Auf Wiedersehen

I like to keep a list of all the things we have done in the "area" where ever we move.  One, I can look back and see all the things we have accomplished.  Two, others can browse through and get ideas. And three, I like lists.  I already have a few things to check off in San Antonio!

Black Forest, Triberg waterfall, bought cookoo clock

Prague (bone church)

Berlin

Tropical Paradise

Eagles Nest (want to hike someday)

Salzburg 

Berchtesgaden

Lake Konigssee

Phantom of the Opera Musical in London

Dachau 

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Brussels, Brugge, Ghent

Hiked Zugspitz

Bastei Bridge

Devils Bridge

Polish pottery shopping in Boleslaweic x3

Rhein falls, Lucerne, and Lauterbrunnen

Kuekenhof tulip festival (maybe later in the season)

Hofbrauhaus & Munich

Nuremberg rally grounds and castle

Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Nymphenburg, Herrenchiemsee castles

Ettal monostary, cheese making 

Ring tour and Rudesheim

Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival x2

Straubing Fest x3

Highline 179 and ruins

Innsbruck

Belgian waffles and chocolate

Lake Bled & Vintgar gorge, Slovenia

Ski in Austria x 1

Guteneck Christmas market x2

Dresden Christmas market

Hike Jenner Mountain

Kranjska Gora, Slovenia and snowshoe to waterfall (drive up the road made by WWI POW)

Nurnberg Christmas market x2

Hike Appenzell, Switzerland 

Thurn taxis Christmas market

Buy Holland shoes and see the windmills

Kuhstallcafe Christmas market

Sicily- Catania, Taormina 

Partenkirchen gorge

Kuchlbauer Tower tour and Christmas market

Stonehenge

Parsberg Christmas market

Lupberg Christmas market

Playmobil 

Cologne fasching

Neumarkt Christmas market

Bath, UK

Dietfurt Chinese fasching x2

Liverpool, UK

Munich 10K, glockenspiel, English park surfing

Nurnberg color run 5k

Berglegenfeld Christmas market

Pottenstein, Germany

Waldwipfeldweg

Rothenburg- Christmas market and night watchmen tour

Vienna and Bratislava

Half marathon in Vienna, Austria

Kristall Palm Beach

Rome, Pompeii, Herculeneum, Capri 

Wunseidel Rock Labyrinth 

Parkstein inactive volcano

Lake Garda and Verona

Ronda, Nerja, & Malaga Spain

Hiked Caminito del Rey

Würtzburg 1/2 marathon

Snow White Castle in Lohr 

Gibraltar (tour of the caves)

DB museum, Nurnberg

Heidelberg, Märchen Paradies

Luxembourg City, casemates, American cemetery and memorial

Ljubljana dragon bridge and castle

Postojna castle & cave

Croatia: Plitvice National Park, Split, Dubrovnik, Krka National Park, Zadar sea organ

1/2 marathon Füssen

Ice cave hike in Berchtesgaden

Hallstatt, Austria and bone house

Mittenwald and Krün Almabtrieb

Oktoberfest 

Half marathon France

Mediterranean East Cruise- Venice, Corfu, Mykonos, Santorini, Athens

Athens authentic marathon 2016

Anne Frank house, Corrie ten Boon house 

Budapest, Hungary: parliament, Buda castle, St. Stephen's basilica, market square, Christmas markets, old synagogue, heroes square

Vienna Christmas market, Straubing Christmas market, Stuttgart Christmas market, Strasbourg Christmas market 

Skiing Söll, Austria x 3

Fuerteventura, Canary Island, Spain

Therme Erding 

Velburg fasching parade

Disneyland Paris, Eiffel Tower Carousel

Cesky Krumlov girls weekend

Barcelona and hiked up Montserrat

Scotland: Stirling, the Kelpies, Edinburgh, the Trossachs, Isle of Arran, Hadrian's wall

Ireland: Killarney NP, gap of Dunloe, ring of Kerry, Dingle, Cliffs of Moher, Dublin, Burran NP, Book of Kells

1/2 Marathon Karlovy Vary

Beer bath

We have high hopes of returning back to Europe, whether on vacation or another tour with the military.  I still want to visit northern France, do a Band of Brothers tour, and go to Paris as a family.  Of course, there are plenty of other things I'd love to do, but that was high on our list.  We just didn't have time.  Unti   

December 2016

What a month! December is always hectic, but memorable (especially with kids).  Here is a recap of our adventures.

