Vienna, Austria

Vienna, being the capital of the once-grand Hapsburg empire for 640 years and the cradle of classical music, makes it a place hard to pass up. We mashed this visit with another trip to the Alps, which are a short few hours drive from this gorgeous city.  We flew in late, found our hotel and walked straight to the Stephensplatz, the main city square, to find a quick dinner.  Obviously, we had to try their sausages (aka hot dogs) that were everywhere.  We sat on the edge of the fountain and ate, while watching the sun go down and the city lights get brighter.  It was unusually hot and humid during our time, so we were often looking for water to drink too.  ;)  Vienna is brimming with gorgeous buildings, although they are so well taken care of that none of them look too old (though they are!).  We stayed about a 3 minute walk from stunning St. Stephen's Cathedral- it was so nice to be in the center of it all!

Our first day started with a run through the city for Brian and I- just wanted to make sure we see all of this place before we have to leave- and running really is the best way to check stuff off.  We then went to Schonbrunn Palace, where we would spend the rest of the day.  A former Hapsburg residence boasting almost 1500 rooms, some of which are adorned with hand-painted walls- this place, as they say, rivals only Versailles.  The pictures below were from the interior of , which had the most ornate and stunning rooms I have ever seen! Brian snuck a bunch of pics in with his phone (See below)

I'm not going to lie- this day was pretty hot and sweaty, so we spent as much time as we could in the shade of the gardens.  :)

Schonbrunn had a fantastic playground for families too- the girls loved running through both of their mazes and spent close to 3 hours playing on the equipment while Brian and I sat in the shade and relaxed.  

St. Stephen's Cathedral (above)...that tile roof is something else!

After going to church on Sunday- one of our favorite things (even though it was all in German!), we took ourselves back to the city center. We couldn't see an opera while we were there, so we opted for a tour of their famous State Opera House instead!  It was so interesting to learn about this place, stand on the stage, and get a peak into such a huge pastime.  

This is one of several intermission rooms (above)- each were decorated so differently, but who wouldn't want to grab a mid-opera snack in here?? :)

These two...always holding hands and giggling about something.  Its so much fun to watch them be each other's best friend.

The word "elaborate" sums the opera house up quite nicely.  Coffered ceilings, ornate reception rooms, and lots and lots of gold trim.  Its definitely a fancy night out if you get to see an opera here.

Gustav Mahler, a German-speaking Jew of humble circumstances, became one of the leading conductors of his generation.  He served as the director of the Opera House from 1897-1907, and had to convert to Catholicism in order to secure this post.  

These carriages are really popular in Vienna.  The horses, and their owners, hung out by the St. Stephen's Cathedral until they were hired each day.  You could definitely smell the horses as you approached, but the locals take such good care of this city and were constantly washing the waste off of the sidewalks.  Either way, we steered clear of any puddles when we walked by , but I give this city a ton of credit- for being a big city and a huge tourist destination, its one of the cleanest places we've been.

These gorgeous buildings are ALL over Vienna- I wish we could've gone in every single one.  We managed some self-guided walking tours all over the main parts of the city, making sure we got our bearings, as well as seeing as many of the sights as we could.  We also spent lots of hours walking through the gardens and letting the kids play at any playground we came across.  What a fantastic city!

Kate in Rome - Part II

Guest post by Kate (cont'd) ... Part I here

One of the things we did while we were in Rome was Vatican City! Vatican City is a city inside of Rome, so it was easily accessible, and just as beautiful! The first thing we did was stop by St. Peters Basilica. The thing I loved about St. Peters Basilica on the outside were the massive statues that lined the top of the building. After waiting in line on the outside of the Basilica, we went to the very top of the building, and then went inside of the church. 

We also stopped by one of Rome's most famous buildings, The Pantheon. This two thousand year old building was actually a remake of the Greek Parthenon, and was still jaw dropping in every way. Connected to the Pantheon was a large building in the shape of a dome, that was also very beautiful, and it even had an opening in the roof, which had the sun shining through it. 

This is the inside of the St. Peters Basilica when we were halfway up the top. I have to say, on the way up, dad and I got a little claustrophobic as the stairs started to tilt sideways. But it was all worth it, because the views were just absolutely amazing. 

As I said before, the view was amazing, and you could literally see everything within Vatican City. 

In London, the guards to the palaces and churches have some pretty interesting outfits on, but the guards to the Basilica were wearing something totally different and completely colorful, and it was really cool. 

 This is the Altare Della Patria, a war museum that was close to the Colosseum. We never went inside, but the building itself was just amazing. 

This was by far my favorite part, the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is like an exhibit of some of the old ruins of ancient Rome, and because I had been studying Rome in school, the buildings were all the more meaningful. I loved imagining what could have been thousands of years ago, and picturing what life would have been like for the people that lived inside of the ruins. There were temples and homes and squares and old rocks lying everywhere, and it was just so cool, and an experience I will never forget. 

