2016/17 – Christmas in Scandinavia

Last Day

Hungary is famous for its porcelain, lace and puzzle boxes. We walked down to a handicraft market in the morning to pick up some souvenirs. It started snowing as we left the hotel and it was quite an experience walking through it. It was just a light sprinkle but by the time we got to… Continue reading Last Day

Knights and Roses

Clear Sky, 1°C Budapest We visited Sir Lancelot for dinner which is a medieval knight themed restaurant. The staff were all dressed in medieval clothing and there were knights, guillotines and swords everywhere. The boys also got to sit in royal seats with knights guarding them. We got a platter to share amongst all of… Continue reading Knights and Roses

Beautiful Budapest

Light Snow, -1°C Budapest We went on a walking tour of Budapest and got to take in some incredible buildings and got a great insight into the history of Hungary. One of the main things we learnt was the importance of 1896 and how most of the city was redeveloped them for the cities millennium… Continue reading Beautiful Budapest

A Train Ride Through 3 Countries

One of the most fascinating things in Europe is how you can travel for only a few hours and go across countries, and all without any passport or visa check. We boarded our train in Prague at midday and will be in Budapest by 6 having traveled through Slovakia. The boarding of the train was… Continue reading A Train Ride Through 3 Countries

Happy New Year

Jiřská 3/1 Prague had a number of events on during the day to ring in the new year.This ranged from classical performances at various theatres and music halls through to huge fireworks tonight. We were keen to view the extended changing of the guards at midday today up at the royal castle. We had a… Continue reading Happy New Year

New Years Eve

Broken Clouds, -4°C Václavské náměstí 56 The official fireworks and celebrations for the New Year happen on the 1st of January in Prague. As there are no regulations on the purchase and use of fireworks, there were unofficial fireworks and noise makers all over town. I had booked a train restaurant called Vytopnia for dinner… Continue reading New Years Eve

Tour of Prague

Jiráskův most We went on a walking and boat tour of Prague today. Bron decided to stay in the room with Tom so it was just me with the older kids. The tour was a big disappointment. I was hoping that the guide would take us from Old Town via Charles bridge to the Prague… Continue reading Tour of Prague

Puppets and Dinner

Fog, -6°C Karlova 4-18 We headed to a tiny theatre on the top floor of a building near the Old Town Square to watch a puppet version of Don Giovanni with the original score created by Mozart. I have been really surprised with the number of theatre and cultural performances in Prague. There are classical… Continue reading Puppets and Dinner

A Walk Through Old Town

Mist, -4°C Staroměstské náměstí 4/1 We didn’t really have anything planned or organised for today so we decided to have a quiet and lazy one. After a late breakfast we let Thomas have another sleep in his cot and headed out on the late afternoon. Our hotel is conveniently located right near Charles bridge and… Continue reading A Walk Through Old Town

What a Show

Fog, -4°C Smetanovo nábřeží 324/10 We packed up and left Kakslautanen today. It was a real shame that it snowed all night and we weren’t able to see any more of the Northern Lights as there seemed to be quite a bit of auroral activity.The igloos had quite an interesting design and no matter how… Continue reading What a Show

Mush

The kids and I were booked on a husky safari today. We arrived all decked out in our warmest gear, and it was lucky that we did, as it was the coldest that I have ever felt on my life. Even before we got onto the husky sleighs our extremities were feeling numb. Poor Emily,… Continue reading Mush

Elusive Northern Lights

The main reason for coming to Kakslautanen was to see the Northern Lights. This year is meant to be a good year for Auroral activity and northern Finland is an ideal location. Unfortunately it also depends on the weather on the day which we can’t control. We had organised a reindeer safari to see the… Continue reading Elusive Northern Lights

Hey Hey Santa

We departed from Rovaniemi to spend the next couple of nights in Kakslautanen. We seem to have increased the amount of luggage we have, and including the warm clothes we rented we had a luggage cart full. The bus trip to Kakslautanen was through some incredibly scenic parts of Finland. It was all covered in… Continue reading Hey Hey Santa

Amazing Santa

Today was meant to be the highlight of the visit to Lapland thus far, with a visit to Santa’s Village. We started by going to Arktikum which is a museum dedicated to Lapland. We read about their history, clothing, culture etc. It is an incredibly harsh environment and living here would be brutal. We followed… Continue reading Amazing Santa

