December 28th to 29th - Grafenhausen, Germany

28 of December

Today we drove to Germany through four different countries. We packed up the house and said good bye. We then drove to a service station where we washed and vacuumed the car. It was much nicer to sit in after a vacuum. After that we were on the way to Germany. We stopped in a service station which had a bakery joined onto it. They had a window so you could see them making it. We had a blue berry muffin which had a hole filled with a blue berry mixture. It was very yummy. We then went back outside into the snow to say a last good bye. (Or so we thought) we then got back into the car and drove into Liechtenstein. From there we drove to Switzerland. We stopped in a town called Appenzell for lunch. It was very cute and we enjoyed looking in the shops around. We then got back in the car and drove to Germany. We found our place with a nice surprise of snow! We settled in and then went out for dinner.  It was a bit hard to find it but once we found it we were ready to eat. It was a nice dinner but also just as nice it get home and go to bed.

Amelia

29 of December

Today we went to see the biggest waterfall in Europe. We had breakfast down in a big room with other people at the hotel. They had a very big selection of food and it was very nice too. We then drove to the waterfall. It wasn’t very impressive. We think that it was the biggest waterfall in Europe by how much water there was not by size. We walked around it and mum and I bought a pen knife each. I forgot to mention that we were in Switzerland. We drove over the border for the day. We then drove back over to France and there was a bakery open. It was one of the only things open and we don’t know why. It had a café attached so we had a hot chocolate and bought some bread. While we were sitting down it was snowing outside which was nice to watch. We found a lake which we could visit so once we had finished we drive off to find it.  Once we got there we found a little town on the edge and it had some winter markets on. We went and had a look. We bought some fairy floss and it started to snow so it got a bit wet. We then got back into the car and drove into the snow covered trees. It was so nice that we had to go and have a closer look. We pulled over and got out. It was like Narnia with the snow floating through the trees. We also got the have a closer look at the snow flakes. We could we the star patterns in them. We had to go back to the car because it was snowing hard and the road was starting to get slippery. We got back in and started to drive home. We stopped to build a snow man in a park. We built a very nice snow man but it was very cold and we had to get back in the car. We drove home and had a sleep time there before we had to go back out and have dinner we spotted our snow man on the way. We had to wait half an hour before we could eat but that was alright. We then had a yummy dinner and we then went home to a nice sleep.
Amelia

December 21st to 27th - Tulfes, Austria

21 of December

Today we drove to Austria. It was an early start to pack up the apartment and be down for our boat back to the train. We got on the boat with all of our bags and suit cases. It was a tight fit but we made it to the train station. They was some confusion on which train to catch but we finally found the one and got on. It was a smooth ride but at the other end it wasn’t so easy. There were a lot of people wanting to get on and it was hard to get all our bags out. It ended up being only me helping and getting two suit cases at a time from dad. We were all a bit rush but it was good to be able to stop and rest. We got to the car and packed our things back into the car. We were then on the road to Austria. It was a long drive and just as we entered Austria we could see the snow white covered peaks in the distance. As we came closer we came to a valley between the mountains that we had seen. It was quiet spectacular. Once we came to the town of Innsbruck. We parked the car and went into the town to find a late lunch. We went into a shopping centre which was like one of our Westfield. We found a restaurant and I had a lasagne. It was very nice and filling. We then walk around the Christmas markets that were on. There was some lovely stuff and I couldn’t wait for the next few days where I can get to buy for people.   After looking around we thought it would be time to go and find out accommodation. Our accommodation was in a small mountain side town near Innsbruck. Once we found it which was very easy we went inside. It had a beautiful smell and an amazing view of the mountains on the other side of the valley. We had a quiet time at home and went to bed for an exciting day tomorrow.

Amelia

22 of December

Today we went to the Swarovski factory. It was very exciting to be where it is all made. We went into the museum it started with a waterfall out the front. It was made if a man’s face and it had music to create an atmosphere. It was very magical and nice to look at. We then went into the indoor part of the museum. It opened into a space with the world’s biggest jewel stone which was pretty impressive. It also had a wall which they had filled with Swarovski crystals. It was beautiful and something I want in my bedroom as   a feature wall. We then walked on and went through the whole museum. There was so much I couldn’t go through it all or it would take all day but defiantly the water fall and the first room were the best. At the end of it there was a very big shop. It was my heaven. It could have spent all day in there. It looked around and ended up buying a pair of earrings and a box of crystals called star dust. We then went to Innsbruck where we went on a funicular up a mountain to a town which gave us a great view. It was very beautiful and it was nice to sit down and have a hot chocolate at the top. We then went back down where we walked through the markets again but didn’t buy anything. We then went an ice skating rink that was outside. It was fun to ice skate outside and it was very big too because it was used in the winter Olympics that were held there. Once the rink closed and we had driven home we were very tired after our day so we had dinner and went to bed.

