Austria

Gina, me, and Brian in Solden!

Ski World Cup in Solden, Austria!

Our fabulous apartment building in Patsch, Austria!

Alpine Zoo View. The animals were lame, but check out this view!!!

View from our apartment...Bode Miller saw the same view from his apartment right below us!

Here's a not so quick breakdown of our first European Adventure! Austria!!!

Friday! Beautiful day in Patsch. After a long night of travel, I did a little shopping with Gina and Scott before Brian headed out for a snowboarding adventure. But it's not fair to say we did a little shopping: Gina shops every day for lunch and dinner for 20 people! We filled up two carts of food and got a lot of strange looks from the locals. (no one does that much shopping in any country of Europe!) Gina is quite the trooper for having to do all that shopping on a daily basis! Not a whole lot of storage space and small kitchens makes dinner planning for 20 quite challenging. But I'm quite impressed with how well Gina adjusted over the month and she did a great job for those kids. During our stay we got to enjoy two delicious meals with the team and coaches! The rest of the morning was very relaxed: Brian rocked the Austrian Alps, we played in the sandbox and in the yard, had a picnic, and took great naps! When Brian got home we headed into Innsbruck, on the bus, (it's great to try the buses in all the countries we visit) and had a delicious pizza dinner, with suckers!!!

Saturday: Gina and Scott had to head into Munich to take a student to the ACT Testing Center there so Brian, Penny, the kids, and I decided to adventure to the Alpine Zoo! "We can take the bus into town and walk to the zoo...it's not much further than the restaurant we ate at last night. But let's take the extra stroller for Elise, it wouldn't be fair for her to walk to the zoo, around the zoo, and home. Too much!" Too much indeed! What the map of Innsbruck failed to indicate on that short distance past the restaurant to the zoo, (from the bus station) is that the short distance is STRAIGHT UP! Did I mention that the zoo in Innsbruck is named Alpine Zoo? It's the highest zoo in the world!

Unfortunately, the distance above sea level is the only thing that zoo had going for itself. It had a big, tired, sleeping bear, a lot of small cats, and a crow! Yes, they caged a crow for you to see at the zoo. We did get to see some good cows, pigs, and goats at the petting zoo part and looked at some nice moose, but overall it was not a very thrilling zoo experience. The view was incredible though and worth the marathon up-hill walk. Innsbruck is surrounded by beautiful mountains and it was an incredible, clear, crisp autumn day and we really enjoyed the views and the weather. Plus, the kids got to play on the death-trap, I mean playground while we finished lunch.

Off to home and bed and relaxing evening at the apartment building!

Sunday: After learning that we woke an hour early because of Day Light Savings Time, we delayed our departure to 7:00 AM, which was actually earlier than planned but nevertheless a good time to leave after waking at 6:30 when we thought it was 7:30, for the Solden, Austria! Brian and I snowboarded the Alps there while the Ski World Cup Opening took place. US Skier Ten Ligety came in second and that was pretty awesome to see and hear live! Everyone was going nuts and it was a very cool environment to be a part of when people are cheering for their country! It was wild and we had a great time boarding on the Alps while the whole thing was going on. I kept pretending that all the cheering from the crowds was for me and not the world class skiers that were also going down the mountain! :)

Monday: Gina and I snuck away to the mountains and did some great boarding and skiing. We had a beautiful day that was cut short for our flights. But I loved getting out with Gina on the hill, snowboarding one more time in the beautiful Austrian Alps, and just being there! It was an incredible day. It is such a beautiful amazing country!

As we dangerously rode to the airport in a cargo van with all 5 of us in the front seat: Gina driving, me in the middle holding Celia, and Brian next to me holding Elise, we struggled to get into the airport because of the festivities being held there to celebrate Austria's National Day, Declaration of Neurtraily. We were stopped by the police directing traffic because Gina wanted to drop us off and be on her way...(and not have to navigate the streets of Innsbruck in this big-ass van with no windows and limited visibility)...the cop understood what we were trying to do and let us through, totally unfazed by the method of travel with our two small children! The irony comes into play when my screaming 18 month old is told that she can't just sit on my lap on the airplane but MUST be strapped in with a seatbelt extension. She was very unhappy. We made it so far that day with horrible, illegal, unsafe travels. Why did all the rules have to start post-bedtime with a tired, tired lady? :)

But overall, what a great trip! The ladies had a fabulous time with "that boy", Owen and "his grandma" Nanna. Patsch is a beautiful, quiet Austrian village just outside of Innsbruck. There was a gorgeous steeple church right down the street from our apartment and the view of it at night was fabulous. They had spotlights on it and with the mountainous background, it was so picturesque and peaceful. The weekend as a whole was so relaxing and rejuvenating. I loved spending time with Gina and her family. There is nothing like being with old friends and we spent a good amount of time sharing the challenges of motherhood, marriage, and just life in general. I feel like a whole new person plus snowboarding super star! Two great days on the mountains will do anybody good. Except for all the times that I bailed! Note: the T-Bar is not really made for snowboarders!

Hope everyone is well!

Tuesday

Celia in her "boy" coat! I never forget her pink shoes so people stop calling her "beau garcon"! (hey...it was cheap, it's warm, it's a little big, but she can still walk! :)

The ladies stretching with mommy!

So, I am sorry for being such a lame "blogger" but it has been a quite couple weeks. We have been enjoying the beautiful fall days with walks on the quad and playing in the park. I hope you all had a chance to watch Elise climb the jungle gyms on the youtube videos posted below. She is an excellent climber and even better pole lady! She can ride that thing down without any fear! I'm quite impressed!

