Magical Weekend at Paris Disney

Two weeks ago we visited Paris Disney with our good friends from Minnesota.  We arrived around noon on Friday and the kids were super excited!!  That afternoon, we spent some time in the Disney Village and swimming at the pool in the hotel. 

That evening, we had dinner with the Disney characters.  Back in the day, when I went to Disney, the characters were walking freely around the park.  Gone are those days.  Now, the characters have long lines for you to wait in just to get a picture or autograph.  The best way to avoid the lines, is to have meals with them.  There wasn't a lot of eating going on with all of the excitement as to what character was coming to the table next.  Adalyn was really into the characters, Eliza was a bit scared.  They were very sweet though and would come up and give her kisses on her cheek, which she thought was pretty cool.

So happy with Mickey!

Never too old for pictures with Mickey!

 Adalyn and Evelyn-

Happy with her cookie! 

Saturday, we spent the day at the park.  We arrived when it opened and headed straight to some of our favorite Disney rides.  They have many of the same rides as the Florida park, which made it fun for me to remember how I felt riding them when I was five.   

When I was five and went to Disney, my dad went on Dumbo with my sister and me. 

Unfortunately, our Dumbo did not fly like the others.  This picture shows Chris and the girls also riding low- eventually they did get their Dumbo to fly!

It's a Small World-

We had a very special lunch with princesses.  The girls were able to meet Cinderella, Prince Charming, Aurora, Ariel, and Cinderella's mice.  It was definitely the highlight of the trip.  The princesses even spoke English!! 

Is Cinderella really behind me??!

We found Prince Charming!! 

They were a bit confused when we asked for a picture- our first one was with Cinderella and the Prince, then Carli asked for a picture with just the Prince!! 

                Best dessert ever...

             a white chocolate glass slipper.                          Memorable lunch with great friends!! 

After lunch, we went on a few more rides and watched the parade.  After a busy day at the park, we headed back to the hotel where the girls had a "sleepover" watching Frozen. 

Disney is exhausting!

Great way to end a wonderful week together! 

People had said if you have been to Disney Florida, you may be disappointed with Disney Paris.  For us it was perfect.  We were so lucky to have been able to share this trip with our best friends and watch our girls bond.

Before we headed to Paris, we spent a few days in and around Geneva.  Here are some pictures of the different adventures we had together! 

Cable car ride in Chamonix-

                              Striking a pose in Yvoire, France.               Day trips are so much fun with your                                                                                                                          best friend-

Night out!! 

 

Holiday in Crete, Greece

I have always wanted to visit Greece and living here made it much easier to fulfill that dream.  We decided to take our summer European holiday to Crete, Greece, this past August.  When researching where to stay in Greece, it was extremely overwhelming.  So many beautiful islands to choose from that each have their own unique character.  Since it was our first time, we decided to visit the largest island, Crete.  There is so much to do and see in Crete, we could have easily spent two weeks exploring the island. 

We arrived on a Tuesday evening and drove to a charming villa, Carme Villas, in Rethymno.  It was in the hills surrounded by olive trees, a perfect place to settle in for a few days of relaxation.

 

Eliza found two babies that quickly made

their way up to our villa for the week!

The girls loved the pool! 

So happy! 

On Wednesday, we spent the morning along the Mediterranean Sea in Rethymno enjoying the waves and building sand castles.  That afternoon, we spent time in our pool, which the kids absolutely loved. In the evening, we explored the old town of Rethymno and ate at a fabulous authentic restaurant, Pagonas Place.  

This girl loves sandy beaches!!

Loved riding the waves! 

Such a memorable meal-

How many restaurants give this many toys to kids???  Greeks LOVE kids!! 

On Thursday, we ventured to the southern coast of Crete and spent time at a few beaches. The drive was absolutely stunning.  That evening, we headed back to old town and took a bike ride along the coast.

The scenic drive...

The first beach we hiked down to- very secluded and beautiful. 

Girls making sand creations-

Family bike ride! 

Biking along the coast-

On Friday, we were hoping to get out on a boat, but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and it was too windy.  Instead, we visited Chania, which is the second largest city of Crete.  We spent a few hours walking along the harbour wall to the Venetian lighthouse, and winding our way through the narrow streets filled with restaurants and shops. 

Venetian Harbour

The corn that caused Adalyn to lose a tooth!!!

Saturday, was our last day, and we needed to head to Heraklion for the airport, which gave us the perfect opportunity to visit the Palace of Knossos.  Knossos is considered Europe's oldest city, dating back to 7,000 BC.  There is evidence that this palace was inhabited by the Minoan people.  The first palace was believed to have been built in 1900 BC, which was destroyed and rebuilt in 1700 BC. Between 1700-1450 BC, the city of Knossos had 100,000 citizens.  It was amazing to tour the palace and appreciate the talent and skills these people had to create this architectural masterpiece. 

