Austria day 2

We drove to nearby Saalfelden and Joel, Carlie and Jim had a ride on a rodelbahn which is a toboggan/luge down a mountain on a metal track not in snow.It was over 1klm long and very fast .Joel loved it .Then we drove back to Zell am See and hired a paddleboat for an hour on the lake.It was near midday and quite hot and you would think aussies would know better than to go out in the sun at that time.I think we got a bit sunburnt.The views were fabulous and we took a picnic with us and ate it out in the middle of the lake.We drove back to the hotel for a late lunch and it rained a bit in the afternoon.We managed to talk to Ben on Skype and ithen went for a bike ride through the nearby fields. We stopped at a bridge and played poo sticks.It was BBQ night this evening at the hotel .

Austria snow day

We had a great breakfast and headed off to find snow.We went to nearby Kaprun and up the cable car to the glacier on Kitzsteinhorn .Their were many skiing and Carlie was wanting to ski but there were also many just playing in the snow.We had a fun time having snow ball fights,making a snow man and the kids discovered our plastic picnic plate made a good toboggan. We used our airline socks as gloves as we had forgotten to pack any. A guy lent our kids a plastic toboggan but it wasnt as good as our plastic plate. On the way back we skyped Sam and Tina and showed them the snow. On the way home we stopped at a grocery store to get lunch.We found some bread called ' aborigine weckerl'.We bought schnitzel on bread rolls,cherries,figs,watermelon and some snacks.After changing out of our snow soaked clothes we had a very late lunch back at the hotel and headed out for some shopping. Again tea at the hotel was lovely.Speirtzle and a creamy sauce with veal .

Switzerland to Austria

Today we traveled by train all morning to Austria via Zurick. The Zuricker See was beautiful as was all the scenery as it became more and more mountainous.We arrived in Innsbruck at around midday and went by taxi to the hire car place after trying to walk and then catch a bus without success. We drove our fiat punto then to Zell am See via Kitzbuhel.We found our hotel ,the Landhous Hotel which was an Austrian chalet with flower boxes and our room was on the top floor(loft) , very nice with a view to the snow capped mountains,.We rested after our day of travel and then went down for a 3 course dinner at 7pm which is included entree of prosciutto and honey dew melon.Main course of steak and vegies but nicer than it sounds and vanilla bean ice cream and strawberries for dessert.Jim and I went for a walk after tea and the kids watched You've got Mail in German with Jim or I translating every second sentence to them.

Switzerland day 2

This morning we went to church at vineyard Olten in hotel Arte with the Kaesers and met a few people who recognised us from 10 years ago when we attended here. They suggested Carlie come to live in Switzerland next year for a gap year. While it would be a great learning experience for her we would miss her . After church we had raclette for lunch and then the kids went to the local pool with the other families children. It was a hot day 30 degrees and many were at the pool.They jumped off a 5m diving board and also went on slides. After zvieri- znacht(tea) of bircher muslei Andi drove us up to a castle ruins and a walk to the top of the mountian for a wonderful view over Olten and beyond. There was a big flying fox there and we all had a turn. Ben and Sam enjoyed this flying fox 10 years ago so I knew Joel would like it. We stayed up talking with the family.

Switzerland Egerkingen

Today we had breakfast with the family Kaeser and then Andi drove us to Egerkingen where we use to live 10 years ago.We walked past the little river and our home .Some apartments have been built on the field next to where we lived .We walked to the school and then up the mountain to the lookout.It brought back so many memories and was great to be back in this little part of the world we once knew so well. We visited friends from the village and we had a BBQ together swiss style.

Paris day 4

We didn't have anything special to do today so we went for a walk in the area of our hotel which is in the latin quarter st germain.We found the the Pantheon nearby and the luxembourg gardens.We also found an art shop and a bery cute stationary shop .Cartlie had run out of glue for her scrapbooking and I bought a paintbrush just so I could say I got it in Paris. In the gardens Joel fed the birds. We then checked out of our hotel and made our way to catch the train to Switzerland.We travelled by TGV to Lausanne and then met Eva Egloff at the station.the egloffs did the exchange with us 10 years ago .They are heading to Australia also for a 10 year anniversary holiday. We travelled with her to Olten and met Andi and Priska at Olten to stay with them and their family. They were good friends of ours when we lived in Switzerland. We watched the soccer Switz vs Honduras in the evening before we went to bed.Jim and I slept in the Caravan and the kids were in the house.They have a huge dog, Melissa that made me miss Zebedee.

