Daddy got 2 days of extra time off for the JAG office doing well during the inspection with TJAG so we decided that we would do a big trip to enjoy the 4 days off with daddy! After daddy heard from his friend, Ben Joelson, about how great their past trip to Budapest was, daddy decided to look up images of it online. He was completely in shock and had no idea that Budapest would look so amazing. He was instantly convinced that Budapest was our place to go to for this week.
Based on our previous trip to Switzerland, we knew we needed to brake up the almost 7 hour drive to Budapest by picking a halfway point to stop at. We looked and saw that Croatia was halfway and decided to stop at the capital of Zagreb. The day we were leaving, daddy and I arranged for your new turtles, Raph and Leo, to be watched at Ben's house for the week. When I told Jace that we were getting ready to walk and drop off the turtles, you BALLED your eyes out and kept telling me "But I'm going to miss them mommy!" This lasted for 10 minutes straight of waterfall cries, pleas not to give away his turtles, etc. I thought it was a little funny that you cried this much but didn't cry as much when we left your dogs, JD and Jaya, with sissy. However, after I texted with daddy about the heartbreak you were experiencing, he made the executive decision to take the turtles with us!!!! I was initially against it because I thought it would be so much work even though the turtles were so small. When I told you Jace that the turtles were coming with us, you were immediately relieved and ran to their side and whispered, "Yes, daddy said you guys can come." It was truly one of the cutest things I've ever seen you do! So our car of 4 humans and 2 turtles headed off to Zagreb as soon as daddy got off work on that Tuesday night.
We stayed at a very "modern" type of hotel that mirrored a college dorm room feel. I thought it was a little cheesy but daddy actually really liked the room and the hotel. We had more than enough room for all of us, and even the turtles ;p Since we are now becoming very accustomed to hotels and their breakfast spreads, the breakfast at this particular hotel was not impressive. Very simple but it was good enough for us to fill up before discovering what Zagreb had to offer.
As we drove away from the hotel that morning, we realized that our hotel was smack dab in the middle of the GHETTO. The buildings, graffiti, and stained clothing hanging from the clotheslines were clearly now seen in the daylight. We continued to drive to the center of the city and still saw buildings upon buildings that looked like the projects of NYC. However, we were hopeful that the center had a lot more to offer. Unfortunately, Zagreb did not impress us as much as we had hoped for. We did see the market and a few pretty places such as the church and streets with great looking restaurants and cafes, but it wasn't what we were expecting out of the capitol of Croatia. Daddy and I decided to cut our time shorter and head to Budapest earlier than expected. As we returned to the car, we got an unexpected souvenir from the city of Zagreb, a parking ticket ;p Bye bye Zagreb!
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Monday, April 4, 2016
Ljubljana, Slovenia
March 5-6, 2016
We decided to go back to Slovenia and check out The Bled Castle as well as Lake Bled. Unfortunately, the forecast of snow turned into rain so we were not able to take full advantage of the outdoor views and sightseeing like we wanted to do. Like the hard charging travelers we are, we pushed through and did what we possibly could even with the cold, rainy weather before us. Bled Castle is known to be the oldest castle in Slovenia dating back to 1011. It stands on a sheer cliff above Lake Bled. We tried the restaurant at the castle and saw that it was one of those places that we needed to be "in and out of." We did venture through the castle and saw a small portion that was turned into a museum. You boys enjoyed running around (as usual) and looking at all the encased skeletons, artifacts, and old hunting tools that we used back then. Even with the dark clouds and gloomy surrounding, we still saw the breath taking view from the castle of Lake Bled. We promised ourselves that we will definitely return during the Spring season so we can walk around Lake Bled and enjoy the scenery.
We ended the night by going to City Park Shopping Centre, which was the mall close to our hotel that supposedly held close to 500 stores inside. Naturally, we were excited to go in hopes of also finding a great spot to eat. We found a Chinese Restaurant that satisfied our Asian food cravings so we were extremely happy about that. Our constant hunt for non pizza and non pasta places when outside of Italy is always a must! We were also amazed at the very good and very cheap fruit smoothies sold at the mall. Daddy and I shared a large fruit smoothie for only 2.90 Euros!
After strolling the mall, we walked back to the Radisson Blu Hotel Plaza which was our home for the night. One of the best parts to this hotel was the waterfall head shower! It was like having a wonderful massage! Another great thing to the hotel was the breakfast! So far, it is absolutely the best breakfast spread we have ever had both in the US and here in Europe. I highly recommend this hotel not only for the comfortable stay and breakfast, but the added perks to Atlantis Water Park. We received 4 hours free admission to the water park and 30% off our Thai massages!
