Dashing through Paris & Sledging in Switzerland

Paris, France

We originally laughed when Anne suggested we go to Paris for her 12th birthday..I mean, who says that and actually does it? After a number of weeks she asked again, so I decided to look at the calendar. I calculated the distance miles between here and Paris and decided, "Why not?!" 

December 29, 2015

We woke the kids up to a fully packed car at 3:45am, snacks and drinks ready to go and piled into our car. We drove to Folkestone, England and boarded the Eurotunnel to Calais, France by 6:30am and drove to Paris from there. We arrived at approximately 10:00. As we drove into the city, we were met with street workers/winder washer people trying to wash our windows for money. I shook my head no and waved my hands in a "no" motion. But they insisted. When they finished in about 20 seconds, I rolled down my window to give them a tip. When she saw that I was only giving her 2 euros, she screamed at me!  I jumped in my seat! She threw the money at me and into the car and started waving the number 5 at me! I was stunned! She then started banging on the windows with the end of the washer and it sounded like our screen was going to crack! Immediately, two other people came over demanding money and the guy started bending our window-wiper backwards to break it. Spencer leaned across me and yelled so loud at them, "Hey! Stop it!" It must have surprised them a bit because they backed off a LITTLE, but continued to bang on the windows HARD! Thankfully, the lights turned green and we were able to drive off. Whoa! I was literally shaking because I honestly thought she was going to punch me in the face!!! I turned around to four very quiet, very WIDE-EYED children.."Welcome to Paris guys!" 

Well Jeffrey...(my brother who owns a successful window washing company) there's another idea on how to strum up business!!! haha

First stop! The Louvre

Built as a castle in 1220, the Louvre has evolved into the world's most famous museum for the past 224 years. 

Anne was beaming the second we arrived at the museum.

HAHA! Too cute! 

We were told to stand in a 2.5 hour line JUST TO GET IN! Spencer was NOT interested. I had to think fast... Hold on! Let's buy our entrance passes on-line and go straight to the ticket counter. So Spencer quickly looked on his phone and bought tickets for the two of us (kids are free). Within minutes we were walking past the absolutely daunting line straight into the museum. Whew! (Don't forget to buy your tickets early.)

When people saw the kids doing this, they started laughing.

I told the kids we HAVE to do the BIG THREE...

Winged Victory!

Leonardo Davinci's Mona Lisa

Venus de Milo 

Anne stopped and said, "Mom! I think this is Artemus! I learned about her in school." She was right. So fun.

These yea-hoos just had to act it out.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel was built in the early 1800's to act as an entrance into the Tuileries.

"La Grande Roue de Paris'" is a giant transportable Ferris Wheel that lead into the Christmas Markets.

The Egyptian Luxor Obelisk is over 3000 years old and gifted to France by Muhammed Ali, Khedive of Egypt.

French crêpe's really are the best...no joke

European Christmas Markets are wonderful

Arc de Triomphe!

Eiffel Tower

Anne seeing the Tower for the first time. She was hilariously giddy. What a kid...

When the tower lit up, it was magical. It sparkled and looked spectacular in the night sky.

The Frost's met up with us that evening. It was great to see them and we just about died when they told us about this "crazy experience" they had, where these people tried to wash their windows when they came into the city..! We couldn't believe it happened to them too! 

Two great big brothers with their little brothers.

What cute boys! 

Notre Dame Cathedral with the stunning rose window and flying buttresses. 

Metro hopping

When we arrived back to the hotel, the kids were EXHAUSTED! We had walked them all over the city, (I think around 10 miles) seeing all the major sites and they hardly complained at all. After waking up at 3:45am and going till 11:00pm that evening, we thought they were troopers. 

Talk about a dashing day through Paris! 

Onto Switzerland..

Yes, these kids are road warriors. Squished in our tiny van (and only annoying a few times. haha)

SWITZERLAND!

We made it! After about 7 more hours south, we arrived in Switzerland. Spencer jokes that I am a 5star tour guide on a 3star budget!    So the only way we could "afford" Switzerland as a family of six was by getting a little creative. A friend of mine at ACS told me about the International Scout Lodge in Kandersteg. He told me families are able to rent out rooms at this lodge during the holidays. So I looked into it. 

What a find this was! We were able to book four rooms - 

three twin sized beds each; two for the Frost's and two for us. It was a blast! 

Totally simple, but it was clean and warm, and we were able to come and go as we pleased. 

We ate a simple breakfast in the scout kitchen in the morning and packed a cold lunch for our days out.

We were also close to Grindelwald and Interlaken  - two places renowned for their beauty and ski resorts.

We drove into Grindelwald the first day and set ourselves up to go tobogganing. We bought day-passes for the bus. They hook your sled on the back of the bus and drive up the mountain. You sled down 4-5 miles and then they pick you pack up and you go up again. It is INCREDIBLE!

We have truly tainted our children when it comes to sledding.  

Between Germany and now Switzerland, I'm not sure sledding will ever be the same for us.

Anne~ loving the Swiss Alps

Joshy rode with me the first day, but by the second, he was totally going on his own. 

(I'm just grateful I got this day with him. xx)

"Anne Sandwich" 

Frost's and Holt's!

I hate to sound like a broken record, but it is breathtaking. 

Switzerland truly is unbelievably beautiful.

Away they go!!

Interlaken

It almost looks unreal..

Fondue dinner at Barry's restaurant in Grindelwald

The next day we took the Scout's recommendation and rode the cable car up the mountain in Kandersteg, hiked about 20 minutes and discovered a hidden gem. We heard about a "lake" we needed to see up in the alpine. 

Oeschinensee Lake

These pictures don't do this lake justice. It is UNREAL! Honestly. This lake was surrounded by the Alps! A true alpine lake! The real miracle was that this lake was totally frozen over and because it wasn't a snowy winter, people could actually skate on it! I guess it had been 17 year since this had happen so people were traveling from all over Switzerland and Europe to see this lake and skate on it. It was one of the most magical experiences ever. 

So, Alyson and I have joked in the past that the idea of iceskating is just a "romantic" theory; not so much in reality....Well that is actually true in my experience, until now.  This was amazing. I got to skate clear across the lake with Ike, Anne and Caitee and it is over a mile long! We were wiped! But seriously the most wonderful day. 

Ty totally got the hang of it after some great lessons from Spencer.

His inner-Canadian came screaming out! 

Josh was VERY content to stay on the side and build an ice castle. He was having such a great time sliding across the lake on his knees and creating imaginary ice scenarios. 

In Kandersteg Village

New Years Eve dinner and party games at the Scout Lodge!

The Frost's had to go home the next morning, but we decided to stay one more day. 

We headed straight back to Grindelwald. 

We experienced a miracle this day. Spencer got to the bottom of a run and realized his new iPhone had fallen out of his pocket. We were horrified! So many of these pictures were on it. So he and Ike grabbed their sleds as fast as they could and started walking up the mountain to see if they could find it. It would be nearly IMPOSSIBLE! Plus, the busses were about to head back up on the trail. After a few hundred yards, a man stopped on his sled and asked Ike what he was doing? "Oh nothing," Ike says, "I'm just looking for something." The guy asks him, "What are you looking for?" Ike told him, "my dad's phone..he dropped it while we were sledding." The man looked at him and said, "Would it happen to be this one? I just found it under some snow." WHAT??? I explained to the kids, "We witnessed a miracle today." 

Our final run