Hello Again!
Wow. I see it's been more than a month since my last post. Thanks to Kate breaking out in the chicken pox (even though she's been vaccinated), I've had a few days of enforced seclusion, and have finally got the time to sit down and type away. Kate is fine, by the way, she's got about 40 spots of varying shapes and sizes, but feels quite well. I suppose the vaccine is helping her in this. She's had a nice couple of days waiting for the spots to heal over, while having more or less free reign over the television, the toys and the books. It was, however, fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it) that she waited until after her 'Enchanted' birthday party for her first spot to erupt! She happily shared her bugs with our neighbors' son, who has been playing with her in his spottiness. It's all very cosy. Delaney and Shane are wishing that they would break out in a few just so that they could stay home and play too. I've gotten completely caught up on all my laundry, and have had some lovely coffee mornings with my neighbour, so it's not all bad.
Austria
When planning our most recent long weekend away, we decided to try the much touted 'cheap flights' at Ryan Air, and did a quick search of what travel hotspots were cheap enough for a family of five to fly to. There were a few very possible options, but we wanted to go somewhere that had mountains and snow, but also other things to do. After careful consideration we finally booked tickets to Salzburg, Austria. Neither Tom, nor I, had been there before, there was still enough snow to ski, and of course there was the pull of the 'Sound of Music'. The resulting vacation was absolutely wonderful. Our flight was on time, relatively pleasant (I'm not a fan of cattle car seating, but hey, it was cheap!), and quick. We arrived around 9 pm, rented our Audi 3 with no hiccups, and were at our hotel the 'Hotel Zur Post' very quickly. The hotel was just what we were looking for and slept all 5 of us in a two room 'apartment' quite comfortably. Arriving at night, we didn't get to see much of the area, but while the children slept Tom and I made a plan of attack for the next day.
After a quick breakfast we were off on a city bus to the centre of town. Salzburg has lots of old
buildings, churches and statues to see...our favorite spot was the Dom (church) in the old town centre. It was a huge, ornate church--very awe inspiring. While we were there, Kate asked if she could walk to the front of the church. She did so, stopping in front of the huge altar. Very solemnly she stood for a few seconds, then slowly and reverently bowed. It was priceless. I'd love to know what was going through her little five-year-old mind. I'll attach a picture for you to see.
buildings, churches and statues to see...our favorite spot was the Dom (church) in the old town centre. It was a huge, ornate church--very awe inspiring. While we were there, Kate asked if she could walk to the front of the church. She did so, stopping in front of the huge altar. Very solemnly she stood for a few seconds, then slowly and reverently bowed. It was priceless. I'd love to know what was going through her little five-year-old mind. I'll attach a picture for you to see. Outside of the church there was an archeological dig going on-- we got to see a lady clearing dirt 
away from several very obvious skeletons and what looked like the foundations for another building. Hard to say what they think it was. After a lovely lunch at an Italian restaurant we headed off to the pick up point for a tour of the Salt mines. The tour had been recommended to us by several families, so we thought we'd give it a try. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! First we weaved up the side of this large mountain to the little area called Hallein. At the entry to the mine we were given protective clothing to put on, and were shepherded onto a small train car-- it looked kind of like a lengthways bench that you 
straddled and held onto the person in front of you. It took us almost a kilometer into the depths of the mountain. The tour guide then led us through a very narrow crack-like cave, into a large hall where we watched a short video. Then came one of the best parts of the trip--the wooden slide. There were two--the first took you down about 3 stories, the second about 5 or 6. We went down in groups of two-- Delaney and Shane together, Tom with Kate, and I with another lady on the tour. It was an absolute hoot--by the 
time you got to the bottom you were doing about 25 km/h ! Shane loved it. We also got to go across an underground lake on a barge (Kate had the honor of starting the engine--see picture above, right) and viewed several other displays of salt mining. While we were underground we crossed from Austria into Germany, and then back into Austria again. The kids thought it was cool that the first time they stepped foot in Germany was underground a 2000 m mountain!! This should take you to the English website: http://www.salzwelten.at/cont/salzwelten/en_salzwelten_home.aspx
