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Also a big thank you to the very talented Rainee from Cloudnine Photography for the absolutely amazing photos of our little girl. I booked her in as soon as I knew I was pregnant, so if you are in need of a newborn photographer make sure you check her out.

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 There is no driving into the town of Zermatt so you have to park your car in a garage in Tasch, a small town connected to Zermatt by rail. After many nights of small B&B’s and lots of time spent with mum I thought I would spoil Russ, so I booked us into a beautiful hotel in town called the Matterhorn Focus. Upon checking in they upgraded us to a suite and what a room it was. My jaw dropped when I walked in, with views straight up to the Matterhorn and the Matterhorn Express outside our window, now this place is a slice of heaven. Only one thing missing? SNOW! We did have the option of summer skiing on the glacier but after lots of deliberating we decided not to. You can only ski until 1pm and the cost would have been about $500 Aussie dollars as we had no gear with us. It also meant that I didn’t have to go on the big cable car which I’m not a fan of. Phew! Everyday we travelled up the mountain to hike, lunch and laze about. It’s a stunning place in summer and I can only imagine what a wicked playground it would be in winter.

Loved the rustic trimmings inside our hotel

The train up the Gornergrat to the observatory

After 3 days of fun in Zermatt sadly we had to leave, but we were not leaving Switzerland yet and we only had a short drive to Grindelwald in the Jungfrau Region. Now we thought the view was amazing in Zermatt  but we had no idea about the outlook awaiting us at Grindelwald. The view from our balcony was post card perfect and looking directly at the famous mountain, the Eiger. We really wanted to go up to the Sphinx lookout on top of the Jungfrau but the weather had closed in on the mountains and it wasn’t worth spending the 170 francs each to get up there as you would have see nothing.

A highlight of the trip was a visit to a traditional Swiss alp farm where we got to see how they made Swiss cheese the original way, including taste testing straight from the pot. We watched how they turned milk to cheese, and how they stored the cheese for one year before market. Afterwards we watched the cows go out to pasture on the mountain, all you could hear was the sound of bells ringing. Our tour guide was an original mountain man who had many amazing life stories. He has climbed nearly every major mountain there is to climb and was in charge of the Search and Rescue for the Grindelwald valley for most of his life. He started a ski resort in the USA and ran the Jungfrau Hotel. He can speak five languages and still hikes everyday and he is 80. WOW what an interesting character.
We were happy to leave Switzerland by the end of 6 days as our bank account was completely drained, but it truly is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The view from our balcony, truly breathtaking. Did I mention there was also a spa on the deck? If you’re ever in the area I definitely recommend staying here, at Silvia’s Bed and Breakfast.

Swiss Alp Farm, Swiss Cheese the original way. Did you know proper Swiss cheese has no holes in it.

Train going up to the Sphinx Observatory on the Jungfrau, unfortunately we never made it up there with bad weather.

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Schönbrunn Palace Vienna

Horse and carriage, the best way to see a city, and I couldn’t resist a photo after our ride.

Spanish Riding School Vienna
Each horse has their own custom made saddle and bridle

It takes ten years of hard work and dedication to become a rider of the school. Fours years working on your own riding and then six years training a young horse up to top level.

A quick stop by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s house/museum in his home town of  Thal

Vienna was lovely but Salzburg was better. If I could move to Europe I would live in the outskirts of Salzburg. It has some of the most beautiful countryside I’ve ever seen. Who needs the beach when you can swim in the crystal clear alpine lakes and be spoilt for choice during winter for ski resorts. The heat wave was still hanging around so twice we drove to the lake to go swimming.

Mondsee Lake in the outskirts of Salzburg, a perfect spot for swimming

Salzburg one of my favourite places

Does this look familiar? It’s the fountain from Sound of Music

The famous hills from Sound of Music

Yes, I did twirl.

Hallstatt is a must see and only a short drive from Salzburg. For ten euros you can hire a little electric boat to get one of the most beautiful views of Austria’s most scenic town.

