Travel superstitions & 6 travel habits that work for me

A long time ago when I'd go on flights, I would have to wear a specific set of earrings (winged horses in silver), and two particular necklaces (a silver heart locket and a Greek silver owl). No matter that wearing both the necklaces kind of chafed my neck: I had to wear those items or I didn't feel safe.

I'm not that superstitious anymore. The silver heart locket got stolen when our apartment was broken into, and the Greek owl snapped in half. I still have the earrings, but I don't feel the same need to wear them. I'm not really sure what made those superstitions fade. Maybe it was just the passage of time, me getting older, or the fact that I had kids and realized that there were other things to worry about on board.

There are other travel habits I stick to like glue when I travel however. These are not superstitions, but rather things I've found that work for me, and as long as I follow these "rules", I'll feel a lot better on the flight:

1. Don't eat the sweets - That little cup or tub with dessert on my meal tray: forget it. No matter how tempting it looks (even if it's something-chocolate) I will not touch it. I learned many years ago that me and sweets do not mix at high altitude. So these days I just say no.
2. Don't drink and fly - First of all, alcoholic drinks really don't taste good to me on board. Wine, beer, liqueur, whatever: it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, it will taste lousy when I'm in the air and it won't make me feel any good either. I save the glass of wine until I'm at my destination.
3. Have a glass of tomato juice - My first, complimentary drink on board is always a tomato juice. I'm not sure if this has just become a habit, or if there's some actual reason for it, but I always feel better with that glass of tomato juice in me.
4. Take off the shoes - Feet get bigger on board, simple as that, and it's a lot comfier if your shoes are off. I do keep my socks on, but the shoes have got to go.
5. Don't wear a belt - Really this means: don't wear anything that's too tight around the waist. It's just not comfortable when you're sitting down for so long. Also, a belt will sometimes slow you down through security (metal buckles set off the sensors).
6. Disinfect! - I wipe down my own tray table and armrest with an antibacterial wipe, and I do the same for my kids. If I could, I'd wipe down the entire seat and have it steam-cleaned, but instead I just keep wiping everyone's hands frequently.

Bringing antibacterial wipes is definitely a more practical thing to do than fretting over jewellery on board, but anything that calms your nerves and makes you feel less jittery can be worth doing. Though even with the winged horse earrings, I know I'll still be checking the boarding passes and passports about every hour whileI'm traveling, just to be sure they're still in my bag. Some things just never, ever change.

Traveling with kids: 7 ways to stay in touch & handle separation anxiety

The thing about traveling is that a lot of times you're not just traveling to something and someone, but also away from something and someone, and that can be tough on kids and adults.

Saying goodbye
Separation anxiety is never easy to deal with, and kids can react strongly when they have to say goodbye to someone they love. For example, my son won't say goodbye or hug his grandparents when they have to go back to Sweden after staying with us for a few weeks. It's not that he doesn't love them, quite the opposite! Instead, it's like he's trying to prevent the goodbye by refusing to say it.

This weekend my kids will have to say goodbye to their dad as we set out on our trip to Sweden. They are very excited about seeing their grandparents, but I know how much they will miss their dad too. And that sadness will hit them at some point, whether it's when we say goodbye at the airport, or later on the flight, or once it's bedtime in Sweden and they realize daddy really won't be there with them for a while.

Staying in touch
There are lots of ways to stay in touch and ease separation anxiety as well as homesickness. It's good to have some of these ideas planned out ahead of time, whether you're going away from your kids and want to stay in touch with them, or they are going away with you and you want to stay in touch with family members who live far away.

If your kids feel sad and down, having something to do in order to keep a connection to the person you've left behind can really help them (and you) feel better.

Here are some ideas on how you can stay in touch:

1. Send postcards and letters
Old-school snail-mail can be a lot of fun for kids: envelopes, stamps, mailboxes... all of that can be a huge thrill. My kids send postcards to some of their friends when we go away, and when we go to Sweden without their daddy, we send him postcards too. Older kids who can write might enjoy putting together letters, once a week and mailing them to a loved one or a friend. Just remember to bring addresses for the people you want to mail cards and letters to.

2. Send drawings
If your kids like drawing pictures, they can make a drawing every day or every other day. Then you gather the drawings up either to be mailed or given to someone who did not come on your trip (or to someone who went away).

3. Use an online chat or video-chat
If you have family who lives far away, you're might have already done this. It requires a computer and web-camera of course, but kids usually love it because they can both see and hear the other person (goofing around with the grandparents is easier when they can see you goofing after all!). Remember that both you and the person you're "calling" have to have the same software program installed for this to work. Skype and Sightspeed are two options.

