Traveling: 2016

Monday, 24 October 2016

Alpendorf Fall 2016 - Part 1

Going To Alpendorf

Friday - October 21st 2016

For our second wedding anniversary Claudia and I decided to spent a weekend at Hotel Alpendorf. We had been there twice for weekend trips and always enjoyed our stay there. Not only are the employees very friendly and helpful, but the hotel also offers a vegan menu. So Friday after work we drove to Alpendorf and soon we arrived at the hotel. The check in was quick and easy and after we dropped off our luggage in our room, we got a welcome drink from the mini bar. Since it was our wedding day celebration, we booked the best room of the hotel, the Panorama Suite, which was really beautiful. The rest of the afternoon we relaxed at the spa of the hotel until it was time for dinner. Today's menu included a vegan burger and pancakes filled with ice cream for dessert. Afterwards we got gin tonics at the hotel bar and later we watched The Nanny in our room until we went to bed.

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom equipped with a Bathtub inside the Room

Master Bedroom

Bathroom

Living Room

Nice Surprise from the Hotel

Hotel Alpendorf

Hotel Bar

Sunday, 23 October 2016

Alpendorf Fall 2016 - Part 2

Hiking Along Lake Jägersee

Saturday - October 22nd 2016

Today we slept in and then we had a delicious breakfast. The hotel offers an extra breakfast menu for vegans and we weren't disappointed. We got our own "breakfast tower" and extra made pancakes. After a wonderful breakfast, we decided to drive to lake Jägersee. There we hiked around the lake and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Autumn was at its best, the sun was shining and the trees were covered in beautiful colours. In the early afternoon we returned to the hotel, where we enjoyed some beers, tortellini and a hot chocolate at the hotel terrace. Afterwards we spent the rest of the afternoon like yesterday at the hotel spa. Then it was time for dinner and today we got pretzel dumplings with lentils and a chocolate crumble for dessert. Later we enjoyed some cocktails at the hotel bar until we returned to our suite.

Breakfast Tower

Vegan Pancakes

Jägersee

Hiking

Jägersee

Hiking

Jägersee

Jägersee - Swans diving for Food

Beautiful Fall Day

Special October Beer

Tortellini

Hot Chocolate

Sunday - October 23rd 2016

After another fantastic breakfast, we packed our belongings, checked out and drove back to Salzburg.

Sunday, 25 September 2016

Disneyland Paris 2016 - Part 1

We Are Going To Disneyland! Again!

Sunday - September 11th 2016

Claudia and I are really big Disney fans. So far we visited Walt Disney World twice, did a Disney Cruise in 2015 and earlier this year we visited the original Disneyland in Anaheim, but our Disney craziness started with Disneyland Paris ten years ago. Since then we have visited our "home park" seven times and now we are also proud owners of annual passes. Our current annual pass was about to expire and so we decided to go to Disneyland again. So Sunday early morning we hit the road towards Paris, where we arrived in the afternoon. Like during our last visits, we stayed at the hotel Relais Spa Chessy again. The hotel is located in Val d'Europe, which is only one RER train station away from Disneyland. However since last year the hotel offers a free shuttle service to the themeparks. The hotel itself is very clean and has nice rooms with a small kitchen, but the shuttle service and the cheaper hotel rates were the main reasons why we chose the Relais Spa Chessy again.

On the Way to Disneyland

Our Hotel

The small Kitchen

Our Room

Our Bathroom

After a nine hours drive we finally arrived at the hotel, checked in and dropped our luggage off in our room. Later we took the shuttle service to Disneyland and walked straight to Adventureland to ride Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril as often as possible, because it was about to close for the rest of the week due to refurbishments. We rode it four times in a row, but then it was time for a welcome beer. So we headed out to Disney Village to get some drinks at the Sports Bar. On the way out I bought my first souvenir, an Indiana Jones T-shirt, and we had dinner at the Hakuna Matata Restaurant. Claudia and I both got the salad and Hakuna fries. We were really lucky weather wise, because even in the evening we were able to sit outside. A few beers at the Sports Bar later we took the shuttle back to the hotel and called it a day.

Welcome to Disneyland

Disneyland Hotel

Main Street USA

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril

Hakuna Matata Restaurant

Dinner

Main Street USA

Welcome Beers at the Sports Bar

Saturday, 24 September 2016

Disneyland Paris 2016 - Part 2

Our First Full Day

Monday - September 12th 2016

Every morning Disneyland opens two hours earlier for Disney hotel guests as well as for annual pass holders. Unfortunately the hotel shuttle doesn't depart before 8:30am, and since we wanted to make full use of the extra time, we decided to walk to the parks. The weather was nice and so we didn't mind the 30 minutes walk. Once we arrived at the parks, we headed straight to Discoveryland to do Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and Space Mountain: Mission II, which will become Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain next year. What a bad decision this is, since the Star Wars overlay at Disneyland Anaheim's Space Mountain wasn't very good. Additionally it moves us even further away from the fantastic Jules Verne inspired Space Mountain: De La Terre A La Lune.

Disneyland Hotel

Here You Leave Today

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom

Main Street USA

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Discoveryland

Space Mountain

Afterwards we walked over to Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Fantasyland and then it was time for breakfast at Starbucks in Disney Village. A good cup of coffee later the Walt Disney Studios Park opened its gates and we soon were in line for RC Racer in Toy Story Playland. Before we had an early lunch at Restaurant En Coulisse, we joined Emile and Remy in Ratatouille on a crazy ride through the kitchen.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Fantasyland

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Main Street USA

Walt Disney Studios

Ratatouille

For lunch we got a salad, fries and of course a beer, while enjoying the atmosphere in Studio 1. We just love sitting there, watching people and having a drink. Later we did Rock'n'Rollercoaster starring Aerosmith and then we left the Studios Park for Cafe Fantasia inside the Disneyland Hotel, our most favourite place in Disneyland. There we ordered a bottle of wine and relaxed from the parks.

Lunch - Fries, Salad and Beer

Rock'n'Rollercoaster

Front Lot

Cafe Fanatsia

French Wine

Disneyland Hotel

Back in Disneyland we visited the 999 ghosts inside Phantom Manor, strolled through Thunder Mesa and Fort Comstock before checking out the shops on Main Street USA. Since we had an early lunch, we were getting hungry again and decided to give Earl of Sandwich another try after the disappointments last year. It was a good decision, because the service was so much better and so it was possible again to veganize the sandwiches. Two delicious veggie sandwiches later, we tried something new. For the first time ever we saw Disneyland Paris from the bird's eye view thanks to Panoramagique. It was totally worth the admission, because of this unique view over the whole resort.

Fort Comstock

Phantom Manor

Earl of Sandwich

Veggie Sandwich

Panoramagique

Disney Village

Disneyland Park

Walt Disney Studios Park

Disney's Newport Bay Club Hotel

Disney's Sequoia Lodge

Disney's Hotel New York

Disneyland Hotel

Afterwards we walked back to Disneyland, where we paid a visit to the dragon beneath the castle, joined the happiest boat ride on earth in It's A Small World and witnessed first hand how the pirates attacked a village in the Caribbean. On the way to the shuttle we met Anna und Elsa from Frozen and then we drove back to the hotel.