Today we left Graz (well....we never actually went to Graz - just stayed in a nearby town that wasn't particularly interesting apart from the liederhosen in the hardware store and the cool car-trolley thingys).....and drove the 2+ hours to Vienna.
When we got here we had to wait for an hour or so for our apartment to be ready....so we walked around the corner and got coffees/hot chocolates/waffles/brownie (basically anything sugar related). My hot chocolate was delicious but I could feel my arteries clogging up after working my way through half-a-mug full of chocolate whipped cream (which was utterly delicious though!!). We were just in time because whilst we were sitting there the heavens opened and the rain came down.
We dashed across the road to some sort of new design (invention) shopping centre that had some really cool stuff (like maps of all the big cities of the world that were printed on some sort of fabric so you could just scrunch them up and shove them in your bag and they wouldn't rip).....
Anyway - it passed the time until we were allowed in our apartment. Great location - right on the Danube (although no view unfortunately) and across the bridge from the old city. The girls were VERY excited about the bunk beds in their room but not sure either of them will be safe enough to sleep up on the top bunk - paranoid parents perhaps??
My Mum was flying out this evening so she stayed to have a shower and change while we went to get groceries.
We had parked somewhat illegally I think so after we dropped Mum at the airport and the girls had stopped crying...."I miss Nanny" - which led onto "I miss Sophie the dog", "I miss school", "I miss my toys", "I miss Poppy", "I miss my friends"....etc...we took the car to a 'park and ride' where we can leave the car for the whole week for less than 16 euro!! We had to catch the train (or U-Bahn) back to our apartment which was always exciting for the kids. I haven't taken a photo but Neve thought it was a cross between the New York subway and the Dublin dart...
Tonight the girls had a 'home cooked' meal (which wasn't pasta)...the first one they had really had since leaving Dublin. They were so excited by the novelty of vegetables that they ate them all with barely room for any of the meat!
When I sat down to write this blog...I realised I had not taken any photos today...it isn't that we didn't see cool stuff...and I hate to think that I am becoming accustomed to seeing interesting things....but today was really just about getting to our next home base (we are in Vienna for a week).
Actually, I DID take a few shots....just of the inside of our apartment...if anyone is interested...
Kitchen....
Kids room....
Lounge/dining
Our bedroom...of course there is also a bathroom but didn't think anyone would need to see that - although the kids are very interested in the 'inspection shelf' that forms part of the toilet bowl....!?!
I also took two of the girls in the car. Our rental car has tray tables for the backseats which the kids were very excited to use during the drive...they liked to pretend they were on an aeroplane and having an 'in-flight- meal!!!
Tomorrow Shane starts a course for a few days so the girls and I might have a quiet day, catching up on school work and wandering through the old city of Vienna.....perhaps another hot chocolate might be necessary to ward off the cold weather!! :)
