https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/parisblog daily 0.75 2026-09-25 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/parisblog/category/paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/parisblog/category/Worldschooling monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/parisblog/category/Culinary+Corner monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/parisblog/category/Literary+Library monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/parisblog/category/France monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/parisblog/category/Paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/pipers-culinary-corner daily 0.75 2026-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/ad63f35f-40c5-4570-ae04-184225b63386/imgg-4q6-ynfqb0ze.png https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/pipers-culinary-corner/category/Paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/lucyliterarlylibrary daily 0.75 2026-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1b53ae69-df1f-4c9d-8c36-84a3841cde6e/IMG_7226.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/b25537a7-673d-43fb-9d75-d9de01730ea4/IMG_7225.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/d0892876-c4bd-46dd-bd6b-e96872f40870/IMG_7224.jpg https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/lucyliterarlylibrary/category/paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/lucyliterarlylibrary/category/Paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/school daily 0.75 2026-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/c56deae2-5f8c-40f6-a94f-bf1e898b5fca/B2F9B106-39C7-475C-A6BE-1B73BCEFB7F4_1_105_c.jpg https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/school/category/paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/school/category/Worldschooling monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/school/category/Paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/croatia daily 0.75 2026-09-25 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/croatia/category/Croatia monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/austria daily 0.75 2026-09-25 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/austria/category/Austria monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/austria/category/Vienna monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/france daily 0.75 2026-09-25 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/dans-musings daily 0.75 2026-09-20 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog daily 0.75 2026-09-30 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/bok-croatia monthly 0.5 2026-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/787c22be-a655-45fa-bc7d-6115116d525e/0D796ADC-9C82-47CD-A703-2AC3736DDDA6_1_105_c.jpg Master Blog - Delicious Treats in Croatia - Best Pasta Ever! Looking out over the mountains on our first day in Croatia, I had the best pasta ever! It was a creamy, salmon pasta with peas. Lucy says that she loved it too! Mom says she’ll learn to make it when we go home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/9b4b9bbe-9281-4e54-ad32-2813fe9f286b/B1D7310E-D0D1-48F6-A955-AD7BA5C9BBAF_1_105_c.jpg Master Blog - Delicious Treats in Croatia - Risotto Risotto is basically spiced up rice but usually has a creamy sauce. Sometimes it has a protein like shrimp and steak. I enjoyed having risotto in Croatia with my family. I suggest that you have risotto in croatia too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/26eb4b84-72e2-4f92-8461-6e1edbd64936/C9EB4380-CE08-48AB-86D8-AEDCC4A9FCEC_1_105_c.jpg Master Blog - Delicious Treats in Croatia - Gelato My family and I love gelato, especially on a HOT day (of which there are a lot of those in Croatia). Thankfully, there were gelato shops everywhere, and we loved all of the choices we made. These are some of are favorites lemon pie, laffy-taffy banana, chocolate and white chocolate-raspberry. We would usually at least get one per day. I hope you like gelato as much as we do! Favorite Flavors: lemon pie, unicorn, banana split and chocolate-hazelnut https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/best-treats-in-vienna monthly 0.5 2026-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/b19d7a88-e3a5-4eed-8025-10f5f2c018ce/2E851755-DFE0-4B82-88F4-C996A15470A5_1_105_c.jpeg Master Blog - Best treats in Vienna - Schokolade The chocolate store, Lindt, had soooo many chocolates to choose from! The one that we went to had two floors. The first floor had little wrapped chocolates that you could choose from. Some of the flavors were pistachio, raspberry, mint and strawberry. The second floor had sheets of chocolate that you could customize. The way they customized the chocolate sheets was that you could choose a sentence and picture for them to put on there with colored chocolate, such as happy birthday with a picture of a present. They had counter that you could get things dipped in chocolate. We got the cup of strawberries with milk chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles. If it were my birthday, these strawberries with chocolate and whipped cream would be my #1 pick! