What aspects of travelling are the most important for you? As well as adventures, excellent views, interesting people and amazing places, our heads are also occupied by thoughts of down-to-earth issues. Nice accommodation with clean beds, sparkling bathroom, and if you are in a place without a kitchen, also restaurants where you can eat tasty food. It is especially important for families with small children.

Adults often decide on a toast stall on the street, but with small children we try to find places with more healthy and traditional food. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and sometimes a kebab or other types of fast food are better than the best restaurants with vegetable soup or a crunchy pork chop with salad. If additionally we find a restaurant at an excellent communication point, near some tourist attractions and the bill doesn't make us dizzy, we should make a note of this place and pass on this especially valuable information to our friends.

During this year's visit to Trójmiasto we spent one day in Gdynia. We didn't have a lot of time, but we had to see the core repertoire near Kościuszko Plaza. I was surprised that although we were visiting Gdynia in February, both Dar Pomorza Museum and ORP Błyskawica were open for visitors.

We directed our first steps towards my children's favourite place, i.e. the Oceanarium. My son cracked me up when after the second hall with mock-ups and boards he asked me: "Mum are there any animals which move here?" The honour of the Oceanarium was saved, and my young man watched the living animals in the aquarium with an excited face. He especially adored the pleasant octopus and seahorses. Even the biggest attractions weren't able to drown out the rumble in the small tourists' stomachs. "Mum, we are hungry" became more and more insistent.

Fortunately, near the complex we found a place which answered all expectations of the hungry children and their parents. Tasteful, extremely clean, yummy and not too expensive. Pleasant and capable service, nice design and a facility for parents with small children top up the excellent image of Pierogarnia "Pierożek" in Gdynia.

This year during the winter holiday I came up with the idea of a family lunch on the beach. For obvious reasons, this is a difficult task to realize in February. Outside it was minus 6 and even the light wind and moisture created a chilly feeling. On a map of the Tri-City, which was given to us by a nice woman in the museum in Gdańsk, I found a restaurant which looked like it was nearest to the beach. This took us on to Gdynia Orłowo. The winter beach under a beautiful cliff entranced me at once. The Pier with icy puncheons and loads of ducks and swans swimming around looked picturesque. Silence and calm, which is rarely met here in the summer, encouraged us to take a walk. We didn't let the frosty weather defeat us and spent a lot of time soaking up the atmosphere of the winter seaside.

Although it was enchanting, our frozen noses and hands, and our children's rumbling bellies, forced us into the nearby restaurant – Tavern Orłowska, which really is placed on the beach. In summer you can eat lunch in the beachside open porch. Now it was closed, so we ate in the spacious but cosy dining room, with decorative maritime equipment. For small children, a big aquarium with lobsters was the centrepiece of the restaurant.

I don't know who invented hot winter tea, but it was what we needed the most at that moment. It was big and strong with orange, honey, cloves, cinnamon and ginger, served pleasantly in a round stein, which warmed our hands up nicely.

I'm interested in what your mornings look like. Do you jump out of bed after the first sound of the alarm clock? Or maybe like me you fight an already lost battle against yourself, and with difficulty you stick your leg out from the duvet? And then? Quiet coffee, yummy breakfast, or maybe a daily steeplechase with the finish in front of the school entrance? And what are your dreams? Easy morning, maybe a bit later than usual, fragrant coffee, breakfast served and then tidied away by somebody nice? Morning without rushing and daily nerves... Most busy parents probably have similar dreams.

If you work or live in the city centre of Warsaw, at least some of your dreams could come true. The restaurant Aioli on Świętokrzyska Street helps with this. During one frosty morning we took advantage of its interesting offer. When we stood in front of the restaurant just before it opened, my son put his nose near to the door and said dreamily, "Mum, how beautiful it smells here. So sweet and coffee like."

The restaurant serves breakfast every day from 9am to 12am. Most dishes can fill up even a very hungry gourmand. Everybody can find something yummy for themselves. On the menu we found a very British breakfast: SAUSAGE & EGGS. It consisted of small sausages, bacon, fried eggs, grilled tomatoes with basil, pesto, baked beans, butter and aioli dip. This breakfast was especially appreciated by my very hungry son. My daughter was delighted because she got pizza with mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, spinach and egg. I was glad I also decided to go for BREKKIE PIZZA. It was extremely tasty.

Overwhelmed by bad autumn weather, we looked for some hot sun with a bit of energizing shade and came to a small tapas bar called Sol y Sombra on Grzybowska Street 2 in Warsaw. For four years in this place fans of Spain have found atmosphere from Spanish bars where they may spend time with friends, eat iconic snacks and drink excellent Spanish wine.
The origin of tapas is connected with the Andalusians, who when drinking wine covered the glass with a slice of dry sausage to protect it against flies. With time they started to serve thin slices of bread with various fixings. Today tapas is different: ranging from very simple but excellent olives to more complicated dishes. It is prepared with many ingredients: vegetables, meat, seafood and eggs and is served hot or cold in a small bowl, often with cocktail sticks to make eating easier. In the next bar, drinking another glass of wine, manoeuvring with a knife and fork is as uncomfortable as it is dangerous.
Tapas is not only tasty food. First of all it is free time to spend with friends, an atmosphere of carelessness and play, the memory of a tropical day and the promise of a hot night. If you haven't experienced this in Spain, you can find a casual, sunny atmosphere, nice staff and excellent food in Sol y Sombra.

When outside it is grey and sad we hold dear the places where it is warm, nice and sweet. As well as our unbeatable sofa in the living room where we may count on a warm blanket and a cup of hot tea, we have a couple of favourite places with a happy atmosphere. Recently, Croque Madame on Nowy Świat Street 41 has joined this group.

We found our way there by chance on a windy Saturday evening. We were welcomed by nice and smiling waitresses. Though the Café décor may not appeal to everyone, the display case with dainties would cater to every taste. The meringue torte with raspberries or blackcurrants, the cheesecake with white chocolate, the cheese tart with figs, and the fresh (despite the late hour) buns delight with their appearance and overindulge the palates. Fragrant coffee caught our noses and conjured fancy pictures of milky foam, but because it was late we decided on tea.

The weather outside was depressing, so to lift our mood we ordered boiling hot winter tea. We were enchanted with the way it was served. Flavoursome black tea with oranges and seasonings waited for us in cups enveloped in teacup cosies. Next to them warming up there were small jugs with raspberry juice and fresh fruits. All of this brought to mind a small work of art. We have never had such beautiful and imaginatively served tea.