The Arena di Verona Summer Opera Festival is out-of-this-world cool. When else in your life will you climb up an ancient Roman amphitheater to watch a live performance sitting on marble seats that have been used for nearly 2,000 years?  Whether you're an opera fan or not, it's quite an experience!

The Arena was built in 30AD. Games and spectacles that took place there were hugely popular! People came from all over to see them. Originally the amphitheater could seat up to 30,000 spectators.  (For safety reasons, seating today is offered to only 15,000.)  

The outside of the building was originally made of white and pink limestone which must have looked spectacular! Its facade crumbled during a major earthquake 900+ years ago and those stones were later used to build other parts of Verona.  Even so, the Arena remains majestic.
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Verona's Arena has been used for opera performances ever since 1913 - except during World War I and World War II.  Each summer between June and August, four to six operas are performed. 
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As of August 2018 tickets range between 25 euro and 275 euro per person depending on how close you want to sit to the stage. Buying general admission seats gives you access to the ancient stone steps, which are not individual seats. This is the cheapest way to see the opera (you can rent cushions to give your bottom more padding). The steps honestly give you some of the best views in the arena! Candles are passed out to the audience and lit after sunset, as the opera begins.  

Our family enjoyed perfect views from the cheap seats and we were honestly comfortable perched on the marble steps on our rented cushions.  The heat of the sun soaks into the marble all day and then radiates back (like an ancient seat warmer) to the audience all night. Even at eleven pm, we were comfortable and toasty.

The acoustics of the Arena are superb. Two out of three Aventura children pronounced the opera we saw ("Aida") to be 'fantastic' and 'magical'.  "I'm loving this, Mom!" confided my eldest, age 13.

Highly recommended!
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​'Traveling' Performance of Romeo & Juliet
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Think you've seen "Romeo and Juliet"? I can almost guarantee you haven't seen it like this!  Imagine watching the most famous romantic tragedy in the world performed live in the actual streets and squares of Verona where the play was originally set! 

In good weather fans of Romeo and Juliet can watch live 'traveling' performances which begin in "Juliet's courtyard" off of Via Capelli, continue on her celebrated balcony and then move with the actors through the main streets of Verona - passing through many of the most celebrated places in the heart of the old town - before ending in the Teatro Nuovo for the play's final act!  SO MUCH FUN!

This live performance has been happening since 1989 and is very popular with Italian and international audiences. 

Since 2015 (thanks to a collaboration with the King's Theatre of Portsmouth) the show has been presented in two languages - Italian and English.  The performance begins at 9pm with pre-show drinks at 8:30pm. Tickets start at 22 euro.  Make sure to ask about the family package!

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​Walk Thru Old Town to the Ponte Pietra
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"You must see Ponte Pietra!" exclaimed our AirBNB hostess, "You will have the nicest view in the city!"  

Ponte Pietra is the oldest and arguably most beautiful bridge in Verona, dating all the way back to 100AD!  The arched bridge was built by Romans and has withstood nearly 2,000 years of daily travel - though 2/3 of it was bombed out during World War II and later rebuilt.  

The view from the bridge is particularly romantic looking toward the mountains above the old part of town.  

Thanks to a conveniently positioned gelateria and many local restaurants, you can make a visit to this bridge fit smoothly into any kind of plan or date!  The view is well worth the walk!

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​Enjoy A Gelato in Piazza Delle Erbe

This sweet square was Verona's forum or meeting place back in Ancient Rome.  These days it's famous for being the site of the Torre de Lamberti bell tower and the frescoed houses of the Mazzanti. There is also a cool ancient fountain dating back to the year 1368 and a white marble column topped with St. Mark's Lion (symbolizing the republic of Venice). 

A number of conveniently placed benches frame this lovely square, any one of which would be a perfect place to relax and enjoy a cup or cone of gelato while taking in the still-splendid view of the lovely though fading towers and frescoes. You and your sweetheart can relax and watch the world pass by for a few minutes or hours. 

Piazza Delle Erbe really gives travelers a glimpse of the splendor of Verona in years past!  


​Visit Juliet's Balcony & Juliet's Tomb
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Juliet's Tomb in Via Luigi da Porto felt a bit more 'real' and also a bit sadder.  On the grounds of a decent fresco museum there is a small subterranean crypt. If you descend the steps into the cold stone room you'll see an empty sarcophagus that has been, for several hundred years, a place of pilgrimage for superfans of the story of Romeo and Juliet.  For reasons lost to history this empty tomb has a reputation for being the burial place of Juliet and her love (even though they were fictional characters).