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/a9405a7f-beca-49f2-a42a-f0fd9a4e7a0e/7E1CEE9A-933C-44B9-95A6-7C282AE9DC7D_1_105_c.jpeg Master Blog - Best treats in Vienna - Schnitzel! Schnitzel! Schnitzel! I love schnitzel! Schnitzel is a breaded flat meat. There are different meat types like pork and beef. We had some pork and wiener schnitzel. Veinna is famous for there schnitzel so you can find them everywhere. I hope you decide to try schnitzel in Vienna. https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/croatias-top-3-just-came-in monthly 0.5 2026-09-26 https://video.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/a837b41b-3fa2-445f-87c5-9a4505ea4b43/playlist.m3u8 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/14d67224-0988-4a7c-85ff-58393267b23c/Screenshot+2026-09-26+at+5.07.14%E2%80%AFPM.png Master Blog - Croatia’s Top 3 Just Came In… Master Blog - Croatia’s Top 3 Just Came In… https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/mistfest-2026 monthly 0.5 2026-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789888485728-6FZX11C6CLGF2VTL9GLX/IMG_8113.jpg Master Blog - Mistfest 2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789888479485-30P014BO828Y04FD6EHR/IMG_8112.jpg Master Blog - Mistfest 2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789888550506-1RQBR3SSODYYANG95EFF/IMG_8111.jpg Master Blog - Mistfest 2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789888532004-L6SHXVUJ36VP5T6Z2HIF/IMG_8119.jpg Master Blog - Mistfest 2026 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/how-is-school-going monthly 0.5 2026-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/7a39f102-1bce-43b9-8db9-5b9374360b7e/IMG_8402.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - This week it was hard to be get out of bed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1790263201248-PGON94EZN3B63EZE9WD6/IMG_7918.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - Some days we didn’t want to study (or take her math quiz). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/dfedf23a-7ce2-4404-b606-1b586d86f8dc/IMG_7949.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - Some days it was just too much. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1790262717828-431722JTMLH8K7W7Q99E/IMG_8399.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - But most days… we found a beautiful place to study. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/19507fd7-da58-4f5e-b6ec-0b171bd83433/IMG_8023.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - and took time to learn about the places we visit. (reading about the statues of the 9 muses in the Hapsburg State Rooms at the Albertina Museum in Vienna) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1790263178630-NCBMLR2GZWZCWMRB4E80/IMG_7993.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - We visited museums. (examining Helga Phillip’s work with geometry in art at the Albertina Museum) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1790262789490-MM82WH2RM0ARUUUAL5F5/IMG_8369.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - We sat and studied the world in front of us. (orangutangs at The Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1790262729051-PREKUEGO4V1F673NYDMV/IMG_8374.jpg Master Blog - How is school going? - We made time for reading wherever we are…even on the metro. https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/vienna-fashion-week monthly 0.5 2026-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789891417482-JGFLXF7JM45FW2T86JCF/IMG_8067.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789903378686-8GJQBPF8JRMU46GUJYD1/IMG_8070.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789891664258-UVGK2TR8WGV0QNKIH3ZT/IMG_8074.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week - Nicolas Dudek https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789891464152-BFC9NRTQY7T3Z3RGNYID/IMG_8085.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week - Nicolas Dudek https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789891640801-KIU6RUJHBGNGC9FZEGN9/IMG_8055.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week - FRÖHLICH (Presented by Saubermacher) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789891480007-0C306XNE00U0VOF1HPVW/IMG_8082.png Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week - Nicolas Dudek https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789891507255-QDOM5ZKRF2GE3FHAW97P/IMG_8073.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week - Nicolas Dudek https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789891628828-R800AYJ82RCBFDVHIJJB/IMG_8056.