Amelia

23 of December

Today we did our massive Christmas shop. We went out to the markets and started our shopping. We had a long list to complete and a short amount of time to do it. We were very efficient because we had already seen what was there.  We went around and bought most of what we needed. We sat down to eat an Austrian dish which was like a donut but fired with cranberries. They were very nice and much enjoyed after a day of shopping. We then went and made a few enquiries about skiing. We found out that we were able to ski which was a nice surprise. We then went home and then went out again to see a Christmas parade. We found a parking spot and walk down to find a spot to stand by the road. It took a while for the parade to reach us but that is because there was so many little kids. Some of them would have been younger than 2 and others were asleep in carts that their parents pulled along. It was very cute to see and they also had lambs which some men carried around their necks. It was very nice and once the last people came along we joined on the end and followed them to a spot where they stopped. We then sang silent night but in German which was interesting to here. It was then very late and we went home for a late dinner and a good sleep.

Amelia

24 of December

Today we went skiing which was very exciting. We were going to go up a glacier but we found out it was closed. So we then decided to go skiing instead. We went to a ski resort called Patscherkofel. We rented our skis and went onto the slops. It was very hard to walk in the boots because they were tight around the ankles so you couldn’t move them. We got used to our boots and got into our skis. It was very hard to move because we were on an uphill and the wind was blowing us. At one point all of us except dad got blown backwards. Once we had learnt the basics we went on an elevator up to a beginner slope. It was quite easy to go down but we were very slow. We did that slope a lot and as we got fast dad took us one at a time onto a steeper slope. We had to catch a T-bar up. Once we got up we went down slowly with some falls on the way but near the bottom we got the hang of it. We skied till four o’clock with only one stop. It was a very fun day and we couldn’t wait to do more. We then went home for an early dinner and we went to bed for an exciting Christmas day tomorrow.

Amelia

25 of December

Today is CHRISTMAS a very exciting time of the year. We got into mum and dads bed to say merry Christmas to Grandma, Nanna and Grandmax and the Edges. It was nice to hear their voices and see their faces. We then had an interesting breakfast which was croissants filled with chocolate not the best breakfast ever. We the open our presents there wasn’t many and we knew what many of them were but it was still nice to get them. We then got ready for another day skiing. Once we got our boots and skis on we only had to do one elevator run before we were on the T-bar run. We had lots of fun and it wasn’t long before it was lunch time. By this time we were doing the T-bar run by ourselves and without falls. We had a yummy lunch of chicken nuggets and chips. It was very nice and good after a half days skiing. Once we had finished we went back out onto the slopes and had some more fun but it did stop when a tree fell down and block the track. We then went home. Mum and dad went for a walk and when they got back they got started on our roast dinner. It was very nice to have a roast chicken for dinner. We then went to bed for good sleep.   

Amelia

26 of December

Today was our last day of skiing. It snowed the night before but didn’t get down as far as we would have liked. Once we had got to Patsch we realised that the snow wouldn’t be good enough t ski on and we were ready for a bigger challenge. We got all our skis into the car and drove to a place called Schlick. Ths had longer and harder slopes and it had snowed there. We caught a gondola up which was like a chair lift. We dropped mum off at a café so she could be snuggly warm. We then got our skis on and went up higher to ski down. Once we got off at the top it was snowing and it was hard to see. We skied down a long blue run to the bottom where mum was it was lots of fun and hard work. We then checked in on mum and went back up the top to do it again but this time we went up a bit higher so that we were higher than Mt Kosciusko by 12 metres. We then went back down a blue run which had some bumps on it. We had a few falls because of them. We then joined onto the blue track we had already done and skied down to mum for lunch. While we were having lunch we talked to a German man who loved to have a chat. It was very interesting to talk to a German man and hear how they talk and their acsent. We then went back up and came down the easy blue run. We then went back up and went up the chair lift to do the bumpy blue run again. We went to join a another blue run which turned into a black run we had to then go down a red run instead. It was hard and we had a few falls. Dad said I looked like a snow man. Once we got to the bottom and joined onto the easy blue track it started to snow hard and it was hard to see. We went slower than usual because we couldn’t see. Once we got to the bottom we had a drink and got onto the gondola to go back down to the car. Once we were at the bottom we went to the car and drove to trop our skis off. We then got dinner from a service station because nothing else was open. We then went home for an early dinner and an early bed time.

