Day 9
After our first introduction day to Salzburg, we hopped on a few tours thanks to my parents who got them for Kyle on his birthday. In the morning we found our tour that took us to the salt mines just across the border to Germany. We knew from kyles reading and the tour from the day before that one of the main reasons Salzburg is so beautiful is because it was so rich from the salt trade. The mines that we went to were still working mines but were set up so that tourists could come and learn how salt was and is currently mined today. It was so much fun since it included a train ride down to the mines, a slide and even an underground boat ride. They did a great job at commercializing it (and I don’t say that too often) since it was both educational and very entertaining even (almost more so) for the kiddos. After our underground excursion we stopped at a cute little town where I picked up my own little Bavarian dress and then we headed back to Salzburg for lunch before going to the Lake District. In the afternoon we headed back on a bus which took us to the beautiful lake district that is really near Salzburg. We went to Lake Wolfgang (I believe) and went on a boat ride for around 45 minutes that took us to another town where we tooled around and explored. A favorite moment was at the end of our time in that village where we were feeding ducks on the lake. I had some bread that I snagged at breakfast and the kids were having a grand old time sharing it with their feathered friends- that is until Meadow fell in the lake. Yep. That girl is good at getting herself in bad situations s since she thinks she is as old as the other two. Thank goodness Kyle is quick to move since he jumped in and rescued our head strong little girl. After the life saving adventure we got the bus back to Salzburg. We were exhausted so went to rest in our hotel before heading out to a quick dinner in the downtown Salzburg area. It was quite a day of sightseeing that we cherished since doing those activities would have been difficult any other way. Thankful and sleepy. A good way to end the day.
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Day 8
Oh Salzburg! I have been here a few times in my life and it never disappoints! We arrived late at night so were not able to see all the beauty right outside our window, but we woke up the next morning to birds chirping and cyclists going by. Our hotel is situated at one end of the mirabell gardens so we met our tour guide after a hearty breakfast and headed out for our 3 hour walking tour of the city. The girls dressed in their new Bavarian dresses since they have been obsessed with watching The Sound of Music and they knew that much of the tour would be places from that movie. It is ADORABLE how much the girls, especially the 4 year old loves that movie! She was so excited to wander the gardens and much of the city knowing that “weezel” (the oldest Von Trap- Leezel) had been singing and dancing in the area. The city was beautiful and picturesque around every turn. Our tour guide was sweet and chalk full of information and was kindly patient with the kids. We ended the tour up at the castle (fortress) and the kids had lunch and we wandered the grounds looking at a marionette museum, world war 1 exhibit and other interesting aspects of the castle. I do have to say that the most interesting part was the view. Looking out onto all of Salzburg was amazing and as beautiful as it sounds. We headed back to the hotel as Meadow was looking to nap (yes- she is still a napper- not the easiest thing on a trip like this) and we rested before going out to enjoy one of Kyle’s and my favorite spots in all of Europe- the Augustiener Biergarten. Seriously one of the best biergartens in the continent in my opinion! It’s huge- beautiful canopy of trees, great beer and lots of food options. AND something we now realized had a fun little play area for the kiddos. (As I now realize almost all biergartens do!) so we ended our night in a beautiful place, with good beer in hand and the kids playing and happy. A wonderful evening indeed. neuschwansteinDay 7
Our last morning at the Sonnenalp we didn’t want to loose any time. We had our delicious breakfast and then quickly packed and went to the pool. We truly enjoyed our last hour playing and taking in the sights. After the hour was done we quickly got dressed and jumped in the car to go see one of the most beautiful castles I’ve ever seen. Neuschweinstein. It is one of the newest castles and was never actually totally completed. I had ordered tickets to see the inside months ago which I was really thankful for as there were not many tickets available when we arrived! As we left our car we knew we had a little bit of a hike in front of us, and it is around a 20-30 minute walk uphill to get to the actual castle. So we put on our hiking shoes, got a quick bite to eat (where when we were