Lapping it up

Unnamed Road We had a bus pick us up at 11 for a day in Santa’s secret hideaway with his elves. We started with a kilometre long hike through knee deep snow. Fortunately Ben found a sleigh that Emily could ride on which made the walk a lot easier for her. We started with a… Continue reading Lapping it up

Merry Christmas

Korkalonkatu 31 Merry Christmas The kids all woke up very exited as Santa had visited overnight and left some presents for them. Apparently he dropped their presents off at home and then made another special trip to our hotel to leave a note. Emily was just soooo exited that she got an Elsa dress. Matthew… Continue reading Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

Light Snow, -3°C Jaakonkatu 2 Christmas Eve The hotel had put on quite a few activities for the kids before dinner. They got to decorate their own Christmas tree, halfway through which Emily decided it was easier to be the tree than to decorate it. They also got to decorate their own Gingerbread cookies. We… Continue reading Christmas Eve

Just Snow Much Fun

Light Snow, -4°C Rovaniemi Just snow much fun We headed out to the woods near Rovaniemi to experience a Snow Fun Day. There was light snow for most of the day which the kids loved. They started with tobogganing down a hill. Matthew made a friend and raced against them, while Ben and Emily went… Continue reading Just Snow Much Fun

Finally in Rovaniemi

Overcast Clouds, -3°C Koskikatu 16 Finally in Rovaniemi We landed into Rovaniemi airport a bit later than planned at 2.30 in the afternoon and the sun had already set. The sun is meant to rise tomorrow at 11.08am and then set again at 1.25pm. The bus took us directly to a clothing rental place so… Continue reading Finally in Rovaniemi

Hey Hey Helsinki

The kids woke up really excited as we are heading to Rovaniemi today, the official home of Santa Claus. We flew Finnair which is the official airline of Santa Claus. Check-in was a breeze as Finnair is part of OneWorld which meant that our Qantas status got us priority treatment. It, however, didn’t get us… Continue reading Hey Hey Helsinki

Final Day in Helsinki

Final Day in Helsinki Today is our final full day in Helsinki and is also the shortest day of the year. We headed out at about 11 and the sun was only just starting to rise. After a visit to some souvenir shops we headed to the local markets for lunch. Salmon soup is a… Continue reading Final Day in Helsinki

Finnish History

Light Intensity Drizzle, 3°C Mannerheimvägen 13 Finnish History Ever though the time in Finland is only an hour different to Sweden and Denmark, it is taking us a few days to adjust. The lack of daylight and dark rooms isn’t helping either. Today we didn’t get up till almost 8.30, except Matthew, whose body clock… Continue reading Finnish History

Museums, Markets and Meals

Light Intensity Drizzle, 3°C Katrinegatan 3 Museum, Markets and Meals After lunch we visited the Helsinki City Museum which was located right opposite Senate Square and a mere 5 minute walk from the hotel. It looked quite unassuming from the outside, however kept is all entertained for the entire afternoon. It was spread over 3… Continue reading Museums, Markets and Meals

Now I’ve Seen It All

Overcast Clouds, 2°C Unionsgatan 36 Now I’ve seen it all In Dubai last year we saw air conditioned bus stops and a ski field in 45 degree temperature. And today we found heated sidewalks n Helsinki. I guess when you have winters with sub zero temperature that lasts almost 6 months it makes sense. We… Continue reading Now I’ve Seen It All

Goodbye Stockholm

Goodbye Stockholm We had got all our packing done last night and just needed to get everyone ready this morning. We had our final breakfast in Stockholm and then boarded our ride to the airport. The airport is out of town and we drove past a number of snow covered fields and it seems it… Continue reading Goodbye Stockholm

The Royal Armoury

Clear Sky, 1°C Skeppsbron 18 The Royal Armoury We had a bit of a quiet day in Stockholm today. The sun was out and it was a positively hot 2 degrees. We visited the Christmas markets nearest to our hotel and they were bustling with visitors… guessing it included locals as well as it was… Continue reading The Royal Armoury

The Ship that almost Sailed

Clear Sky, 1°C Galärvarvsvägen 14 The Ship that almost Sailed Stockholm is a collection of a number of islands and while there are bridges across most of them, traveling by ferry is still very popular and convenient. We caught a ferry from the dock nearest to our hotel and headed to the island of Djurgarden.… Continue reading The Ship that almost Sailed