Another thing I loved about the Roman Forum was how they let the flowers and plant life grow freely, so there were always flowers and trees growing around and sometimes in the ruins. 

Overall, I loved my trip in Rome, and love my dad for taking me on this amazing adventure, and I'm so grateful that I get to go to all of these incredible places that I will remember for the rest of my life. 

Kate in Rome - Part I

GUEST POST BY KATE.

This weekend for my 12th birthday, dad and I went on my dream trip to Rome. I have been studying ancient Rome at school for a few months, so I was all set for the new adventures that were waiting for us. Below is the Trevi Fountain, one of the most beautiful fountains in the world, and one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. I loved this fountain because of the stunning white stone, and the clear blue water that just made the whole masterpiece totally gorgeous. 

We would walk along the streets and find beautiful chapels and just pop in to get a glimpse of what the church's architecture was like. You never know what you will find when you're walking through the streets of Rome!

And, of course, we went through the Colosseum. It was so stunning- you really have to see it to experience the architectural magnificence. My favorite part of the Colosseum though was actually inside, when you looked down and saw all of the elevators and cages below. When I was studying Rome in school, I learned that the elevators and cages were underneath the actual stage, and it's purpose was to lift gladiators and animals onto the stage where they would fight to the death. 

My dad said this is why you come to Italy- so that you can taste the world famous Italian gelato. :)

One night, dad and I got dinner and ate on the steps as we watched the sun go down. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of our Rome trip.

And, of course, we rented bikes just to ride around the city. We rode down absolutely beautiful streets, by the Tiber river, and eventually ended up by the Colosseum again. 

One reason that Rome is one of my favorite cities is because of the colors of the buildings. The oranges, pinks, tans, and whites went really beautifully together, and it just made Rome all the more fun to walk around in.  

And more gelato. :)

Cotwolds & Oxford with the Bells

I can't really explain in words how excited I was to have my twin sister visit!!  Rebecca and Christian came all the way from Utah to see us here in London (they also went to Paris and Edinburgh during their visit).  We saw and did and ate a lot- a perfect vacation (or staycation, in our case).  One of the highlights of their time here was our visit to the Cotswolds.  We've been to the Cotswolds before, but always had a goal of getting back because there are small, charming towns there in abundance and you have to see them all.  We saved our favorite for this trip though, because, as you can see below, Bourton-on-the-Water was incredible.  Is this place even real?? The village had a gorgeous, duck-filled, flag-topped canal full of quaint bridges that was so picturesque.   

Someone lives in this home above, and below...amazing!

Christian is getting instructions on where to buy scones with clotted cream and jam. Also amazing.

I recently cut my hair short (the hard water in London has not been kind to me) and my kids were confusing me all of the time for Rebecca, who has had shorter hair for a long time.  

Christian had his fill of Cadbury chocolate and Hob-knobs while he was here (this was after he loaded up for the day).  If you want to know how delicious these things are, you'll just have to visit and come see for yourself!  

Kate and I left for London, so we could get her home for a party.  The rest of the crew headed to Oxford for a few hours.

We sure loved having the Bells here for a few days...we stayed up way too late talking, ate way too much chocolate and Rebecca and I had some nice girl-bonding time...so it was pretty much perfect!

Seven Sisters, UK

My brother, Jeremiah (Beau) came with his awesome wife Amy and their two cute little boys to London for 7 wonderful, fun-filled, and completely sunny (!!!) days this past week.  It was so much fun to have two little boys running around our flat.  We saw so much while they were here...and they saw even more when we couldn't go with them!  Borough Market, Big Ben, Buckingham, Piccadilly, Covent Garden, Portobello Road, all kinds of delicious food, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Regents Park were some of the highlights. On Saturday, we even ventured all the way to the southern coast of England, to the white cliffs of Beachy Head.  

Just landing at the station by Beachy Head, with picnic in hand.  We walked about a mile in from the road to the beach, where we sat down by the water and enjoyed our yummy lunch.  The kids threw rocks in the water, while Beau and Amy made sure fearless Christian didn't run straight into the water. :)  There is just something about being out in nature on a perfect day that just fills you up with so much peaceful happiness.  

After our picnic, we climbed the steepest hill I've ever seen to the top of the cliffs.  All of the adults had a child or a stroller in hand on our way...quads and calves were most certainly on fire.

These cliffs were so much higher than they appear...and total sheer drops.  I'm not typically a fearful person when it comes to stuff like this, but I couldn't even get within 5 feet of the edge without my stomach doing flips.  Plus, there were no barriers!  The cliffs were gorgeous and stretched on as far as the eye could see and fell into crystal blue water below.

These two...I love them both so much.

Lauren's favorite thing during the week was loving on Christian (aka "Fishy")- they were so sweet and cuddly with each other.  Those boys are just so sweet.  And, my girls haven't stopped begging for a baby brother since they left!  

