:: europa park ::

On Monday we spent a day at Europa Park in the south of Germany. We arrived late in the afternoon the day before and spent the night in the camping ground attached to the park. During my last visit several years ago I didn't realise there was such a place, but it was just perfect for us all. The bathrooms were all in Wild West theme and there was an amazing lake area surrounded with cabins, Wild West-style restaurants and even Indian teepees for people to stay in! The girls had arrived earlier in the day with Eti's parents and had enjoyed exploring the area already with them. For the first few hours we had the visual and audio soundtrack of one of the park's rollercoasters and all of the screams that came with every drop, twist and turn. But as the evening passed, the night became peaceful and we all rested up for the big day ahead.

The next morning, once we were up, dressed and fed, we walked the short distance over to the park. We had assumed that, being a Monday and not during school holiday time, the park would be relatively empty. But it appeared that at least some parts of Switzerland had a day off as there was a surprisingly large number of people who had shared the same thoughts as us!

The park had just been decorated for Autumn and there were literally thousands of pumpkins everywhere! Throughout the day we wondered aloud what they might do with them all when they change the decorations again! Obviously the local pumpkin growers had landed themselves quite the deal supplying the park!

This visit was quite different to the last, when I was with Eti and my brothers and felt somewhat obliged to join them on all the fast, crazy, terrifying rides. This time around was a lot more peaceful and enjoyable in contrast, as we rode on little boats that went through caves filled with fairies, frogs and mushrooms, 'flew' on a Leonardo Di Vince-styled contraption,  took train rides around the park and numerous turns on the merry-go-round. It's an amazing place for all ages and, for the most part, the girls really enjoyed themselves (I had just forgotten the part of the log flume ride that had us drenched!).

Near the end of the day I asked Elise if she had enjoyed Europa Park. She replied "Where is Europa Park??" I think both of the girls were somewhat mystified about what "Europa Park" was, but they nonetheless enjoyed themselves! We discovered the playground area right at the end and it was declared the winner of the day, along with the merry-go-round. It was a very warm, full day full of emotions - from enjoyment, laughter, energy to tiredness, unexpected moments, so it was no surprise that there were three little people who slept the whole way back home to Switzerland. I hope that, for the girls, it will be held as a fun and magical part of their childhood memories. For us it will definitely hold precious family memories!