Walking Through Old Town

Overcast Clouds, 0°C Mårten Trotzigs gränd 1 Walking through Old Town We had organised for a walking tour of Old Town in Stockholm this afternoon. The tour started at 2 in the afternoon and the temperature was already starting to drop. Old Town is the original part of Stockholm and some of the buildings are… Continue reading Walking Through Old Town

A meal fit for a king

Overcast Clouds, 1°C Västerlånggatan 68 A meal fit for a king I had booked a restaurant called Aifur for Ben’s birthday dinner. It was advertised as a Viking themed restaurant and it did not disappoint. We sat on long shared tables and Ben got to sit on the throne at the head. They even had… Continue reading A meal fit for a king

Goodbye Oslo, Hello Stockholm

Overcast Clouds, 1°C Storgata 1 Goodbye Oslo, Hello Stockholm We departed Oslo this morning by train heading to Stockholm.Ben was very exited that he would be in 2 different countries on his birthday. The scenery was incredible with endless white frozen forests and lakes. Emily and Thomas had a good sleep while Matthew and Benjamin… Continue reading Goodbye Oslo, Hello Stockholm

Birthday Boy

Scattered Clouds, -10°C Rosenkrantz’ gate 11 Birthday Boy The kids were up first thing to wish Ben a happy birthday. We had organised with the concierge to have a bunch of 12 balloons delivered to our room overnight so he could wake up with balloons over his head in the morning. For the past few… Continue reading Birthday Boy

Oslo Winter

Scattered Clouds, -7°C Karl Johans gate 47 Oslo Winter There is cold and then there is Oslo in winter cold. The temperature today didn’t go over -2 and it is the coldest we have ever felt. And that includes being on the ski fields. The short days makes it feel colder and it was just… Continue reading Oslo Winter

Nobel Peace Center

Scattered Clouds, -7°C Evangvegen 4 Nobel Peace Center Given we were only spending one day in Oslo, we didn’t have any specific tours organised. I really wanted to see the Nobel Peace Center, which was only a short walk away. After a lazy breakfast we headed out around 11.30 and the temperature was still below… Continue reading Nobel Peace Center

Ice that won’t melt

Clear Sky, -10°C Rosenkrantz’ gate 11 Ice that won’t melt Last night the boys decided to put 2 ice cubes on our balcony to see if they would melt overnight. The two photos are 15 hours apart, 8 pm last night and then 11 am today and they haven’t shrunk our melted at all. It’s… Continue reading Ice that won’t melt

A very Grand affair

Clear Sky, -7°C Karl Johans gate 33A A very grand affair We arrived into Oslo in the early afternoon and were met by our driver to get us to our hotel. We leave all the hotel recommendations to Kelly, our travel agent, and this current selection has us floored. We are staying in a huge… Continue reading A very Grand affair

Train to Oslo

Karl Johans gate 31 Train to Oslo It was an early start today as our train to Oslo departed at 8 from Bergen. We needed to be down for breakfast by 6.30 as a car was coming to collect us at 7. Needless to say, of all days, today was the one day all the… Continue reading Train to Oslo

Birthday Girl

Light Rain, 3°C Torget 2 Birthday Girl Thomas got up at 1 minute to midnight for a feed to make sure he was the first to wish Bronwyn a happy birthday. While down at breakfast Matthew presented mummy with earrings he had picked for her during the trip. He even colored in a design as… Continue reading Birthday Girl

Bryggen

Light Rain, 3°C Helgesens gate 9 Bryggen The famed wet weather in Bergen finally caught up with us today and it was wet and bone chillingly cold. We didn’t venture far and headed to the Bryggen Museum next door and it was quite a find. They had the remains from buildings and skeletons found in… Continue reading Bryggen

Biggest Gingerbread Village

Broken Clouds, 5°C Baneveien 15 Biggest Gingerbread Village Bergen boasts of the largest gingerbread display in the world and we went to visit this afternoon. It was a 30 minute walk from the hotel and the hall looked very unassuming from the outside. Even once we entered and went through the first couple of rooms… Continue reading Biggest Gingerbread Village

