Easter 2011

As the children get older, it is hard to know how 'into' Easter they are. This year the Easter bunny brought smaller baskets of treats, but left a lot of hidden eggs in the back yard. First of all Maddie rushed out to see what she could find....

Followed shortly thereafter by Connor who wanted his share.....

And then eventually Stuart came out. He thought we were waiting until after church to start, and was disappointed the others had started without him.

They still enjoy the festivities inspite of seeming so much older and the traditions must continue.

Day 6/7 - Koppl

From Lake Constance we headed toward Salzburg. Along the way, I suggested that we stop by Garmisch to look for 'The Eagle's Nest'. We didn't have a map (only the GPS), but I seemed to recall that this site was near Garmisch and I was hoping would have been marked.

As we approached a more mountainous region near Innsbruck, there was a cable car going up to a high peak. This didn't seem right though because I recalled seeing trees on the pictures. So we pulled over and asked a man who was riding a bike, if he knew where the 'Eagles Nest' was. He said we were nowhere near it and thought it was in 'Ober???'. So we continued our drive and saw a sign for Obergammer. I thought this must be it. So we drove up the long and winding road to the top of a hill/mountain. At the top there was a cable car leading to a higher peak. I went to look for signs and maps, but couldn't see any reference to the 'Eagle's Nest'. So I asked a man who was doing some maintenance on the building. He said, "Oh yes, just go to the other side of this mountain, and it is there." So I asked if there was a road leading to it. He replies, "Oh no, there is just rock. When you get there, look up, and if you are lucky, you vill see ze eagles flying." I spent the next little while laughing as I realized he thought I was looking for actual birds. We never did find the Eagle's Nest, but I'm certain we were close. Even Connor, who had been to Garmisch before for a volleyball tournament, had the Eagles Nest pointed out to him, but he couldn't remember where.

Our last stop was just outside of Salzburg in the fields of Koppl. We were hoping to stay within Salzburg, but couldn't find a good spot to park for the night.

Day 5/6 - Meersburg

We came to the old town of Meersburg on Lake Constance. This lake has Germany bordering one side, Switzerland on the other, and Austria sharing a corner.

Day 5 - On Route to Lake Constance

We had a very scenic drive from Titisee to Lake Constance.

We stopped here for a picnic and a walk through the fields.

Day 4 - Titisee

From Legoland, we drove to Freiburg. Freiburg is famous for its cuckoo clocks, however, we couldn't navigate our way around the city very well so we decided to keep moving and ended up at this peaceful lakeside campground. Hardly anyone was there so we enjoyed having the place virtually to ourselves.
In the morning we went into the old town and bought some local honey and stopped at a cafe for a cup of coffee.

Day 2/3 - Dachau and Legoland

Wanting to make this trip both educational and fun, our next destination was to Dachau to visit a concentration camp memorial. This was one of the smaller camps in Germany, and only had a few of the original buildings remaining. We had an opportunity to discuss what had happened here as well as the importance of understanding that this should never be repeated. We were able to see the replica of a barrack and were astounded that a building that was intended for 600 people, at one time held 2000.
This is a prison hallway. Each door leads to an individual cell.
The perimeter of the camp had a 'no entry zone' where prisoners would be automatically shot of they entered onto this space. There was a trench, then barbed wire and electric fencing. On the other side was a river.

After Dachau, we were headed towards Stuttgart. Along the way we saw signs to Legoland and thought it may offer a decent parking lot for a night. Well, they had more than a parking lot. There's an entire holiday village with cabins and plenty of camping space. There was all sorts of play equipment for the children, a putt-putt golf game, restaurant, and free hot showers. It was so good we decided to stay two nights. We spent a day at Legoland. The weather was great, the kids dared each other to go on the rollercoasters, we saw a 4D movie, and enjoyed just being out in the sun.

RV Trip for Spring Break

For Spring Break this year we decided to do a family camping trip. However, this was not going to involve tents, cushions and cooking over an open fire. No, this trip was taken in style in an RV. We left Budapest on Friday afternoon and our first stop was just after Linz, Austria at a truck stop to spend the night.

The truck stop was well equipped with bathrooms, showers, and picnic tables. There were only a few other trucks parked there for the night so it was relatively quiet.

The RV had bunkbeds at the back for the boys, Rob had the fold out table bed and Madeline and I shared the viewtop bed. I have to say that we had the warmest bed - I guess it's because heat rises- while the others complained about being really cold at night.

More Arts Festival

A quick meal at one of our favorite little spots - The Hummus Bar..














We met a man who would cut out a profile - no drawing beforehand - as his subject stood poised. He was an interesting character. Fortunately it was very inexpensive because I don't think it is quite accurate.

A Day out at the Arts Festival

We headed out into the city to experience a little culture. One of the streets was closed down for an arts festival.











Some of the buildings were opened up for viewings. These buildings are more than 100 years old and have huge courtyards inside.













The kids bought one of their favorite treats - Kurtos Kalacs

























The city is transforming into a colorful array of color now that it is spring!

Dance Exams

Today are the dance exams.... These are done in front of a judge who was flown in from the UK. If she passes, she will be rewarded a pin for each successful exam.

Alice in Wonderland

Maddie worked for weeks and weeks in an after-school production of Alice in Wonderland. She was one of 5 Alices that had a part in the play.