Grossglockner Road, Austria

"Feast your eyes on the essence of alpine beauty and take the white-knuckle, breathtaking drive along Austria's lofty Grossglockner Road. Named after the country's highest peak and traversing some of Austria's most scenic regions, the road was an important trading route between Germany and Italy in the Middle Ages. The fantastic Grossglockner Road was built between 1930 and 1935...almost 700 square miles in size, it boasts 300 mountains over 9,840 feet, 246 glaciers, lush valleys and dozens of pretty villages... Spectacular vistas of the park's centerpiece, the towering Grossglockner, 12,460 feet tall, make it hard for drivers to keep their eyes on the hairpin turns" (1,000 Places To See Before You Die - aka the Willingham travel bible!)I gotta tell you, I really wasn't psyched about this drive at first. I was ready for Salzburg. And ready to get out of the car for a little while. Boy am I glad we are pretty committed to following the 1,000 Places book's advice and stuck to our itinerary in this case. This was something we couldn't miss! It truly was one of those once in a lifetime places!

The Grossglockner Road was fabulous every way you look at it - except I guess the fact that you have to pay to drive on it. But it was worth every Euro-cent. The fascinating element to me was the number of mountain bikers huffing and puffing right along with the cars on this twisting-turning road up these mountains. People of all ages up for a challenge. I mean I wasn't sure that our CAR was going to make it. How in the world did the bikers? Strong legs and lungs, I suppose.

Kirk pulled over at one point and hopped out of the car with Connor - much to my chagrin. And off they headed right into the glacier. Don't worry though, he 'tested' out the path first before taking our precious daughter in. They had fun making and throwing snowballs at me while I moaned and begged for them to come back. I don't like the thought of my family buried in cold snow! What won't we do for a picture?!?!

My favorite part of the Grossglockner Road adventure was stopping for lunch. There is a 'Bikers Point' where all the mountain bikers and motorcyclists congregate. We snuck in with our car and I kept thinking of Dick and Thomas and how much they would get a kick out of this place. Hard core Harley fun in the middle of nowhere, Austria!

Not a bad view as we ate our schnitzel! Yep, Salzburg could wait for this.

Chillin in the Backseat

As we road tripped throughout Germany and Austria we had plenty of interactive, engaged times. We sang the ABCs, "On Top of Spaghetti," and "John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt" more times than I thought possible. Luckily my sweet husband did remember to bring Julie Andrews' Sound of Music soundtrack so we could be aptly-themed in Austria. But Connor's music definitely ruled the day. She especially loves "If You're Happy and You Know It." Only problem is that when the verse comes that goes, "If you're happy and you know it, NOD your head," Connor must think they are saying "KNOCK your head" because she makes knuckles with her fists and knocks on her head! No matter how vigorously Kirk and I try to demonstrate the nods she insists on knocking and we all have a good laugh.

There are of course hours of down time when we all disengage and play more independently. One time I woke up from a nap and looked in the backseat. Connor managed to unzip my suitcase and pulled out all of my underwear. She was quite proud of her discovery. She also found my pink shirt and next thing I knew she was wearing it!
Silly girl! Road trips always bring out something new!

What does a quarter buy?

Do you remember when you were a kid and gumball machines at the grocery store produced some of the most enticing treats you could think of? I used to relish guessing which "prize" would fall out just for me. Oh what a fun occasion.

Over here we don't really have gumball machines. Wanna know what Connor wants a quarter for instead?

That's right. The candle prayers and blessings in the cathedrals we visit. They beckon to Connor and she has just recently caught on that by dropping a coin or two into the slot, she can light one with her daddy, say a prayer and even say AMEN.

Something about this very European tradition makes me smile. It is a way we can teach her to pray and the power of prayer. And to care. And a much better use for a quarter than the latest plastic gumball doo-dad, don't you think?

Strasbourg, Ulm, and Innsbruck

I am rewinding way back to when Connor and I put Mom on the plane back to the USA in Paris. Since it was a holiday weekend in Belgium we took the TGV train directly from the airport to Strasbourg where Kirk drove to meet us after work. From Strasbourg we had planned a long weekend road trip through Austria and Germany. Very exciting! I think there are 4 (?) Belgian holidays in May. We could get used to this type of mandatory vacation!