Breathtaking Bergen

Fløyfjellet 5 Breathtaking Bergen We took a cable car up to Floyen which provides a view over all of Bergen. The kids got ther prized seat in the car and had the best view of Bergen as we went up the hill. Fortunately when we arrived the sun was out and it was clear. In… Continue reading Breathtaking Bergen

Final Morning

The final morning in Denmark We fly out to Bergen in Norway later this morning and headed down for our final breakfast in Denmark.Emily had befriended a baby cow at the entrance to the restaurant and made sure she kissed it goodbye. We had 2 hire cars come by to take us to the airport… Continue reading Final Morning

Big Girl Bed

Broken Clouds, 10°C Kalvebod Bølge Big Girl Bed In every hotel we have stayed in thus far Emily has gotten a special rollaway as a bed. In Odense it was a small sofa bed that only just fit her while in Copenhagen it was a single bed specially for her. It has been the highlight… Continue reading Big Girl Bed

BioMio Organic

Mist, 10°C Slagterboderne 13C BioMio Organic We realized that we hadn’t really had a Danish meal in our week in Denmark, apart from a few open sandwiches during our Food Tour. We asked the concierge to find us a local restaurant for dinner and they booked us into a place called BioMio, Copenhagen most popular… Continue reading BioMio Organic

A Royal Experience

Light Rain, 11°C Bernstorffsgade 3 A Royal experience We went on a tour of the famous landmarks in Copenhagen today. We stayed with the royal palace where the queen and her family still reside. The crown Prince and his Australian wife were in their palace and the boys got photos taken with the royal guards.… Continue reading A Royal Experience

Dinner in Copenhagen

Overcast Clouds, 8°C Axeltorv 8 Dinner in Copenhagen We arrived back into Copenhagen and our guide and transfer were waiting for us at the station. It, however, took us a while to find each other. The hotel is very close to the station as well as Tivoli Gardens. The Marriott provided us interconnecting rooms and… Continue reading Dinner in Copenhagen

Back to Copenhagen

Light Rain, 11°C Beringvej 49 Back to Copenhagen This is our final morning in Aarhus before heading back to Copenhagen. We got confirmation from the travel agent that they had found a new hotel for us in Copenhagen so we don’t have to stay at the Admiral again. When we left Odense, in my haste… Continue reading Back to Copenhagen

Australian Steak house

Light Rain, 12°C Park Allé 5 Australian Steak house We had originally planned on going to the restaurant in the Art House for dinner. It was on the top floor and had a great view of the city and apparently had a very interesting architectural design. Unfortunately you needed to pay for every into the… Continue reading Australian Steak house

Tour of Aarhus

Tour of Aarhus Our guide met us at 10 this morning for a walking tour of Aarhus. It definitely wasn’t the best day for a walking tour as it drizzled all day and it was freezing worth the maximum for the day being 2 degrees. We started with a walk through the new art house… Continue reading Tour of Aarhus

Breakfast

Light Rain, 4°C Margrethepladsen 1 Breakfast The buffet breakfast at the hotel every morning is a highlight for the kids. They have to start with a bowl of cereal but can then try all the different types of cured meat, cheese and pastries on offer. Ben, in particular, has made sure he has sampled every… Continue reading Breakfast

Aarhus

Light Rain, 4°C Fiskergade 5 Aarhus We arrived into Aarhus with no transportation in sight. Our transfer didnt show and after a few frantic calls they organised a replacement – which happened to be a full size bus, just for us. The kids were ecstatic and spent the first part of the trip trying to… Continue reading Aarhus

Another train ride

Mist, 6°C Nr Åbyvej 16 Another train ride There is something quite therapeutic about riding on a train. The click clacking of the tracking and watching the world zoom by. Always reminds me of the trips to Patna during the school holidays and staring out at the scenery and watching different tracks come and go.… Continue reading Another train ride

Getting ready to move

Fog, 5°C Sortebrødre Torv 13 Getting ready to move This is our final morning in Odense before we head out to Aarhus. After breakfast down at the restaurant Bron and I packed our bags while the kids played cards. Powered by Journey. Continue reading Getting ready to move

Late Afternoon Warm-Me-Up

Fog, 4°C Claus Bergs Gade 7 Late afternoon warm-me-up After heading back from the Train Museum we decided to stop at a cafe for coffee and afternoon tea. We went to a tiny cafe at the town square and near the statue of the Tin Soldier. The kids and Bron all had hot chocolate with… Continue reading Late Afternoon Warm-Me-Up