Amelia

27 of December

Today we went on a glacier. Dad did his last day of skiing while we watch the beautiful scenery and played in the snow. We got ready for the day and drove to Stubai Gletscher. It was very beautiful on the way there we there because there was snow covered trees and it looked like a winter land. Once we got there we parked and went onto a gondola up to the very top. The view up there was amazing. We were above the cloud line so all we could see was the other mountains poking through. We enjoyed have some hot chocolates while dad did a few runs when he came back we had lunch which was the same has what we got every other day. We then went outside to play in the snow while dad went down some more slopes. It was lots of fun and cold. We then hopped back on the gondola to head back down the mountain to a middle spot on the glacier. We had a drink and then dad met us and we watched him do a run. It was very hard to see him because the all just looked like ants. We then went on the gondola while dad skied down. He then joined us on at a station further down. We didn’t think he would make it but he did. We then went down to the bottom where we got in to a bus to get us back to the car. I found a 10 euro note under our seat which was a nice treat. We got off the bus to realise that we got off to early and had to walk most of it back to the car. We then went home for a yummy dinner and lots of packing for the next morning.

Amelia

December 18th to 20th - Venice

18 of December

Today we had a very long drive. It took us five hours to get from Rome to Venice. We pack up the apartment and walked to our car. We then drove to Venice. We had one stop just so go to the toilet and to stretch our legs. Once we got to Venice we got our bags out and walked to the train station. We got our tickets and hopped straight onto the train. Once we got off and walked outside we could see the canals and all the boats. It was funny to think that they get around by boat and everything had to happen by boat! We were a bit early for our bus boat so we looked in a few shops and bought a lemonade. We spotted and police boat and a boat used for deliveries. Once we got on our boat we sailed to our stop. It was very funny being on a boat with so many stops just like a bus. Once we got off the boat we were met by the owner of our apartment. He showed us there and gave us the keys. Already it felt weird because we had to cross bridges and walk on the side of canals. We had and easy dinner and went to bed.

Amelia

19 of December

Today we went for a stroll around Venice. We got out of the house and went for a walk. The streets are very narrow because they are just for people and there are so many bridges which all look the same. We enjoyed walking around because everything is so close. There were lots of designer shops around which were very expensive. We walked to the most famous squares in Venice which had a very nice church. There were lots of pigeons about and the boys wanted to feed them. Mum was scared of them and ran way if they got too close we hid while the boys got attacked by pigeons. It was very funny to watch and if they weren’t so dirty I would have had a go too. We then walked to the bridge of sighs it gets its name because prisoners would sigh as they walked off to prison. We then went to a coffee shop where we had a hot chocolate. It was very nice to be in Venice. We then went on a Gondola which dad didn’t approve of until he felt how gentle the ride was and how different the view was from a boat. It was a very nice ride. We got to see things that you wouldn’t see unless you got a boat. We also got different views of things because we were in the water. It was well worth it and will be something to remember. We then went home where we had a late lunch. It was nice to rest after a busy day. After dinner we went out again to see Venice at night. It was very beautiful and lovely to see. It was nice to get back home after a late night the idea of bed was a lovely one and it was nice when it came true.

Amelia

20 of December

Today we woke up and went fro a walk to some markets we knew were on. They had lots of antiques and it smelt of old people. It didn’t really interest us but there was a string instrument exhibition which we were interested in. it was full of old and quirky instruments. It was very interesting to look at. We then went out and thought we could got for a stroll. Josh was a map guide and led us through the unfamiliar streets. We did get lost some times but we always found our way back. We found our way round to a bridge called Rialto Bridge. This is where we spit into a girl group and a boy group. The girl group went and looked at some shops and the boy group went home and made lunch. It was fun to look in shops without have to drag the boys around. Once we were done we tried to make our way back but we didn’t have the map and it was dark. We did get lost at one point but we ended up finding something we knew and went from there. Once we got home we had lunch and a rest. We then went out for gelato just before dinner. It was very nice gelato even though it was very cold. We then went home for dinner and went to bed for an early morning to pack up.

Amelia

December 15th to 17th - Rome

15 of December

Today was our first proper day in Rome. We walked past some ruins as you have to do because they are everywhere. They just leave pieces of marble everywhere. We then went to the Tiber River. It is a river running through Rome. It has lots of beautiful bridges running all the way along it. We crossed over one of them to the other side where we stopped in to have some gelato. It was very nice to get some cool gelato after lots of walking. We then walked to a piazza where there were some markets on. There were flower stalls which had some amazing flower arrangements like wreaths and bouquets. They were very pretty and if we weren’t moving around so much. We then went through another piazza but this one was much more crowded. It was set up like a fair with a Ferris wheel and stalls with games in them. This area was full of colourful helium balloons with characters faces on them. The whole scene was very colourful and happy but too crowded for me. We then walked to the Pantheon. This was a very amazing building. Once we were inside it was incredible to think about how they got all the stone to make the dome and how it has stayed there for thousands of years without falling or collapsing. We then went to the Spanish steps. It was exciting to be there where Audrey Hepburn was in Roman holiday. Once we had finished taking photos here we caught the train back home which was much nicer than walking back. After a very long day it was nice to be home and resting.