Romantics have visited this tomb for centuries, sometimes even breaking off little bits of the sarcophagus to take home, which is now guarded.  The museum even performs weddings here! 

Experiencing Juliet's tomb was honestly not as fun for us the balcony house experience, but it did feel a lot more genuine and sad... so depending on what kind of love story you're looking for - hopeful or tragic - you could visit one or both of these places to pay your respects to Juliet! 


Check Out Love Locks Along the Adige River

A love lock is a padlock that a couple attaches to a bridge to represent their love and commitment to each other. Over the past four years our family has seen many of these locks on bridges all throughout Europe. While many people hate them because they can damage beautiful old bridges, there is something moving about seeing hundreds of love locks lining the Adige River decorated with the names and vows of lovers from all over the world.  That's a lot of hope and commitment!

It could be romantic to take a sunset stroll hand-in-hand with your own beloved alongside the Adige, enjoying the beautiful view of hills and city while checking out the myriad sweet love locks fastened securely to the river's fences and bridges. Who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to make your own declaration of love there too!

Whatever you choose to do in Verona - whether you are traveling alone or with a partner - we wish you a marvelous, romantic, fun time!
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Life is short.  Get out there and choose your own adventure! :)
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Where To Eat:
Ristorante San Lorenzo (family), Il Girasole (date night), Rucola 2.0 (elegant)
The Bounty Bar (gelato!)

Where To Swim:
Spiaggia Jamaica

What To See: 
Roman Ruins at Grotte di Catullo
​Medieval Castle of "Rocca Scaligera"

Where To Stay: 
Hotel Marconi (reasonable), Hotel Eden (elegant)

How To Get There:
​From Desenzano LN026 Bus (20 minutes), drive (17 minutes) or walk (1 hr 40 minutes)
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My kids and I stumbled into Ristorante San Lorenzo after a long, sweaty walk in 90F heat and humidity.  We felt hungry and exhausted. The restaurant's shaded outdoor dining area was blessedly cool and relaxing and our server was prompt and professional.  (He also spoke perfect English, though I tried hard with my Italian!)

Ristorante San Lorenzo's menu focuses on pizzas and pastas with plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options. My kids give high marks to the spaghetti bolognese and Margherita pizza, and I recommend the gluten free 'funghi' (mushroom) pizza. While the restaurant seems very reasonably priced, do watch out for the cover charges everywhere in Sirmione and remember that in Italy wine is cheaper than water!

Il Girasole is situated toward the end of town far from the crowded and bustling entrance; this restaurant is one of the last buildings you will pass on your walk out to the ruins and the beach.  With simple but elegant decor and a nearly five star rating on TripAdvisor for its food, il Girasole is an easy decision.  It's important - especially in high season - to reserve your table in advance. Praised for its pizza, pasta, salads and meat/fish offerings, this restaurant would make a perfect place to take your sweetheart after a fun day spent swimming or boating together in the lake. Servers speak English here too.  Desserts earn very high praise!

This highly rated Michelin star restaurant, tucked down a side street next to the Castle of Scaligera, is a wonderful place for both foodies and high romance... though probably not ideal with kids. The baked octopus starter with black mustard mayonnaise retails at 30 euro per serving and all tasting menus run 60 - 85 euro per person. The range of food options are wondrous, from deep water Rose shrimps in peach cream to seared scallops with black garlic and yuzu!  Rucola 2.0 features a fabulous wine menu and would be the perfect place to spend an elegant evening with the one you love.
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Sirmione offers a tremendous array of gelaterias (together we counted at least 13), several of which sell giant cones with scoops of gelato larger than apples.  Wow!  Just wow!  We'd honestly never seen such enormous gelato cones - ever!  As my family walked down the street we noticed tourist after tourist rapturously enjoying their massive icy treats. Eleven year old Soccer Dude's eyes began to bug out with excitement.  "Can we get one?  Please?  Please?" 