Railway Museum

Broken Clouds, 6°C Seebladsgade 21B Railway Museum Our tour ended at the railway museum around lunch time and we stayed there till closing as there was so much to see and do. As we arrived we got to ride on a mini train back and forth a couple of times. There were over 15 full… Continue reading Railway Museum

Walking Tour

Broken Clouds, 6°C Guldbergsvej 25 Walking tour Our guide Anna-Maria meet is at the hotel at 10 for a tour of Odense. Similar to other cities that base their existence on a celebrity, every thing in Odense is centred around Hans Christian Andersen. In front of the hotel there were some carved posts, each depicting… Continue reading Walking Tour

Reading to the littlies 

Scattered Clouds, 3°C Claus Bergs Gade 7 Reading to the littlies As usual Matthew was the first one up followed soon after by Thomas and Emily. While Bron and I got ready, he lay in bed and read The Emperors New Clothes, by Hans Christen Andersen to them. Powered by Journey. Continue reading Reading to the littlies 

Park

Light Rain, 5°C Strandengen 39 Park After lunch we decided to go back and visit the cathedral, however by now there was an incredibly long line of people waiting to get in. We just did not want to wait outside with 4 kids in the freezing cold so went to the car instead and found… Continue reading Park

Lunch in Roskilde 

Light Rain, 5°C Stændertorvet 8 Lunch in Roskilde We were meant to cathedral however it was closed when we arrived. We decided to walk through the town of Roskilde and take in the sights. We saw some nifty Christmas shops selling ornaments, trees and trinkets. We stopped at a hot dog vendor for lunch in… Continue reading Lunch in Roskilde 

Viking Museum

Light Rain, 4°C Vindeboder 20 Viking Museum We drove from Copenhagen to Roskilde this morning to visit a Viking Ship Museum. It was a fascinating insight into the Vikings and how they travelled across Europe almost 1500 years ago. Apparently the Vikings sank about 5 ships and filled them with rocks to prevent attacks. 50… Continue reading Viking Museum

Italian for Dinner 

Mist, 1°C Nyhavn 27 Italian for dinner Thomas had gotten really upset by the end of the Walking tour and so we headed back and letting him have a long sleep. We went back to the same restaurant we got pizzas from last night to have a shot down meal this time. The kids ordered… Continue reading Italian for Dinner 

Walking Food Tour 

Toldbodgade 28A Walking tour Or guide came at 9.30 road morning to take us for our food and walking tour of Copenhagen. The tour stayed in the local food market with a talk on the history of food and cuisine in Denmark. Similar to other places there is a movement to go back to natural… Continue reading Walking Food Tour 

Breakfast Buffet 

Clear Sky, -5°C Larsens Plads Breakfast buffet Emily and Matthew slept in so bron and Ben came down for breakfast early. They are all suitably impressed and berm tried a bit of every cheese on offer. I I came down later with the others and Matthew focussed on variety while Emily went for consistency. Matthew… Continue reading Breakfast Buffet 

Staying Awake 

Clear Sky, -4°C Toldbodgade 28A Staying awake We finished our dinner and a bath by 5 and everyone was desperate to get to bed . Bron and I had to manually keep them awake so they went to sleep at a more normal hour. Finally I turned the tv on as a last ditch effort… Continue reading Staying Awake 

Dinner Venture 

Clear Sky, -4°C Nyhavn 35 Dinner venture I headed out at about 3.30 with the kids to try and get some dinner. Thomas had been really upset so bron fed him and put him to bed. It was incredibly cold and wet will need to make sure we wear inners rverytime we venture out. A… Continue reading Dinner Venture 

A Very Disappointing Hotel 

Few Clouds, 3°C Toldbodgade 28A A very disappointing hotel We finally made it to our hotel with everyone at the end of their tether. Unfortunately rinse only got worse as the hotel is not really going to work out. Not only are there no interconnecting rooms, the rooms have a long, precarious, narrow staircase heading… Continue reading A Very Disappointing Hotel 