Amelia

16 of December

Today we went to the Vatican. It was fun to think that you could walk around a whole country in one day.  We got through security and went to the museums. We got an audio guide that was meant for kids. It had a hunt which you had to follow to get to the master piece. There was so much in the museums that I will talk about my favourite two things. In one of them was a painting of the garden of Eden. It was interesting to see how the painter thought it would have looked like. It felt so peaceful but full of life as well. He painted it with lots of animals living together in harmony and a waterfall in the background.  It was very different to what I thought of.   The other one I like was some of the methods the Egyptians used to print scripts more than once. They would make a cone out of stone and on that stone they would carve the script into the cone. Then they can role the cone onto wet clay and it would make the script imprint onto the clay. It was a very clever way of not having to carve something more than once. We then walked to the Sistine Chapel. This is one of the most famous rooms it Italy. It was quite amazing to see the paintings on the roof and walls. In the audio guide it talks about some of the things Michael Angelo painted in one of them was a self portrait which he did on the skin of Saint Bartholomew. He also painted one of the people who didn’t like him with donkeys ears and surrounded by devils. It was very funny to think that he was allowed to do that in such a sacred place. We then went around to the church which is also part of the Vatican. It was also the place where they believe saint peter was buried. Once we got in we found a sculpture made by Michael Angelo. It was of Mary morning over the dead body of Jesus. In 1972 a man came and attacked the sculpture with a hammer shouting “I am Jesus Christ!” he damaged Mary’s nose and fingers. It has been kept behind glass ever since. As we went further into the church we saw many sculptures and dad made fun of them. One of them was of Peter and he was holding his right hand up. Dad said that he was saying “I ordered the soup, it’s mine.” This was very funny and he went on making more jokes. We then down to where Peter and many popes were buried. We then finished up in the church and went outside. We decided to go to the gelato shop where we were yesterday. Dad said it would be a short walk but he was mistaken. It was a long walk and so it was nice that after our gelato we got a bus home.  We had a nice dinner at home and went to bed.

Amelia

17 of December

Today we went to the colosseum and the Roman Forum. We got the train to a train station we thought was nearby but in fact as soon as we walked out it was right there. It was much bigger than I thought it would be. We got our tickets for a tour that we had booked. Dad thought we had enough time to do the Roman Forum. It was very rush and we had trouble finding certain things. We only had an hour to do it all. We got most of it done but in a rush. It was interesting to see how much of it was in ruins. Mostly it was a pile of rubble. Likely we had a book which showed you what it would of looked like and what it looks like now. Once we had rushed out of the Forum and back into the Colosseum it was time for the tour. It was a great tour because we got to go into the centre where the gladiators fought. We then went into the underground areas where the gladiators got ready and where all the animals were kept. It was dark and didn’t seem like a nice place to be. We then had to walk up again to the third floor where we got a great view of the whole arena and the city beyond. We got told about the history of the place and how the gladiators fought and worked. We then went to a prison where saint peter was kept before his death.   It was a very spiritual tour but it also told us a lot about the history of the place. It told us that most of the things in Rome were built on top of each other but still protecting the lower layers. After the tour we walked to the mouth of truth. This is a loins head and legend says that if you have told a lying and you put your hand in its mouth then it would be bitten off! Of course this is not true but it makes everyone who walks out of there feel much better about themselves.  Once we had checked that we still had our hands we caught the bus back home. Dad bought some ice creams to have at home which was a lovely treat. We went out to dinner that night it was nice to have a proper Italian dinner. The boys had pizza and I had lasagne. It was very nice and for dessert I had a lemon sorbet which came inside an actual lemon which had been hollowed out. Once we got home we went to bed with full stomachs.

Amelia 

November 16th - Northern Ireland

16 of November

Today we packed up our stuff and drove to the giants causeway. This was an amazing creation created by a volcano. It is basalt hexagonal crystals made by the heating and cooling from the volcano. It was quite amazing to walk on it and the reason that it was called the giants causeway is because it looks like a stair way into the ocean for a giant. After walking around we went back to the car and drove to a rope bridge which went from the main land to an island just off the coast. It was used for fishermen but it's now used for tourists. It was lots of fun to cross but mum got a bit scared because of how high we were. It was a beautiful view on the island with the deep blue ocean and sheer cliffs. After returning from the rope bridge we drove on to a castle where we had to find different artefacts from the castle ruins. After finding all of the artefacts we drove to our next cottage. After a long time on the car we were glad to arrive it was a very small cottage but just big enough. We had a simple dinner and went to bed.

Amelia