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Fashion Week - FRÖHLICH (Presented by Saubermacher) https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/Blog Post Title One-3zaa9-zlxng-67tfc-n96wj-g6jne-cf6xt monthly 0.5 2026-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/71e66d5e-8b29-4ff7-b69a-e288e55b2e0a/84B3CBCE-4A4B-4559-B9CF-F741560E62F4_1_105_c.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Itinerary - Day 1 Very late arrival in Vienna meant straight to the hotel, pajamas and bed. Homeschooling: No formal schooling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/e6ca367f-8b97-4c09-9cf3-dc5943c37d3b/243F128F-6C7C-4357-A5EF-04B1093663EE_1_105_c.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Itinerary - Day 2 We are finding that the beauty of arriving in a new city without the rush to see it all is that we can take the first day slow. Our first day spent in Vienna was spent with studies after breakfast, we wandered around the streets by the Albertina Museum and into the Butterfly House by the Hofburg Palace. Being on the go means we see a lot, but it comes at the cost of L & P not being a part of classes with friends, so when we had the opportunity for them to join an art class in Vienna, we took it. They painted in the style of Picasso, whose work will be visit at the Albertina Museum later this week. Homeschooling: morning studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/9796afe5-a394-4a27-a181-0c9a4f5a716b/1A532B7D-E4CA-4257-9615-5D135668998F_1_105_c.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Itinerary - Day 3 All of our plans when out the window when L came down with the flu today. So this is a quiet day for the whole crew - a little much-needed rest for us all. Silver lining: P has decided to learn to play the piano in our apartment. It’s nice to have extra time. Homeschooling: P had morning studies; L called in sick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/6b4c07b3-41c1-4e22-9daa-f4d60cb32af2/IMG_8070.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Itinerary - Day 4 Happy Birthday, Dan! Birthday celebrations are going to look a little different for us this year. Instead of gifts to unwrap, the birthday kid gets to pick the day. Dan opted for a visit to the Albertina Museum and join the festivities of Fashion Week in the evening. Homeschooling: morning studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/4fe0764f-99b9-4650-8903-40d6cb319baa/IMG_8112.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Itinerary - Day 5 We attended Vienna’s Misfest 2026, put on by MA 48. MA 48 is Vienna’s Waste Management department. Rather than boring lectures about recycling or keeping the city clean, MA 48 hosts a free festival where you get see their trucks in action, try riding 30 m up in a firetruck bucket ladder (so cool!), sit in a helicopter, and check out the tents with activities to learn waste management and climate protection. Joining the festival definitely helped up feel a bit more “local" today. Homeschooling: no formal schooling https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1d460e33-c8ce-473b-bcc8-43efdc0831f6/IMG_8134.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Itinerary - Day 6 This is a day we had all been looking forward to - getting to see the Lipizzaner Stallions of the Spanish Riding School perform. We were asked not to take photos, so this one is the closest we got to taking a picture with horse and rider. The performance was incredible, from the young horses to the older horses performing the quadrille or a capriole. We were incredibly impressed! Homeschooling: no formal schooling today https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/31d99a3a-dffa-4b4a-be16-73705e1ff7d2/IMG_8338.jpg Master Blog - Vienna Itinerary - Day 7 Today’s agenda was the girls’ pick: a stop at the bookstore to find watercolor paints and The Schönbrunn Zoo. The pandas were adorable, the wolves reminded us of Hailey (our pup at home), the baby elephant made us laugh, but it was the monkeys and orangatangs who stole the show for us. P could have watched them climb and jump all day. Homeschooling: “field trip” to the zoo https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/sea-organ monthly 0.5 2026-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789675630221-O3V0R18M1BM3PIVS4JTX/IMG_7811.jpeg Master Blog - Zadar’s Sea Organ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789675631818-IPHVDOFCX5EUIPS92AYF/IMG_7841.jpeg Master Blog - Zadar’s Sea Organ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789675629915-5HFU51B93BCN0YJL9QVW/IMG_7843.jpeg Master Blog - Zadar’s Sea Organ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789675741199-YWMBE0GBZNX0190JR37O/IMG_7789.jpeg Master Blog - Zadar’s Sea Organ https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/our-paris-itinerary monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/9882dadb-67c5-4de2-bc33-bb3ec770c303/B4B9C64C-198F-42CA-8900-4390AF0E2B85_1_105_c.