HexenWasser!

A friend of mine posted a question on the Parents in Munich Facebook page about Hexenwasser and what was it like and so I was then totally inspired to go and I had forgotten all about it.  Hexenwasser is the summer fun that happens on the ski slopes of Söll, our ski home. Not an actual home but where we have skiied since coming to Munich and it feels like a second home.  We have been a couple of times in the summer before but pre-children and we were mountain biking.

Anyhow, I was all inspired to go and decided that we ought to go down on Saturday afternoon and stay the night. Not camping as camping takes up too much time and we wanted to do the kinder stuff on the mountain, so I booked a hotel in Söll and we drove down after lunch yesterday, got Scheffau,  the next lift along, hopped in it and went up to the top to play on the fun stuff there that is set up in the summer.  It was really hot and really lovely and as we only had the afternoon so didn't do everything but it was great fun and the children loved it.  A trampoline and a wobbly bridge satisfies Katie.

On the gondola

wobbly bridge

and another wobbly bridge

Having a rest

and then a snack

lost ski anyone?

We then drove to the hotel and I know it is summer and not busy but we were the only people staying there! It was ok though as it was a restaurant as well so we sat outside and ate dinner and it was a lovely garden with a trampoline and other play things so everyone was happy.

This morning we took the gondola to Höchsoll and took off our shoes to do the Barfußpfad.  It was a 2km long one and very nice.  Katie did very well walking up and down and Alex was pretty good too.  It took up most of the time and then we took the second gondola to the top and had lunch before coming down, having an ice cream and heading down to fall asleep in the car on the way home.

Tyrolean mädchen

Tyrolean boy

Jumping

landing!

jumping

balancing

Katie's favourite bit!

The bee house

Thick mud!

more relaxing

balancing

At the top

Climbing up the giants head (note the change of clothes as she fell in the water lower down!)

Ice cream before coming home

Best girl

Best Lil boy

What a lovely weekend.  We did get mountain bike envy as there were so many people biking up.  Far more than when we used to bike up and now you can get to the top whereas when we did it you couldn't.  I want to bike up hills again . . .

Katie is so funny about getting in and out of the gondolas too. She has a panic and rushes like someone will be forgotten and get left on or off and we'll have to go round again!

We are so lucky to be able to do these things.  I do appreciate it.

The Good Life!

There were many potential titles to this post.  But basically I just like my life a lot!  I have a good life and am very appreciative of it.  I mean, who could ask for more on a sunny day than lazing by a lake while the children play happily.  Why on earth would I want a paid job? But I jump ahead of myself.

Last Sunday I was most chuffed with myself as we escaped the torrential rain.  Having studied the weather forecasts, rain radars and such like for a few days, I almost felt like a professional weather forecaster, but it did seem than on Sunday when Munich was having torrential rain, Nürnburg seemed to be on the edge of it and looked a better bet. And what's near Nürnburg?  Playmobil FunPark!   So we went for the day.   It was looking doubtful, but just past Ingolstadt the torrential rain suddenly stopped!  It was great.  It was dry and warm and although slightly overcast this is not a bad thing or it can get too hot.  And best of all - not busy!  How smug did I feel?  I love Playmobil as it only costs €9 to get in  and  it is done so well there is nothing at all I can criticize it on.  It is just great.  So Katie was fab and just being so very adventurous doing everything and Alex impressed me by liking the wobbly bridges and balance beams across to the pirate ship which I hate, but he wasn't wanting to do anything that he couldn't do. Katie was always wanting to do the too hard things at the same age. He is happy pottering.  Perfect.  Anyway, Kirsten and family turned up at about midday and we had lunch and played more.  We even had dinner there and I was hoping they would both fall asleep in the car on the way home but alas Alex did but not the big girl.  She was too excited by her free toy with her kinder meal!  And we got back to Munich to discover it had only just stopped raining late afternoon.  Result!

This is the totally excited look!

ringing the bell on the pirate ship

On the pirate ship

A new love of wobbly bridges

water!

Boo!

Happy boys

love cargo nets

happy pirates

At the top of the crows nest with Tim

Big Step

King!

Balancing

The last couple of days have also been good fun.  Katerina has been pestering me about going strawberry picking but of course it has been so wet that it hasn't happened.  But yesterday was dry and so after kindergarten I pulled them both in the Chariot and went with my friend Sarah and her two children. Alex was so excited too.  So we took buckets and cycled to Taufkirchen and had such a lovely time.  We picked 3kg of strawberries.  Most of which are now in the fridge and I feel a jam making frenzy may happen as we can't possibly eat them all. 

William and Katie

Freya checking for strawberries in Alex's bucket

eating!

Then today, we didn't go to kindergarten, we went down to Tegernsee and had a lovely day with Catherine and her two children , Millie and Thomas. Katie loves Millie and they play so nicely together. We went to Bad Wiessee which is at the bottom end of the lake and has a nice see promenade and playground.  Alex would be happy throwing stones in the water all day but he was so tired he fell asleep in the buggy for 3 hours!   Katie and Millie had a great time and as always kicked up as we went to go home but still.  Catherine and I lounged about and thought what a great life this is just entertaining our children!  

And the weather looks set to hold so we have more fun planned for the weekend!  And I am drinking beer :-)

Day Out up the Blombergbahn

Today is a holiday and I was looking forward to a long weekend of camping. I found a really nice place to just south of Füssen. But, although it has been a hot sunny day today the weather has been all over the place and although not always following the forecast, there has been a consistent forecast of a  deluge tomorrow.  So camping in the heavy rain was not so enticing.  But I feel a little cheated as now Matt won't take tomorrow off work as there is no point but I have a a wet day to entertain. Never mind, today was nice.

We went up the Blombergbahn which is near Lenggries so not too far away. Katie wanted to go up a mountain in a lift and then to do a Sommer Rödelbahn.  The lift was fun and I went with Alex sat on my knee. He thought it was all great fun and kept say it was exciting.  It's quite a long slow lift but it was all part of the fun.

climbing on a rock

We went for a walk at the top and had lunch at the hut before coming down in the lift again. I had Katie this time so I could take a photo of Alex with Matt. He kept waving at all the people coming up the lift. He's a hoot. 

happy hiking

Making sure the cows have water. Alex was scared of them and thought they would eat him!

walking off trail!

looking down into the valley

up the muddy track

playing

Up the hill to the lift

On the lift coming down

looking down

Hello!

playing while we wait for the Röddellers which I missed with the camera

It was nice strolling at the top but  walking with children is not really the way to get fit.  Just tired from ambling too slowly!  I am feeling the need to do a big hike or mountain bike ride.  They are very good though and it's all good training.

When we got to the bottom Matt took Katie halfway up the lift again to do the toboggan run. they were ages as it suddenly got very busy. It was ever so hot at the bottom but Alex and I had fun just pottering. 

They both fell asleep in the car on the way home and so a successful day was had by all!