Posted in Vacations and Fieldtrips
|
|
Posted in Vacations and Fieldtrips
|
We were very apprehensive about taking the Euro-rail. We made sure we checked and double checked the track our train would depart from. We went ahead and waited camped out at that track with all of our luggage. At the last moment they changed the track and we had to run to catch our train. I'm sure we must have looked funny with 3 rolling bags, backpacks and a stroller! We finally got settled on the train. By the way, you have to load your luggage yourself and find a spot to store it. Next trip, we're all taking 1 backpack each and nothing else! The train was really nice. Much more roomy than an airplane. We had 4 seats-Emma sat in my lap. She fell asleep immediatly. One of the places we passed through was Dusseldorf-a place heavily bombed during the war. When we arrived in Frankfurt, we realized rather abruptly that we needed to exit the train (thanks to a German passenger that informed us that this train was headed to Switzerland!) All of a sudden we were grabbing shoes, bags, children, etc and throwing them off the train! Once we were all safely off the train, we just had to laugh! We had twenty minutes to wait. When we boarded the next train, it was extremely crowded! We managed to find seats next to a German woman who was traveling to Uhm and another German man. It was so hot on the train. More and more people boarded . Obviously they have no limit as to how many people could board. Several people were seated on the floor because no more seats were empty. After a while, the German man moved closer and introduced himself. He shared a wealth of information with us about Munich. His wife phoned and said their were electrical problems on the track ahead and that we'd probably have to change trains. Eddie was so very kind. He helped us unload all of our bags (Emma had fallen asleep again by this time) and carry them down the stairs and back up the stairs to the other track. Obviously they don't believe in elevators! When we boarded the next train we were packed in like sardines! Literally! There were no seats available and no standing room-yet the train kept stopping and more people squeezed on! We finally arrived at our hotel at 6:00pm. The first thing I did was take a bubble bath and order room service! My first impression of Germany was how nice the people were. First was Eddie, then several others on the train and at the train station helped us. The taxi drivers were awesome and so informative.
After a wonderful nights sleep in our beautiful hotel, we decided to get out and visit the Oktoberfest. They started this festival in 1810 as a celebration when the Bavarian prince, Ludwig I got married. They have it every year for 18 days. There were thousands of people there! People either sleeping or passed out everywhere! I've never seen anything like it. It didn't take us long to figure out this wasn't the place for us. Our next taxi driver told us we'd probably enjoy the schrebergarten near our hotel. She was right. Lots of tiny houses with gorgeous gardens-flowers, veges and fruits. These plots of land are rented out. You're allowed to build a small dwelling their, but you can't spend the night. There was a small place to eat nearby with picnic tables outside. The food was delicious! Emma even made a friend-a 2 year old boy named Tim.
The next day we visited the Munich Zoo. It was so nice-so lush and green. They even had a couple of little kid's parks for the girls to play in. Afterwards we walked to another schrebergarten and did some nature journaling.
On Monday, Oct 2 we left Germany. It was much easier to find our train and get loaded this time. We had our own private cabin (I'm sure that's not the correct term) with 6 seats. It was much nicer than before. We purchased sandwiches at the train station. The train ride was only about 2 hours-no stops. Next destination-Salzburg, Austria. |
Posted in Vacations and Fieldtrips
|
|
Posted in Vacations and Fieldtrips
|
|
Posted in Vacations and Fieldtrips
|
Recently my family and I had the opportunity to travel around Europe for a month. We had such a fabulous time! I wanted to share with you some of our experiences.
First of all, I'd like to note that we, as Americans, take a lot for granted in our country. Like free bathrooms, grocery carts and grocery bags, large hotel rooms and having our own cars. We assume that everyone should speak English and that everything should be written in English-yet most of us only speak one language. Europe was very enlightening not just for me, but for my girls also. Let's start at the beginning.
We left Houston on a Sunday evening around 7:00. We arrived in Amsterdam about 11:00 AM their time. My first impression was that it was hot and sticky just like south Alabama! They must have been having an unseasonably warm day because later it became quite cool. We stayed in a nice hotel with adjoining rooms-something else that's rare in Europe. After a long nap, we decided to go on a walk. I was shocked at all of the bikes! There were just as many, if not more, bikes than cars. They had their own bike lanes and traffic lights. How wonderful!