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 1 Today was full-on survival: find the apartment, unpack, get over jet lag. We packed everything we think we’ll need for the year into these bags - 5 checked and 2 carry-on. What we did: First stop, lunch for our hungry crew - ham & cheese crepes for the grown ups and nutella & banana for the girls. We hopped on the metro and wandered the streets by the Notre Dame, then came home to settle in and try to get over jet lag. Where we stayed: Neuilly - perfect location for taking the metro easily everywhere we wanted to go, one block from the neighborhood marché, and quiet-ish streets gave the girls a little more room to wander. Homeschooling: no school, still on summer vacation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/684b5d76-9cd1-4bf3-a45c-054fefd8a125/IMG_6790.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 2 Today was rainy, rainy, rainy so today was not the picnic at the Tulleries that I had envisioned for our first day in Paris. Instead we visited the Rodin Museum (a Dan request) and the Leandro Erlich exhibit at the Grand Palais (an Anne request). We were intrigued by the clever illusions that Leandro Erlich created with his art installations and loved the opportunity to wander through them ourselves. Great stops for our crew. Lesson Learned: Sometimes the metro or a taxi is the way to go. Though the walk from the Grand Palais past the Arc de Triomphe and back to the apartment in Neuilly was beautiful, it was tooooooo long for little legs. Very tired legs meant someone couldn’t sleep, and that same someone does not suffer quietly. Perhaps we don’t need to walk all of Paris in one day… Homeschooling: Happy first day of school, L & P! Girls started the day with morning studies, then learned about Rodin & https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/4db04ab4-a941-45a0-bc52-fef2a36e7af3/IMG_6960.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 3 Versailles: The girls have heard me talk about picnics after church at Versailles as a child. So today we took the train to Versailles to see the chateau and wander the gardens. How did they like the chateau? L would very happily move in. For me, it was the gardens that blew me away! Listening to the baroque music play while the fountains were running was truly magical. We loved the way walking through the garden hedges would suddenly open up to a grand courtyards where Louis XIV once held concerts and balls. Homeschooling: No formal homeschooling today, but we did learn a lot from our “field trip” to Versailles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789109626035-5PUGPBMV5G2P9SR1JQMY/IMG_7038.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 4 Notre Dame: After school lessons in the morning, we headed out to visit The Notre Dame Cathedral and climb the bell tower. The cathedral was much more crowded than I remembered from previous visits, but still as beautiful. The views from the top of the bell tower were stunning and very, very, very high. Homeschooling: Morning studies and learning about the history of the Notre Dame (Did you know that it was built on a site of a Roman temple?) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/972d8693-d405-49d0-972e-db463859c995/IMG_7723.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 5 Quick morning studies, because we had places to go and things to do. Reward for starting school was hot cocoa with chantilly cream and scrumptious raspberry croissants - yes, Carette lived up to the hype. Then a walk over to the Arc de Triomphe, where we climbed to the top for another beautiful view of the city. Came back to the apartment for a little down time and squeezed in a bit more study time (tough to practice typing while riding the metro). Before dinner, we visited the Tuilleries Gardens where P got surprising close to catching a pigeon. As we headed for the metro, we happened past the English Bookstore and that was what we needed - actual, physical books to get our girls back into the excitement for reading. And now they have one request: to take the books to the green grass to read. One teacher mom’s heart is happy. Homeschooling: morning & mid-day studies & learning about Napoleon at the Arc de Triomphe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/54b65f80-b771-44c5-9b15-d4b7d034f383/IMG_7779.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 6 Everyone was exhausted today. We’ve been up for late dinners almost every night. Some of us have only just managed to get over jet lag (windows open to noisy restaurants across the street don’t make sleeping easy). Some of us were complaining about tired legs from the moment she woke up. And we’ve all been out and about a ton each day. So today, we took it easy - slow, morning studies at the apartments followed by an afternoon at the Louvre. Note to self: a crowded non-air conditioned museum on a 90+ degree day isn’t the way to do this again. But you know what makes it better….gelato after the museum :) Homeschooling: morning lessons & art history and ancient civilizations at Louvre https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1969ac23-81ee-401c-8f5c-fbd25e0495e7/IMG_7230.