NORWAY - Big Challenges And Stunning Scenery.

Tromso is a truly amazing place, filled with such natural beauty. We’re so grateful to have been able to experience all that we did above the Arctic Circle, with such clear weather and fresh snow at the start of our 12 night stay. 

However, while in Tromso, we experienced some of the most stressful and awful incidences of our whole trip. More on that at further down in the blog post. But first, lets admire some of the stunning scenery.

The photos below were taken on a day with beautiful weather - the 22nd of December I think. I was able to wander around town by myself, capturing these beautiful photos during the daylight hours. 

Our Christmas day was very quiet and cosy! We had prepared a few small surprise gifts for the girls and Santa also stopped by with some small presents - mainly books, colouring pens, digital watches and a few trinkets. We were planning to go to the English-spoken Christmas Service at the Arctic Cathedral at 4pm, but by 3pm the bad weather had set in, with rain and strong winds. So we stayed in a watched movies and played monopoly instead. I cooked reindeer stew for dinner and I’m pleased to report it taste just like the stew at the Reindeer excursions with the Sami. (You can get frozen reindeer meat at the local supermarket)

Bad Weather, Missed Flights and Lost Toys

From Christmas Day to the 28th. The weather really turned - it was rainy and windy and the snow all turned to slush, making it really slippery and wet to walk around. I really feel for people who arrived in Tromso on Christmas or after. So many of the whale watching tours and northern lights tours were cancelled - even the cable car stopped running due to the high winds. On these days we ventured off to two of the museums, which I’ve written about in a seperate post, but simply walking around the footpaths felt really dangerous. 

But departing Tromso was one of the worst, most stressful things to happen on our trip, thanks to a rescheduled flight that we missed, resulting in us having to book a whole new flight and an extra night of (very expensive) accommodation 😭😭. What kind of airline bumps a whole family to an earlier flight with less than 12 hours notice - those 12 hours literally being the night before 😡😡😡😡. Wideroe, that’s who! 

Our original flight wasn’t cancelled either, so there was no real reason that we were bumped - I’d be ok with being bumped to a later flight, we would atleast have had a chance to reorganise ourselves. We were definitely not prepared for getting to the airport at 6am rather than 12pm on the 28th. 

However, I am proud of how the whole family handled the awful situation. Braino and I kept our cool, no one raised their voices or lost the plot or had an emotional meltdown. We just got things sorted as best we could in a calm manner. 

I’m also incredibly grateful that we have budgeted well and stuck to our budget, which means we have a healthy amount in contingency put aside for unforeseen things like this. I’m currently trying our luck at getting some sort of reimbursement from Wideroe but I don’t like our chances. Our travel insurance unfortunately won’t cover something like this - I’ve gone through the terms and conditions in detail. 

The other absolute lowlight of our time in Tromso, was loosing Hallie’s treasured toy wombat Happy Bang. It’s been her comfort toy ever since she was one year old and has become some what of a family icon. She mysteriously disappeared from a carry bag that was filled with other toys, gloves and beanies while we were out. ( I was carrying it, so I’m the most to blame 😭😭😭) 

We retraced our steps multiple times, searching high and low, asking in the 7-Eleven we stopped at, contacting the bus company and even making the trip out to their head office to search through the lost and found. The lady who worked at the lost and found department put in an amazing effort to search all the 34 buses and 26 buses for us, the two buses we caught during the short window of time were she could have disappeared. We even posted on a Tromso community Facebook group in the hopes someone picked Happy Bang up. 

Hallie handled the devastation really maturely, she even set up a gravestone for Happy Bang in the yard of the accommodation when we left. Braino and I seemed more devastated about it really. We thought Happy Bang would be the one toy we’d keep forever. It feels akin to losing a pet. We have since implement a no toys to be brought out on day trips rule, even Farley’s favourite Leprechaun Clover. They always end up in a bag or with Braino or I carrying them and we can’t handle another loss, we already had a few close calls before this incident. 

Ironically, we did purchase exactly the same wombat toy many years ago, in the instance that this exact thing would happen. It’s called Sad Bang but it’s face isn’t as cute so it never achieved the same level of attachment as Happy Bang (the name Bang is a reference to the book Happy Birthday Wombat from the Diary of a Wombat book series, where the wombat pops balloons with a BANG! . I read the book to Hallie as a baby and Bang was one of her first words. I guess she always associated the word bang with wombats.) 

Rest In Peace Happy Bang, I hope she has found a loving home in Tromso. 

NORWAY - Family Friendly Museums of Tromso

Tromso has a surprising variety of museums for a smaller, remotely located town. We visited two that were ideal for kids - the Troll Museum and The Science Centre of Northern Norway 

The Troll Museum is quite small but has vast array of exhibits dedicated to the fairy tales and folklore of Norway, many of which the mythoogical creature that is iconic to Norway - The Troll. 

Many of the Norwegian Fairy Tales that feature trolls were displayed as beautiful designed miniature dioramas, along with the some human size trolls. I really like the display that shows all the rock formation around Norway that have inspired Troll myths and legends. Many actually looked like the rock giants from Frozen 2.

 Hallie and Rooney loved the interactive sand display, which has a landscape projected onto the sand from above and changed as they dug out and piled up the sand. The dug out parts would become an ocean via the projection while any piled up parts became island with trolls stomping around. 

The Science Centre of Northern Norway includes a planetarium and I was very keen to see the featured film Extreme Auroras that you can view inside the planetarium dome. It features breathtaking time lapse footage of the Aurora and was shot and produced by renowned photographer Ole Christian Salomonsen,  who is local to Tromso. 

While the Science Centre is on the smaller side, it kept us busy for hours and had a number of interactive displays that we hadn’t yet come across in the other science centres we have visited.

Here is a list of other museums and attractions that would be worth a look. You can purchase a Tromso Pass which provides discounted entry into a number of these museums, along with admission to the cable car. We opted not to get one as we had booked the other excursions like whale watching and reindeers and we wanted to factor in some down time. Plus, not going to lie, Norway is very expensive! The exchange rate against the Australian Dollar is a killer so we had to restrain ourselves when it came to all the touristy recommendations.

Polaria 

An aquarium in a impressive modern architecturally design building that hosts seal shows and a hands on rock pool. 

The Polar Museum

A small museum dedicated to Arctic explorers and expeditions  

Tromso Museum / The Arctic University Museum of Norway

A university museum dedicated to the arctic region, include the history of the Sami, the science behind the Northern Lights and ecosystems of the Arctic. It looks like it has a good kids section too. 

Full Steam Museum 

This museum is located next to the Polar Museum along the wharf area. It has exhibition about the Sea Sami and the Northern Lights. 

NORWAY - Northern Lights Above Tromso

We were extraordinarily lucky to see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis dance across the skies above Tromso on multiple nights during our stay, between December 17th to December 24th.

Many people book Northern Lights Tours, were they go out with a guide for hours at night, traveling to remote areas beyond Tromso, away from the light pollution of the city. However, we didn’t not plan to book anything like this, mainly due to the high prices and also the fact that it’s not really idea for kids to be outdoors all night in below freezing temperatures. Plus many tours group do not cater to children under the age of 10. But Tromso is know as a place where it is common to see the Aurora Borealis from town and we definitely got lucky with great conditions.

The best vantage point for seeing the Northern Lights is from Storsteinen, which is 421 meters above sea level and is accessible by the Fjellheisen Cable Car in Sollivenien in Tromsdalen, across the bridge from the main island of Tromso. We went up to the top of the mountain around 5pm on a very clear night and miraculously timed it perfectly with a stunning Aurora Borealis display stretching across Tromso. An hour or so later, the Aurora had disappeared but no doubt it returned throughout the night. The girls loved sliding around in the snow, along with a number of other kids who didn’t really understand the magnitude of what they were witnessing in the skies above.

