Little Footsteps in the Big World

A Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean, closer to Africa than mainland Europe, Madeira really does have something for everyone—cliffs, mountains, endless ocean views. It also offers a rich cultural scene and diverse culinary experiences, and of course, it's the home of Cristiano Ronaldo—that was my selling point for my husband. Even the airport is named after him: Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. Who knew? What I didn't know was the airport's infamous landing. Apparently, the whole world knew about it—except us. There are entire YouTube videos on crazy landings in Madeira. I had no idea. Our landing there was, by far, the most intense landing I've experienced—and it wasn't even a windy day. The geography makes the approach tricky and windy, with cliffs on one side and the ocean on the other. Our plane was shaking and swaying, and when we finally touched down (back wheels first), the brakes were applied very forcefully. The runway is very short—although it...

When we began talking about a Caribbean holiday, we didn't have a specific destination in mind. Since it would be a completely new region for our family, I did extensive research. I wanted somewhere safe and child-friendly, with good medical care (no extra vaccinations needed), reliable roads for renting a car, and, most importantly, great weather in October, when we planned to travel. We knew we wanted an island, and with only one week available, a direct flight was essential. Most recommendations pointed towards the ABC islands - Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Quite randomly, we chose Curaçao and booked a direct flight with KLM from Amsterdam. Geographically, Curaçao (a constituent country within the Kingdom of Netherlands) lies outside the main Caribbean hurricane belt. Coincidentally, during the week of our stay, Hurricane Melisa hit Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti, while the ABC islands, located farther south off the coast of Venezuela, were spared.  Upon arrival, we picked up our renta...

Easter holidays are when we usually escape Belgium for a warmer and sunnier part of Europe. This year, we finally managed to arrange a trip together with our good friends and their children. Plane tickets to the Canary Islands were too expensive, so we opted for one of the Balearic islands instead -  Mallorca. Just like during our stay in Lanzarote ( read here ), we rented a car so we could move freely around the island. We chose Sa Coma, just south of Cala Millor, as our base because we found a resort that we liked that fit our budget. Otherwise, Alcudia Bay area is a popular choice for families if you want to stay close to the beach. If shopping and culture are your priorities, it's best to be based yourself in Palma. And if you're looking for a less crowded but picturesque base, pick one of the mountain towns like Deia or Valldemossa. Sa Coma Beach, the backyard of our hotel Day 1: East of the Island Our first day on the island was Easter Sunday, so we took it slowly and enj...

I fell in love with Istanbul when I spent four months living there back in 2009. Since then, whenever I could, I brought my family to visit the city. Several times over the last 10 years, when flying from Europe to Indonesia, I choose longer layovers in Istanbul so we could spend a day in the city. Once we spent a day in Hagia Sophia, another time in the Basilica Cistern. Other times, we simply walked around, had lunch, and returned to the airport for our connecting flight. This year, we finally decided to spend several days in Istanbul. Since it was in the middle of the school year, the kids skipped school on Friday, as we flew from Brussels on Thursday evening. Needless to say, after 10 years and traveling between continents, Turkish Airlines has become my kids' favourite airlines, so their journey already felt special from the moment we boarded the plane.  Hagia Sophia As a capital of four empires at different points in history - the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires -...