Giro d'...toddler?

[tassie6]

Wow! Triple jackpot! I'm interested in deals like that, but not a house - care to mention how you found this?

This was just Mrs6 trawling Airbnb, so unfortunately no really special ideas! Was about $300 per night for our booking from memory

https://abnb.me/qITTZdUzrBb

 

[tassie6]

Alas here the trip takes a turn for the worst and and comes to a quick conclusion. Mrs6 had sciatica from disc issues before we left, but the pain was manageable, it was fine through London but it got really bad at Lake Como. Had agonised for a couple of days, knowing we had the in-laws in the region with us to help with Jnr6, but we made the agonising call to miss the wedding we came for along with 3 weeks of planned trip, after we found some J points flights back to Aus leaving Milan the next day. Stuck with the thought that her back could get too bad to fly, we made the call and cancelled the other flights, got what points we could back (benefit of a hodge-podge multi ticket booking here) and booked the flights to leave Milan the next morning.

With the prospect of Jnr6 strapped to me for the next day or two, it was also going to be a mission to get home. We sorted logistics in the morning, then Mrs6 and I drove the car back to Malpensa Airport to drop off two weeks early while the inlaws caught the train to Milan with Jnr6 and we met them in the city. Father inlaw’s birthday so we went to another restaurant for lunch next to the Duomo to celebrate, although moods were mixed to say the least!

Flight was the next morning out of Linate airport so booked the Belstay Linate which was the most reasonably priced last minute and close to the airport. Brand new hotel and no complaints, except free airport shuttle doesn't start till 630am which meant we needed to get a taxi for a 7.25am departure.

The new flight route home was Milan > London > Dubai on BA then Dubai >Melbourne on EK, both on the same ticket with 10 hours in Dubai overnight. Melbourne to Hobart was cash fare on VA (thanks Dark mof_, this was the most I have ever paid on this route!). Other main negative factor is that all flights were effectively 'day' flights for Jnr6's Italian timezone, so didn’t have much hope of any long sleeps along the way, but we were lucky to get 2 x J seats all the way home. Taxes/Charges not great on BA/EK but cash fares were very unrealistic for us and given Mrs6 pain, was glad to just have the option.

Don’t have a lot of photos for the return trip as wasn't really in the mood!

Checked in at Linate airport, busy at about 6am for our 725am flight to Heathrow. Despite being on the same ticket, the BA agent wouldn't check the bags through to Melbourne, I wasn't sure if it was even possible for BA to EK, but I didn't push it as we had 10 hours and would mean access to our own cot if needed at the hotel.

Flight to LHR was good and breakfast was decent in euro-business. An american lady in front reclined on me with Jnr6 in frontpack before we even started taxiing. After getting the word from FA's to shift it back, it was then soon as possible after takeoff she was back at it. Did my best to keep his hands/feet off the seat infront but it wasnt easy given the limited space. I didn't see it but Mrs6 said on landing she gave me the finger over the back of the seat!! Maybe give me a little more space rather than reclining instantly?? Anyway rant over on that one.

Into Heathrow at the B concourse, next flight was on A380 in ~4 hours so I knew the flight would be out of C gates and was happy to transfer at the B gates and use the B Concourse lounge until heading out to the C gates, but as it was 4 hours till it left, they wouldn't let us transfer there and made us go back to A gates because it was too long till our next flight? Really annoying for Mrs6 to do more walking. Anyway we trekked to A concourse and the longer transit line there, before going back to B Gates Galleries Lounge which was great - so quiet. Nice and large but had so many fewer people there compared to the A lounge the few days befpre. Also a great kids play room with glass walls/door so Jnr kept himself occupied in there for a couple of hours and we could look in from some comfy chairs.

Hoofed over to C gates and on to the BA A388 on the upper deck in the pretty average 2-3-2 configuration with reverse seating. Due to last minute booking, we ended across the aisle from each other both facing forward, and I was looking into the eyes of a nice older english gentleman. Sat at the gate for an hour and a half after apparently missing our ATC pushback window. Food from memory was fine, the crew was really good and let me delay my meal for about an hour while trying to get Jnr6 down. Bassinet was...interesting. Nearly hanging over my neighbours head, they said the flat bassinet they had would have been too small, so they setup like a bouncer style thing, pic below. Anyway surprised I could get the little fella to fall asleep in there at all. Don't think I have mentioned it but we have this little tent which can go over prams/bassinets called the Cozi-Go, Aussie product and worth its weight in gold to keep light out for impromptu naps/sleeps.

Landed an hour late into DXB which was cutting into valuable sleep time. Had booked the nearby Holiday Inn Express, couldn't work out where the hotel shuttle would leave from so just got an Uber there. Room was fine and clean for the price of about $90. Got our 4-5 hours of shuteye there then back downstairs to check out. Its a bit depressing when the same staff are there when you come downstairs as when you arrived! First time 'in' Dubai and damn it was warm. Shuttle does run every 30mins from the Hotel to both terminals at the airport, 24 hours a day.

Checked in for EK406 to Melbourne and headed to the A concourse lounge, lounge was fine and nice and large but nothing really to say anything about, although the boarding gate in the lounge is a great feature. EK A388 and we were split seat between the main and mini cabin as the only close ones we could get where at least one seat had a bassinet. This plane would have been recently refurbished with the PE offering, and you could tell as the business cabin was looking very fresh and new, found the seat very comfortable. Great crew, Jnr6 didnt fit in their bassinet but they found us two empty seats at the back we could use to nap him on and made the bed up for him. Food was great and having the onboard bar was fantastic to give me something to do and keep Jnr6 more occupied with more to look at. Lights up did seem a bit early at about 2.5 hrs prior to arrival in Melbourne though. Flight left about 40mins late but we arrived on-time into Melbourne in the early am (after waiting 10mins for ground crew to move a bunch of gear they had parked in the way at the gate), I tell you what, being the first flight into Melbourne was fantastic, no lines for immigration or customs and from off the plane to through customs would have only been about 15 minutes, and this is not using e-gates.

Checked into Virgin Australia, managed to get their annoying overweight baggage fee waived, as silver status we had 2 x 23kg bags each, but we had 1 x 20kg and 1 x 26kg and apparently still the fee should be charged. Had some one time use passes for VA lounge so killed an hour or two in there before a 20min late flight down to HBA and a very premature ending to the trip and a cold Hobart day. Mrs6 managed to get into her specialist the next day on a cancellation and had surgery 5 days later which was successful, so just managing the recovery now. It was the right decision to come home, but with all the planning and freinds we were going to see at the Wedding, it didn't make it any easier.

And that wraps my first trip report! Have a few trips planned that may or may not get a report: NZ for 10 days in October, Seoul/China over a week for Mrs6's business in November, Japan over New Years (but we are thinking of cancelling this one, friends we originally planned to go with cant make it), Lord Howe Island in Feb and have just recently booked Europe Take 2 to start in May next year!


Deparating from Milan looking over Lake Como, where we stayed in Lierna was roughly in that red circle


Galleries South Kids Area



BA Bassinet Spot (right over the head of my neighbour)


A388 to take us DXB-MEL



Jnr6 getting the royal treatment with his own seat on EK (didn’t help much sleepwise!)

 

[RooFlyer]

Oh, sorry to hear about Mrs6 and the need to come back so early. I know the feeling on that one! I hope Mrs6 has continues to recover well.

 

[blackcat20]

Sorry the trip came to an unexpected end.

But also, sleeping babies

 

[Lost Redditor]

Shame your trip was cut short! We travelled up from SYD to OSL via SIN and HEL just a month ago and the Finnair J seats were incredibly spacious, my little guy (16months) slept 8 hours straight next to me out of the 12 hours it took to get to HEL. Highly recommend that route for the seats alone. On our way back next month we're continuing west via SEA, LAX, and finally to SYD with Qantas. We've booked 17F for the LAX-SYD leg which has a bassinet, wondering if he'll fit in that.

