Europa! Europa! Part 1: Inauspicious Beginnings
- Dan
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
During the summer of 2025, the younger son and I went on a European adventure. We had a heck of a good time making wonderful memories. Several years ago, during the height of the pandemic, the older boy and I visited Yellowstone and the Tetons; you can read about those adventures at these links.
The Europe trip did not start auspiciously. To find out why, we have to go back to May 2025, or so, only a few weeks before school ended for the summer.
Inauspicious Beginnings
To the Playoffs I Must Go
The trip to Europe was almost sunk before it started by the older boy, a teenager. He informed us in no uncertain terms that he would not be going to Europe because it would mean missing playoffs, and that was most definitely not going to happen. The problem was that flights were booked and hotel rooms reserved, and had been for months. He had okayed the trip six months or more ago.
The wife and I should have been more cognizant of the almighty soccer schedule, but the playoffs weren't on the schedule, and he certainly never said anything! The previous year, before he joined the team, his team failed to qualify for the playoffs, so it was never really discussed. Of course, the boy acquitted himself quite well and ended up being the driving force behind the team making the playoffs.
After ample angst and cancelled plans, we decided I would take the younger son to Europe to meet up with his cousins and tour around. I was nervous. My little man is the pickiest of eaters.
Fish and Chips
The trip to Europe started fantastically. Anders, my wee lad, is an excellent airplane traveller and can survive solely on chicken nuggets and the like. The problem: chicken nuggets are about all he will eat.
Upon arriving thoroughly jetlagged late in the evening in London, Anders surprised me by proving that he's also a fantastic traveler by train. He was extremely patient and helpful as we navigated the underground from Heathrow to our accommodations near the Tower of London.
The next day was a long one, as we were both pretty darn tired, but I decided we should get out and see some of the sights anyway to help us adjust to the time zone. I took Anders to Big Ben since he had expressed a good deal of interest in the iconic clock tower. His fascination quickly turned sour due to jet lag. Fortunately, the British produce, according to him, the best milk in the world, so between ample quantities of milk and a visit to McDonald's, I averted a complete meltdown!
The following morning, we paid homage to the royals by watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Talk about a crowd! I have experienced denser mobs in Singapore and Hong Kong, but it was crush. The local police are experts at crowd control.
On our final day, in London, we managed to pack in the Tower of London and the British Museum. We enjoyed both attractions, but the Tower of London was our favorite. Anders loved seeing all the armor worn by kings and nobility housed in the impressive White Tower. We missed out on the Crown Jewels, but that was okay because I got a great picture of a beefeater, which was one of my goals for the trip.
That is not to say that the British Museum isn't awesome—it is. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and Anders took many picturesof the artifacts with my camera. I would've liked to spend more time there, but the lad was getting tuckered out. Afterwards, we recharged with some fish and chips, a bucket list item for the boy. He happily declared that his haddock is the best fish he's ever eaten! Mission accomplished—boy well fed!
I'll have more Europa! Europa! reports chock-full of vacation pics in the coming weeks.
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