Our last day in Slovenia was dedicated to the indoor water park in Atlantis (along with Daddy and I's 50 minute Thai massages!). It was an absolute hit for all of us. There were many different areas to the water park to include a baby/toddler area, wave pool, tube slides, multiple pools/hot tubs, saunas, and massage areas. As a side note, a Thai massage is NOTHING like the massages we were use to in the US. They use their ENTIRE body to massage every part of you. They use their elbows, knees, and entire body weight to massage and stretch you like you didn't think was possible! It felt amazing and painful at the same time haha. Of course as I expected, the masseuse I had was Filipina. For some reason, whenever its Asian women I always end up with a fellow Filipina ;) Anyways, even with my bruised back I discovered when I got home that night, I would still prefer a Thai massage over the massages I've had in the past.
Overall, we had a great weekend in Ljubljana and we are ready to come back to see more of the lake and gorge when the weather is better!
We decided to go back to Slovenia and check out The Bled Castle as well as Lake Bled. Unfortunately, the forecast of snow turned into rain so we were not able to take full advantage of the outdoor views and sightseeing like we wanted to do. Like the hard charging travelers we are, we pushed through and did what we possibly could even with the cold, rainy weather before us. Bled Castle is known to be the oldest castle in Slovenia dating back to 1011. It stands on a sheer cliff above Lake Bled. We tried the restaurant at the castle and saw that it was one of those places that we needed to be "in and out of." We did venture through the castle and saw a small portion that was turned into a museum. You boys enjoyed running around (as usual) and looking at all the encased skeletons, artifacts, and old hunting tools that we used back then. Even with the dark clouds and gloomy surrounding, we still saw the breath taking view from the castle of Lake Bled. We promised ourselves that we will definitely return during the Spring season so we can walk around Lake Bled and enjoy the scenery.
We ended the night by going to City Park Shopping Centre, which was the mall close to our hotel that supposedly held close to 500 stores inside. Naturally, we were excited to go in hopes of also finding a great spot to eat. We found a Chinese Restaurant that satisfied our Asian food cravings so we were extremely happy about that. Our constant hunt for non pizza and non pasta places when outside of Italy is always a must! We were also amazed at the very good and very cheap fruit smoothies sold at the mall. Daddy and I shared a large fruit smoothie for only 2.90 Euros!
After strolling the mall, we walked back to the Radisson Blu Hotel Plaza which was our home for the night. One of the best parts to this hotel was the waterfall head shower! It was like having a wonderful massage! Another great thing to the hotel was the breakfast! So far, it is absolutely the best breakfast spread we have ever had both in the US and here in Europe. I highly recommend this hotel not only for the comfortable stay and breakfast, but the added perks to Atlantis Water Park. We received 4 hours free admission to the water park and 30% off our Thai massages!
Our last day in Slovenia was dedicated to the indoor water park in Atlantis (along with Daddy and I's 50 minute Thai massages!). It was an absolute hit for all of us. There were many different areas to the water park to include a baby/toddler area, wave pool, tube slides, multiple pools/hot tubs, saunas, and massage areas. As a side note, a Thai massage is NOTHING like the massages we were use to in the US. They use their ENTIRE body to massage every part of you. They use their elbows, knees, and entire body weight to massage and stretch you like you didn't think was possible! It felt amazing and painful at the same time haha. Of course as I expected, the masseuse I had was Filipina. For some reason, whenever its Asian women I always end up with a fellow Filipina ;) Anyways, even with my bruised back I discovered when I got home that night, I would still prefer a Thai massage over the massages I've had in the past.
Overall, we had a great weekend in Ljubljana and we are ready to come back to see more of the lake and gorge when the weather is better!
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Piancavallo 3/13/16
Just about 30 minutes from where we live, we were able to take advantage and sled down hills full of soft fluffly snow at Piancavallo. There was a big area called Nevelandia that is dedicated just for kids. For 20 euros, we were able to take advantage of sledding down the hill with an escalator to help parents and kids go back up the hill. (This was a huge bonus for daddy who was the designated "sledder" for you boys) We were able to rent a sled there as well. There was also an area where kids could ride a blow up type of animal down small hills. Unfortunately, Jace fell off of it the first time and it was also his last time to try it. Even though we stood out from everyone else with their snow suits and snow boots, we made it work with the boys rain boots and our "winter" boots in the snow. I wasn't as stable as you boys were so I was the assigned videographer/photographer for the day. We all enjoyed the picturesque snow capped mountain backdrop as we spent the day playing with the snow and sledding. You boys loved every second we spent playing in the snow. You both are absolutely just like daddy and love the outdoors no matter what the season or weather is :)
Lucern, Switzerland 3/27/16
Initially, Daddy was disappointed that we weren't staying in Bern, Switzerland because of how amazing the center was with all the different shops, restaurants, and modern touches to the city. However, as we drove into the center of Lucerne Daddy started to second guess himself. Not only did the center have so many different stores to shop in, the "tourist" attractions that it held by far beat out Bern. Unfortunately, we got to Lucern later in the night on a Saturday so we only had Sunday to tour the center.
