Rome, Italy (Arrival)

We went on a six day vacation to Italy this week and had the trip of a lifetime!  We spent three days in Rome, two days in Florence, and one day in Pisa...and would go back in a heartbeat!

Tickets were very cheap flying into Pisa (we were originally going to fly into Rome), under 170 EUR for all three adults and two children!  We ended up splurging on one baggage check (60 EUR) since we had so many people, which worked out nicely because we only had to do laundry once while we were there.

Speyer, Germany (Technik Museum)

Today we took the family to Speyer, Germany to check out their Technik Museum.  We had a lot of fun looking at all the old automobiles, fire engines, trains, and planes...there is even a submarine and space-shuttle!

Our favorite part though was the huge play area in front of the museum with boat rides, go-carts, and a pirate ship playground!

Wissembourg, France

We took our first train ride to France, today!

We ended up taking a USO "Learn to Ride the German Train" tour to Wissembourg in the Alsace region of France.  The tour guide was super friendly and knowledgeable about the German train system.  It was nice to have an English guide to help answer questions and figure things out for the first time!  We'll definitely make use of the train system while we are here...

Kaiserslautern, Germany (Maikerwe)

After visiting last year's Oktoberkerwe, we were super excited for the Maikerwe (May Carnival).  Luckily, Grandma was here to enjoy it with us this time!

This is one of the biggest "folk fests" in the West Pfalz area with tons of food, vendors, craftsmen, beer gardens, and lots and lots of fun RIDES!

Keukenhof Gardens, Holland (Tulip Festival)

We went on a quick weekend getaway to the Tulip Festival in Holland this weekend!  We have heard such lovely things about the gardens and knew that the tulips would be a "must-see" during our time here.

Trying to find a hotel near Keukenhof proved a little difficult on short notice (at least for our price point), so we ended up staying in Rotterdam.  It worked out perfectly though, we left on a Friday afternoon after work and made the four hour drive to Rotterdam with hardly any traffic.

St. Goar & Assmanshausen, Germany (Rhine River Cruise)

Today was Mother's Day and I was so thankful that I got to spend it with my wonderful mama here in Germany!  We spent a perfect day cruising down the Rhine River, touring a castle, wine tasting, and checking out some quaint, little villages along the way!

The tour was offered through the local USO office.  After an early bus ride we arrived at Burg Rheinstein where we were given a brief introduction of the castle's history by an English-speaking employee.  We were then free to tour the refurbished castle, grounds and gift shop on our own.

Landstuhl, Germany (Burg Nanstein)

Grandma is in town!  A trip to Germany would not be complete without touring at least one castle, so we took her to see the nearby ruins of Burg Nanstein.

The castle is nestled on a wooded hill above the village of Landstuhl.  You can see the castle from the village below (it is especially pretty at night) but the best view of the castle is up close and personal.