away from several very obvious skeletons and what looked like the foundations for another building. Hard to say what they think it was. After a lovely lunch at an Italian restaurant we headed off to the pick up point for a tour of the Salt mines. The tour had been recommended to us by several families, so we thought we'd give it a try. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! First we weaved up the side of this large mountain to the little area called Hallein. At the entry to the mine we were given protective clothing to put on, and were shepherded onto a small train car-- it looked kind of like a lengthways bench that you 
straddled and held onto the person in front of you. It took us almost a kilometer into the depths of the mountain. The tour guide then led us through a very narrow crack-like cave, into a large hall where we watched a short video. Then came one of the best parts of the trip--the wooden slide. There were two--the first took you down about 3 stories, the second about 5 or 6. We went down in groups of two-- Delaney and Shane together, Tom with Kate, and I with another lady on the tour. It was an absolute hoot--by the 
time you got to the bottom you were doing about 25 km/h ! Shane loved it. We also got to go across an underground lake on a barge (Kate had the honor of starting the engine--see picture above, right) and viewed several other displays of salt mining. While we were underground we crossed from Austria into Germany, and then back into Austria again. The kids thought it was cool that the first time they stepped foot in Germany was underground a 2000 m mountain!! This should take you to the English website: http://www.salzwelten.at/cont/salzwelten/en_salzwelten_home.aspxOn the same tour we had a stop below the 'Eagle's Nest'--a building on
top of the mountain built by Hitler to watch over both Austria and Germany (see if you can see it in the picture to the right) --and then a quick stop in a small German mountain town before returning to Austria and Salzburg. We were all a little tired after the tour, so we had dinner at a local Austrian restaurant, and were in bed at a good time.
top of the mountain built by Hitler to watch over both Austria and Germany (see if you can see it in the picture to the right) --and then a quick stop in a small German mountain town before returning to Austria and Salzburg. We were all a little tired after the tour, so we had dinner at a local Austrian restaurant, and were in bed at a good time.
The next day was our 'Sound of Music' tour. Run by the same company- this tour led us through all of the main filming locations of the movie, with lots of interesting tidbits by our lovely tour guide-who, by the way, had a lovely singing voice and sang along
with the soundtrack in between stops. We had several stops, at the lake the children fell into(see picture to the left), the treed walkway that Maria sang 'I have confidence' in (see the girls skipping on the right), the famous gazebo(below,left), the abbey, the church that Maria and the captain were married in, and the gardens the children sang 'do-re-mi' in. It was another wonderful day tour. 
We then packed into the car and headed for 'Matrei', a small town south of Innsbruck. We took the motorway which led us through Southern Germany, and then back along an Austrian valley to Innsbruck. Here we had our first major travel emergency. Kate's blood testing kit battery died. Not having planned on this...we had no spare. And it was 4 o'clock on the Saturday afternoon before Easter Sunday. We didn't really want to do Easter Morning (think chocolate) without a blood testing kit. Tom, the valiant father, spent almost an hour on a mad search through an increasingly deserted downtown Innsbruck, speaking no German and not familiar with the area, while I hoped and prayed in the car with the kids. It was all rather stressful. Actually it was very stressful. The Big Guy Upstairs was on our side though, and Tom found a very helpful salesperson with the right battery. Phew!
From Innsbruck we decided (at my suggestion-what was I thinking?) to take the secondary road to Matrei. I THOUGHT that the secondary road would follow the valley, while the motorway was teetering on a huge bridge halfway up the mountain. I was wrong. The secondary road weaved and twisted it's narrow way, perched precariously on the side of a tall, steep mountain. Those who know me will know that I am not a very good passenger. For the kids sake I managed to keep a smile on my face, and a very tight grip on the door handle, while Tom kindly kept his speed down and his wheels hugging the inside of the road. We arrived at our chalet with nothing but very cramped fingers to show our perilous plight. I was never so happy to see an inn!!