With long lines winding out the door The Bounty Bar may possibly have the most interesting selection and the most impressive looking cones.  Featuring flavors such as "vaniglia nera" (black vanilla which was actually a gorgeous charcoal gray) and "Smurf" (a bright, delightful blue) along with kind, attentive service, this is a place to return to!
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Where To Swim:
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Spiaggia Jamaica

Jamaica Beach in Sirmione is special. Nestled at the foot of the Grotte di Catullo, the beach itself (not sandy) sits against a backdrop of spectacular ancient Roman ruins and looks toward the stunning Garda limestone mountain range while surrounded on all sides by the crystalline waters of Lake Garda.

A bar sits in the shade of olive trees right above the beach.  It offers aperitifs and yummy drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Wandering down the path you will find yourself looking out upon a series of wide, overlapping rock plates where you can lay your towels or blankets (if the tide is low and rocks are dry) or play in shallow rock pools and slides (if they are wet).

​As you walk out closer to the actual lake, the water caressing the rocks becomes deeper and cooler with gentle waves breaking around your knees - which feels amazing on a hot summer day!  Tiny fish share these rocky pools with you and will dart in large schools all around your feet as you walk carefully out to the lake's true edge. ​

 
Serious swimmers like my husband will enjoy swimming all the way around the isthmus and checking out the ancient ruins from the water.  It's important to hug the shore when you swim though as there are myriad motor boats anchored just yards away from the edge of the rocks.

My kids spent hours enjoying this amazing place and I was awed by its setting.  We were swimming in the same spot where Emperor Catullus and his family swam thousands of years before, enjoying the majestic views.  Truly a bucket list experience!
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​What To See: 

Roman Ruins at Grotte di Catullo

This ancient Roman villa was built between the beginning and end of the 1st century AD.  It is beautifully preserved (in some areas reconstructed) and sits amid a large grove of olive trees overlooking splendid Lake Garda. The villa itself is thought to be the 'most important example of a high class residence in all of northern Italy'.  

As part of the price of admission you may tour its museum which houses many intriguing archaeological discoveries and treasures found during the excavation of the site in the 20th century, along with beautiful black and white photos taken in the 1940s and 50s.

If you're looking for an amazing place to propose marriage to your beloved, consider a leisurely walk along the grounds of the villa toward tip of the isthmus. Below this tremendous ruin and overlooking the sparkling lake, time seems to stand still. There could be no more romantic spot in which to declare your undying love!

The highlights of this beautiful medieval castle can be earned by climbing up its steep, narrow stone staircases (and one large metal one) to see panoramic views from the top.  Scaligera castle (created in the late 1200s) originally belonged to the Kingdom of Verona and it has a very interesting man-made walled harbor that the Veronese must have sailed their boats into for protection. The views from the top of the square-cut castle fortress are extraordinary and showcase its excellent defensive position. The castle controlled the only access point to the town of Sirmione.

The Scaligera fortress is one of Italy's best preserved ancient castles and it's well worth a visit.  One important note: if allergic to bees, beware!  Many, many bees live at the top of the castle inside of its upper walls and they may swarm around you as you walk by their hives.  


Where To Stay:
 
Hotel Marconi

​This beautiful hotel is pristinely clean and is fortunate in its excellent location - a quieter part of Sirmione past the throngs of visitors and right at the edge of Lake Garda. A real gem, Hotel Marconi is highly praised for its excellent service and outstanding breakfast!

Price per night starts at 91 euro. Note: Driving through the tiny narrow, tourist-filled streets of Sirmione to reach this hotel is very difficult. Consider parking outside of the town and walking in.

Called by some the most beautiful hotel on Lake Garda, this romantic boutique hotel is preferred by honeymooners and couples on special getaways. It boasts an amazing location, excellent service and extra touches such as sparkling wine waiting in your room for special occasions and private balconies overlooking the lake.  Hotel Eden has a modern interior, lots of sun beds, and terraces and restaurant overlooking the lake for peace and tranquility.  Rated the top hotel in Sirmione by TripAdvisor!  Rooms at Hotel Eden start at 160 euro per night.
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​Getting There: ​

From Desenzano there are many ways to arrive at Sirmione, most of which take less than 30 minutes.  

By Boat: 
Purchase ferry tickets at Piazza Matteotti - 25015 Desenzano at the office of Navigazione Lago Di Garda.  The trip by boat takes 20 minutes. 

By Car: 
The drive itself is in theory swift and easy around the lake... that is, if traffic and parking are not an issue.  During the off season you can make this drive in 15-17 minutes and there are lots of paid parking lots as you grow close to the isthmus.  At the height of summer this same drive can take close to an hour due to traffic and parking is next to impossible.  

