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A wintery walk through Munich 2010

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the back garden Munich Jan 2011

amazing how much bleaker it looks in b&w!

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this time last year

Regensburg, Germany : Christmas 2010

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This is one of my favourite snaps that Matthew took of our street, the one we lived in in Munich, Volkartstrasse. I love that time of the evening, the blue hour. Especially towards the end of spring when the evening air is just starting to warm up. Nice.

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Chalk drawings in the back garden in Munich Spring 2010

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Favourite memories from our travels...

A little more "yodelayheehooing" from Tegernsee - a gorgeous little village in southern Bavaria, about 30 mins out of Munich.

Beautiful isn't it. Seriously, can't you just imagine finding Maria from The Sound of Music in this village. I'm sure she was up there in those alps twirling around singing The Hills are Alive....

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a favourite and a royal day out...

This is one of my favourite photos of the kids and I when we did our big tour of London in the summer of 2009. We had such a great time and we saw so much. We walked and we walked and we walked. It was fantastic. I love London. I love the rush of it. I love the people. I love it all. But what I loved most was that Buckingham Palace was open for a short time over the summer holiday and we got to see a real, live, working palace in action. 

From this photo you can tell how excited Sean and Emma were about it, a little too much walking that day I fear!! I'm just taking it all in, loved the whole atmosphere of it and loved having our photo taken with one the foot guards with the big black bearskin hats. Cheesy I know, but we had the best time : ) 

And now, I'm looking forward to my next Royal Day out. April 29...not long now. Oh boy, I can't wait. I do love a royal wedding and I have a feeling the atmosphere in London that day is going to be something else!  

Alison   x 

ps. German Vodafone have decided to cut off our internet access from tomorrow, instead of the end of May when we move out. Grrrr...so we'll be off the air for a while until we can figure something out.

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Up close and personal with Big Ben. London summer 2009.

9 weeks to go until we move home! I can't wait!! I also can't wait for our last big road trip. At the end of next month we are driving through France, stopping in at Villers Bretonneux for the Anzac Day dawn service and then heading up to Calais and over to England. So exciting to be going back to London for one last visit. Oh boy, I can not wait! I love London. 

Alison xx

a few favourites from Rome...

The kiddos are home from school this week - mid term break or something like that. I love having their company...even though they have done nothing but eat all morning...how can two kids eat so much!

I'm going through our photos from Christmas in Rome 2008...there are so, so many I want to share so I thought I'd pop a few up today just to get into the swing of all things Roma...

The courtyard of the apartment building we stayed in - one of the apartments was being renovated...look at those slabs of white marble in the background...ohhhh so lucky! 

Just in front of our apartment building, Piazza San Giovanni

Three coins into the Trevi 

One of the many amazing fountains in one of the many piazzas we walked through,
 this one was just near our apartment

Ok, so Emma is complaining that lunch is taking too long...back to the kitchen for me...then lots of time outside this afternoon...I think we'll need to walk off some of this food. And it's only day one of school holidays!

Alison  x

favourites and a thought or two about life...

i'm in london still...

Looking towards Big Ben and Westminster, London May 2010, for the big 4 Oh birthday weekend (40, that is). I love this photo...it's one of my favourites. I love that big red bus in the centre of the photo and the rain on the window. Whenever we've been in London it has always rained!

Matthew is in London all week, lucky thing. I miss him when he's gone. I hate that thought of being on my own with the kids when he is away in a different country. It would be different if we were at 'home'. Then I wouldn't worry as much. I'd have my support network. 

I never thought I'd spend so much time being a parent on my own. Some days its fun. The kids and I do our own thing, eat our favourite dinner 5 nights straight and watch a lot of Aussie TV over and over...Bondi Rescue being our favourite! But some days it's just not much fun at all.

I miss having my friends and family around to ''mull things over'' with. I'm having tween troubles at the moment. Ugh & Oh boy! I can only image what the teenage years are going to be like - one rocky roller coaster ride for sure. I'm sure I'll cope though. Just gotta hang on tight!

