Learning about Opa's childhood whilst exploring Bad Honnef and surrounds.

Our first afternoon at Bad Honnef was spent exploring the house and gardens where Henry and his brothers and sisters grew up. We heard many stories of their childhood escapades and learnt about the challenging times for the family during the war years. After they were evacuated from Berlin, Henry's mother did not know the whereabouts of her husband for many years and life was challenging for her with 8 children. She must have done a great job though as all the children have led happy and successful loves.

Gerhard and Gabi showed us around the old family home and we enjoyed seeing many photos and memorabilia from Henry's parents and their lives pre and post war. We had a scrumptious bbq in the backyard and polished off several bottles of delicious local wine that Henry found in Gerhard's extensive cellar. 

Monday was spent climbing the Drachenfels (Dragon Mountain), one of the most popular of the 'Seven Mountains' along this part of the Rhine. On top of the 321m high mountain we were rewarded with splendid views of the Rhine, we could even see the town of Bad Honnef. We climbed right to the top to the ruins of the old Drachenberg castle. After lunch we took the rack railway down the mountain and wandered through the picturesque town of Konigswinter. It was a wonderful day that ended with a fabulous evening at a river side pub/restaurant with Gerhard and Gabi. Cold beer, delicious food, a great view and wonderful people.

The nearby town of Linz was our destination for the next day. The well preserved town still had the old walls and gate and was full of traditional German buildings. It was raining so we punctuated our explorations with lunch in a restaurant in the main square. It was here that the Germans' love and acceptance of dogs was really demonstrated. Henry had told us that dogs were allowed in supermarkets but we were yet to see that, however as we walked up the stairs to the second level of the restaurant we were very surprised to see two very large dogs sitting with their owners upstairs in the small restaurant. Since then we have seen dogs in bars, at castles and in shopping centres. After enjoying some local specialities the rain had stopped so we wandered around town. The kids constantly marvelled at the old buildings and houses and kept asking, 'is this one older than Australia?' Most were more than 200 years old with many 3-400 years old.

Wednesday was spent exploring one of the most well preserved castles in Germany, Berg Eltz. The beginnings of the castle were first erected nearly 1000 years ago and over the next 400 years it was added to. The castle managed to survive intact due the alliances the family had built with other rich and powerful families (the married into all of the influential families in Europe). By the standards of the time the Eltz family was very advanced, with heating in most rooms, basic insulation and even toilets in many rooms where the waste was channeled directly outside. We were all impressed by the armour, the swords and the incredible treasure chamber. We did a informative tour (that was thankfully in English) before wandering the grounds and playing in the Rhine at the base of the castle. Gabi had prepared a delicious dinner for our last night. A superb end to our time in Bad Honnef. 

After coffee and cuddles the next morning we all bid Auf Wierdersehen to Gerhard and Gabi before getting a train into Cologne for a few days as tourists (without the help of locals to translate)!

At the base of the Drachenfels.

On top of Drachenfels, looking onto the Rhine.

The ruins of the old castle.

Looking out towards Bad Honnef.

Dinner with a view! They were even firing a cannon on the other side of the river (as you do!).

Looking up to Drachenfels from the Rhine.

Adding to the bottle top 'art' we found.

Visiting the graves of Henry's parents.

The main square in Linz, a well preserved Germam town on the Rhine.

Adjusting the characters on the fountain in Linz.

Wandering the cobbled streets.

Berg Eltz, one of the best preserved castles in Germany.

Berg Eltz was truly impressive.

Underneath one of the channels that directed the toilet waste outside, very sophisticated for its time.

Rock hopping in the Rhine at the base of Berg Eltz

Walking back up to the impressive Berg Eltz.

Gerhard impressing the kids with fire crackers.

The house under the dell, Henry's childhood home.

Saying goodbye to Gabi.

Having a laugh with Gerhard.

Goodbye Adi and Karin....... Hello Gerhard and Gabi.

