I have to say, I wasn't as good at taking the millions of photos that I usually take this trip.  Sometimes you just don't have a free hand to hold a camera when you're juggling a baby and all the gear that a baby requires (so much stuff!).  Its probably ok though, because I might not have had time to go through millions :)  

We had to go through Munich on our way to Salzburg, so we stopped for some shopping (Jason's cousin was on a hunt for a specific Birkenstock style) and dinner.  Usually when we go to the Hofbrau House its chaotic and packed, but it was less-so this time which was a nice surprise!  

Austria was a pleasant surprise.  I didn't really expect much going into it mostly because I didn't know what to expect.  Salzburg is small enough that its very doable in a couple days, its clean, affordable, and mostly stroller friendly - not to mention the city is extremely picturesque.  We really enjoyed our 2 days here!  I wish we had time to explore further and maybe take the Sound of Music tour.  Next time!

We briefly stopped in Venice on our way from Salzburg to Tuscany.  It was right on the way and hard to pass up.  To be honest, we did it all wrong and therefore didn't have a good time.  I would strongly recommend not trying to drive to Venice.  

There's not a lot of roads into the city, so there's tons of traffic and pedestrians - all tourists with the same idea as you.  Once we entered the outskirts and were trying to park, we discovered that most of the garages pack the cars in like sardines and want you to leave your keys with them - no way!  So it took some extra time and frustration to find a garage that we could park ourselves and keep the keys.  

We then basically got on a city bus (which in Venice is a boat) and did a lap through the city.  It was cool to see the city, but (1) it was extremely hot, (2) the city bus was dirty (go figure), and since we only got off the boat briefly, we only saw the area right around a major bus stop (not pretty).  

I think taking a train in or somehow getting dropped off would have been better and then spending a little extra money on a private boat tour would have done the city a little more justice.  I definitely would go back.

Saying that Tuscany was beautiful is a gross understatement.  Tuscany is like a dream and I can't get enough of it.  I had kind of hoped for more down time during our stay - time by the pool, hanging out, relaxing, and taking in the scenery - but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate.  It was rainy a lot of our time there (through the whole trip really).  We explored San Gimignano and nearby Sienna instead.  We had lunch at a Saffron farm and a wine tasting at an organic vineyard.  

On our way from Tuscany to Lake Como, we stopped briefly in Pisa.  The sun was so intense and there isn't much shade to be found around the tower, so Emma and I hung out in the spot below.  We didn't partake in any of the goofy pictures.  The town overall was not nice.  It was cool to see the tower, but after an hour I was ready to leave.  

Cinque Terre was different than I pictured it.  I had pictured it very stacked like Positano, but it was more spread out.  One of the major highlights is hiking between the towns.  Emma and I couldn't partake, but the rest of our group did a couple of the trails between the cities and really enjoyed it.  We stayed mostly in Montorosso.  It was clean, had good shopping and a beautiful beach area.  We ate an an awesome restaurant called the Cantina.  It was some of the best food we had the whole trip.

Lake Como is definitely one of the prettiest places I've ever been to.  The pictures below just don't do it justice.  My only complaint was that the rain made it impossible for us to do as much as we wanted to, which was a bummer.  Even in the rain though, it was gorgeous.  Our hotel was pretty awesome.  It was right on the water.

After our 13 day European adventure, we are back and we are tired and cranky!  :)  All three of us, equally I think.  Jason is dealing with going back to work and a flat tire, Emma is dealing with her schedule being all out of whack and teething at the same time (sleep has been a challenge the past 3 days), and a tired me is up to my ears in laundry and spending hours rocking our girl trying to get her back on schedule and to sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time.

It was quite a trip - filled with beautiful places, good company and good food.  We drove from Wiesbaden, stopped in Munich for dinner, then went on to Salzburg, Austria for two days.  Then headed to Venice for an afternoon on our way to San Gimignano, Tuscany for three days.  After Tuscany we departed for Cinque Terre, stopping in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower on the way.  After three days in Cinque Terre we drove north and spent our final three days on Lake Como in the town of Bellagio.  On Monday we left Lake Como and drove through Switzerland on our way back home to Wiesbaden.  

