Czech Republic

Wow another new country! I'm having a grand time on our European holiday tour. I can't believe how different each of the hotels are. Look at this one, we are on a boatelle! Leave it to Mama to come up with the cool hotel ideas. She's the best! This was litterally on the river, so we parked the cars and took the trams around the city.

There is so much to tell you about Prague. There are Swans that swim up to our boatelle window looking for bread every morning. There are great outdoor places to eat and enjoy a yummy cup of hot cocoa. It's really cold. There is a really old castle, but Cinderella wasn't home -- I checked. Did I tell you about the Swans yet? There are plenty of marionette shops. We went on a horse and carriage ride. There are two cool playgrounds that we checked out as well. Oh yeah and the swans came to our window in the mornings.

Here are some photos. There is so much more to tell, but not enough time.

Prague at night time.Sleeping through our trek across the famous bridge.Uncle Greg at one of the churches, there were lots of them.

The Swans -- did I tell you about them yet?

Playing with my cousins at the playground

Getting set to go on the carriage ride.

The church inside Prague Castle.

Chirstmas

Merry Christmas Everyone

The first thing I checked this morning was to see if Papa Noël ate all the yummy cookies and milk we left for him. I was glad to see that everything went as planned. It took a few reminders that part of the story also included stockings filled with toys for good girls and boys. You know what -- mine was overflowing, so I must have been extra good this year!
Heather and I both received guitars from Santa so we had a jam session in the afternoon.

Here I am making sure the lunch preparations went smoothly with Aunt Nanielle. Some of her friends came over for lunch and for an afternoon of holiday cheer. We ate, danced, and sang until it was time for bed!

It was a great day and I was thrilled to be able to share it at the Calder house again this year.

Chistmas Eve

It is Christmas eve and I'm fascinated by the cookies and milk that we are leaving downstairs for Papa Noël. I hope he'll really try them. I'm so excited it takes me forever to go to sleep, I keep listening for the jingle bells that announce his arrival to the house.

2 Years old -- 2 Parties!

Today is my second 2nd birthday party. This time it's the kids party with Heather and Hugh getting into the princess and prince act. Our craft project in the morning was to make our own crowns. They were beautiful, if I do say so myself. Then after lunch we enjoyed birthday cake and opening the presents. It was fun to be able to party like royalty. We had a great time playing dress up too.

My birthday loot has been pretty spectacular; I have received a bike, some clothes, some books, a tea set, some great princess clothes, towels, books, and DVDs, and an alphabet puzzle. I guess I have to start writing my thank you notes! I really like birthday parties. Mama decorated the cake for this party - isn't it the best castle cake you've ever seen?

Germany adventure begins

After yet another trip in the car, we've arrived at Heather and Hugh's house in Germany. We got here just in time to unload the Skoda with all our "stuff" and get back in! Humm, this isn't working out to be too much fun yet. When we stopped again we were in Nuremburg, where there is ... you guessed it yet another Christmas market! This time I got to go on quite a few rides with my cousins. And we all went to see Papa Noël. I still really like the idea of this guy, but I'm not too sure about sitting on his lap. I'm happiest when Mommy goes with me to talk with him. I'll have to scan in some pictures when I get access to a scanner again (we sold our Swiss one already!) It was really crowded at this market, so we enjoyed some good food and the kids area the best, then headed back home for some much needed R&R.

Tonight I got to sleep in Hugh's big boy bed. It was really nice of him to share and it was fun to have Heather sleep in the bed on the other side of the room.

Strasbourg, France

Despite all my early partying, I'm finally 2 TODAY!

What a fabulous place to celebrate my 2nd birthday! We drove in last night and enjoyed a yummy dinner at the Italian restaurant. This morning we got up and after a few renditions of "Happy Birthday" , we headed into the city to see the sights. Strasbourg has one of the biggest Christmas markets in Europe. So we got to sample many of the yummy Christmas treats during our day of exploration. I got to ride the round-n-round quite a few times. I rode on a donkey, an airplane and a cable car -- it was loads of fun. It is starting to get really cold and we have to bundle up to keep ourselves warm. I like riding in the "bap pap" because it helps me to stay warm.
There is also a magnificent church here, I'm not sure my photos do it justice, so I've provided you two different perspectives.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to everyone. Today is packing day and then we leave for our European adventure. We will be stopping and visiting in the following countries during the next 2 weeks, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, and the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. We'll be celebrating Christmas and another birthday party with the Calders in Germany. The Calders will also be exploring Prague with us after Christmas. I'll try and keep up the posting when I get a chance to log.

Wishing you a spectacular Christmas and New Year celebration.

