We Take Ourselves With Us

Since uploading pictures is still impossible, I thought I'd answer a question, "Should I take a river cruise?" So, let's start with the obvious: a VRC is not a cheap trip.  There's a reason most of the ads show more seasoned and heeled travelers (rather than backpackers) and show up on Downton Abbey (rather than the much better Another Period).  Given how we typically travel (Hotwiring or Pricelining everything, staying at places like Miss Sophie's), this trip pushed us out of our pricepoint comfort zone.  But, at its mid point, we'd say, if you have the money and the time, do it! Why? (Cue Hamilton's " Ten Duel Commandments ") 1)  The rooms are compact but full of smart touches that make them feel bigger--great storage, smartly designed bathrooms, warm lighting, comfortable beds, and lots of outlets.  The heated bathroom floors, hot water and great water pressure, and lemony L'Occitane bath products get special marks, as does...

Since I can't get the blog to post with pictures, I thought I'd write an overview of how we got here. Part One Last January, when we kept the kids out of school for a week to go on a Disney vacation with the New Zealand more than half of the family, it was wonderful and brought all 12 of us together in a joyful celebration that broke the sadness following Ned's mom's memorial service.  But when we got home, Harper and Penn were so stressed about what they missed in their classes that we resolved not to take any trips that didn't align with breaks. Part Two This August, when we made our annual trip to visit friends in Pennsylvania, we started talking about dream vacations.  I mentioned that a Viking River Cruise seemed like it would be fun; then, later that morning, I opened the NYT to see that VRC was having a 2 for 1 sale.  Being me, I immediately (and surreptitiously) searched out dates online.  Bingo, there was a Danube trip that overlapped with the kids...

When I mentioned to people that I was going to Prague, anyone who had visited the city started swooning about how beautiful it was--"the most beautiful city" was repeated over and over by people who have likely been pretty much everywhere.  Turns out ... they were right.  When you read this entry, understand that for every photo that's here, I probably took about 25 because Prague is simply movie-set gorgeous--even when its glory is faded, it's still a glory to behold.  In fact, I kept saying, "Everywhere you look, Prague is just beautiful," leading my children to repeatedly break into song . We started the day with a hearty (and cheap) breakfast at Miss Sophie's, which has turned out to be a wonderful find.  Our apartment is on the third floor and could be reached by a tiny elevator that fit in the center of the circular staircase or by the stairs themselves.    The buffet breakfast menu is detailed in lovely chalk drawings each morning on the...