Beavan Family Road Trip 2012

Some of the children by Prague Castle and The River Vlatava.

The annual road trip is now underway!
I am making the most of the free wi fi that we have here in Prague, as the next part is in a remote village, up a mountainside in Austria so access will be more limited.
Well, getting ready for our holiday this year was most defiantly eventful to say the very least.
Simon's car, sadly went to car heaven as the bill to repair it was more than the car was worth. That took us down to one car, which we then had to share for work, alternating between this and public transport.
This all added a considerable amount of time into our day.

Jono, Mair, Caleb and Anya on a little steam train

Capped with a lot of illness, including myself, and then my car ending up in 5 garages in the two weeks running up to our holiday, along with the passport fiasco, meant we were the most unprepared and disorganised we have ever been.
Still, we managed to get away, thankfully.
We have cut our cloth accordingly and cut short the London part of our trip as the car bill was eye watering.

Two very hot and miserable babies

We arrived in Prague on Monday, after staying a night in a lovely rest house we have found in France. It still meant we had to drive 1000 km the next day in order to arrive. Oddly enough we lost the most time trying to find out apartment , around the new one way system, road works and darkness!
Over the years of travelling year in , year out with an increasing number of children, we have at least got packing and unpacking down to a fine art, so were soon settled into out 'penthouse' apartment.
Great views, no air! scary balcony!

One very hot mummy (you can see my legs from behind the buggy!!!!)

The lovely thing about coming back to Prague is the fact that everything is so familiar, we can speak some Czech, know the streets like the back of our hand and can travel around without causing too much of a fuss.

Babi Ruzena in the background. Tea at her flat.

On the downside, it's been 33 degrees here in the daytime and 25-28 at night, so it has been pretty exhausting dragging everyone around a city, which is why we wisely booked it this we y first, so that when we reach Austria we can hopefully relax a little more.

Ruzena's Flat with buckets full of water for the children to play with.

I have got many tips on travelling with children over seas, built up over 20 years from both holidays and also living in Prague for 5 years as an adult and Germany for a year as a child. Hopefully in the not so distant future I intend to do something with all this information so watch this space!
So it's our last day in Prague tomorrow.

Curly Caleb!

Agile Anya!

It's been fantastic to see old friends and for the children to re acquaint themselves with the place some of them spent their early years. Prague has changed and developed hugely from when we lived here nearly 18 years ago. Every time we come back we can see this is the way the shops have changed, shopping malls have been built, little (not so politically correct) stalls and shops have been removed and still development goes on.

Luke taking photos in Old Town Square

I must admit I miss the quaintness and the slightly run down feel it had all those years ago. It had a rather deep, dark mystery about it all back then, now it is rather more sanitised. Back then, there were curiosities and quirks around every corner, now everything is rather more predictable.

My lovely family

 I will always look back fondly to the years spent here, to the opportunities my children had, and to the friends we made here. We all shared such a unique experience that has had such a long lasting effect on us all.
Prague we love you!

Thank Goodness for water fountains!