I always have a lot of questions about accommodati I always have a lot of questions about accommodation when we stay anywhere as a family so I thought I’d share this little tour of our room at @windjammerlanding which was a pretty perfect place to stay.

It’s the ‘Ocean View Two Bedroom’ which was like a little house, with an upstairs and downstairs, built into the hillside. Both rooms had outdoor space and their own shower rooms. Such a great option for a family.
A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. We’ve been back a few days now but still miss the heat, the food, the pool, the constant sounds of wildlife and the lovely people. It was such a great holiday and I’m sure we’ll be back one day.
And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is watching her grow and what a wonderful young woman she is becoming. We could not be more proud. Love you Pickle, have a great birthday.
We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in S We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in St Lucia staying at @windjammerlanding and it was just the holiday we needed. Two weeks of sunshine and relaxation in what must be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. 

We can’t wait to go back again in the future. Here’s just a little snippet of our trip.
AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @na AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @national_motor_museum despite the rain! The children loved the Little Beaulieu play area and we loved exploring the National Motor Museum and Top Gear exhibit before having a ride on the monorail! We went on an old open topped bus, explored the Beaulieu Manor House and loved the gardens. 
Beaulieu is always a great day out - whatever the weather. This summer they have a whole ‘Summer of Fun’ planned, with activities most days - parades, bird shows and hundreds of sculptures within the grounds too. If you’re looking for a day out this summer definitely think about heading to Beaulieu.
AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to t AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to their first concert - but it was so much more than just a concert! @abbavoyage is incredible. With CGI ABBA and a live band, it’s like being at an ABBA concert 40 years ago but with modern lighting, effects and sound. ABBA look and sound real, it’s a mind blowing experience.
The set includes all the songs you know and love as well as a few less familiar ones.
You can’t take photos during the show which actually made a refreshing change. A whole arena focused purely on the show and soaking up the moment. It’s definitely something the four of us will always remember.
Now, I’m off to sing Dancing Queen all the way home.
AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdo AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdockyard today. They have a fantastic Ultimate Explorer ticket that lets you visit all the attractions as many times as you like for 12 months - and after a day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard we can see that you need more than one day to really do everything!

We explored HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Exhibition - which is incredible! We also saw where ships are built and restored and spent time in Action Stations where the kids climbed and did an assault course.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is such a fun, educational day out with something for all ages - we can’t wait to go on their harbour tours next time we visit!
AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To cel AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To celebrate #100YearOfARoads National Highways have launched their #ARoadsToSummer competition! It's all about celebrating summer holiday moments, time together, fun in the sun, days out and more.

So why not be in it to win it? To enter, all you have to do is send @nationalhways a DM on here with a photo or video of your favourite holiday moments. You can also comment on their Facebook or Twitter #ARoadsToSummer posts with your holiday photos. I've shared a few of our favourite photos to give you some inspiration.

The best six entries will each win a £500 @nationaltrust holidays voucher! SO what are you waiting for? Dig out your favourite holiday photos or take some new ones to share!

The #ARoadsToSummer competition runs from 24 July to 10 September 2023. Winners will be announced in September 2023.

Good luck!
Oh these two! Every day I feel lucky to have them. Oh these two! Every day I feel lucky to have them. As school draws to a close at lunchtime, I’m looking forward to a whole summer with them. My favourite people.

They’ve both had a great year at school this year. Troy’s first without his sister by his side and Athena’s first at secondary school. 

They both had great reports, always did their best and have made some really lovely new friends this year. I could not be more proud of them.

Now, let’s go and enjoy the next six weeks before school starts all over again!
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Days Out, Days Out and Attractions/Events, Reviews · June 27, 2019

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

On our recent family vacation we were looking for things to do with the children on a day trip in Rome. We decided to revisit the smallest sovereign state in the world which happens to be smack bang within the Italian capital – Vatican City, home of the Roman Catholic Church and it’s leader, Pope Francis. It is also home to the Vatican Museum and St Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world.