While we waited for Kirk to join us we checked into our hotel and went to the Orangerie park near the EU buildings. It was a gorgeous day and Connor had a great time running, playing on the playground, and marveling at the monkeys in the trees! We grabbed a picnic dinner from the grocery store. Gotta love European grocery stores. It is such a money and time saver versus going out to dinner. And I think Connor gets a kick out of helping choose items from the shelves. We are becoming pretty proficient picnic-ers!

The next morning we toodled around Strasbourg before setting off on our road trip. I was shocked. Strasbourg is spectacular. We started in the "Petite France" area, aka "the district on the waters." The half timber houses were an unexpected surprise. Juxtaposed with the water running level with the streets, it was a fairy tale type neighborhood. I half expected to see a princess waltzing around or for the townspeople to burst into song!

We walked across town to the Strasbourg Cathedral. The pink sandstone masterpiece of Gothic architecture was indeed breathtaking. You might think that we tire of seeing cathedrals given how many we have seen in Europe. But honestly each one takes my breath away with its ornamental intricacy and enormity. It must have taken unwavering faith and devotion to God to

plan, fund and execute such incredible building projects over so many consecutive lifetimes. The Strasbourg Cathedral took over 400 years to build but when completed it was the "highest building in the Christian world" for 600 years.

After skipping through the fairy tale city of Strasbourg we loaded up in the car and drove right through Germany's Black Forest region (where I want to return one day!) to the city of Ulm. Kirk randomly found Ulm in our guidebook and thought it would make a fun lunch stop. Ulm is a picturesque city right on the Danube River. It is the birthplace of Albert Einstein and Albrecht Berblinger, a tailor who invented the hangglider! The map below shows where Ulm is located:

The day burst forth from grey and gloomy to gorgeous crystal blue skies. We ate lunch at Zunfthaus der Schiffleute where they serve the traditional Swabian food in a German beer hall type atmosphere. The waitresses doted on Connor, the food hit the spot, German beer was consumed and to our delight we felt like we dropped right into one of the most authentic German spots without being too touristy. I don't know why Ulm isn't a highlight in more tour books; it certainly should be given the charm and ambience.

After lunch we headed to the Ulm Munster. This Lutheran church is noted as being the "tallest church in the world" so you know we had to check it out! The church was again absolutely stunning. We toured all around. The way the light hit the altar and the crucifix made the interior particularly dramatic.

After taking in the magnificent church, Kirk left us to climb the 768 spiral steps to the top for the view over Ulm. Obviously not an event for Connor, so the two of us stayed inside the church. The sun was beaming so hot and bright that I thought the cool, dark church would make a good spot for us to wait and prevent sunburns. It was while we were waiting that one of the more touching memories of our trip occured. Connor was due a nap and I wasn't sure exactly how to keep her entertained for the 45 minutes while Kirk treked to the top. I decided the church was large enough for us to play a game without being disrespectful. Our "game" consisted of running up and down the gigantic ruby red carpet of the aisle. So up and down, back and forth we went. We sprinted, we skampered, we skipped and we tip-toed. And most of all we laughed! And miraculously it worked. Traversing that aisle on the plush red carpet held Connor's attention. The tour groups chuckled as we weaved around them. And Connor sang all her songs up and back, step by step. Here are the photos from Kirk's ascent:


We could have spent more time in Ulm, easily. I loved the Bavarian yet urban feel. Because it was a holiday the locals were out and about enjoying the rays too. Everyone just seemed so happy. But we still had places to go and see so it was back in the car. And can you guess what was next? Here's a hint:
The Hills Were Definitely Alive With the Sound of Music!!!!!!
We drove to Austria and spent the night in Innsbruck in the Tirol region. We stayed right in the pedestrianized old town near the famous "Golden Roof Palace" at the Hotel Weisses Kreuz. The views were indeed tremendous and the town lovely...