We attended our last military ball here in Germany.

Endured the freezing weather. 

Baked billions of sugar cookies for our playgroup Christmas party, neighbors, kindergarten Christmas party, and health clinic Christmas party. 

Kate made a salt dough ornament at the playgroup Christmas party. 

Sat on Santa's lap.  Kate asked for anything "Elsa and Anna" and Jane just cried. 

Enjoyed a picnic in the woods at Kate's kindergarten Christmas party. 

Spent way too much money at all the Christmas Markets.  This season we visited the Christmas markets in Budapest, Vienna, Straubing, Regensburg, Guteneck, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Innsbruck, and Munich.   

Climbed a rock wall in our friends basement. 

Bryan became a member of the 1000 pound club in Hohenfels. 1155! 

 Celebrated our 11th anniversary.

Had a great Christmas.  Kate loves her princess dresses, Elsa umbrella, markers, coloring books, and puzzles.  Jane loves her slide, water coloring books, plastic balls, and cleaning toys (broom, mop, duster).  Rebekah got a new hiking backpack and ski jacket.  Bryan's gifts haven't made it here yet... 

We also had a great New Years Eve.  We let the kids stay up late, eat lots of junk food, watch too much television, run around like crazy with friends, and set off fireworks.  Happy New Year!

Budapest and Christmas Markets

Day 1: We drove into Budapest late into the night.  Great idea.  Kids slept great. No traffic.  

 Day 2: Walked to St. Stephen's Basilica.  Largest church in Hungary.  The Christmas market was being set up, including an ice skating rink.

 We climbed up to the top of the Basilica.  Beautiful views.  Beautiful day.

 Sweet Jane loved walking around the top and pointing at the people or birds.

Then we walked over the the Parliment building.  But first, a stop throwing rocks into the Danube river.  

 

Parliament Building.  Gorgeous.  My pictures just suck.  

A view near the Parliament building.  Statues of shoes in memory of the Hungarian holocaust victims. And chain bridge in the background.  

Day 3: Szechenyi Baths and Pool.  It was fun to imagine this being what the Romans did way back in the day.  Lots of different pools with varying temperatures.  It would have been more fun without the girls, just because of the extreme heat temperatures and some pools containing lots of minerals.

Here is my little fish! Can't believe how much Kate has improved in her swimming.

 Afterwards, we took the funicular up to Buda castle for the views and beautiful tiled roof churches.  Bryan with Fisherman's Bastion in the background.  Then we hit up the Christmas markets!

Day 4: We met up with our friends, the Walker's, and spent the day with them.  We checked out the Central Market Square.  Lots of food and souvenirs!  

Some of the crew.  Kate, Rebekah, Jane, Sophie, Makenna, Chloe, Penny, and Merrick.

Quick stop to the second oldest Synogogue in the world- Dohany Street Synogogue- where there is also a statue of a weeping willow tree in memory of the Hungarian holocaust victims.  Each victims name is written on a leaf.  There were lots of holocaust memorials in this city.

Lastly, we went to the St. Stephen's Basilica Christmas market and consumed one of the best ice creams ever.  It was shaped into a flower.  It easily could be one of our favorites, and we have had a lot of ice cream over here!

Day 5: Driving home and hitting up the Vienna Christmas markets and Straubing Christmas market.  

 Rathaus.

 The ice skating rink was a trail.  It would have been fun, minus the ice was really wet because it was 40 degrees!

Loving the kinderpunch!