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A Family Friendly Barcelona

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A Family Friendly Barcelona

Traveling with kids is no easy task. Not always fascinated by stunning architecture or the variety of Tapas and Cava available, Barcelona might seem like an unlikely place to bring your children to for a family holiday. However, Barcelona definitely has more to offer than just architecture and food, that is suitable for travelers of all ages. Here are six activities that can keep both you and your little ones entertained.

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1. Tibidabo Amusement Park

The Tibidabo Amusement Park is a must go for families with children. With 25 rides like classic roller coasters and even a haunted mansion to discover, great shows and street theater performances, the Tibidabo Amusement Park promises a fun-filled time for family members of all ages. Plus, get a bird’s eye view of Barcelona on the Giradabo, a Ferris wheel in the park’s Skywalk area. Less than an hour away from the city center by public transport and shuttle buses, the Tibidabo Amusement Park should definitely be visited with your entire family.

[BARCELONA-FLAVOURS https://www.bonappetour.com/s/Barcelona–Barcelona–Spain?lat=41.38506389999999&lng=2.1734034999999494]

 

 

2. CosmoCaixa

Why not pay a visit to one of the largest and most exciting museums in all of Spain? With an endless amount of interactive exhibitions that include an exhibition on how sand dunes develop and move, by making your own sandstorm, and there's even a planetarium to explore! Definitely do not miss their 1,000 m² jungle greenhouse which is home to 30 m tall trees from the Amazon, and you can even see animals from the tropics, some of which are even free-roaming! There is certainly bound to be something for everyone in this museum, both children and adults alike.
 

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3. Visit the Aquarium

With 35 different tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species of marine life to discover in Barcelona’s L’aquarium, it is definitely an attraction worth visiting for all families. Spend an afternoon in awe, traveling through an underwater tunnel 80 meters long, playing "finding Nemo" with your kids, and observing the myriad of ocean creatures that call one of the largest oceanariums in all of Europe their home. The L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is definitely a must go for a fun family day out.

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4. Visit the beach

A trip to Barcelona is not complete without visiting its prized beaches. Enjoy the sun and sand with your little ones as you bask in the glorious beaches of this coastal city. You can even have a picnic day by the beach, with lots of space for your children to run around and play. The best part? You do not have to travel hours upon hours out of the city to have some fun in the sun, with the Barcelona beach only being a mere 20 minutes away from the city center by Metro! 

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5. Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is a stunning musical display of colored lights and water acrobatics, that come together to produce sheer magic. Just minutes away from the Espanya metro station, the magic fountain is certainly not one to be missed when you are in Barcelona. Both your kids and yourself will definitely be in for a treat as this visual spectacle is one of the most visited attractions in all of Barcelona.  It should be noted that the fountain does not operate on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and show times vary throughout the year.
 

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6. Take a Cooking Class

Expose your children to the culinary wonders that Barcelona has to offer by taking a cooking class! Get their hands down and dirty through an interactive cooking class that engages both you and your children, while learning about the culture and cuisine of Barcelona. Your young ones will surely have a blast making and eating the delicious food, that they helped to make. Many of our BonAppetour hosts offer cooking classes, like David, who will teach you how to make Paella from scratch! This is certainly a great way for the whole family to learn more about the city, while having delicious and authentic food, straight from a local's kitchen. 

Barcelona is definitely not a city just for adults to enjoy, but for the entire family as well! Hopefully, these tips have helped you plan a fruitful trip to Barcelona. If you think that we missed out something important, do let us know in the comments below! We would love to hear more about your plans to travel to Barcelona.

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What Makes Mom’s Dinner So Special?

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What Makes Mom’s Dinner So Special?

Sometimes a mother’s biggest legacy is her recipes, and they are also a family’s most precious inheritance. Our mothers have often sacrificed their money and the little time they have to make sure the family has a homely and hearty meal on the table. Author Mitch Albom put it perfectly when he wrote “I don't know what it is about food your mother makes for you, especially when it's something that anyone can make – pancakes, meatloaf, tuna salad – but it carries a certain taste of memory.”