...but can I tell you something? I didn't love Innsbruck. I can't say why in a nutshell because it had breathtaking mountains, our hotel was a great fit, and I really liked the idea of being in a city that was the sight of TWO Winter Olympic Games. But I found the place laden with tourists, a little claustraphobic and there wasn't a lot to take in except for the gimmicky shops. Rick Steves calls Innsbruck "stale strudel" in his guidebook and I reluctantly had to agree. I was thankful we only allocated a few hours to Innsbruck so it ended up being just enough. And on the plus side, there were all of these cute Austrian men in suspenders and lederhosen outside our hotel - so that was pretty cool!

I think maybe I was just too keyed up for the next leg of our trip. My very favorite! Stay tuned for more of our Austrian adventure....

Connor's Newest Words

This morning at breakfast I had a croissant on my plate. We hadn't said anything about it or mentioned the word. Connor gazed up at me and plain as day asked, "May I have a croissant?" My teeth almost fell out. What kind of 2 year old spontaneously knows the word for croissant? It is not one I have ever stressed or practiced with her. We had a good laugh after that.

The other word that Connor has down pat is "passport." She knows what passports look like and loves to see all of our photos in them.

Just two more ways our little girl shows she is definitely a Belgian expat and world traveler.

Friday Night Game Night

Last night our friends Laura and Shawn came over for a "Friday Night Game Night." It was tons of fun. We had make your own pizzas followed by make your own ice cream sundaes. Delicious! What could be better? Sometimes it is invigorating to just make it yourself! It even tasted halfway American. After dinner while watching Roger Federer eek out another win against del Porto in the fifth set, we played the board game 'Wits and Wagers.' This game is a hilarious combination of betting and trivia; we played til our sides hurt from laughter. Of course everyone took a turn winning except yours truly. Too bad I love board games so much but am so stinkin' awful at them. Laura and Shawn move back to the USA in July, like so many of our expat friends making the summer exodus. We are so happy we had the chance to know them and wish them well. I love "Friday Night Game Night"....when life settles down and gets a bit more predictable I hope it will become a family tradition.

Also of note, today - June 6 - is the 65th anniversary of the D Day Invasions in Normandy, France. There have been ceremonies all day commemorating the milestone anniversary and the veterans who served so courageously. I hope the USA is also marking the occasion with top publicity. The men must be at least 85 years and older. They say this might be the last "big" event with so many veterans still alive. Hats off to those who fought valiantly for our freedom.

My Mom the Artist!

My mom just started drawing a year or so ago. Growing up she would always encourage my art ability, so sure I got my great grandmother KK's genes. KK was an extraordinary artist. Mom would always cheer on my use of color and spacial perception with the KK comparison. What she didn't know is that she was the one with the untapped talent.

Let me just show you her skill. We took this photo of Connor at the beach in June of 2008. Connor just started walking on her own and these were her first independent steps at the beach. For our birthdays this year Mom did the following pastel from the above photo:
Keep in mind this is a photo of a photo - the original drawing is framed at Mom's house awaiting our return. I think she captured the movement of the water and the shape of Connor's head just perfectly. I cannot wait to see her masterpiece in person. A gift to treasure! KK would be proud of you, Mom! Thanks for all the love you put into this special work.

Our Little Monkey

I don't know exactly who Connor gets this habit from????

I laughed so hard when she did this at the train station the other week. Those are quite some toes!!! And so multifunctional. Then last week we had guests staying with us. Connor pulled out her very best manners and promptly ate apple slices and pretzels by sliding a piece in between her big toe and 2nd toe and lifting her foot up to her mouth to eat bites. I know, Emily Post and Miss Manners are cringing somewhere out there. It is hard not to laugh at Connor's funny tricks though. I wonder if this is a common stage?
And so continues our foot fascination!

Mountain of Laundry

All I have to say is, you gotta love the laundry in Europe. Each load accepts about 3-4 towels worth of volume and takes around 3 hours to complete before I can start another. This heap just makes me laugh. I wonder why Europeans haven't moved to more volume and time efficient clothes washing?! I guess slow laundry is just part of the rhythm of constant travel. Oh well, off to do some more laundry!