Paris day 3

Today we went separate ways, Jim took the kids to the Science place and I went to Sacre Coeur. I discovered that cheese is really interesting even in the grocery stores and very reasonably priced as well. I found a store with wonderful french lace and bought a couple of french scarves. One of the great things about coming here is summer is it is cherry season. Lunch was cherries, Saint paulin cheese(this was Bens favorite when we lived in Switzerland) ,croissants, and a piece of apple tart. This afternoon we all wandered over to the centre de Pompidou. I took the kids in for some more art. I really enjoyed seeing the Jackson Pollacks, Matisses's, Picassos and Kandinskys . We found a shop selling vintage shoes and Joel got himself a pair of Converse All Stars. We had tea at an Italian restaurant because we all felt like pasta and we bought ourselves a french gateau to share for dessert.

Paris day 2

After our bagette breakfast the plan for today was to hit the Musee .We headed to the Louvre to beat the crowds and did a quick fast walk around just focussing on the main things, Mona Lisa, venus de milo etc. We headed then to Musee de Orangerie with Monets waterlilies that go all the way around the room. Joel was not impressed but he had already had his fill of art at the Louvre. We walked home purchasing our lunch on the way. We found a wonderful cheese shopwith all manner of mouldy cheese circles which was very pungent and bought some Brie ,then a fruit shop for banans and pear then a bakery for croissants ,a slice of cheesecake and some lollies and we were done. After lunch back at the hotel we skyped Ben and caught up with the news of home and saw Zebedee via video .In the evening we went to a sidewalk cafe for dinner but it was very americanised not real french but nice anyway on the way home Carlie spotted some jeans in a shop half price and bought them. Joel went up to a girl in this shop thinking it was Carlie and said "come on Carlie its time to go" and the girl turned around and said something in french to him which he found quite embarrissing.

Paris

Joel woke and said'Wow that is wierd ;it is still light!!!.He had slept through the dark bit.We went down for breakfast of bagettes, cheese and spreads.The lady asked us somehting in french and we recognised chocolat so we ordered that .It was hot chocolate,tea of coffee she was asking. We went to Notre Dame and went inside,there was some sort of service happening and we were early it was nice and quiet. We had an open top bus tour to the sights and got off at the Arc de Triumpe and climbed up the 274 steps to the top,then on to the Eiffel Tour and climbed to the 2nd level.I think i have flound an exercise I enjoy!!!travelling!!!.We had crepes for lunch and bought bagettes and cheese and tomato for tea which we will eat at the Hotel as it has kitchen facilites.

London second day

We decided to take a few rides on the double decker buses to see some more of London.We wanted to go over the thames but the bus we caught went in the opposite direction to what we thought so we got off and got another one that wentover the bridge but then went in the direction away from the tower bridge so we deciede to get off again and caught the train to what we thought was the tower bridge but ended upo being London bridge.We walked over it and saw the tower bridge instead then decided to do some shopping in Oxford street.Carlie got some pearl earrings and Joel got a vest with a hood. We then caught the bus back to paddinton to have lunch at a small cafe with the soccer playing on the TV.The soccer plays in the daytime here!! Portugal was playing a north Korea .We picked up our bags and headed for Pancres Staion to catch the Eurosatar to Paris.The timetable said it left at 3 and arrived at 6 so we were expecting a 3 hr journey and were surpised when we arrived a hour early in Paris as we were finishing tea. We didnt even notice that we had gone under the sea until jim noticed the cars were driving on the right hand side and we realised we were already in France. We headed for our hotel which was a bit of a downer not very nice...reminds us of the last time we were in Paris.The sun did not go down till after 9pm.

London

After landing at Heathrow we made our way to our hotel in Paddington left our bags and headed off for a walk around the sights.It was 9 degrees and all the warm clothes we had brought were hardly enough to keep us warm.I wondered how people could live in this weather if this was the nice time of the year.We walked through Hyde Park and saw sqirrels and Alan Border. We then went through some of Kensington gardenes and Joel climbed a cave looking tree.Walked passed Buckingham Palace but though the flag was flyning we didnt' see the queen. She must have had to duck out to the shops. We wen on to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben then had a spell at Maccas and onto the lions at trafalgar square. We went to the National Gallery then for a walk up to piccadilly circus and then on to the British Museum.We were trying to keep doing stuff to keep ourselves awake.We caught the double decker bus home and Joel hit the pillow and was asleep in 2 minutes at 4pm. the rest of us weren't far behind and our lights were out at 5pm.