By Bus: 
​Catch the LN026 bus from any of multiple stops in downtown Desenzano.  Tickets are 1.90 euro each way and can be purchased in one of the local Tabbachi shops in town. The buses themselves are clean, air conditioned and comfortable with beautiful seats and a nice view out the window.  20 minutes from Desenzano.

On Foot:
If the weather is mild and you've nothing else planned, this would be an easy and relaxing way to get your exercise for the day before touring the town of Sirmione. The walk from Desenzano is 1 hour and 40 minutes approximately.  We did the final 40 minutes of this walk after hopping off the bus too soon.  It was straightforward, however Google Maps put us traveling across a heavily broken wooden boardwalk for several blocks... impossible for a wheelchair or stroller to navigate.

No matter how you get there, Sirmione is a destination well worth your time.  It's rare to find a resort spot this popular that truly lives up to its hype.  This one does!
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I know it sounds crazy for a Type A person but when I travel I really don't like having a concrete plan or itinerary. I've always preferred spontaneous, open-ended fun. I like having the freedom to change my mind, or add something unexpectedly amazing at the last minute.

This explains why, when my nine year old daughter Angel and I arrived in glorious Finland last week, I had no idea how we would spend the four days and nights of our stay.

That, crazily enough, was an essential part of the travel magic.

I did try to find a decent guidebook before we arrived in the country. 

Okay... I didn't try that hard.  My daughter and I stopped at a total of one American bookstore called Barnes & Noble in the Irvine Spectrum Center Mall on our way to the Los Angeles International Airport.  As it turned out, they had a single book about Scandinavia that devoted 30 pages to Finland... only 5 of which covered Helsinki.  

That book cost about $25USD. It was pretty heavy.  I calculated that we'd be spending about $5 per page of Helsinki info. On the bright side, it was written in English (our native language).

"I think we can do better in Spain."  I ditched the book and rushed nine year old Angel out of the store and onward to the airport. 
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Töölö is a very old and safe neighborhood just a few blocks away from the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) and the Natural Science Museum.  There is a truly unique, very famous church excavated into a rock called Temppelinaukion kirkko and the enormous, impressive Finnish Parliament buildings!  Angel and I found two or three parks for kids within close range (Angel tried them all out!) and it was a quick and easy stroll to the well known Kampii shopping center and the Kamppi metro station. We both loved staying here and even discovered two great restaurants and a famous jazz club nearby!

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Where to eat? 
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Levain Bakery & Eatery
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Located just a few blocks from the AirBNB flat where we stayed, we stumbled upon this treasure on our first day.  Levain is a casual, comfortable place where people can meet for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  (Dinner service begins at 3pm/15:00 and lasts until late at night!) There is indoor and outdoor seating. The jewel of this restaurant is their bakery which creates gorgeous real sourdough bread and other homemade products from morning through afternoon so that guests can enjoy fresh bread with their dinners! 

Although I am gluten free, my daughter tried the bread and reported back that it was beyond delicious!  Together we enjoyed a meal of sage roasted chicken with a saffron aioli sauce, decadent handcut fries and salad along with a Finnish version of Manchego cheese and marinated olives for an appetizer.  Yum! ​


Friends & Brgrs

Friends & Brgrs  is a sensational burger chain unlike anything I've had before.  I don't really eat red meat (once in a blue moon) and yet we liked this place so much we ate here three days in a row with my daughter - it was that good!  They have beef, chicken and vegan burgers made fresh to order along with fries and milkshakes.

Part of what sets this small, privately run chain apart of restaurants is the way they create their food. They bake all of their own buns on-site, grind the meat fresh in the restaurant every day, and triple cook their fries, using high quality locally sourced ingredients.  Friends & Brgrs has gluten free and vegan options, and also some fun and unusual flavors like fries with cheddar, pico de gallo and special house mayonnaise.

As a mom I really appreciated their environmentally friendly tableware.  All meals are served on real plates and drinks given in real glasses.  Waste is immediately recycled into different bins, and leftovers are given in simple brown paper bags.  Amazing for a fast food joint!
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​Top Five Things To Do With Kids?

