The ACE family 5 point travel day game plan

As mentioned previously, Stockholm is comprised of 14 islands. Surrounding Stockholm is one of the largest Archipelago’s in the world, comprised of around 20,000 islands. WOW!

The last 3 months Cam, Etta and I have been surrounded by the city. Since we love nature we decided to take the 2 hour ferry to the outer archipelago and sail to the island of Finnhamn. Finnhamn is known for its beautiful forests along with small inlets and smooth rock formations that provide some of the best swimming areas of all the islands surrounding Stockholm. Finnhamn is also great because it is on the outer skirts of the archipelago but is home to a great hostel that also has small one room cabins with kitchenettes.

The day before we got to Finnhamn we found out that the general store where you buy food on Finnhamn was closed until the summer months which start the middle of June.  On a nearby island, about a 10 minute row boat and 90 minute hike away, there is another store where you can buy provisions provided the weather is nice enough. Simple enough I suppose, but finding this out the day before leaving was not good.  The news of the store being closed caused some family stress, but nothing we couldn’t handle in the end.

It never ceases to amaze us how we get through these travel days. It is comparable to a team that is executing a practiced plan on game day. We had been through our fair share of travel days as a couple and had come a long way in our game day execution. Ten months ago we acquired little Etta on to the team and things changed. We can’t pretend there haven’t been some bumps in the road, but the adjustments have been made, and I have to say the ACE travel day chemistry was possibly at an all-time high on this day. 

Our approach to travel days involves 5 main points: 1) preparation, 2) teamwork, 3) communication 4) managing/improvising around mistakes and most importantly, 5) just getting ‘er done! Our travel day to Finnhamn went like this:

1. Preparation

- Preparation starts at least 24 hours in advance of the departure, usually with one of us saying something like, “Hey, aren’t we going somewhere tomorrow?” followed by some serious strategizing and then a flurry of activity.

-We had to decide whether we should have Etta nap on the go in the morning and make it to the boat well in advance, or let Etta nap at the apartment and cut it close on the boat departure – game-time decision: anything for a well-rested baby, let her nap at home and then book it to the boat.

- Pack all our bags. Most of this was done the night before but we still had a few things to pack after getting ready in the morning.

- Make a grocery list.

- In the morning, get dressed, give Etta a bath and we take showers.

- Etta has her morning nap to help ensure a peaceful boat ride.

2. Teamwork

- During our darling Etta’s nap, I buy 4 days’ worth of groceries and haul them back to our apartment where we are staying.

- Cam does the dishes and finishes the packing.

- After Etta’s nap I breastfeed Etta and Cam packs the nomad baby travel bed.

- We pack the stroller with all our extra food and leave the apartment exactly 1 hour before the boat departure. “I wonder what we’ll do if we miss the boat…” says Cam as we make our way to the bus stop.

3. Managing and improvising around mistakes

- I drop one of the bags and baby lasagna spills everywhere. We keep going and decide to clean the bag later as we do not have any time to waste.

- We board the bus. I cannot lift the front of the pram because it is too heavy with all our food. I carry Etta and our heavy ‘school’ backpack and Cam takes the big pack and the heavy stroller.

- After taking the bus we then take two different trains to get to our destination. We get off the train and go the wrong way… we turn around… Time is running short and we are worried we will miss the boat. We spot the boat from across the harbour but still have a ways to go.

4. Communication

- Cue the ACE emergency plan. We are about to miss the boat so we do what works best. I tell Cam to run (!), leave me behind and hold the boat. He is a long distance ultra-trail race runner and so doesn’t hesitate to put the pedal to the metal. He runs with his big pack on and the stroller in front of him, weaving dangerously through the crowds. I am walking as fast as I can with Etta in the front of me and heavy school back pack on my back. By this time my shoulders are killing me.

5. Get ‘er done!!

- We make the boat just in time. We pat each other on the backs, congratulating ourselves for pulling it off and then off we go on our way to Finnhamn. Let the ACE Adventures continue!!!