picnicking I had a snake crawl up my shirt- seriously) and then we got to work. After a little bit of dragging and quite a bit of whining we made it to the top to get inside. We waited for our time (as the only way you can see in is with a guided tour). The castle itself I have been told is the one Walt Disney modeled Cinderella’s castle after in Disneyland. It is very majestic even when under renovation. The inside was golden and felt like it was created in the Middle Ages (which was the intent). The kids thought it was pretty cool and so did we. On the way down the mountain we hopped a hay ride that goes up and down to get a little break and got back to the car for our 3 hour ride to Salzburg. The roads were great but the driving on some of the smaller roads was too fast for me. I understand now why German cars are well-made- they have to be! Then of course the highways- or autobahn as we know it was pretty awesome. After a little help from the internet I figured out what all of the symbols meant and we were on our way. We got into Salzburg after 9 and headed to the hotel for rest and room service. Ready for a new city and a new adventure! Play timeDays 5 & 6
On the day we left Munich we were all a little excited to see the sister hotel of the one we enjoy so much in Vail. I know it sounds silly to go to a part of Germany just to experience the German brand of Sonnenalp- but since it is the place Kyle and I got married and we were- you know- IN Germany we thought it would be a fun stop. And boy we were right! After renting a car and picking it up- we headed to a southern part of the country and found the German version of the Sonnenalp. It was BEAUTIFUL! The one is Vail is pretty exquisite- but this one was special. We were greeted with drinks and a tour of the property which included a joyous kids play area for the girls (and we could just drop them off and we could do whatever!) an amazing pool that had inside, outside an area for just adults and a spa (which was very German in the fact that all of the saunas were for both genders but you had to go in naked. I couldn’t quite get out of my American mindset to go and partake- but it was still cool that it was such a normal thing here.) They had shops and spa to get massages and hiking trails all around. Our dinners and breakfast was part of the package an they were fancy and delicious. We were spoiled to say the least! Both days we spent a lot of time at the pools and exploring the grounds. There was so much of the property that we didn’t have time to check out which certainly made us want to come back! I am so thankful that we were able to make this unique stop for a lot of reasons- but one of them being that we were the only Americans there- possibly even one of the only non-Germans! We did stick out like a sore thumb out but everyone was kind and helpful so we didn’t feel too weird. We are truly looking forward to a day where we can spend some more time in such a beautiful place! Now on to Austria! lessonsDay 4
Some may question my parenting style- but for me- social studies teacher, left wing liberal, and culturally sympathetic human, I feel like taking my small children to a concentration camp is a no brainer. Was it hard? Yes. Was it something I would do again? A (6+ million times) YES. Our last full day in Munich was great. We spent the morning sleeping in a little bit, and then got up, filled our tummmies with a large breakfast before heading to Dachau memorial concentration camp. We spent all morning and early afternoon wandering the grounds. There were tons of people there but as you would expect, it was quiet as people were reflecting. We started the tour by walking through the gates that had the words, “Arbeit Macht Frei” which essentially means, “work shall make you free”. (Ha.) Our first stop was the museum which is in the camp. We took a long time walking through and reading the information posted which started, as it should, before world war 1. As a social studies teacher I really appreciate the information that they have. It was easy to understand and helped me see the whole picture of the country’s history and how the concentration camp got out of control. Dachau was the very first concentration camp in Germany and many of the camps that were created later in the war were modeled after it. The museum got more and more graphic as you went on, and I was stopped by a tour guide near the end to let me know that the last room there were video and images that were not suitable for kids. We skipped through that one and then headed to the outside. We walked around the camp and through the barracks where people would have slept. They were a reconstruction of the original since much of the camp was burned down after the war. The kids asked a lot of questions and Kyle and I did our best to answer them honestly and carefully. Our last stop was the gas chambers and the