My boys recently had the chance to compete in a beach waterpolo tournament in Clearwater – a great chance for us too to visit a place in Florida on our list. Another team member’s family told us about the rescued dolphin, Winter, at the Clearwater Aquarium and the film based on her story. So I downloaded the film, A Dolphin’s Tale, ready to keep them entertained on the car journey. This is a tactic we have used a few times. It passes the time as we drive but also helps to get them interested in the place we are visiting and adds to the experience once there as they spot things from the film. And usually, they end up watching it again on the journey home. Win, win.
Initially, Winter stayed to the back of her enclosure and we couldn’t get a clear look at her. The aquarium was due to close and we went back for one last attempt. As if she knew she came right up to the windows where the children were waiting and stayed there watching us until we were finally asked to leave!
At the aquarium, we saw a few other rescued dolphins and turtles and learned their stories, including Hope, who is in the enclosure with Winter. It turns out there is a sequel which tells the story of Hope’s rescue!
Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany is a fairy tale castle, rumoured to be the inspiration for the Disney castles but also featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a film from my childhood. It’s long for a children’s film but ideal as we drove from Zurich into Germany for a very snowy Easter break. We stayed in a typical German guest house in the village of Hohenschwangau and visited the castles on either side of the valley.
Neuschwanstein from the village is about a mile uphill and there are 3 options to get there. Walk, horse-drawn carriage or shuttle bus. On the day of our visit the shuttle buses weren’t running because of the heavy snow, therefore, the queue for the horses was long so we opted to walk. It was cold and wet and not so popular with the children, but we made it!
To get to Schloss Hohenschwangau we did take the horse and carriage – beautiful in the snow.
Schilthorn in Switzerland was one of the locations used in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. A beautiful place to visit with views of the more well-known mountains – Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. A cable car takes you up from the Lauterbrunnen valley to Mürren and at the top is the visitor’s centre, previously Blofeld’s secret lair. There is much Bond memorabilia including the area where there was a curling match in the film – which the children immediately recognised.
The new Bond… 
…and the latest villain
And one other quick sightseeing reference – for adults rather than children – is a roadside cafe/bar called Alabama Jacks that features in the first episode of the series Bloodline which is set in the Keys. If we take visitors for a day out to Key Largo or Islamorada we often stop for dinner at Alabama Jacks on the way home. This is a fun spot on the canal, off Card Sound Road, the alternative route to US 1, with a distinctive interior, often a live band playing and sometimes a parrot.
Another James Bond theme stop was the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland. Made famous in Goldeneye and now a popular spot to re-enact the bungee jump. We were spending the long Easter weekend at Lake Como and to avoid the dreaded traffic in the Gotthard tunnel had left home in the middle of the night. Therefore we made it through to the dam really early in the morning – which worked out fine! The children were only young but we watched the opening scene to the film with them the night before.