Summer pt. 1

Here is part one of the recap of our Summer Vacation 2012. 

This year we did something totally different than usual. We went to Italy, or rather South Tyrol, which is the northern, still German speaking, part of Italy. We usually spend our Easter vacation there but this year we had other plans for Easter and so we went there in the summer. The other difference was that we went there with my parents and right in the middle of the three weeks we left the kids alone with the Grandparents and us (the parents) drove back to Munich to catch a flight to Madeira, Portugal for 9 days. At the end of those days we drove back down to Italy to pick up the Kids and Grandparents again and spend another few days there.

So on a Monday we started around noon to drive down from Nuremberg, about 4 hours, past Munich and through Austria, over the Brenner Autobahn to Meran and from there up the mountains to the Hotel we always stay at and at which I already stayed at with my parents when I was about the age of my kids. The family knows us and it always is like coming home. I played on the playground with the “kids” who now run the place, still supported by their parents, now grandparents. And my kids play with their (grand)kids and who knows if they will still come here once they are grown-up.

The first day we just unpacked, went for dinner and had some wine on the balcony of our room later before heading to bed. The next morning the “Grandpa” of the house offered to lead a group of interested guest on a mountain walk/hike and hubby and my dad took the kids so me and my mom could chat and relax all day. We talked and had some yummy lunch before heading down to Meran for some shopping. We all came back around the same time for dinner.

Dinner is always something there; it’s a small celebration every night. In the morning they hand you a piece of paper with the Menu of the day, always consisting of a 5 Course Menu, the first Course is usually a salad, which you can choose yourself from the salad bar and the dressings are delicious. The second course is a small course/appetizer, a small piece of lasagna, or baked Veggies with parmesan cheese or maybe a shrimp cocktail, the third Course is either some Juice/fruity Cocktail or a soup, the main Course is meat or fish, or two different kinds of Meats to choose from, or Meat or Veggie, the last Course is Dessert. Most of the time (except a few days like Sundays and Holidays) you have a choice for the 2^nd/3^rd and Main Course. So every morning you make a cross next to the stuff you want to eat for Dinner. And the Dinner always lasts about two hours (and usually includes at least one bottle of wine if not more). I regularly gain weight when we stay there because on top of a 5 Course Dinner they also have great Cakes and the yummiest Apfelstrudel you can imagine. That, plus the opportunity to NOT do anything except lay in the sun and relax doesn’t really help with keeping your weight.

The second day we drove to a small hotel/ restaurant up on the other side of the valley which we usually visit while there, it has a great view of the mountains and some good food. The have a big lawn, some swings and a small sandbox for the kids. It is always crowded with people hiking up there (or if they are lazy like us, driving up) so we went early to get a good spot on the sun terrace. The kids played and we read or relaxed in the sun, had some yummy lunch (Spinat-/Käseknödel – Spinach/Cheese Dumplings with brown butter and parmesan cheese).

The next day (Thursday) we went to do something we always do while there, we hiked up to a small Castle which is now a tourist spot, including a small “restaurant” (Burgschänke) and tourists can learn Archery there (you can rent bows and arrows). It is usually a nice, but at some parts steep walk/hike, about 45 minutes. But you have a great view into the Valley and over Bozen and the Dolomite Alps. Unfortunately, after it was about 28 degrees Celcius and really sunny when we started, it became grey/dark pretty quick and about 10 minutes before we arrived it started raining and we heard thunder. So we had to hurry (up a steep hill, on really wet stone/concrete) but ended up being soaked to the bone once we arrived. This was a first for us but they seemed to be prepared because they opened up the little repair shop they have for the bows and arrows (it’s really warm inside) and the big dining room (which is usually closed in the summer because everyone sits outside in the sun). And they handed out towels so we could dry off the kids and wrap them into a towel and hubbys warm sweater which he had packed (for whatever reason). As soon as the sun was out again we placed our socks and shoes in the sun and waited while we had something to eat and drink. By the time we walked back down 3 hours later most of it was dry again. Afterwards my parents took the kids back to the hotel while hubby and I went to Bozen for some quick shopping (I needed my fix of some of my favorite nailpolish – KIKO Milano – and I haven’t found a shop anywhere else yet, except Meran).

On Friday everyone except me went on another walk/hike, even my mom who has problems with her knees decided to take part but I was kinda lazy. I did regret it about 30 minutes after they had left because I was pretty bored and mad at myself for being lazy but then I decided I would just take a nap (about 2 hours after getting up but oh well). I had promised them to pick them up at the end so they didn’t have to walk back, at least not the kids and my mom, I knew my dad and hubby would probably want to also walk all the way back to the parking area where they started. So after an hour nap and a shower I drove to pick them up and the afternoon was spend on the playground with the kids until the rest of the gang was back and we had the last dinner together before we would leave the next morning to drive to Munich and to fly to Madeira the day after.

The kids were totally excited and asked almost every day if we would leave (“are you leaving TODAY? When are you gonna leave us alone with Grandpa and Grandma?? Is today the day you leave?”) because my mom had promised they would get some pocket money every day, just enough to buy some ice cream or sweets, as soon as we left. Needless to say they wanted us to leave immediately after she told them the first day! 

Next up is our kids-free vacation on Madeira...stay tuned!

Irene