Love, Harper Noëlle

Birthday Party with Grandmum and Gramp

What a special day. I understand that it might be a bit early, but the birthday parties have started. Grandmum and Gramp came back from Rome to have a birthday celebration with me. We partied like 2 year olds! Oh yeah, and the nasty cold finally caught Gramp, poor guy he had the runny nose now. First we worked together to make a castle cake. It was a group effort in the frosting and the decorating. It was so much fun! Then it was time for presents. Wow, I got some really cool things. I got a cool bike that you use your feet to move around, I'm getting the hang of it! I got some books and some clothes, a Cinderella doll, a doll that does somersaults, and some cool things for my growing hair!

Then it was time for the birthday song and the cake. It was fabulous to be the center of attention! I felt really special and lots of love.

Back at Home

Today we were back at home in Geneva, where I had my two year check up with the doctor. I was so brave, I didn't cry at all this time. I did all the tests the doctor wanted me to, I let him check in my ears and my eyes, he listened to my heart and he checked my reflexes. Then he wanted me to show him how smart I was, so I did. He wanted to see me do many different things -- I stacked blocks, sorted shapes, opened a trick box, picked up raisins and put them in a pill bottle, told him my name, showed him where my nose was with a sniff, and told him where I was born. I think he was suitably impressed.

I started some big crocodile tears when I got my vaccination, but soon was taken in by the fancy band aid and the cookies that followed. Mommy said I was really brave

Papa Noël's Grotto

Today we drove from Lucerne to Montreux. We met up with my friend Mia and her two Mommies, Julia and Ruth. We all took a train ride up the mountain to see Papa Noël. Once we got up to the top it was cold with lots of snow. We went and played in the snow to get our second wind! It was so cool! I liked doing a bit of sliding on my snow suit. It was fun to see all the other kids and the sun was out too!

When we were all done we started the walk through to see Papa Noël. I was so excited, we were all singing songs and laughing. I couldn't wait to talk to the big man himself. Once we actually saw him, I wasn't so sure about sitting on his lap. As long as Mommy was with me, I enjoyed talking with him. He asked my name and if I had been really good this year. Then he gave me a special piece of paper to remember my visit with him and a little gift. Mia was much braver than I was, she actually sat on his lap. Maybe next year I'll do the same.

We had so much fun with our friends, afterwards we took a walk around another big Christmas market of course the highlight was the hot wine and the round-n-rounds. (I think some other people might call round-n-rounds, merry-go-rounds.)

Lucerne or Luzern?

So I'm starting to feel a little better, but Mommy and Mama are just starting to get worse! We did a bit of sight seeing, but we had to take a mid-day rest for all of us to recover.

This is said to be the most photographed location in all of Switzerland. It is very beautiful and picturesque. It is also very cold in Lucerne! The Chapel Bridge was built in the 14th century and the water tower was originally part of the city wall, this is Lucerne's trademark.

The Hof Church above is part of a Benedictine monastery founded in the 8th century. The church was rebuilt after a fire in 1645. It was nice to go into the warm church to rest during our tour of the city. I always have to be really quite inside the church, I did pretty good today.This is called "The dying Lion of Lucerne", it is a memorial to the Swiss mercenaries who died at the Tuileries in 1792. Mark Twain described the Lion of Lucerne as "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world". I didn't want to look into the camera, because I kept waiting for the lion to wake up. He looked like he was sleeping.

This night, we went back to the Christmas market. My favorite part of the markets is riding the round-n-rounds. I got to ride this one a bunch of times! My mommies really enjoy testing out the hot wine! It made their colds feel much better too!

Rest and Travel

So I managed to help Mommy and Mama catch my cold. Now we are all under the weather! So far Grandmum and Gramp are healthy, so they decided to jet set off to Rome for a few days, to avoid the dreaded cold!

While they were away, we decided to go see a bit more of Switzerland. We packed up the car and headed out to Luzern, in Central Switzerland. We got there just in time to enjoy some of the Christmas market before heading to bed exhausted from our colds.

Day in Gruyere

We finally made it to the medieval village. I've been here a few times, but I really enjoyed this visit because there was snow! We took the drive in the Scoda up to Gruyere, once we got to the village we found a place for lunch. This was a great little Swiss chalet that was all decorated for Christmas with Papa Noel everywhere. Here I am checking out to see if I'm on the naughty or the nice list. Of course, I was on the NICE list!

Then it was out to play in the snow. I really wanted to keep a snowball in my pocket, but Mama kept trying to tell me it would melt and I'd just end up with a soggy pocket. I also got to use my snow boots! What fun. Here is Grandmum and Gramp in the center of the village.

We enjoyed a tour of the castle which also had a display of elaborate creches for the holidays. Of course I loved looking around the castle, here is a photo of Mommy and me from the top. Check out the cool snow covered mountains behind us, beautiful don't you agree?After our visit to a few of the village shops we went to see the cheese factory. I've been there before as well, so I preferred to do a bit of shopping in the gift shop! Another wonderful day with Grandmum and Gramp. I'm so glad they came to visit!

