Austria, Lots of Pictures Again

It is going to take a long time to get through all our pictures from Austria. Someone took all sorts of pictures - pictures of kids, food, plants, relatives, stuff... but I want to post some here because we use this blog as a kind of photo album. Instead of printing pictures and putting them in an actual album, they are all here (wherever here is) along with some commentary. I kind of like that. So, even though you have now missed the first day of 2nd grade and the first day of preschool (we'll get to those soon) and various other mundane life activities, let's go back to Austria...

At Schloss Schoenbrunn there is a kids' playground off to the right side of the gardens behind the Schloss - you pay a little extra to get in  but it is worth it.

Of course they have ice cream. And our friend, A, came along, too.

Kids can sit inside this bird and push with their feet to make the wings flap.  This is needed at our neighborhood playground.

A waterplay/giant screw thing. (There were also large metal pogo-stick like things that you pulled to squirt water.)

There was a maze. We only got lost 3 or 4 times.

And the grounds of the Schloss are beautiful. Always worth a visit. Mr. Burli and I sometimes went jogging around the grounds when we lived in Vienna.

We finally arrived in Kaernten and this was the scene at Oma and Opa's / Onkel Mike and Tante Sandra's house - a party! Not actually for us, but for the street, but it just happened to coincide with our visit.

And the party went on until late in the night.

It was cool the next morning, but oh so green and lush for a San Diegan.

Sandra and Mike made some raised garden beds out of metal. Really raised. 

The house now has a kind of Swedish feel to it.

And of course it has beautiful views.

The next morning we went to the Walderlebnispark , the Forest Adventure Park, nearby. You climbed up to be at treetop height.

There were various challenges to do and several slides to come down.

There was a zipline forest.

A gigantic sandbox.

A jumping hill.

More slides. And they also had a slackline forest, owls, some nature paths with educational activities, 'foxholes' (little culverts to walk through), and a snackbar. You could really pack a lunch and stay all day.

We stopped for a late lunch at Mohoritsch, so I can finish up with some food pictures  - I got the Kaerntner speciality - sort of like ravioli.

Seppi had pork with a dumpling and some root veggies. (The kids of course had schnitzel . And ice cream.)