A Winter Getaway to Vilnius, Lithuania

I wanted to get away for a Christmas market trip over December and after looking at a few options, it was Vilnius in Lithuania that I was drawn to.  As well as a Christmas market for shopping, there was a new country to explore and the flights were very reasonable for the dates we wanted.  I had initially planned to go with just Rex but I ended going with four friends as well.

We found flights for £45 return, leaving Friday and coming back on the Monday and we booked a beautiful apartment right by the old town which worked out £60 each for the three nights.  Vilnius airport is very small and it cost us seven Euros for a large taxi from the airport to our apartment (slightly less for a standard sized car).

In December Lithuania is slightly colder than the UK and temperatures ranged between-5 and -15 during our trip.  There was a brief flurry of snow one evening and if you got away from the town centre there was snow on the ground and trees still. We came prepared with warm layers, thick socks and thermals and the cold didn't feel nearly as biting as the UK in my opinion.

There were two Christmas markets on whilst we were there, the first one was just for a weekend and was an international market in the town hall which was mostly tables run by different embassies.  The second one was in the Cathedral square and centered around the huge Christmas tree.  Every year there is a different theme to the tree and 2022 looked like a three tiered cake.  It was spectacular day and night, however the market was quite limited.  We did get mulled wine and some Lithuanian candy but bought more from other stalls around the old town rather than the market here.

Whilst the market was disappointing, the mini break certainly wasn't and I adored Vilnius.  The architecture is incredible and the old town with its cobbled streets, beautiful coffee shops and Christmas lights was pretty special.  There were so many buildings which had gone big with their Christmas decorations and made the whole town feel so warm. 

Here are some of the places we visited during our stay

1) Uzupis is a self declared republic within Vilnius and a short walk from the old town.  You can find their constitution in 23 languages written on the wall which contains statements such as 'everyone has the right to cry'.  The area is full of fun street art, interesting boutiques and a tourist office where you can stamp your passport.

2)Lukiškės Prison is situated in the centre of Vilnius and was closed as a working prison in 2019.  Over the winter there was an ice skating rink in the central courtyard and you can go for tours around this prison (where scenes in Stranger Things season 4 were shot). It was really interesting to walk around and we found a fun bar inside the prison where you could get drinks and snacks.

3) There is a Christmas train that drives around the old town at night, all lit up with fairy lights.  It is 2 euros per ticket and a fun activity to get out of the cold for a little while and see the beautiful city.

4) Food was an important part of our trip.  We had a delicious brunch at Backstage cafe who also did great coffee. Rosehip Vegan was incredible - make sure you book a table as they do get busy. Etno Dvaras is a chain doing reasonably priced traditional food.  Hales Market is fun for a wander and you can grab smoothies, pastries and the traditional Lithuanian cakes there.

5) Other members of the group visited Vilnius' MO Museum of Modern Art and really enjoyed it.  (Rex was not in the mood).  If you are interested in art then they recommend it.

6) Sky Bar is located on the 22nd floor of the Radisson and we booked a table on the day we wanted to visit.  With views out over Vilnius it is a great spot to drink a cocktail and there were hundreds on the menu as well as staff happy to make something up based on our likes. Children are allowed in the bar until 10pm, although we didn't see any other than Rex. Cocktails were around 9-10 Euros each.  

Rex was 12 months old when we visited and was so easy. He was happy in the stroller or sling as we explored and I made time to find empty coffee shops for him to explore or took him back to the apartment for a crawl around when he needed it. The bars we visited (sky bar and the prison bar) were both happy to have a baby in and the city was stroller friendly.  Vilnius is a beautiful city to visit, small enough that you can see a lot in a couple of days and it felt very festive in early December.

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48 Hours in Singapore - Our Family Travel Itinerary

Due to some last minute flight cancellations, we ended up with only just over 48 hours in Singapore.  We had never planned to spend too long there as after Thailand and Vietnam we knew it would be expensive, but we had hoped for a little more time to explore.  Singapore was the last country we visited before heading home so we were all getting tired and there is so much more to see and do that we had to just pick a couple of things and be content with that. If you want to catch up on the first parts of our trip, this is our Thailand Itinerary and our Vietnam Itinerary.

We arrived in the evening and left the airport to find our hotel.  After we had settled in, we went for a walk around the local area and to find some dinner.  We stayed at five/6 Splendour Hotel in the Geylang district and were delighted to have safe flat pavements after the crazy Vietnamese streets.  The hotel was unfortunately 3x as expensive as what we were used to and nowhere near as nice, but this is what we had expected from Singapore.

For our full day in Singapore (which also happened to be my birthday), we headed over to colourful Chinatown to check out the world's cheapest Michelin Starred food at Hawker Chan.  The children were really excited to try it, although none were that enamoured by it in reality.  Definitely something to tick off the bucket list though!