Fun times on the boat!

One of the many islands in the archipelago.

A fortress on an island called Vaxholm that was constructed in 1544. This fortress was also used in the Pippi Longstocking movie 'Pippi in the South Seas' in 1970. In this movie it was used as a pirate stronghold. 

We arrive at our destination. Finnhamn!!!

ABBA and Dala

The next two days in Stockholm:

 Day 2:

The second day we went for coffee at the Espresso house and then just wandered the old town which is called Gamla Stan. This area is a must see if you visit Stockholm because of its charming narrow passageways, organic restaurants and bakeries and the unique one of a kind shops. In this area you do still have the standard tourist shops where postcards and Viking ships can be bought but there is elegance in each building that you definitely do not have in Canada. In this area is also one of the most beautiful churches and the palace.

Hanging out with  statue!

One of the really old narrow streets!

In front of the palace.

Inside part of the palace,

Day 3:

Outside the ABBA museum

The third day our first stop was the ABBA store which is located in the ABBA museum. My parents fell in love with the move ‘Mama Mia’ so I was instantly excited because I remember watching that movie more than once and whenever I would drive their van I would crank up the ‘mama mia’ soundtrack.  ABBA is from Sweden and they made their big breakthrough after winning Eurovision which is a famous music contest in Europe. We had actually never heard of Eurovision until we found out that Eurovision was taking place in Copenhagen when we were living there.

Meet Abba....

We were lucky to meet ABBA!!!!

Next we went to the Stockholm's outdoor museum. It was very similar to the museum we went to in Arhus, Denmark. We spent the rest of the day looking at old Swedish buildings and farmstead from the early 1900s, checking out the Nordic animals and hanging out in the beautiful park. 

One of the many different types of houses they had on display. We spotted it as a great place for the
ACE family to live.

Some reindeer!

The ACE family on the famous Dala horse. These are really popular Swedish horses that have become a Swedish trademark. They initially were made in the 1700s as toys for children. They were carved and sold in Dalarna. They have become an iconic symbol of Sweden.  

Etta on her own little horse!

Etta loving the little horse!

Backpacking with a baby

With our time coming to a close in Copenhagen we decide to end our trip with a bang and go for a short backpacking trip to Sweden. We are really excited for this adventure and to take it with Etta. We are living out of two backpacks. Etta and I are sharing the big pack that we borrowed from a co-worker in Copenhagen and Cam is using the ‘school’ backpack. We also decided to take our stroller for Etta’s naps on the go. The stroller also carried our lunches and Etta’s diaper bag.

All our gear!

Etta is on my back. She really does not like her stroller except for a nap. Sometimes we manage 10 minutes with her awake in it.The 'school' backpack is in the stroller.

First stop is Stockholm. The 6 ½ hour train and bus ride, followed by another 1 ½ hours as we try to find our airbnb apartment proved to be a test to our sanity once again. After wandering around and making friends with some Swedes we gained access to a computer and a man calls the number of the place we are staying. A few Swedish words were exchanged and we make it safe and sound to the apartment just down the street.

14 Islands make up the city of Stockholm, Sweden. The word I used to describe Stockholm when walking with Cam and Etta was ‘majestic’. Stockholm is truly the most exciting city that either Cam or I have had the pleasure to visit. I’m sure if Etta could articulate her words better she would agree!

I brought mostly shorts and capris along as it was predicted that it would be 25 degrees. However, rainy and cool days have forced me to wear my lulu lemon leggings way too much. I feel like the Canadian cliché of clothing should not be worn this much in public however comfy they may be. C’est la vie!

Navigating the various islands

From one island overlooking a few other islands

Outside the parliament.

One of the many ships around the harbour. This one was the most majestic.

