CHECKING US IN
Travel tales, news and views from journalist Marc Shoffman and family as they find sun, sea, sand and solitude
Toddlers, tantrums and travelling
Back in 2015, our family embarked on a 1,100mile road trip around Europe.
Our eldest was just three-years old at the time and the youngest wasn’t even one but we strapped them in the back of our C-Max and made the most of the pre-Brexit perk of freedom of movement.
We visited landmarks including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the leaning tower of Pisa, the canals of Venice, Amsterdam, and couldn’t miss out on Disneyland.
Unfortunately our kids barely remember it and were maybe too young to understand the significance of some of the places we visited.
That is a bit annoying as it would be a lot harder to emulate these days but much of our journey is recorded on a dedicated blog I setup called Toddlers, Tantrums and Travelling.
Sometimes I read it to reminisce about good family times as well as a political, economic and travel world that seems a lifetime ago.
I recreated my teenage trip to Lanzarote as 40-year-old
Approaching 40, I decided to relive this rite of passage in celebration of my milestone year.
I stayed in a former arms depot that is now an Airbnb
I took the wife, kids and the dog to stay in a former shifting house in Gosport for a weekend of ship spotting.
Finding Santa at sea
The Shoffmans are more familiar with summer cruises so we didn’t really know what to expect on a winter sailing, especially when I am very much used to sipping beer on the pool deck for as much of the day as possible.
Our pick of the top Christmas email messages
It’s that time of year when you remember just how many newsletters you have signed up to and your inbox fills with festive cheer.
WHAT GOES INTO NAMING A CRUISE SHIP?
P&O Cruises will officially name its newest ship Arvia in a spectacular beachside ceremony in Barbados, scheduled for March 16 2023 - it got me thinking about ship names.
Christmas at sea
MSC Virtuosa has its own Christmas markets and plenty of festive cheer during its remaining winter sailings over the next month or so.
Holiday goals!
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez may not be at the World Cup but he has taken a starring role playing with holidaymakers at the Kandima Maldives Resort.
There is no report of the score but it can’t be worse than Liverpool’s Premier League performance so far this season…