I would have loved to have gone up the cable cab during the daylight hours also, to capture the breathtaking view. But, the cable car is very expensive so we planned our trip to maximise viewing the Aurora Borealis. There is a walking track that leads up the mountain but it’s only recommended for experienced hikers during the winter months.

The view from the top of the Fjellheisen Cable Car

The view from the top of the Fjellheisen Cable Car

The view from the top of the Fjellheisen Cable Car

The view from the top of the Fjellheisen Cable Car

The view from the top of the Fjellheisen Cable Car

The photos below are from a different night where we could first see the Aurora from right outside our door, which why Braino thought it would be funny to go outside in his summer cloths for a photos, despite it being freezing!

Later that evening, I decided to venture off to the other side of town to Prestvannet in Tromso. Prestvannet is a small lake on the highest point of Tromso, which is easily accessible by bus 40 - just get off at Stalheim. The lake was completely frozen, covered in deep snow, with many other groups of people out photographing the Northern Lights too. A lovely couple took my photo in exchange for me taking a photo of them.

The view from our accomodation in Tromsdalen

The view from our accommodation in Tromsdalen

I was incredibly impressed by how well my iPhone 15 captured the Northern Lights, just shooting handheld. Braino much old iphone didn’t produce the same results. From the lake and the top of the cable car, we could see the vibrant green colours of the auroras with our naked eye, but it does look more vibrant through the lens of a camera. Around the town, with a bit more light pollution, the auroras can look a lot more pale in colour to the naked eye.

It’s made me appreciate how much effort and time it takes to capture professional footage of the Aurora Borealis. It’s so incredibly cold, my hands were freezing when I had them out of my ski glove to work the camera. Being outside all night, in remote landscapes, capturing timelapse photos, you’d really need the best quality clothing and camera gear.

The view from the frozen lake at Pressvannet

The view from the frozen lake at Pressvannet

The view from the frozen lake at Pressvannet

NORWAY - Reindeers Sled Rides with the Sami

A few days before Christmas we had a wonderful afternoon learning about reindeers and the Sami, the indigenous reindeer herders of northern Norway with Tromso Arctic Reindeer.

The Sami have inhabited the Arctic region across the north of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia for over 10,000 years. Traditionally, they have had a close bond with reindeers with reindeer herding providing the basis for their economy. There are also Sea Sami who make their living from catching fish and large aquatic creatures.

If you’ve ever watched Frozen 2, the Northuldra people in the movie are some what based on the Sami. We had a very big Frozen 2 phase during 2020, Braino and I probably have more of a sentimental attachment to the movie than the girls to be honest. It certainly kept us entertained during the lock down year of 2020.

The reindeer tours with the Sami run during the winter months and are very popular with tourists in Tromso. We booked our tour via the Tromso Tourism Website and joined 3 other bus load of tourists at the main bus terminal to set off for our afternoon adventure.

The Sami camp and reindeer paddock is about 30 mins north of Tromso, located along the water. After a brief introduction, we were able to fed many of the friendly reindeers in the herd. The reindeers were so sweet and quite slow paced (not like the bossy deer in Nara, Japan). They leisurely ate pellets out of the buckets we were provided with. However the girls were a little nervous about having their big antlers too close. We saw two reindeers locking antlers and fighting but even that seem pretty relaxed.

After some hot chocolate in the dining tent to warm, it was our groups turn to go on the sled ride. The Sami guides led the train of reindeers pulling the sleds around the paddock with beautiful views out across the mountains. The sleds were quite simple wooden platforms with seats and blankets - the girls really enjoyed this part. I had imagined we’d go sledding through a forest but this was still really special.

Once the darkness settled in, all the guests huddled into the traditional Sami tent, a ‘lavvu’, where we were able to try reindeer stew cooked over the fire and listen to stories and information about the Sami culture. This was my favourite part! It was so fascinating to learn about the history of the Arctic and the people who have lived in this part of the world for thousands of years.

Like many indigenous cultures, the Sami have faced persecution and have had to fight to retain their culture and way of life. The Sami religion is similar to Paganism, based around spirits of nature; it came under persecution when Christianity spread across Norway in the 17th Century. The Sami have a special way of singing, called joiking (pronounced Yoiking), it’s similar to a chant and every Sami person has a tune that is unique to them. (Again, it’s similar to what you can hear in Frozen 2) As a big group, we learned how to Joik and sung around the fire.

One of the guides explained how the idea of the tours grew from tourists stopping by the paddocks, asking to pat and take photos with the reindeers. But while the large group did feel very touristy, I appreciate that its a way for the Sami people to earn money while educating the rest of the world about their culture. Being able to get up close to reindeers the snow was obviously a very unqiue Christmas experience for the girls.

If I have one recommendation it would be to book the morning tour so you get a little more daylight, which is better for photos. We left booking a tour a little late and there were only afternoon times available - the daylight disappears around 2:30pm. Alternatively, you can do a tour at night, with the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights along with the reindeers.

P.S: We all really enjoyed the reindeer stew, so much so that I made some more for dinner on Christmas Day.

NORWAY - Orca Sightings in the Arctic Fjords

One of the main things we did in Tromso was the silent whale watching cruise through the fjords with Brim Explorer, where we were able to see a pod of Orcas (Killer Whales) in the wild! Hallie has always had a love for orcas so this was one of the reasons we decided on Tromso for Christmas. It was an absolutely incredible experience to see these intriguing animals in the wild and just cruising through the Fjords was spectacular in itself! It’s a breathtaking, other-worldly landscape.

Below is a video I put together on Instagram, if you’re able to watch it you’ll see a shot of the orca’s fins swimming close to the boats. It probably the best footage I got of the orcas but you can see some in the photos below, as well as the beautiful scenery.

The Brim Explorer’s boat is a high speed, hybrid-electric boat designed to reduce the impact on the wildlife of the Fjords. We boarded the boat at 9am in the morning and it took about 2.5 hours to get out to the part of the Fjords where the Orcas are known to feed on herring. The inside of the boat was warm and comfortable and while it was possible to go out on the decks and enjoy the view, the wind and wind chill factor was pretty extreme due to the speed at which the boat was travelling. I went out quite a few times to take photos but only for a few minutes each time.

We came prepared with lots of snacks, a packed lunch and plenty of games and colouring pens for the girls as there wasn’t much else to do other than enjoy the view. The two lovely crew members gave intermittent talks about the Arctic climate and lifestyle. Many passengers were sleeping or watching movies on their phones but I was just so obsessed with the scenery.

Once we arrived into the area of the fjords off the Island of Skjervoy, the boat slowed down to a much steadier pace, making it was easier to spend time on the deck. Over the next hour and half, the captain and crew would alert the passengers to sightings of the orcas and everyone would head to side of the boat that gave the best view. The pod of orcas was made up of possibly 8 different orcas and we mainly saw their dorsal fins and backs swimming through the water. At one point though, the orcas came very close to the boat and I saw one of the orcas eyes and face! Amazing! But I didn’t have time to get the phone out for a photo. The captain also announced a few times that they could see a humpback whale but I never caught a glimpse of it.

In the photos below, you can see a glimpse of the dorsal fins of the orcas…

Once the daylight started to disappear around 1:30pm, we headed back towards Tromso. The crew members gave a number of talks about whales and orcas with loads of interesting information. They also served a limited amount of soup that you could pre-purchase, but we had packed enough food to keep us going. They did have free coffee refills which was very welcome!

Overall, this was a fantastic day trip with the kids. Even with the extreme cold, it was a conformatable way to see the spectactular sceney of the Norwegian Fjords and having the opportunity to see a pod of Orcas in the wild was truly a once in the a life time experience. It’s uncommon to see them off the coast of Australian, unlike humpback whales.

NORWAY - Arriving in Tromso, Above the Arctic Circle

When we were planning our trip, we thought how incredible it would be to plan for a white Christmas. But when we starting researching places to go; to guarantee snow at the end of December, we’d have to travel up to Scandinavia.

