If we can DREAM it, we can do it! ..... another 30 day vacation Update 02/07

[dizneeat]

Karin, the photos are gorgeous! I can see how one gets used to living with such natural beauty all around. After living in New England for so many years, I have a greater appreciation now that we are in NC. I am not sure there is anywhere more beautiful in the Fall than New England.

Every time I see your photos of Austria, it always looks like Disney reality , rather than the lovely copies in the parks.

I would not share this with anyone who doesn't love Disney as much as all of us...but the first time we went to England, I called home and told my godson (who had been to WDW/DL many times with us) that England was like Disney come alive...and a million times better!

Thanks so much taking the time to share your trip with us...it's wonderful!!

I am so happy you like the photos. It's a shame you only get to see the view from the motorway, but since we always are short on time .....

I love the comment that England is like Disney come alive. I think you could say that about most of Europe. But then, it's "just" the real world.

No reason to thank me though, I LOVE sharing our trips with you all.

I guess now is as good a time as any to confess that I've always been a lurker on your trip reports. I have an excuse though.....it seems as if I catch them half way in and then there's too much to comment on so I just read along. I promise to post this time around.

Wow! The pictures that you took while driving to Italy are beautiful! Here in Louisiana, we have no mountains so I really enjoyed your gorgeous views.

Am I glad you caught this one early! I love to know my readers, that said ..... not that I do not know you.

It is so fun to see the scenery change on that 5 hour drive and I take a lot of photos as there is always something that is so impressive, my photos don't even start to do the mountains justice.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Loving the Italy update!!

 

[MEK]

Both those pizzas look amazing. Yum!!!!!!

Yeah for a water view room. That is wonderful! I can't wait to see what it looks like in the day light.

I would really be screwed in that parking garage. I'd still be trying to park my car.

 

[monica23535]

I love all of your pics Karin!

I love Austria, I was lucky enough to visit Salzburg and a few other places a few years ago, we are also thinking of planning a trip there next summer to visit our friends who live in Seefeld now after living in Celebration, Florida for ten years!

 

[HowieHowie]

Karin....thanks for sharing the Italy pictures. Looks like you had another wonderful mini vacation. As I've told you before, I love, love the Europe scenery, brings back memories of my trips there. for getting the water view, always nice to find you got a surprise view. I know it's a long way off, but you have a great start to your 2013 summer vacation...always nice to get the hotel you want and with a discount. We saw Jeff and family on Sunday and I gave him your goodies. They were thrilled to receive them.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I'm curious, what language did you speak to the person that checked you in? Was it Italian, Austrian or English?

Nice room, a little sparse, but I guess that is Italian minimalism!

 

[RGirl]

I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of the room at the Hyatt. I think we might possibly end up staying there that night after the cruise as it doesn't look like we will be able to get a flight home until the next day. I am hoping to read that you enjoyed your stay!

LOVING the updates on your weekend in Italy. So fun to see all the pics and read about the hotel and the food. Yay!!!

 

[Linda67]

Really enjoying the updates from Italy Karin
Great photos and even though it was a long drive, I'm sure the scenery helped to make it more enjoyable
Looking forward to seeing that room view in the daylight

 

[lovealldisney]

Karin,

Those pizza look delishous! I'm wondering how in Europe do you eat your pizzas? With fork and knife? or with your hands like her in the U.S.? I'm curious because when we were in German everyone seemed to eat everything with a fork and knife.. Wondering is the proper thing to do in Europe..

Wendy

 

[dizneeat]

Loving the Italy update!!

I am glad you do!

Both those pizzas look amazing. Yum!!!!!!

Yeah for a water view room. That is wonderful! I can't wait to see what it looks like in the day light.

I would really be screwed in that parking garage. I'd still be trying to park my car.

They were both really good, but not the best we had.
We were so lucky this summer with water view rooms that I could not believe that we had scored another one. Even though it was kind of obstructed by the house in the middle, it was a view of the beach and ocean after all.

Believe me, I would have parked in the street and paid for parking if it had been me. Tom is much better, especially when it comes to backing the car in somewhere.

I love all of your pics Karin!

I love Austria, I was lucky enough to visit Salzburg and a few other places a few years ago, we are also thinking of planning a trip there next summer to visit our friends who live in Seefeld now after living in Celebration, Florida for ten years!