Day 1:  Exploration, Vasa Ship and Viking Museum

Wow…. Stockholm is incredible.  The first day we just wandered. We wandered over bridges that connect the different parts of Stockholm. As we walked down the streets, Etta was mesmerized by each passing dog and bird. Cam and I, however, were astounded to find that in one direction across a bridge we could see old buildings making up the ‘old town’ or ‘gamla stan’ and across another bridge was just one lonely old building on an island that only houses that building. Then, in front of us we saw another bridge leading to a huge park where the old Vasa ship museum and another castle could be found. The bridges, islands, museums and old buildings pop up everywhere, and left memorable impressions on our brains.

Vasa Museum

There was a huge line up to get into the Vasa museum that took about 30 minutes. The Vasa museum was incredible. The Vasa is an old ship that was built in 1600's. The boat sunk off the shore of Stockholm in 1628. In 1961 they  salvaged the whole ship and it is  now on display in the Vasa museum.

The Vasa!! 

Family picture. It was very dark and hard to take a picture with the ship.

Etta playing on the crow's nest. (not the actual one on the ship)

Etta shooting the canons!

Viking Museum

Off to the Viking museum. Friday it is free to check out the museum so we rushed in before closing.  It’s nice to get in free when you cannot typically spend much time taking in a museum with a baby anyways. This museum had really old artifacts, including Viking swords and runes. 

Ancient viking swords.

An old stone carving.

A model of a viking ship.

Appetizers

We ended our day with appetizers on a boat that was docked in the harbour. It was beautiful and the $30 appetizers were delicious. 

Our small $30 appetizers. They were not kidding when they said Sweden was expensive.

Etta finishing dinner.

Playing outside the restaurant

The end of our first day in Stockholm!

Coping with sickness in Copenhagen

Have you ever been travelling and come down with a sickness? If you have been travelling more than 3 months, then usually you will come down with something. Just make sure that when you do, you do what's necessary to recover quickly.

The first time Cam went by himself to Nepal he came down with the stomach flu. He was too proud to immediately take the pills that he brought from Canada and spent about a week hugging the toilet before he finally started taking them (although you can't really hug a squat toilet, yikes!). After taking the pills he immediately started getting better. The moral of this story: Take the pills!! When we returned to Nepal two years later we both fell sick with similar stomach ailments and found ourselves better after 3 days because we took the pills immediately. Being sick abroad is not a pretty sight, especially if it is in the stomach.

Now it was our time to deal with stomach sickness.... abroad...... with a baby..... Read on: for tips? for coping mechanisms? to bask in our misery? I'm not really sure what this post is, but just thought it was a story worth telling.

Plan for obstacles
It was Saturday night and we had spent the day at Tivoli. Sunday we were planning to get all packed up, clean our place and leave on Monday morning. Doing all of that is tricky enough and we really should know by now that doing everything takes 3x as long with a baby in tow. I really don't know how we thought we could accomplish it all. Well, Saturday night our world came crashing down straight into the toilet with Cam surrounded by bathroom walls. I did not know then that we were NOT going to leave by Monday morning.

Multi-tasking Extraordinaire
The next day when Etta wakes up at 6:30 am Cam is in the fetal position glued to the bed. This is where my ability to multi-task came in. I was looking after Etta and Cam along with cleaning and packing our whole apartment up. For the first 4 hours, I still had hope that we would be able to leave the next day...

Giving Etta a little outdoor play time. Her pants ended up being her bandanna. 

Watching a nearby danish soccer game

Keep Baby Healthy
The last thing you want to add to the mess is a baby who is throwing up everywhere because they have no idea you want them to aim for the bucket or toilet. I kept Etta as far away from Cam as possible (which was really not that far as she is always most interested in things we try to keep her away from!). Maybe her shot against the rotavirus saved her as she has yet to get sick. (I hope!)

No Canadian Comforts
After Etta's first nap it took me about 2 hours to go to 4 different grocery stores trying to find Gatorade and Ginger ale that Cam swore he saw there the other day. This involved bus taking and lots and lots of walking. Did I find either of them?.... NO!!! The search was in vain and instead I came home with organic orange juice and some sort of Danish vitamin drink.