Seurrasaari Island and Open Air Museum
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Wow! This island is seriously cool. Located just a few km from downtown Helsinki, this beautiful green escape can be reached easily by the #24 bus or private car and is well worth the effort!  Its Open Air museum features 87 different buildings built mainly in the 19th century and taken from all around Finland to represent all of its different territories. Domesticated animals live in wooden pens (sheep, goats) and wild ones scamper around the island (red squirrels, hares). 

You can pay to go inside of the buildings during museum hours, or walk around the grounds for free, even if you are there during off hours (which we were).  There are churches, farms, windmills, boat houses, etc. and during business hours all of them are attended by knowledgable guides who can explain the history of each individual location.  The museum cost was reasonable... 9 euro for adults and 3 euro for children 7-17. Kids under 7 are free.

To me, this felt (in a good way) like visiting colonial Williamsburg in Virginia (USA). It's been compared by other travelers to the Museum of Appalachia in the Southern United States.
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Sibelius Finland Live Music Experience at Helsinki National Hall
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Angel has never been much of a Barbie girl, although she's fine with playing with Barbies if that is what her friends want to do.  It would never have occurred to her, or to me, to visit a Barbie exhibition.  

Yet, when we learned that the National Museum of Finland was featuring a world famous exhibition celebrating Barbie, we decided that it might be fun to check the 450 dolls they have on display!  We had a great time! Barbie is more of an 'icon' than I ever knew... renowned for being a fashion model, career woman, social pioneer, diva and woman of the world for nearly 60 years. Fun fact: Barbie's 'real' name is Barbara Millicent Roberts!

The permanent collection of the National Museum of Finland was less pink, fluffy and fun but very impressive!  With Finnish artifacts from the Stone Age all the way to present day, this collection taught us so much about Finland's history!  We enjoyed the coins, jewelry, weapons, clothing, decorations and paintings on display and Angel had a fantastic time on the third floor level where the 'kids room' featured weaving on a loom, making buildings out of tall logs and driving an old-fashioned horse and buggy.

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​Linnanmäki Amusement Park and Sea Life aquarium

Linnanmäki is a sweet place to visit with kids.  This popular amusement park has been around since 1950, so it has an older feel. Owned by the nonprofit Children's Day Foundation (Lasten Päivän Säätiö), the purpose of the park is to raise money to donate to Finnish child welfare associations. It kind of makes you want to buy an extra ice cream, when you know your money is going to such a good cause.

In addition to more than 40 rides (like teacups!) and rollercoasters (like its iconic wooden rollercoaster built in 1951), Linnanmäki features a carousel dating back to 1896, a theater, a ferris wheel, a river rapids ride, arcades, restaurants, ice cream, and an aquarium/ocean conservation center.

Angel was really excited to visit this Sea Life Center, which is part of a pan-European aquarium chain.  We originally hiked to Linnanmäki because she wanted to go to the aquarium, and only realized once we'd arrived how many other activities there were to do!  

Sea Life Helsinki has a decent collection of fish, crustaceans, jellyfish, seahorses and sharks from bodies of water all over the world (tropical to arctic). The center is geared toward education about ocean pollution and species conservation. Angel especially enjoyed walking through a large plexiglass tube where she was right in the middle of the swimming creatures!

Finally...

If you've wondered whether it's worth visiting Helsinki with your kids, I encourage you to do it. My daughter is only nine but we had a fantastic trip and now she and I both look forward to bringing the rest of our family to Finland with us someday.

​A few days ago I flew from Los Angeles to Barcelona with my nine year old daughter, Little Angel.

We had quite the adventure!  Between the 3 hour drive from San Diego to LAX in heavy traffic, 15 hours of flights, a long delay in Munich, a taxi strike in Spain and arriving to 33C/90F temps and a broken elevator in our apartment building, Angel and I enjoyed 36 hours of nonstop excitement.

(No wonder I'm still feeling sore and groggy two days later!)

Four years ago I would not have had the courage to travel by myself across the world with only my daughter... a woman and a little girl traveling from America to Spain alone! I didn't feel strong or assured enough to take on that kind of challenge back then.

These days, I don't think twice about it.  In fact, she and I are flying out tomorrow morning for another girls-only journey!  We're heading to Finland!