Rovaniemi in Finland sits right on the Arctic Circle and is a very popular Christmas destination. Known as the home of Santa, the town is fully decked out as Santa’s Village. However, our girls have never really been keen on the whole Santa aspect of Christmas, we’ve never done the shopping centre photos with Santa because the girls simply never wanted to. So a full on Santa’s village with people in costumes didn’t really feel like the best choice for us.

But once we read about what Tromso in Norway had to offer, we decided that was the better option.

Here’s a brief list of the activities and sights we saw in Tromso which I’ll do more detailed blog posts for:

  • A whale watching, specifically Orcas, through the Arctic Fjords.

  • Reindeer feedings and reindeer sledding with the Sami, the indigenous people of Scandinavia.

  • Having the possibility to view the Northern Lights (Aurora Borelis) from the town of Tromso.

These photos were taken on our first full day in Tromso, where we first got to experience the Polar Night. During the winter months, the sun doesn’t technically rise in Tromso, whihc sits well above the Arctic Circle. Between the hours of 11am to roughly 1:30pm, there is a enough daylight peeking over the horizon to turn the sky a beautiful shade of blue, but everything has a subtle bluish tinge. But 3pm it’s totally as dark as night. It’s really magical for those few hours on a clear day with fresh snow.

We have been getting use to the decreasing daylight hours, in Scotland the daylight was gone by 4:30pm and in Stockholm and Copenhagen it was dark by 3:30 - 4pm. But it was a real experience to have such little daylight Very exciting though. I love being in the snow, surrounded by mountain peaks and clear skies.

The girls were so thrilled to play in snow for the first time. Generally the snow was about shin deep, but in some parts of town were the snow had been pushed to the side of roads and footpaths, it was over 6ft tall. The snow was very fresh, fluffy and dry, perfect for rolling around in.

After our little adventure into the main part of town, where we organised bus passes and some of the activities for the coming days, we came home to our accommodation. The girls were so keen to play in the snow some more so we built a snowman out in the front. While the girls were playing, Braino and I were sitting on the porch, when Braino said ‘wouldn’t it be wild if we just saw the Northern Lights in the sky from here’. And sure enough, 5 minutes later, we saw a faint streak of green across the sky!

Braino had spoken to a neighbour early who said that the conditions have been perfect for seeing the Northern Lights from Tromso. It was so extraordinary to see them so soon during our stay and I love this photo of the girls.. but stay tuned for more Aurora Borealis action!

SWEDEN - Vikings, Shipwrecks, Ikea and Go Karts

Stockholm has a wide variety of museums and tourist attractions but we kept our week fairly relaxed. But we did visit some unique museums that are iconic to Sweden as well as  few other activities that we enjoyed as as family. 

IKEA

First up is Ikea. Haha! Ikea originates from Sweden so it felt only appropriate to visit an Ikea and enjoy a lunch of Swedish meatballs. We went to a rather small Ikea in the city centre but it was still a fun experience. we can confirm it’s pretty much exactly the same as IKEAs in Australia. 

THE VIKING MUSEUM 

Djurgården Island is where you’ll find many of the tourist attractions of Stockholm. The amusement park, Grona Lund, the ABBA museum, Skansen, the open air historic village, The Nordic Museum and Junibacken, the museum dedicated to the world of author Astrid Lindgren, who wrote Pipi Longstockings. We decided to visit two of the museums here, the first being The Viking Museum. 

The Viking Museum was small but really well done in terms of atmospheric set and interactive props. The girls know a surprising amount about Vikings and Norse Mythology due to their love for the How To Train Your Dragon movies and their interest in mythological creatures. Hallie loved filling out the workbook where kids have to find the hidden pictures of mythological creatures around the museum and draw and copy down information about each. Rooney was the only one brave enough to try the ‘ride’ in the downstairs part of the museum. I used the term ride loosely though. We sat in a cart that was on a track and it went through a series of dark rooms that had dioramas depicting a story of 10th century Viking who travels across Europe in a series of adventures. While the miniature figures don’t move in each diorama but the lighting, narration and sound effects made it a really interesting way to watch a story come to life. 

THE VASA MUSEUM 

This was a really unique museum! The Vasa Museum  houses a 17th century war ship that was build in Stockholm but sank with the first two kilometers of it’s maiden voyage, due to delibrartely ignored flaws in it’s huling design. It sat on the bottom of the harbour fo 333 years. Plans to raise the sunken warship started in 1950’s but it wasn’t until 1961 that the Vasa first appeared from the watery depths. It took many decades to dry out all the waterlogged wood and recontruct the Vasa to it’s former glory. The museum that existed today was opened in 1990. 

I found this all so fascinating but I have to admit, the girls didn’t really share my enthusiasm. Maybe if they could have gone inside the ship, like the Dunbrody in Ireland,  but that’s not at all possible here. The thing that made this museum memorable for girls was the special LEGO shipwreck exhibit. 

From the website: 

The exhibition was produced by the Western Australian Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum, the models were built by professional LEGO® builder Ryan "The Brickman" McNaught’.

The exhibition was not originally intended to be a travelling exhibition and has previously only been shown in Australia, but after Sweden and the Vasa Museum, its journey continues in Denmark. In the exhibition, visitors can learn about several famous shipwrecks. In addition to Vasa, the exhibition tells the story of the luxury passenger liner Titanic, the 17th century ship Batavia and HMS Pandora.

So it was pretty cool that this exhibit was original from Australia but we got to see it in Stockholm with the actual Vasa ship. 

On one of the quieter days, we found a local hairdresser and got haircuts for the girls. They all got a huge amount cut off, back up to their shoulders, which was very much needed as their long hair was getting way too knotty. The hairdresser was so lovely and friendly but he didn’t speak much english. A very unique experience for sure. 

We also asked the girls what is one thing they would like to do again and Hallie and Rooney said ‘ride the little Go Karts again’. (like is Glasgow, Scotland) And sure enough there was a Flip Out in Stockholm, albeit out in the suburbs. So we navigated the trains and found Flip Out in a Westfields Shopping Centre! This Flip Out felt like it caters. more really young kids, Braino and I weren’t able to go in the go karts this time around but I’ve already been researching were we can do mini go karts in Brisbane.

SWEDEN - Photos From Stockholm’s Historic Areas

We loved our time in Stockholm, although we did take it a little slower than Copehagen in terms of museums and checking of touristy attractions. Stockholm does have a tourist card with similar attractions to Copenhagen, like an illusions museum and a science museum but we opted for a slower paced week (Although I will share another post with the museums and activities we did visit.)

So this post is basically dedicated to some pretty photos I was able to capture in Stockholm on a gorgeous sunny day.

On the first full day we had after arriving, we did the Kiki’s Delivery Service Movie Location Tour with Aya. This gave us a fantastic introduction to the city centre but we made it a priority to come back to the charming Christmas markets in Stortorget, the oldest public square in Stockholm, located in the historic area of Gamla Stan. 

Iconic building of Stortorget in Gamla Stan with Christmas Markets

Purchasing Glogg at the Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets in Gamla Stan

The old town area of Stockholm was the so beautiful! All of Stockholm was beautiful! The Christmas markets were a highlight! Braino and I tried glogg - a spiced red wine, also known as mulled wine. It’s served warm and usually has spices like cinnamon, cloves, star aniseed and orange. It was surprisingly delicious. 

Christmas Markets in Gamla Stan

The other area we revisited for the purpose of photography and enoying the views of Stockholm was the small island of Riddarholmen, next to Galma Stan. Riddarholmen roughly translates to The Knight’s Islet and contains many historic building and palaces that date back to the 17th century. We came here with Aya during the tour but by this stage in the afternoon it was getting quite dark. So I wanted to return on a day where the sky was clear, just before sunset. During the winter months, the sun sets around 3pm in Stockholm and it stays very low in the sky. I was really pleased to capture some of the golden glow from the afternoon sun hitting the buildings of Riddarholmen.

