An Austrian adventure

We're home! To be honest, it was a wonderful week, but I'm feeling a little sick and a lot exhausted today.

Austria is one of the most beautiful places I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. The historic and gorgeous buildings. The palaces and monuments. The picture perfect villages. The scenery that looks like it's come straight off a Christmas card. It's just stunning. Throw in the fact that you can buy juicy sausages with mustard and freshly grated horse raddish on the street and there is a gluhwein stall every few metres and you've got a happy holiday. Not to mention that Austria is the land of schnitzel and beer.

A sight-seeing holiday with three young children is tiring though. There is at least one child at all times who is upset or whining about something. If you're lucky all three will whine at the same time, usually when you're at the most amazing spot you've ever been. I won't lie, there were times when Skip and I saw a gorgeous wine bar or a lovely restaurant or an interesting museum and thought: "If only we hadn't brought the kids...". Or when we were walking through the Salzburg Christmas markets in the most beautiful square on a perfect winter evening with lights twinkling, the choir singing and all three kids crying. But that's life. Perfect moments are never really perfect.

On the flip side, there were magical moments too. Walking through Vienna and it starts snowing, Lil who had never seen snow falling before runs around a gorgeous square amongst the Christmas lights catching snowflakes on her tongue. Or when we chased squirrels around the grounds of Schonbrunn Palace, the kids all squealing with delight. Or when the girls dressed up as princesses in a real palace. Or when we stopped at Mirabell Palace in Salzburg after a snow fall the kids slid down the hill on their backs. Memories which are now burnt into my brain and which I hope that they (or at least the girls) will have snippets of in their minds.

Here are some snaps of our adventure:

I feel in love with the wreaths and decorations at the markets. Real wreaths made of pine, real holly, etc costing about $12. I so wanted to carry some home, but didn't think they'd last the journey. 

It was about now when I realised that as good as Converse are, they're really not made for snow...

We went to Christmas markets every single night we were in Austria. I still didn't buy enough decorations though.

Sitting in a 300-year-old cafe in Salzburg watching Skip and Darbs outside in the snow.

Taken from the 'Do-Re-Mi' steps in Salzburg. So pretty. Too cold for singing though...

Krampos is an old character who captures very naughty children at Christmas time and takes them away in his sack. Unsurprisingly Goose was not afraid and ran up to give him a massive hug!

I don't normally dress them the same, they chose their jackets and hats! 

Darbs sleeping as the snow falls. 

Eating spietzel at the Christmas markets in Vienna.

Eating wild boar at the Christmas markets. Kids LOVED this and you certainly can't get it in Dubai!

Princesses at Schonbrunn Palace.

Creating royal wigs at Schonbrunn Palace kids museum.

Lil catching snowflakes in Vienna.

This was breakfast one morning. Well, it was Sacher torte at the Sacher Hotel in Vienna and we weren't
the only ones indulging! 

It was only a week but we crammed so much in, it felt like much longer. I can't wait to go back one day.