I need to write this every year. I need to remind myself of this every day. My wife is amazing and I don’t know where she gets her energy from.
Continue reading “I Don’t Know How She Does It!”I Don’t Know How She Does It!
Tag: children
Sporting Cultures Clash
It is interesting when you have a family from a mixture of cultures. You ask yourself so many questions when your kids are young. How will they cope speaking two languages? Will they enjoy being bilingual? Could they possibly feel too different to those around them?
Continue reading “Sporting Cultures Clash”Touching and Feeling Again
Reliving old experiences can be beneficial to our minds and souls, if there is such a thing. Going back in time, searching through photograph albums, watching old family videos, it reconnects us to where we come from. It seems more important than ever to do this in the digital age we live in.
Now, that digital world has huge benefits and I am not anti modernity in the slightest. The ability to share ideas, find differing points of view and learn from people on the opposite side of the planet is something that everyone should avail themselves of. Yet, there is something missing, there is no physical record of what we see, read or listen to.
Online music streaming offers huge convenience and the ability to discover music which you would never hear if you only relied on the radio to provide you with new musical ideas.. Ebooks are amazing and with my reading addiction are definitely space saving, but then I started to think. Where is the history? What am I leaving behind?
Remember when you were a child? You could browse through your parents record collection finding things from their past, who would have thought that my dad liked Jazz when he was younger? Maybe he was cool once? Looking at their bookshelf you could see some of the books that your teachers were trying to get you to read. Perhaps you didn’t appreciate it at the time but in the future you would and at least you could see them.
Realising this has made be consider more which books I purchase a paper version of, and then remain on my bookshelf, and which I am happy to own in an electronic version. Even more so it has got me back into the physical world of music, specifically the world of vinyl records.
It is no secret that vinyl has made a comeback in recent years as people yearn for the physical, as well as for the past. For me it is definitely a combination of the two. Fond memories of my youth come flooding back, even if most of the music I listened to then now seems tragic. Even more, there is something immensely satisfying about touching and feeling the music you are about to listen to. Watching the record spin as the music pours forth from the speakers is hypnotising and extremely therapeutic. Being compelled to turn over the record when it reaches the end of side one ensures you stay connected and can’t drift away for too long. We all try to multitask too much these days and all it means is you don’t concentrate and truly pay attention to anything. Of course there is a time for background music and that is when I will happily play a Spotify playlist. But I have learnt to choose which option is correct for the situation and if I want to listen to music I truly listen.
The only problem with all of this is the effect it is having on my bank balance. What began with a cheap turntable and only buying the cheaper second hand records has, of course, morphed into a full on addiction. The turntable has been upgraded and the Pink Floyd collection is almost complete. Next there will probably be a new amplifier and speakers, I hope my better half doesn’t read this.
As I sit here with Dark Side of the Moon spinning I have no regrets though. My children will one day look through my record collection and maybe, you never know, even think that their dad was cool after all.
© Neil Hayes and neilsworldofenglish
Discovering Krkonoše National Park, The Czech Republic
I have visited this National Park several times and, having lived in the Czech Republic for more than a decade, thought I knew what to expect of it. But a recent family trip proved to me how wrong I was.
Located along the northern Czech border with Poland, the Krkonoše National Park is one of the most famous and popular in this country. Containing the countries highest peak, Sněžka, it has a stunning collection of ski resorts, hiking and walking trails, as well as beautiful nature everywhere you look.
Now, I am not much of a hiker, my dodgy knees make me wary of getting too high as coming down is a jarring experience. Due to this I have never been to the peak of the highest mountain, so I had never experienced the difference in nature which the higher reaches of this mountain range contain. But a recent family trip, and a small improvement in my fitness, recently changed that.
We still did not visit the peak itself but stayed in a small skiing village, called Rokytnice nad Jizerou, for one week and enjoyed day trips in the surrounding mountains. Now they may not have been the highest, but they were high enough. And since our holiday took place during the recent European heat wave, it was fairly hard work every day. Hard work, but so satisfying. Physical exercise, beautiful nature and plenty of fresh air.
As I said, it was a family trip and we were all kitted out with our Camelbaks. Carrying 9 litres of water, between us, just about covered our needs for the day. But the best item we carried had to be our micro towels, nice and cooling when wet, they proved to have great recuperative powers, for both the children as well as my wife and I.
So what is so different about the nature? At the higher altitudes, the dense pine forests disappear and are replaced by sparse Scandinavian style nature. Low-growing trees, which look more like bushes, and space. There is much more space, if you can get away from the crowds. But that is relatively easy. There are some very popular trails, like going to the source of the Elbe, or Labe in the Czech language. But if you take a different route back you will be on your own in no time.
There are also many mountain chalets located throughout this area. Places to stop, take a break and buy some food and drink. If you are Czech this will probably mean a beer, but until I finish the day I stick to the water myself. Some of these chalets can be surprisingly large and offer a bit of fun for the kids too, they never lack in energy of course.
At the end of the week, I was happy to get home and rest my legs. But this was definitely one of the most enjoyable holidays I have had. A special mention should go to Hotel Helena, where we stayed. Returning there every day, where the kids could keep jumping and playing and my wife and I could collapse for a while, was a pleasure. This small hotel has good facilities and the food was excellent. Breakfast, a snack for the day and dinner were all included in the price. There was plenty of it and every meal was delicious. Oh and, of course, the beer was cold and refreshing too. Even more so than dipping your toes in one of the local streams.
© Neil Hayes and neilsworldofenglish
Grumpy Man in Legoland
This title was my prediction for the trip. A grumpy bugger, with a bad back, driving for hours, then walking for a couple of days surrounded by other people’s screaming children. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it?
Well, happily, my prediction was premature. Our family trip to Legoland, in Germany, was incredible. Two days and one night of Lego magic. Fast rides, which were OK, and high rides, which were not for me.
We arrived on Sunday morning, checked in, got our directions and we were away. The whole process was easy, organised and efficient. Before we new it, the car was parked and we were exploring the park.
I didn’t totally know what to expect, but I would say the best thing about the park was its variety. There were amusements and activities to suit every age and taste. Starting with the classic Miniland, lots of famous places all made from Lego, was a great introduction. But the kids, especially my daughter were keen for some action, sightseeing could wait.
It’s been a few years since I was on fast, spinning, rides but they were great fun, even if I was slightly worried about losing by breakfast. And the pace didn’t slow from there, we crammed in as much as we could on day one, but didn’t panic because we had a whole second day to come.
We finished in the theme park at around 6pm and went to find our accommodation for the night. Believe it, or not, we were sleeping in a barrel, which reminded me a little of a hobbit home, just not underground. What a great idea, two little rooms, a fridge, clean, private, perfect for a one night stay. We used the communal bathrooms at the camp site, which were very near. I was a little nervous about this, since I had vague childhood memories of wading through water, I hope, to get to the showers at British campsites. But this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Every time I went to the bathrooms they looked like no-one had used them that day, well done Legoland, great job.
After a good night’s sleep we checked out and were ready for day two. This time we had a few ideas of the must do things, which we didn’t have time for the day before, plus the things which just had to be repeated. Even though we had the whole day, we could have still used another hour or two, there is just so much to do. But the second day had to end, and we had to drag the children away, with the promise of one last visit to the shop.
If anyone is thinking of paying a visit, go for it. Kids from the ages of 5 will be able to join in on almost all the amusements, if they are a little brave. My kids are 6 and 8, which seemed to be the perfect ages. And if it’s not normally your scene, don’t worry, this recommendation is coming from a grumpy bugger, just ask my wife.
© Neil Hayes and neilsworldofenglish
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