What was the carry on pram you used?

Thanks for the trip report, always interesting to read other stories of travelling with a toddler.

 

[Pushka]

Hope your wife gets the treatment she needs. Caring for a young child with disc issues is overwhelming. Travel must be almost impossible. Speaking from experience. I eventually had neurosurgery to remove the disc, when youngest was five months old. No choice as I'd lost nerve function in right leg.
Best wishes.

 

[VPS]

Thanks for the TR and sorry you had to come home early. That place on Lake Como looks great

 

[I love to travel]

I hope all is well with your wife now. Am going to Vareena next month for a day trip. Any tips?

 

[tassie6]

Shame your trip was cut short! We travelled up from SYD to OSL via SIN and HEL just a month ago and the Finnair J seats were incredibly spacious, my little guy (16months) slept 8 hours straight next to me out of the 12 hours it took to get to HEL. Highly recommend that route for the seats alone. On our way back next month we're continuing west via SEA, LAX, and finally to SYD with Qantas. We've booked 17F for the LAX-SYD leg which has a bassinet, wondering if he'll fit in that.

What was the carry on pram you used?

Thanks for the trip report, always interesting to read other stories of travelling with a toddler.

Yeah those Finnair seats look great. Yeah interested on feedback to see if he fits in the QF bassinet, if you remember

We had the Mountain Buggy Nano, great pram! Everyone in europe seemed to have the Babyzen yoyo

 

[tassie6]

I hope all is well with your wife now. Am going to Vareena next month for a day trip. Any tips?

Didn't actually make it up to Varenna because of the road sorry, if you do pass through Lierna the beach there is a great spot for a swim/little walk

 

[tassie6]

Hope your wife gets the treatment she needs. Caring for a young child with disc issues is overwhelming. Travel must be almost impossible. Speaking from experience. I eventually had neurosurgery to remove the disc, when youngest was five months old. No choice as I'd lost nerve function in right leg.
Best wishes.

Yeah it has been tough on her not being able to even pick him up or stuff off the floor, surgeon put it at a 20% chance to re-herniate and require another discectomy or a disk replacement

 

[Pushka]

Yeah it has been tough on her not being able to even pick him up or stuff off the floor, surgeon put it at a 20% chance to re-herniate and require another discectomy or a disk replacement

Well, I'm thirty years post surgery (discectomy) and no further issues really after the surgery where the disc was completely removed. I made sure I later developed good core strength.. Actually it was no longer between the spaces but had completely moved into the spinal canal. Hence the nerve disruption. Prior to surgery inwas thinking about just resting for 6 weeks (flat on back, no sitting) but I lost all function in my right leg and fell taking our older son to his first school appointment. (I no longer have any reflex in my right foot and still numbness in right calf but that's all). I was on the phone that afternoon to book the surgery. L5S1? I think the surgery is worth it tbh.

My GP suggested a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopedic surgeon. Neuros don't do spinal fusion I believe. I didn't have one. I just have a space. But I travel normally etc, just can't sit on hard wooden benches for long or it can get compressed.

You absolutely did the right thing in cancelling your trip. We were due to go to Qld when the rupture happened. I asked if we could still go. The neurosurgeon said no unless I wanted to risk ending up in a wheelchair permanently or at best needing emergency surgery in Qld.

 

[OZDUCK]

Some more thanks for the TR and best wishes for your wife.

 

[Lost Redditor]

Yeah those Finnair seats look great. Yeah interested on feedback to see if he fits in the QF bassinet, if you remember

We had the Mountain Buggy Nano, great pram! Everyone in europe seemed to have the Babyzen yoyo

just checked out those strollers. Wish I'd known about them, they look much more portable than the Valco Baby Snap Ultra stroller we got. But compared to our Buggaboo Fox 3 this was one could be considered very portable. Our Buggaboo is great for the neighbourhood, but not for travelling.

