Mark you calendar: Nov 01 Day of the Dead events for kids at British Museum 11:00 to 16:00

I love going to the British Museum, but really hate crowded places full of lost tourists–which is a bit of dilemma when taking the kids over there.  A weekend visit to the BM will 100% be crowded (be most brave if it is raining). The place is also immense, so dragging little kids around can be unpleasant as well. Then again, the kids seem to enjoy it there. And of course it is an amazing place full of spectacular things to see.

The British Museum is a favorite for kids, avoid the crowds and keep the visit short

I was still pumped up for museums after my visit to the Neues Museum in Berlin earlier this week That place is amazing also.

Anyway, we tried to get to the British Museum early this Sunday when it opens every day at 10am,  but didn’t make it in the door until about 12:00. The good news was I found a sweet parking spot behind the Museum (Montague Place), where there is an entrance as well.

My 5-year old daughter had already been to the Museum with her class. She wanted to see the Rosetta Stone (room 4) again. The kids love the giant fragments from Egypt that impressively reign above the length of that hall. They were also very intrigued by the Assyrian Winged Lions (room 7 entrance). The Lion Hunt (room 10) though sort of scared them with the violent scenes of some many lions be slaughtered.  Niether of the kids liked the Elgin Marbles (room 18)–but both did enjoy screaming really loudly in that long room.

We decided to check-out an afternoon special session for kids for Medieval Dancing. There was live music and a dance instructor shepherding the kids (and a few parents) into some athletic steps.  It was good fun for 20 minutes or so.  There is also a digital learning center sponsored by Samsung. The map further advises that the Paul Hamlyn Library (next to Room 2) has daily kids events and resources. There are also “hands-on” exhibitions for kids in rooms 1,2,24,33,49,68 from 11:00 to 16:00 daily. I guess ask the docents also if you can’t find anything.

I would say to avoid the Egyptian Galleries with kids on the weekends. It is way too crowded. Some of the mummies are also a bit creepy for kids. There are many other less trafficked areas — such as the Sainsbury African Collection (room 25) which is a bit hard to find (even though it is really in the center of the Museum).  Look for the steps down near the Easter Island Hoa Hakananai’a statue.

Guidebook: Masterpieces of the British Museum –> Cheaper at Amazon then at BM entrance to the BM is free–but watch for over-priced stuff once inside.

Tip:  Bring your own water, snacks and don’t plan to eat at the Museum.

Tip:  The Museum is really enormous–don’t stay too long or your kids will get tired/bored/OOC (out-of-control). Pick a few items in advance and get in/get out.

Tip: Avoid the book shop — there is tons of junky stuff that will send a tired kid into a meltdown (when you don’t buy any junk for them)

Upcoming Event on Nov 01 that looks fun for kids -- Day of the Dead

Medieval Dancing, part of a selection of family events on offer

Winged Lions are cool (Lion Hunts are scary)

Not so crowded African Collection with lots of things to make the kids go "oooo"

above: best thing, hang-out at the pool!

Well, the best thing to do for sure is hang-out at the pool and enjoy the day. But we all have such busy lives these days, I guess we feel that we need to do something each day. I suppose to relax too much can’t be a good thing either??

Prices seem to be way too high in South of France this year. Watch out as it seems that fewer tourists mean more effort to get more money from you.  Especially, watch the “farmer’s” markets, they  farming you mainly.  Good produce and local items at the Marche U.

Anyway, we had a great time down in St. Jeannet in mid-July and I wanted to share a few ideas on things to do–

For Kids:

• Marineland, see the whales and go to Aquasplash. You really need to go early.
• Beach at Eze is a nice locals beach, low-key and easy enough to park.
• Boat trip some options at Nice Harbour, Juan Les Pins, St. Laurent du Var port
• Poney rides up in the Col de Vence, there are two places as you wind up the road passed the Domain St. Martin. 2nd place has a longer trail and farm animals.
• Buy lots of craft stuff at Mr. Bricolage in Vence
• Hike the Baous–St. Jeannet or La Gaude from the village of St Jeannet. For the more adventurous you can also hire serious climbing guides from the pizza place in St. Jeannet

For Art Lovers

• Maeght Foundation is absolute must. Great Miro exhibit on now.
• Matisse Chapelle is absolute must.
• Chagall Museum in Nice is spectacular collection from this mighty creator.
• 2 Picasso museums one in Vallurius other in Antibe. Tiny Chapel with Paix and Guerre is incredible.
• Modern Art Museum in Nice, Leger (near Marineland)
• Avoid: Biot glass blowing tourist trap, main street in St. Paul art shops (they cater to cruise ships these days)

Others–

• Music Festivals at Juan Les Pin, Vence Nuit du Sud. Although it really seems that this year a lot of the normal music festivals are running shorter schedules.
• Visit the beach at St. Tropez
• Mountain Hiking at St Martin de Vesubie and the Alpha Wolves exhibit (kids)
• Good beaches: Nice, Juan Les Pin  Avoid: St. Laurent du Var water is not clean

Eating–

• We dont’ eat out too much these days, but when we do, in Vence Les Templiers. Chef is a genius.

