Swine flu.  The mere name sounds vaguely Dickensian for some reason.  It’s not something I want to have any dealings with whatsoever, especially when I consider that I and my two children just got over a nasty stomach virus that had its fair share of aches and pains along with the requisite other stuff one has to deal with when stomach bugs hit.

Oddly enough, the Westin Lagunamar in Cancun just called to say that they magically have an opening and would like to know if I’d like to come!

Well, when I look at the villas, sure, I’d love to!  But not in 2 weeks, thanks.  I can do my due dilgence with hand washing and all that, but I can’t know that the staff is doing the same.  And while the same can be said for any restaurant or store I visit right in my own neighborhood, the difference is that I haven’t used up precious vacation time and flown several hours for the privilege.

So, dear Mexico, I think you and I shall have to meet some other time.  Were it just hubby and I we might brave it, but I won’t put 2 kids under 6 who need to regain the weight they lost, at that kind of risk.  Maybe next year?

We’ve written before about Context, the tour company specializing in walking tours led by scholars.  The company has now joined with Insider’s Italy to provide not only a family tour, but one with a sustainable bent.  Whoo-hoo – get your family travel on AND be (relatively) earth-minded? We love it!

The “Farm to Fork, Roman Food Culture for Families” tour was designed for families to bring a new twist to attacking that bastion of cultural travel – Rome. Not forgoing the scholarly aspect, the tour will be led by scholars, cultural historians and yes, food professionals, all of whom have specific experience dealing with children.  Kids will get fantastic opportunities to experience the history and culture of Rome through such unique experiences as visiting the Markets of Trajan, tasting ancient Roman recipes, and preparing basic Italian cuisine at the home of a noted Roman chef. Kids should also enjoy the one day set aside to exploring a seasonal product; depending on the time of year, they could make cheese in the countryside or pick olives and watch the production of olive oil.  And they’ll love the excursion to Naples to make that kid-friendliest of foods – pizza!

With a max of 8 people or 2 families per trip, the trip can really be customized to fit both the interests and the ages of all travelers.  Should you want to make it even more special, Context will happily arrange a private tour just for your family.  For more information, visit the Context website.

This is the kind of package we can’t wait to take with our daughter – alas, it’s only for big girls and their moms, so we’ve got several years before we’ll do anything like this.  For now, our tea parties are replete with stuffed animals and pots of sugar water – but we’re passing this on to those of you eager to connect on a more adult level… (more…)