We stayed at a bed and breakfast type place which ended up being a super fancy place. We were nervous staying there because well....Jace and Jordy were staying there ;p The breakfast was amazing and you both enjoyed it especially the chocolate brioche and the strawberry yogurt! All the breads were freshly baked and were very flaky on the outside and soft on the inside. Although we couldn't try out the lunch or dinner because it looked like a scene from a romantic movie where someone would propose, we were very glad to have stayed at such a nice hotel.
The bad thing about seeing a country or city on a Sunday is that EVERY shopping store is closed! :( We were so sad that we couldn't go into any of the stores that we wanted to get souvenirs from such as Swiss watches, clocks, etc. However, I did get my long awaited Swiss Chocolates and they seriously are the BEST chocolates I have ever had. (And I've had ALOT from those that know my love for chocolates) Aside from the awesome (potential) shopping Lucern had, we also enjoyed the famous Old Bridge, 9 Towers, and Dying Lion statue. Jace especially loved climbing all the towers and running along the walkways connecting all the towers. Jory enjoyed being on daddy's back while in the backpack as we explored all the hot spots of Lucern. Since we didn't have a lot of options open for lunch, we went with our default for you boys by buying you McDonald's. The happy meals for a 4 piece chicken nugget meal was almost 10 Euros! Everything in Switzerland seemed to be at least double the normal price anywhere else in Europe.
We ended our last night in Lucern by going to the lake and feeding the ducks and swans. This probably was your favorite thing we did in Switzerland besides our picnic by Chillon castle. You both did not want to leave and cried as we walked to the car. Switzerland was definitely another adventure to remember for us!
We stayed at a bed and breakfast type place which ended up being a super fancy place. We were nervous staying there because well....Jace and Jordy were staying there ;p The breakfast was amazing and you both enjoyed it especially the chocolate brioche and the strawberry yogurt! All the breads were freshly baked and were very flaky on the outside and soft on the inside. Although we couldn't try out the lunch or dinner because it looked like a scene from a romantic movie where someone would propose, we were very glad to have stayed at such a nice hotel.
The bad thing about seeing a country or city on a Sunday is that EVERY shopping store is closed! :( We were so sad that we couldn't go into any of the stores that we wanted to get souvenirs from such as Swiss watches, clocks, etc. However, I did get my long awaited Swiss Chocolates and they seriously are the BEST chocolates I have ever had. (And I've had ALOT from those that know my love for chocolates) Aside from the awesome (potential) shopping Lucern had, we also enjoyed the famous Old Bridge, 9 Towers, and Dying Lion statue. Jace especially loved climbing all the towers and running along the walkways connecting all the towers. Jory enjoyed being on daddy's back while in the backpack as we explored all the hot spots of Lucern. Since we didn't have a lot of options open for lunch, we went with our default for you boys by buying you McDonald's. The happy meals for a 4 piece chicken nugget meal was almost 10 Euros! Everything in Switzerland seemed to be at least double the normal price anywhere else in Europe.
We ended our last night in Lucern by going to the lake and feeding the ducks and swans. This probably was your favorite thing we did in Switzerland besides our picnic by Chillon castle. You both did not want to leave and cried as we walked to the car. Switzerland was definitely another adventure to remember for us!
Veytaux, Switzerland 3/26/2016
Our little 4 year old, Jace, held a very detailed conversation with daddy one night before bed. He talked about this picnic he wanted to have and explained every little thing he wanted to do for it. He knew what food he wanted and how he wanted it to look. Daddy told me all about it and sure enough, the following morning Jace woke up and it was the first thing on his mind. We wanted it to be extra special for him and with a 3 day weekend for Easter, we decided to visit the infamous Swiss Alps and see Switzerland for all its glory! It was a 5 1/2 hour drive from our house but we decided to break up the trip by stopping over in Milan for the night.
The tolls to get to Veytaux was insane!!!! The tolls to get there was 30 Euros and the vignette was 42 Euros. We were warned at how expensive Switzerland was going to be and the drive there proved it to be true already. Regardless, we wanted to still cross it off our European travel bucket list. And as we crossed over into Switzerland and saw the Swiss Alps, we immediately knew it was worth it! Breathe taking is an understatement. The Swiss mountains made Italian mountains look like baby hills ;p It seemed like the tips of the Swiss Alps were touching the clouds! The snow truly made it that much more beautiful. Jace was already so excited to see all the snow and as usual asked if he could play in it. We told him we needed to keep driving so we can have his special picnic he asked for.
The weather was truly perfect for our picnic. It was in the 50s when we started setting up our spot by the water and the sun was completely shining down on us. Other fellow "picnic-ers" were experts and brought food to grill which of course we weren't aware was available to us. It was truly picturesque! You boys loved our spot right by the lake because you both threw rocks into the water over and over! It was the first picnic for Daddy and I as well so it was extremely special for all of us!
