Friday, December 29, 2017

Upside Down House

Every time we have driven past this Toppel House, we have said, "we should stop there one of these days." But being that it is about 90 minutes away, and we are usually just wanting to get home when we drive by, I knew we would have to actually plan on going there if it were ever going to happen.

So on our way home from the Wurzburg Christmas market, we finally stopped to check out this novel tourist trap.

It was drizzly and gray and there was hardly anyone else there which was great for exploring and taking photos.

Amelie has gotten so strong!

And we have all improved in our handstand ability.

I like this photo- it is kinda magical to be upside down.

Jumping on the bed, level expert.

Toby thought breakfast looked good.

Yeah, I played too.

Flipping into the tub?

Sometimes Rob likes to ride his bike to work, but this one was way too small for him.  Creative problem solving.

Amelie just showing off.

Charlotte is so light, she might just float away!

It was fun, and silly.  The kiddos liked it.  Now we can say, "Hey, remember that place?"  every time we drive by.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

... and other December fun!

Besides gorging ourselves at Christmas markets, December has been a busy month in other ways.

We've had snow!  And more than once!

Not a lot of snow, but still this is unusual for December in our part of Germany.  The kids have loved getting bundled up and going out to play in the slushy snow.  Rob even had a 2-hour delay for work one day this week!  (The kids were already off of school for winter break.)

I've been trying to do more things one on one with my big kids.  Toby and I took this photo on our date one evening.  We just went to Charley's for dinner, and then sat and played a few hands of cards before I took him to Cub Scouts, but it was fun to spend some time with my buddy and remind him that he is such a special kid.

We also found a place where we could cut down our own Christmas tree this year.  This is a tradition my family had growing up, so it was fun to go with Rob and the kids.  Jake even helped do the sawing.

We took the tree home and put it in water as quickly as possible, and it is still doing well.  Yay!

Rob and I put the lights on and then let everyone help decorate.  German Christmas trees aren't quite as full as the trees I knew as a kid in PA, but they are lovely in their own way.

Each of the kids has also had a Christmas party, or two, at school.  Pajama day, Polar Express parties, pancakes breakfasts, and more!  The only one Amelie and I attended this year though was Charlotte's class music concert. She sang and played her recorder beautifully.  (Well, as beautifully as one can play a recorder.)

And let's not forget the baking!
I love baking Christmas cookies.  Every year I make a list to make sure we don't leave out any of our favorites, and it has been fun to have more help in the kitchen this year as my big kids get more involved in the process.

I love the JOY of Christmas and the spirit of doing good for our fellowmen at this time of year!  I hope that your holidays have been filled with love, peace, and FUN this December.  
Merry Christmas from the Andersons!

Christmas Markets...

Each year we visit a couple of Christmas markets, but this year Rob and I were both feeling the need to visit a few MORE markets... the end is in sight my friends.

The first one we went to was the Rudesheim Market of the Nations just after Thanksgiving.  This Christmas tree type thing is made from the pruned grape vines from the local vineyards.

The different stalls at this market have flags to show where the food or merchandise comes from.  You know we bought some stinky French cheese here.  We also had Flammkuchen (my favorite,) and Bratwurst made from Finnish elk meat.

They claim this is the largest Christmas market nativity... but I believe I have heard that claim from at least four other Christmas markets, so who knows.

We let each of the kids choose one treat at this market.  Amelie chose this Dickmann thing.  It's a German treat with a chocolate covered marshmallow center.  They are kind of hilarious, but she likes them.

Rob and I shared a Kinderpunsch and kept our souvenir mug for our growing collection.

Toby and Charlotte chose cotton candy, and Jake got a chocolate covered apple which made his loose tooth fall out on the way to the car.

What I liked best about this market was the setting.  Rudesheim has a really quaint old town and is nestled between the Rhine and it's vineyards.  I think this was my favorite market this year.

