purpose of the ropes and the importance of the safety briefing were very real. But the actual effort involved to pull yourself up from the thinnest of cracks in the rocks is immense. Its also immensely satisfying to achieve progressively harder climbs. And from the top, the views are incredible, and so much more earned than walking round the cliff as on Trip I. The inevitable bloodied knees and bruised shins just added to the sense of achievement.

 

Weaselling didn’t sound like such a fun concept to me, but I was very wrong here – this was one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip, and the part where there was more laughter than any of the other bits. Essentially this involves scrambling over and under the enormous rocks that have cascaded down the side of Higger Tor. Sounds very simple, and it is if you have the physique of a 12 or 13 year old. However manoeuvring my belly between the narrower gaps and crevasses proved very challenging.  There were a number of occasions when it seemed the rocks were attempting to give birth to the adults in our group, although its not normally the baby that makes those noises. Each time we emerged from another gap, in any direction, we were greeted by another awesome view of the countryside, and a gang of four giggling boys.

 

Day Two was the challenging event 5 hours spent underground, working our way through the Cave known as the “Giant’s Hole”, with such a range of physical and technical challenges I sometimes think back and wonder if we really did it. The route begins very easily where some early 20^th century entrepreneur concreted the floor and blasted any obstacles out of the way. Then the fun starts. We abseiled down a deep hole through a waterfall into pitch blackness – thank goodness we had done so much abseiling on the rocks the day before. We then passed through the “Crabwalk” – half a mile of twisting through a crevice narrower than me (but again – wider than the boys) culminating in “The Vice”, which was as easy to get through as it sounds.  The route then goes through a series of steep climbs and descents, some scrambled, some on ropes, and mostly through very cold water. Eventually we got to the “Giants Windpipe”, a 20 metre or so stretch where the roof of the cave is about 18 inches from the floor, and its half filled with water. This was quite a challenging crawl, and our instructor John kindly rewarded us with a very welcome cup of Hot Vimto at the end of it. From there, it seemed a fairly straightforward scramble, climb and abseil back to the start. The pub that night was a very welcome sight!

 

Next day, our friends left us, and Grandad returned to join us for a few days walking.  Mountain climbing was off the agenda this time, so we followed the Monsal Trail and Tissington Trail. These form two of the old railway lines across the peaks which have been restored as foot and cycle paths. The routes are extraordinary, from the days when no expense was spared in building viaducts and tunnels to follow a straight line on a map regardless of the contour lines in between. Some of the tunnels are up to 400 metres long, but fully lit, which gives them a magically eerie glow. Much easier than crawling through the Giant’s Windpipe anyway.

 

This was an ideal adventure trip for boys who old enough to know that their dad’s aren’t cool, but young enough to get some pleasure from our company when we’re doing something active and fun. Most of the activities were things where they could really prove that they were better than us, and that;s oddly satisfying for all of us. The tricky thing was going to be… how do we beat that one?

Cannes: French food, sandy beaches, and glamour

I do like France. I know the language well enough to avoid starvation, but badly enough to feel I am somewhere foreign and exotic. You can smell the croissants the moment you leave your apartment to hit the Patisserie-Boulangerie. Provence has the added benefits of a splendid combination of chic glamour and an efficient subsidised public transport network.

Like two of our earlier trips to the region (see https://bigsummerholiday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/cannes-with-one-baby-may-2003.html) we rented an apartment in Cannes within walking distance of the sea and the railway line. On this occasion we took the bus direct from Nice Airport, which was cheap and quick, and dropped us 5 minutes walk from the flat. Unlike our earlier trips, the children were now carrying their own luggage rather than us carrying the children and all the luggage!

I mention the railway because whilst Cannes itself is lovely, the trips out along the coastal line stop at no end of places well worthy of a visit. The stunning beaches and coves of St Juan les Pins, Villefranche and Beaulieu, the towns of Nice and St Raphael, the WaterPark at Biot are all just an air-conditioned ride away. However, we had a little mission in mind on this trip.  Changing for a bus at Cagnes-sur-Mer, we were carried into the mountains to the idyllic setting of Vence. Our destination was the the Rosaire Chapel, designed by Henri Matisse and suddenly well known in London following the creation of a replica version in the Tate Modern to accompany an exhibition of the colourful “cut-outs” associated with him and the Chapel. The chapel is beautiful, and well worth the walk with children in tow to see how the sunshine filters through the stained glass “Cut-out” windows to splash the interior with colour. There is a fairly lengthy talk about the chapel construction, which is best missed with children for the exhibition beneath it bi-lingually explaining the construction and art within. The coach trips then rock on to the scenic St Paul de Vence, but if your priority is Ice Cream and Snacks, Vence itself is much less touristy. We had a very pleasant afternoon strolling through the narrow streets and shaded squares, breezing into the occasional shop and cafe, before returning to Cannes for the evening.