The trip came with challenges - being a tourist with a baby is not an easy task.  There was a lot that I couldn't do or that was difficult for me to do with her and there were some moments where I had to throw in the towel and just go back to the hotel room for some quiet time.  We did well overall though - didn't forget anything major, the travel crib that I carefully picked out worked great and fit in every tiny European hotel room just fine, all our stuff (which doubled with Emma) fit in the car, we didn't get too lost ever, meltdowns among all were limited, and no major incidents to report.  

Overall it will be a trip to remember and one that we'll call upon when Emma is grown and wanting us to fund a trip to Italy - we'll point to the pictures and say "but you've already been there!  doesn't Florida sound like fun instead?" ;)

I've uploaded all my photos, but still have to sort through them, so more to come!  Here's some cuteness to tide you over though.

We visited Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau region last week.  The view from the surounding grounds was breath taking.  I just love being around the vineyards.

From our first long walk post-baby.  Isnt that wheat field gorgeous? Not as cute as that baby though!

Having family in town has been a good excuse to explore some of the cool spots in our area.  I've not done a good job or posting as we go, but here are some of our favorites so far!

We found a cute little wine garden in Geisenheim.  Its a little garden vineyard with tables scattered amongst the vines.  The atmosphere is casual and the wine is really good.  There's a walking path nearby that you can stroll along the Rhine.  There are scattered wine stands along this path as well.  Can you think of a better way to spend an evening?

I've mentioned Hochheim before, but its still a favorite.  Its just a cute little town to stroll around.  The path through the vineyard is cool too.  

Heidelberg is about a 40 minute drive south of us.  The main sight to see there is the castle, but the town below is cute and very picturesque with the castle looming over it.  I had taken my brother here in December and it was cool then with the Christmas markets, but I have to say I liked visiting in the warm weather better.  The streets were more bustling, there's greenery and gardens everywhere, and it just seemed move vibrant overall.  A great place to visit and fairly easy to park, walk, and drive to - my kind of tourist attraction!

Eltville is the first city along the Rhine, when driving from Wiesbaden.  We stopped by last week and meandered around.  We found a cute little wine restaurant on the water and hung out there for a bit.  Beautiful!

Touring the Rheingau via river cruise has been on our list of things to do since we moved here.  While my Dad visited, we tried it out.  We parked in Rudesheim and took a train to St. Goar.  We then rode the boat back to Rudesheim.  The train took about 20 minutes and has great views of the river along the way.  As you ride the boat down the river, there are various castles and small German towns along the way.  

I honestly just enjoyed being on the water for a bit.  The cruise was about 3 hours long.  We then walked around Rudesheim for a bit and got dinner.

Its been an eventful couple of weeks, to say the least.  Not to mention Emma's arrival, this is the summer of family visitors!  We've been so lucky to have so many people willing to come out and meet Emma and help out.  

Here are some photos of our visitors so far.  Jason's family arrives the week after next and then his cousins two weeks after that, and then we head to Italy with more friends and family!  

Life is good.

I explored the nearby town of Hochheim with a friend a couple weeks ago and loved it.  Its only about 10 minutes away from our house, has some cute restaurants, is surrounded by vineyards, is right off the highway, and has free parking - what more could you need?  I've gone back twice since and snapped this by where I parked my car the last time.  Its nice to discover things so close to home.  

There are some wine gardens in the town too that haven't opened yet for the season, but I have high hopes.

Well I am in the home stretch now.  I'm 37.5 weeks today and just sort of waiting.  Everything seems to be going fine.  I have weekly check ups and everything looks good everytime, so all good news!  I have no reason to think she'll come early, but I kind of hope she decides to (safely of course)!

Its a little surreal to feel like a ticking time bomb.  To feel fine but know there's a chance labor could start anytime.  I thought time would start to crawl, but I've actually stayed really busy this week, which I'm sure has helped my sanity.  

The weather has been beautiful lately and I've been walking quite a bit.  Germany, in my opinion, is 100x times better with everything green and lush.  As I've talked about before, this move has proven to be the hardest adjustment for me and I sometimes have a hard time seeing the good in where we are.  Warm weather, flowers blooming, and trees with their bright green baby leaves definitely help alleviate my nay saying tendencies.

Here are a couple pictures from a day in the park downtown Wiesbaden last weekend.  We spent two days last weekend just hanging out for the day with friends.