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 7 Today we did the #1 thing both L & P wanted to do. We saw Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. And it was amazing! P’s favorite was dancing on the glass floor on the first floor of the tower (terrifying, if you ask me). And dinner was an absolute winner - sushi push-pops. I’ve never seen these before and it is brilliant. Think ice cream push-pop, but with sushi inside. Just push the sushi up and take a bite. Yum! Homeschooling: morning studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/4beddb91-3780-47f6-9bc0-289d5068c5f2/IMG_7321.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 8 No school today. Instead I took the girls to my old town, Chatou. We ate lunch by the Seine, walked to my old house, and showed them the park where I played. Homeschooling: afternoon studies to finish up blog posts and news reports about Paris https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/62895051-fe0c-4dd9-a8c4-d6916922ab1f/IMG_7362.jpg Master Blog - Our Paris Itinerary - Day 9 And our time in Paris comes to an end. Time to pack our bags and catch the airplane for Croatia. Homeschooling: no school today, just praying we have no hiccups in our travel today. https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/croatia-itinerary monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/cab1f5f1-eb7a-4411-a8d3-ee038b7892cc/IMG_7396.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 1: Plitvice Lakes At the airport in Zagreb, we picked up our car and drove out to the Plitvice Lakes area. We only stayed the night there, but Apartmani Burić was so lovely, I would have loved to stay longer. We ate the best meal of our time in Croatia here, overlooking the beautiful mountains. Homeschooling: late afternoon studies to fit in math practice before dinner https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/5b7680bc-2dfc-4fb1-97c2-8307bce4ae28/IMG_7423.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 2: Plitvice Lakes Plitvice Lakes: What a wonderful day! Our hosts made us a delicious breakfast before sending us off to Plitvice Lakes for the day. Per the advice of our host, we got some inside information about another way into the park away from the bus crowds. It felt like we had the park to ourselves as we looked down on the water from viewing points unreachable from below. Then we hiked down into the park and walked along the boardwalks past the most beautiful crystal-clear, green-blue water. Visiting Plitvice Lakes alone was worth our trip to Croatia. Absolutely gorgeous! Homeschooling: No formal schooling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/9c121237-b9ec-463a-8abe-58f52b9fce65/IMG_7652.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 3: Split Split, Croatia is our home for the next week. Our apartment is steps from the only sandy beach, Bačvice Beach and a 10-minute walk from the crowds of Old Town. Our hope is that this will give us a touch of everything: history, culture, beach life and space to work on the girls’ studies. Homeschooling: morning studies, afternoon explorations of Old Town, evening swim at the beach (counts at gym class?) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/46c9fdcc-73e0-4e5f-b592-141b5f1a3ae4/IMG_7564.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 4: Split Beach swims in the early morning, followed by studies and lunch. The afternoon was spent exploring Diocletian’s Palace: We visited the Cathedral of St. Dominus and Jupiter’s Temple. Throughout the city, these engravings appear on various posts along the sidewalks. They depict Diocletian’s Palace, where shops and homes are still using the same spaces used by shopowners and residents of the Roman Empire during Diocletian’s time. It felt like we had time-traveled back to the 3rd century, but with all the perks of modern times :) Did you know? Diocletian’s Palace’s was built by Diocletian as his retirement palace. He is the only Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate and retire from the position. Homeschooling: mid-day studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/abbd2b5f-99ba-4682-bc7e-5a1b24ec74ce/IMG_7565.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 5: Split Today was definitely a stand out day of play. We were all kids as we jumped and slid and climbed on the inflatable waterpark in the Adriatic Sea at Znjan Beach. Such fun! Lesson Learned: Bring snacks or don’t skip breakfast. The lunch hour at the beach cafes doesn’t begin until 1 pm, which is a long time for hungry kiddos (and adults) to wait. Homeschooling: afternoon studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/7ca456cc-ac29-4d7a-9679-79dd7e97c843/IMG_7622.