From Innsbruck we decided (at my suggestion-what was I thinking?) to take the secondary road to Matrei. I THOUGHT that the secondary road would follow the valley, while the motorway was teetering on a huge bridge halfway up the mountain. I was wrong. The secondary road weaved and twisted it's narrow way, perched precariously on the side of a tall, steep mountain. Those who know me will know that I am not a very good passenger. For the kids sake I managed to keep a smile on my face, and a very tight grip on the door handle, while Tom kindly kept his speed down and his wheels hugging the inside of the road. We arrived at our chalet with nothing but very cramped fingers to show our perilous plight. I was never so happy to see an inn!!
Easter Day
The next day was Easter. And yes, the bunny did find us--even in Austria! The kids had fun searching for their chocolates, although with a small hotel room there was no sleeping in for mom 
and dad. We opted not to try the German church services, but spent a quiet morning together as a family. We drove from our hotel along the same precarious secondary road, until we crossed the Brenner Pass into Italy. The motorway bridge that we took back across from Italy into Austria is the highest bridge in Europe, an engineering feat of no small proportion. At lunch time we headed into the town of Steinach, had lunch, and then rented skis for us all before heading up in the gondola for our first ever family ski adventure. It was quite an adventure!! Tom and I had never
skied together as a couple before, and none of the children had tried down-hill skiing. Luckily the hill we chose, called 'Bergeralm' had great beginners facilities. There was a nice small hill complete with a conveyor belt-style lift. Delaney took to it instantly. After about 20 minutes at the beginners hill, she was ready for bigger and better things. Shane, ever the boy, thought he could strap on some 
skis and then zip down the hill at top speed, but soon found out there was a bit of practice involved. Although he got quite frustrated he kept on trying! Kate was very timid at first, and was quite happy to stay at the little bunny hill the whole time.After about an hour of 'the basics with mom and dad', Tom took Delaney and headed to the next 
hill- which had a pommel lift. Again, Delaney shone, and had a blast. Unfortunately the light snowfall we were having limited the visibility, or we would have let her go on her own. By two hours in, Shane was ready to go with Delaney. I stayed with Kate, as she was quite happy to toddle down slowly. By 4:30, we decided to give Shane a break (he was hating everything to do with skiing at this point) and headed down on the gondola again. Surprisingly enough, by dinner time all three children were begging to go back again the next day. Tom and I discussed the options while they slept, and planned an early return to the hill, hoping for a bit better weather. (See Shane at right...a hard day.)
hill- which had a pommel lift. Again, Delaney shone, and had a blast. Unfortunately the light snowfall we were having limited the visibility, or we would have let her go on her own. By two hours in, Shane was ready to go with Delaney. I stayed with Kate, as she was quite happy to toddle down slowly. By 4:30, we decided to give Shane a break (he was hating everything to do with skiing at this point) and headed down on the gondola again. Surprisingly enough, by dinner time all three children were begging to go back again the next day. Tom and I discussed the options while they slept, and planned an early return to the hill, hoping for a bit better weather. (See Shane at right...a hard day.)
(Kate and Tom on the pommel lift, the view in the background-above)
Monday morning dawned much clearer. We checked out of our Inn, packed into the car, and headed back to the hill...to the cheers of three very lucky children. The clouds were lifting as we got to the top-- the view was stunning! It was worth the extra money just for the view. Shane was much more confident, and after an hour or so all 5 of us were skiing on the bigger hill. We told Delaney that as long as we could see her she was free to go as she pleased. Shane soon had the same priveleges. Even Kate was starting to go on her own! It was absolutely beautiful...the snow, the mountains, the little chalets... it really hit home watching the kids ski that they are growing up. Little Kate is not quite so little anymore. She was going up (not very willingly, I might add) the pommel lift by herself, and skiing down independently. My mommy heart was very full as I took it all in. Check out http://www.bergeralm.net/Skigebiet.html?&L=1 to see some other pictures. (Delaney and the view from the larger run, below)
Sadly, the time came when our lift tickets no longer worked, and we headed back towards 
Salzburg. We stopped for a tour of the Swarovski Crystalworld exhibit on the way. To put it bluntly, this was just plain weird. In a Salvador Dali kind of way. There were all kinds of different rooms with crystal exhibits (see Shane with the wall of crystal to the right) in them, but it felt like we were in someone else's very demented dream world. The kids liked it, though. And there was a huge play area outside-- another bonus, I suppose. I wasn't sad to head off again. Even their website is a bit psychidelic... http://kristallwelten.swarovski.com/Content.Node/homepage.phpThe trip from there was relatively uneventful. We had a lovely hotel stay at the 'Hotel Mercure' in Salzburg, and our flight back was on time. Other than a minor issue with Kate's car seat being eaten by the luggage conveyor belt, we got home safe and happy. It was an ideal trip.