View of Riddarholmen from City Hall

From Riddarholmen looking across towards Sodermalm

From Riddarholmen, we walked across the bridge to Stockholm City Hall and the continued down the water front, down Norr Malastrand past more historic building, to the Radhuest Train Station. The Radhuest train station is a destination in itself. It’s carved out of the bedrock and still resemble a cavern with red, rocky exposed interior walls. Actually Braino loved checking out all the underground train stations in all the destinations that we have visited thanks to his work in underground civil construction. His camera rolls is mainly photos and videos of all the different trains and stations. I don’t have any photos of the Radhuest train station but many of the underground stations were very impressive.

Stockholm City Hall

Clock tower of Storkyrkan in Gamla Stan

Overall, we really enjoyed the beautiful architecture and historic buildings of Stockholm. On a sunny afternoon, it was so enjoyable to wander around the central area and soak in the atmosphere. The Christmas markets were a very special highlight! It’s amazing how a blue sky can immediate lift your moods. I think us Australians take for granted how often we have lovely blue skies and sunshine.

Buildings along Norr Malarstrand

SWEDEN - Kiki's Delivery Service Movie Locations of Stockholm

One of our highlights from Stockholm, Sweden was the Kiki’s Delivery Service Walking Tour with Aya from Kiki’s Tour. 

Kiki’s Delivery Service is a beautiful film about a young witch, Kiki, who must leave her hometown for a year when she turns 13 to develop her special witch skills. She flys on her broom to the port city of Koriko with her cat Jiji where she starts a flying courier service.

I first came across the work of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli back in film school with Spirited Away but it wasn’t until the last year when both our friends and my niece and nephew introduced the girls to My Neighbour Totoro that the girls fell in love with the films from Studio Ghibli. We love Totoro, Ponyo, Arietty and Kiki’s Delivery Service. ( Ironically not Spirited Away as it seems to scary for now ) 

I love the films because they are so gentle, artistic and beautiful. Not overstimulating like many of the movies that are made for kids these days. The girls also love the How To Train Your Dragon movies but they can be so loud and dramatic and violent. 

If your looking for a calm movie for your kids to watch in the evening while you’re cooking dinner - Studio Ghibli movies are perfect (they’re all on Netflix ).

When I first saw Kiki’s Delivery Service I thought that the city of Koriko that Kiki travels to looked very European but I didn’t recognise any one specific city. 

However, when I was researching things to do in Stockholm, I came across a Kiki’s Delivery Service inspired walking tour. Turns out that the city Kiki travels to in the movie is based on both Stockholm and the town of Visby, on the Island of Gotland.

The tour is run by Aya a fascinating lady who was born in Japan but has lived all over the world. She came prepared with coloured print outs of images from the movie, her big witches broom, a toy version of Jiji the cat and red ribbons for the girls. 

We haven’t done many walking tours of cities because that would be a lot to expect from kids but this one was really special because we could see locations that appear in the film or have inspired the scenery in the film. Many locations are actually a mix of a few places around Stockholm. For example; a fountain in the film is actually inspired by three different fountains and statues around the old town area. 

My inner film nerd found it so fascinating and the girls were very engaged. We had watched Kiki’s Delivery Service the night before we arrived in Stockholm but they wanted to watch it again as soon as we got home. It was a great introduction to Stockholm and we got very lucky with the beautiful clear skies. We’re very grateful to Aya for coming out in the cold to meet us and show us around. 

DENMARK - Highlights from Copenhagen with Kids

We stayed for 6 nights in Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark and while initially we thought it would be a very expensive city, we discovered a fantastic way to explore the city on a budget with kids. 

The Copenhagen Card offers huge savings to visitors, including free entry for kids across all attractions and travel on all public transport. We were thrilled to be able to see much more of the sights than we were anticipating. Copenhagen has a huge range of museums, galleries and fun family friendly attractions - we purchased the 96 hours card (4 days) and we still didn’t see everything that was available. 

NYHAVN

These photos were taken at Nyhavn. This iconic location was once a commercial port where sailors frequented the pubs that once filled the colour buildings. It was also home to Hans Christian Anderson, the Danish fairytale writer. It’s now filled with restaurants and cafes and looks especially beautiful with the Christmas lights and stalls. It’s essentially free to wander the cobblestones streets and take the iconic photos. You can take a boat cruise from here too. One street back is the MACA Museum - The Museum of Contemporary Art - where we visited the current Banksy & The Early Years of Street Art Exhibition. (covered by the Copenhagen Card)

THE TIVOLI GARDENS

Another iconic location in Copenhagen is the Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park right in the centre of the city. It’s actually the world’s second oldest amusement park and it was all decked out with Christmas lights and Christmas stalls, although I’m sure it’s magical at anytime of the year. I was surprised by how well designed and beautiful the rides were, some were extreme thrill rides that you’d see in the theme parks on the Gold Coast in Australia. While the Copenhagen Card covered our entry into the park, it didn’t cover the cost of the rides which are all priced individually - although you can by an unlimited ride package. That was fine for as the girls aren’t into scary rides all that much, so they were happy to go on just one small ride called The Little Dragon. 

We spent a couple of hours in the afternoon at the Tivoli Garden but you could easily dedicate a whole day here if you had the budget for the rides. 

EXPERIMENTARIUM

This place was amazing! It is similar to the Glasgow Centre Science in Scotland but there was enough of a difference in the activities and exhibits to make it really exciting for the girls. Hallie’s favourite was the huge section that had lots of wire ramps that balls rolled through, It was a way to learn about international shipping, one sections represented Copenhagen while the other section represented Singapore and the balls represented produce that is exported around the world. Hallie also really loved the construction sections that had similar ball tracks and kids had to work together to get the balls from one area to the next, using construction like machines . Rooney loved the Tunnel of the Sense and Farley enjoyed the Virtual Reality Bug World. This place was brilliant for the girls, we easily spent the whole day here. Braino and I get involved too and do activiteis with the girls so it’s an overall a great family day out.

COPENHAGEN ZOO

The other big ticket attraction that made the Copenhagen Card such good value for money was the Copenhagen Zoo. We haven’t prioritised many Zoos in the big cities we’ve visited, mainly because Zoos can be an expensive day out and we have been to so many top quality zoos across Australia. London, Singapore, Tokyo, Dublin, Edinburgh all had zoos that we skipped but Copenhagen Zoo has some really unique animals that we have never seen before - like Polar Bears and Pandas. So we decided to add it to the itinerary

I don’t know if it was just the cold, grey, rainy weather that made me feel this way, but the Zoo kind of felt a little depressing. We were able to see a lot of the animals up close but I think this was because the enclosures were rather small. Maybe it looks different in the warmer months but I just felt like Australian zoos are much better when it comes to landscaping and large, themed enclosures. However, in saying that, zoos are always a good day out with kids, we watched the cheeky baby baboons playing for quite a while and there were the cutest lion cubs wresting in their enclosure,  but it did make me feel reassured that we haven’t missed too much by not prioritising zoos elsewhere on our trip. 

Two other places that the girls loved were The Tube & The Museum of Illusions.

The The Tube is a random little attraction in the Central Station. It had some ‘illusions’ but it was most just a series of sets created for fun photo opportunities. Like a ball pit and a tunnel with mirrors and snake skin pattern. (I love the photo we got of the whole family here though) The girls really loved it and asked to go again but I thought it was a little random.

The Museum of Illusions was very similar to The Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions in Edinburgh. But again, the girls love this sort of thing, it is really fascinating to see some of the optical illusions and we really enjoyed the sets that allowed you take the crazy photos like what you can see above. if you’re wondering - the ‘wall’ was actually painted on the floor with a mirror diagonally above it, the photo is taken of our reflection in the mirror, so we’re all actually just laying down on the floor.