I have also been working a bit. Can you believe that? I successfully finished round one of college recommendations. Early decision kids are out and round two will start in November. So, I have been a good lady and layed low for a couple weeks and worked on letters.

This week has been off to an interesting start: Elise's teacher is sick so I have been asked to keep her home all week! (the week before a 10 day vacation, Elise gets to spend at home! Lucky girl!)

They have no substitute teacher system here in Paris. The gov't has already cut staff so trying to bring in someone from outside the school to substitute a classroom is not an option. Thus, when the teacher is sick, they either ask you to keep your kid home or they split them up among the other classes. So Elise's 3 year old classmates were distributed among the 4's and 5 year olds. (I had a great chat with my friend Marie-France who speaks excellent English and helped me learn of the situation this morning! Her 3 year old was with the 5 year olds yesterday! He had a great time with them but was very confused!)

I could not imagine Elise doing too well in that environment. She has a hard enough time following Beatrice (the teacher) and her classmates in French, I'd hate to make her re-adjust for the week with a new group of kids. However, I don't think I had much of an option, the director of the school said to me, "No teacher, go home." She's very sweet! :)

So, Elise, Celia, and I have been hanging out all morning. Today Elise picked out a hat and gloves so that she can stay warm for our terribly cold walks to school in the morning. Tomorrow is a normal no school day (off on Wednesday's...being a primary school teacher is awesome!) and we will be back at the Eiffel Tower for Kids' Games! But the lucky lady! Her week and a half Toussaint Holiday that starts Friday just started a little earlier! I just hope she's ready to go back on Nov. 5!

We are off to Innsbruck on Thursday night to see the Whither Family! I'm so very excited to get out of the city for a while and be with some great, old friends. It has been over two years since Gina and I have been together so it will be such a fun reunion for us and our families. Gina has been in Innsbruck since the beginning of the month with students from her school. They are doing some ski training in the town Patsch. So, life is getting exciting again and I will have some good stories for you all next week!

Hope all is well!

Monday

Gratuits le 1er dimanche de chaque moid, toute l'annee!

The first Sunday of every month is free at all the musees et monuments in Paris! It's a great excuse to get out in the morning and see some of the famous places in Paris, and for free! For our first Sunday adventure, we took the ladies to the Centre Pompidou, a modern art museum located in the center of Paris. Described as, "a spaceship that has landed in the heart of Paris", the building really does not fit in among the old cathedrals and churches of downtown Paris, however it fits the goal of the former president George Pompidou, he wanted something "eye catching"! How do you like the picture of the standing pool full of colorful modern art located in front of the ancient church? Odd, right?

We went to the top via an outdoor escalator (that doesn't allow children under 13 or strollers...this is carefully labeled at the TOP of the escalator! So we took the elevator down!) and had incredible views of the city. The pictures are a little foggy because we didn't pay the extra fee to go outside, but they still turned out nicely. You can get the feel of this incredible city with it's beautiful buildings and scenery. I loved getting a picture of the Sacre-Coeur in the day where you can get a better feel of it's placement on the hill. It really is an amazing structure located in such a perfect, beautiful spot, eh?

Okay, I'm off to do some shopping and writing! Tis the season for college recommendations! :)

Hope all is well and Happy Columbus Day Weekend!

Friday's Paella

I finally broke down and bought the Paella from the Poissonerie. Not an easy task to eat: chicken on the bone, mussels in their shells, shrimp with tails! At least the sausage pieces required no work. Delicious!

A Church, Prostitution, & Halloween Parties

Now if that title for a Blog doesn't grab you, I don't know what will...

I finally made it up to The Sacre-Coeur this week. I have decided to get out once a week and see some of the incredible sites of Paris. Also, with this incredibly warm evening weather, I have no excuse not to get out. It soon won't be as nice or pleasant to explore so I'm getting out while it's still good!

Getting to the Sacre-Coeur was an adventure in and of itself. I went from the most southern point of Paris to almost the most northern. The metro trip was easy and not bad. Stepping off the Metro into the notorious 18eme, was not so easy and very bad. However I was never scared because there were plenty of policemen standing guard with their big guns and looking mean. That didn't stop all my fine new friends from offering me cigarettes, condoms, and other "job opportunities". Let's just say I was relieved to find my way and get to the Sacre-Coeur.

The Sacre-Coeur was very fun. I met my friend Katy up there and together we explored the grounds and toured the church. Completed in 1914, the, "Basillica of the Sacred Heart" is a beautiful Catholic Church situated on a hill overlooking the city of Paris. We enjoyed an amazing view of the Notre Dame and Pantheon. A quick walk up the street led us to a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. With the night lights twinkling all over town, I couldn't have asked for a better night and view. It was amazing! Oh, and the church itself is not bad.

You don't get this view without paying a price: being located on a hill with a fabulous view, you must walk up a tower of stairs. It wasn't back breaking or anything, I would just advice bringing your running shoes. It's a great workout.

Halloween planning is well under way and it looks like we will successfully Americanize the Square Violet on the 31st of October. We're going to take over the Parc and have the kids Trick or Treat from bench to bench. With semi-descent weather we should have a great evening. I will start to get more excited once I get costumes for the ladies worked out!

Things are fabulous here in Paris. For those of you that are thinking of coming, I am researching the streets heavily and am becoming a great tour guide! Celia and I are getting out every morning and doing our homework. Today we enjoyed the Open Market of the 13eme. I love walking through this market and watching the butchers and fishermen prepare their goods. Or I sneak in some samples of cheese and fruits from the intense salespeople. It's quite the adventure.

But like I said, the weather is great and we've got to get out while we still can. The ladies have finished their naps and snacks and we're off to climb the trees! Hope all is well in the home lands!