Wild Animal Park, Ice Cream with a View and More Yummy Italian Food

 After we went to the chocolate factory, we headed to a free wild animal park.  We weren't quite sure what to expect, but it was basically a zoo with enormous fenced in areas built on a large hillside (so steep up and downs).  There were probably more animals than we saw, but given the spacious areas, the animals were difficult to see.  We did, however, find this enormous exposed tree root that the boys and I enjoyed climbing on until B and I touched an unknown plant that gave us each shooting paint in various spots where it had touched our skin.  After googling, and a few minutes time, we came to realize that we would live and moved along.  B however, announced a bit later that, "I am too poisonous and will need to be carried".  

 After walking up and down the large hillside, we stopped for ice cream near the parking lot.  There was a mechanical swing that would go if given the proper amount of money.  We weren't quite sure how it worked, but B was insistent that he ride on it.  He soon found another family starting it with their daughter and he promptly got on one of the swings for a free ride.

 And we went back to the Italian restaurant we had been at the night before, but this time sat on the patio and watched B chase pigeons.

Willy Wonka (ish) chocolate factory

 I remember Switzerland being beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful, as an 8 year old.  I don't remember what we did while we traveled, but I vividly remember the scenery.  It hasn't changed.  Not a bit as far as beauty and peacefulness is concerned. I took these pictures while we were driving to a chocolate factory, so they don't capture the beauty as I had hoped.

 The chocolate factory was everything we hoped for and more.  Interactive, lots of chances to taste the yummy chocolate and at the end they got to make their own chocolate!

Driving to Switzerland

 Somehow I missed a few days in Munich of photos, maybe Brian can fill in, but on our 4th full day, we drove to Switzerland (after a not so quick second trip to the ER for LT).  

1.  

 We intended on trying fondue on our first night there, but somehow missed that it was a holiday weekend and lots of restaurants were closed.  We ended up going to a yummy Italian restaurant instead (two nights in a row!)

 The travel totes and travel tins proved useful on the car rides, long dinners as well as the plane. 

We intentionally booked an airbnb in Switzerland so that we could do laundry halfway through our trip.  While the location wasn't totally ideal (not bad, just out of the main area), it did have DVDs and a few toys for the kids.

Double Beer Garden, Quadruple Playground Kind of Day

 Day 3 was much warmer and not rainy.  We all needed to be outside and so we took the local train down to the English Garden (a park much larger than New Yorks Central park).  We had no agenda, just to be outside, but when we entered the park, we saw paddle boats and so we ended up renting one and cruising around a small lake.

 From the boat, we saw several playgrounds ("Spielplatz", B soon learned this word and proudly told a lady we met later in our trip that he speaks german.  This is the only word he knows, but he knows it well).  We spent the day wandering the park going from playground to playground and stopping for lunch at a beer garden in the park.

 After our adventure in the park, we walked from our hotel back to our trusted beer garden.  This time it was open and this time I went for the full german size beer.