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 6: Split Our morning kicked off with a climb up Marjan Hill, which has nice views of Diocletian’s Palace and the harbor. Our intentions has been to go all the way to the top, possibly even the other side to swim at the beach. But small people can be quite loud when they are tired, and ours was. So we chose gelato and home instead. Homeschooling: afternoon studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/84df5dc1-85a8-43a1-b197-8982d555e99f/IMG_8464.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 7: Bosnia & Herzegovina We rented a car today, grabbed our passports and drove to Bosnia & Herzegovina. Our first stop was Kravica Falls where we could swim under the waterfalls, which was surprisingly warmer than swimming in Maine :) Our next stop was for lunch along the Blagaj River - the fresh trout did not disappoint. Yum! Then we drove to Mostar, explored the bizaars, and walked across Stari Most which had been destroyed in the bombing during the Bosnian War. It was surprisingly steep and the limestone slick (flip flops were not the best choice of shoes…). Homeschooling: No formal schooling today, instead we discussed the Bosnian War during while driving in the car and spent our day immersed in a culture very different from ours at home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/e62379cb-b2a4-4c5d-9ebe-a9797b3aa647/IMG_7682.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 9: Split We have already visited Old Town many times and climbed Marjan Hill. We decided it was time to sit and enjoy the beautiful place we have a chance to “live” for a week. So we swam at what we now call our beach and had a delicious dinner in an outdoor terrace at Soul Kitchen around the corner from our apartment. Homeschooling: morning studies…today they took until after lunch. some days are like that. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/581ead42-eb7a-46eb-bcc2-278a65687ebe/IMG_7708.png Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 10: Split Another day to swim and enjoy the sun. Today we walked to the other side of our beach and tried the diving block. SO. MUCH. FUN. There’s nothing quite like getting to dive straight into the ocean from the shore. Homeschooling: morning studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/9c8e850d-28e8-4ac4-8b68-643379462409/IMG_7852.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 11: Zadar We took the bus from Split to Zadar - beautiful views of the Adriatic Sea the whole way up the coast. We explored the the Roman ruins in Old Town. Then it was time to check into our home, where the girls had fun swimming in the (very cold) pool before bed. Homeschooling: no formal studies today https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/9c17f16c-2b09-4e3e-904b-7d265a81b44b/IMG_7895.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 12: Zadar Studies in the morning at the house. We walked around Old Town and listened to the Sea Organ, which was very cool! After dinner, we returned to see the Sun Salutation which is a solar-powered light display at the end of Zadar’s pier. It was well-worth the late night to see it light up after dark. Homeschooling: morning studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/32134b93-2338-4157-99bb-67dc31a7dea3/IMG_7845.jpg Master Blog - Croatia Itinerary - Day 13: Zadar With a late flight out tonight, we had all day to spend in Zadar. We left our bags at a bag drop and took swimsuits and towels with us for a day at the water and afternoon cappuccinos listening to the Sea Organ. Lesson Learned: Double check your flight times before booking b/c 9 pm flights are late! Homeschooling: early studies https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/an-exciting-visit-to-bosnia-and-herzegovina monthly 0.5 2026-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789376733617-7WZ1TCB5NWHEC2FGZ3Q0/PXL_20260910_085431222.MP.jpg Master Blog - An exciting visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789376733589-LKZYNQJEB8PLZTQ0T3TB/IMG_8404.jpg Master Blog - An exciting visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789376734893-OXL7341C2XI34QS8OYEV/IMG_8452.jpg Master Blog - An exciting visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789376735042-GHH5JTG9XCMIBO6V9KCG/IMG_8455.jpg Master Blog - An exciting visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789376736252-ZVVPR2JJELTA18N7UF8S/PXL_20260910_141738140.jpg Master Blog - An exciting visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789376888311-AJVB0PF3EP5KZIU3BOF1/PXL_20260910_141910918.TS-000.jpg Master Blog - An exciting visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789377001546-OHRGBYN9RBXWF2G2EH85/IMG_8464.jpg Master Blog - An exciting visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/paris-highlights monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107738754-VBUVEQEC56Q1FMS2H80R/IMG_7329.