Travelog for: Happy Leopard

Hi Mom!

A few days ago, a new toyvoyager arrived. His name is Fiorello, he is a cute Koala from Italy.

Today we went for a first short sightseeing tour! We planned to walk a little longer, but it was sooo stormy outside and really cold.

So I can just show you a few pictures from today!

The first shows me looking up at the Turk in Palais Saurau . There are different stories why there is a Turk up there, but they are all just made up. In fact, the Turks have never occupied Graz! You can read the stories when you follow the link above!

Then we went down the Sporgasse to the Glockenspielplatz (Carillon-square). Named after the Carillon, that plays there three times a day. But unfortunately we didn't hear the music!

We went home through the Stadtpark, a huge park in Graz. There we could see some spring flowers!

We really hope that spring comes soon so we can explore some more of Graz!

Ciao!

Hi Mom!

A few days ago, a new toyvoyager arrived. His name is Fiorello, he is a cute Koala from Italy.

Today we went for a first short sightseeing tour! We planned to walk a little longer, but it was sooo stormy outside and really cold.

So I can just show you a few pictures from today!

The first shows me looking up at the Turk in Palais Saurau . There are different stories why there is a Turk up there, but they are all just made up. In fact, the Turks have never occupied Graz! You can read the stories when you follow the link above!

Then we went down the Sporgasse to the Glockenspielplatz (Carillon-square). Named after the Carillon, that plays there three times a day. But unfortunately we didn't hear the music!

We went home through the Stadtpark, a huge park in Graz. There we could see some spring flowers!

We really hope that spring comes soon so we can explore some more of Graz!

Ciao!

Hi Mom!

What a nice surprise! We got a card today from our friend Snuttig and his host Mom Rike! They are on Amrum, an island in Germany, right now!
I think it was really lovely that he thought of us and sent us this postcard!

I guess he has a great time there. Maybe I'll visit there one time too?

Hi Mom!

Today we went to explore the Schlossberg. That's a mountain in the city center of Graz! There are different ways up and down there: You can take one of the many walking paths up, or take the funicular railway! There is even an elevator inside of the mountain.

We chose to walk up. On the way up you can see many underground shelters - today just tunnels in the mountain.

When we reached the top (or almost the top) we could see the town's landmark, the clock tower. We walked around there and enjoyed the view over the city. You can see Graz and some of its surroundings.

In one of the pictures you can see a funny looking building which is blue with tubes on its roof: The Kunsthaus, a museum for art. It was built when Graz was Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003.

We also saw that theatre, the Kasematten, where you can enjoy concerts in the summer. Next to it is the Hackher Lion, named after a Major in the army who defended Graz against the French (and Napoleon) in 1809.
And I looked how far some other cities are away from Graz.

Then we took one of the many ways down to the city. We also crossed the track of the funicular railway. You can see one in the upper station.

That was a great day on the Schlossberg!

Hi Mom!

What a surprise! The postman brought a small parcel today. My hostmom looked at the parcel and told us that another toyvoyager was inside! We were all sooooo curious about our new friend.

So we sat around and watched as our hostmom opened the parcel. And look, here is our new friend: Corporal Flapjack, Jr. or Flappy for his friends. I like his uniform-hat! I always wanted to see a real Mounty, so I'm very excited!

HAPPY EASTER, mom!

We are celebrating easter here with our host mom! First we decorated the house with bunnies and eggs!
Then we had a Osterjause, which is kind of an easter lunch, but you just eat cold meat and sausages and of course eggs. Yummi!

We will visit all of my host mom's family, so more eating comes our way  And my host mom told me that we might also be visited by the Easter Bunny if we are lucky! That would be sooo great!

Hi Mom!

Our host mom told us that the Easter Bunny has visited and that he left some surprises for us. So we went on the easter egg hunt. We searched everywhere. Behind the sofa, under it, in the flowers...and we found chocolate 

Today we were invited to another Easter meal with my host mom's family! As we didn't want to visit without any presents, we helped make some cute Easter Bunnies! They are made from bee's wax. We cut them with a cookie cutter and then decorated them with colorful wax. What do you think? Aren't they cute?

That was a nice Easter! But now I have to relax after all that eating 

Hi Mom!

Today is our host dad's birthday! So we got up early to wrap his presents! We helped cutting the paper, wrapping, using sticky tape... We also wrote a card for him!

When he woke up, we surprised him with a cake and happy birthday candles!

