Our European Adventure

Last month, we had the opportunity to go to Germany to visit the Nelson's.  We've been talking about

making the trip for the last 3 years and finally decided it was now or never [Matt & Elizabeth are moving back to the states when we leave Alaska.]  They are stationed in Wiesbaden, which is about 20 minutes from Frankfurt.  Alaska offers direct flights to Frankfurt during the summer months and with a baby we thought it was the perfect option!  So much easier than having multiple layovers...

Ava once again did great on the flight.  Out of the nearly 10 hours on the plane, I only had to stand with her at the back for about 30 minutes.  The first day in Germany, we all went to Rüdesheim am Rhein which is an adorable winemaking town along the Rhine River.  We rode a gondola to the top to overlook the vineyards and the river.  I also had my first taste of true gelato - amazing! 

View of the Rhine

We then all spent the weekend in Bruges, Belgium.  Bruges is sometimes referred to as the 'Venice of the North' due to the canals and is also known for their 13th century belfry.  I loved the cobblestone streets, historic buildings, the bells going off every 15 minutes, and the horse drawn carriages.  It really reminded me of what you see at Epcot - you are instantly transported to a different time.  Bruges also had the most AMAZING waffles and frites!  I'm still dreaming about my waffle topped with strawberries... On our way back to Germany, we took a slight detour and went to the North Sea.  It was a great way for Charlie [Matt & Elizabeth's adorable 2.5 year old] to get some energy out before sitting in the car for over 4 hours!  He loved running in and out of the waves and Ava didn't mind when I stuck her feet in the water :) 

On the canal boat tour in Bruges

Family pic with the Church of our Lady in the background

Ava testing out the North Sea

A couple days later, Alex and I ventured down to France for our first night away from Ava.  The Nelson's actually volunteered to watch her for the night and after asking them if they were definitely sure a few times we took them up on their offer! We went to a small town [Ribeauville] in Alsace which is just over the German/French border and is a popular wine region.  Other than dinner reservations we didn't have a lot planned so we found a local winery to tour/sample, walked through a couple of the small towns, ate some crepes, and relaxed on our patio drinking wine.  Oh and the croissants were melt in your mouth delicious!  It was nice to spend some time alone and Matt & Elizabeth said Ava behaved/slept pretty well for them.

View from our private patio

Other than catching up with Matt, Elizabeth and Charlie, the last major highlight of the trip was going to a thermalbad.  It is a pool consisting of warm water filled from underground and it's said that the water has healing properties.  We weren't sure what to expect with Ava but she loved it!  She was so relaxed in the warm water and she let us float around for over an hour.  She had her first 8 hour stretch of sleep that night :) Overall, it was a great trip and I'm so happy we were finally able to go visit the Nelson's! We miss them already and can't wait until we all live stateside next year!  The rest of the pictures from our trip are on shutterfly. 

Flying over the Northwest Passages on our way home