After lunch, we wanted to explore Gardens by The Bay and we decided to walk there so we could take in more of Singapore.  You can really see a city when you walk through it and the buildings had incorporated trees and nature in so many amazing ways, it was fascinating to see such a built up city trying to be green.  Singapore feels like such a safe place to walk around and I wish we had more time to explore on foot.

Gardens by the Bay is a huge area of nature and art.  Much of it is free to enjoy including the children's gardens and splash zone and the Supertree Grove, but there are areas you can pay to go in as well.  We bought tickets for the flower dome and the cloud forest and both were incredible to explore.  The iconic structures are full of colour and nature in engaging and beautiful ways and we loved the man made waterfall in the centre of the cloud forest as well as the walkways high up.  The closest I can think to describe it is Singapore's version of the Eden Project. 

We spent all afternoon exploring and as the evening set in, there was a light and music show in the 

supertree grove celebrating the multicultural aspect of Singapore's history.  It was fantastic to watch and completely free with the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background. To leave the gardens we actually ended up walking through MBS and we headed to a Singaporean restaurant for a birthday meal.

Our final day in Singapore was also the final day of our Asian Adventure and I wanted to get to the Haig Street Hawker Market.  Hawker markets are the cheapest way to eat in Singapore, they are like a huge food court full of individual vendors and I had watched an episode of a street food documentary on Netflix about a stall selling the traditional dessert of Putu Piring. We headed over there to get some lunch and try the dessert before heading back to the airport to check in our luggage.  We still had many hours until our flight but one thing on our holiday list that we didn't want to miss out on was the Jewel centre in Singapore's Changi Airport.

Singapore has one of the most incredible airports and we all wanted to see the waterfall in the centre.  Not only is there a climbing nets centre, a cinema and a swimming pool in the airport, there are also so many interactive exhibits and so much to see and do.  Our top priority was the Pokemon Centre where there were exclusive games to play and limited edition merchandise to buy. It did not disappoint and was one of the highlights of the children's trip.  We spent all afternoon exploring the airport, eating at the food court downstairs and watching the light show on the waterfall.  As we had already checked in our suitcases, we could enjoy the Changi airport until an hour before our 11pm flight home.

It was a very quick stop in Singapore and I found it so hard to choose what to spend our time on.  I would have loved to do the Night Safari, visit Universal Studios or the water park over on Sentosa Island, spend more time walking the colourful and quirky streets and have a Singapore Sling at Raffles hotel.  It was a great way to end our adventure and hopefully we can visit again in the future.

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One in The Morning

It feels like you have only just arrived, I still think of you as a little baby in most ways, but life without you seems so distant a memory too.  You are the baby we didn't know we needed to complete our family and tomorrow my tiny boy, you turn one.

You may have no idea what a birthday is but your siblings definitely do.  Cora told everyone we saw in the supermarket today when we were out buying party food that it was your birthday tomorrow.  The boys ask about what you want, who your friends are and whether you will be allowed some cake and every one is is getting excited whilst you remain oblivious.  Being the youngest of five means there are a lot of people delighted about your milestones.

A year ago I had no idea you were about to arrive, I thought I had a few more days still. You were born on Saturday evening after a very quick labour and you were just perfect.  7lb 13oz of healthy baby boy, you looked like all your siblings and completely unique at the same time.  You were alert, you took me in as I memorised every part of you and I remembered how quickly a heart can grow.

This year you have changed from that tiny baby who just needed to be held to a much bigger baby who still needs to be held.  You feel safest in my arms and we still haven't spent more than about 3 hours apart.  You still rely heavily on breastmilk and you have no intention of sleeping anywhere other than in my bed for the foreseeable future. You are a complete Mummy's boy, although your love for music means Daddy is becoming much more interesting.  You press all the buttons on the speakers to let us know you want a tune and then bounce up and down dancing in delight when we turn something on.  You are inquisitive, cheeky and determined. 

I thought you would be early to walk as you were crawling and cruising by 9 months old but you have no interest in taking unaided steps yet.  You are much more interested in crawling up the stairs as fast as you can, giggling all the way and making sure someone is chasing you up.  You say Dadada and Mamama and something that sounds a lot like no.  You love music with your Daddy but with me you love books (two very happy parents if this continues).  You have 8 teeth and the dribbling is starting back up again so I am sure there are more to come.

As your birthday falls on a weekend, we are having a party on the day.  After your siblings have helped you explore your birthday gifts, we will head to the same hall where Archie and Finn had their first birthday and we will share cake with the people that love you.  I can't wait to celebrate what a little boy you are becoming, but before that moment I need to stop and take in everything you are now. The tiny boy curled up beside me as I write this is only going to get bigger, smarter and more independent and whilst the days might seem long at times, I know how lucky I am to get to spend them with you in my arms.  On your last night as an 11 month old, I want to give you an extra cuddle, a bonus kiss and let you know how loved you are.