The inextricable link between memory and taste is a strong argument for why a mother’s meal is so special, and why you proudly say “this was my mother’s recipe”. But it also goes beyond the realms of what science can explain, it is the healing power of your mother’s chicken soup when you had the flu, the love poured into her famous apple pie and the taste of home in every brownie.

A local newspaper asked children what made their moms so special and 50%, or 8 out of 16 of the children mentioned food, meals and their mother’s cooking. We were inspired by this to find out more, and turned to our hosts, many of whom are mothers looking to share their home-cooked food and give travellers a taste of what “home” and a mother’s love means in another country. Here are some of the responses:

Our host Regina from Singapore is a mother to two children, Avril and Nicholas, she told us that “motherhood has made me a better person in many ways; having more patience, empathy, selflessness and true unconditional love”. Her children were eager to talk about their mom’s cooking and said they love it because “it is delicious and healthy…A comfort food that never gets boring because mom is such a creative cook”. They also mentioned another factor in what makes a mother’s meal so special, which is the excuse to “spend time together as a family”.

On motherhood, our BonAppetour host, Francesca said “Having a son when I was so young made me mature, and become more responsible before other girls of my age, but at the same time it made me feel so enthusiastic and curious about life as a child. My son and me grew up together and often we are more like brother and sister rather than mother and son!” For Francesca’s son it was purely the fact that the food was made by his mom, and that was why it was so special “my mum's food is the best, she always cooks with fresh ingredients and I love her simplicity in the kitchen. Her food is so special because she's my mum and she’s the best!”

 

We do not know whether mom’s cooking is so special because it is made with a handful of love, a pinch of protection and heaps of care or because of the memories we make around the dinner table. But what we do know is that home is always where mom is.

What makes your mom’s dinner so special? Let us know if the comments below for your chance to treat your mom to a mother’s meal with one of our hosts around the world.

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5 Blogs about Travelling as a Mom that you should totally read

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5 Blogs about Travelling as a Mom that you should totally read

We all know that having a child dramatically changes how you live your life, especially for the mother. However, we have found some amazing and passionate moms who continue their exploration of the world with the kids in tow. Learn how to not only go on a family vacation, but how to have a family travel experience with these fantastic blogs

1.  Travel with Bender

"Caius and Mia Bender are probably the most well-traveled young children in the world." – Forbes

Australian mom Erin began her life of nomadic travel in 2012, and she hasn’t looked back since! Her journey began when children, Caius and Mia, were 2 and 3 years old- that’s what we call brave! With over 60 countries under her belt, Erin believes if an ordinary family from Perth can take the plunge, then so can you. She has a wealth of experience to share with you in the form of insightful articles (over 1000 and counting!) Head on over to their site and read about the Bender family’s inspiring journey.

2. Bohemian Travelers

This bohemian-loving family decided to swap the daily grind in the USA for world exploration, using the world as their children’s teacher. Their blog is a great source of travel tips, tech advice, and inspiration to go after your dreams, leaving the rat race behind.

3. Flashpacker Family

This blog is all about living in the moment, without planning too far into the future. The “flashpacker” family left their New Zealand home in 2014, and have visited the USA and Canada extensively by car, spent some time in Mexico and explored Europe as a family. Follow their blog to find out about how the fund their travelling lifestyle, how they pack and how they manage the kids when travelling the world.

4. Travel Savvy Mom

It’s all in the name! Travel Savvy Mom is about giving moms tips to encourage them to see the world with the family in tow. Author Jamie Pearson came up with the blog back in 2003, being so well established you are bound to be travelling better after you read her posts, which are “a fun mix of reviews, tips, and personal travel experiences”

5. Baby Globetrotters

Upon the birth of her first baby, Keri Hedrick presumed, as many new mothers do, that her travelling days were numbered. But she didn’t let the thought of travelling with three children phase her, and now she blogs about her experience and what she has learnt about different cultures and how expatriate life affects parenting.