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - home, sweet home Special day showing my girls where I lived when I was their age https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789109626035-5PUGPBMV5G2P9SR1JQMY/IMG_7038.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Point Zéro des Routes de France https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107332486-H8XYLPHKMEFJ6Z8DH8V5/IMG_7306.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Sushi Push-Up Pops New favorite way to eat sushi….sushi push-up pops! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789109538440-M4FLNT4PPTRU43CPLP7I/IMG_7098.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Hide-and-Seek Favorite Game: Can you find The Eiffel Tower? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107349012-U27FRVYV54PLJWV5ZEZN/IMG_7301.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Metro First time on a double-decker metro for both girls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107458278-H7N0AQZMC21J2106XMA2/IMG_7297.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - La Tour Eiffel P’s favorite part of the visit was the glass floor on the first floor and seeing how tiny everyone on the street below look https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107317316-ER4MIWX96BQGMIG37FTB/IMG_6975.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Versailles: Fountains & Music in the Gardens once a ballerina, always a ballerina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107441563-HADPTZ74BQCKXIJMVPZF/IMG_6929.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Diana Looking for signs of Roman mythology where ever we go https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107474559-W9MBWO1BEDZSY9AP6WHR/IMG_6928.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Versailles: Hall of Mirrors loved getting L all to myself for for a day at Versailles https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107650548-WGDPN0ZPNDRPUFSZHHK4/IMG_6918.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Versailles Would you want to live here? L’s answer: YES! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789107661859-G507Y3T3QG1AEPMVB47E/IMG_6887.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Leandro Erlich Exhibit at the Grand Palais such a fun and unexpected afternoon playing with the illusions of Leandro Erlich https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789108474336-8UNWAYT3C2M1I5RO370L/IMG_7206.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Louvre note to self: visit in the winter next time when it is less crowded and your crew isn’t melting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789108490116-BQAKWJLDKDTRUZCLL877/IMG_6746.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Notre Dame the climb to the top of the bell tower was worth the views, even if standing on the top was terrifyingly high https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1789108598079-PUZG53DVL3WYU7LU59S1/IMG_6738.jpg Master Blog - Paris Highlights - Paris, on vous aime hoping we can squeeze another visit to my favorite city into our year https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/news-with-piper-top-3-activities monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://video.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/dc32e335-cd04-4b49-b809-0d944f8b1813/playlist.m3u8 https://video.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/dc32e335-cd04-4b49-b809-0d944f8b1813/thumbnail Master Blog - News with Piper: Top 3 Activities Master Blog - News with Piper: Top 3 Activities https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/lucys-top-picks-in-paris monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788967868601-EPG2HFXQWG77QDSTS8OA/IMG_7090.jpg Master Blog - Chocolat Chaud https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788967882707-86LF6VHQ9DMCOBXPCA4F/IMG_0020.jpg Master Blog - Chocolat Chaud https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788967899732-JM0APZPIOT8T94V9PQI1/IMG_7093.jpg Master Blog - Chocolat Chaud https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788968066257-2P80YHTWO0351D9MMLGN/IMG_0023.jpg Master Blog - Chocolat Chaud https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/the-mona-lisa-mystery-by-m-a-bennett monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/b064c1bf-d8df-4a60-8aff-92104b297505/IMG_7222.jpg Master Blog - The Mona Lisa Mystery, by M. A. Bennett - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/a-trick-of-the-eye monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788848790948-4HIBYZ14COD3AMTR8UW8/IMG_6811.jpg Master Blog - A Trick of the Eye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788848736777-1M7G3AFT10UTF01O7DTS/IMG_6854.jpg Master Blog - A Trick of the Eye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788848616559-T3O5LJTHXYO6FD2LRAR4/IMG_6867.jpg Master Blog - A Trick of the Eye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788848681879-6BVRZAL0QMZ0NMR5R8WQ/IMG_6815.jpg