place where they burned the bodies of the dead. Standing in those rooms I felt a little more than sick but also more adamant that this hatred not happen again. I also felt more of a desire to put a stop to the hate I am currently seeing in my own country- of immigrants, of Muslims and black Americans (among many others.) May this never happen again. After we toured the grounds and left with new understandings, we stoppped and snacked on one of my favorite dishes when I was here as a student- Donor Kababs. Yum! Then off we went to see a cathedral and then watch the glockenspiel in the heart of Munich where we sat and enjoyed ice cream, coffee and beer. I guess you can say that our evening ended on a beautiful note with people of all different colors, sizes and beliefs joining together to watch a clock make pretty music and dance. Sometimes the simple things in life really do matter. castlesDays 2 & 3
Castles... to sum up “seeing the world through a child’s eyes” I can do that in 1 word: Castles. The moment we stepped off the plane and entered the city of Munich that is all we have been looking for- castles! This all began yesterday when we arrived at our “hotelo” and quickly headed out so that we didn’t sleep the day away- which was what we all truly desired at that moment. When we got into the downtown area with all of the beautiful and old architecture Meadow has been adamant about going to “castles”. Now what WE think of as castles is not the same as what a 4 year old thinks of as castles. Almost anything that is old and somewhat majestic works. Sure makes this Europe trip so more magical finding all of the “castles” around town! So yesterday was a wonderful yet slightly torturous day of walking around the heart of Munich and a bus tour of the city. We finished the evening with a fun dinner at the hotel in a beautiful biergarten area where we saw part of the Russia/Croatia game. That of which I was happy with the outcome:) Today we woke and had a delicious breakfast and headed out to the Nymphenburg Palace. We had a wonderful time exploring the grounds and apartments where real Princes and Princesses had lived and spent their summers. Meadow was super happy to see another castle- and a real one at that. After a delicious lunch at the palace grounds (and also a Biergarten - I sense a trend here) we headed back to play in the pool- which is where we are now. This evening we are hoping to get to the famous Hofbrauhaus to fill up our tummies and add to our restaurant trend. Yum! castlesDays 2 & 3
Castles... to sum up “seeing the world through a child’s eyes” I can do that in 1 word: Castles. The moment we stepped off the plane and entered the city of Munich that is all we have been looking for- castles! This all began yesterday when we arrived at our “hotelo” and quickly headed out so that we didn’t sleep the day away- which was what we all truly desired at that moment. When we got into the downtown area with all of the beautiful and old architecture Meadow has been adamant about going to “castles”. Now what WE think of as castles is not the same as what a 4 year old thinks of as castles. Almost anything that is old and somewhat majestic works. Sure makes this Europe trip so more magical finding all of the “castles” around town! So yesterday was a wonderful yet slightly torturous day of walking around the heart of Munich and a bus tour of the city. We finished the evening with a fun dinner at the hotel in a beautiful biergarten area where we saw part of the Russia/Croatia game. That of which I was happy with the outcome:) Today we woke and had a delicious breakfast and headed out to the Nymphenburg Palace. We had a wonderful time exploring the grounds and apartments where real Princes and Princesses had lived and spent their summers. Meadow was super happy to see another castle- and a real one at that. After a delicious lunch at the palace grounds (and also a Biergarten - I sense a trend here) we headed back to play in the pool- which is where we are now. This evening we are hoping to get to the famous Hofbrauhaus to fill up our tummies and add to our restaurant trend. Yum! castlesDays 2 & 3
Castles... to sum up “seeing the world through a child’s eyes” I can do that in 1 word: Castles. The moment we stepped off the plane and entered the city of Munich that is all we have been looking for- castles! This all began yesterday when we arrived at our “hotelo” and quickly headed out so that we didn’t sleep the day away- which was what we all truly desired at that moment. When we got into the downtown area with all of the beautiful and old architecture Meadow has been adamant about going to “castles”. Now what WE think of as castles is not the same as what a 4 year old thinks of as castles. Almost anything that is old and somewhat majestic works. Sure makes this Europe trip so more magical finding all of the “castles” around town! So yesterday