Loving Zermatt, Switzerland - legs aching from so much skiing !!

Have just managed to get ourselves another power adapter and get everything charged up. So far, France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland all have different plugs !!

This place is something out of a movie set. We have all said so many times "it just doesn't look real". The Alps are just stunning with peaks popping up wherever you look. The little village is amazing with no cars and only horse drawn carriages and electric taxis. We can walk to the ski lifts from our apartment which is awesome.

The boys and I were in a chairlift at 8.30 this morning and we popped up through he clouds and there in front of us was the majestic Matterhorn mountain bathed in sunlight.  This was a magic morning as we then pretty much had the slopes to ourselves for an hour or so. As it's not peak season, we have not waited for a single ski lift the whole time and there are very few people on the slopes so we are being very spoilt.

Blake and Hamilton have taken to skiing like ducks to water. Having never skied before (or seen snow), they had a lesson with Franz from the Swiss Ski school. They really picked it up quickly and he took them on a run within a couple of hours. They have not looked back and I have loved skiing with them all over the mountains (except not the Black runs !). They have already asked when can we go skiing in Melb ?

Alex has had a turn as well and starting to get the concept of the snow plough. He is so light that he glides across the snow and finds it hard to stop ! This is definitely a work in progress but he has had a taste.

Carolyn on the other hand has not been so lucky. She was skiing with Franz (Swiss ski instructor) on the first morning and had a spill and twisted her knee half way down a run. I had no idea it had happened as I was waiting with Alex at the nursery slope. Then I see a stretcher fly passed with someone lying in it and my mind started to whirl ! As I found out later, it was Carolyn receiving the full treatment in the snow stretcher getting towed back to base by a powered ski mobile. She is OK now, but the knee is not up to any more skiing. Carolyn is not convinced skiing is her thing, but is enjoying the scenery. We can laugh now but ...

With the legs really aching as I write this, we will be ready to get on the train on Thursday for our train trip through the Swiss Alps to Chur, St Moritz, etc... then on to Vienna, Austria.

cheers
Phil

The boys at Riffelberg 

Alex getting a tow from Dad

View from our apartment

Alex at Wolli's playground

Lift from Furi to Riffelberg

Zermatt from Gornergrat train

Lunch today (Riffelberg) - great view !

The Matterhorn this morning. 

Blake and Dads walk.

Door in a door

Roof tops

Dad with the towers

One of the lookouts from San Gimignano

Dad and I climbed up one of the towers! (It was a really foggy day)

Mum, Hamilton and Alex felt like a day at home so Dad and I went on the 6 km hilly walk into town (San Gimignano). We power walked it so it was the first time I got to try out my new sports watch! When we got there, we walked pretty much the whole town, we had lunch and climbed one of the towers. Then we walked back and on the way it started to rain, it had been extremely foggy the whole day but we had only had some light showers, but now we had to put all of our waterproofs on. 

Another great day in Europe!

Blake 

Loving Pisa, Sienna & Voltera

We have been enjoying some relaxing days in San Gimignano and visiting local towns. The country side is absolutely stunning so even a drive with no destination is an experience.

Voltera was fantastic. Classic hill town with awesome views,  tiny little lane ways....
Leaning Tower of Pisa was very impressive ... and Pisa have great Pizza too !
Sienna is a bigger hilltown, perfect for wandering around.

Our hosts cooked us a magnificent Italian meal last night which was a true highlight. So much food !
Starter: Bruschetta, Pate, Salami, Ham - all from the farm
1st course - Pasta with beef sauce (Ragu)
2nd course - Roast Beef and Potatoes and another Beef dish (with chilli, onions, etc.)
Dessert - Apple Cake
Plus - their own White (local specialty 'Vernaccia' is very good), Red and Dessert wines
None of us could move after the meal.... amazing... all cooked by Grandma and brought to our house.

Cooking lessons from Grandma tomorrow !!

The boys are counting down now until they see snow for the first time and learn to ski in Switzerland.

cheers
Phil

View at Voltera 

Alex did not come up for air !

Happy days !

With our hosts in Tuscany

Sienna main Piazza

No comment required !

Can you work this out ?

Hamilton's creative photo in Rome - love it !

San Gimignano is stunning !

We arrived this morning after a short drive from Florence. Photos don't really do it justice, because this place is absolutely magnificent. We are just out of town in a beautiful house and we look across the valley to the old town which sits high on the hill. The house is part of a farm that produces wine, olive oil and honey. Can it get any better ??

This is a great change of pace from city life.  I cooked a great pasta tonight ... perfecto rating from the boys and the owners gave us some wine to welcome us - we feel at home !

Check it out ...

cheers
Phil
View from the house to town

On the farm

Caz amongst the olives on the farm 

Our house for the next week.  

Hamilton's 10th Birthday !!

Thanks guys, I  had a great time, hope to see you all soon. I woke up in Barcelona and ran into Mum and Dad's bedroom and woke them so I can open my presents. The first present was a Lamborghini car from Alex.  Second was a card shuffler and the third one was an ipod touch!

I have been using the ipod touch every car ride, train ride and so on....

We drove to South of France and had birthday dinner (pizza) at Jake, Kath and Lily-Mei's.  I went to sleep in France.

See some photos of my great birthday.

Hamilton

Slightly pleased with new ipod touch !

Birthday lunch in park on way to France

The master shuffler ! 

My what big ... hands you have David (Statue of) !!

We had a 6 am wake up this morning (guess that's pretty much like the real world - sorry folks), and on our first train journey from Rome to Florence. We have a 10 day Eurail pass which we can use over 60 days. Very smooth train and very fast (only 1.5 hours). Much faster and less stress than driving thats for sure. We were in Florence for Breakfast !!  Hope they are all this good.

Enjoyed the day strolling around and of course a visit to see Michelangelo's Statue of David. The boys very impressed with the size of his hands !

I reckon you can smell the leather as you drive into Florence. As a result, new leather jackets for Caz and Phil (oh dear, big problem with luggage now but how could we resist ??).

Boys have now discovered gelato.... perfecto for when we want a quiet coffee stop !

We pick up a car tomorrow and head to a house in San Gimignano, Tuscany, for a week. Looking forward to the change of pace in the country. Weather looks like its turning cold on Sunday... 1 degree forecast - OMG !

Cheers
Phil