The next market some of us went to, was the Darmstadt market.  Rob was going there with his co-workers for lunch, so Amelie and I drove down to meet up with them.  Darmstadt feels like home to me.  Whenever I go downtown I am just overwhelmed with memories of walking the streets with my babies in the stroller, hanging out with my girlfriends on girls night out, dinners at some of my favorite restaurants, all of those things.  So it was fun to get some hot cocoa with my sweetheart and reminisce. 

Another market that we had never visited before is the Frankfurt Christmas market.  (In fact, Rob had never visited downtown Frankfurt at all yet.)  We took the train from near our house so we wouldn't have to deal with parking in the city.

That was a good idea, because even though it was a bit of a walk from the Hauptbahnhof, the market was SO CROWDED. This is the only one that we visited on a Saturday this year, and we feel like in the future we will try not to go on Saturdays at all. Anyway, we ate chimney cakes, and window shopped.

They had a beautiful old two-story carousel, so we let the kiddos take a ride on that.

And then we ate MORE FOOD.  This is a schnitzel sandwich with fried onions.  Are you sensing a trend here?  Basically our Christmas market plan is to eat our way from one end of the market to the other while enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the season.  It's a lot of fun!

The next market Amelie and I visited was in Alsfeld.  This is a tiny town about 90 minutes away from our house, but a friend had said it was one of her very favorites, so I had to check it out.  

The market is small, but the old town is beautiful!  The town is at least 1,000 years old and many of these buildings date from the 1500s.  I do love German medieval cuteness.

Since the market was so small we strolled the shops a little bit too.

Some girlfriends from church met up with us there and Amelie was thrilled to hang out with her best friend too. 

Rob also made it to a market without any kids.  He and some co-workers visited the Mainz market as a farewell to someone leaving Germany.  It was pouring down rain that day, but it looks like they had some fun anyway.


And finally we made the two hour drive to Würzburg to visit their Christmas market.  Würzburg is a pretty sizable city, but nothing in comparison to Frankfur, Munich, or Berlin.  The market was smaller than we expected, but still really lovely. 

The boys found a meter long bratwurst to share. 

Then we got to see a demonstration of how bratwurst are made by hand.

We picked up another Christmas market mug at one of these Gluhwein stands too.  (Non-alcoholic version, of course.)

And we ate yummy food!  Chocolate covered bananas and strawberries, Lebkuchen, and crepes with Nutella.  There really seems to be no end to the tasty holiday treats in Germany!

It has been a fun month leading up to Christmas this year, and we are glad we braved the crowds and cold to enjoy the markets this year.

Monday, December 04, 2017

How do we travel Europe on a budget? Picking a destination

So a lot of people have been asking me for travel advice the past few months and I have really been thinking about how and why we travel so much with our four kiddos.  So I have decided to write a few blog posts on different aspects of this topic.  Hopefully it will be useful info to someone, but even if it isn't, I will enjoy the trip down memory lane.

First of all, we have a travel budget. Rob and I both value travel and sharing experiences as a family, so when we go through all of our monthly expenses we make sure to set aside a regular amount for travel.  Some years it has been a very tiny amount (like sleeping on an air mattress at a family member's house tiny) and other years we have dedicated more money to travel, as our finances and situation allow.

This post will look at destinations we have visited (or plan to soon visit) from our current home base near Wiesbaden, Germany.  Maybe when we move back to the States again I will write about travel there.



Day-trips or pit-stops:  These are places we can drive to in about 2-3 hours.  When our kids were babies that was as far as we could get in the car before a meltdown or feeding.  They are perfect for a day-trip, or as a place to stop for a few hours on the way to somewhere further out.  These are the cheapest way to travel and explore not far from home.

Strasbourg or Colmar, France: I love that we can be in France in just a few hours and enjoy Alsatian food and French pastries while visiting cathedrals and castles.

Baden Baden: This is a spa town; Caracalla is for ages 7+ and people wear swimsuits, Friedrichsbad is 14+ and nude.