I probably missed a whole bunch of other stuff…but that list will keep you busy.

We got off to a bad start actually. The first room had an art piece that was on the floor. Yeah, my son went straight for it like it was made out of cookie dough. Immediately I was admonished by the gallery monitor to “get the child off the installation as a matter of urgency.” Frankly it was made of rubber and was on the floor–so what did they expect? Or maybe my experience with whisking my kid off the soft foamy surface was part of the statement of this piece of art?

There is plenty of stuff to attract little hands and curious minds. The prostitutes of Tehran was intriguing.  And yes, the crocheted codpiece was immediately eye-catching. The giant bed was perhaps the most entertaining area for adults to see little kids wandering around within. The most popular was the old geezers in the auto-pilot wheelchairs. That is a great thing to see really.

So as far as art galleries go–it is an ok place to drag kids, but really they had more fun at the old reliable primrose hill playground. There were more than few delicate/dangerous things to grab/break so you will need to keep the kids in hand tighly. But, it was nice enough for us to get out though and see a few things in the art gallery (more about the Saatchi for adults here). And it is free entry…

It wasn’t that much of a battle really–they toss the flowers out at the crowd rather politely and usually with a big smile.

Of course, the giant smoke breathing dragon made a big impression on the kids. It made me think of a godzilla film as the mechanized beast motored passed the Negresco Hotel.

And what would a Carnival be without some feather boas? Nice was not about to let that ball drop at all–

and the previous week there were some amazing floats and tons of confetti and that gooey string stuff.

A bunch more photos here on my Flickr set: Flickr Longo Mai Set

More info on the official site here . We actually forked out €25 x2 to get Tribune seats, which actually was almost worth the hefty price as that side of the parade was a lot less crowded. It lasted about 90 minutes and the kids were very excited through it. I think it would be great to see the evening shows, but better for +7-aged kids at least.

My wife is on a business trip and flew out early Saturday morning. I wasn’t actually worried about being 1 on 2 prior to it last week, but I did get a little nervous when the nanny left on Friday evening and said, “see you next week.”  It was not always easy or fun, but in general we had a good couple of days the three of us.

cold play today at the Primrose Hill playground, but the kids enjoyed the muted winter sunshine

I did figure out a few things and thought it might be useful to share some tips and ideas for Father’s on their own for the weekend trying to keep it flowing here in NW3.

5 Top Survival Tips for Dad’s Alone with Kids in NW3 North London for the Weekend

<1> Think like a kid. I was initially thinking about keeping us busy each day with various activities, shows and playdates–but then, well, uh, I couldn’t organize much at the last minute. There was a little panic actually (and you can see here what I found as I scoured the web for ideas on what to do.)  But this (predictable as my wife would say) lack of planning, unexpectedly gave me some insight into having fun–which is less about what you do and more about how you do it. We actually had great fun taking the car to the car wash. Kids seem to love noisy, big, random things–generally not what parents are looking for after a long week at work. The RAF Museum was a good choice for us this weekend.

<2> Have Some Decent Options. Don’t rely on the killer activities/things to make the weekend a big success.  Kids seems to have quite a full week themselves and they also like to have a more flexible, less structured weekend. The weekend is basically 4 activity slots and 6 meals. You got 2 breakfasts which should be a slam-dunk (cereal, juice, yogurt, bagel, fresh fruit, milk), but make sure they eat or you are in big trouble with cranky kids until lunch. For some reason my boy won’t easily drink milk, so we made it a sort of challenge/contest with his older sister.  Milk = full belly = happy enough kid.As far as the activity slots, outdoors is a good play, you got your standards in NW3 Zoo, Heath, Primrose Hill, (Antrium Gardens for under 2’s).  You can zap into these spots for 1-2 hours easy, although it is cold this time of year and make sure you have hats, gloves and snacks with you.  So, maybe lock in 1-2 slots and then roll with the other 2-3. Lock in a playdate or show or even a creche drop like the one at Spring Health, my call on that.  There  are actually quite a few interesting shows for kids–but book weeks ahead. Girls seem to handle being indoors better than boys–so think about painting, crafts or taking a ball into a park. If you have an energetic boy without an inflated ball you are living life on the edge of meltdown as far as I can tell.Avoid long meals in crowded restaurants–sounds obvious, but if you are in this situation you will suffer, suffer, suffer. Better to eat at home or hit picnic-able provisions. A restaurant/playdate can be a misery worse than being on your own I fear. At least alone, you can focus on the kids and they can deal with you. Introduce OPK (other people’s kids) and potentially UPIC (useless parent in a coma) and your worries of 1 on 2 are nothing compared to what can be unleashed in a badly run restaurant. Restaurants are really dead-zones for your dealing with kids in 99% of the cases. My guess is that you are better off putting on a Dora/Thomas DVD and feeding them take away.Speaking of which, do yourself a big favor and get a couple of new Kid DVDs for the weekend as a back-up. Just make popcorn (kids are so amused by this you cannot imagine really) and watch something new together.