After a delicious and satisfying breakfast at Adi and Karin's we all went out to the garden to lower the Australian flag (which had been raised prior to our arrival) and raise the German one. It was an amusing 'ceremony' and a great way to say goodbye. 

We then began our journey to Henry's home town of Bad Honnef to stay with his youngest brother, Gerhard, and his wife Gabi. I had stayed with them in 2008 and was looking forward to experiencing their hospitality again.

We took the scenic route along the Rhine and marvelled at the abundance of medieval castles. These were all erected when the Rhine was used extensively as a trade route and the castles were 'toll points' for passing ships. There is even one called Castle Katz but unfortunately it is not open to the public, having been purchased by a rich Japanese family for holidays! Apparently we could visit the Castle Mouse up the road though (built by two brothers with a good sense of humour).

After lunch on the Rhine we boarded a car ferry to cross the river and continue our journey to Bad Honnef. We were greeted with much affection by Gerhard and Gabi and we all enjoyed some coffee and Gabi's amazing bee-sting on the verandah. Daniel enjoyed it so much he had nearly half! The kids loved exploring the extensive garden, complete with a pond, whilst the adults planned some great adventures for the next 4 days in Bad Honnef.
We all enjoyed our first morning at the Bad Honnef pool, where we spent most of the time on the water slide!

One of the impressive castles along the Rhine.

We had a ball on the waterslide!

Baptism of fire....learning to drive on the autobahns around Wiesbaden.

After being given the keys to a brand new BMW wagon we cautiously left the airport, Daniel concentrating hard on 'keeping right'. After missing a turn we ended up back at the airport, then back to Europcar to get directions on how to use the GPS! We got the GPS working but didn't anticipate the road works. We ended up doing a huge loop on some major autobahns but finally made it to Adolf and Karin's house after about an hour (a direct trip from the airport should have taken us about 20 minutes!). Daniel did an amazing job managing to drive on the right, use the gears with his right hand, merge onto the autobahns (where cars were flying by doing up to 200km/hr) and negotiate roundabouts (which are exceptionally hard when driving on the opposite side of the road). His tired brain couldn't quite manage the blinkers though and we ended up with the wipers on several times!

We were warmly welcomed by Karin and Adolf. I enjoyed some sensational (and much needed) coffee whilst Daniel polished off 3 slices of Karin's delicious cakes. The kids slept on the couches, happy to be able to stretch out. We headed back to our hotel for a few hours down time before returning to Adolf and Karin's for a delicious bbq dinner.

Friday was spent exploring Wiesbaden, the capital of the Hesse state. Adolf, Karin and Henry met us in the morning and, after a quick 'kaffee', we walked into town admiring all the ornate buildings. We hopped on a tourist train, the 'Thermine', which took us through the old town before heading up Neroberg, the mountain behind the city. Wiesbaden was a very popular holiday destination for the upper classes in the early 1900's due to its great climate and mineral springs. Well-to-do people travelled here to recover from illness, attend the theatre and dances and generally revitalise themselves. There are still many 'convalescence' houses/hotels where those with the financial means can be very well cared for. The train tour took us to see many fabulous houses (with incredible vistas) before we disembarked at an impressive Russian Orthodox Church. It was built by a German prince who married a 17 year old Russian girl. She died during childbirth less than a year after their marriage and he built the church in her memory. An impressive structure with an equally impressive view.

From there we meandered up Neroberg and enjoyed a picnic lunch overlooking Wiesbaden. The kids went exploring and, to their delight, found a playground with a challenging balance and ropes course. After a wander through the adjoining forest we headed to the Neroberg Mountain Railway for our ride down. We marvelled at the ingenuity of the engineers who designed this train back in 1888. It is a water ballast cog and rack railway. Basically their is a water tank on both trains, the one at the top gets filled so it is heavier and its' weight pulls the other train up (which has an empty tank). Then there is a pump that takes the water from the lower train up the top to repeat the process. 