 

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Travelling in Paris With Kids? Do More – Here’s how

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Travelling in Paris With Kids? Do More - Here's how

Paris is known for being a city of romance, culture, literature, but not always as a child-friendly one. However, after some research, we have found a few places that your kids will love! Have a hassle-free trip and let the attractions be the nanny for the day!

1. Teach your kids important life skills: Cooking!

Take your kids alongs to a french cooking class in Paris. It's an off-the-beath-path experience for all the family where you get to enjoy fresh, local French delicacies made by your own hands! And who knows, perhaps your little ones will open their own michelin star restaurants one day! 

2. Palais de la Decouverte 
Palais de la Decouverte is a science museum that opens daily, except Monday. Established in 1937 during an international exhibition, and since then the French government has expanded it into a 25,000 square metre museum, containing exhibits for mathematics, physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, and biology, featuring experiments with commentaries by lecturers. There are countless of interactive instalments that will amaze both you and your kids. From colour paint splattering on a spherical wall to neon shadows, it's an opportunity for fun learning that has to be seized! 

2. Disneyland Paris 
Now what would this list be worth if we didn't mention Disneyland? This is a destination that does not require any form of persuasion. A dream wonderland for all children, and even some teenagers…

3. Fat Tire Paris 
This is an activity that I will highly recommend for you and your family.
Started out in 1999, Fat Tire Paris has reinvented ways to tour the city. Fun, easy and stress-free. It allows you to stop worrying about how to get from one attraction to the other. Fat Tire Paris offers fascinating stories, countless photo opportunities and much more. 

4. Paris by mouth food tours 
Paris by mouth is a ‘definitive blog on the city's food and wine scene’ (Huffington post). Tours are lead by English-speaking food & wine professionals who have a strong passion for food in Paris. Paris by mouth focuses on personalization, hence tours are handled in small groups so that it is also easy for you to manage your children and not get easily lost. 

5. Natural History Museum 
The Natural History Museum, one that is similar to the one seen in Night in the museum. With huge exoskeletons of dinosaurs, blue whales and other wonders from noah’s ark, it will be a great day to immerse yourself in history and go crazy with the instalments. 

6. Pompidou centre
The Pompidou centre is a building that was designed with modern architecture, seemingly promoting a very fun environment through the use of rack-like levels and a long travelator connecting one level to another on the outside, shaped like a tube. Housing the Public Information library,  also known as the Bibliotheque publique d’information, the Musée National d’Art Moderne is also the largest museum of modern art in Europe. With the countless amounts of opportunities available for you to experience, you and your family will never be bored! 
 

7. Shakespeare & Company bookstore
The Shakespeare and Company bookstore is a boutique bookstore where you can bring your family to visit, pick out some books to buy and just bask in the genuinity of the store and how they pay so much attention to the little details. There are storytelling sessions available for your children as well as customization of books where you can add a spray of scent, a poem, a picture and lots more. Spend your time here after your lunch or dinner to slowly sieve through the books and find some hidden gems. 

8. Jardin du Luxembourg 
The Jardin du Luxembourg is known to many as a beautiful park with a great playground for children, a fountain pond for sailing boats, a marionette theater with puppet shows where your children can sit around and have a good laugh and an old fashioned carousel that even you as adults can sit on and enjoy. This is a garden where you can discover what it feels like to be a child growing up in Paris 

9.Parc de la Villette 
Another thing Paris is known for is its large parks, where you will often witness locals with their colourful picnic mats and sun hats. Parc de la Villette is the third-largest park in Paris whose design was picked out of 450 proposals and made in such a way as to to cultivate a wandering heart and sense of adventure to discover all the different sites at the park. Some features include the largest science museum in Europe, IMAX theatre, a concert arena, an outdoor cinema theatre where annual film festivals are held and much more! Go explore for yourself to find out more 😉

10. The Jardin d'Acclimatation
A 20-hectare children’s amusement park with museums for you to explore! An attraction not to miss out on with your family. 

 

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