Sick Day

So we had big plans to go to a medieval village for the day and spend the night. But I was still feeling really yucky and wanted to just be at home. So I took G&G on a tour of our village and we stuck close by home for the day.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about our dessert last night. There is a celebration here in Geneva, called the l'Escalade, a festival that celebrates the city's victory over the Duke of Savoy's invading troops in 1602. The term escalade means "scaling" and refers to the Savoyards' use of ladders to storm the city's walls. The Genevois defended their turf with artillery, hand-to-hand weaponry, and the marmite of one Mère Royaume, who--according to legend--dispatched one enemy soldier and dispersed his companions by throwing her cauldron of hot vegetable soup at the troops who pushed their way up the street beneath her window. Tradition now dictates that a chocolate marmite filled with marzipan vegetables is squashed by the oldest and youngest person in the house. So first I had to fill up the pot with the vegetables, then Grandmum and I got to squash it together, then of course we all got to eat it! Yummy.

Mama and I also got a treat, we were able to open one Christmas present early! We each got these really cool personalized, Swiss cow bells. OK, so I was in on the secret because I went with Mommy to the foundry where they make them. They are really great souvenirs of our Swiss adventure and I'm proud to say, "I born Switzerland".

Grandmum and Gramp visit

Grandmum and Gramp came all the way from Pennsylvania to visit me in Switzerland. I had a good time showing them all the sights around Geneva, despite having a bad cold. On top of my cold, I have 3 teeth breaking through. I wasn't exactly myself, but I was hoping to feel better before they headed back to the states. I'm always looking for something to chew on to make it feel better.

I went with Mommy to pick them up at the airport. They looked really tired from their long trip, but in good spirits to see me of course. We took their suit cases home and then we went out to do the "must sees" of Geneva. I taught them how to ride the bus, they say they took a tour of the lake front, the jet d'eau, the flower clock, and the old town while I snoozed in the stroller. When I woke up we were touring the reformation museum. That was interesting, I liked the music room the best!

We ate some lunch and headed home. Grandmum and Gramp settled in while I checked in with the doctor. I didn't like this visit very much, but it was nice to know that I didn't have anything more serious than the really bad cold. I really don't like how a runny nose feels and it makes a mess all over my sleeves and stuff.

That night we treated G&G to a real swiss fondue meal at home. Yummy! It was great fun to play with G&G.

Yucky cold

I have had a yucky cold this past weekend and it hasn't been any fun. We had planned to go to several Christmas markets in France, but it was cold and rainy ... and I was really under the weather. I can't wait to feel better and for my nose to stop running!

Back home in Geneva

We had a great trip and on our return trip home we had a layover in Munich, so I finally got my passport stamped with a German stamp. How cool is that!

Trip to Delphi

This was a bus trip day. I ended up having a good time, but let me just say we spent way too much time riding on the bus! We drove through the plain of Beotia where the town of Thebes is. I learned all about the Greek tragedy of King Oedipus while we were driving.

When we arrived in Delphi (this is where the Oracle of Delphi is) we went directly with the group to the museum. Let's just suffice it to say I needed some time to stretch my legs. I spent the whole time running through the museum. I was very good and never once touched one of the things. So Mama got to listen to the tour guide while I made sure Mommy got the speed version of the museum. Then we got to go outside and head up to the ruins. This was the fun part -- there were a ton of cats. I got to pet them. It was so much fun!
We climbed all the way to the top of the hill where they used to hold the Olympic games a long long long time ago. It was a long hard climb, but we all made it. Here's a photo of us at the stadium. Here's Mama and the temple of Apollo where the Oracle was. It was quite an interesting story.
One of my new found furry friends. On our return trip we stopped for a lunch break and a visit to one of the hand made rug factories. It was a long day, but we made it back to the hotel in time to pack for our return trip back to Geneva the next morning.

Our own boat cruise

This was my favorite day of all. We got on a boat early in the morning and headed out to sea. I loved walking around the boat and looking out at all the islands. I also meet some really nice people on the boat. I became good friends with a group of 11 women from Spain! There is so much to tell you about. After a few hours on the boat we got off at the first island Hydra. Everything was so white with blue accents. It was beautiful. We walked to see the fort at the end of the island, then my favorite part we got to go an a donkey ride. I loved it. When we were finished we shopped and then headed back to the ship for lunch.
I looked so cute in my new sweatshirt eating lunch like a big girl! I even gave everyone at the table a toast! The second island was Poros and we only had a short time there where of course I decided to take my nap.
We learned some Greek dancing while we were on the ship too. I had trouble keeping up with my feet, so Mommy did all the work while I enjoyed watching the musicians play. I think Mommy got quite good. The last island was Aegina and we walked around and enjoyed the village for a few hours. There were two very different styles of churches. One was a very big Byzantine church and the other was this typical style church in the Greek islands. It was very beautiful. I had a great time walking around and playing in this village.