Flights

We arrived at the Airport in Brisbane in time to see t heNikles, friends from China arrive and also Dolf a friend from Switzerland.We then checked in and Lyndie saw us off.Flight to bandasari then Dubai and then Heathrow saw Joel, Carlie and I struggle to get sleep in upright positions and Jim easily fall asleep when he planned to on the last leg. Temperature in Dubia was 39 degrees at midnight and then in London it was 9 degrees when we landed at 6am

Detailed Itinery
19th June Depart Brisbane and travel via Dubai to London Heathrow airport
20th JuneArrive London 6.35am catch train into london centre and sty overnight at Lindon House Hotel
21st June Depart on the Eurostar pm and arrive Paris around 6pm
22nd-25th June Paris-staying at Hotel Marignan
25th June pm Travel by train to Olten
25th -27th June Stay with Andi and Priska in Olten visiting our village of Egerkingen and going to church with them.
28th June Travel by train to Innsbruck.Pick up hire car and travel to Zell am See
28th -1st July staying at Landhaus Hotel, Zell am See. Austria day trips to grossglockner, fortress, toboggan ride
1st July Travel to Villach, drop off hire car and travel to Venice train/bus
1st -4th July Venice staying at Hotle al Ponte Mocegnigo
4th July pick up Hertz hire car and travel to Greve in Chianti,
4th -6th July Stay 2 nights at Podere Torre
6th July travel to Cortona
6th-9th July stay 3 nights at il sole de sodo, Chocolate factory perugia, ferrari museum
9th July drop off car at Perugia and travel by train to Rome
9th-11th July Rome-colosseum, spanish steps, trevi fountain, pantheon
11th July travel by bus to Sorrento
11th-15th July Sorrento staying at il nido hotel.Day to Capri,Bus ride along the Amalfi coast
15th July travel by plane to london
15th -17th July stay at Slough innkeepers lodge day to legoland/windsor castle
17th July Depart London by plane for our trip home via dubai
18th July Arrive Brisbane airport 8.45pm ish

Why Europe?

Why are we going europe? A few reasons.We want to go back to where we used to live .We spent 10mths living in Switzerland on a work exchange and it is now 10 years since we have been back. Our youngest who was 3 at the time doesn't remember much and we made some dear friends while we were there whom we will stay with. There are some places we didn't see in those 10 months that we would like to see, namely Austria and Amalfi coast. There are places that we want to visit again because they are soooooo wonderful ,namely Venice, Tuscany and Paris and there are places we wanted to see but will have to leave for another day : south of France.

Looking Forward to Tuscany

I am most excited by a little 'agriturismo' we have booked in Tuscany called 'Podere Torre'. It is Stone villa overlooking the Tuscan landscape where the owners grows antique roses.

Packing List

I am trying to use Rick Steves packing list for our trip.We want to pack light for ease of getting around. The following is an adaption of his list.

What to Pack

Shirts- five short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts in a cotton/polyester blend.

Sweater or Lightweight Fleece- for warmth

Pants- two pairs: dark, lightweight non wrinkle .

Shorts.-one pair 2 for the boys

Swimsuit/boardies

Underwear and socks. Bring five sets (lighter dries quicker).

One pair of shoes.

Sandles

Scarf-to look a bit dressier

Money Belt- around waist type to tuck under clothes

Money. credit card, some euro for hotels that only take cash

Documents and photocopies. passport, plane ticket (or e-ticket printout), car-rental voucher, driver's license, hotels' confirmation emails, itinery

Daypack for carrying jumper, camera, guides, maps, and picnic stuff.

Camera. digital cameras and a high-capacity memory cards

Water bottle.

Watch/Mobile Phone. alarm is handy.

small First-aid kit.

Medicine and vitamins.

Eyeglasses and prescription.

Sunscreen and sunglasses.

Sealable plastic bags/containers. for leftover picnic food. A foldable cloth bag for carrying extra stuff we might buy.

Toiletries

Clothesline to dry your clothes. The handy twisted-rubber type needs no clothespins.

Small Towel a thin hand towel for the occasional need, quick-drying synthetic towel.

Sewing kit. Clothes age rapidly while traveling. Take along a few safety pins and extra buttons.

Travel Info from guidebooks and maps

Address list. write blogs and emails as we travel.

Netbook

Small notepad and pen.

Journal to be filled with the experiences of our trip

have I forgotten anything?

Our 4 week Europe Itinery

Week 1:Travel by plane Australia via Dubia to London
Travel by Eurostar to Paris- 4 days in Paris
Travel by train to Olten-spend weekend with Andi and Priska our swiss friends
Week 2: Travel by train to Austria. Hire a car and travel round Austria tirol area for 3 days
Travel by train to Venice- spend weekend in Venice.
Week 3: Hire car and drive to Tuscany -5 days in Tuscany at 2 different agritourismos (B&Bs)
Travel by train to Rome -weekend in Rome
Week 4:Travel by bus to Amalfi coast-spend 3 days with 1 day on Capri
Travel by plane Naples to London
One day to go to Legoland or Windsor Castle and then fly home to Australia