Our little family has been home in Madrid for a few days now and are fully enjoying the normality that comes with it. Sleeping in our own beds, the girls in school, slowly getting back into a rhythm at work. Coming home is always gratifying and we promised ourselves to take it easy this weekend. […]

It seemed like a great idea to take advantage of living in Europe and visit one of Germany’s famed Christmas markets. Our Whole Village’s Patricia Monahan had been to the Christmas market in Cologne and loved it. We settled on Dusseldorf’s Christmas market because we could get inexpensive, direct flights; a good price on a nice, […]

Where in the world… Fun Facts 1. The two most valuable sports franchises in the world are both Spanish: futbol (soccer) clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. They are worth $3.44 billion and $3.2 billion respectively, according to Forbes. 2. When you lose a tooth, it won’t be the tooth fairy reaching under you pillow for […]

The end of our two-week road trip through Portugal and Spain had us living the farm life in Spain’s north central province of Asturias. Well, actually, the real end of the trip was in La Rioja. The best part of those last few days of vacation, and the only part worth mentioning (aside from the, […]

Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Erin, the newest mom to the group thanks to my little dude Nico, who turned eight months old yesterday. I want to start out this little get-to-know-you session by confessing some of my expectations for travel as a mom. You see, I joined the Our Whole Village team with […]

It is our last morning in Umbria, Italy. My 5-year old daughter is restless. Instead of playing with her new friends, she’s upset about wearing shorts over a dress, she’s whining about having to eat breakfast and finding any excuse to complain. She is naturally tired after a week packed with adventures. And what an […]

Spain’s northwestern-most province, Galicia with kids is a must! With amazing seafood, great wines, beautiful beaches and a strikingly beautiful coastline, there’s something for everyone. While Galicia may seem remote in relation to Spanish geography, it’s actually closer to Madrid than Maine is to New York City.  Which is to say that if you should […]

Madrid is a great city to visit with kids. Little ones are welcome everywhere — museums, restaurants, cafes, shops — and there are playgrounds around nearly every corner. Food, Glorious Food There is some great food to be had in Madrid (and the wine is on par). The biggest issue for many visitors with kids […]

By introducing kids to other cultures, we expand their horizons, teach them to respect others and ultimately help them to become open and accepting individuals. To achieve this you don’t necessarily need to pack your passports and cross international borders. Cultures vary, not only between countries, but also within countries.  You can experience different values, […]

En route from Lisbon, to Galicia we decided to spend a night in the Douro Valley, Portugal’s famed wine region. We selected the Aquapura Hotel because it has a great reputation, was in good proximity to wineries and they were offering an amazing deal on the rooms. Our grand plan was as follows: 1.  Check […]