4. Keep a journal
I try my best to keep a diary or journal when we go on trips, and it can be fun to include the kids in the journal-keeping. Have them tell you what they loved best about that particular day. Maybe they can add a drawing or write a journal entry themselves too. Write down what you did during the day, what the weather was like. Talk to your kids about how you can show the journal to friends and family members who are not on the trip with them.

5. Keep a blog
A blog can work as an online journal that can be shared more immediately than a pen and paper one. If you're going on a long trip with your kids, or if you're going away from them for a long time, you could set up a blog for them and you to post stories, thoughts, and pictures on. It's a great way to share your experiences with each other. Blogger (which is what I use for this blog) and Tumblr are two options. 

6. Share photos in an online photo-album
Set up a photo album (Photobucket and Flickr are a couple of options), and let your children help you take and choose photos and videos to share with friends and family while you're on your trip.

7. Make a phone call
Yes, so very obvious, especially these days when pretty much everyone has a cellphone. If you're traveling outside your home country, remember to check with your service provider a) if you can use your phone in the country you're going to, and b) how much the calls will cost you, especially if you're traveling far away from home. Rates for international calls can be astronomical, but often cell-phone providers have lower-cost options you can apply for before you go.

Better safe than sorry: 10 luggage & packing tips

 I'm getting ready for our trip to Sweden later this week, and will soon be getting the suitcases out of the storage room. Being a worry-wart, I do worry about my luggage a) getting to its destination, b) getting there safe and sound, and (hopefully) c) with everything still inside.

Here are 10 tips on how to make your luggage safer and also more identifiable, so it's easier to grab it from the luggage carousel at the end of your trip:

1. Use luggage tags
This is the basic safety precaution. Make sure your luggage has your name and contact information on it, preferably on a tag that doesn't openly show all your information. In addition to my own luggage tags, I always put one of the free airline luggage tags on each of our bags before checking our luggage. On the airline tag, I usually put our temporary as well as our permanent address. I've also started adding an email address to the contact info.

2. Put your contact information inside your bags as well
Write down the same contact information you put on your luggage tag on a piece of paper or sticker and place it inside the suitcase. That way, if the luggage tag is ripped off or otherwise lost, there's still a way your luggage can be identified.

3. Put unique stickers on your luggage
This is how I recognize our suitcases quickly at the luggage carousel: they're the only ones covered in sparkly stars and Star Trek the Next Generation stickers!

4. Secure your suitcase or bag with a luggage strap
Luggage takes a beating when you're traveling by plane. I usually don't bother with a luggage strap on my Samsonite hard-sided suitcases, but I usually wrap a luggage strap around my soft-sided bags. I figure it helps take some pressure off the zipper. Bonus: it also helps make your bag more easily identifiable at the luggage carousel.

5. Lock it
Sadly it's not unheard of that stuff goes missing from luggage. Use the locks on your suitcase if you have them, and if you don't have locks, consider getting a small padlock with a key or combination to make your luggage somewhat harder to open. Your suitcases will still be opened for inspection if the authorities want to, but at least a lock might slow down a thief who is just looking to quickly grab something valuable from your luggage.

6. Get a luggage tracker
These new-fangled GPS tracker gizmos are the ultimate in keeping tabs on your luggage. Place one in your suitcase, and if it's lost, you might be able to locate it. There are short-range locators that help you find your luggage if you're in the vicinity, and then there's the long-range ones (like the Garmin GTU 10 GPS Tracking Unit) that enable you to see where your bags are at all times, worldwide. Pricey, but if I had the money, I might just spring for one of those.

7. Mix it up when packing
Just in case one or more of your bags goes missing, it's a good idea to mix up the items when you're packing. Don't put all of your own clothes in one bag, and all the kids clothes in another for example. Spread things around and mix it up so you at least have something for everyone in every bag.

8. Keep your jewellery and electronics in your hand luggage
Jewellery and small electronics like cell phones, cameras, audio players, e-readers and the like are easy to steal and valuable. I keep my phone, my camera, and my jewellery in my hand luggage. It doesn't take up too much space there anyway, and it makes me feel safer.

9. Take pictures of your luggage
I've never done this myself, but I've seen the tip mentioned a few times on the web. Just snap some pics of your luggage with a digital camera or your phone before checking the bags. Then, if they should get lost, you can describe them quite easily and accurately.