Kid News
Things don't stop happening here, even with all of our travels. Delaney is now a published author. Her poem "Canada", was published in this month's local news magazine. The link is: http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu7eUhfNHSMEAgJJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzZ210Z2RmBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMwRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0RGRDVfMTE5/SIG=12c6l5j4k/EXP=1207228180/**http%3a//www.da.mod.uk/campuses/bowerbrooknewsdecjan07.pdf , you have to scroll down to page 15 though. It was actually submitted by her Brownie leader as part of their anniversary celebrations. She also recieved her 'writers' badge because of it. After 6 months in Brownies, she now has 14 badges, and is very close to her goal of 'filling my badge sash by the end of the year'. She continues to be a budding over-achiever. She also spent 4 days and 3 nights away from home at an outdoor adventure camp. Her first major trip away from home, she did us proud. Apparently she was one of only four children in her group of ten that successfully completed the 'confidence course'--a series of high ropes, strength and sheer bravery challenges. You can get a hint of what she did at http://www.manoradventure.com/ and look at the Shropshire site.
Shane has also been raking in the Beavers badges. He now has 3, having only been in Beavers f0r 2 1/2 months. Again, quite an accomplishment! He's also gearing up for his first communion celebration in June. He and Delaney participated in a violin concert two days ago, the first ever at their school. They both did very well.
As for Kate, her big news revolves around the fact that she turns 6 in only 4 days! Her friend 
party was this past weekend. There were many lovely princes and princesses, and we think they all had fun. Kate certainly did. She has been doing really well in school. She got to say a prayer in their spring concert, one she had written herself. "Thank you God for the miracle of chocolate when we wake up on Easter morning" is an interesting prayer...made even more interesting by the fact that she is diabetic! Her current math homework had division questions with remainders. Considering she is not yet six... I'm interested to see what happens when we return to Canada.
party was this past weekend. There were many lovely princes and princesses, and we think they all had fun. Kate certainly did. She has been doing really well in school. She got to say a prayer in their spring concert, one she had written herself. "Thank you God for the miracle of chocolate when we wake up on Easter morning" is an interesting prayer...made even more interesting by the fact that she is diabetic! Her current math homework had division questions with remainders. Considering she is not yet six... I'm interested to see what happens when we return to Canada.As for the parents...
Tom had a great trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland last month with his course. He had many interesting experiences, which I'm sure he'd love to share with you over a beer sometime... He's also just completed his third essay, this one involving 6000 words. His 15,000 word essay is looming, and he's begun some serious work on that. I guess you don't get a masters' in one year without working. We are all looking forward to a little time off over the next few weeks, but the books will likely be coming with us. We do have some more exciting trips planned (including a few days at Euro Disney), and a few very much anticipated visitors (Grammie and Grampie, Ed and Janice, Jerry and Erin, Steph and Julie and Gramma and Holly...) on their way. It should be a fun couple of months.
And that leaves me. What have I been doing? Well, I've been enjoying life. I'm so blessed to be here, experiencing these wonderful things. I've met a few amazing people-- and have spent some time with them at both the International Quiz Night (My team won by over a thousand points!) and the International Ladies Dinner- a formal night for ladies only (a big deal as the muslim ladies were able to attend in more relaxed attire). I've also done some day trips with friends to a few lovely little towns around here that I probably wouldn't enjoyed quite so much on my own. I've been working with the school PTA too.
They say that life is what you make of it, and I've been making the most of what I've been given. Wouldn't you?
Brenda
