Traveling: October 2015

Monday, 26 October 2015

Alpendorf Fall 2015 - Part 1

Going To Alpendorf

Saturday - October 24th 2015

Recently my wife Claudia found out that Hotel Alpendorf in Sankt Johann/Pongau offers vegan meals for their guests and of course we had to try that. Since Alpendorf is only one hour away from Salzburg, we left around noon. After we arrived, we checked in and unpacked our stuff. We got a beautiful room with a nice view over the valley. Right after we checked in, we decided to have lunch at the hotel restaurant. We both ordered the vegan options. I got the lentils with a pretzeldumpling and Claudia got a meat patty with smashed potatoes. Both meals were so delicious.

Hotel Alpendorf

Lobby

Hotel Bar

Our Room

Our Bathroom

View from the Balcony

Lentils with a Pretzeldumpling

Vegan Meat Patty with Smashed Potatoes

Nut Cake with Hazelnut Ice Cream and Choco Rum Shot

View from the Restaurant Balcony

After our late lunch we went for walk through the beautiful woods and then we spent the rest of the afternoon at the hotel spa. The hotel offered a wonderful indoor pool, a steambath and two different kind of saunas. A very relaxing afternoon later, it was time to get ready for the evening. For dinner we got a five course meal. We started with a salad from the buffet, then we got spinach parcels and a bellpeper raspberry soup. For the main course we ordered the chili burrito and for the dessert they served a nut cake with a choco rum shot. The whole meal was delicious. Before we returned to our room to call it a good night, we had a couple of drinks at the hotel bar.

Beautiful Wheater

Hiking

Hotel Pool

Hotel Restaurant

Salad from the Buffet

Spinach Parcels with Broccoli Cream

Bellpeper Raspberry Soup

Chili Burrito

Nut Cake with Choco Rum Shot

Sunday, 25 October 2015

Alpendorf Fall 2015 - Part 2

Bluntau Valley

Sunday - October 25th 2015

We only booked for one night and so we had to check out today, but not before going for swim in the hotel pool and a fantastic breakfast. Right after we got up, we headed to the spa area and swam a few rounds. Back in the room, we packed our belongings and then we had breakfast, which was amazing. We got a tray full of vegan breakfast items, like yoghurt, spreads, hummus, vegetables, pudding and sweets. Additionally we ordered an avocado tomato humms bread. After that fantastic breakfast, we checked out and drove back home, but on the way we stopped at the Bluntau Valley in Golling.

Alpendorf

Breakfast

Avocado Tomato Hummus Bread

Bluntau Valley

Wednesday, 14 October 2015

Disneyland Paris 2015 - Part 1

Going To Disneyland Paris

Monday - October 5th 2015

Earlier this year my wife and I spent our Honeymoon at Walt Disney World in Florida and did a Disney Cruise through the Caribbean, but we still hadn't had enough of Disney. So we decided to spend a few days at Disneyland Paris for our first wedding day anniversary. Early in the morning we hit the road and in the late afternoon we arrived at our hotel in Val D'Europe. Like during our recent visits we chose the Relais Spa Chessy Hotel, because it was conveniently located on the RER line only one stop away from the parks. However, we were pleasantly surprised that we didn't have to use the train, because the hotel offered a free shuttle service. We got a nice room, equipped with a TV, a small kitchen and free wi-fi.

Our Hotel

Our Bathroom

Our small Kitchen

Our Room

After we checked in, we unpacked our stuff and soon we were on our way to Disneyland. For today we didn't have any tickets, because we wanted to get an Annual Pass, and so we spent some time in the Disney Village. There we enjoyed some beers at the King Ludwig's Castle during the Happy Hour. Later we checked out the merchandise in the shops and before we returned to our hotel, we had some fries and a last drink at the Sports Bar.

King Ludwig's Castle

Best Beer at Disneyland

Fried Potatoes with Guacamole and Salsa Dips

Vinylmation

Sports Bar

Drinks

Our Dinner - French Fries

Disney Village

Welcome to Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris 2015 - Part 2

Our First Day In The Parks

Tuesday - October 6th 2015

After we got up, we took the first shuttle bus to the parks. Since breakfast wasn't included in our hotel package, we got a coffee at Starbucks in the Disney Village and then we headed to the ticket offices. There we got our one day tickets, which can be upgraded to an Annual Pass at the Annual Pass Bureau inside the Disneyland Park. Since the parks didn't open until 10:00am, we walked back to the Disney Village.

Resort Entrance

The Disneyland Hotel

Starbucks in Disney Village

After the park opened, we walked straight to the Annual Pass Bureau and purchased the Annual Passes. Luckily that didn't take very long and so we went to Discoveryland to do Space Mountain. I have to say that the ride was a bit bumpy, but still so much fun. Then we did a trip to Endor with Star Tours. Disneyland Paris still got the original version and it's getting old. Although I love it and will miss it, I can't wait for Star Tours - The Adventures Continue. Before we left Discoveryland for Frontierland, we fought Emperor Zurg in Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.

Halloween Season at Disneyland Paris

Main Street USA

Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Discoveryland

C3PO inside Star Tours

Hyperion Airship Hangar

Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast

Our first stop in Frontierland was the Fastpass station for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then it was time for Phantom Manor, one of our all time favourite Disney attractions. Our Fastpass ticket wasn't valid yet and so we checked out the merchandise in the shops. After the wildest ride in the wilderness it was already early afternoon and so we had a late lunch at the Hakuna Matata Restaurant in Adventureland. Disneyland Paris still has a long way to go to cater to vegetarians and vegans, but at least we got a salad, some rice and very good Hakuna Fries.

Phantom Manor

Big Thunder Mountain seen from Phantom Manor

Hakuna Matata Restaurant

Late Lunch with Hakuna Fries, Rice and a Salad

Adventureland

Now it was time for our favourite place in the whole resort and so we left the Disneyland Park for the Cafe Fantasia inside the beautiful Disneyland Hotel. There we got a drink and enjoyed the lovely atmosphere.

The Disneyland Hotel Lobby

Cafe Fantasia

Later we headed over to the Walt Disney Studios Park and walked straight to its newest attraction based on a beloved Pixar movie. Last year Disneyland Paris opened Ratatouille, a dark ride with 3D video screens, and we really enjoyed it. I would say it's similar to Universal's Transformers ride, but honestly I think Ratatouille is better. Maybe I think that way, because I don't like the Transformers movies at all, while Ratatouille is among my fourite Pixar movies. Then we got a coffee and took a tour into the Twilight Zone with the Tower of Terror. After riding Rock'n'Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith we left the Studios Park and walked back to Disneyland.

Walt Disney Studios Park

Front Lot

Ratatouille

Disney Studio 1

Tower of Terror

Front Lot

HalLOLween Season at Disneyland Paris

Disney Legends Statue

The Disneyland Paris Hotel

Back in Disneyland we had an early dinner at Pizzeria Bella Notte. We both got Pasta Napolitana and a side salad. Our meal was nothing special, but it was quite good. Just as we left the restaurant, the Once Upon A Dream Parade was about to begin. Claudia and I aren't the biggest parades fans and usually we skip them, but this time we watched it. The parade didn't change since 2008, maybe there were some minor changes, however it was nice to see it again. After the parade we stayed in Fantasyland and did Mad Hatter's Tea Cups and strolled through the shops. Before we left the park for today, we joined Indiana Jones on a ride throug the Temple of Peril. In Disney Village we paid a visit to the new Lego Store and then we had one last beer at the Sports Bar before we took the shuttle back to the hotel.