Our latest blogs
Libby spends birthday on an Austrian Farm
We have been lucky enough to spend a few days on a farm just east of Linz as the guests of our nephew's girlfriend and her family. Its been absolutely brilliant. Libby shares a birthday with Karina and her brother and so the family invited us along to join them celebrating.
We had fabulous food and drink, trying all sorts of real Austrian grub like dumplings and clear soup and home made chocolate cake. The farm was really interesting to look round, especially some of the beautiful old wooden barns, and we all got to practice our Austrian
Now we are back down to earth. We drove all day through Germany and are holed up in a motel on the French border. Its absolutely pouring so we decided that camping would be a really bad idea. (Were we spoilt in Italy?) We got here so late that the restaurants were closed and the supermarkets as well, so tea was a French version of that wonderdish, the kebab. Actually it was really nice!
Just a few days before we get home, and we are beginning to look forward to getting back. We drove along the edge of a long hill today and my brain kept on tricking me into thinking it was the cotswold escarpment and that we were coming up the M5. It really looked quite similar or am I just homesick?
(Not much) more soon
Love Lena
Austria(by Lena 26/05/09)
One of the reasons we have made this trip is so that the children can begin to appreciate the distances and differences between places. Driving from Spain to Austria has certainly made us realise just how far this is and much empty space there is around, something that you can forget in the UK.
The side effect of all this driving is that we are all a bit tired. We have driven through France and Italy to Austria in just over a week. There are so many bridges and tunnels it makes you wonder how slow it must have been before the moterways were built.
As we went through one of these tunnels we went from France to Italy. Although the topography on either side was very similar the feel of the places were so different. The style of the churches and houses is so characteristic; even the way the land was terraced and cultivated looked different
Anyway we have been unwinding in Filtzmoos for three or four nights, staying in my sister and brother in law's flat. Its so beautiful here. We've been on loads of lovely walks looking at the mountains caves and forested valleys.
Nick joins us in a few days time when we will start the long journey home
auf vedersein folks!
We are now near Lodeve (11/5/2009)
Hey everyone I am so tired and I can't wait to go to sleepI hope every ones ok back in England I'm in France at my mum's auntie's house and to night I can sleep in a real bed. Because my aunty Joan has a swimming pool I just had to have a dip.
A few days ago I went on a day trip called Barcelona and it was very hot but we did see the Gaudi park aswell as the new cathedral it was stunning.
We have also seen bull running in a village that we visited, that was fun and a bit scary to I kept thinking the bulls might run in to me.
Love Libby
Sea all around 30/04/2009 am
We were all completely pooped after yesterday's early start and so turned in at about 8.30pm GMT Sleeping arrangements were moderately comfortable, or would have been if Charlotte had decided to practice monkey-moves from the top bunk, via the ladder to the floor. Even in sleep she found it tricky not to stay still and managed to strip her duvet of its cover. A rather disgruntled Libby, who started the night top to tail with her eventually opted to moved across to the more sedentary Abigail's bed where she then slept soundly until about 5.30am.
Libby and Lena went on deck to whale watch at 6.30am. The rest of the family eventually joined them and a bottle nosed whale was spotted at about 9am. Unfortunately this was when Lena had just nipped to the loo!
We have a few videos and pictures to upload but seem to have left behind on crucial cable. I am sure we can lay our hands on one when we get to Spain but you may have to wait a few days to see those clips. Ooops!
Its tough away from school (honestly) by Libby 30/04/09
Hi guys! How are you? You can tell me by sending and email to this address I am really tired but don't worry I am doing lots of hard work and I will be doing way more when we get to Spain
So far I've seen a whale, gone to the boat cinema, played in the Games Planet, slept in a cabin and written 3 postcards that I got on the boat. We've learnt about the curvature of the earth by looking at the horizon. The sea is flat so we could see that the horizon was a bit curved. The corridor on the boat is so long we could see the perspective really well. It was cool. Abi counted over 100 steps before she lost count and had to start again. There is a electonic map on the wall that tells us where the boat is. I am going to go and see how far to go before we get to Spain. See you later Alligator. Byeeeee
The Whale (by Charie 30/04/09)
We were watching out of the window and we saw some whales and we saw some ships.
It was fun in the cabin and I liked it. Everyone had their own light and we played a lot
Maggie's mum had packed us a lovely breakfast. I like chocolate croissants the best
Soon we are going to be in Spain. We are going to go camping. We are not cycling because we didnt bring the bike
love from Charlie
The funniest thing that happened so far (by Abigail 30/04/09)
Charlie is being so funny all the time, but the funniest thing that happened last night was when mum said "Whats that hair?" and pulled it. It was Libby's hair. She was in the bunk above. Here hair was dangling over the edge of the bunk. She yelled. I cried with laughter.
Good Morning!! 29/4/2009
Well good morning to you all. We are on the ferry and pulling out of Portsmouth as I type. The journey down started at 6.06am. THe Cotswolds looked lovely in the early morning sun. Its not a time any of us often see.
The first surprise came when we received a text from "the car behind" on the way into Stow. It was the Orams on their way to Oxford. Charlie waved to Sam as the whizzed by on the road to Burford
We enjoyed the open road in front of us for the rest of the way. We were towing a trailer and our speed was only 50mph. For this reason we experienced what I call the "Morris Minor Effect"; something I enjoyed when I used to drive that car between Cheltenham and Oxford. When you drive 5mph slower than everyone else wants to, its the rear view mirror that fills and anything that passes is soon way ahead.
We had a lovely breakfast with Karina and Tim (Thanks!) in Portsmouth and then jumped onto the ferry.