Vöran & Ice Skating

 30-Dec-22

Today we went on an adventure to ride a cable car.

We took a bus to the cable car, which took us up the mountain to Vöran.

It's a little town. In 2010 it had a population of 927, which is actually up from the previous censuses. Censuses is a weird plural. I feel like it should be censi or something.

It was grey, and a bit cool, so we wandered off to find lunch. We ate at Veranum and had some lovely pasta and knödel dishes.

After lunch we investigated the church and cemetery.

They had wrought iron crosses instead of tombstones, which was interesting.

The church was small but cute.

Fairly plain compared to some other churches we've seen.

The pews had thistles carved into them, so that's a bonus for me.

Max was there, though not enjoying herself.

Oh! After we left lunch we heard music and found a band playing outside someone's house. We found them again later. Apparently for New Year's they go around to everyone's home and play.

The Rathaus, or city hall, has what I thought was a little gold rat on the outside. 

But it's a lizard? So...no idea what that's about.

This is what happens when you ask KC to take too many photos.

It's Dan!

We took the cable car back down and waited a long time for the bus to show up and take us back to Merano. We went back to the Airbnb and mucked about until later. After dark we went back into downtown to see the lights and to take KC ice skating.

KC!

Max!

KC wanted to go ice skating, but apparently they were doing a show and the rink closed for public use. If you've ever been around a 4 year old who doesn't get to do what they wanted to do, you can imagine how this went over. (It did not go well. She was VERY upset.) We distracted her with the carousel.

Weeeeeeeeee!

KC got a large stick of cotton candy.

We watched a little bit of the show, hoping that the rink would open up after. (It did not.)

We decided to walk across the river and back through the market.

Weeeee! Lights!

KC was sad she didn't get to go ice skating but we promised we'd figure out how to take her tomorrow.

(Let's hope it's open!!!!)

Merano & KC's Birthday

28-Dec-22

We spent a LONG day travelling from Rome up to Merano. It started out with our taxi not showing up and us having to scramble/pile into the car to get to the train station. 

We got there with 20 minutes to spare while Dan went to park the car somewhere. 

Dan made it on the train with 5 minutes to spare.

It was a very long travel day, but the girls actually did very well.

We changed trains twice.

One of the trains was stiflingly warm. I don't know how the other passengers could stay in their heavy winter coats and not melt.

Our Airbnb hosts went above and beyond. They picked us up from the train station and ordered us pizza for dinner since it was so late.

29-Dec-22

Happy Birthday KC!!!

Today is KC's 4th birthday!

The view from our apartment balcony.

We're starting the day by exploring the town a little bit.

Meran/Merano is in SudTirol or Trentino-Alto Adige. It's a combined German/Italian area.

It was cold, but beautiful!

We had hoped for more snow, but we'll take what we can get.

KC was posing like the wibbly sculpture.

It's Dan!

We had a good time exploring this riverside area of downtown.

For lunch, we headed back to the Airbnb to celebrate KC's birthday.

Grandma was prepared and brought "K" and "C" balloons with her from Iowa.

We weren't prepared cake-wise and got some coffeecake like things from a local grocery store. This one was chocolate, but we also got one that was raspberry...maybe? They were pretty dry.

Dan went off to get us bus passes so we could go on an afternoon adventure.

Disorienting panorama!

Mosaic crest of Meran/Merano.

There is a ski resort thing here. Dan and I took KC up the cable car. We were the only ones on it. It went pretty far up the mountain.

There were some farms on ridiculous landscape on the way up. I even saw a mountain goat or something like it, but wasn't fast enough to get a photo.

Mmm, yes. Very mountainy.

That orange thing int the middle is a guy we say go running and then paragliding off the mountain.

It turns out it was significantly colder on top of the mountain.

We took KC up to do the Apline Bob which is like a sort of gokart/rollercoaster/thing. 

I went once and Dan and KC went twice.

 It was a lot of fun, but VERY cold and we weren't really dressed for it.

Pretty!

You ride a track down and then a conveyor belt hauls you and the cart back up to the top.

It was apparently a little too cold for KC. She got very very sad.

We took her to a ski hut to get a hot chocolate or hot cider. I asked her what was the coldest, thinking she'd say her hands or face or feet or whatever. She looked at me and said "The outside." 😆 

Technically correct.

It took us awhile to get back down. Apparently everyone was leaving at the same time.

I think KC had a good day, despite being very cold at one point. We took the cable car down and then the bus back to town and our Airbnb.

Christmas & Other

25-Dec-22

Merry Christmas! Buon Natale!!

We dug through stockings.

And helped grandma frost cinnamon rolls.

Presents!

Big and small.

What did you get?

What did Grandma and Grandpa get?

Charcuterie! 

Christmas crackers.

Fooooood!  Ciiiiiiiibo!

It was a good and chaotic Christmas.

27-Dec-22

We took the girls to the children's museum downtown. Grandma and Grandpa helped KC make spin art.

Infinite KCs and mommas!

W enjoying the Christmas tree now that all the pesky presents are out of the way.