Amsterdam - Some pictures

18 May to 30 May - Some more of Europe

Towards the end of our Vienna visit we managed to fit in a Roman Polanski musical.  Really enjoyed it. 
 


Doc!  everything is possible



Munich, repacking needed



Playing Cards in Isny

Packing our luggage was not easy and an entire bag of stuff had to be sent back home as unaccompanied luggage.  Wonder how that happened ?  Anyway, we left with very heavy hearts and bags and spent a day in Graz before arriving in Munich.  We spent 3 lovely days in Isny with Doc.  Some sightseeing and generally just relaxing with Doc.

From Isny we rented a car and drove to Belguim and Holland.  We will add more on all of that later but for now the pictures can tell the story.  On our way to Singapore and internet connection and time to write is not always possible.  I know, I know, we are on holiday ........  In Holland we spent two interesting days in Amsterdam and let me tell you, those bicycles are not to be messed with.  Those people can really ride a bike through a city, two babies, packed with groceries while talking on the cellphone - in rush hour traffic.  Everyone does it.  We then went on to Eindhoven where we met I with Tante Ria and Oom Ruud, Dutch family that have never met before.  What special people and thank-you for opening our home to you !

Thought we'd never be in a picture together again



Why Belguim # 1

 

Why Belguim # 2

 

Why Belguim # 3

Why Brussels #4

Why Brussels # 5

Why Belguim - Brugge # 6

Why Belguim - Brugge # 7

Tante Ria & Oom Ruud

Grandchildren of Tante Ria - Family

VIENNA FOR A WHILE

Month of May in Vienna

Schooling has been priority since our return to Vienna. The kids have dived in and we have managed, more or less, to do a few hours every morning to be able to catch-up as well as to get ahead with the schoolwork. Seeing that as of the 18^th May we will be on the road again for about 3 weeks.

We have been visiting Peter at his garden house in Essling, on the outskirts of Vienna, spending relaxing mornings or afternoons, with kids playing in the garden.

Uncle Peter's Garden House

Uncle Peter

Virtually every street in the 1^st District has felt our soles and souls as we have passed through this beautiful city with its rich history.

Street Artists in Vienna

Cycling on the Donau (Danube)



Stephansdome Street Artists- the heart of Vienna



The Prater - Riesen Rat

The kids went on this amusement ride!  Adults were to afraid

The beer!  A night out with friends

The Food!

Even Di enjoyed the beer

Our time in Vienna/Europe is getting short. On the 19^th we leave with Erwin, we will visit the city of Graz and then carry on to Munchen, where we will be staying with Doc for a few days.

As much as we are looking forward to the next stage of our travels it is going to be with a heavy heart that we leave Vienna and especially our ‘family’ here...Erwin & Doris and Peter and Herta and of course good ole Katta!

Katta with us on the Riesen Rat

Erwin and Doris have let us take over their house...not an easy thing for them to do, I imagine. They don’t have children and have been used to having the house for themselves. They’re neat and tidy and do all the cleaning up themselves. So, having two wild African kids and two grown-ups that are used to having hired help at home, it has been quite a shift in lifestyles. We AND the kids have learned that it is actually possible to clean up after ourselves and to keep a place (relatively!) tidy

We cannot and have not been able to think of or find a gift big enough to express our extreme gratitude to Erwin and Doris, so it has been decided that reciprocation would be the best option.

Thus, we are looking forward to their next visit to Southern Africa.

Katta and the kids have spent a lot of time together and she promised to come and visit Namibia again next. In fact today the kids have gone with her to help her paint her lovely new apartment...and we’re packing!

Di has fallen in love with Vienna...and it makes me happy. I have noticed quite a few changes(for the good) in the city and its people, where once I had made my home!!!...I have also dealt with some private ghosts and managed to leave with a sadness but also a big smile in my heart.

A view of Vienna from the Riesen Rat (Feris Wheel)

Next y’all will hear from us will be either in Singapore or Australia.