A little further on the train passes through Monaco, and this has to be a highlight of a trip to the area. The station itself, hollowed out of the mountain and glamorously lined with marble, is a worthy introduction to the ludicrously expensive theme of Monte-Carlo. The wealth on display around the streets is marvellous or obscene depending on your point of view. One of the children was delighted to spot a second hand Airbus A320 private jet offered for EUR 20 million in the window of a ship and estate agent. Traffic jams of Ferraris of Ferraris delighted the kids, the diamonds and handbags flaunted on the streets reminded Mrs _H of some of her poor life choices. Aside from strolling the quayside and people watching (a low-cost activity that can be enjoyed from any pavement bench in the principality), it’s the Palace that provides most entertainment. The climb up the steps is quite hard work, but the palace itself is almost Disneyesque in its shiny white cleanliness and pretty steepled towers. Yet this is a living, working building, albeit one maintained by a very wealthy family. The tour of the palace is quite interesting, the audio devices enabling us to do it at the kind of pace that avoided children being bored. But the better attraction with children is the aquarium a few streets away. Whilst this lacks the vast shark tanks and Perspex tunnels of more modern rivals, the family all seemed to love the small scale of it, the format of the presentations and the collections of marine memorabilia founded by the Royal Family. It also presents outstanding views across the Mediterranean from its position on the corner of the rock.

Which brings me back to the theme of the seaside, and especially the beaches of Cannes. This part of Provence has huge stretches of sandy beaches, varying in culture from crowded to quietish; flanked by designer boutique to the occasional ice-cream seller; exposed and open to secluded coves; touristy to locals. One delight of Cannes is that the extremely glamorous but crowded beach along La Croisette (see my 2003 and 2006 blogs) is contrasted with a much quieter beach just the other side of the old port and castle. This is the beach used by the locals, with a few small snack bars to keep nourished, and the shady “Square Mistral” across the road to provide a playground and shade. The castle-topped hill, itself worth a climb for a look around, shields this part of the coast from the hoards around the corner, keeping it from the hoards nearer the centre of town. Life is also noticeable cheaper this side of town; there is much better value to be had in a café here than in the more touristy joints around La Croisette.

Lots of people have their favourite part of France, and this is ours.  Like anywhere else in France, the food and wine are excellent.  However this is the only region that we’ve returned to as a family three times, and there are reasons for that. The travel is convenient, the exploring is efficient, and the people-watching is outstanding; this area more than any other has that je ne sais quoi.

Barcelona: Ultimate Family City Break

Barcelona must be one of the best cities in the world to just wander. Just wandering is not always pleasant with children getting bored and tired, but central Barcelona is a living, indeed thriving, residential city, with ample parks and squares with playgrounds and drinks appearing every couple of blocks. We went over New Year, when it was pleasantly warm but far from oppressively hot. The streets are in a grid structure, making it hard to get lost. The boulevards are wide, with broad walkways well away from the traffic. This was a bit like one of those pre-children city-breaks when we just used to wander from café to café in a strange place, only we had children this time, and managed to find a pace of exploration that was to everyone’s liking.

And whilst food for travelling children can be a bit tiresome, Spain has Tapas. Within an hour or two of landing, we had dumped our bags in the flat that would be our home for the next few days, and nipped round the corner to the nearest sunny square for January outdoor dining. The great thing about sharing Tapas is that amongst the dozen or so little plates between the 5 of us, each child will try most of them, and generally end up fed. Simple basics like patatas bravas are really a take on chips and ketchup (well – that’s what we told them), croquetas de pollo are rather nicer than the chicken nuggets in British fast-food outlets. With the added optional reward of churros y chocolate, we all ate well.

Our flat was close to the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s monumental cathedral which seems to be a perpetual building site. However, children and adults alike will gawp dumbstruck at the building as it stands now – the images and stonework are like no other church we have seen. The scale is breathtaking now, its hard to imagine that the even larger central spire representing Christ is still to be built. Every city has a gothic cathedral of some kind; indeed Barcelona has a rather fun one with palm trees in the cloisters, but the Sagrada Familia is absolutely something else. And although that’s probably the highlight, it sets a high bar for standards of architecture across the city. A little planning on the wandering took us past plenty of buildings that were just that little bit more crazy than necessary. The famous Casa Mila and Casa Batllo are well know, but wander past Casa Calvet and Bellesguard for some unexpected interested buildings dropped into otherwise quite normal areas. And although there is now an entrance fee for the more famous parts Parc Guell, there is still plenty to see and wander through in the free bits.

The excitement of the city makes it easy to forget that Barcelona is actually a port and also has a beach. My various beachy blogs demonstrate that children and sand are a fantastic combination, they can be amused for hours. Barcelona beach has the added panache of CableCar from the beach up to the Olympic Park up the mountain on Montjuic. Whilst the Olympic park is a pleasant diversion, the views from the CableCar really should not be missed. During our visit, we also saw the Three Kings arrive by sea to celebrate Christmas, generally observed by Catalans over Epiphany.  The children (in reality just our younger one) went onto the boat to see the Kings, and get some sweets and cakes, a fantastic tradition to witness.

If that was her highlight, the highlight for the boys was a trip to Camp Nou to watch Barcelona play Elche. Unlike Premier League games in the UK, the stadium is vast enough to service season-tickets and visitors alike, enabling us to watch the finest football club in the world, admittedly playing one La Liga’s lesser known clubs, for only EUR 19 each! The architecture of the stadium means that even the cheap seats like ours are closer to the action than most large stadia, with the big name players clearly recognisable below us. An injured but recovering Messi tantalising warming up but sadly not playing, however Fabregas, Iniesta, Sanchez were all working hard to show us why they are worlds best. We had given the tickets to the boys as a surprise Christmas present a week earlier, but I don’t think they really believed it was happening until kick-off. 

City breaks with children have the potential to be quite tiresome - the things that adults look for are often different to what children enjoy, However, I think Barcelona has the right combination of sights and experiences for everyone enjoy together. The relaxed atmosphere, plenty of space to run around, and easy food choices add to the combination that any family can enjoy their time there.