Heidelberg: Castle ruins and downtown shopping

Rhine River cruise, Bacharach, Burg Rheinfels: The Rhine River cruise is especially nice for people with limited mobility.  We prefer to ride just one direction, then take the train back.  (The ride coming back upstream is slooooow.)

Burg Eltz (and other castles): One of my favorite castles in all of Europe!

Michelstadt: Little medieval walled town with an intact wall, toy museum, adorable Rathaus, and lovely Christmas market.

Trier: This wasn't one of our favorite spots, but it is very historical and a lot of people love it... maybe we were just having an off day or something.

Worms: Birthplace of the Lutheran Reformation.


Aachen: One of my favorite cathedrals in Europe, the diminutive Aachener Dom.  Also burial place of Charlemagne.

Ulm: Home of the Ulm Minster- the tallest cathedral in the world (until Sagrada Familia is completed.)

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Probably the most famous walled medieval town in Germany.

Cologne: I know there is more to see in Cologne than the cathedral, but the cathedral alone made it worth the drive.

Barefoot Park: This is a uniquely German past-time and so much fun with the kids!



Long weekend driving trips:

Not having to buy airfare significantly reduces the cost of traveling.  These are places near enough that it makes sense to drive there even if we are only staying for a few days.

Black Forest camping trip: Our family likes camping, and this can be a great way to travel for less.  We loved the Black Forest area.

Luxembourg camping trip: This is one we haven't done yet, but plan to soon.

Garmisch: The first time we lived in Germany we never visited Garmisch, but this time around we have visited there repeatedly.  It has become our favorite spot for an actual relaxing vacation- with some skiing and sight-seeing on the side.

Normandy, France: We loved seeing Mont St. Michel, but many people come to this area just for the WWII sights.  There is a ton to see and do here, and we get to eat French pastries- my favorite.

Legoland: The kids just love this.  We have gone maybe 3 times now? I just look for the overnight deal on their website- one night's stay in their theme cottages, including breakfast, with park tickets for 2 days. It costs less than park tickets alone. 

Berlin: It took us a long time to actually visit Berlin, but when we finally did we really liked it.  The city is very easy to navigate and full of interesting history and iconic monuments.

Dresden: The Dresden Christmas market might be my very favorite in all of Germany.  I'm sure the city is lovely to visit year round, but I am so glad we went during the Christmas market! We also love awesome outdoor sights, and nearby Bastei Bridge was one of those for sure.

Munich and Dachau: We loved the Englischer Garten and Biergarten and walking in downtown Munich.  Nearby Dachau Concentration Camp may be difficult to explain to small children, but I think it is an important part of history and was worth the effort and emotional toll to visit.

Paris, France: Okay, maybe Paris isn't exactly cheap.  But with a large family, it is cheaper to drive there than to fly.  We also make it more affordable by taking the metro or walking within the city, staying in an airbnb, and if visiting a LOT of sights, getting the citypass. I can't even believe it myself, but I have now been to Paris four times.  Once with my nephew (in my mid-20s, backpacking,) once as a family with 2 kids (driving,) once with some mommy friends (flying,) and once with just Charlotte (by train.) I think Paris is totally do-able on a budget.

Bruges, Belgium: Ohhh just thinking of Bruges makes me miss the daffodils, waffles, fries, and beautiful buildings.

Amsterdam & Keukenhof, The Netherlands: Amsterdam was a very expensive place to visit, so why is it on this list? We were able to see the highlights of Amsterdam in one well-planned day and two nights.  We stopped to see Keukenhof (early, before the crowds) on our way home on day two, and we had an unforgettable mini-break.  And it saves money to visit both sights in two days rather than taking two separate trips.

(Our kids look forward to road trips because we usually stop at least once for McDonald's.  We generally don't eat McDonald's except for when we are traveling.)

Extended road trips: These trips are more involved, longer, and require more planning.  But again, because we are not buying plane tickets, we are able to see many more places for our money.