10. Keep your luggage receipts
When you check in your luggage, the bar-code stickers from your checked bags will be given to you. Usually they're placed on the back of a boarding pass holder, or on the back of your passport. Don't lose these tags. If your luggage does go missing, they can help locate and identify your bags.

Fun at the strawberry patch: Westham Island, Ladner, BC

June is strawberry month where we live, and if you're looking for something fun to do outdoors with your kids this time of year, going to a strawberry U-Pick farm might just fit the bill. My family went in the morning and returned home before lunch with 28 lbs of fresh berries!

Just like last year, we went to Bissett Farm on Westham Island, located in Ladner. I like Bisset Farm because it's low-key, and has an amazing variety of berries. Right now it's all strawberries, but in a couple of weeks there will be raspberries, tayberries, marionberries, blackberries, currants, and more available. Also, the farm's U-pick fields are located away from the road, so it's nice and peaceful while you're picking.

Because of the cooler, cloudier weather this spring, the berries were not quite as big or sweet as last year. Still, they were yummy, and we now have a freezer full of freezer jam and frozen whole strawberries.

Strawberry Fields forever.

The kids love strawberry-picking. They are very enthusiastic about finding the berries and filling their buckets. And they're fast too! I think we got our 28 lbs in about 40 minutes. Later in the year we usually take them blackberry picking in the "wild", meaning some dirt road somewhere or other. Sure, some of the strawberries they get might be a little on the half-ripe side, but that's OK. Once it's mashed and mixed, it's all good, sweet jam anyway.

I think our strawberry picking at Bisset Farm is going to make a nice annual family tradition. It has a lot going for it: fun outdoors while working together as a family, fresh strawberries, and a freezer full of berries and jam.

View of Westham Island. It's really, really flat.

Westham Island is a nice place to visit for many reasons. There are several strawberry U-Pick farms, and lots of  places selling various farm-fresh products depending on the time of year, including honey, herbs, fruit, berries, and eggs. The island is also home to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary which is a nice place for a walk and some birdwatching.

If you're in British Columbia and looking for a berry farm, this website and map by the BC Strawberry Grower's Association can really help!

Photographic memory: the dogs of the Canaries

Location: Plaza de Santa Ana, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.

What we were doing there: We were sitting in a cafe in the Plaza de Santa Ana, just outside the Cathedral of Santa Ana, while the kids ran around the wide open square.

The cathedral is kind of dark and dour in my opinion, but there were lots of beautiful buildings surrounding the plaza: I love those brightly painted houses that seem to be popular all over Gran Canaria.

There were also some bronze statues of dogs that caught my daughter's eye. Since she's dog-deprived at home (the cat would have a heart attack if one was introduced) she has to get her dog-fix where she can.

The dogs of the Canaries: The stories about the Canary Island dogs seem to change depending on what website or guidebook you read. Whatever the story, the dogs are part of the coat of arms for the islands, and there is a breed of dog called Presa Canario, which originated in the Canary Islands.

You can read more about the Canary Islands in my other blog posts about our trip there.

Celebrating Midsummer's Eve, Swedish-style

Dance around the maypole during the Midsummer celebration, in Åmmeberg, Sweden, 2003. Photo by Wiglaf.

When is it?
Originally, Midsummer's Eve (midsommarafton) and the following day which is called Midsummer's Day (midsommardagen) was a celebration of the summer solstice (which took place on June 21st this year).

Since the solstice moves around a bit year to year, and to make sure the holiday falls on a weekend, Midsummer's Eve and Day now take place on a Friday and Saturday between the 19th and 26th of June. It is arguably the most popular holiday in Sweden.

How to celebrate Midsummer's Eve
A traditional celebration of Midsummer's Eve requires:

• a midsummer pole, also known as a maypole, which is decorated with fresh green leaves and branches and lots of flowers
• children and adults dancing around the pole singing traditional songs like "Små grodorna" (The little frogs)
• warm weather, though as often as not, it will either be raining or too chilly for summer dresses: I vividly remember wearing my winter coat for at least one childhood Midsummer's Eve
• flower-picking: specifically you're supposed to pick 7 kinds of flowers and put them underneath your pillow in order to dream of you spouse-to-be
• Swedish flags raised on the flag-pole and flower wreaths in people's hair
• lots of traditional food and drink, preferably eaten outdoors, even if the mosquitoes are trying to devour everyone, and even if it's really too cold

What to eat & drink
Lots of dishes can be served at a Midsummer's Eve dinner, but three things are pretty much obligatory:

• Some form of pickled herring, whether it's with mustard sauce, with sherry sauce, matjessill with sour cream and chives, or some other variety
• New potatoes boiled with dill and served with butter and salt
• Fresh strawberries in some form, whether just served with whipped cream, or as a strawberry cake

As for drinks, some type of spiced Swedish snaps is usually served. Swedish snaps is usually a shot of vodka or akvavit, often flavored with herbs that are supposed to help with digestion. There is a lot of drinking at Midsummer's Eve in Sweden, and public drunkenness and disorderliness is not uncommon.