Nearly there

Nearly there After almost a day of travelling everyone is almost over it. Thomas had a sleep to start of the flight but then just would not settle. Emily some halfway through and then devoured her Macaroni and cheese. Matthew slept even longer. Ben decided to go the other way and ate first and then… Continue reading Nearly there

The final leg 

The final leg The boys spent most of the time in the lounge playing foos ball. Emily found a copy of “Going on a Bear hint” which she made me read over and over again. She noticed that some of the pages had pen marks on it and immediately said “Look Matthew had drawn all… Continue reading The final leg 

In Doha 

Clear Sky, 23°C Dohs Disembarking was a breeze and especially going through security. We didn’t even need to take Thomas out of his pram. The kids are starting to lose it. It’s only 5 am here but their body clock says its midday. Also watching a screen for almost 6 hours didn’t help. Getting to… Continue reading In Doha 

Winning over the crew 

. As always the boys stuck up a conversation with the crew. Sarita who served us for most of the flight also happened to be from Kolkata, however she grew up in Punjab. Ben regaled her with yarns of his visits to see Dada and Dida and the trip to Eco Park. Youme couldn’t get… Continue reading Winning over the crew 

Drama in the high skies 

Given Ben’s entertainment unit didn’t work I swapped seats with him. Anyway after a while he couldn’t find his kindle. Looked everywhere, in and around his seat and mine…. It was nowhere to be found. He says being more and more distressed and I was getting perplexed. It so happened that in my efficiency I… Continue reading Drama in the high skies 

Taking a break 

Taking a break After almost 3 hours of continuous TV I convinced the kids to come with me to the lounge area for a break. In the lounge we met Dave who immediately befriended Emily and Matthew proceeded to tell him all about iPads on Qantas. It was near impossible to get all the odd… Continue reading Taking a break 

Born to travel 

Everytime the seatbelt sign came on we needed to get thomas out of his bassinet and hold him. Inspite having to do this multiple times he never woke and transferred back easily. After hid morning feed he sat with me for a while while I sang to him and then he went back to sleep… Continue reading Born to travel 

Entertainment PALLAVA Again

The kids all slept through to about 6 am AEST which was a bonus. Unfortunately Ben’s entertainment system wouldn’t work. They tried resetting it a few times but to no avail. He was so distraught and then when I couldn’t even find his kindle he was on the verge of tears. I swapped seats with… Continue reading Entertainment PALLAVA Again

The second leg 

After a quick dinner in Sydney we boarded the flight to Doha. Everyone got settled and got dosed up on Phenergan. Matthew befriended the lady sitting next to her. A woman named Kim, school teacher and on her first business class flight. Ben was super excited because he got Qatar pyjamas as well and they… Continue reading The second leg 

Drama continues 

Clear Sky, 25°C Mascot NSW 2020 The flight to Sydney was uneventful but check in for Qatar was a different story. We didn’t get our boarding passes in canberra and had to walk all the way to the end of the terminal in Sydney. Then they arrived up our seats so it took a while… Continue reading Drama continues 

What a drama 

Clear Sky, 15°C 16 Pope Street Taxi had been booked for 4.30 bit nothing arrived till 4.50. Gave them a call and they said a taxi was still 10mins away. When it did arrive it says a tiny sedan. Have the driver a piece of my mind and got an Uber instead. Luckily Brons mum… Continue reading What a drama 

All packed 

Clear Sky, 15°C 16 Pope Street Finally all packed and ready to go. Nothing like last minute rush to clean, organise, lock and pack. Powered by Journey. Continue reading All packed 

Sam’s back 

Clear Sky, 17°C 35°20’15.5″S 149°05’31.0″E Matthew woke up so excited that Sam was back and that we could take him with us to Europe. He came in his own travel case. All Emily wants is the FrootLoops. Powered by Journey. Continue reading Sam’s back 

The elf returns

Light Rain, 18°C 35°20’15.6″S 149°05’31.6″E Not wanting to miss out on the trip to Europe the elf returned in his own little travel pack so he can be taken with us. As always be came with a bunch of goodies including everyone’s favourite, Front Loops. Powered by Journey. Continue reading The elf returns

The night before

Light Rain, 21°C 35°20’15.4″S 149°05’31.5″E The boys were to excited to fall asleep and kept getting out of bed. Matthew, especially was up quite late, which is very unlike him. Bron and I did the final pack. Powered by Journey. Continue reading The night before