Knossos Palace

After our tour, we drove to the old town of Heraklio and walked along the port.  The waves were amazing that day, it was fun to see them towering over the port walls.  For dinner, we visited a rooftop restaurant that was recommended to us from a friend.  We could not have asked for a better farewell dinner overlooking the Sea. 

Heraklio coast-

Dinner view-

Happy holiday! 

We had such a memorable summer holiday in Crete.  We look forward to one day exploring more of the islands.  Love the beach life! 

Camping in the Bernese Alps

This past weekend, we ventured to the Bernese Alps in Switzerland to a small town, Kandersteg.  We had heard about a particular lake in the mountains, Lake Oeschinensee, and we added it to our list of places to visit.  When looking up hotels, the search results were limited, so we decided to try out camping.  We have never camped as a family, but thought Switzerland would be the perfect place to start.

On Saturday morning, we arrived in Kandersteg, about  2 1/2 hours away from Geneva.  We immediately boarded the cable car to begin our hike to see the lake.  After a short hike across pastures and through pine forests, we had arrived and the view was amazing.  Even though it was cloudy, we were blown away by the natural beauty.  It was fun to see people along the lake making fires with the wood around them and enjoying a true outdoor picnic.  After our hike, we took a row boat on the lake.  

The hiking trail we took along the lake-

Beautiful-

Happy little hikers! 

Our boat guide-

Cow grazing along the lake-

After our descent down the mountain, we headed to the campground to set up camp.  The girls were so excited to be camping!!  Our friends arrived shortly after, and we started the grill to prepare for dinner.  Unfortunately, they didn't allow bonfires at the campground we were staying at, so we made dinner and s'mores on the grill.  It was a perfect Americana night!  It was a very chilly night, 40 degrees, but we all survived out first night camping as a family!  Camping in Switzerland is definitely a humbling experience.  Everyone around us had a story about a mountain they had just climbed, or were planning on climbing.  

So excited! 

Making s'mores- 

View from our campsite-

On Sunday, it was a beautiful day so we knew we had to spend some more time in the area.  We went to Interlaken for lunch and enjoyed the view.  After that, we headed to one of our favorite places in Switzerland, the Beatus Caves.  We stumbled upon this place two years ago on our trip back from Interlaken and knew we had to revisit.  We have never done the cave tour, we mainly go for the breathtaking views.  Once again, it did not disappoint.

Lake Thun 

It was such a memorable weekend.  It was so fun to see the joy of camping through their eyes- definitely makes it worth it, plus no mosquitoes was a HUGE plus!!!

Camping requires a lot of luggage-  

Maybe next time we will stay for two nights! 

Beauty in the Alsace Region

This past weekend we visited the Alsace region, which lies on the border of Germany and France.  Some of our friends had been to this region and after seeing their pictures, I knew it was a place we had to visit.

We stayed in Eguisheim, which was the town that inspired the opening scene in the movie, Beauty and the Beast.  It is a very tiny village, but filled with character.

Beautiful center of town- 

My favorite place in the village-

We also visited Colmar, which is another charming town in the Alsace region.  Picturesque would be the perfect word to describe this town.  We felt like we were in a fairytale as we walked through the narrow streets lined with colorful homes, beautifully decorated with flowers in every window.  The highlight of Colmar for us was taking a gondola style boat ride down the Lauch River, located in  "La Petite Venise" quarter of Colmar.  

Stunning- 

Loved the boat ride- 

I want to build a house like this! 

Adalyn eating the Alsatian equivalent to pizza, Flammekueche.  A very thin crust, covered with sour cream, cheese, onions, and bacon. She is always up for trying the local foods-

On Sunday, we drove to Strasbourg, France.  Strasbourg has been fought over for centuries between the French and Germans.  Since it lies right on the border, the town has a very Franco-German vibe.  We spent the day wandering through the town admiring the old half-timbered homes, Renaissance buildings, and the stunning cathedral.

Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre-Dame

Known as one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe.  

Could not get enough of the architecture!  

Besides being known for their charming villages, the Alsace region is also well-known for their wine, particularly white.  They are known for their Reisling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Sylvaner, and Gewürztraminer.  On Sunday, we drove the Alsace wine route which begins in Strasbourg and passes through small towns along the beautiful vineyards ending near Colmar.  Without kids, this route would be so much fun!!  So many different wine caves offering wine tastings.  Unfortunately, it was getting late in the day, and the girls were not so keen on wine tasting, so we stopped at one cave and then headed back to Eguisheim.

We had a wonderful time exploring this area of France.  These villages are also known for their Christmas markets, so we may have to take a trip there again in December!