Here are some of the best tips I gathered this time, as a woman traveling across the world alone with a little girl:

• Keep your cell phone charged, and a charger with you at all times
• Pay attention to news and social media in your destination country
• Have a list of friends (or hotels/resources) you can call in the event of a surprise or emergency.
• Bring lots of snacks, plus an extra change of underwear and toothbrush
• Be street-smart... but don't be afraid to ask for directions, or to request help from professionals along the way.
• Use the journey as a chance to teach your child while having fun!
• Laugh a lot.  At yourself.  At unexpected hiccups. Because it feels good.​​

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Keep your cell phone charged, and a charger with you at all times

I travel with an iPhone and its own portable extra battery pack.  The extra battery is worth its weight in gold, as it has extended the charge on my phone from 3 hours to over 30! Additionally I try to carry a charging cord and plug with me wherever I go, because you never know when you may need to use it and I'm never, ever sorry that I have it.


Pay attention to news and social media in your destination country

Angel and I learned about the Spanish national taxi strike from a friend's Instagram post, while we were waiting in the Munich airport for our delayed flight to Barcelona. 

We were traveling with three HUGE checked bags.  Two of which I could not lift alone.

If we hadn't looked at the news or social media we would have been really bummed out to arrive in Spain after a 30+ hour journey to discover that we unexpectedly had to haul those three bags along the crowded metro for another hour... plus a walk uphill... just to get home. 


Have a list of friends (or hotels/resources) you can call in the event of a surprise or emergency.

When we saw the Instagram post, I immediately texted a dear friend in Sant Cugat to ask if there was indeed a taxi strike in Barcelona. 

Within moments she responded: 

"Hey! Yes apparently there is a strike today - no taxis at all.  C (husband) is home today and says he's happy to come pick you up from the airport. What time does your flight get in?"

We were so lucky that my friend's superhero husband generously offered to drive 40 minutes to the airport to pick us up (AND another 20 home!) to collect Angel and I after our exhausting day.  What a blessing!

If you don't have friends in the area you are traveling to, it's a good idea to get the contact information for a few reputable hotels (or your AirBNB host) plus private car services - just in case. E.g. we might have been able to work out an arrangement with a hotel airport shuttle to pay them privately for a ride into the city. 

​Having a backup option is always a great idea!
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Bring lots of snacks, plus an extra change of underwear and toothbrush

In Munich our flight was delayed by 15 minutes.  And then another 15.  Followed by another 20... and so forth.  By the time we got off the ground to head to Barcelona, our flight was running nearly 2 hours late.

My daughter Angel felt tired and very hungry at this point.  Luckily we had picked up a salad and a banana, plus a giant salty pretzel and some grapes, when we arrived in the Munich airport. Safe to say we ate our way to patience and a relaxed attitude while waiting, despite the frustrating situation.  

If they'd canceled our flight altogether we might have needed to stay overnight in Munich, so I always bring a change of underwear for each of us in my purse when we travel.  Plus a toothbrush.  Little things make all the difference!


Be street-smart... but don't be afraid to ask for directions, or to request help from professionals along the way.

During our journey I needed to ask for help more than once.  

At a Target store in Irvine, we asked for help finding something we could tie our rolling suitcases together with, since there were only 2 of us and 3 huge bags.  A nice man brought us to the sporting goods section where we found a simple yoga strap that worked perfectly!

At the Alamo Rental Car company in Los Angeles, we asked for help lifting our bags onto and off of the airport shuttle.  We later learned that our bags together weighed well over 100 lbs!  Two kind shuttle employees - one man and one woman - each helped us. 

​We tipped and thanked them most gratefully.
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Use the journey as a chance to teach your child while having fun!

I've taught my daughter that if she needs to ask for help or gets lost she should first search for uniformed professionals (like airport and airline employees) and then try to find a woman (preferably another mother) with a kind looking face. 

However, I myself feel very comfortable asking for advice or help from anyone - man or woman - after watching them carefully for a minute to assess whether they seem to have an honest, open vibe.  I go with my gut and it rarely lets me down.
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Laugh a lot.  At yourself.  At unexpected hiccups. Because it feels good.

When the airline in Munich delayed our flight for the fourth or fifth time, Little Angel looked at me... and I began to laugh.

"What's so funny, Mom?" she asked.  "Did you hear the lady say that we still can't board the plane?"

"Yes!" I giggled, and then kissed her on the top of her head. "You have to admit, it's pretty awful. I'm so tired, I can't see straight!"

"Why are you laughing then?" 

"Well, right now we can laugh or cry!  I think it's a lot more fun to laugh."