a village just outside of vienna

The first time we picked up our camera was outside of Vienna in lower Austria, once we had moved away from the main motorway and hit some of the smaller winding roads. This was about the point that Woz began to say "This would be amazing on my Ducatti. I wish Ruffy could be here to see this. A motorbike is the only way to see this sort of countryside." He then proceeeded to repeat this phrase at every breathtaking turn along the way for the next five days, and believe me, they were countless!

let's start from the very beginning .. a very good place to start ...

Doe, a deer, a female deer ....

Woz and I have just arrived home after the most incredible holiday we've ever spent together. Every moment was amazing, each day better than the one before. Between us we've taken hundreds of photos in just five days but I'll attempt to select a few that will show you what it was like. once again I've post dated each entry to show the date each shot was taken.

Our trip to Austria was to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary on September 1st. We flew into Vienna and had intended to visit the cities of Vienna, Linz and Salzburg over the five days and camp outside the cities. On our first day we picked up our hire car and headed straight for the hills, eager to see some of the mountainous peaks the land of 'The Sound of Music' had to offer. We had no idea just how spectacular it would be and quickly discovered that tis trip would be less about the cities of Vienna and Salzburg but about everything in between.

growing strong

One of Mum's contibutions to the Marina when she stayed was to plant some cherry tomatoes and some green peppers for us. I have to admit I didn't think they'd last under my care but in my newly domesticated state I have managed to keep them alive, flourishing even! They taste fantastic and very rarely make it to the kitchen.

water baby

Today Woz and I took Nate swimming for the first time. He absolutely loved it ... until Woz dunked him under the water. I was too scared to do it but I'm going to have to be strong! I'm going to try and take him once a week as it is less than a ten minute walk away. No photos for the blog unfortunately - we live in such an age that it is banned for child protection. Sad really. We'll always remember it though.

splish splash

Nate is beginning to smile more and more now for longer periods of time and more times in the day than before. Usually when he is in the bath or on his change mat and it is soooo lovely. At his age he really only really needs to be bathed every few days but it's so much fun and he enjoys it so much that we are starting to do it everyday.

three generations of parker men

Not sure if Nate qualifies as a man just yet ....

pop and nate

goodbye

Sunday was a sad day for us as we said goodbye to Ron and Fiona who have very much settled into their new roles of Nanna and Pop. We had a great time with them but as usual the week they were with us flew by very quickly.

museum crawl

Saturday meant a day off for Woz and so we took Ron and Fiona gallery hopping, starting off at the Design Museum to see a Formula One motorsport exhibition and then on to Hyde Park to the Serpentine Gallery.

the view from above

swingin' around

a night out on the canal

We had a visit from Ron and Fiona's good friends on Wednesday night. Cor and Linda flew over from the Netherlands to see the newest member of the family and to meet Woz and I. We had a great time cruising along with Woz and Cor handling the locks before finishing up in Paddington basin for dinner at a restaurant. Cor and Linda insisted on accompanying us home on the boat which meant Cor and Woz had a long trip back in the dark and the rain! Definitely hard core boaters!

nanna and nate