Don't get both spouses sick
I failed to keep myself healthy and by the evening when Cam was feeling a touch better it was my turn to make some long distance calls to Ralph on the old porcelain telephone (i.e. barf in Uncle Matt Mang slang).That is when we switched duties. Cam took care of Etta and I was in the fetal position on the bed.

Take advantage of the moments you feel good
Although Cam started to help out with Etta he was not completely better so it was a dance. Cam hugs the toilet and I look after Etta. I hug the toilet and Cam looks after Etta.

Cam looking after Etta. I was sleeping when this was taken. When I saw this photo I laughed. It's Cam's first EVER selfie!!! It is now documented for May 28th, 2014

Skype with Family Members
We have a regular Sunday night Skype chat with Mamma and Papa Mang. This was a huge relief. Etta was preoccupied with Gran and Gramps for the hour before her 6:30 pm bedtime.

Sleep when baby sleeps
Cam and I went to sleep as soon as Etta went to bed for the night. Luckily Cam felt mostly better the next day and looked after Etta while I got to rest in bed. We delayed our departure to Tuesday and are now settled in at the Elsass Centre for two nights before heading to Stockholm (blog post to come).

You will survive
Even though it seems that you won't survive, you do! It is quite amazing really because you actually do survive!! There were many times we were calling out to our mothers in Canada wishing that they were there to rub our backs, make us soup and help look after Etta. I had to settle with sending my mother an email whining about being sick to which she gave me loving motherly words of encouragement.

The best part is that Etta was amazing all day. She really looked after her parents. 

Tivoli: Pleasure Garden

In 1843, Copenhagen got their very own Tivoli which means pleasure garden and is the home of beautiful trees and flowers, an amusement park, live music, the Tivoli Boys Guard and much more. Tivoli grounds were popping up all over Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and instantly became very popular. It was an immediate and huge success when Copenhagen got their very own Tivoli. It is said that "Tivoli will never be completed" as it is every changing with new rides, buildings and entertainment. For more information click here.

I had the pleasure of going to Copenhagen`s Tivoli at night on their "Friday Rock" with my good friend Maria and during the day with Cam and Etta. Two different but fun experiences.

Tivoli at Night

I never thought I would have the opportunity in the near future, let alone only 9 months after Etta was born, to travel Europe with a good friend. But to my pleasant surprise, my friend Maria jumped at the chance to visit Europe and spent 10 days with us in Copenhagen. We had a LOT of fun together, but one of the highlights was definitely a night spent at Tivoli.

At night Tivoli is majestic. If you are here I highly suggest checking Tivoli out a night. There were lots of kids and babies still there at 9:30 pm when we arrived. I was very surprised and even thought "Why did we not bring Cam and Etta?" 

When Maria and I walked in it was a beautiful garden with lights hanging in the trees, among flowers and in ponds. It was absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately because it was at night the pictures I took did not turn out that well.

Tivoli during the Day

I'm sure that all of our traveling has made me more easy going and helped to make taking Etta out feel a lot easier lately, but I am also sure that the amazing weather of late has also helped a lot. The lack of wind and the nice sunny days seem to leave me happier and more relaxed as I take care of her. I guess it`s just nice to not have to worry about chasing down wind-blown baby blankets or to see Etta looking up at me from her baby carrier with those deep blue eyes in shock and the wind soaring past her face. Well, there was no wind in Tivoli today, and needless to say, we all had an excellent day!  

Tivoli during the day, specifically a nice sunny day, has lots for the whole family. For children of all ages there are different fun free shows, a free playground, changing rooms, and of course lots of rides if you choose to get the pass for the rides. 

This is how our day went:

Since Etta was in her play time right when we arrived we headed straight to the playground. Right beside the playground is a place where they occasionally do short kids shows perfect for kids under the age of about 6. Etta was just the right age to enjoy the singing and laugh at Rasmus, the giant bear.