<3> Keep it Tight. My kids tried to work me all weekend. Lot of moments where whinning and tamtrums almost blew-out the weekend. We had a few real moments, but I was firm and there were tears (only me once–ok twice, but second time was when I slammed my head into the car door). They will test your resolve on eating, beating on each other, asking for stuff they never get from mom etc. Hold the line the first 24 hours Man! You can do it–and they will respect you more than if you turn into a subservient, “ok honey” crap-eating animal-handler.  If you can be tough even when they push you to the limit, you will make it through the next 24 hours just fine. I was really firm on manners, no sugary crap, sharing stuff, cleaning-up and it was all good in the end. Boy had 2 time-outs, girl was fine without any bribes/indulgences. She had a strong response when she darted off in the Museum. They love to challenge you in public it seems–to see what you will do in the face of other parents! But she was mainly very helpful. In fact, my daughter actually stepped-up quite a bit when I told her directly that i needed her help (ok I did beg a little for help.)

<4> Plan Meals and Plan Toilet Breaks. Good to be flexible on activities–bad to loose track of timing for meals and toilet breaks. There isn’t much worse of a result for you than a wee-wee soaked, hungry kid on a cold winter’s day. You are after all in charge and this is the ultimate failure you need to desperately avoid. My suggestion is plan most of your meal to be at a home (yours or playdate). So other than your 2 breakfasts, you have 4 meals to worry about–take one out at a restaurant maybe and do the rest under controlled environment (which is a lot cheaper btw).Good kid meals with minimal effort/kitchen mess–burgers, chicken drumsticks, tuna salad, fresh sausages, omelets, stir-fry, and smoked salmon. I try to avoid pasta because they get a lot of that during the week. Try to get some vegetables in the mix–cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, cucumber are usually winners. My kids like green beans and peas also.  If you can, make the meals in advance.

<5> Talk to your Kids. Well, you are with them…ask them stuff. Tell them what you do, what you like. It is really a chance to get to know more about them and for them to know more about you. It amazes me how much they understand and remember. I had a real moment with my daughter when I was trying to feed my boy. I asked her–”what can I do to get him to eat?” She said, “well, you are confusing him. He is tired and you should just relax.”  Yeah, she is five and was right on that one. So I stopped forcing him to eat and then of course he started.But, also, it is a chance to ask them about school, friends etc. What is their favorite stuff. Sing little songs with them.  You know, the kinda stuff fathers rarely have time to do, but know you got the time (the whole weekend).

Things to put in your backpack–yeah, you need to take one

• Winter gear — hats, gloves, extra fleece, extra socks in case they get wet. Lip balm, tissues. The weather changes fast in London and it gets much colder under clouds and when the sun fades around 3pm.
• Crayons and paper. Kids love to draw and they can amuse themselves for 20-30 minutes with a box of crayolas and pad of paper. I give each kid a small ring notebook. Kids under 3 should have the big fat crayons, older kids give a mix of pencils, markers etc.
• Snacks — raisins, dried fruit, pretzels, water. Avoid fruit juice after lunch–make them too hyper and then they crash before dinner. Avoid chocolate (spike and crash) and crisps (too fatty–makes their hands greasy and too salty–makes them thirsty–makes them need toilet)
• Basic first aid — hand wash, anti-septic, band aids, ibuprofen for you (you are the only man on deck after all).

And don’t forget to charge your phone–wife will be calling every 2 hours to see if you are still in the game or if the kids vanquished you. Also good to take occasional photo and email to her.

A small chapel with a big impact created by Picasso in 1952 during his time in the South of France (1948-1955). It is more than 15 years after his Guernica painting that this La Guerre et La Paix Chapelle was opened in Vallauris Although it is a tiny place really, it overwhelms visitors with emotion and powerful images.

The warrior of peace is being attacked by the army of War on the left panel in the Chapelle. A powerful image of the fierce horses trampling burning books enflames the scene. While at the end of this panel a grotesque figure of War, collecting skulls and unleashing insects and viruses, pushes the action into battle.

The opposite panel gives some hope about justics and happiness using famillar symbols and family settings. In general this seems to be a hopeful Chapelle although set within the context of struggle and the darkness of war.

More info at the official site: http://www.musee-picasso-vallauris.fr/

There is also a museum here and there is also the Madura Gallery that continues to sell Picasso designed pieces in Vallauris as well as a Picasso Museum in Antibes. While this is not as well known as the Matisse Chapelle, it is definately worth experiencing.