On the topic of L5/S1 disc issues, my dad blew his back out when I was a young lad, and now, 30 years later, he finally started experiencing some pain. Surgeon installed an artificial disc there and inflated the space, so how he has a host of other side effects including tingling, fatigue, etc. But the doc says that's normal post-op so I'm hoping he starts feeling better soon.

 

[Pushka]

just checked out those strollers. Wish I'd known about them, they look much more portable than the Valco Baby Snap Ultra stroller we got. But compared to our Buggaboo Fox 3 this was one could be considered very portable. Our Buggaboo is great for the neighbourhood, but not for travelling.

On the topic of L5/S1 disc issues, my dad blew his back out when I was a young lad, and now, 30 years later, he finally started experiencing some pain. Surgeon installed an artificial disc there and inflated the space, so how he has a host of other side effects including tingling, fatigue, etc. But the doc says that's normal post-op so I'm hoping he starts feeling better soon.

The pain levels and loss of function are the keys to assessing the timing of surgery.

 

[michaeljm]

Hey Tassie6, dreading travelling with my toddler soon.
Did you book taxi services with toddler car seats for all the airport transfers?

 

[Lost Redditor]

Hey Tassie6, dreading travelling with my toddler soon.
Did you book taxi services with toddler car seats for all the airport transfers?

We just did our first taxi service with a toddler, in Oslo. Was no big deal, just told the taxi company that we required a car seat. Think we paid extra though. Being Norway they sent a Tesla Y lol

 

[tassie6]

just checked out those strollers. Wish I'd known about them, they look much more portable than the Valco Baby Snap Ultra stroller we got. But compared to our Buggaboo Fox 3 this was one could be considered very portable. Our Buggaboo is great for the neighbourhood, but not for travelling.

On the topic of L5/S1 disc issues, my dad blew his back out when I was a young lad, and now, 30 years later, he finally started experiencing some pain. Surgeon installed an artificial disc there and inflated the space, so how he has a host of other side effects including tingling, fatigue, etc. But the doc says that's normal post-op so I'm hoping he starts feeling better soon.

Yeah great pram

Disk replacement is scary! Hope your old man recovers well

 

[tassie6]

Hey Tassie6, dreading travelling with my toddler soon.
Did you book taxi services with toddler car seats for all the airport transfers?

We just caught the train in everywhere, but kept that in mind when booking our accommodation. Places like Hong Kong the train is so easy, and in Milan the airport is so far away other transfers cost a pretty penny and take a similar amount of time.

Try not to dread it! Holidaying is just parenting in a different location . But in all seriousness, have a great time wherever you end up

 

[tassie6]

Well, I'm thirty years post surgery (discectomy) and no further issues really after the surgery where the disc was completely removed. I made sure I later developed good core strength.. Actually it was no longer between the spaces but had completely moved into the spinal canal. Hence the nerve disruption. Prior to surgery inwas thinking about just resting for 6 weeks (flat on back, no sitting) but I lost all function in my right leg and fell taking our older son to his first school appointment. (I no longer have any reflex in my right foot and still numbness in right calf but that's all). I was on the phone that afternoon to book the surgery. L5S1? I think the surgery is worth it tbh.

My GP suggested a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopedic surgeon. Neuros don't do spinal fusion I believe. I didn't have one. I just have a space. But I travel normally etc, just can't sit on hard wooden benches for long or it can get compressed.

You absolutely did the right thing in cancelling your trip. We were due to go to Qld when the rupture happened. I asked if we could still go. The neurosurgeon said no unless I wanted to risk ending up in a wheelchair permanently or at best needing emergency surgery in Qld.

No disc at all! That's impressive for so long, maybe they didn't have the artificial disks to replace it with back then? A mate got some sort of titanium disk replacement a few years ago when his went AWOL