Etta and Cam hanging out. To the left is a really cool restaurant ship and to the right is a beautiful garden where we ended up feeding Etta all her meals. We also spent a good chunk walking through the gardens during Etta`s nap. During Etta`s nap we also went to the older part of Tivoli and got Churros with chocolate and ice cream. We would have taken a picture but we ate them too quickly.

A couple of other proud parent moments: It was the first day Etta pulled herself to a stand by herself. She also spent a good 30 minutes rolling in the grass and laughing at people who were passing by. Tivoli is great for a baby who is an extrovert.

Near the end of the day after Etta had her afternoon nap at Tivoli we were all smiles.
Sunny days honestly just do that to me. 

Getting ready to leave and we see the Tivoli`s Boys Guard again. They march through the gardens playing instruments a couple of times during the day. The Tivoli`s Boys Guard was founded in 1844, 170 years of tradition right there!

Experimenting with Copenhagen (part 1)

Prams outside coffee shops!

Everyday I see more babies outside in Copenhagen then I have ever seen anywhere else in my travels. I have also seen the same amount of men pushing strollers as I see women. The city is so accepting of babies everywhere that you never feel like bringing your baby out is an inconvenience to anyone.

Seeing as it is our last few weeks here we really wanted to enter into the true Danish cosmos of raising a child in Denmark. Cam and I decided that it was time we tried following the Danes and leave a stroller outside the coffee shop..... with Etta sleeping inside. Click here to find out a little bit more how about prams outside coffee shops in Denmark. If you want to read what happened when some Danes left their baby outside a restaurant in New York click here. Please read with an open mind. This is how it went:

"I think we should try leaving Etta outside while we go get our coffee. If we truly want to feel Danish we should do as the Danes do."  I said.

"Are you sure? I guess we could try it." Cam responded

We parked the pram right near a big window near the order area and went in through the front door. The whole time the pram was visible through a big window. Immediately when we get inside Cam says:

"Get me a chai latte. I might go check on her."

"She is alright. We can see her from the window. I'm going to go to the bathroom and you order while keeping an eye on the pram." I respond trying to act all cool.

"Yes you're right. I will stay in here and order." Cam says.

I return from the bathroom and say. "Everything still ok with Etta? Got my mocha and your chai?"

"She seems ok and I got the drinks. Where should we sit?"

"hmmm not sure. Maybe we should check on Etta and then figure it out?" I say.

"Why don't we just drink our drinks outside. We can do this a little longer another day." Cam responds.

That was the end of our experiment. Seems a little silly yes but I can see why the Danes do it. I think it is all apart of their Hygge and they really bring the Hygge into their parenting. A Dane would say, "why shouldn't a parent be able to enjoy a coffee in a nice cosy cafe while their baby naps outside in the fresh air anyways?"

How did I feel? The Canadian in me was worried as I was not used to this concept. However, it was very liberating knowing that your baby was sleeping safe and sound while you watched from inside drinking a cup of coffee. I would try it again with her parked in front of the window where I drink my drink with a baby monitor with me and in her carriage so I can hear her when she wakes up. Maybe we will try yet again another day.

Etta sleeping in the pram. Kaffe slaberas'en is the mom, dad and baby hang out coffee shop in Copenhagen. I always see at least 8 babies either sleeping in prams or hanging out inside this cafe. Kaffe Slaberas'en has delicious coffees and yummy danishes!

Sun, Swim, Surf – Nature's Calm

Every day, I am reminded of my outdoor education class that I took at the University of Alberta. We discussed questions related to ‘where can you engage with nature?’, and ‘what is the importance of the human connection with nature?'  Cam and I often find ourselves discussing similar questions.  Cam often comments on the potential for nature to facilitate rehabilitation for people with neurological injuries. That conviction has sparked his volunteer involvement with groups like the Alberta Abilities Lodges Society and Interfit. I see the importance of connecting students with nature to enhance their learning and well being. The best example of education within a natural environment that I have seen to date is the Green School in Bali, Indonesia. 

