Nederland

I'm simply going to include a few pics of my time in Holland - The dike picture was when Tante Ali and I went for a bike ride - Zuid Holland. It is beautiful there with all the water!
The picture of the horse was in West Holland when Tante Anneke and Wim and I took Anneke's horse and attached it to a cart, and when we went for a ride! It was so fun, and cute! And the forest around that area is also very pretty.
Our last weekend in Holland, they had their 5th festival of sails in Amsterdam. Boats of all shapes and sizes and colors were in the big canal there. Boats come from all over - even navy's from other countries. Most of those big sail ones were from Russia and Poland.

Off to Nederland

First of all, THANKS to Lauretta and Jair who have joined my blog!

So, after Geneva Landon and I decided to split again for a week. Landon decided to go to Paris (I have already been there before) and I decided to head up to Nederland. We traveled together on the train to paris and then I was to catch another one up north.... Well, while on the train we heard there was a problem at the next station stop, so I had to backtrack and go down south a little bit and ended up being 1 1/2 hrs late to paris! So, I missed my connection to Amsterdam.
The train put me up in a hotel for the night and I caught the first train the next morning, but that also had problems and we arrived over two hours late in Amsterdam. Phew! To be honest it doesn't bother me in the slightest - I absolutely LOVE being on trains!!! I actually wish the rides were longer!

Geneva

I couldn't wait to see Geneva - mostly for John Calvin.... but when we got there, the history is pretty incredible!
I did a walking tour through the "old town" which was really interesting. I will attach this pic of this church in old town - it one building containing four different buildings - four different era's - the last one being the Bizantine. Oh, and the best thing was I went to The Church of Scotland Geneva in the Auditoire de Calvin!!!!! It was a real blessing to be with God's people! And the first hymn was one of my favorites - "Great is Thy Faithfulness"!
Geneva has an attraction called the Je't de Eau This huge surge of water that shoots up - apparently you can see it from the airplane.
We didn't realize it before we got to Geneva, but we came just in time for their once-a-year festival. The "Geneva festival". Every year they have a different theme, and this year was "circus" it was fun. Lot's of people tho - they closed off whole streets for it.
Oh, and they boasted the best fireworks display in the world. Well, Landon said -"I don't know about that, Idaho Falls do cool fireworks" and I said "Ya, Jackson also does cool fireworks".
Oh my goodness! We were blown away!!! Different combinations, and colors, and music over loud speakers that went with them! We got some cool pics actually!
But, yes, they were the best fireworks we have ever seen!

Swiss alps hike

Switzerland

The train trip from Innsbruck, Austria to Zurich, switzerland is GORGEOUS!!!!! Ah, the mountains!! Landon and I went to Interlaken first. We stayed in this Korean hostel.... hmmm. We were very surprised at all the asian folks in Interlaken actually! So, the next day we went and hiked in the Swiss alps!!!!! Wow! It was sooo beautiful! Really difficult hike, and it started raining half way through, but ya, sooo beautiful! We had a wonderful time! At the top I was soooo cold from the rain etc, that I couldn't stop shivering - I was cold to the bone! AND exhausted! Landon was great - he looked after me. I don't know what I would have done without him! That night we went and ate a cheese fondue - It's actually originally a swiss thing! That really warmed us up! We have a cool photo, but it's on Landons computer, so perhaps I will try to include it next time.

Werfen & the Eisriesenwelt Hohle

So, I took a day tour down south to Werfen and the Eisriesenwelt Hohle - that is the world's largest accessible ice caves! The hike up the mountain was long and hot and gruelling, but absolutely GORGEOUS!!! The scenery took my breath away! Every minute I wanted to take another picture!!!
When we got up to the entrance of the cave, we had to put on warm clothes. We had little gas lamps that we held, because no artificial light could be used inside the cave. The tour inside the cave took 75 minutes. It was VERY cold!! The natural Ice formations inside were incredible! However, I had started getting vertigo on the walk up to the cave, and inside it just got worse, so I had to stay close to the guide at the end. Ooh, also - inside the cave we walked 700 steps!!!!!!
I could have stayed longer in the Salzburg area, it was beautiful.
But the city of Innsbruck was recommended alot as a beautiful city, so I jumped on a train and headed west.
Only one night here in Innsbruck. Now off to Switzerland! Now, this is kind of interesting - the whole rest of the European Union uses Euro's as it's currency, but Switzerland has its own still! Also, apparently it is VERY expensive! The train will go from Innsbruck, over the border, then to Zurich, then to Bern, and then down to Interlaken.... so it will be a loooong day.... : ))))

Salzburg!

How beautiful these mountains are!!!
It was raining when we got to Salzburg - but that didn't stop us from going out and exploring - See me on the stairs - we have walked soooo many stairs on this trip!!!
We went to this castle - "Festung Hohensalzburg".
Oh, and some of you may not know that Salzburg is the where "Sound of Music" was set. It's famous around here!
Yesterday Landon and I separated for a little bit - we will meet back up in Switzerland.
It's kind of strange not being able to experience and share and talk about everything with someone else - so, I guess it's nice that I have this blog then.

wow!

