Dusseldorf

Here we were able to meet our friends Keiko, Ryo and Aru for a second time.  It was so good to spend time with them and we had a great time exploring a nearby park with Keiko and Aru-chan.  We’ve visited before, so I won’t waste time in explaining that this is a great city in Germany: it is walkable, has a great park, has a great shopping/city center and although it was raining we still enjoyed being back here.

Zoya and Aru

Keiko and Verena

Aru, Ryo and Keiko

For the person who has everything (I guess): A cow hide covered bike

In the old part of town, walking along the river

Amsterdam

And we ended our journey with a visit to Alison and Josh in Amsterdam.  We were worried it would be so similar to Brugge that the appeal would be lacking but that was not the case.  The canal ride, chocolate shop and the bicycle culture helped us fall in love with this city.  Zoya and Verena were pretty tired from traveling over a month, so we may not have lived up to Alison’s “this is what every good tourist needs to do in Amsterdam” plan! (kidding!).  We did go the flower market, Anne Frank Museum and take a canal boat tour.

Burger Miester

Josh playing and singing for Zoya

Alison on the rooftop

Verena dragged us to an artsy concept restaurant/kitchen. Table hockey with a lime ensued. I do not think that was part of the concept!

So here is one of the dishes. We probably should have documented this better, but I think this represented the beginning of the government housing projects in a suburb of Amsterdam

And of course we found a playground to visit

We stayed at an updated bed and breakfast about 10 minutes from the central square in Brugge.  We enjoyed wandering around the canals and exploring some of the squares.  And of course we found a playground for Zoya and, as mentioned earlier, we ate a lot of ice cream.  We didn’t see a lot of the sun and sometimes it was downright cold.

Paris train station

Tea Room in Brussels

We are not so good at travelling light; ask Verena what she has in that knapsack sometime

Brugge B&B

Picnic

Canal

Alley

Market Square

Another view of square

House front

Canal garden

We drag her around the town and she gets to have ice cream; win-win

Brugge playground

Here are some pics from France:

Stairwell going up to our apartment

Zoya had a chance to visit a few different European playgrounds. Most of them have a spongy covering on the ground instead of the wood chips or sand we have here in Canada.

At the base of the Eifel tower

Overlooking the Paris skyline, with Notre Dame in the background

More pictures to come!

From left to right: "I can do a fake smile!"; "Take the pictures already!"; "I can throw those, no problem!"

Zoya doing Verena's nails

Call to make your appointment with Zoya now! Operators are standing by!

Lilly's Birthday Party

Zoya likes to pretend she is a mouse, our haus maus

Zoya riding Franky at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival

We talked a lot about Zoya riding a pony beforehand because we were worried she would be too scared, but she was a champ.

Wheeeeee!

Yes, ours is the goofy one at the end of the couch

Victoria Park

Pigtails

Always eager to help with the shoveling

Brian got a promotion and is focusing more on project coordination/management.  As an added bonus he will be cutting his commute in half and he’ll be close to a Timmies again!

Zoya is doing lots of practicing.  Practicing ballet.  Practicing hopping on one leg. Practicing running. Practicing winking:

Zoya Winking (Photo Credit: Auntie M)

Verena is having fun cruising eBay for Gymboree clothes for Zoya and leather bags for herself.  She is still working at a local college library and over Christmas did a great job of fundraising for MCC with the staff and students.

Zoya's cast (teasing her about trying to touch her ear)

Making cookies

Going down the slide

Between the slats

Christmas with family

Zoya got nail polish

Out for a ride on the sled

Down she goes

Snow angel