Holland: Part 3, Castricum, Alkmaar

Then we drove 30 minutes from Zaanse Schans to Castricum, where our next Airbnb was located.  If you ever go to Amsterdam, definitely drive out of the city!  I was impressed that we got to see so much in just a day.  But of course, our kids wake up about 6am, so we always get an early start.

We arrived at our next Airbnb rental in the late afternoon and just hung out there for the rest of the day.  It was so fun!  These people built there house on an old chicken farm and renovated the old barn behind their new house into a rental.  They also had a trampoline, chickens, and a pond full of koi fish.  She let Maddie feed the fish and the chickens each day.  We all enjoyed the trampoline.  It was a beautiful setting.  And lucky for us (no sarcasm there), their internet didn't quite reach the rental, so it was actually very relaxing and felt like a real vacation.

Holland: Part 2, Amsterdam, Volendam, Zaanse Schans

While we were in Amsterdam, we also did a typical canal tour in one of those glass top boats.  It was about an hour long with some interesting facts and a great way to get a different view of the city while staying warm and dry.  We left near the Anne Frank House and ended up right by the train station so we could hop on our bus back to the rental.  We enjoyed some typical stroopwafels which may have saved us our sanity while we floated around trying to keep them occupied.

Day 4: Christmas Day

On Christmas Day, we went for a morning walk near the apartment and found an overlook towards Nice.

Later in the morning, we drove 10 minutes to Villefranche-sur-Mer.  We parked at the beach and took a long walk to old town.  We were surprised at how many restaurants were actually open with guests eating right on the water.  I loved this town.  It was by far my favorite.  I don't think I would change how we did this trip, except maybe renting an apartment in this town.  The beach was nicer and quieter than Nice.

Old town Villefranche-sur-Mer

You can see that we parked way over here and walked along the water to end up in old town.  It was so beautiful.

Merry Christmas from us!

We returned for lunch and naps.  In the afternoon, we facetimed our families and ate our turkey dinner.  Praise God for iphones and modern technology!  We're halfway across the world and "see" our families almost every week.

We opened our last box from Mimi and Pops!  Dinosaurs, cars, a purse, chocolates, and a baby that pees...couldn't ask for more :-)

Hope you and yours had a very happy Christmas!!! xoxo

Day 3: Christmas Eve in Nice

On Christmas Eve, the kids weren't sleeping well (as in, both waking every hour) and were coughing a lot, so we spent the morning resting.  After researching doctors who spoke English and how it works for tourists from out of country, we found a doctor (praise God!!) who was literally DOWN THE STREET and open ON CHRISTMAS EVE.  Now that was a serious answer to prayer.

It seemed like the medicine started working almost immediately for both of them.  Carter wasn't that bad, just congested, but Maddie was especially not feeling great.

After their naps in the afternoon, we drove into Nice just for a couple hours with the double stroller to walk around.

As soon as we got there, we had a late lunch on the beach.  I insisted on crepes: banana Nutella and another with prosciutto, goat cheese, and arugula.

You can't really tell that she wasn't feeling well.  Thank you, modern medicine!

She had a BALL on that thing.  She could've stayed on it all day.  No, all week.  We took her on 3 rides then literally pulled her off while she kicked and cried.

 It was really nice to let the kids rest in the comfy stroller while we could still walk around and see some of the main sights.  They both fell asleep as we strolled the quiet Christmas Eve streets of old town Nice.

We did find a turkey to eat for Christmas Eve...but the oven didn't cooperate and turned off in the middle of slow cooking the turkey so we ate it the next day when I could monitor the slow cooking.

This night, we actually ate with the kids and spent some time playing.  Mimi and Pops sent us 3 boxes with Christmas gifts in them, so we opened one a day.  New exciting toys kept them busy when we were hanging out at the apartment.  Thank you, grandparents!  It felt like a little Christmas every day.

Day 2: Èze

On the second day, we spent the morning taking it easy at the apartment.  I dropped by the store and bought a real turkey for Christmas day that didn't cost an arm and a leg.  Then I started researching for an English speaking doctor nearby for tourists out of country that would be open since the kids weren't feeling well.  I struggled with feeling a little guilty as a parent since we left for this trip when Carter had a cough, but Maddie was fine.  Unfortunately, one day into the trip, both were coughing and congested.

In the afternoon, we drove about 20 minutes to Èze which was so unique.  It's a medieval village on a high hilltop right on the French Mediterranean.  The village is so charming and tiny, filled with art galleries and restaurants, most of which seemed closed when we were there.

We got these photos on our way out of town on the last day.  It shows Èze from afar.

An overlook on the way to Eze

Can you find the face?

We caught the sunset just as we walked to the highest point in the village.

Dinner time looked like this: feed kids, bath time, books, and bed time.  Once they were asleep, as quiet as can be with little light, we would eat our dinner in our bedroom since Maddie's room was right next to the dining/family room.  We would also wash dishes with a flashlight in the kitchen since there were transom windows from the kitchen into her bedroom.  The places we see are dreamy, but everything else is what you'd expect with two little ones. But we wouldn't trade these memories!