One of our first stops was the Anne Frank house. I was disappointed to find that the outside had been totally changed. The interior was the same as it had been when the family was there. The girls and I had read The Diary of Anne Frank before the trip. Seeing all of the actual rooms and pictures was very moving. Also imagining that she (and many other Jews) had walked the same streets we were walking and possibly left out of the same train station we would later leave out of was very eerie.
Our next stop was the Van Gogh museum. I have to admit that I've never been a huge fan of his. After looking at all of his pieces, I found several that I truly liked. Seeing them in person makes them really come alive. He was a very talented artist and I now have much more respect for his work. Upon entering the museum, the girls were given a questionnaire to complete as they walked about. The questions asked details about different paintings. This made them really pay attention as we walked through. At the end, they showed their completed answers and received a post card of one of the paintings.
A couple of days we went by the grocery store and picked up fruit, cheese, bread and water and had a picnic at Vondel Park. This is a beautiful, big park right in the heart of the city. It was a perfect place to pull out the water colors and do nature journaling.
The Rijksmuseum was another of our favorites. It's a large museum, but not too big and overwhelming. This is where the Rembrandt's are housed. I've never seen a more beautiful painting than Night Watch. The way he used light in the painting was unbelievable! It is so big! We all, including the girls, just stood in awe! There were so many details in the painting. What a talented man.
Our visit to Amsterdam also included a canal boat ride, visiting several shops and of course eating at delicious resturants. On Friday of that week we took a taxi to the train station and anxiously awaited our first trip on the European Railway. Next stop-Munich, Germany. |
Posted in Vacations and Fieldtrips
|
One of the nice things about living on the Gulf Coast is that there's always something interesting (and fun) to learn about. Recently we rode the ferry from Fort Morgan across Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island. Along the way, we saw huge jelly fish in the water, pelicans and sea gulls soaring through the air and an up close view of the many gas rigs that dot our coastal waters.
Once on land at Dauphin Island we visited the Estuarium. http://estuarium.disl.org An Estuary is where fresh and salt water meet. The following info is from a pamphlet they give out at the Estuarium.
The Estuarium is the public aquarium of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama's marine education and research center. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is one of the most significant bottomland hardwood habitats in the country. The enormous fresh water marshes and forests of the Delta drive many of the bay ecosystem processes and protect the metropolitan area from drastic flooding events. The largest Delta tank is an above and below water representation of this habitat, and you'll see turtles and ancient gar. Other exhibits include the carnivorous bog tank, baby alligator habitat, and other aquaria highlighting diverse animal and plant life of the Delta.
Mobile Bay is a major biological nursery area of the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Up to 95% of the commercial seafood of the Gulf depend upon the estuaries for food and protection during some part of their lfe cycle. Major species include shrimp, oysters, blue crab and mullet. The Bay area exhibit features the 9,000 gallon Bay tank, with rock jetties, oyster reefs, and replicas of the legs of Middle Bay Lighthouse, a historic landmark in Mobile Bay since 1887. You'll see numerous other tanks representing salt marshes, tidal pools and submerged grass beds found in Mobile Bay.
Known to many as "America's Sea," the Gulf of Mexico is a tremendously important resource to the nation. The Gulf produces most of the country's domestic oil and natural gas. The Gulf produces almost half of all seafood in the nation and its ports are among the largest in the United States. The 16,000 gallon Gulf tank features sharks, rays, snapper, grouper, jacks and many more. Individual aquariums feature octopus, schooling fish, lobsters and a fascinating variety of other animals.
The children had a wonderful time on the tour. The website provided printable activity sheets for them to fill out as they looked at the exhibits. Also, several exhibits are hands on. One table had live horeshoe crabs and hermit crabs that they could touch. This was a wonderful field trip that I highly recommend. Even if you can't visit the area, check out their website and links. There's a wealth of information there.
|
Posted in Vacations and Fieldtrips
|
This year we've been leaving Fridays free to get outside, experience nature and just have some "good ole fun"! Some days we go to the beach with a group of homeschoolers. Other times we ride bikes. One particular Friday we rode our bikes to the Kid's Park, had a picnic then rode over to a local museum that formerly was a train depot. Outside are real train cars and even a miniature train to play on. We ended by stopping in the library and getting some good books (and enjoying the a/c for a bit!). Whatever we do, we're spending time together, enjoying God's creation and having a great time. |