Vienna really is much cooler than I thought it was going to be!
On Tuesday I went on an organised "walking tour" through the city - I learned so much!
On Wednesday, Landon was feeling better, so we went to this treasury museum which had austrian relics dating back for over a 1000 years! Like a nail that held Jesus to the cross! - Really! It was saved and preserved and treasured, as were thorns from His crown!
There was also this crown that was used for all the emperors - made in the 10th Century.
I was sooooo excited to eat weiner Schnitzel!!!! Yummy!!!

Vienna, Austria...

Hmm, still no comments! Is anyone reading these?
We travelled straight for about 30 hours. First taking a croatian night train from Split to Zagreb - The train was kind of 3rd world - it smelled and was dirty, and strange, creepy men - I was very glad to have landon with me! He was very protective of me, it was sweet. The next morning arriving in Zagreb, we found a direct train from Zagreb to Vienna! We really wanted to get into the EU! We rode right through the middle of Slovenia and were checked by customs and passport control - boy were they thorough!! They looked at our passports for ages! Landon was kinda worried... But the train was MUCH nicer! Going through the south east of Austria was GORGEOUS!!!!
Landon got a cold/flu thing, and so slept for a long time when we got to our accomodation - I did some exploring yesterday- took a walking tour with a group - Vienna is incredible, the architecture, the history, the Wiener Schnitzel!!!!!!Yum!
Well, that's all for now.... until we get comments... - Landon says nobody reads this!??

Vis

Hi all,
first of all, please comment on our blogs so we know you love us!...codependent?
We are doing this blog for all of you after all : )
We caught a ferry from Split to the Island of Vis two days ago. We are staying in this tall house with lots of rooms on each floor - we have a room on the top floor with a gorgeous view - unfortunately we have no pics to put on this post because we have to download the pics yet...
I bought Landon a snorkel and mask so now he has found a new hobbie and loves it! We also rented a scooter again and have explored the island on it.
Please please pray for a complete healing of my submandibular gland - It got the worst it has ever been and even grew under my tongue so large Landon said it looked like another tongue. I went to the small medical clinic on this Island - That was such an experience - sooooo very different from anything westernised with all it's rules. The dr was shocked when she looked in my mouth, and started showing anyone that was around - even a dentist! She tried to explain to me in broken english what she was going to do for me, and told me to come back tomorrow... I was given 4 prescriptions, and am Praise The Lord, starting to heal.
Ooops, my battery is dying, so I gotta go..

Croatia

Dubrovnik is gorgeous!
We stayed in this room off this family's house for the first 3 nights. Our view was incredible! i will attach a picture of that...
It is soo very hot - and we thought it was hot in London - that was nothing!
Oh, also because the part of Dubrovnik that we stayed in was built on a hill, we walked about 100 (I will actually count them tomorrow...) stairs to get to our place. Phew - great excercise!!!!
Cherie and Andrew are staying at this flash hotel that they got married at (yesterday!) and the pool is gorgeous - so we have spent a few days there during the day swimming in the salty see, sunbathing, relaxing,and being so proud of Landon when he does like full-twist-back-flip's off the rocks!!! : )
So, the wedding was beautiful (albeit very hot, because the whole time was outside).
Oh, we rented a scooter for two days! So much fun! and very handy!! because otherwise we just walk everywhere in the heat!
Landon fits in great with the Cameron family here, and we are crashing on their couch for a couple nights.. before we explore northern croatia a bit by ourselves.
So, the money here is called Kuna. Today i got 300 Kuna out by my debit card, and all we bought with it was two slices of pizza and groceries for the family.. Now, in US dollars that works out to be about $60. Good thing, Landon is so good with numbers - he's keeping track of that, and is good with figuring out exchanges etc.

Museum day today!
We started our day at our B&B with an English breakfast which we shared with a lovely couple from Norway.
I wanted Landon to experience the tube, so we took the underground into central London, which I always LOVE to do anyway...
After we looked in the Lamborghini stores windows...(they don't have a door - you have to call to make an appointment!!!)and a little walk around the streets of Kensington (oooh, doesn't that sound posh!) we made it to the National History Museum. It was REALLY busy! - lot's of school kids! But I did learn some things like... The wearing of birth-stones began in the 18th Century in Poland!!! That was interesting to me because I do wear my peridot's!
Also, there were a lot of cool NZ things - some that I didn't know even!
Landon was famished after that, so I convinced him to try Indian food - and he loved it!
Then we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, which was totally incredible and we preferred it over the other one. I wish I had the whole entire day to spend just there! - It was art and sculpture etc. And because I have just finished a class from school about European History I recognized a lot of the artists and the Medievel and Renaissance styles - it made the experience so much more fascinating and truly amazing that it would have been before! They also had a "Grace Kelly" exhibition that is going to be there until Sept. But you had to pay to get in to that part so we didn't do that.
We were soooo tired after that! We caught the double-decker bus back to Putney...