Venice and Slovenia: Venice is expensive. Using it as a one-two night stop on our way to much more affordable Slovenia means that we got to experience it for less cost.  Slovenia was fantastic!  Lake Bled, green cities,  caves, and castles ... we loved it.

Eastern European Road Trip: this was the first BIG road trip I ever planned for our family. We visited 7 cities in 8 days: Nuremberg, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna, Hallstadt, and Salzburg.  Again, we couldn't afford to visit all of these places if we tried to go to them individually, but by stringing them together on a road trip we could get much more travel bang for our buck.

Ireland Road Trip: We did fly to Ireland and rent a car there, but because Ireland is on the Euro and costs are lower there, this trip was less expensive than our similar British road trip which had no airfare or car rental expenses.
 
Northern Italy Road Trip: There are so many places that we wanted to see in Northern Italy, that a road trip made the most sense.  Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence, and Milan.  The toll roads in Italy were a killer- they add up fast!  But overall, this was still an affordable 9 day trip.




Less expensive destinations to fly to: These are some places that we have visited (or will visit) by flying.  We either think it is too far to drive, or airfare is inexpensive, or a combination of the two.

Rome: As far as MAJOR European cities go, I think Rome was one of the cheapest for us to visit.  It is very walkable, food is affordable, and we flew on Ryanair.

Croatia: We also flew to Croatia on Ryanair, and stayed at a family campground type of resort which was much cheaper than a hotel. We did a few tour group type things there because we didn't have a car, but it is such an affordable destination that it was totally within our budget to do that.  Plitvice Lakes is still one of our favorite places we have ever seen.

Greece: This is one we have planned for 2018. Greece's economy is pretty weak right now, which makes it a travel bargain.  We are going to do a Mediterranean Cruise (with MSC budget cruise line) and visit Athens, Olympia, Santorini, and Corfu, as well as Brindisi, Italy and Kotor, Montenegro.  I think a budget cruise can be a great way to see a lot of places.

Iberian islands like Ibiza or Mallorca: Now, Ibiza wasn't really a kid friendly destination, but Rob and I enjoyed it and it was an affordable anniversary trip.  We plan to visit Mallorca with all of the kids before we leave Germany and have heard great things about it's history, beaches, and other sights.

Barcelona: I think Spain and Portugal are both affordable places to fly to and to stay, but so far we have only made it to Barcelona.  We flew on Lufthansa (which is a nice airline) and I think our tickets were less than $90 each.  We also stayed in a nice apartment just a few blocks from the beach and it was very inexpensive.


Splurges: When I was a kid and people would ask, "If you could go anywhere in the world..." I would always answer London. Of all of the places we have visited, Rob feels like Iceland just speaks to him.  Sometimes the place that you MOST want to visit is not budget friendly, but if it is the place you MOST want to visit, than it is worth saving for.  These are some of those places for us, and how we tried to keep the costs down.

London: We only spent 3 days in London when we went, because that was all we could afford.  We flew on Ryanair, and stayed (then we were a family of 4) in a very small hotel room that included breakfast. We took public transit and walked everywhere.  This was also a celebration of our 4th anniversary. I LOVED IT.

Iceland: We traveled to Iceland on our way to the US to visit family.  Icelandair allowed a free stopover which meant that we didn't have to pay airfare to get there.  Once there, we rented a car and stayed in a cabin out of the main city.  We bought groceries and had breakfast and dinner at the cabin and only ate out for lunch.  We also traveled during the off-season in October which meant less crowds and lower prices.

Anywhere in Scandinavia: Rob and I both really wanted to visit some of the Nordic countries.  I priced a trip to Norway the first time we lived in Germany (to see the famous fjords) and we decided we couldn't afford it.  Living here the second time we finally made that trip to Norway by doing the super fast Norway in a Nutshell route, and by staying at a campground for a few nights.  We also splurged on a Baltic Cruise (on budget cruise line MSC) which allowed us to visit Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn, and St. Petersburg for less than we could have traveled to one of those destinations.  (Though it was still a big trip cost-wise.)  In 2018, Rob and I are planning to visit Finnish Lapland, without the kids, and do some bucket list items that they could not participate in.