After a wander through town and some cake and coffee we walked back. We were all exhausted once we got back, the jet lag had caught up! After a much needed nap we headed to Hockenberger, an outdoor restaurant backing onto lush forest. Great food, great wine, funny conversation and a playground for the kids. A highlight of the night was Jackson explaining how some other children had spoken to him and he had told them he was from Australia. "Then they spoke to me in my voice", he said with much excitement. The night ended with a throat warming schnapps for Karin, Henry and I - apparently it was good for my digestion but I'm not sure about that!

We had a lovely breakfast at Karin and Adolf's the next morning before beginning our drive up the Romantic Rhine to Henry's home town of Bad Honnef (not really the Romantic Rhine when you have your kids and father in law in the car with you though!).

A wonderful start to our German adventures. Auf Wiedersehen for now xx

The ornate cathedral in Wiesbaden.

On the tourist train with Karin.

The Thermine train

The impressive Russian Orthdox church, with gold capped peaks.

On the Neroberg Mountain Railway.

The kids were allowed out the front for our descent.

At the restaurant on the edge of the forest, enjoying some local Rose.

Get me off this plane!

Finally the day of our flight to Germany arrived. The morning began in a flurry of excitement and anxiety as we rushed to get to Melbourne. We had to get to the airport super early as a recent terror threat had resulted in increased security (though we would prefer longer time in security checks than the alternative).

We were making good time down the Hume when Jackson complained of a sore tummy. 'You'll be right', I said a moment before he power spewed all over the blanket he had on his lap. I frantically reached over with my hands cupped to catch the next projection whilst Daniel skidded to a stop at the first opportunity. There was vomit all over his clothes, the floor and the cavities in the door. Our holiday shenanigans began on the side of the Hume fwy at 7.30am, Jackson stripped down to his undies, Daniel with the baby wipes attempting to clean the stinking mess and I searching through the meticulously packed bags for fresh clothes!

After a quick stop at Kmart for replacement clothes (I'd packed very minimilalist) we made it to Grandad's (where we are leaving our car) with enough time for a quick chat before getting a cab to the airport. After a few nerve racking times in the airport (where Jackson said he didn't feel well and Daniel raced him out for fresh air) we made it on our flight at 3.40pm. It had already been a massive day and we were yet to leave Australia!

Gratefully the flight was uneventful. The kids were so excited by their little tvs and they watched movies and played games for the first 6 hours. It was cute to see how excited and interested they were in everything, from the mini tootbrushes to how the toilet worked. Unfortunately Jackson had sore eyes when we left which got more infected as the flight went on, to the point were they were completely stuck together after he slept. Thankfully the assistant at the pharmacy in Frankfurt airport spoke some German and we got eye drops.

Long haul flights are hard at the best of times and Daniel and I are very proud of how well the kids did. It was only in the last few hours (after only several hours sleep and with tired, cramped bodies) that they'd had enough. 'Just get me off the plane now', Jackson yelled, a sentiment I am sure was shared by the other travellers.

Our tired, smelly and bloated selves were met with the welcome smiles of Henry and Adolf at Frankfurt airport. We had arrived......let the fun begin!

Homeward Bound - to freezing cold Melbourne.

Homeward bound - Kakadu to Bundalong in 5 days.

Day 1- after making the most of the warm weather and abundant water we departed Kakadu NP at 2.30pm and drove to 5km before Mataranka where we found a secluded roadside stop and enjoyed our last warm evening.

Day 2 - now the serious driving began! We still squeezed in an early morning swim at the divine Bitter Springs (34deg natural hot springs that we preferred to the nearby Mataranka) before driving over 1200km and camping the night about 60km south of Alice Springs. It was a mammoth day in the car. The kids did really well and we rewarded them with their first McDonald's Happy Meal for dinner. It was 8pm, they were starving and the pasta that we had planned for dinner was definitely not getting cooked! Although I cringed at the disgusting fast food, they were very excited. We didn't get to our overnight spot until 9pm and we were all very grateful once finally laying in bed.