was a wonderful yet slightly torturous day of walking around the heart of Munich and a bus tour of the city. We finished the evening with a fun dinner at the hotel in a beautiful biergarten area where we saw part of the Russia/Croatia game. That of which I was happy with the outcome:) Today we woke and had a delicious breakfast and headed out to the Nymphenburg Palace. We had a wonderful time exploring the grounds and apartments where real Princes and Princesses had lived and spent their summers. Meadow was super happy to see another castle- and a real one at that. After a delicious lunch at the palace grounds (and also a Biergarten - I sense a trend here) we headed back to play in the pool- which is where we are now. This evening we are hoping to get to the famous Hofbrauhaus to fill up our tummies and add to our restaurant trend. Yum! castlesDays 2 & 3
Castles... to sum up “seeing the world through a child’s eyes” I can do that in 1 word: Castles. The moment we stepped off the plane and entered the city of Munich that is all we have been looking for- castles! This all began yesterday when we arrived at our “hotelo” and quickly headed out so that we didn’t sleep the day away- which was what we all truly desired at that moment. When we got into the downtown area with all of the beautiful and old architecture Meadow has been adamant about going to “castles”. Now what WE think of as castles is not the same as what a 4 year old thinks of as castles. Almost anything that is old and somewhat majestic works. Sure makes this Europe trip so more magical finding all of the “castles” around town! So yesterday was a wonderful yet slightly torturous day of walking around the heart of Munich and a bus tour of the city. We finished the evening with a fun dinner at the hotel in a beautiful biergarten area where we saw part of the Russia/Croatia game. That of which I was happy with the outcome:) Today we woke and had a delicious breakfast and headed out to the Nymphenburg Palace. We had a wonderful time exploring the grounds and apartments where real Princes and Princesses had lived and spent their summers. Meadow was super happy to see another castle- and a real one at that. After a delicious lunch at the palace grounds (and also a Biergarten - I sense a trend here) we headed back to play in the pool- which is where we are now. This evening we are hoping to get to the famous Hofbrauhaus to fill up our tummies and add to our restaurant trend. Yum! castlesDays 2 & 3
Castles... to sum up “seeing the world through a child’s eyes” I can do that in 1 word: Castles. The moment we stepped off the plane and entered the city of Munich that is all we have been looking for- castles! This all began yesterday when we arrived at our “hotelo” and quickly headed out so that we didn’t sleep the day away- which was what we all truly desired at that moment. When we got into the downtown area with all of the beautiful and old architecture Meadow has been adamant about going to “castles”. Now what WE think of as castles is not the same as what a 4 year old thinks of as castles. Almost anything that is old and somewhat majestic works. Sure makes this Europe trip so more magical finding all of the “castles” around town! So yesterday was a wonderful yet slightly torturous day of walking around the heart of Munich and a bus tour of the city. We finished the evening with a fun dinner at the hotel in a beautiful biergarten area where we saw part of the Russia/Croatia game. That of which I was happy with the outcome:) Today we woke and had a delicious breakfast and headed out to the Nymphenburg Palace. We had a wonderful time exploring the grounds and apartments where real Princes and Princesses had lived and spent their summers. Meadow was super happy to see another castle- and a real one at that. After a delicious lunch at the palace grounds (and also a Biergarten - I sense a trend here) we headed back to play in the pool- which is where we are now. This evening we are hoping to get to the famous Hofbrauhaus to fill up our tummies and add to our restaurant trend. Yum! castlesDays 2 & 3
Castles... to sum up “seeing the world through a child’s eyes” I can do that in 1 word: Castles. The moment we stepped off the plane and entered the city of Munich that is all we have been looking for- castles! This all began yesterday when we arrived at our “hotelo” and quickly headed out so that we didn’t sleep the day away- which was what we all truly desired at that moment. When we got into the downtown area with all of the beautiful and old architecture Meadow has been adamant about going to “castles”. Now what WE think of as castles is not the same as what a 4 year old thinks of as castles. Almost anything that is old and somewhat majestic works. Sure makes this Europe trip so more magical finding all of the “castles” around town! So yesterday was a wonderful yet slightly torturous