Master Blog - A Trick of the Eye https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/paris monthly 0.5 2026-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/ce4bc711-2702-4ed9-8bb3-b6016c93cdd7/IMG_7315.jpeg Master Blog - When in Paris… - Crepes French crepes originated in the 13th century. Crepes look like thin pancakes. We usually add toppings in or on crepes like strawberries, banana and many more like chocolate. Some of my favorites are sugar, nutella + banana and ham + cheese. Crepes are sweet and savory, but I prefer sweet. I hope you try and love crepes too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/71e0ece2-23ec-4e09-9945-e511efbd80de/IMG_7214.jpg Master Blog - When in Paris… - Quiche Lorraine In Paris boulangeries, sometimes you can find this delicious savory treat. Quiche lorraine is mostly made out of eggs, bacon and cheese in a flakey crust. They have a soft inside and a crispy top and it is super good especially for breakfast. I hope you like this as much as me! (note: Mom accidentally already cut up the quiche lorraine today, so the picture is of the not-quite-already eaten zucchini quiche.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/3d4c817f-4a96-449a-82f1-448187bcd371/IMG_7156.jpeg Master Blog - When in Paris… - Macarons When we walking to the park one day, we walked into one of the best macaroon shops. The flavors that we picked out were tropical, pear, passion fruit, chocolate passion fruit, chocolate hazelnut and strawberry rosse. The macaroons were amazing. I suggest to get macaroons in Paris. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/c1af01d0-b36a-4811-b6c2-65726f28ded9/IMG_7235.jpeg Master Blog - When in Paris… - Pizza Crackers These are some of my favorite crackers. They are like mini pizzas and are delicious. You can only find these crackers in France. these crackers are good on the go snacks. I hope you try these delicious on the go snacks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/13e1fd66-8ef7-4cdb-9f3f-ae9db7a71ada/IMG_7665.jpg Master Blog - When in Paris… - Île Flottante On the second day in Paris, my mom told us about this desert called “île flottante.” She wanted us to try a floating island, so on our third to last day we went to this amazing seafood restaurant that had floating islands for dessert. (Floating islands are surprisingly hard to find at most restaurants.) And we all enjoyed it. This fluffy meringue is served floating on top of an amazing sauce with caramel drizzled on top. It looked just like its name: Floating Island. I would recommend this to anyone who loves deliciousness after a savory dinner. https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/museum monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788777012447-I4P8745VXS5SF78P0T0K/IMG_7192.jpeg Master Blog - Louvre https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788777013037-95N4VGC422Q2R10U3EPX/IMG_7196.jpeg Master Blog - Louvre https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788777016373-V164QPJ0N7HCNFOJ0AXT/IMG_7191.jpeg Master Blog - Louvre https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788788817167-0J9VFYZOWNL7BVV3BGXY/IMG_7805.jpg Master Blog - Louvre https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/the-world-is-our-library monthly 0.5 2026-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788788332571-8DH6FMFH2WL7JUBHVRX7/IMG_7225.jpg Master Blog - The Books We Didn’t Plan To Pack https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788788235304-BRBX46PB7CV2XYBG8QBU/IMG_7176.jpg Master Blog - The Books We Didn’t Plan To Pack https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788788433589-SDAJ5W0APS2AFT9RTGZK/IMG_7353.jpg Master Blog - The Books We Didn’t Plan To Pack https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a39548d56f3131ebf68cc85/1788788184700-FDKOAUZHHVUSZAHRCOTB/IMG_7226.jpeg Master Blog - The Books We Didn’t Plan To Pack https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Austria monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Worldschooling monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Bosnia+%26+Herzgovenia monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Culinary+Corner monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Vienna monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/France monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Literary+Library monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Paris monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/category/Croatia monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/tag/Bosnia monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/tag/Dalmatia monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/master-blog/tag/Croatia monthly 0.5 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/home daily 1.0 2026-07-06 https://www.pencils-and-passports.com/where-we-are-now daily 0.75 2026-09-24