I am so happy to hear that you enjoy the pics.
Salzburg is one of my favourite cities here in Austria. So much history, so beautiful.
I really hope you get to do your trip next to Austria next summer. Seefeld is a wonderful place to stay. Are you planning on visiting any other parts of Austria?

Karin....thanks for sharing the Italy pictures. Looks like you had another wonderful mini vacation. As I've told you before, I love, love the Europe scenery, brings back memories of my trips there. for getting the water view, always nice to find you got a surprise view. I know it's a long way off, but you have a great start to your 2013 summer vacation...always nice to get the hotel you want and with a discount. We saw Jeff and family on Sunday and I gave him your goodies. They were thrilled to receive them.

I am glad you enjoy the photos, Elaine. I know that you love Europe and maybe you should take Rachel on a tour of Europe one of these days. I am sure she would love it here too!

It's wonderful to hear that you got a chance to meet Jeff and family. We really miss them. I wish they could make it to WDW next summer and we could ALL have fun together.

 

[dizneeat]

I'm curious, what language did you speak to the person that checked you in? Was it Italian, Austrian or English?

Nice room, a little sparse, but I guess that is Italian minimalism!

Oh, the owner/receptionist of the hotel speaks perfect German, that is what we speak here as well. Austrians and Germans speak German, it is just a little like British and American English - same language, but VERY different.

Most hotel rooms in Italy look like this. You would need to book a more "American" chain of hotels to find something different.

I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of the room at the Hyatt. I think we might possibly end up staying there that night after the cruise as it doesn't look like we will be able to get a flight home until the next day. I am hoping to read that you enjoyed your stay!

LOVING the updates on your weekend in Italy. So fun to see all the pics and read about the hotel and the food. Yay!!!

The Hyatt was really nice. We will definitely return next summer. And it is so convenient if you arrive late, or need to leave early.

I am really glad that you enjoy the little trip to Italy as well.

Really enjoying the updates from Italy Karin
Great photos and even though it was a long drive, I'm sure the scenery helped to make it more enjoyable
Looking forward to seeing that room view in the daylight

I am so happy to hear that you enjoy our little trip to Italy, Linda. We did too.

It's quite some time if you have to sit through a 5 1/2 hour drive, but seeing the scenery change so much really made it more fun.
Update coming up pretty soon!

Karin,

Those pizza look delishous! I'm wondering how in Europe do you eat your pizzas? With fork and knife? or with your hands like her in the U.S.? I'm curious because when we were in German everyone seemed to eat everything with a fork and knife.. Wondering is the proper thing to do in Europe..

Wendy

The pizzas were really good!
And yes, here in Europe we use knife and fork to eat our pizza. Table manners and correct use of cutlery are still something that is held high here in Austria (and I think many European countries).

 

[dizneeat]

Italy September 2012

Day 2, September 22

Shop till you drop! - Part 1

I woke up around 6am and went straight to the window to find out if we really had a water view room. Yes, we did!

So I went back to bed and slept for another hour. At around 7am we both got up and after taking showers I took my shopping bag and we were off to go shopping for breakfast.
There is a small grocery store down the road, where we already had been grocery shopping when we were kids. So we filled our basket with lots of breakfast essentials Italian style, then headed towards the register and paid for our goodies, before we walked back towards our hotel and past the bakery. No, we could not walk past, we popped inside and bought a few MORE breakfast goodies. Shopping done we headed back to our room, Tom brewed

some coffee, we laid the table,

poured the coffee

and sat down to enjoy our goodies, as there were: several different types of

Italian rolls,

Sopressa,

Mortadella and

Parma ham,

olives and butter. Needless to say that we had bought some sweet treats as well. First off we had got some

Nutella and some baked goods. Tom had a

vanilla cream filled doughnut and we had picked up two

doughnuts with a hole in the middle, just like Krispy Kreme. Those were filled with vanilla cream too. Plus I had

a shortcake tartlet, filled with vanilla cream and topped with a strawberry all glazed with jelly and two profiteroles,

a vanilla and

a chocolate one. I saved my sweets for later, as I was far too full from the meats, rolls and the doughnut.
We cleaned up the kitchen, then get dressed and headed out to do some window shopping and some serious shopping. Once we had left the hotel we walked along the pedestrian area, then turned left and towards the beach area. We walked along the beach,

took in the sights and smells before we headed back to the shopping area.

 

[Teri1]

I'm enjoying your latest update Karin!

 

[dizneeat]

I'm enjoying your latest update Karin!

Glad you do, Teresa! Lots more to come, soon!