Innsbruck is my dad’s home town. It’s always been a place that I’ve wanted to visit and I always wanted to visit with him but I never got the chance. I have a whole family base here that I’ve never met before.
After spending the week with them it was so hard to say goodbye, especially not knowing when I’ll see them all again.

View from the top of the Bergisel Ski Jump

Obergurgl a gorgeous ski resort town a short drive from Innsbruck

This is the home that my Oma was born in. I never met her or my Opa so going back to see all this history was amazing.

The view back up the Osterick Valley

Alpbach, just another gorgeous little ski town

They have the most beautiful churches and cemeteries in Europe. Oh how I would love to shoot Church weddings over here.

One great thing from our trip is that I got to see so many photos that I’ve never seen before. This is one of my favourites. Dad is in front with both his brothers and Mum Veronika.

Mayrhofen another stunning ski resort town.

Swarovski Museum just outside Innsbruck

Hiking in the hills looking for Dad’s tree

Fifty years ago Dad carved his name in this tree. Just a short walk through the forest on the edge of town. You can just make out the O near the top.  I can’t even describe in words how wonderful this experience was for me.

My Austrian family, so many wonderful people.

On our travels through Austria we realised that we should have purchased a Vignette before driving the Austrian freeway. It’s a sticker you put on your windscreen that can range from one week to one year. It covers all your freeway tolls across Austria. If you get caught without one it’s an on the spot fine of $130 euros. So if you plan to drive in Austria don’t forget to purchase your Vignette. Available from the Asfinag or petrol stations. The bottom Vignette is for Switzerland also a must if you don’t want to be fined.

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Casa Palmira B&B in the foot hills of Florence

Tuscan country side

 Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore one of the most stunningly carved churches I’ve ever seen.

The markets were a delight to the senses and also a great place to grab a cheap meal

Michelangelo and my new jacket!

Travelling can be hard work.

After Florence we drove down to Rome. The first thing we noticed driving into Rome was that there were no parking rules, cars appeared to have parked themselves on the curbs and roundabouts. There is no such thing as a lane and people drive anywhere they want, then add Scooters to that mixture. They like to overtake you on the outside when you are exiting a roundabout so watch out.
We stayed at a great little spot called Gli Scipioni, an air-conditioned B&B, only a five minute walk from the Vatican. It was very warm so most days we went out in the morning, came back for a rest  during the hottest part of the day and then ventured out again in the later afternoon. We did two tours while in Rome, the Colosseum and the Vatican, both were fabulous and very informative. My favourite was the Colosseum, all that ancient history is just amazing! Rome is definitely a popular place and it’s pretty much impossible to get a photo of anything without people in your shot. So one morning we got up early before sunrise and caught a cab around to the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum. We had the whole place to ourselves which was magic, and not one person in my shots!

The Colosseum

The Roman Forum

Gelato at the Trevi Fountain

A much less crowded Trevi Fountain at 5am

Inside St Peter’s Basilica

Want to drive a Ferrari ? Then head to Push Start in Modena. We took a slight detour on our way up to Venice . Russ drove a 458 Italia, $100 Euros for 10 minutes.

Did you know that Venice is actually made up of 113 individual islands? We only had two days in Venice but it was long enough to see most of the fabulous little lane ways and canals. Russ and I just walked around until we got lost and found ourselves all alone in quiet back streets. I loved it! Away from the crowds we could relax and I could stop to take photos without holding up the flow of tourist traffic. One tip don’t buy anything to eat in San Marco Square, prices are exorbitantly high. Just head down the side streets and you’ll find something a lot more reasonable. Also make sure you check if the restaurants have a cover charge and service fee as this is all payable on top of your bill.

The famous San Marco Square

Love this shot, this is one I took when we got lost in the back streets. Combining HDR this is going to look great up on my wall.

I LOVED this mask and wish I bought it, but I had no idea how to get it home.

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A rare Porsche 550 Spyder made famous by James Dean – you don’t see these around very often

On the F1 track!

Hotel De Paris – I would have loved to stay here!