The Snake Tunnel at The Tube

The Museum of Illusions

And lastly, it’s worth mentioning that we also went to the National Museum which had an interactive kids sections. Not the most cutting edge thing we’ve been too but the girls were able to dress up in a knights helmet, sword and shield and sit on a fake horse. There was also a small replica viking boat amougt other things.

We certainly made the most of all the museums and attractions the city has to offer. Maybe it was just the fact that the weather was so cold and grey and damp and our accommodation was a little weird, but it felt like the city lacked a certain level of charm. The historic Nyhavn is obviously gorgeous and there were a lot more indoor attractions like art galleries and museums and royal family related sights that we could have seen but both Braino and I would agree that Cophenhagen didn’t quite live to to what we were expecting.


FRANCE - Paris In A Day and A Half with Kids

Flash back to late October when we were in France. We spent one and a half days exploring Paris, so it was a bit of a whirlwind adventure - similar to our day exploring Rome. We had made an event out of watching the Paris Olympic Opening Ceremony earlier in the year, so it was quite special for the girls to see some of the sights we saw while watching it. 

We initially planned to minimise our time in Paris due to the high cost of accommodation; we stayed in Reims for a three nights which is north east of Paris the region known for Champagne . We stayed in Paris for two nights before we flew out of Paris Charles De Gaulle airport.

 Reims was a lovely town but very quiet in terms of touristy things to do, so one of the days we dedicated to travelling into Paris to go to the Louvre. 

The Lourve

THE LOUVRE

The girls were very excited to see the Mona Lisa in Louvre after learning back Leonardo Da Vinci in Florence and also having seen references to the Mona Lisa in one of their favourite book series, Investigators. Did you know, the Mona Lisa was a relatively unknown Da Vinci painting until is it was stolen from the Louvre 1911. It’s theft and subsequent return is what has made it an attraction of the Louvre

I’m glad we dedicated the whole afternoon to the Louvre as it’s so big and very crowded. The amount of people swarming to see the Mona Lisa was unreal. And the girls were also surprised to see how small the painting is in real life. We saw some of the other highlights of the Louvre - the Venus De Milo, the Winged Nike of Samothrace, but it’s so huge! You could really spend a full day or more exploring all the galleries. The Louvre was once the royal palace before the royal family moved to the Palace of Versailles so the building is an opulent work of art in itself.

The Mona Lisa

The Winged Victory of Samothrace

Liberty Leading the People - Eugene Delacroix

NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL

On our full day in Paris, we started with a stop off at Notre Dame Cathedral which has been closed to the public since it was damaged by fire in 2019 (it re opened just recently,  this month in December) We had to change trains at Notre Dame so it was worthwhile popping up and having a look at the facade. In Reims there is another Notre Dame Cathedral that is bigger and more historically significant; we were able to go inside that one for no cost at all, so that worked out well for us.

Notre Dame Cathedral

EIFFEL TOWER

After Notre Dame we caught the train to Pont De Almas and walked around to the Eiffel Tower. We decided to not go the Eiffel Tower, many due to the cost and wait times involved. Plus I had read that you can go up to the top of the Arc De Triumph and get a view over Paris that includes the Eiffel Tower. It’s quicker and cheaper and you get arguable a better view of Paris, so we decided to prioritise that. We walked across to the Esplanade Du Trocadero and admired the Eiffel Tower from there as well

BOAT CRUISE ON THE SEINE

From here it was short walk along the Seine River to the Bateaux Mouches River Cruise Terminal, where we boarded our open top cruise boat. The cruise was a great way to see some of the iconic sites along the Seine River and it tied back into when we were watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony, seeing the boats with all the olympic athletes travelling down the river and that masked figure on the horse-boat-thing that never seemed to stop riding. 

ARC DU TRIUMPH

After the cruise we walked up to the Champs Élysées and headed to the Arc Du Triumph, where we climbed up the spiral staircases. The Champs Élysées and around the Arc was very busy but the crowds were much less hectic at the top and the views were really amazing. The Arc Du Triumph is a war memorial and inside is a small museum and exhibition. 

Arc Du Triumph

The View from the Arc Du Triumph

MONTMARTRE

The last stop of the day was the Montmartre area, where we got a late lunch and visited the Bascilia du Sacre Coeur. This are area in known for its art history, it is said that artist such as Claude Monet, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and even Salvador Dali had studios and worked in and around here. But, I’ll have to admit, I felt very underwhelmed. The main street, Rue de Steinkerque, that leads from the Anvers train station to the park at the base of Sacre Coeur was fill with the souvenirs shops selling the same tacky trinkets and the steps that lead up to Sacre Coeur were so crowded with people. Maybe if we had spent some more time wandering around the streets, but we were all a little tired and worn out by this point. (We didn’t vneture far enough to see the Moulin Rouge which is also in this area) However, any disappointment was salvaged by the delicious macarons that we ate in the park below Sacre Coeur. What an iconic way to eat macarons! It was actually the first time the girls had tried them. 

Sacre Coeur

Macarons in Montmartre

I’ve been to Paris twice now and both times have been on cold cloudy grey days, so I feel like I haven’t experienced the full essence of the Parisian experience. Paris is really beautiful, I love the architecture. But I haven’t felt any sort of magic that I’ve always associated with Paris It feels like a city you really need to spend a substantial amount of time in, just hanging out and soaking in the vibes, rather than racing around, fighting the crowds to see all the sights. But in saying that, I’m glad we saw Paris, it was a real experience for the girls. It would feel wrong to come all this way and not visit Paris, although I wish I looked a little more fashionable, haha! 

SCOTLAND - Highlights from Edinburgh

We ventured into Edinburgh around 5 times in total over the month we stayed in Scotland and honestly, I think we only scratched the surface of all that there is to see. We mainly explored the shops along Prince Street, the Old Town, including Edinburgh Castle and Carlton Hill. While we were there, the christmas markets along Princes Street were in full swings and with the sun setting around 3:30pm, we were often out late enough to see the whole area lit up with the festive lights.

Below is a collection of some of my favourite photos from around Edinburgh…

Edinburgh Castle from Prince Street

Regent Bridge

View of Holyrood Palace from Carlton Hill

The view across Waverly Train Station to Carlton Hill from Edinburgh Castle

My favourite place was the Old Town; which is made up of narrow, cobbled streets, medieval tenements, and towering gothic spires that create a very spooky atmosphere. The Royal Mile is the main street that runs from Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle, it’s lined with endless souvenir shops, quirky retailer, pubs and a number of museums like The Museums of Childhood and Camera Obscura.

I would have liked to have spent more time exploring the areas of Old Town around Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Grassmarket Square.

Outside the National War Museum inside the Edinburgh Castle

The girls at the entrance to Edinburgh Castle

The view from the top of Camera Obscura towards Prince Street

In my option, the best places to go for a sweeping view over Edinburgh are:

  • From within Edinburgh Castle looking down over Princes Street.

  • From Carlton Hill - you can see 360 degree panoramic views over Edinburgh.

  • From the top level of Camera Obscura - you can look over the rooftops of the Old Town and out across New Town to the water.

Climbing to the top of Arthurs Seat would have been a challenge with kids but would have provided epic views! On a clear day in Edinburgh, we could see all the way across the Firth of Fourth to Burntisland, where we were staying.

The view down the Royal Mile from the top level of Camera Obscura

Walking up the Mound towards the Royal Mile

North Bank St

Looking down the Royal Mile

Looking up the Royal Mile

On one of the evenings we were in Edinburgh, Braino took the girls to enjoy a ride at the Christmas markets while I signed up for a walking tour of the Royal Mile that focused on the history of witches in Edinburgh, prodominatly the witch trails of the 1500s - 1700s. I could spend many more evening taking the various spooky tours around the old town of Edinburgh. Most of which were based on dark historic facts rather than over the top scary experiences. (Although, there is the Edinburgh Dungeons if that is your thing) .