 

[MEK]

Wow - look at ALL those umbrellas lined up. I can't wait to see what the beach looks like when its full of people.

I love that a European breakfast includes meats and cheeses that in the US we would not normally eat until lunch. I think having more protein with breakfast keeps your fuller longer. Everything looks so yummy!

 

[monica23535]

I am so happy to hear that you enjoy the pics.
Salzburg is one of my favourite cities here in Austria. So much history, so beautiful.
I really hope you get to do your trip next to Austria next summer. Seefeld is a wonderful place to stay. Are you planning on visiting any other parts of Austria?

I love Salzburg too, I just had to go there after watching The Sound of Music several hundred times lol

I think we'll probably end up just staying in Seefeld for a week during the school holidays next August, so won't get the chance to visit to my other parts which is a shame.

 

[pas130]

Wow - look at ALL those umbrellas lined up. I can't wait to see what the beach looks like when its full of people.

I was thinking the same thing...beach rush hour

I guess the drive is pretty impressive. We consider ourselves lucky to have so many different views and to be so close to a lot of European countries.

You are very lucky, the closest I'll get to Europe for a long long time is World Showcase

The food...all of it

 

[HowieHowie]

I am glad you enjoy the photos, Elaine. I know that you love Europe and maybe you should take Rachel on a tour of Europe one of these days. I am sure she would love it here too!

It's wonderful to hear that you got a chance to meet Jeff and family. We really miss them. I wish they could make it to WDW next summer and we could ALL have fun together. [/QUOTE]

You are right, Rachel would love Europe. Maybe if she studies in Spain for a semester, she will get to travel to some of the countries. I hear that is what the kids do...why not since they are already there.

I love the update of your Italy trip. The pizza's look really good, and those desserts look so yummy...makes me hungry just looking at them.

 

[Linda67]

Looks like a really nice beach Karin
What a great way to get over your post Disney blues!

 

[dizneeat]

Wow - look at ALL those umbrellas lined up. I can't wait to see what the beach looks like when its full of people.

I love that a European breakfast includes meats and cheeses that in the US we would not normally eat until lunch. I think having more protein with breakfast keeps your fuller longer. Everything looks so yummy!

You would need to go during the summer months to see all those umbrellas being used.
We went at the beginning of the slow season and most of the umbrellas were being washed, dried and stored away.

Yes, cold meats and cheeses are part of some European breakfasts, as much as rolls with butter and jam. No cooked breakfast here though.

I love Salzburg too, I just had to go there after watching The Sound of Music several hundred times lol

I think we'll probably end up just staying in Seefeld for a week during the school holidays next August, so won't get the chance to visit to my other parts which is a shame.

It's funny that most Americans associate Austria with Sound of Music. You will get a lot of very funny looks if you mention that here, as this is not an Austrian movie and while it is a true story, not many people here still relate to it.

You will love Seefeld - it is very beautiful and there is lots to see in the surrounding area.

I was thinking the same thing...beach rush hour

You are very lucky, the closest I'll get to Europe for a long long time is World Showcase

The food...all of it

In the summer that beach is full by 9am - in slow season ...... it looks like in my pictures, not many of those umbrellas are being used.
I had to when you mentioned how lucky we are, being here in Europe and so close to everything ...... now look at it this way. How lucky are YOU, not having to fly across the pond to get to WDW, or DL or California, or NY. Should I go on?

The food on the other hand is just devine here! We so love to go and have those signature dishes in the respective countries.

You are right, Rachel would love Europe. Maybe if she studies in Spain for a semester, she will get to travel to some of the countries. I hear that is what the kids do...why not since they are already there.

I love the update of your Italy trip. The pizza's look really good, and those desserts look so yummy...makes me hungry just looking at them.

You HAVE TO visit Rachel when she studies in Spain (I am taking this to be a fact - she HAS TO come to the Old World!!) and you need to plan some time to visit some of the European countries together. Priceless experiences!
We didn't really plan on doing much that weekend in Italy. All we wanted to do was shop, relax and eat ..... and we were very successful in all three areas.

Looks like a really nice beach Karin
What a great way to get over your post Disney blues!

It is a really nice place, Linda. It was funny to see what had changed since we were kids and we were stunned to see what was still the same.
The beach is PACKED in the summer, but so nice when there are not so many people around and you can really enjoy it.

And you have to wait until my new announcement what else we came up with to get over that post Disney blues.