So as we set off for Munich, we ended up not getting a seat on a few flights out of LAX, had to RUN to the Munich flight in ATL and literally missed it by 2 minutes! So we went straight to the Stuttgart flight, which was already boarding, and they put us right on!
Pre-take off Champagne?... yes please!
We were supposed to have met our friends in Atlanta for the Munich flight, so we made the plan that we would meet them the next day at the Munich Arrivals. They didn't know we got on the Stuttgart flight, but we ended up tracking them down the first night!
Our Colorado friends the Schneller's, J.R. and Christy.
Pretty sure we found the biggest pretzel possible in Germany.From there we made it to Ljubljana, Postojna Caves, the Predjama Castle, and on to Trebjne to visit J.R.'s distant relatives.
J.R.'s family lived on a farm and even had a family vineyard up the street. Apparently, most vineyards in Slovenia are only for family consumption and not for selling. We quite enjoyed that!
We all got in trouble at their tasting room, because they brought 2 cups for everyone to share. When they handed you the wine you were supposed to chug it, refill it and pass it on to another person. We kept taking sips and passing it. We quickly learned! (Only a few of the family spoke English, so it was pretty entertaining for both sides when things were lost in translation)
Between the Accordion, the Saxophone, the Rommelpot, and a guitar, we were welcomed into their home with quite a talent show that followed the 2 dinners they gave us. They were very confused that not one of us really knew how to play an instrument.
The family introduced us to the Rommelpot , so J.R. joined in the music.
J.R.'s grandma was somehow cousins to the family. The grandparents in Slovenia were so excited to meet J.R. and were very welcoming.
We made it down to Zadar, Croatia and it had a gorgeous view of the coast. Along the peninsula, there was a "Sea Organ" built into the steps above the water. It sounded similar to whales and was amazing to think that someone made it.
In front of the Adriatic Sea.
Many buildings and homes still had evidence from the Croatian war in the early 90's.
Simon had a friend, Neil Hornish, who left SkyWest to fly for Air Adria out in Slovenia, and was living in Lake Bled. We were able to meet up with him and he even took us horseback riding.
Simon, a true Slovenian Cowboy.
We made it to the Dachau Concentration Camp, and it was a very interesting place to see. They had a very thorough museum and were able to walk all around the grounds. It was a very humbling experience.
(Arbeit Macht Frei= Work will set you free)
So, we learned that flying 'Stand-by' out of Munich is not the best idea since they have weight and balance problems often. So we drove up to Frankfurt and made it out of there... only one day later!
I wasn't planning on running or anything athletic while I was in Costa Rica, minus swimming or surfing. So, I didn't pack my running shoes. We ended up zipling which requires athletic shoes so I ended up having to borrow shoes from the Costa Rican guys that worked there. Needless to say, they did not have a ladies size 6 shoe. My husband, the evermost supporting guy, called me 'Bilbo Baggins' all day. Lucky for me 'The Lord of the Rings' did not translate over to the Ticos (natives) who worked on the zip line.
Simon, who oddly has a fear of heights, overcame his fear for the day while ziplining. I think it was because there was an 11 year old boy in the group who kept volunteering to go first and made all the guys look bad.
