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   

Becky

While in Athens, Becky came to watch the girls for us.  I was a little worried about giving them one day to warm up to her, but they did just fine.  In fact, Kate never asked about us and Jane quit asking about us on the second day! Becky took the girls swimming, hiked up to a castle ruin, and helped out with Kate's lantern festival at kindergarten (St. Martin's Day).  

Day 1: After we returned home, we packed up to head to Cologne and Amsterdam.  Bryan decided to put air in our tires and accidentally broke one of the valves.  It was too late to fix, so we just drove slowly to Cologne.  The next morning, he went to a tire shop and got the valve replaced.

Cologne

Day 2: As we were pulling into the parking garage, Kate complained of tummy pain.  We didn't really bother with her complaints, because they are often.  As soon as I pulled her out of the car, she threw up breakfast.  We moved our car a little farther down.  Bahaha.  We continued on.  We weren't to the Cologne Chocolate Factory.  Super fun! and yummy!

Kate, Jane, and Myra watching the chocolate running through the tubes.  And then Kate threw up. Again. All over the factory floor.

We continued on.  We walked through the Christmas markets and the Dom and the souvenir shops. Then we got in the car and traveled to Amsterdam.  Not even 30 minutes into the drive, the tire goes flat.  Bryan and Becky quickly switched to the spare and we continued on.  We stopped at a nearby shop, but they didn't have our tires. So we drove very slowly to Amsterdam.

We finally made it to Amsterdam (we got lost)!

Day 3: And the next morning, we bought new tires and drove into the city center.  We were pretty tight on time, as I had scheduled the Anne Frank House tour.  But we made it (or at least they just let us slide by).  Thank goodness!

The Anne Frank house and museum was wonderful.  Definitely worth the visit.  We also checked out the Pancake House and Cheese Museum nearby.

Rachel holding Myra, Bryan, Kate asleep in stroller, and Becky

                                          

Myra finally warmed up to Bryan.

No throw up today...well, until that night.  Jane threw up right after dinner and pretty much all night.  I couldn't wait to take a shower in the morning.

Day 4: The next day we went to Haarlem and Zaanse schans.  We got to go into the Corrie ten Boon house, but it was definitely not exciting.  Children under 4 years should not be aloud and it would be a lot better not to have to hear to whole story of her life.  I just wanted to see the hiding place behind the wall.  Afterwards, it rained and hailed like crazy.  For quite some time too.  I have no pictures of this day, but when we finally got home and I pulled Kate out of the car, she threw up all over me.  Blah!

Day 5: We toured the castle Der Haar.  The last residents were in 2005.  The castle was built on old ruins.  It would have been lovely in the summer.

Bryan, Jane, and Kate sleeping in a royal bed!

We drove back down to Cologne and stopped at a playground.  Poor Myra threw up at the park.  And again at the restaurant.  And again at the airport.  Rachel decided to wait until she was picked up by her husband in London.  And Jane decided to throw up in the car on the way home to Parsberg.  Oh,... and we went an hour the wrong direction!

Although, you might be thinking this must have been an awful trip, it really wasn't.  It was definitely memorable.  Lots of laughs and lots of clean ups as were continued on!

The Netherlands

Over the Easter weekend, we met up with family in The Netherlands.  The weather was very cooperative and the country is beautiful, but it was a very crowded.  Next time, we want to stay for the whole week!

Our first stop was Haarlem.  We tried to get into the Corrie ten Boom home, but of course, the line was too long and only a few English tours are given in a day.  I am reading the book "Hiding Place" right now, so when we go back, I will have a better idea of the setting and history behind the Boom home.  Behind Bryan and Kate, is the church Mozart played at concert in at the age of 10.

 These wooden shoes are just a little too big.

Our second stop was Zaanse Schans.  It is a little tourist trap, but I totally was all for it.  You travel around a little town set up with the windmills, and cheese making factories, and wooden shoe factories.  Their cheese is amazing.  Bryan and I just about ate all of the coconut flavored one we bought while there.

 At the shoe making store. Every hour or so, an employee will demonstrate how the wooden shoes are made.  I bought a pair for decoration that Kate might be able to wear some day.

 Holland Windmill

Our third adventure was Amsterdam.  I wish I could have navigated the city better.  I wasn't prepared and it was so crowded.  You have to watch out for the bikers and the buses and the above ground trains.  We took a canal tour of the city, which helped us get an idea of what was in Amsterdam, but navigating around the canals when you are on the streets is a different story.  I got us lost...

We didn't have tickets to go into the Anne Frank house, but if we go again, I will make sure I have tickets.  The line was probably over 4 hours long.  There is no way Rachel and I would have stood in line with all our kids for that long.  But people do it.  The tickets sell out about 4 months in advanced, so you have to plan way ahead. We also ate at the Pancake House down the street- excellent choice.

 Our fourth adventure- Kuekenhof.  The most famous tulip festival in the world.  It was beautiful and the kids had a great time.

 Stupid photo bomber in the background.  You can hardly get a picture without others ruining it.  Lol.

 I love my family!

 Kate loves baby Myra.  That is all she talks about right now.  

 We stayed at a farmhouse outside of Amsterdam for $45 a night.  They had sheep, cow, horses, chickens, rabbits, and doves.  This is the best way to vacation in Europe.  Cheap and fun for the kids.

Our last stop was Muiden. There was an unexpected festival going on while we were there- some fancy name for the beginning of the sailing season. Old sailing boats were docked for viewing with Easter candy scattered throughout.  

Our main attraction, the Muiderslot Castle.  This is the first defensive castle's we have been to. Inside, they had video games where you throw rocks onto intruders or dress up in clothes from the time period.  Bryan likes this castle because of the mote surrounding it.  "The only thing lacking is alligators" says Bryan.