Old Town at Night

Old Town at Night

Old Town at Night

Old Town at Night

SCOTLAND - Burntisland, Our Neighbourhood in Scotland

This blog post is dedicated to the neighbourhood we called home in Scotland for the month of November - Burntisland (pronounced burnt - island). 

Burntisland is located in the are of Fife, directly opposite Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth ( A firth is a narrow area of sea between two areas of land in Scotland) 

Originally we planned to stay in a small apartment in the area of Musselbough, about 20 minutes by train East of Edinburgh, but in August the host cancelled our booking on AirBnB, saying that they were no longer renting the apartment as a short term rental. We were able to get a full refund but we had to look further field to find something in the same price range. There was no way our budget allowed for us to stay in Edinburgh for the whole month. 

But that was fine because Burntisland turned out to be a lovely little town; very quiet in the late autumn but it had everything we needed. We didn’t intended to hire a car while we were in Scotland, so being on a train line that went directly into Edinburgh was handy for day trips. And the town had a two convenience stores, a library, a playground, a little beach and a public pool and gym within walking distances. 

We stayed in a small two bedroom apartment on the top floor of a two story flat. Imagine a rectangular two story building with two apartments at the top and two apartments on the bottom, very basic, perhaps a council flat, the whole street was made up of flats like this, but they all had surprisingly big yards and the apartment it’s was cozy and comfortable.

We always intended November in Scotland to be a restful month, recovering from the busyness of the road trip though Europe, conserving the budget a little and preparing for December in Scandinavia. We planned to do the trip up to Loch Ness but we weren’t prioritising traveling around as much as we did in Ireland, although I’ve no doubt the scenery of the west coast of Scotland and outer Hebrides are well worth the trip Scotland has just as many castles as Ireland but to be honestly, I’ve never felt the same connection to Scotland as I do Ireland. I’d certainly come back to Scotland to see more but if it came down to a choice between Ireland or Scotland, I’d choose a trip to Ireland again in a heartbeat. 

We had plenty of days ‘at home’ were we followed a fairly consistent routine: schoolwork in the mornings, gym session for Braino, lunch then a walk to the playground and then I would do an extra long walk, I was aiming to do 10,000 steps each day. Braino and the girls would stop in at the shop or the library on their way home  from the playground. The sun set around 3:30pm - 4pm, Most of the photos in this post were taken on my walks, on the days were we had clear skies and lovely afternoon sunshine.

I would aim to be home by 4pm and we’d then play an hour or so of Monopoly. We bought an Edinburgh version of Monopoly at the start of the month and it was a brilliant decision. It was a great way for the girls to get familiar with the sites and landmarks of Edinburgh and it made our trips into Edinburgh even more interesting as we’d point out who owned which location in our Monopoly game. (Edinburgh Castle was the equivalent of Mayfair and the Scot Monument was the equivalent of Park Lane to give you an example) 

Monopoly is really good for basic mental maths equations so it’s a great learning tool, even Rooney did a great job at being the banker or one of the players. We continued the games across multiple days so there was enough time to accumulate a whole property sets and even put houses and hotels on them. This is when the game got the most exciting - Hallie was the ultimate winner of one round while Farley won the other round. 

It may sound a bit dull but having the time to play the Edinburgh version of Monopoly as a whole family most afternoons will always be one of the highlights of our time in Scotland. I just wish we took some photos of our Monopoly games.

Before I wrap this up, we were very surprised to realise how cheap is was to hire a car in Scotland, drastically cheaper than hire cars in Ireland. So we hired one for last few days of our time and did a few more day trips to Glasgow. We were flying out very early in the morning on our last day and we realised that hiring a car for a few days and returning it to the airport was cheaper and easy than trying to catch the train or call a taxi to get the airport. 

SCOTLAND - Best Museums and Art Gallery in Glasgow For Kids

Glasgow has an amazing variety of family friendly museums, we found enough to to do across two days of visiting. Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, and blends its industrial heritage as a powerhouse of shipbuilding and engineering with a vibrant art and music scene making it a modern cultural hub. 

Glasgow Science Centre

I’ve taken the girls to many science centres over the years but this one would have to be the best! Spanning four levels, we easily spent a full day exploring the Glasgow Science Centre, including a 3D IMAX movie about humpback whale migration on the East Australian Current and a science presentation called Our Amazing Air. There is an endless variety of hands on, interactive experiences where we were able to learn about the human body; physics, power, electricity and energy; perception and light and some fun memory and coordination games. Some of the illusions were similar to what we saw at Camera Obscura but overall, it is up there as one of the best Science Centres we have visited. Questacon in Canberra Australia would be one of the other amazing science museums. Osaka Kids Plaza in Japan was very similar too.

Riverside Museum (FREE) 

Riverside Museum is Glasgow's award-winning transport and technology museum. Inside the museum, visitors can explore a vast collection of exhibits and vehicles, including cars, bicycles, motorcycles, trams, buses, and even a steam locomotive. It may be the best museum of this kind that we’ve visited! Especially because it’s completely free! The Kyoto Rail Museum would be very close in comparison and the Ipswich Rail Museum back home in Brisbane is similar but the Riverside Museum has such a wide range of trains, buses and trams that you could go inside and explore. I really loved the recreated old street complete with a horse drawn hearse, creep! Outside is a tall ship that you can explore at an additional cost (we gave this a miss as it was getting late and dark ) 

The Gallery of Modern Art (FREE) 

The Gallery of Modern Art is located in the centre of the city and houses a wide range of contemporary artist from Scotland and around the world. We visited on a Saturday, with the intention of attended the free kids art studio on the top level. This particular morning, some wool, plastic kids sewing needles and cardboard was set up to inspire kids to make an abstract artwork with sewing techniques on cardboard. The girls loved it so much we ended buying some wool and plastic kids needle so they can continue their ideas at home. We spent some time afterwards exploring the galleries, where we found a lot of inspiring artworks. Farley is the big art lover and I think she prefers modern art to the renaissance artworks we saw in Florence and Paris. But in staying that I preferred the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art to the Tate Modern in London. It was smaller but the collections of artwork were more captivating. 

Kelvin Grove Art Gallery and Museum (FREE) 

The Kelvin Grove Museum is an electric mix of art and artefacts housed in a beautiful  red brick Baroque Building. It’s free to enter and appeared to have kids friends activities however we didn’t make it there to explore for ourselves. 

Flip Out Glasgow

We came out to Glasgow on a third day, specifically to go to FLIP OUT an indoor trampolining and adventure park. Whilst it’s not a museum, it was so much fun and definitely deserves a mention. We were there on a weekday so it was very quiet, the huge facilities were practically empty but I’ve no doubt they would be filled with kids on the weekends. We all enjoyed doing a number of laps in the mini go karts. Hallie is a natural at driving, she loves it and she figured out how to use the pedals and brake and steering wheel as soon as she jumped in. Rooney gave it a great shot, only getting stuck a few times and Farley overcame her nerves to at least give it a try, doing a few laps before opting out.

SCOTLAND - Best Museums of Edinburgh For Kids

Edinburgh and Glasgow have so many top quality, family friendly museums, many of which are free! We’ve had a wonderful time over the last month exploring both cities and have been really impressed by all the museums available. 

Below is a little recap of our visits to the museums in Edinburgh: 

Edinburgh Castle

While it is a historic site, a visit to Edinburgh Castle does include entry into the National War Museum that is housed inside the castle walls. The other highlight of our visit was seeing the Honours of Scotland - the priceless crown, sceptre and sword. We also enjoyed doing the kids activity sheet, where we had to find the answer to questions around the castle. It’s a really fun way to keep the kids engaged.

Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions

Camera Obscura is located next to Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Royal Mile and was one of our most favourite experience; we all had such a fun time. 

The Camera Obscura is on the top floor and uses daylight and reflections to project a live image internally onto a table within a dark chamber. The guide took us on a live tour, showing off some of the city’s best landmarks via the reflected image. The terrace on the top level also offers amazing views across to Princes Street and down the Royal Mile. 

The five floors below are filled with interactive illusions. Our favourite was the mirror maze and the spinning vortex tunnel. We all had so much fun, there is so many things to experiment with and optical illusions to marvel at. 

Our Dynamic Earth 

Located the end of the Royal Mile, next to the Scottish Parliament House, Our Dynamic Earth is a science centre specialising in geology and the physical evolution of planet Earth,.I took the girls here on the day that Braino went to see the Scotland vs Australia Rugby game. There is a planetarium dome with fascinating presentations and the other highlights for us were the earthquake simulation room and the real iceberg that you can touch and feel melting. 

The Museum of Childhood (FREE) 

This is a fun little museum that takes a look at childhood in Scotland throughout the last two centuries. It has a collection of (somewhat creep) dolls and toys from previous decades (it was a little strange to see toys that I played with as a kids in a museum) but there was enough interactive displays to keep the girls interested and engaged. For a free museums its very good for kids, we spent about an hour having a look around - it’s located on the Royal Mile. 

The National Museum of Scotland (FREE) 

This was another fanatic free museum that had some interesting displays for kids. We spent around an hour and a half inside and didn’t see everything, we could have spent much longer. The Natural World gallery with skeletons and stuffed animals is always a hit with the girls. And the World Cultures galleries have some fantasying displays about diverse people and cultures from around the world. I was sufficiently creeped out by Dolly the Sheep - the first ever cloned mammal.

Museum of Edinburgh 

Also located on the Royal Mile, the Museum of Edinburgh is another free museum. We didn’t make it into this one, but it does looks family friendly. 

More from Glasgow in the next blog post!

AUSTRIA - The Top of Innsbruck

We stayed in Innsbruck in Austria for two full days but to be honest on the first day we stayed in and had a restful morning, we probably did some washing and schoolwork , if I remember correctly .

We did however go for a walk in the afternoon and found the most incredible playground ever! It was full of mentally and physically challenging obstacles and equipment. The kids loved it and there were even a few obstacles that challenged Braino and I. I wish I had taken photos but it was called the MotorikPark next to the Baggersee Rossau Lake for future reference.

Innsbruck is a really charming, picturesque town, surrounded by the Nordette Mountains. We were staying a little out of the main town but on the second day we headed into the central area and wandered around, visiting a bookshop and indulging in some delicious bakery treats before heading to the Congress lift station in the city centre to catch the Nordkettenbahnen lifts all the way to the top of Innsbruck.

The first leg of the journey is the Hungarburgbahn funicular which takes visitors to the Hungerburg Station when you can then catch the Seegrubahn cable car to Seegrube, 2,000 metres above sea level.

It is even possible to take another lift from there up to the Hafelekar, which is located over 2,200 metres above sea level. While is was a lovely cool autumn temperatures down in the town, up here at the Hafelekar Station, it was so cold and windy! We were very unprepared for the extreme temps and it was too cold to hang around long up there. But if we had been more equipped we could have done a short hikes across the mountain tops. the view was spectacular and there were plenty of people hiking.

Back at the Seegrube level, we found a patch of snow which was hidden from the sun light in a small valley. The girls were over the moon to get their first glimpse of snow. Many snowballs were thrown - mainly by Braino or at Braino.

In the winter this area is used as a ski resort with a number of small chair lifts dotted the hill. There was also a large restaurant which people can enjoy any time the year and even a playground. Braino and I have snowboarded a number of time is the last but we haven’t made any plans to ski or snowboard with the girls on this trip. However, Innsbruck would be such a unique place to ski, being so close to the town. Locals must just be able to come up on the weekends in winter.

The below photo was a view from the balcony of our apartment. So stunning, it would look amazing in winter as well. Overall we had a great time in Innsbruck, the trip up the mountain in the chairlifts was such a fun experience for the girls and the mountainous scenery was unreal! However, two day was fine for us. Austria was fairly pricey compared to Slovenia and Greece.

SLOVENIA - Vintgar Gorge

The morning we left Lake Bled, en route to Innsbruck in Austria, we started our day early with a visit to Vintgar Gorge. This stunning destination is just a short drive from Lake Bled and ranks among Slovenia's top tourist attractions. Vintgar Gorge features a 1,600-meter-long and up to 250-meter-deep canyon, situated on the eastern edge of Triglav National Park, approximately 4 kilometers northwest of Bled's center. Remarkably, it was only 130 years ago that three adventurers first discovered the enchanting Vintgar Gorge.

There are numerous car parks available, and during the peak months, dedicated shuttle buses transport visitors from these car parks to the gorge entrance. I highly recommend booking your time slot online in advance to ensure you get an ideal visit. It's clear why they have made efforts to limit the number of visitors; the gorge is breathtaking, featuring winding wooden paths that trace the base of the steep rock cliffs alongside the rapidly flowing Radovna River. While it is stunning, large crowds could pose additional risks in this area. Fortunately, we arrived early and only encountered two other groups during our time slot, allowing us to take some amazing photos without anyone else in the frame.

Rooney found the sound of the roaring water slightly intimidating, but aside from that, it was a truly remarkable experience walking through nature. We passed beneath the magnificent Bohinj Rail Bridge, and at the end of the 1.6 km trail awaits the impressive 13-meter tall Sum Waterfall.

The trail through the gorge is one-way only, and since it was the low season, the shuttle buses back to the car park were not in service. Our only option was to take one of the scenic walking routes back. On one side of the gorge lies the Vintgaring in the Alps with the King of Triglav Trail, but we opted for the shorter and less steep Vintgaring in the Woods with the River of Trees Trail.

The beginning of this trail involved an uphill climb and was quite muddy! Thankfully, nobody slipped in the mud. After that, it levelled out into a delightful walk through the forest, taking us another hour to return to the car park. The girls managed the hike well; it was a perfect way to get some exercise before our long afternoon drive to Innsbruck.

For reference - purchase your tickets and book your time slot via this website.

SLOVENIA - Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj

We spent two nights in Lake Bled following our stay in Ljubljana. Nestled in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, Lake Bled possesses a truly enchanting atmosphere, even though we experienced quite a bit of cloudy and misty weather that hid the surrounding mountains.

Lake Bled features a charming island adorned with a historic church - The Church of the Mother of God - and bell tower, set against breathtaking mountain peaks that resemble a scene from a fantasy film.

The Church of the Mother of God, Lake Bled

The Church of the Mother of God, Lake Bled

Fortunately, the weather was cooperative, allowing us to enjoy a 6km walk around the lake. The path is flat, making it easy for the girls to navigate. The scenery was stunning, and we spent much of our stroll discussing the pets we might adopt upon our return to Australia.

Several boats transport tourists to the island, where they can climb the tower's stairs and ring the bell. However, these boats primarily serve the large groups of tourists that come and go, and the fares are somewhat high. We thought that the best view is actually from the lake's edge, gazing across at the island.

Walking around Lake Bled

Just a short distance from the main area of the lake, where our accommodation was located, stands a tall rocky outcrop featuring a castle perched at its edge. At this point, we had already seen two castles in Slovenia, so we decided to skip this one. However, it appeared enchanting as it overlooked the lake.

Bled Castle, over looking Lake Bled

Lake Bled

Lake Bled

Kavarna Park - Home of the Orginal Cream Cake

Bled Cream Cake

After our stroll by the lake, Braino made a stop at Kavarna Park, a café located along the lakeshore that proudly claims to be the ‘home of the original Bled Cream Cake.’ The cakes looked absolutely tempting, so he decided to give one a taste. It certainly did not disappoint; it was incredible—so creamy and light!