In my outdoor education class we would debate the question ‘”Where do you need to go to connect with nature?” From that class I came to realize that the answer is that you can connect with nature anywhere, although in some places it can be a lot easier than in others. For example, there is usually some type of nature outside your window be it a tree or a bird. If you can find a way to connect with that tree in the front of your house on a regular basis you will find a greater amount of peace more often than if you rely solely on the few times you get out into the bush to connect with the natural environment. It is however, a lot easier to find that peace when surrounded by dozens of trees in the mountains, and that is why so many of us enjoy escaping to those peaceful surroundings.  

Why am I having this little discussion? Well, I am learning more and more each day that my daughter Etta is most at peace when she is outdoors. Be it outside our apartment in Copenhagen sitting in the grass or in Portugal watching the wave’s crash against the sand. Seeing the laughter and the joy in Etta when we spend days outside makes me want to pitch a tent and just live all of our days in the outdoors. Over the past week in Portugal we have spent the majority of all of our day outside. Etta has had numerous naps outside, eaten food outside, breastfed outside and played outside. Because of the heat we, of course, have to make sure she is lathered in sunscreen, wears a hat, her UV protected swim suit and spends roughly 75% of the time in the shade.

Here are some of the things we did in the great Portugal outdoors and how we prepared to do them:

Beach days

Everyday at the beach we made sure to have a good spot in the shade. We applied sunscreen every 1-2 hours and made sure she had a couple of sips of water every once in a while. We had a lot of gear to haul around but it was totally worth it.

For a successful beach day we brought along:
2x beach mats
beach umbrella
kids sunscreen
adult sunscreen
UV long sleeve swim suit
sun hat
swim diaper
8 x diapers
wipes
baby food
cheerios
beach toys (pale, shovel, watering can, rake, sifter)
Etta's waterbottle
Our gear: towel, our swim suits, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, water bottle, food
phew and that is all!!!

Etta loved the beach and the ocean. She was afraid of the water and would not touch the cold wet sand with her feet. She would spend the time gazing at the waves as they crashed against the sand. She also would laugh hysterically if one of us would jump in the water and go swimming.

Too beautiful not to put a picture up! Dona Ana beach!

Many little beaches hidden among the cliffs. Breathtaking!

Surfing
We only went surfing one day. It was quite the ordeal to organize with a  baby but extremely worth it. If you are big into surfing and have a baby I highly suggest renting a car which is what we would do in the future. That way you can rent your board or take lessons on your own terms and timing. We ended up going surfing with The Surf Experience. They were willing to take us with our car seat and baby with them to Amado beach on the West Coast. They are the top recommended surf camp in Lagos and I highly recommend just going with them. We had some difficulty with other surf camps/schools in Lagos and trying to go surfing with a baby along.  

Family Surf Day. I got my board and my baby! 

Etta wanting to go surfing on her own.

Sometimes as parents I think that we feel that we no longer can do the things we used to enjoy doing. We might even feel bad if we choose to go ahead and do it for ourselves. In this instance it was truly amazing to have Etta with me at the beach when I got back on a surfboard for the first time since before being pregnant. Having Etta at the beach and enjoying a beautiful day while I got to do something I loved was such a good family bonding experience. Etta loved checking out the board and seeing us in the water. Unfortunately Etta cannot stand on her own yet to go surfing. Who knows maybe she will learn to surf before she walks!

Hiking
We went hiking above the beaches along the cliffs. It was an easy hike but was very hot. We were glad we had our beach umbrella and that Etta was wearing her UV protected swim suit.

Family hike along the cliffs. It was breathtaking!

Etta and I walking along the paths.

Shading Etta from the hot sun. This really helped keep her in good spirits!

On our way down to ponta de piedade lagos. From there we took a fisherman's boat to see the different rock formations along the coast. It was amazing going through natural caves.