Since we spent half the day enjoying our pinic, we decided to not go into the castle so you boys could nap in the car and we could head to our next destination.....Burne, Switzerland!
The tolls to get to Veytaux was insane!!!! The tolls to get there was 30 Euros and the vignette was 42 Euros. We were warned at how expensive Switzerland was going to be and the drive there proved it to be true already. Regardless, we wanted to still cross it off our European travel bucket list. And as we crossed over into Switzerland and saw the Swiss Alps, we immediately knew it was worth it! Breathe taking is an understatement. The Swiss mountains made Italian mountains look like baby hills ;p It seemed like the tips of the Swiss Alps were touching the clouds! The snow truly made it that much more beautiful. Jace was already so excited to see all the snow and as usual asked if he could play in it. We told him we needed to keep driving so we can have his special picnic he asked for.
The weather was truly perfect for our picnic. It was in the 50s when we started setting up our spot by the water and the sun was completely shining down on us. Other fellow "picnic-ers" were experts and brought food to grill which of course we weren't aware was available to us. It was truly picturesque! You boys loved our spot right by the lake because you both threw rocks into the water over and over! It was the first picnic for Daddy and I as well so it was extremely special for all of us!
Since we spent half the day enjoying our pinic, we decided to not go into the castle so you boys could nap in the car and we could head to our next destination.....Burne, Switzerland!
BERN, SWITZERLAND 3/26/2016
Daddy googled and found out about this awesome clock tower located in the city of Berne. As always, we needed to see it and we were excited to see what the downtown area of Berne had to offer. We were in shock at how many stores were located in the center of Berne! It was stores galore there! Berne definitely knew how to mix the "new" with its "old historical" landmarks! Unfortunately, after being at Chillon Castle all day, we got to Berne around 430 and found out that ALL the shopping stores closed at 5pm?!?!? Who closes stores that early on a Sat?!?! We were so disappointed because there were SO MANY stores we wanted to check out especially the stores we wanted to get souvenirs from! Regardless, we still enjoyed walking around the center and we were able to see the famous Zytglogge clock tower in Berne. Every hour the clock bell tower rings and the clock "comes to life." It was very cool to see. Although, we probably saw too many movies on clock towers like this and thought more was going to happen.....maybe some marching or popping out of characters haha. We still admired the beauty and all the details the clock tower displayed.
We decided to eat dinner in the center and to Jace's never changing request of either spaghetti or pizza, we agreed so everyone would eat. I'm like....we live in Italy, the land of pasta and pizza but whatever. All the boys got spaghetti and I originally was going to order my usual, salad, but saw the girl's plate next to me and opted for this grilled chicken pasta dish. OMG it was the best pasta sauce I've ever had! Of course I didn't know what it was but it was a white creamy sauce and had this amazing butter type cream to add to the dish. Daddy, who is a creature of habit with his food, even liked it and I willingly shared my dish with him as well ;)
As we were walking back to the car to head to our hotel in Lucern, Daddy wanted to take a quick peek at this gorgeous church we saw. I told him I'd wait outside with you boys, and when he came back out, he had a candle in hand. He told me "I think I'm supposed to come back at 8pm to light the candle." HAHAHAHA I was cracking up and told him hurry up let's go before a nun or priest comes out and convinces us to join mass! That's the "disadvantage" of not knowing the language, you can be easialy persuaded to do whatever the locals want you to do! It was a funny ending to our trip to Burne.
Day 1 in Switzerland was a complete success! Onto our "home" for the next two nights in Lucerne Switzerland.......
We decided to eat dinner in the center and to Jace's never changing request of either spaghetti or pizza, we agreed so everyone would eat. I'm like....we live in Italy, the land of pasta and pizza but whatever. All the boys got spaghetti and I originally was going to order my usual, salad, but saw the girl's plate next to me and opted for this grilled chicken pasta dish. OMG it was the best pasta sauce I've ever had! Of course I didn't know what it was but it was a white creamy sauce and had this amazing butter type cream to add to the dish. Daddy, who is a creature of habit with his food, even liked it and I willingly shared my dish with him as well ;)
As we were walking back to the car to head to our hotel in Lucern, Daddy wanted to take a quick peek at this gorgeous church we saw. I told him I'd wait outside with you boys, and when he came back out, he had a candle in hand. He told me "I think I'm supposed to come back at 8pm to light the candle." HAHAHAHA I was cracking up and told him hurry up let's go before a nun or priest comes out and convinces us to join mass! That's the "disadvantage" of not knowing the language, you can be easialy persuaded to do whatever the locals want you to do! It was a funny ending to our trip to Burne.
Day 1 in Switzerland was a complete success! Onto our "home" for the next two nights in Lucerne Switzerland.......
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