Monte Carlo Casino

Hmm, which one should we drive tonight darling?

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 Amsterdam was a hustle and bustle of people coming and going. We were surrounded by river canals, boats and bicycles. Cafes lined the street selling more than just coffee and food outlets just next door selling the biggest pizza and pastries I’ve ever seen, catering to the tourists taking advantage of the green lights. We also visited restored working windmills at the De Zaansch Molen, a must see if you are in the area.

This was the scenery surrounding us as we made our way north from Paris.

De Vink Bed & Breakfast in Abcoude

Inside the breakfast room – I love this rustic look

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Adenau was surrounded by fields of yellow canola contrasting against the green fields and blue bird skys. Sooooo Pretty. I think Russ was sick of me saying “oh wow” all the time.

After paying 27 euros for one lap we were ready to go.

The track surrounds the small town, so what to do after a thrilling day on the track? head to the pub for beers and bratwurst and watch all the cars.

Cutest little town.

After our stay in Adenau we were off to Freiburg to meet the family. Cousins, Aunties and Uncles I have never met. My Auntie Christa graciously put us up in her house located in Gundlefingen for the week. Clemens my cousin was our unofficial tour guide showing us around town, stopping for coffee and cake every second we got, and joining us for a fun action packed day at Europa park, Europe’s version of Disneyland. On our last day both my cousin Bettina and Clemens took us to the Tittisee, a beautiful lake and a very popular holiday destination in Europe. The local ski field is nearby as well as a beautiful indoor swim centre complete with water slides and a swim up indoor outdoor pool bar. Needless to say we spent the whole afternoon there soaking the the 33 degree water drinking cocktails and riding the biggest indoor stainless steel half pipe water slide in the world. It was then that our week was over and we were in the same predicament again saying goodbye. It felt like we should be staying and catching up on all the years we have missed, but sadly we had to move on.

This is my cousin Bettina, most say we were separted at birth not only do we look similar everything we do is identical.

My favourite, favourite, favourite cake from the trip Edbeer Torte. This one was especially good!

The beautiful stain glass windows of the church in Freiburg.

Downtown Frieburg

Mum’s brother and his two super gorgeous girls. I really wish we didn’t live so far away from them.

One amazing afternoon cherry picking with the girls! I’v never seen a cherry tree so big, or gorged myself on so many cherries!

Our next stop was Munich, bring on the steins and pork knuckles. It is also the home of  the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. My fairytale! This place is straight from the fantasy land in my head. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful country side and surroundings. My jaw just dropped, every window I walked past on our tour I stood there gazing out the window in awe, it was so beautiful. Shame the crazy king who built this palace only lived 172 days in his castle and it was never finished.

The VIEW!

SIGH!

We sampled a few of the beer houses but kept coming back to our favourite, the Hoffbrauhaus, it had the best atmosphere and the best food.

Prost!

The next stop was Bayreuth. The whole reason for this visit was to retrace mum”s steps. This was were mum grew up after the war. We met up with friends of Mum’s from when she lived here in 1950.
When mum was 7 years old she had to flee her hometown of Bresslau (now Poland) because the Russian front was quickly approaching their town. With only 500kms between them and the soliders the whole town was evacuated south. It took them months to travel only a distance of 1500km by train. Travelling slowly at night and always stopping in the darkness when the bombings started as not to draw attention to a train full of evacuees. Can you imagine. Mum was only 5 years old. They were taken in by a family of farmers in the small town of Kleinweiglareuth.

Cute little German house owned by mum’s friends, this place had the biggest cellar we have ever seen! I wish we had cellar’s in Australia.

This is the farmers home that mum grew up in. They lived in the attic on the top floor from 1945 until 1952 before moving into a flat in the nearest town Creusen where mum did all her schooling. before moving to  Gotenheim to finish her hair dressing apprenticeship and that’s when she started writing to dad here in Australia.

The house they moved to in Cressen still standing today.

Fun the the wheat fields, they were everywhere in Bayreuth.