Guess which one of us took this picture..... ?

Rural Switzerland

Switzerland, Europa Park and back to Vienna

Every Child'sdream, unlimited chocolate

Spent our last week in Switzerland with the Locher kids being on Holiday.



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Rural Switzerland - these houses last generations and all weather



George and Justine took us to a place in the mountains of Switzerland...Now, Switzerland is probably in the top 10 of most developed and sophisticated countries in the world, BUT whoever did these calculations have NOT been in rural mountainous Switzerland!!!



Cheese Cheese Cheese





You dont get Fresher than this




Cycling around Lake Geneva



It was surreal, the folk are down to earth, and friendly but isolated from the rest of Switzerland for quite a few months of the year. They have their own language and culture.  These folk even use their cows ...wait for it...not for milk or meat but for FIGHTING. The COWS not the bulls!! They live a very subsistence type of life, by being self sufficient and growing their own food and drink. Nowadays it is much better but even until a few years ago they were VERY isolated from the rest of the country...and often ended up having some dietary deficiencies...thus more often than not in a group of mountain folk you will count more ears than teeth!!!

It was a marvellous experience, we went hiking each day. The last hiking day we walked from 1700m up to over 2000m and were very close to a glacier. Unfortunately we could not go further as there were real avalanche dangers at the time. In fact at one stage we were walking and heard what sounded like thunder, Di and Justine spotted a massive avalanche on the mountains a few km’s away. It was a sobering moment as we were all quite keen to go to the glacier. Thank goodness we had Georges along who kept on calming our exuberance. Georges basically grew up in the mountains( but he did eventually start eating properly, left his cousins alone and had his teeth done!!!  J)...sorry Georges – just HAD to tell everyone!



Last snow in the mountains - slightly higher and it's snow covered




Our "Heidi"



Back from Heidi and Peter countryside, we spent the next few days visiting chocolate factory, going to swim in thermal baths and generally chilling and doing touristy things.

The kids also had a wonderful time and Georges and Justine were great friends, hosts and cooks. Thanks again. It was sad to leave our friends but we had to hit the road again.

Europa Park

On the way back to Austria we went to a large amusement park called Europa Park. The kids had fun but standing in queues for hours for rides that we can do in Cape Town wasn’t Di and my cup of tea. The next day we left and drove 900km’s to Vienna.

It was so nice to see Erwin and Doris again and be back in Vienna

Vienna, Thermal Baths in Burgenland and missing home

Schooling was a priority being back in Vienna, so the kids(and us) had to settle down for a disciplined routine everyday.

School in  session

Katta took us to her new place of employ...Hermann Strandbar...very cool!!! It is a beach in the city of Vienna on the Donau Kanal. Basically an outdoor summer bar with beach sand, deck chairs and a view of the city as well as the canal running off the actual Danube. Very ‘in’ apparently.

Katta's new workplace - that's real beach sand

The weekend of 29 April-1 May we went with Doris and Erwin to a Lodge in Burgenland(province of Austria on the border with Hungary). The Lodge is called St. Martins Therme Lodge. It is hot spring water in swimming pools...and a Spa. Situated very close to the Neusiedlersee.

A wonderful relaxing time was had by all...ended the weekend off with a Game/Bird drive with the Lodge’s Zoologist Elke. Very professional, passionate and informative. A type of Tommy’s Living Desert Tour in Austria.

Cameron & Jodi using umbrella's for the 1st time EVER!

It is this time of the travels that the mind and heart starts ‘going home’. Di and I were chatting about how one starts to miss home and the very next day the kids were getting itchy about when will they see their friends, dogs, teachers(not necessarily in that order!!) etc. But I think this has a lot to do with not moving around so much and doing routine type stuff.

Trampoline claiming to be the worlds largest - floating on the Danube

Hmmmm - fighting with Erwin over the last piece of steak (ja right)