de&gr: Random Travel Tips

Just some random travel tips that have come up for us on this trip. Most of these are personal to us, but maybe others might agree or get some value in them...

• Kitchenette: being able to cook your own food at a moments notice comes in handy with two monster/children
• Tough Stuff First: Vacation is about relaxing, but if you love sightseeing, do the tough stuff first. Anything that requires more effort then lounging on the sand should come at the start of the trip or you'll have trouble fitting it in (or getting motivated for it) near trips end.
• Vomit Comet(s): Avoid buses, vans, or any other transportation that has too much giggle and wiggle. Even if you can stomach it don't count on the kids doing so.
• You be ill'n: Plan for there to be at least one illness on any trip over a few days. This will help you set expectations, plan for common self medications, and generally set expectations to avoid getting to presumptuous  about "success" of a vacation.
• Snack early and often:  The best defense against cranky children that are way to hungry is to try and keep their stomachs constantly in a state of activity. Bottom line, snacks.

I'll probably post some more of these tips/ideas as the inspiration strikes.

de&gr: Back in Pfrozheim

We arrived back in Pforzheim yesterday all safe and sound. Turns out that the solution to our car sick children was to forgo the van service and rent our own smaller car like in Crete (A Class again).

No pictures for now but with us back in Germany and more easy internet access I'll probably try to go back and fill in some more anecdotes from our trip in Crete to supplement then photos.

True to form, the in-laws have a full schedule already laid out for us with some garden grilling today (Tuesday), visiting one aunt in the Schwarz Wald tomorrow, visiting another aunt in Ludwigsburg the day after that, and than rounding out the trip with a two day birthday party for my father in-law.

PS
For those to timid to ask, the "de&gr" is a reference to the country codes used on license plates for Germany DE as in Deutchland and GR as in Greece.

de&gr: Another 5am departure.

The Greece leg of our journey comes to a close. We had an extra
traveler as Liz was on our same Crete to Athens flight.

The A class Mercedes was stuffed to the gills and I had directions at
hand for our pre-dawn drive, but despite being badly signed I was
familiar with the rout from our beach trips to get us there no problem.

Liz heads home today which gives us a new NYC friend to see on our
return!

de&gr: The ACROPOLIS!!!

As in "we didn't see the Acropolis but we did spend money and time on
a variety of kids games" including this train to nowhere.

Emi also enjoyed air hocky, put-put, and mini-gocarts that he'll be
talking about for months.

de&gr: You live where?

The old city defensive wall serves as a foundation for dozens of
building that sit atop the structure as blip on its history which
began with the Venetians.

de&gr: Just in case it isn't obvious...

...the whole crew is watching the sun set. Were looking out over the
picturesque Xania harbor.

With evening we did some window shopping at some beautiful jewelry
stores, an exhibition of vintage motorcycles (4 of which are owned by
the guy who runs our hotel), and likely the best Italian gilato I've
had in years (which warrents its own post - to come).

de&gr: A great view...

...from near the ol' olive tree.

de&gr: 3,000 years of olives

Chris set the group on a short adventure in search of this olive tree
of an estimated age of 3k years old.

After 45 min and back tracking a couple times we found it which after
stupping to dog kennel use for many years in a hollow center it now
gives up a few branches every four years for the first and last gold
medals given at the Olympics.

de&gr: Cretan Dancing

Chris and Delphie (the latter still recovering from a stomach virus)
get to watch some Cretan dancing while the other half are sitting down
to a feast with our friends' family (on the menu: goat).

de&gr: Del update

She was pretty miserable with her Cretan bug after much ichyness, but
18 hours into it she seems to have turned a corner.

She's keeping fluids and solids (boiled rice) down, and her spirits
and energy seem much improved. Finders crossed for tomorrow and the
rest of the trip.

de&gr: dad 67, Emi 64!

The boys go alone while mom helps del get better: multiple erands, jet
ski, beach, pool, dinner for the girls, put-put, and dinner for us
(pizza & lamb).

de&gr: Hump day

Del got sick half way through the trip making hump day earn its name.
I'll leave the details up to the readers imagination. Update on her
tomorrow.

de&gr: day at (the other beach)

"I saw islands and I loved the food and drink."

Island : dad and others swam to

Food : missed photo op with an octopus hanging out of my mouth.

Drink : dad and nick got silly on a clear drink that smelled funny.

- Emi

DE&GR: my other rental

...is a much newer Mercedes (A class).

DE&GR: Cretan sand

E & D get gritty on the beach just 2 minutes walk from our hotel room.

DE&GR: late snack...

...of traditional Cretan (Xania) fruits and cheeses.

DE&GR: Icecream post swim

We grab some desert after a thermal water swim in Bad Wildbad and
while waiting for the S-bahn home.

DE&GR: Animal Experiments

A lone Guinie Pig is only the start of the Kuhn 'farm'. Also present:
6 rabits, 4 chickens, 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 sheep, and 4 kids (6 including
our two).
Now the trip will be both literally and figratively an animal house.