Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Germany part 2

After enjoying our time in the Alps we headed to Spangdahlem Air Base where we stayed for a few days enjoying some castles and seeing Trier. It was such a beautiful area I could have just driven around for days if it weren't for 4 kiddos who get sick of the car and gas being so expensive...

Remi Alissa and Broden at the castle

Alissa Posing

Chris, Remi, Blake, Parker and Broden

Grandpa Jones showing Remi, Parker, Alissa and Broden the wild strawberries

Blake posing for his picture

Like father like son, K.C. and Blake

Looking from one castle to the other
The families who lived in these 2 castles were enemies. The castles were separated by a valley between them.
Blake, Broden, K.C. and Chris

Alissa checking things out

K.C. and Chris The view from the top

Jones Family
Alissa, Blake, Parker
Broden and Remi

Broden and Alissa looking at the Castle replica carved out of stone

Mandersheid Castle

Our handsome Broden

Mandersheid Castle from far away

Both Castles
We enjoyed an afternoon in Trier, the oldest city in Germany. We followed Rick Steve's walking tour around the city and had tons of fun.

Our kids have never seen the mimes before on the sidewalks, so they were intrigued. Blake had Remi drop a coin in the bag and it scared her when he moved. She did shake his hand though. Broden refused to drop a coin in the bag at first. Finally we convinced him to do it, but he ran away as fast as he could as soon as he dropped the coin. Pretty funny for a boy who isn't afraid of things.
Trier

Alissa, Chris and Broden looking at the mime

Remi shaking his hand

Broden running for his life as Remi, Blake and Alissa watch

Parker waving "bye"

Blake and K.C. figuring out where to go

This is the oldest Christian church in Germany. It used to be huge! I thought it was huge.
 I took Remi and Alissa inside this church and we had a lot of fun. Remi was really intrigued by everything. We talked about how it used to be way bigger and about how big some of the stones were and how they moved them. Then we talked about how everything was carved out of stone. She remembered how hard it was to carve her dinosaur out of wood and thought this was amazing. She enjoyed taking pictured of different things. Then we headed upstairs and she saw a picture of "the nail that held Christ on the cross" and the "box that held the Holy Robe of Christ."

It is amazing how a little bit of knowledge makes things so much more interesting, especially for kids. We have been in dozens of different amazing churches, but because we took the time to explain things to Remi before and inside the church she loved it! We will have to do this more often when we travel.
This man is holding something that looks very similar to the Kirtland Temple

Market Square

This was awesome! It totally looked like he was sitting in the air.  The kids loved it!

Porta Nigra

Alissa, Broden and Remi on the Porta Nigra

Our beautiful Remi

Broden, Blake
Parker, Remi and Alissa

Jenny

Outside the Roman Baths

Outside the Roman Baths
Almost looked like a mini Coliseum 

Parker playing in the fountain

 It was a warm day and after a few hours the kids were done sight seeing, so we stopped at this fountain and let them play.
Parker

Remi

Broden and Remi

Parker chasing the leaf he threw in the water

Parker climbing in to chase the leaf he threw in

Blake's dinner at German restaurant 

K.C.'s dinner at German restaurant
 K.C. and Chris headed on a train from Germany to Paris and we headed home via Belgium, France and a Ferry to Dover. We thought the Ferry would be a fun experience for kids, but decided it is worth it to pay a little extra to take the Chunnel and get where you are going faster. Remi and Blake both were looking a little green about half way through the bumpy trip.

We arrived at the port early, not knowing the process. So we got there about 1:30 and our boat was supposed to depart at 3:30, but it was late, so we didn't leave until about 4. Then we got to the other side about 7 or 7:30 I think, so it was about a 6 hour process. 12 hours to get from Spangdahlem to our house. It was only 7 hours to get from our house to Spangdahlem when we took the chunnel and no one got sick:) The kids did have fun though, and we enjoyed feeding the birds and seeing the White Cliffs of Dover when we were coming into the port in England.



Cliffs of Dover from the Ferry
Watching the birds dive for bread
We absolutely loved visiting Germany! It is beautiful there. We only went to one big city, so in our minds Germany is rolling hills, trees, small villages, mountains, lakes, clear rivers and castles. Perfect! I guess I'm just a country girl and not a city girl.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Germany part 1

We left Church, came home ate lunch and loaded in the car to drive down to Dover to catch the Chunnel to France. We drove through france to Belgium where we stopped to see some quick sights in Brugges. We tried to find a chocolate shop that was still open, but because it was a Sunday after 5 we didn't ever find one. Too bad, their chocolate is amazing. Even their window displays are cool. So we had Ice Cream instead. 


Entering Belgium
 Blake and Parker enjoying chocolate ice cream in Brugges
After driving through Belgium and into Germany we stopped for the night at the Air Force Base. In the morning we got food and gas and continued on our way all the way to the south, east corner of Germany. We stayed at Edelweiss in the Alps. The Military has a little resort there, so we get great rates on rooms. The first night we just enjoyed the pool and hot tub, then headed to bed.