Why kids love it
Because they get to stay up late (no one goes to bed early on Midsummer's Eve), decorate the Midsummer's pole, eat strawberries and play outside. Also, there are usually lots of other treats too like cake, cookies, candy and ice cream.

Why it's beautiful (even if you're freezing and being eaten alive by mosquitoes)
If you're lucky enough to be celebrating Midsummer's Eve somewhere by the water, somewhere with green trees and flowers, and maybe even a clear sky, it can be absolutely magical. The sun does set, if you're not north of the arctic circle, but the night still doesn't go absolutely dark.

Even after midnight, there's this bluish twilight that just deepens without any real darkness, and then starts to brighten again.

If you have a chance to experience it, it's definitely worth doing so. Just bring that extra-warm jacket and some mosquito repellent just in case. And remember to say "Glad midsommar!" (meaning "Happy Midsummer!") to everyone you meet.

For some pickled herring recipes, try these websites:

• Mustard herring
• Swedish herring salad
• Glasmästarsill/Glassblower's herring
• Inlagd sill/Traditional pickled herring

Or just cheat and buy a jar of pickled herring from IKEA. Swedes living abroad do that all the time.

Finally: Glad midsommar to all my Swedish and non-Swedish friends and readers!

Photo thanks to user Wiglaf at Wikimedia Commons.

Traveling with kids: Las Palmas airport, Gran Canaria, Spain

On our trip to the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands this year, we traveled through Las Palmas airport (airport code: LPA).

Layout of the airport
LPA is a fairly small airport, and all departures and arrivals come into the same terminal. Instead of different terminal buildings there are three different zones:

• Zone A is for flights within the European Union
• Zone B is for international flights, meaning flights outside the European Union
• Zone C is for flights to other destinations within the Canary Islands

It's fairly straight-forward to navigate the airport and between the zones, since everything is contained in one building. Just follow the signs and whatever your boarding pass tells you.

The staff at the check-in counters (at least Spanair's counter) were also extremely helpful and friendly, so ask for help if you need it!

Sunset in Arguineguin, Gran Canaria.

 Facilities and services
There are several banking machines in the airport. There's also a bank on ground floor.The airport pharmacy is located in Zone A, in the public area, so if you're in need of anything, make sure you go there before you head through security.

The washrooms are plentiful, roomy and very clean: always a plus when you're traveling with kids. There were also diaper change facilities located near the washrooms.

There are lots of restaurants, bars, and cafes in this airport. There's also a Burger King. Which is where we ended up with the kids, not so much because they especially wanted to eat there, but because there was a small play area with slides and climbing equipment right outside. Not a bad spot to sit down and relax if you're traveling with kids.

Odd fact for a Canadian: the Burger King did not serve apple juice, but did serve beer. Got to love those cultural differences.

Getting to your hotel or other island destinations
Las Palmas Airport is actually located about 18 km from Las Palmas. Just outside the airport you can taxi cabs, and also regular buses headed for Las Palmas, Maspalomas, and other destinations. Many of the hotels also have their own bus service, ferrying tourists to and from the airport.

When we arrived, we were not on the "list" for our hotel, so we had to pay cash (no credit cards accepted) for the trip. Since we had no Euros on us, that meant a mad dash to the cash machine inside the airport. So, getting some cash before you head out from the airport is not a bad idea.

If you want to rent a car, there are several rental car companies right at the airport, including Avis and Hertz.

The beach at Maspalomas, Gran Canaria. And yes, I do miss this place!

Shops
Long wait times at airports are made for souvenir shopping, and there are a lot of interesting boutiques and shops at LPA. However, with two restless kids it's not always easy to take your time and look around.

I especially regret not heading into the Productos de Gran Canaria store to buy some local food. Apparently they sell a spice mix you can use to make the lovely, spicy mojo rojo that is very popular in the Canary Islands.

The kids did like the store that featured a gigantic fake shark-head busting through one of the displays. (Not sure what the name of it was.) They had a good selection of somewhat unusual stuffed animals and we ended up with a couple of souvenirs there, both marine creatures: one sea horse and one octopus.