For Matthew...hope you are having a great week in London & don't forget to bring me back some real English Breakfast Tea : )

Alison  x


p.s. Time for some retail therapy here, that'll cheer me up! 

A few favourites from Rome...

Sunset at the Spanish Steps

December 2008

...some of our many wonderful memories of Rome...

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A favourite or 2. Or more.

Boating across Königssee, Southern Bavaria Autumn 2010

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A Sunday favourite

Em was taking a walk through our iphoto albums this morning and I asked her to pick out one of her favourites.
She's had a bit of a rough week at school (learning to cope with bullying in all its many and varied forms is a tough lesson in life). So I thought it would cheer her up to see her favourite pic on our blog.  Here it is...

Casino Royale...

 Well actually it's The Monte Carlo Casino reflected in mirrored water fountain. 

It was all so VERY James Bond...with all the Astin's lined up out the front. So grand!

On a day out during our summer holiday in France last year, our trip to Monaco was so much fun. Unfortunately we couldn't go into the Casino, but just standing outside taking in all its opulent splendour and glory was enough!

A favourite photo of a favourite day on our big European adventure.

Alison  & Emma xx

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For my friends and family sweltering at home under that blazing Aussie sun, here is a photo for you that I hope is a bit like a long cold drink...

A winter walk through the English Garden, here in Munich, last year. We haven't had too many sunny winter days this year...all grey and freeeeezing cold. 

Alison x

Wordless Wednesday...

Lake Starnberg, Bavaria, 2010

Find more Wordless Wednesday's  @ Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love

all things twinkly and sharing a memory with you...

With only a few more sleeps to go until we head to the sunny side for Christmas, I'm taking some time out from chilling (literally...we have a top of -12° today...brrrr), packing and gift wrapping to remember some very special times we have been blessed to have while living here in Europe...Christmas in Italy was certainly one of them...

Verona 2008 

So until we meet again... Frohe Weihnachten...Buon Natale...Joyeux Noel or just plain old Merry Christmas! 

Best wishes for a Christmas full of cheer, 

Love from all of us to you. 

Alison x

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My girl, a boogie board and a deserted beach...a perfect summers day last Christmas. I am so looking forward to spending some time at home...just under 2 weeks now...ahhhh the sun...I'm dreaming of it!

Having said that, the sun is actually out here in Munich today. This is such crazy weather we are all having, minus 11° and freezing here on the weekend and today a top of around 6°, positively balmy!! 

After 2 days of non stop rain and rising temps the snow has all but melted...but never fear, back down to zero tomorrow! Crazy weather...here's hoping the sun is actually out when we come home to Oz for Christmas...fingers crossed. 

But then again, I think I'll just be sooooo happy to see friendly faces that I really won't care if it's rain, hail or shine...the love of family & friends will be warm and wonderful enough : ) 

Alison x

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creation

This is a photo we took on our visit to the Sistine Chapel. To put it lightly, it was awe inspiring. One of the all time most amazing chapels we have visited on our European Adventure. We spent Christmas in Rome in 2008. It was wonderful. We even received a blessing from the Pope (along with a couple of other people, perhaps a thousand or so). Very special indeed. Even the kids were impressed. We have quite some memories tucked away from our time living over here on the cold* side of the world...glad we can share a few with you.  *and by cold I mean cold...minus 4 here today...brrrr....

Alison x

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Congratulations Mr LOML! 

Cheers and well done...we are almost on our way back home. Thank you.

Al xx

Eiffel tower 2008

**** editors note ... ''LOML'' - sadly matthew didn't know what that meant and had no idea what I was on about - story of my life!

LOML = love of my life 
****second editors note...this post refers to matthew getting a job back home in Aus - yay we can go home now!!  Huge relief. 

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Feeling a bit down in the dumps today, so reminding myself of some great moments in time...

...sunsets in the South of France and in Venice this summer ....lucky girl I am!