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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Traveling, traveling, and more Traveling!

We had a busy time while Jessica was here.  I've already posted about our quick trips.  Now for the BIG and EXCITING trip!


We left Thursday to drive to Salzburg, Austria.  It's about a 5 hour drive from our house to Salzburg.  The drive was BEAUTIFUL!!!  It is truly fall here, and there was some amazing scenery!





When we got there, we checked into our hotel, walked around, and had dinner at a very yummy Italian restaurant.

Friday was amazing!  Best Birthday EVER!!!  We started by taking a tour to the salt mines in Salzburg :)  Such a fun tour!  I definitely recommend it to anyone who goes.  The salt mines are a bit of a drive.  So on our way there, our driver gave us the history of the area.  Lots of fun!  It had snowed a few days before our tour (in the mountains), so there was snow everywhere!  Our tour in the salt mines was fun.  We put on these very stylish jumpsuits, rode a little train into the mountain, learned how they mine for salt, slide down TWO fun slides, rode a boat across a salt lake, and got a complimentary little bottle of salt that was mined right there!
Birthday breakfast!

Picture from the van

Look at all of the snow!

I know it's sideways.  Stylin' jumpsuits ;)

One of the slides :)

The salt lake we rode over in the boat.

Wonderful view when we got out of the salt mines.
After our tour, we went to Berchtesgaden (former Nazi town) to have lunch.  We were so rushed there, that we hardly got to see any of the town.  And we couldn't see the Eagle's Nest (although we got a glimpse from the van).  We definitely plan on going back next summer when the snow thaws.  The tour van brought us back to Salzburg, where we had about an hour before our SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR!!!

The Sound of Music tour was fantastic!  We met at the tour office, where they had a cow painted (on both sides) with scenes from the Sound of Music.  Why?  I don't know.  But I took a picture anyway.
Front

Back
We started by getting on a big coach bus that was painted with pictures of Maria and the children.

Through out our tour, our tour guide told us the real story of the VonTrapp family, as well as stories of how the movie was made.  She also played music from the movie and we (Jessica and I) sang along!  We drove to all of the locations that were not in the city of Salzburg where they made the movie.  Here are pictures of locations from the Sound of Music!
The Residence Square fountain - Maria splashed water from this fountain in "I Have Confidence"
Arches between Residence Square and Cathedral Square - Maria catches the bus

Fountain in Mirabell Gardens - Maria & children "had fun while circling"

Hedge-covered Archway - Maria & children dance/run through during Do-Re-Mi

The Pegasus Fountain - Maria & children marched around it

Dwarf Garden figure - they skipped passed them

Do-Re-Mi steps!!!

Schloss Leopoldskron - the back of the Von Trapp house, and lake they canoe in

Closer view of Schloss Leopoldskron (Leopold's Crown Palace)

The Gazebo where Rolf & Liesel sang "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" (not in its original location)

Schloss Frohnburg (Frohnburg Castle) - Front of the house, but now used as a girl's dormitory.  We couldn't take our tour bus there, so I didn't get a good picture :(

Nonnberg Abbey - Where Maria was going to become a Nun.

We stopped for a photo op :)

The wedding church in Mondsee
We ended the day with some shopping and then dinner!
Birthday dessert!
All in all, it was a great trip!  Friday morning we left to drive to Udine, Italy.  But I'll save that for my next post ;)

Ciao!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Pumpkin Festival/Japanese Gardens/Potluck/Trier/Strasbourg, France

The title is a mouthful, I know.  Well let's see.  I left off of our adventures with us going to Heidelberg on Friday.

Saturday we took a trip the a town very close to us; Kaiserslautern!  We went with a few people from the church.  They had a pumpkin festival there with the theme of Noah's Ark!  It was pretty neat, and practically NO ONE else was there because of the local futbol game in town!
Jesse has the elephant by the tail!

We found Noah's Ark

Look!  It's Noah and Mrs. Noah!

I love fall!!!

Girls' picture with Amanda and Jessica

I love the colors!!!


After the pumpkin festival, we headed down the road to the Japanese Gardens.  I took TONS of pictures here!!!  To see them all, go to facebook :)  But here are a few.






It was so beautiful here with all of the fall colors!  I'll have to go back in the spring to see the difference.

Sunday, we had a potluck after afternoon services.  Jessica and I made cupcakes, apple squash (squash baked with apples on them), and pigs in the blanket (known around our house as piggies).  Here are my cupcakes!



They are autumn cupcakes!  I was happy with the way they turned out :)  I LOVE fall leaves!

Monday we went to Trier.  Jesse and I have been there before, but we really like it!  We had a good time!
Me and Jess at the lookout over Trier

Trier

More pretty leaves!


Cute!

Tuesday we went over to Strasbourg, France.  It was cold and rainy.  And apparently all of the museums and national monuments close on Tuesday in France.  We were going to take a boat tour, but they were on strike.  Still, we liked the city, and enjoyed ourselves!
Neat fountain we passed on our way in

The church was so big, I couldn't get it all in one picture...

Fountain with pink lights!

Love the architecture

We climbed 332 steps to get to the top of the church for this view.

Love all the green!

View from the river

Well that's all for now.  We leave in the morning (Thursday) to go to Salzburg, Austria!  Friday we're doing the Sound of Music/Salt Mines tour!  I'm so excited!  It's on my birthday!!!  Then Saturday, we're driving over to Udine, Italy where Jesse will preach on Sunday.  Venice on Monday, then back home on Tuesday!  Lots of times (and LOTS of pictures) coming up!!!