Day 3 - another huge day. Drove about 1000km to several hours south of Coober Pedy and bush camped in the vast expanse of the Woomera. Made a roaring fire to compensate for the freezing wind and tried to enjoy our last sunset in the bush, though both kids, as if on cue, decided they needed a poo just as we had poured ourselves a well earned drink. Daniel dug two holes and I enjoyed the sunset whilst my children did their business next to me! Gosh we have definitely turned into Feral Katz, certainly need some etiquette training on our return to society!

Day 4 - our initiation into the cold weather was rapid and shocking to bodies used to an average temperature of 30deg. Lunch in Port Augusta and the temperature was 8deg, then as we moved further into South Australia we got bombarded with wind and hail (which decided to start when we were at a toilet stop!). We made it to Mildura about 4pm and our lovely rooms for the night (we didn't want to get the van wet on the last day). Splurged with a mouth-wateringly fabulous meal at the Mildura Brewery to celebrate our incredible, life changing trip.

Day 5 - made it to Bundalong (our holiday house) by lunch and spent the next few days unpacking the house, which had been rented whilst we travelled. It was a great way to ease us back into civilisation!

Over the next week we finally met Logan, our nephew born a month after we left, had several family dinners (including a very happy reunion for the kids with their cousins Ruby and Mack), attended Dad's retirement lunch, moved into our new, albeit temporary, home in Corio, had a wonderful catch up afternoon with many of our friends, negotiated pre-approval for a home loan and spent lots of time with our dog Rascal (who was super excited to see us and forgave us for leaving her behind). We also took the kids to their first game of AFL where Dad tried to convert them to Melbourne supporters 

It has been an action packed month since we returned and we haven't had a chance to let the post holiday blues get to us yet. We have made many decisions, and changed our minds many more times! After our initial plan to move to Mansfield asap we looked at many houses there over several days, but unfortunately nothing really appealed us. So after much 'toying and froing' we have come to our final decision. We will move to our holiday home in Bundalong after leaving Corio (we are here for about 3 months for Daniel's work) then we will live there for at least next year and reevaluate. Emilia is enrolled at school in Yarrawonga and Jackson got into kindergarten there too. I am hoping to do some relief teaching and Daniel will continue to do shutdowns away but he won't have to do too many. We have decided a great lifestyle, with lots of time spent together as a family, is the most important thing for us and we are confident we will enjoy living at Bundalong, who knows....we may never leave.

And so the gypsy life has been curtailed for the time being, but without another mortgage to pay the next trip is certain to be in the not to distant future!!!! 

They were so excited to have their first Happy Meals they wanted to keep the boxes.

Dozing away some of the many hours in the car.

Our last bush camp spot - we were trying to enjoy our last sunset in the bush but both kids decided they needed 'number 2' at the same time!!

A roaring fire at dusk was a lovely way to end our trip.

Emilia wandering around the bush collecting firewood - she was VERY sad to be in the bush for the final night.

By day 3 of 10-12hours per day in the car boredom had really set in.

Welcome to the south - a flash storm complete with hail (kids were dumbstruck by it).

The outside temperature hit 4deg and it was pouring - a huge shock to our bodies!

Cuddles with her cousin, Logan.

 Cousins chilling together on a very little couch.

 

 Family photo at Dad's (Inspector Sprague's) retirement lunch.

 Dad enticing the children to become Melbourne supporters - don't know how he managed to get Melbourne to win against Hawthorn!

 It's a grand old flag.......cheering for another Melbourne goal.

 

Not a bad place to live for the time being - this gorgeous part of the Murray is only a minute walk from our house in Bundalong.

 Sunrise on the river at Bundalong - don't think we will get bored of this.