When we told people we planned to travel to Europe with Luke this summer, we received more than a few raised eyebrows and comments like, “But you’re not taking him to the big cities like Rome right?” Well of course! We had no intention of traveling halfway around the world and missing out on Sistine Chapel or Colosseum. That’s not to say we didn’t account for the fact we’d have a six-year-old in tow. While planning our trip, we tried to balance visits to museums and castles and busy city days with plenty of time spent in the countryside and by the pool.
In the Vatican, Luke created his own treasure hunt after learning from our guide that most statues had leaves strategically placed over their “natural parts.” He delighted in finding statues still in the buff and was equally awed by the enormity and beauty of St. Peter’s Basilica.
An afternoon spent wandering the ground of the Colosseum led to imaginary adventures of battling tigers and finding a secret trial along Palatine Hill where real life archaeologists were excavating a dig site. Luke scampered on the cobblestone path and found nooks and crannies inside the monument that Gordy and I would have easily breezed by.
I credit the ease of the trip with the simple fact that we’re blessed to have an amazing little traveler in our family and the fact that we were prepared with a tiny bag of tricks in the form of a pocket full of coins. We were ever-ready to stop at a moment’s notice, pull out a coin, and let Luke launch a wish. Plus, snack breaks for salami and gelato were a well-deserved treat for us all. I’m so glad we didn’t heed the advice of skeptics and equally glad I was able to experience Rome through Luke eyes. Legend claims that tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain ensures a return trip and that’s a wish I know we all hope is granted!
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Parenting, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