Beau and Amy are so fun to hang around- we stayed up way too late many nights just chatting.  We are so glad they came to visit!!

Wknd in Toledo & Madrid

Brian and I just celebrated our 14th anniversary.  So crazy how fast time can fly!  Brian had work in Madrid, so I was able to tag along for the weekend and we celebrated in Spain sans kids!  Because we only had two days here, we had to really pack our sightseeing in...we spent most of our time in the old city of Madrid and our favorite, Toledo.

After exploring the charming streets of Toledo, we bought tickets for the tower tour of the Toledo Cathedral.  The interior of the cathedral is super ornate and gorgeous.  And the views from the top of the tower were perfect.  I love how the architecture of every European city we've been to is so unique.

On Sunday, we made it to church and then walked home through Retiro Park, where a massive marathon was going on.  Not only was the park gorgeous, but it's always fun to feel the energy of a big race and the culmination of all of the hard work.  

Fourteen years ago on April 27, Brian and I were as happy as our young-twenty-selves could have imagined.  Who knew that life would give us so many tough AND fun adventures?!  

San Gimignano

We made a stop in San Gimignano- the epitome of a Tuscan hill town with 14 medieval towers still standing, this place feels perfectly preserved.

Entering the city through the Porta San Giovanni, or as us Americans may call it, the main street. :)  

This view is Tuscany in a nut-shell.  Rolling hills covered with olive, grape and cypress trees, studded with gorgeous villas.

We landed at the Piazza della Cisterna, named for the cistern that is served by the old well standing in the center of the square (above).  

Gelateria Dondoli- world champion gelato.  Say no more.  It was creamy, cold perfection.  

Hilltop views at the Rocca...amazing, and the perfect stop to end our tour of San Gimignano.

This beautiful old church was a stone's throw from where we were staying for the week.  Because Brian got sick during our stay, we spent a lot of time on the property of our villa while he recovered.  The kids literally spent 8 hours straight playing outside on one of the days.  Clearly, they needed the time to be outside with unstructured activities, using their imaginations and soaking all of this gorgeous nature in.  That is until they found some potent red berries that they used to write their names on the walls of our villa.  Oh man. We can laugh now because it came out after some serious scrubbing, but it was one of those moments where you want to scream "what were you thinking?!".

I'm so glad we came to Tuscany, we saw some amazing stuff, but I was even happier that we were "forced" to slow down and do almost nothing.  Just what we needed, as evidenced by our kids dirt-stained clothes and sun-kissed cheeks...always the sign of a great vacation.

Florence

We stayed in an Air BnB about 30 minutes drive outside of Florence, so it was only natural that we visited this amazing city...twice!  We just loved this culturally rich, beautiful, and exciting place- there is so much to do and see!

We parked our rental and walked about 15 minutes through the side streets and into the main square.  We couldn't see much as far as the main attractions go as we went, but the instant we came out from behind a building, the incredible Il Duomo di Firenze just jumped right out at us with its colorful grandeur...we don't know how we didn't see it as we walked because it is massive, but it was the most incredible surprise. Pictures just cannot do the colors and size and scope of this edifice any justice at all- I have never seen anything quite like it.  We waited a good long time to climb to the top of Giotto's famous bell tower for views of the city and the cathedral from above.  While we waited, the kids chased pigeons and each other.  Mom and Dad made sure we soaked in the people and sights as well as the beautiful music being played by street performers...oh, Italy, you just do it all right.

View from partway up the bell tower (above) and below is the view of the line we waited in.  The stairs to climb to the top of the tower were super narrow and pretty full of people- it definitely kept things interesting.  :)

The view from the top of the tower and the famous dome of the Duomo.  That Firenze skyline isn't too shabby either.  

I am so grateful for these sweet kids that are up for whatever Brian and I plan and really don't complain much.  I love them so much.

After our climb, we wandered the gorgeous streets and, of course, picked up some gelato to keep us company. We also stopped at the Duomo Museum where we saw Michelangelo's Pieta, Donatello's Mary Magdalene and Ghiberti's original bronze "Gates of Paradise" panels.

Walking up, up, up these steps to the Piazza Michelangelo for the very best view of Florence...

Being here you totally get why this was the capital of the Renaissance- its overflowing with amazing art, sculptures, gardens, buildings and eclectic churches.  Above, we let the kids ride this carousel because it looked too perfect to just pass it by.

These two are the best of friends.  They really are.  I mean, sure they fight, but they love each other fiercely and will happily play together for hours on end.  I love watching their sweet relationship build.

My favorite part of Florence was seeing the David, a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture beautifully created by a 26-year old Michelangelo in the early 1500's.  The detail is just amazing- it really is incredible.  The more time you spend studying the perfect carving, the more you want to study it.  It seriously is one of the most magnificent things I've ever seen.

While Florence may not be the best place to spend time with young kids, I am so happy that we came here.  The city itself is magic and the artwork here is so important for little ones to witness, even if for a brief moment.