Great British Road Trip: Rob has talked for years about the Isle of Skye and wanting to go there.  I just could not figure an affordable way for us to do that... except as part of a bigger road trip. This was our longest (15 days) and most expensive European adventure, but we did it as cheaply as possible (driving our own car, staying in airbnbs, doing laundry along the way, buying groceries, etc) and I have no regrets.  It was worth every penny to get to Bath, Windsor, the Lake District, Wales, Skye, the Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness, Edinburgh, and so on. Sometimes, it is worth the splurge.



Friday, November 10, 2017

All about Fall

I feel like there are a lot of little things that I haven't posted about (and some big ones too) since we have been busy the past two months or so... so let's re-cap.

We started school!
I posted this on facebook, but not on the blog at the time.  Charlotte is now in 5th grade, Toby is in 3rd, and Jake is in 1st.  Parent teacher conferences for the first quarter will be this week, so I'll find out then how things are going, but judging by the kids' descriptions, everything is going great.

We signed Amelie up for preschool ballet!
Unfortunately, the only time slot available was at the exact time the other kids got out of school.  It kinda worked as I could drop her off, then run (literally, on foot) to the school and meet the kids, and then come back to ballet.  Except that without me there, Amelie completely freaked out. We tried it for a month and when there was no clear improvement I gave Amelie an ultimatum, "suck it up, or no more ballet."  So yeah, we quit ballet.  Maybe she'll try again in a year or two.

We started reading the Book of Mormon (again) as a family and after scriptures each evening the kids would go upstairs and build something we had read out of Legos.  This is Lehi talking to Laman and Lemuel about how they are like the valley and the river. 

And this is Nephi cutting off the head of Laban.  They were having fun with this for a while and then petered out a bit, I'll have to remind them so they can do it again tonight.

The bigger kids also started sports.  Jake played soccer.  His favorite soccer shirt said, "no talk, all action" and we joked that it was the opposite for Jakey.. he was very much talk, and a little action.  

Amelie enjoyed her role as cheerleader.


And Toby and Charlotte played on a co-ed volleyball team.  They both improved a ton this season, had a lot of fun, and have decided they want to keep playing volleyball next year as well.

That brings us up to Halloween. This year we had Hermione, Cinderella, a Ninja, and a Pirate Captain.

Rob and I dressed up a little bit too as Napoleon Dynamite and Deb.

We attended the chili cook-off and trunk or treat at our church the week before Halloween.  Charlotte made this bean bag toss game on her own.  Skeleton = 3 pieces of candy, pumpkin = 2, and ghost = 1.

A few days before actual Halloween we carved pumpkins.  It is so nice to have a kiddo that is finally old enough to help carve!

The girls did a cat silhouette with a crescent moon and the boys did a classic Jack-o-Lantern. We got  few trick or treaters this year- more than in the past, and our kids even threw their costumes on and went to a few of our neighbor's houses that they saw were handing out candy.

The next weekend marked the end of the first quarter of the school year, which our Elementary celebrates with a skate party in the multi-purpose room.

First, they have grade K-2 skate, and then after an hour grades 3-5 skate.  Lucky us we get to be there the WHOLE TIME.  Charlotte likes to dance while she skates.

 Jacob had so much fun this year!  He was giggling and totally sweaty by the end of his time skating.  I bought him these roller-blades at the thrift store for $5 and he has been rollerblading in the basement nearly every day since the skate party.  (This little student council girl helping him is in 5th grade, by the way.  Jake may end up being bigger than Toby one day.)

Oh boy!  It has been a busy Fall and it is not even mid-November!!