Hotels
There are no hotels at the Las Palmas airport, but several are located close by. JustGranCanaria.com lists some of them on its web page.

Lookin' out my backdoor

I love traveling. And I love traveling with my kids, even though the actual process of being on a long-haul flight, or traveling with them for 20+ hours on two or three flights, isn't exactly relaxing. If I had the resources, we'd be traveling a lot more with them, ticking off my dream destinations a little faster...

However, I really don't have to go very far to have a great time with my kids, though I sometimes don't appreciate that fact enough.  On a nice sunny day, and today was such a day, our backyard can be a fantastic destination: no packing, passports, lineups or body scanners required.

To the kids, the backyard can be a great adventure that lasts all day. Popular backyard activities at our place include:

• making mud, 
• digging up worms and moving them to the shady grass under the trampoline, 
• watering the flowers, 
• bouncing and doing flips and tumbles on the trampoline, 
• fighting until somebody cries and comes running for mommy-intervention,
• filling a wagon with rocks or dirt or weeds or water and pulling it around the yard,
• sitting on the swings, 
• gathering rocks under the deck, 
• trapping bugs in an acrylic glass
• turning the hose on each other,
• blowing soap bubbles,
• playing tag

Unplanning really can be the best thing, and the backyard is great for that.

When we first moved into our house I spent many days with my son, then 2 1/2, just laying in the grass and looking up at the sky and the airplanes. He was fascinated by the airplanes then and that hasn't changed.

These days my favorite activity when I'm in the backyard with the kids is to lay down on the trampoline while they bounce around me. It's oddly relaxing.

Or I like to sit on the deck and watch them while they go all over the backyard, part of them moving through the real world, the other part traveling somewhere else entirely: Worm World, Bug Land, or Mud Lake.

Not a bad way to travel with kids.

Snacks on a plane: what to bring for traveling kids

I always bring a supply of snacks along when I fly with my kids. A hungry child is usually a cranky child, and that's no fun on board (or anywhere else for that matter).

Buying food on board (or at the airport) means high prices and a limited selection, and even if free kids' meals are available, I can never be sure what those meals will contain. A stash of snacks also help when you're waiting around in airports.

I put most snacks into reusable, crush- and crunch-proof containers before packing them in my hand luggage. Right now I'm using the Lock & Lock containers, since they're sturdy and easy for my kids to open and close on their own, but there are many brands that fit the bill.

Here are some ideas on good snacks to bring on board:

 

• Granola bars or power bars - Just pick something that is not covered in chocolate (since the chocolate will inevitably melt in your child's hand and cause a mess).
• Crackers - My kids especially like the old standby goldfish crackers, and Breton's mini crackers.
• Pretzels - Alphabet pretzels for added educational value!
• Pocky sticks - These come in a wide variety of flavors including strawberry, pumpkin (!), caramel and more. They're tasty and nicely packaged for travel.
• Raisins - A classic snack. Mix it up with other dried fruits and berries if your kids like them, like dried peaches, apricots, mango, blueberries and cranberries for example.
• Rice cakes - Mini rice cakes are nice for kids and there are lots of brands and varieties to choose from.
• Jerky - My kids won't touch this stuff, but I know kids who absolutely love beef jerky and pepperoni sticks.
• Trail mix - Pick a trail mix without chocolate chips to avoid melty chocolate problems. 
• Dry cereal - Cheerios for example. 
• Muffins - Put these in a container so they don't get squashed in your hand luggage.
• Fresh fruit & veggies - Whole apples, bananas, cut-up carrots... there's a lot to choose from. One thing to consider: some countries do not allow you to bring fresh fruit and vegetables across their borders. Also, make sure the fruit doesn't get bruised when you transport it: a banana keeper or banana saver container can really help for example.
• Baby cereal - If you're traveling with a baby or toddler, you might want to bring this along for snack and meal-time. You can usually get hot or cold water on the plane, and as long as you have a spoon and a small container to mix it in and serve it from, you're all set. For kids who are a little bit older, the instant oatmeal packets that only need to be mixed with hot water could also work as an on-board snack.

Remember that anything that is runny or pureed, including dips, apple sauce, yogourts, and similar products you bring with you from home will be treated as liquids by security. This might be OK if you're traveling with an infant, since special allowances are made for baby food, but if your kids are older you probably won't be allowed to bring it.

Once you're inside security, many airports now allow you to buy food of any kind and bring it on board with you, including the "liquidy" foods I just mentioned.

For more on food and snacks on board, you can read my old post Food and snacks for traveling kids.