Innsbruck, Austria and Verona, Italy

Now before I go too far backward in time, let's start with our last weekend getaway...Innsbruck, Austria and Verona, Italy with our wonderful friends, "The Guscotts".  Four days, four kids, four adults.  Two countries, two cars, two families.  Memories galore!

Upon arriving in Innsbruck, we had to get a good view of the mountains!

Zoey and Kaitlyn...standing still for 30 seconds!

Daddy and his girls

Happy to "be away" - even if its only for a weekend!

Zoey and a street performer

Dinner our first night - "Prost, Daddy!"

How do you keep two girls busy at dinner?  Have them decorate every coaster you can find!

  Day two in Innsbruck was spent exploring the mountaintops.  Cable car rides, sunny skies, cold winds at the top...

Kids perched looking out the window of our first cable car ride.

Up, up, up we go!

Sunny skies...sunglasses...smiles...

Brr...it's cold up here!

Climb!

Much colder than it looks!

Bundled up!

The warmest of us all!

We left Italy...but didn't leave the pasta!  Zoey ate spaghetti for lunch and dinner!

Sweet, sweet girls

Mama ordered a deliciously large sundae...and look who begged for bite after bite!

Before leaving Innsbruck and heading for Verona, we decided to take a walk around the AlpenZoo - Europe's highest altitude zoo that is home to Alpine animals.  We didn't know what to expect, but it was well worth the few hours!

Unfortunately, the beavers and the otters must have been hiding.  But look at these cute girls!

Searching for animals...ducks were the highlight here.

The quick little moments when Daddy gets to share a fact or be the "zoo guide" for Zoey make me smile.

Look at that fish!

Some "off the beaten path" climbing

Daddies and Daughters

"Look Zoey!  Daddy was put in the zoo!"  She was flabbergasted!  She had no idea how he got in there!! 

The petting zoo was Zoey's favorite part.  No fear!  Our little farm girl!

The AlpenZoo overlooked Innsbruck...with mountains all around.  Beautiful!

Here we all are...well, almost all of us.  Kaia was cuddled up and asleep in the stroller.  Never wake a sleeping baby!

Shoulders...for a better view of the moose.

This bear was lazily napping when we first walked up.  But, a moment later, he decided to come and check us out!  Very cool...the girls loved being up close and personal!

 After leaving the AlpenZoo, we drove almost three hours back to Verona, Italy.  By the time we found our hotel (for some reason, its never easy!!), everyone was starving - and getting crabbier and crabbier by the moment!  We asked the man at our front desk where we could get dinner - quickly! - without much fuss.  He recommended a restaurant only a few minutes down the road.  So, we threw on our coats and headed out...only to find that every table was reserved and there was no way we'd be eating there "quickly".  Carry out???  Smart thinking!  The guys ordered and the girls and kids headed back to the hotel to let the kids burn off some energy in the lobby.  When he heard our dinner news, the front desk man opened up the hotel breakfast area for us and set the table so that we could all eat together.  "I have four kids myself," he told us.  "They're all grown up now...but I know how it is."  Talk about "just what we needed"!  It was just what we needed!  Carry out pizza, pasta, and beer...our own "restaurant"...plenty of space for four kids to run, climb, and crawl!

The next day, we set off to explore Verona.  We only had one day - a rainy one - so we promised to make the most of it.  Luckily, our travels were with a family whose philosophy of traveling with little ones matched out precisely.  Make the most of it.  No pressure on what sights are seen.  And always stop to eat...sometimes only after an hour after the last time you stopped to eat!  Just keep the kids happy!!!

Heading into the city...thank goodness we brought umbrellas!

Matching umbrellas - twins in an adorable city!

The Verona Arena

While the Daddies toured the Arena, the Mommies and kids kept dry at an outdoor cafe.

View of the city center from the cafe

Coloring always keeps them busy and happy!

Inside the Arena - all the way at the top.

Can you see the girls?  We're sitting outside at the orange cafe.

Piazza Delle Erbe

Was Juliet only a figment of Shakespeare's imagination...or was she real?  La Casa di Giulietta - behind us is the balcony where we can all imagine her standing as Romeo declared his love for her.

The statue of Juliet - behind it is thousands of love notes and padlocks that tourists attach to "Juliet's Wall"

Tourists rub her right breast for good luck!

Piazza Delle Erbe

What are they doing?!?  Dancing, I think!

Best friends...great travel buddies!

Daddies and Babies...finally out of their strollers!

Goodbye Verona.  But here's to many more adventures together!

We loved the weekend getaway with The Guscotts!  It was so nice for the kids to have friends to make mischief with - and its always nice to have other Moms and Dads to share the good, the bad, and the ugly with!  A memorable trip...and more to come!