Travel day
Dakota is feeling better! We're in good spirits. Your love and support has helped us when we've needed it. Thank you! We stopped at the zoo today to fill a few hours before our flight. Dakota knows something interesting about every single animal. She's on her way to becoming an animal biologist. The...
1st day in Rothenburg
We had breakfast in the hotel which lives up to it's amazing reviews. The owner, a kind gentleman with adorable formal tie and sweater escorts us to our table. We have misty garden views out the window. I wonder how our apartment isn't in the folds of his lovingly cared for hotel and am glad he asks...
We arrive in Rothenburg
We arrived in Rothenburg today. We entered what looked like a one way street through a narrow archway into the walled city. It didn't seem like we should be driving on this narrow cobblestone path. We zigged and zagged to our hotel. The apartment is old, we expected that much but I think the red sha...
3rd day in Fussen
We explored around town today on foot. The sun is shining again. The weather has been unbelievable, the whole trip it hasn't rained on us at all. Pearl found her German pin, she's been collecting them in each country and Dakota found a sweet German doll. We drove around the lake to get some perspect...
2nd day in Fussen
Fueled by German donuts, we finally see Neuschwanstein castle! They don't allow photography inside. The interior is modern with glass windows that open and close, running water, and electricity. It feels almost artificial. Like a pretend castle. We took the carriage up and down the steep hill. The c...
1st day in Fussen
We woke up to the Alps and birdsong out the window. Then church bells. [youtube=g4NtKqE-8UI] Everyone slept in but Pearl is still unwell. We look for a store and everything is closed for Sunday. Sam finds an apothecary and gets her some supplies. I've got a heavy heart that Pearl is sick. I doctor h...
We arrive in Germany
I'm glad to leave the perfume of Paris today and head to clean mountain air. We take a short flight to stuggart Germany and pick up a rental car. I relax now that Sam is behind the wheel instead of crazy taxi drivers. There's a general friendliness again, like being in Oregon. Two different people n...
2nd day in Paris
It's kind of unbelievable what we fit in to one day today. We purchased the museum pass which let's you freely move between museums and skip the lines. We took a taxi to our first stop, Orangerie museum and saw Monet's waterlilies. We took the pedestrian walking bridge across the Seine river to s ee...
1st day in Paris
Pearl woke up with a sore throat. The pollution/cigarette smoke is terrible. It's effecting me too. Pearl decided she couldn't go out so Dakota and I ventured out without her and Sam. We learned how to cross a street with four separate cross walks and run to the little pedestrian islands for safety....
We arrive in Paris
The international train station was a new experience. Walking to the platform we were separated and sqeezed by the flow of humans. It felt strange to have no personal space. We had comfortable seats, facing each other like the dinner table. Being free to get up and use the bathroom and get food with...
3rd day in London
We took the tube to the Kew gardens today. It was a foggy London day and the moisture felt good. Daffodils and crocus are blooming and the orchids are blooming in the orchid house. We had timed entry, not to be confused with uncrowded entry. We shuffled through the exhibit taking turns taking pictur...
2nd day in London
We headed to Tate modern this morning for the Yayoi Kusama installation. There were two installations, the Infinity room - filled with the brilliance of life and the chandelier of grief. The first time through we got stuck with the noisy family who talked the whole 3 minutes we were in the experienc...
1st day in London
We packed it in on our first day. Sam taught the kids and I how to use the tube. We had tickets to the Tower of London to see the Royal Jewels. The scepter with cross is the largest colorless cut diamond ever found and it sparkled! We tried to avoid the torture tower and still bumped into a few unco...
Mayfair London
We made it! The overnight flight was "super fancy" said Pearl and Dakota and still no one slept more than two hours. Jetlagged we took the Heathrow express to Paddington station, met Paddington bear which warmed my heart and made no sense to the kids but they played along. We walked about a mile thr...
4 hour layover
Easy 4 hour layover. Arrival gate in Seattle was next to our departure gate for London. Decent Vietnamese food and pizza. Everyone is excited. Hopefully we can get some rest over Canada and Greenland. Sam