Lake Bohinj

The Church of John The Baptist 

Later that afternoon, we drove to 30 minutes to Lake Bohinj, another less touristy but equally beautiful glacial lake. We encountered another stunning 700-year-old church, the Church of St. John the Baptist, perched at the lake's edge and surrounded by misty mountains. We enjoyed some time wandering along the lake's shoreline before continuing our drive to Vogel, a well-known winter ski resort. The cable car, which provides access, wasn’t operational during the autumn months, but it sparked our imagination about how wonderful it would be to revisit Lake Bohinj or Lake Bled in the winter to experience the local ski resorts.

Lake Bohinj

Lake Bohinj

Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj brought back memories of Queenstown in New Zealand, offering a variety of thrilling outdoor activities set against breathtaking backdrops that can be appreciated all year-round. Although the weather wasn't the clearest during our visit, we still loved in the beautiful autumn hues and the serene atmosphere. However, exploring these lakes in the summer or winter would provide a multitude of exciting adventures.

GERMANY - The Black Forest & The Cuckoo Clocks of Triberg

The only destination we visited in Germany was Triberg, a small village in the heart of The Black Forest region. It’s most well known for being the birth place of the cuckoo clock and also the home to Germany’s tallest waterfall. We had actually read a Geronimo Stilton book that was set in the Black Forest and involved the theft of a cuckoo clock so it was so wonderful to experience this fairy tale like corner of Germany in all it’s autumn splendour. (Geronimo Stilton is a great book series for kids. )

In many of the towns across Europe, we’ve had to pay a small tourist tax. It’s only couple of euros per adult so it’s fairly inconsequential but Triberg was the one town where we actually got some benefits from the tourist tax in the form of a free passes to the main attractions of the town. So our two day stay was very budget friendly.

Triberg is very small and has the one main street that runs through the town. At the top of the main street is the famous Triberg Waterfall, which has drawn in tourists for centuries. It cascades down many layers of the mountainside and it looked spectacular surrounded by the autumn foliage. But the highlights were the squirrels! The areas is teaming with friendly squirrels who willingly eat nuts from your hands. The girls loved it so much! I have a lot of video footage, not a lot of photos unfortunately but it was so much spotting the tiny squirrels darting around the forest and enticing them over with the bags of nuts, that are available for purchase at the entrance.

Just across the road from the entrance to the waterfall is the Museum of Triberg, which is also included in the tourist pass. It’s full of exhibits and artefacts that tell the stories of Triberg and the history and culture of the Black Forest I liked learning about the iconic tradition dress and the ghoulish looking costumes that are used in local festivals. The girls loved the section that houses many rocks, minerals and gems in a narrow tunnel that is designed to feel as if you were in a mining shaft. There are a lot of information and displays on clock making and woodcarving, the iconic trades of this area of Germany.

Afterwards we headed to Triberg-Land, which was also included in the tourist. Located a short walk down the main street, Triberg-Land is home to charming model railway exhibitions that are inspired by the towns of the Black Forest. There is about twenty models in the exhibition space and many were interactive with buttons you can push to control the model trains and other vehicles. Hallie especially loves the model trains and was so excited to visit but Farley also loves the miniature town aspect of the models as well. As a family we’ve grown to love these kinds of miniature train models, a lot of skill and craftsmanship (an no doubt money) goes into them.

Afterwards we headed to a neighbouring cafe to indulge in a slice of authentic Black Forest Cake. However, we didn’t realised that an ingredient in authentic Black Forest Cake is Kirschwasser, cherry brandy. The cake smelled and tasted a bit alcoholic! Parenting Fail! Thankfully the girls only really had a few mouthfuls and it didn’t seem to have any effect, I doubt there is enough brandy in it to really do anything. Good thing we didn’t buy a slice each.

The following day was a bit rainy but we continued to make the most of the free tourist passes by taking a train ride on the local trains as I had read that this area of the Black Forest is also known for railway ingenuity and breathtaking scenery. We caught the train to Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald which was only one stop in one direction and then we caught it back to Hornberg, the next stop beyond Triberg in the other direction and then back to Triberg. This section of the railway is known for its tunnels, bridges and winding tracks that follow the contours of the mountainside. But I would have to say I preferred the scenery on the drive out of the Black Forest the following day. The weather was better on the following day which made a big difference but I loved driving through the valleys, past all the villages and houses that look straight out of a fairytale.

After the train trip, we walked a little further out of town - further than we anticipated - to the worlds largest cuckoo clock! It’s attached to the retail shop of House of 1000 Cuckoo Clocks ( There is a second versions of this shop opposite the waterfall entrance on the main street of Triberg.) We were able go inside the giant cuckoo clock and see the enlarged inner mechanism but after waiting 20 minutes in the drizzling rain for the clock to hit 2pm, we were a little disappointed by the lackluster cuckoo bird that appeared. After visiting both House of 1000 Cuckoo Clocks, it easy to be captivated by the magic and craftmanship of the clocks. The girls loved looking at the all the details and loved the antipation of the clock striking the hour. We were allowed to change the time of many of the display clocks so that they would cuckoo on demand, which was obviously a win for the kids!

Overall, I loved our little pit stop in Triberg, two days was good amount of time to explore the immediate area. Obviously there is so much more to see in Germany but I’m glad we got to experience a part that seems to off the main international tourist trail. It’s rich in history and unique culture and the scenery was amazing!

SLOVENIA - Ljubljana, the charming, compact capital city.

Slovenia is a hidden treasure in Europe. Nestled between Italy and Croatia, this small country boasts a wealth of experiences. It was Braino who recommended we include it in our travel plans after coming across a baseball player sharing videos of Slovenia on social media. And I’m so glad we did! We had an incredible, leisurely six days of exploring the charming capital of Ljubljana and the picturesque Lake Bled.

We stayed in a magnificent old hotel/apartment complex right in the heart of the city, offering breathtaking views of the castle perched atop the central rocky outcrop.

The central area of the town is pedestrian-friendly, making it a delightful experience to stroll through the streets, especially after navigating the narrow, uneven footpaths of Athens and Naxos.

The primary tourist attraction in Ljubljana is a visit to the castle, which was a short walk from our place. We decided to hike up the winding forest trail but opted for the funicular train for our descent. The girls enjoyed a fun activity book where they had to find answers to questions scattered across various locations around the castle.

The highlight of our visit was the 4D film that delved into the history of the castle and Ljubljana. It was exceptionally well-produced, featuring 4D elements like wind, light rain, and vibrations. It was the best historical film we've experienced at a castle or museum.

Additionally, the castle houses a Puppet Museum, an Armoury Museum, and a section dedicated to its history as a prison.

One of the other iconic landmarks in Ljubljana is the Dragon Bridge. The city’s history is rich with dragon legends. According to the tale, Saint George—a revered soldier in Christianity—defeated the dragon that tormented the villages of what is now Ljubljana.

Initially depicted as a monster, the dragon eventually evolved into a symbolic guardian of the city, representing power, courage, and wisdom. This transformation is reflected in the four dragon statues that stand proudly at each corner of the bridge, as well as in the city's coat of arms.

We also enjoyed a leisurely walk through the town to Tivoli Gardens, where we admired the stunning autumn foliage. It was a delightful transition from the summer vibes of Greece to the vibrant autumn colours of Slovenia.

One noteworthy destination to consider when visiting Ljubljana with children is the House of Experiments, an interactive science center specifically designed for kids. Unfortunately, it was closed on the day we planned to visit, but it appears to offer a lot of fun for families.

Ljubljana is a charming, compact city that boasts a fascinating mix of cultural influences. We also encountered incredibly friendly locals, and English is widely spoken. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Slovenia and explored much more beyond Ljubljana, which I will share in separate blog posts.