And then we all sang: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Now we are off to a family gathering! More pics to follow!

Hi Mom!

I promised you more pictures of my host dad's birthday! And here they come:

After he had opened his presents, we went to a cozy restaurant! They also sell pickled vegetables there and home-made jams and chutneys. There were their significant glass jars everywhere in the restaurant and in the shop! We really enjoyed our three courses. We also had a look at the shop and brought some specialities home with us!

In the afternoon, the rest of the family arrived for the birthday cake!
What a great day!

Hi Mom!

There were presidential elections yesterday! We went with Mom when she went to the polling place! But we weren't allowed to take photos inside - because of the election secrecy!

So we took one with the old and again new president.
Today we looked at the results in the newspaper!

Hi Mom!

A new toyvoyager arrived today: It's Dottie the mouse 
She told us about her adventures and we talked about our itineries.

Then Mom said we had to prepare for the Football World Championship (as in soccer  ) because it's just about 40 days until the Championship will start in South Africa. And there are special stickers that you can collect and put in an album. Our host-mom had bought such an album and some stickers and so we helped to put them in!

It was fun learning about the teams and the players!

Bye!

Hi Mom!

Here are the pictures from my short Vienna holiday!

We walked through Vienna's city center and visited the Stephansdom, the big cathedral! Mom told us that it is forever being renovated - when the first part is ready, they start the next, and so on...and when they are ready with the last part, they can re-start with the first! 

Next to the chirch we saw the famous Fiaker, the horse coaches! You can rent a coach and take a tour through the city with it!

Near the Cathedral is a very modern building, the Haas-Haus. We walked on through the small streets of the Inner City, which is a UNESO WHS by the way.
Vienna is very famous for its coffee-culture and the many traditional Kaffeehäuser (=coffee shops). We walked by the Café Hawelka, which is a very old and traditional café with many famous guests (actors, artists, authors...).

Then we walked through the Kärntnerstraße and stopped in front of the Hotel Sacher - that's where the original Sacher cake comes from!

We then had of course a coffee and relaxed a bit in a café!

Hi Mom!

We did some more sightseeing and started with the MQ today. That's short for MuseumsQuartier (museums quarter). That's a complex of museums, for example the Leopold Museum and the MUMOK. During the summer months you can sit on design couches in the MQ courtyard and relax, there are also concerts! We then left the MQ and went on to some older museums, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum. The Kunsthistorisches is home of artistic treasures collected by the Habsburgs, whereas the Naturhistorisches collects for example stones, minerals, dinosaurs, fossils... Both museums are opposite of each other in a park.

From there it's just a short walk to the Hofburg, where the former Emperors had their quarters. You can take a tour through the bedrooms of Sissi and Emperor Franz if you like and the Vienna Spanish Riding School is also in the Hofburg. Today, the President of Austria has his office here.

Wow, what a walk! Our feet are hurting now, so we decide to go to a café and relax!

Hi Mom!

Today we went to Schönbrunn. That's not just the name of the famous castle where the Habsburgs have lived, but also the name of this huge park. It is the park where Sisi used to ride and today it is a real treat for Vienna's inhabitants to go there and relax, other like to take a run. You have alleys with huge old trees and rows of boxtrees and other hedges, in the spring you see flower beds with tulips and now you have many blooming lilac trees there in many different colors! You can see a plan of the park here.

In the park you can also find the Palm House. And that was our first destination! The Palm House was built around 1880 and in those days it was a great experience to see tropic blooms or palm trees! The House has three different climatic zones: a cold one, a temperate zone and a tropic one! You can walk between them and in some parts it's like being in the jungle.

That was great! Some of the blooms were really fragrant!

Hi Mom!

So here I am with my report of my day in Schönbrunn. After visiting the Palm House, we went on to the Vienna Zoo. It is the world's oldest zoo, founded in 1752.
Some of the old houses and parts of the old walls have been conservated, but today the shelters and areas for the animals are modernized. There are always some animal babies here, at the moment they have very small penguins, freshly hatched. The giant pandas have mated again, too, but we still don't know if there will be another baby panda! The Vienna zoo was in the news with the birth of the baby panda Fu Long, who returned to China at the age of three.

We saw Koala, Giant pandas, hippos, elephants, penguins, bears, zebras...it's a beautiful zoo! I saw some African animals, though not in Africa...

Later we went through the park and to it's other end, where the beautiful castle and the Gloriette are located! What a walk!