Kreuzeckbahn (Bavarian Alps Germany)

Day two of our Carolyn Germany trip. We head up to the Kreuzeckbahn to go play in the snow. The Kreuzeckbahn is located next to Zugspitze which is the highest mountain in Germany. We drove to the gondola that brought us up to the peak. The view of Garmisch-Partenkirchen was amazing and the snow was thoroughly enjoyed by the girls. After a while of playing on the slopes we enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate at the local beer garden. The one nice thing about Germany is that at the top of every mountain there is a place to get a food, beer or coffee. It makes the whole experience that much nicer.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Carolyn came to visit us for two weeks. While she was here we took a trip to Germany. Our first stop was to King Ludwig II's famous castle Neuschwanstein. It was inspired by Wagner's operas and situated in the mountains of the Bavarian Alps. After a lunch in a local restaurant we headed up to the base of the hill where the castle is built. The girls decided that a horse carriage ride to the to castle would be nice so we hopped on and rode up to the main gate. The castle was never completed before King Ludwig was found dead. The rooms were very intricately designed with paintings and such with the thrown room being quite impressive. With the snow that had fallen the morning before the surrounding mountains were gorgeous. The castle is supposedly the inspiration for Cinderella's castle in Walt Disney's famous movie.

Halloween

Last night the Canadian Community held its annual Halloween Party for the children. After a list of different costumes that the girls could choose from they decided to dress up as a field hockey player and a bride. Emilie wanted to be like her cousins look like a field hockey player. We made a jersey and she put on the plaid skirt and all of the other items to make her look official. Tori used a dress from Em along with a few other accents to become the young bride. At the party there were all of their classmates from school and a host of activities. A local magician amazed the crowds with his act and balloon creatures. The haunted house told the story of a local witch who's bones needed to be found in order to properly bury her so she wouldn't come back to haunt the local people. The girls had a great time and were able to get some candy to boot.

Spectaculaire de La Manade

The farm, that Emilie takes horse riding lessons at, held their annual spectaculair in celebration of their 80th year. All of the children, who take their lessons there, put on a horse show for family and friends. Each class performed various riding acts from riding different gates, jumping, dressage manouevers, etc. They each dressed up in costumes and they played music appropriate to their dress. Emilie was a Pirate (pi'rat in Français) and performed with four other children. She did a great job on her pony and the show was a nice way to display all that they children have learned. They held two shows, yesterday and today, and drew quite a crowd despite the cold and wet weather. Emilie had a good time hanging out with her "American" friend both days and her Belgian friends in her class.