In the morning I ventured off by myself and found a litte bakery. They only took Euros, no credit cards. So I walked to another base and got cash, then bought some German baked goods for breakfast. It was some kind of bread with cheese baked on it. The adults enjoyed it, but the kids didn't like it. So on our way out we stopped at a local grocery store for something the kids would enjoy a little more.

We drove to the bottom of a mountain and paid to take the Wankbahn or ski lift thing to the top of the mountain Wank. The view was amazing!
Blake Jenny and Parker riding the Bahn

Jenny, Alissa, Blake, Parker
Remi and Broden

Jenny and Parker

Blake and Parker
When we were at the bottom of the mountain looking up Broden noticed that the tops of a lot of the mountains around us were covered in clouds. He got really excited and wanted to touch a cloud. So when we were at the top him and Remi were running around trying to touch the clouds. I don't really know if they ever understood that you can't touch a cloud, but we did get our picture in a cloud!
Jenny, Parker, Blake
Alissa, Remi and Broden in a cloud!
After enjoying the view from the top we started hiking down. It was a big hike for us Englanders, where the biggest "mountain" is the crater type hole by our house. It is a hole about 20 feet deep. Remi and Broden ran pretty much the whole way down, stopping at waterfalls to let us catch up. Alissa took turns on Grandpa, and mom's shoulders the first half, then dad convinced her to walk the rest of the way.
Blake and Parker

Alissa

Broden playing in one of the waterfalls

Grandpa carrying Alissa and Grandma following

Parker at the half way point where we ate lunch

Parker enjoying the view

Alissa, Remi and Broden showing the snail they found.
"My little Snaily" as Alissa says. 

Alissa explaining to "Snaily" the we were leaving him there so he can be with his family. This is how she holds her hand when she is explaining something important to something or someone.

One the way down the kids enjoyed catching butterflies, snails, seeing the cows, and even petting horses. They loved it!
Blake, and Remi petting the horses

Remi and Grandma petting the baby horse.

The baby horse liked Remi and started following her.

Alissa, Broden, Parker and Remi showing where we were.
Grandma got everyone ice cream for being such good hikers.
Alissa enjoying her ice cream!
After hiking down Wank we wanted to find a lake that we saw on the map. We found it and it was beautiful! We didn't even try to keep Parker out of the water. It was pointless, we just let him have fun. The kids went in a little ways at first, then stripped down and swam in their "knickers"(british for underwear). Remi did keep on her shirt to swim.
Alissa

Remi- Look how clear the water is, beautiful!

Parker throwing rocks

Blake and Broden

Broden getting in the water. It was FREEZING!


Remi actually jumped off a rock and swam back. She was pretty cold, but she loves water.


Remi, Alissa and Broden with the lake and Alps in the background

Remi, Alissa and Broden with the lake resort in the background.

Alissa and her stick

Parker using his walking stick

Blake with Zugspitze in the background. It is the highest peak in Germany.  This is the first time we got to see it because it was covered in clouds.
The next morning we woke up and headed to Neuschwanstein Castle, the one that looks like Cinderella's castle. The castle was cool, but I loved the drive there and the walk to it more than the actual castle. It was under construction too, so it didn't look as cool as the pictures. It is still amazing to me how they build these castles. Especially the location on this one. It is up almost in the cliffs.
Lake on the way to Neuschwanstein.

Remi, Blake and Broden enjoying their bratwurst. These ones were pretty much like a hot dog. The bread they were on was delicious though.

view on the walk up to the castle

What the castle looks like when it isn't under construction.
On the drive to the castle the road winds between Germany and Austria.
Germany or Deutschland

Amazing waterfall on the drive to the castle.
We loved hiking and relaxing in the alps! After our time here we headed back on the road to the Air Force Base. We searched in the GPS for somewhere that would be a good stopping point for lunch and to stretch our legs. There was a castle called Solitude Castle that I thought sounded nice. It was a fun little place. We didn't go inside, but the kids had fun exploring the outside.
Parker, Alissa and Blake making friends with a dog by throwing the ball for it.

The castle

Broden playing under the castle

Broden hiding from dad

Dad getting Remi and Alissa

Parker waving to everyone and Remi making sure he doesn't fall

Blake and Broden

Alissa

Alissa
After seeing the castle we walked down the sidewalk to see the horses. We couldn't pet them because there was an electric fence, but the kids had fun watching them.
Remi, Broden and Alissa

Parker and Blake watching the horses.
We left the castle and drove into town to find something to eat. We couldn't really find any German food, so we ate chicken Kebob in a pita for lunch. We were a little nervous to try kebob again because we had doner kebob before and it was disgusting. The chicken was delicious though. After lunch we got some ice cream. It was a good way to break up the drive.
Jenny, Broden, Granma, Alissa, Remi and Grandpa enjoying our ice cream.