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

The dome of St Peter’s Basilica dominates the Roman skyline and has done since construction was completed in 1626. It is the collaboration of some of the renaissance’s finest architects like Michelangelo and there has been a church on the site since the time of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. It replaced Old St Peter’s Basilica that had stood since the year 4AD. We had visited the Vatican over 10 years ago, and were keen to show the children another of the world’s most iconic venues.

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

When visiting Vatican City it is best to plan ahead. The Pope gives a public address every Wednesday and Sunday, so you might want to factor this into your trip. We went on a Thursday afternoon and it wasn’t too manic. Various tour operators will be eager to sell you inflated Vatican tours of the city and museum but we decided to just book a guided tour of the Vatican Museum through the museum itself.

We booked in advance for a time that suited us and had the option of a group tour or a private Vatican tour and we chose the group option mainly for the price! Like many other cultural sites, children go free and it’s a surprisingly child friendly tour too. We also skipped the huge queue that went out of the museum, 500 meters down the street and around a corner. There is a special line for ticket holders and friendly official museum staff were dotted at different parts of the queue to direct us towards the correct entrance.

It’s worth noting that there is a dress code for the Vatican Museums. To visit the Vatican you must have your knees and shoulders covered and hats removed. This applies to adults and children. Once inside, we were presented with airport style body scanners and X-ray machines, an unfortunate necessity for such an iconic site.

We were through them swiftly and made our way to the ticket office where we exchanged our printed booking for actual Vatican tickets and were told to pick up our audio guide and meet our tour guide nearby. We were given a radio with an earpiece and when the guide, Cesare, arrived, he made sure that we could all hear him before the tour commenced.

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

The group was made up of about 20 people in total and was delivered in English. As the museum does not allow tour guides inside the Sistine Chapel we spent the first 40 minutes or so being talked through Michelangelo’s finest work, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, with the aid of large boards which highlight each section. It was fascinating to learn all about it and some of the sacrifices and hidden secrets Michelangelo put into his work. Did you know there are three self portraits of him in the masterpiece?

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

After the talk we were taken inside the building and stopped at various highlights with our guide loud and clear in our earpieces. He pointed out the collections along the way and stopped at some of the more interesting pieces. As it was getting busier inside we stuck close to Cesare as he was easy to loose in the crowds. He was very knowledgeable and answered people’s questions along the way.

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

We were taken around the more popular rooms of the museum which contain sculptures hundreds of years old, hand painted maps on walls that are still very accurate along with frescos by some of the worlds finest artists, with rooms dedicated to the likes of Raphael.

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

There are also rooms with more modern art from Warhol to Salvador Dali and we also got to see the last known painting that Vincent Van Gogh created. We managed to find a toilet and had a quick drink and snack before we moved on.

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

The end of the tour was the the showcase itself, the Sistine Chapel. Everyone is familiar with the paintings whether you know it or not. This was the second time we had seen it in person and it was just as awe inspiring, having had insider input from our guide earlier on.

The children were still enjoying it and loved pointing out the famous ‘finger touching’ painting in the middle. It is hard to believe that despite hundreds of years passing it is still in great condition and will be enjoyed by generations for years to come.

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

We soon found our way out of the museum and after visiting a gift shop we headed for St Peter’s Basilica which I’ll tell you about in another post. The Vatican Museums are a must see on any visit to Rome – with or without children and we’re so glad we got to take the children along for the ride.

The tour was a bit heavy going for the children and I’m not sure they listened to much of it but they really enjoyed looking around the Vatican and learning snippets of information along the way. It was a great day out and taught us so much about ancient Rome in the process!

Visiting the Vatican with Kids

If you’re looking for more inspiration on your next trip to Rome, here are some more posts that may be of use:

  • Things to do in Rome with Kids
  • Tips for Visiting Rome with Kids
  • Planning a Rome City Break with Kids
Visiting the Vatican with Kids

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