Tomorrow my tiny boy, you will be one! 

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Hoi An, Vietnam with Kids

If I had to choose just one place to recommend in Vietnam, it would be Hoi An. Situated around the middle of Vietnam, it has a beautiful blend of culture and colour and is within 30 minutes drive from a big city, a beach and an airport. The City of Lanterns is an incredible place to visit as a backpacker, couple or family.

We decided to explore this area  with three different bases on our recent trip, so we spent a few nights in An Bang beach which is a very laid back beach town around 15 minutes drive from Hoi An ancient town.  We spent time in Hoi An and then a few days in Da Nang, the city 30 minutes away that also has an international airport.  You can read our 2 weeks Vietnam itinerary here for more on this.

I took so many photos in Hoi An and we loved it so much that I wanted to give it a separate blog post to share a bit more about three things we loved there, the ancient town, the lantern boats and the cookery class that we did.

Hoi An Ancient Town.

Vietnam is well known for the fact it is more motorbike friendly than pedestrian friendly.  The pavements are uneven and narrow with obstacles making it almost impossible to use a pushchair.  The ancient town however is car and motorbike free zone and it was lovely to not worry about traffic for a little while.  You can still use pushbikes and there were people cycling around passenger bikes too .  It is a very touristy area and the streets are lined with souvenir stores, art shops and tailors offering to custom make anything you can think of.  There are plenty of restaurants and cafes too and the children got very used to the fact that they all sold Oreo milkshakes.

All the walls are yellow and there are pink flowers popping up everywhere.  It makes for a beautiful place to wander. The mornings are quiet but as the sun starts to set and the lanterns start to shine, the town comes alive.  You can buy street foot or eat at one of the restaraunts looking out over the river.  We found a stall who made necklaces which had your name written on a piece of rice - a brilliant souvenir! There is a wonderful atmosphere and whilst it is very busy, it also felt welcoming and safe and very family friendly. 

There are shops where you can take part in lantern making workshops and across the river from Hoi An is An Hoi, famous for its silks.  The Japanese covered bridge is a famous landmark in the centre of the ancient town and worth a walk over, although it was so busy that I didn't take any photos.  

The Lantern Boats

As I said above, as the sun sets, the city comes alive and the lantern boats are part of the reason for this.  The row boats hold between 2 and 6 people and start sailing as it gets dark.  For your fee you get a 20 minute ride up and down the river and under the lantern bridge and it is something not to miss.  It felt like a moment of calm in a busy city and the colours lighting up the water are magical.  

We spent the first night just watching them all and you can buy paper boats with a candle to send out your wishes (There is a photo of this at the very top of this post).  It might look like some kind of festival, but these boats sail every night.

The Cookery Class

There were several experiences you could book in Hoi An but we sat down as a family to decide and the outcome was a unanimous vote for the cookery class.  There were plenty of options to book either through websites or your hotel and we found one that had reviews from other families as we hoped it would be the best option for our gang.  

Most cookery classes include drop off and pick up from your hotel or hostel and we were collected by mini bus and taken along with the rest of the group (there were 4 other people in our class) to the market. We walked through and then were taken to a food stall where our guide explained what foods are important in Vietnamese cuisine and how they choose which ones to buy.  We saw the meat and fish being sold as well as all the vegetables before heading back to the bus to be taken to a river.

We went out on traditional basket boats on the river and there was entertainment further down with men making the boats dance and spin as music played (offering tourists a chance to sit in the boat as it span too).  We were shown how to cast a net and the children each had a go, then on the way back we went along the river banks catching small crabs.

Once the basket boat trip was over, we went to the restaurant where we would learn to cook four different meals.  As we had booked for four children, there were extra staff around to help them and there were people desperate to hold the baby too so Ed and I could both have a go at cooking.  The instructors spoke great English and had everything ready to make it an easy experience for us. The first two dishes we ate immediately after cooking but the last two we ate along with some other Vietnamese food that the instructors had cooked, so there was a huge spread on the table.  They were happy to modify recipes for me to make sure there was no egg despite the fact I hadn't declared the allergy when I booked.

The children all loved learning to cook and we took away a sheet with all the recipes on so we could make them again at home. It was a fantastic trip and I am so glad we booked it. I think it worked out around £22 per person for the day which included all food, drink and transport.

There is so much more to do in Hoi An and the surrounding areas and my Vietnam Itinerary shows you what we got up to in An Bang and Da Nang, which could both be just days out from Hoi An.

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