Out last stop before heading home was Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We actually met up with Russell’s parents here for a couple of nights sharing one beautiful big apartment inside the city walls. This place is a must see if you are visiting Germany, it’s the most stunning little town with the biggest Christmas shop ever and also a torture museum!

Outside Katherine Wohlfahrt the biggest and most amazing Christmas shop I have ever seen. This little shop entry turn into a Christmas shop the size of a football field.

Did I mention how beautiful all the gardens are here, especially the roses. I don’t know what they do over here but I was so blown away by the beauty of the gardens and so inspired to add some European charm to my little backyard.

The wall surrounding city.

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We also spent two days on photo shoots, one you have already seen and another one of Russ and I. We hired the amazingly talented  Sergey Ivanov, a fabulous photographer from the Ukraine. Who by they way didn’t speak any English. I wore a stunning little pink dress covered in white lace created by the always amazing Kel from Kel-Leigh Couture.  No photos yet, but I promise to share them when they come through.

Before we headed to the south of France we dropped by Freiburg Germany to pick up mum for our next chapter. As we headed south the scenery changed, less green more arid, a dryer warmer climate. The buildings also changed with classic terracotta roofing starting to appear everywhere and rocky outcrops starting to emerge from the ground. Our destination was a gorgeous little B&B  just outside Avignon called Domain De Rhodes.

Avignon is a lovely little town surrounded by an enormous brick wall protecting the city. It is also known as the “City of Popes”  due to many Popes through out history residing there. We also visited the awe inspiring Pont Du Gard . Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and also the best preserved.

At breakfast after chatting to some of the other guests we were told that we must spend a day visiting Gordes. Gordes? I had never heard of the place. We took their advice and as we drove into the town it took our breath away, a stunning small town perched on the edge of a hill. Now this is how I imagined the south of France to look.  As we sat on a terrace soaking up the view, enjoying a five star lunch with mum and Russ I couldn’t help but think life doesn’t get much better than this.

Our next stop is Monaco but I will be blogging the Netherlands first as Russ and I dashed up there for a 3 night stay.
Enjoy the photos. Au Revoir

My favourite was the pink one a daily ritual when in Paris.

Notre Dame

The famous padlock bridge in Paris, the idea is to lock the padlock to the bridge make a wish and throw the keys in the river.

Laduree! My favourite shop.

This is how cold and wet it was most of the time, only us silly Aussies would sit in the freezing rain enjoying the open bus tour.

The Louvre, a must see. We only saw the Mona Lisa and the ancient history side of the museum. I can’t get over how many people visit this place every day. If you are ever planning to visit the Louvre don’t line up outside the main entrance where the Pyramids are. There was a four hour queue when we were there. Instead enter via the  underground shopping centre Carrousel du Louvre, at 99 rue de Rivoli.

Basilica of the Sacré Cœur

Arc de Triomphe and the fabulous view from the top.

A spot of night photography starting at the Louvre …

… and finishing at the Eiffel Tower

Cobble stone roads at the entry to Versaillies however most of Europe is lke this, not the best for walking.

The Hall of Mirrors – AH MAZING!

Our local super market / liquor shop just a minute from our front door.

Inside the city walls of Avignon

I LOVE carousels!

The front windows of our B&B so pretty, I just love that vine.

Gordes – to see this place in person is just breath taking.

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Atlantis The Palm

We received a free upgrade being first time guests, which basically means that we got a higher room with a better view, and what a view it was!

The Aquarium built into the hotel. AMAZING!

Just a typical day in the hotel carpark

The Leap of Faith a water slide that goes through a shark tank, Russ went on but I chickened out.

Nice car, Mr Police Officer

The foyer of the Burj Al Arab, this place took our breath away.

High Tea in the Skyview Bar at the Burj Al Arab

Looking back at our resort on the Palm from the Burj Al Arab – It looks so small

Our view from the Skyview Bar for High Tea

Down town Dubai

The Gold Souk

Yes Please!

Dubai Mall

Burj Al Khalifa – Tallest Building in the World 828m

Aaaahhh sheer bliss flying business class on the A380.

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