The first Legoland was built in Billund, Denmark, just next to the Lego headquarters. Most of Lego fans consider it as the true Legoland that is later copied around the world.

I’ve visited all currently (July 2011) open Legolands and there is not much of difference between them. The concept is the same, albeit some local variation can be found — like beer is readily available and advertised in menus in Germany and Denmark, and not to be seen in California.

The parks are well suited for kids less than ten-twelve years of age. After that, some rides will most probably feel too childish or tame, and kids lose their interest in Legos anyhow. For the target audience, the park is spot on. There is a lot to do and see, the queues are not too long, and there is a lot of other kids of same age around.

Similar rides can be found in any amusement park, minus the Lego decals and motifs, so ridewise Legoland is not special. The secret sauce is the combination of rides, the Miniland, Lego sculptures, and the shops.

Food was surprisingly good for an amusement park, and the shops were well stuffed, too. The only minus — for us — was the long drive from Copenhagen airport to Billund. If you have direct flights to Billund airport, travelling is easy. If not, consider Legoland Windsor near London.

www.legoland.dk, Nordmarksvej 6, Billund, Denmark

Hotel Propellen is a children-friendly hotel located close to Legoland Billund. The rooms are large and in quite ok shape — don’t expect luxury, though. Beds were comfortable and there is possibility to accommodate two children in the same room with a sofabed.

The price includes typical Scandinavian buffet breakfast and parking is free. There is a restaurant on the premises, and it is reasonably priced and food is okay. Children love the pool area, and there are also sauna available. The main pool is surprisingly deep (1.5m) and the kids’ pool is really shallow, so preschoolers are sort of out of options unless they know how to swim.

As an additional perk, the reception sells Legos — and there is no hotel markup on the prices.

www.propellen.dk, Nordmarksvej 3, Billund, Denmark, +45 7533 8133

Hotel GreenStar is a certified eco-friendly hotel in the center of Joensuu. They’ve paid attention to electricity and water consumption, including automatically turning off lights, led lighting, sensor-based heating, optimised usage patterns, and so forth. The hotel is also fully automated, you can check in and out using a computer on the lobby. This was precious to me, as I arrived so late that the reception was already closed and I could leave swiftly without queueing to be served.

The room was big enough for three people, two single beds and an armchair bed. There was a big LCD tv, a fridge, a toilet with shower, and a working space in the room. Nothing else, so it was kinda bare. The Internet connection was included in the room price (65€ per night is a bargain) and worked like a charm.

I didn’t notice anything special regarding eco-friendliness, but that is probably a good thing as the place was quite comfy. The only thing missing was a hair blower, but I could cope without that. People with long hair might disagree.

www.greenstar.fi, Torikatu 16, Joensuu, Finland, +358 10 423 9390

Sokos Hotel Vaakuna is the most centrally located hotel in Joensuu, close to the market square, the main shopping areas and almost everything else (except the university). The four star hotel follows the Finnish “no frills” principle; all needs are taken care of, but there are no extras and not much of a personality either.

The rooms are quite big, the beds are very good, the shower works as it should, and the breakfast buffet is sumptuous with some local specialties. The hotel is located next to the biggest department store in Joensuu and there is a huge grocery store downstairs, too. A couple of restaurants are also on the same building.

www.sokoshotels.fi, Torikatu 20, Joensuu, Finland, +358 10 7823 100

The Field Museum is a must destination for families with children and for people interested in science and nature in general. The vast museum is located a few kilometers south from the Chicago downtown, and taxi is the easiest way to get there. Also public transportation works, at least according to the museum site.

There is a lot to explore for several hours, so chances are that you are not going to see everything. I skipped some of the exhibitions just to be able to enjoy the most interesting ones instead of walking my feet sore. The major perk, at least for me, were the fossils — a lot of different dinosaurs and early mammals, including (but not limited to) Tyrannosaurus rex and mammoths. You can spend a couple of hours marvelling the evolution of life. If you bring kids, be prepared to explain a lot of stuff and give answers to at least a million questions.

There was also interesting exhibitions about precious stones and metals, Tibet, ancient Egypt, and plants — to name a few. Besides exhibitions, there is a well-stocked shop and McDonald’s (yes, in a museum).

www.fieldmuseum.org, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, USA, +1 312 922 9410

Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago is a monster of a name, but it happens to be also one of the best hotels I’ve ever experienced so far. There is no single thing that makes the hotel so awesome — instead, everything is just as it should be. The check-in was swift and really courteous, the bellboys were genuinely friendly and interested in my wellbeing, the concierge desk could provide all answers I needed, and so forth.

I had the smallest room on my floor, probably also in the hotel. It was still huge and had a good kitchenette with a microwave, a fridge, and a dishwasher. There were also enough glasses, plates, and utensils. The bathroom is also big and there is a proper shower — something that is missing from most US hotels. The bed was also huge, but maybe a bit too soft for my taste. Internet connection was excellent and complimentary. There is a spa with a big swimming pool, Finnish and Turkish saunas, and a gym that I didn’t visit.

The hotel is expensive and the minibar doubly so. I got a decent deal from a local travel bureau, and the hotel was the cheapest among five star hotels in Chicago.

www.trumpchicago.com, 401 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USA, +1 312 644 0900

Le Cercle des Voyageurs is a nice looking restaurant next to Manneken Pis statue in the epicenter of Brussels. We had a huge amount of people, around 40, having dinner, and experienced really, really, really slow service.

It is understandable that it might take some time to cook and serve food for such a big party, but the whole dinner took more than four hours. First, we waited for the starters for two hours and then only one waitress took care of serving us. It took almost fifteen minutes to get food for everyone, and some were already eaten while others waited for the food. Then we waited for some for the main course, and again for the dessert.

The best parts are yet to come: a) all portions could have been made beforehand, as we had salmon carpaccio, meat pot, and tiramisu; b) the food was not that good — except for the tiramisu (that didn’t taste like a real tiramisu — I don’t like as it contains coffee — but something else that was better suited for my taste).

I left before the bill was given, so I cannot say how much more the people had to wait there.

Babeko is a bistro style restaurant in the centre of Brussels, located among other similar kind of restaurants. I visited the place during a conference trip, as the first night dinner was hosted there.

The food was good, and the service was relaxed in a positive way — no fuss, no hassle, just working and kind service. Three course set menu was served in less than three hours for 30+ people, and there were always enough wine and bread on the tables. The price and quality ratio was good.

Babeko, Place Sainte Catherine 26, Brussels, Belgium