At 34 weeks pregnant, I just completed my last bit of travel until after the baby arrives. I’ve been traveling throughout this pregnancy, and thankfully it has gone extremely well. Each trimester has its own considerations, but the third trimester definitely brought the most challenges. Here are a couple of tricks and tips that I learned along the way.
Traveling while pregnant can be relaxing
Spring is a great time to visit Provence, particularly as the summers can be hot and busy. The area of Provence is essentially rural, but it does have cities such as Avignon, Nimes, Orange, Aix en Provence and Marseille. Some of the most attractive architectural features of Provence are the perched villages, situated on craggy hilltops where they were sited to resist the marauding tribes in the Middle Ages. The villages were built around castle keeps and wrapped in thick ramparts, from where they could keep vigil over the hinterland and even the coast to spot early invasions from the sea. Since the 19th century, many of these villages have lost their peasant communities, but more recently many have been restored by a new generation of artists, craftsmen and the influx of holiday makers.
Goult main street, Provence
After all the food posts I’ve done and the walking tours that I do when I travel, this seems like a slightly ridiculous post to write. Aren’t I getting enough of a workout by seeing cities on foot (often with a small child strapped to me)? Have I not earned a Liege waffle at the end of a multi-mile day of exploration? Probably, and definitely. But we could all probably be more fit than we are, and I definitely don’t exercise as much when I’m at home. I know that with a little extra effort, I could see and do more with greater energy when I travel. And with minimal prep, it will be easy to take the show on the road.
Have you ever thought about what tasty treats the Baltic nation of Lithuania has in store for you? No? I hadn’t either. It turns out that Lithuania is a great place for a traveler with a sweet tooth. It has a wonderful mix of familiar and exotic tastes.
Cakes at AJ Sokoladas
Portland, Oregon is known for its proximity to great scenic areas and ancient fir forests. However, there are plenty of sylvan spots to hike without leaving the city limits.
For a town that produced possibly the biggest name in the English language, Stratford-upon-Avon is rather quaint and unassuming. When I first traveled to Shakespeare’s hometown on a high school trip about eleven years ago, I was rather taken by its small charm and Tudor-style buildings; revisiting Stratford this past winter revealed that not much has changed there in the last decade. So what is there to do in the birthplace of the Bard?
Hathaway Cottage. Photo by deannanmc
Bicycles, tricycles, cargo bikes, tandem bikes, bikes with one or two built-in baby seats: you name the style, and you can find it on the streets of Amsterdam. Though the city has a fantastic public tram and bus system, I highly recommend renting a bike for your warmer-weather visit. It’s particularly handy if you choose to stay in a quieter neighborhood outside the medieval center like we did. Renting a bike made a slightly longer walk into a quick and breezy ride.
Rented bikes. Photo by deannanmc
On my first day after arriving in Malaga in Southern Spain, I was greeted with a bit of culture shock in the form of a cookie. It was mid-March, two weeks before Easter Sunday. Unbeknownst to me, I stumbled into the beginning of one of the most important weeks in Spanish culture: Semana Santa. This week, also known as Holy Week, celebrates the end of Lent with huge parades through the city streets. The main event is the procession of the brotherhoods who are dressed in their traditional uniforms (capirote). The capirote on the cookie looked a little too familiar…
Holy Week Cookies
I have spent months traveling with nothing more than a carry-on suitcase. While this sounds completely mad to many people, it’s really not that difficult, as long as you make sure to pack right. Here are a few tips.
Portland, Oregon is a great place to be a vegan. This mid-sized Northwestern city has a number of excellent restaurants and shops catered to those on a plant-based diet, many of which are popular with even the most die-hard meat eaters.
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