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Hey, Mr Tampareen Man…Tracey Davies and son visit Finland

MY boy Angus is a sucker for a spot of espionage, writes Tracey Davies.

Since watching Goldfinger he’s become a true Bond geek to the point of insisting his milkshake’s shaken not stirred. So imagine his joy when we discover Vakoilumuseo, the world’s first spy museum on a recent trip to Finland.

Family activities in Berlin: Review by Trish @ Mum's Gone To...

 
 BERLIN may not seem the obvious choice for a family holiday, but for the older child in particular, maybe one who is starting to learn about World War I and II, a few days in Germany’s capital can be quite inspirational, writes Trish from Mum's Gone To...

 The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was the catalyst for booking this trip; that and some very cheap flights from Ryanair.

Theme park review: PortAventura by Tara Cain

Them mum bloggers can't half move

THE first thing that struck me about the PortAventura theme park in Spain was that the minute you walk in you don’t have to wade through an avenue of shops before you reach anything approaching a ride, writes Tara Cain.

This is something which has always sat uncomfortably with me having visited both the Disney parks in Paris and Florida – can you imagine what hell you are put through as a parent trying to prize your kids through the magnetic pull of ‘stuff’ bursting from every shop they have to walk past to get their first glimpse of Mickey?

It’s not a barrel of laughs, let me tell you.

'Magical' pre-Christmas getaways from LivingwithKids

LUCKY Liz at LivingwithKids is off to Disneyland Paris.

And she also takes the opportunity to list some more wonderful destinations for a short break before the festive season kicks in for those with a few quid to spare.

Check out Liz's picks - and see how you can book and save money here.

Photo by Emily Aitchison

Snow patrol - 'the best day ever' as Deme meets Santa in Lapland

 
REINDEERS, huskies, helping elves make Christmas presents and a whole lot of ice and snow – visiting Santa Claus in Lapland is a magical adventure for you and your little ones, discovers Karen Pasquali Jones.

IT WAS like a scene out of Narnia. Crisp virgin snow crunched underfoot, fairy lights twinkled in the twilight and the scent of pine trees hung in the frosty air. I peered into the frozen forest expecting the lion Aslan, The White Witch or faun Mr Tumnus - the characters from C S Lewis’ classic children’s fantasy novels - to appear.

Swiss family bliss: Why we loved Lucerne by Liz Jarvis

By Liz Jarvis from Living with Kids

THIS was definitely not a Maria moment. Standing on top of a snow-capped mountain, 10,000 feet in the air does not come naturally to me. The hills may be alive with the sound of music but this one was blimmin’ high up, actually. (Yes I realise the Von Trapps lived in Austria, but you get the idea).

How Ford listen to parents: Podcasts from Frankfurt Motor Show

 

The seven-seater C-Max has sliding doors as favoured by parents trying to get their kids in and out in a busy car park.

LAST week Paul Garrington from www.havealovelytime.com travelled to the Frankfurt Motor Show, courtesy of Ford.

At the show, Ford gave a sneak peek at its seven-seater MPV Grand C-Max range which will reportedly hit the streets next summer.

We asked you for questions to put to Ford's senior personnel at the show.

The first resulting podcast is of Paul's interview with Ford’s vice president of environmental affairs, Dr Wolfgang Schneider, answering questions submitted by readers about the environmental impact of Ford’s cars.

Click on the small triangular play button to hear each podcast.

Interview with Dr Schneider

Interview with Andrew Mottram

In the second podcast, the chief designer of Ford’s latest C-Max model, Andrew Mottram, answers your questions about how Ford cars are designed for the family.

Frankfurt Motor Show says 'willkommen' to www.havealovelytime.com

I'D spent three hours desperately trying to go around a corner backwards so my instructor's patience was near breaking point.

"Linda I could teach an effing monkey better than you," he barked.

He'd spent the last hour yelling expletives at me as I hit the kerb, went wide or stalled the engine, time after painful time.

My palms were sweating, the adrenaline was surging and my heart was pounding.

I wanted to cry.

Going back to the Wild West at PortAventura by David Gordon

YEE-HA! David dons his stetson and saddles up for a whirlwind tour of a new attraction at one of Spain's best-loved family destinations. It's just a shame there was no sign of the Poisoned Dwarf. (Hang on, am showing my age there, sorry.)

AT some point in every child’s imagination, they become interested in the Wild West and stories of cowboys and cowgirls, tumbleweed, cacti and horses.

A brand new resort hotel at PortAventura Resort in Spain has taken imagination to the next level and if you visit the four-star Hotel Gold River; you can totally immerse yourself in the Wild West experience.

Crepes, crabs and croissants in Benodet, Brittany

HELEN Moffat raves about a 'great holiday' in a newly-discovered part of France. That's newly-discovered for her family, of course, not everyone. Oh you know what I mean.

My family are all great fans of France, but somewhat surprisingly, we 'd been missing a trick during recent holidays when we would bypass Brittany to head further south.

Drawn to the long golden beaches and great climate of the Vendee, we'd been used to long drives from Brittany ports, and our view of the region had pretty much been restricted to the car window.