day of walking around the heart of Munich and a bus tour of the city. We finished the evening with a fun dinner at the hotel in a beautiful biergarten area where we saw part of the Russia/Croatia game. That of which I was happy with the outcome:) Today we woke and had a delicious breakfast and headed out to the Nymphenburg Palace. We had a wonderful time exploring the grounds and apartments where real Princes and Princesses had lived and spent their summers. Meadow was super happy to see another castle- and a real one at that. After a delicious lunch at the palace grounds (and also a Biergarten - I sense a trend here) we headed back to play in the pool- which is where we are now. This evening we are hoping to get to the famous Hofbrauhaus to fill up our tummies and add to our restaurant trend. Yum! Day 1
And we are off! Let me tell you that traveling with kiddos is no small feat. And we haven’t even left yet! But before we get to that, I just want to say this this 2 week- 3 birthday extravaganza was pretty successful. My parents thoughtfully put together a very fun go-cart, ball-cages, put put golf playing birthday party on the Fourth of July. We celebrated with family and friends River’s, Makena’s and Meadow’s birthdays. It was the perfect place to play around before fireworks! Later that evening we went up to my parents house outside of Boulder and watched about 5 different light shows going off at the same time on the front range. That was fun. Yesterday, along with last minute chores and packing we were able to celebrate Meadow’s actual birthday with food and family. Our little four year old is quite the character. For example this morning I laid out a nice, comfortable and SIMPLE travel outfit. Well- below is what she came down in this morning. THAT is my Meadow. So now after weeks of planning and checklists (which if you know me is pretty impressive) we are off. We are currently on the plane to Atlanta after a little more difficult than anticipated check in process. They biggest snafu was when Autumn’s insulin pump was “scanned” and they found stuff that set off alarms. After checking all of her things (even though we have TSA precheck) they had to pat down my 7 year old. They were very sweet but it still sucks- Diabetes sucks. But... even though I have a whole suitcase dedicated to her supplies, the check in process is a little harder than normal and getting the entire family of five ready was slightly exhausting... I am so excited to go see a piece of the world through my kiddos eyes! auf wiedersehen! I guess it's time. It's been awhile since I have written publicly, and I do have to say I miss it. My current life is teaching teenagers about the world (being a Geography teacher rocks:), managing my three littles, and trying to find peace for myself. I think that last part is where I could be writing, but I (like many out there) get caught up scrolling through facebook or my many social media feeds, having a good glass of beer, or spending time with those I love. Hopefully this travel experience will rejuvenate my love for the written word, since writing while I travel is a favorite of mine. Summer, especially for a teacher, is a joyful time. Time to rest, take care of our OWN kids, and travel. Our summers are also filled with BIRTHDAYS. With Kyle's birthday on June 25, River's on July 4th (best birthday that he celebrates with fireworks AND with his new cousin Makena) and Meadow's is July 5th. Since we are leaving for our European adventure on July 6, we are trying to get some of those celebrations done early. We have so far celebrated Kyle on his big day, and River and Meadow with friends. Other than birthdays we have been participating in camps and other silly fun summer adventures. River has done an overnight backpacking camp for 6 nights and a technology camp. Two very different experiences and he loved both! So happy to see my boy grow! Autumn was going to do the overnight adventure, but with her Type 1 diabetes diagnosis it was harder than we anticipated. So that week Autumn and I played and had fun together and prepared for her theater camp the next week. Meadow, well she gets a huge dose of "Mommy camp"- a camp that I know she won't enjoy forever, so I am appreciating it now. And here we are about 5 days away from our next adventure for the summer. I have to say I have hesitations, since as a family we can be, well, LOUD. But- showing my kids the world is so important to me and Kyle. Giving them memories and understanding of others and their unique cultures is what I believe makes an independent, caring, brave and empathetic human. Although none of us are perfect, we can at least do our best to be those four characteristics. I have hope that my kids will learn, and in turn we will learn from them. As my awesome parents once taught me- world is best viewed through a child's eyes.
Now I'm ready to go take a look. |