…after we last flew to Australia, we are FINALLY headed there again!

Lani: I was sick the whole time and I had to eat a snail, or I wouldn’t get dessert. I loved the macaroons. Mum said that for dinner we could get Nutella crepes if we tried a savoury one first. I don’t know why everyone was in line to take a photo of the Mona Lisa; you can go on the internet and find a perfect replica. Mum got us all matching “sister” bracelets. So much walking. Especially to find the hotel.

Jemima: On the train to Paris, I found conjoined gummy bears in my lolly bag. Lani didn’t want Emily to have the same coloured beret as her and there was an argument. I hated being at the top of the Eiffel Tower. In the Louvre, Lani’s shoes kept squeaking on the floor and I tried to tell Mum and she was like, “Oi! Jemima! She’s not well! Leave her alone!” My ears got infected and Emily tried to fix it by performing surgery on them. Sharing a hotel room with Lani was no happy matter. She was snuffling, snorting, snoring, whinging, crying, complaining. I stood in line for 20 minutes just to get a really crappy picture of the Mona Lisa because people kept pushing me away. Mum took us to a candy shop and wouldn’t let us have any of it. Its like leading a horse into a field and not letting them eat anything. We were allowed to get as many MYO juices as we wanted at breakfast because Mum wasn’t on our backs about cleaning the machine.

Emily: How is the Mona Lisa famous? I had a “French” manicure and it was awful. We watched Miraculous on the telly. There were so many homeless people. I was eating a baguette straight out of the bag and a lady came up and grabbed the baguette and tore a piece off and gave it all back to me and walked on. It wasn’t the “French way”. We got Pandora charms of the Eiffel Tower from Papi.

Mum: The girls were so fun to be with. Lani was feeling really ordinary but was a good sport. There was a pervasive smell of…. urine. I am not the best with directions. At all, really. The pastries were amazing. The Eiffel Tower was definitely nerve-wracking (for all of us but Emily). We had to keep returning to the hotel to recharge so we could go back out and have more adventures. I’m so glad we did it and while there is a tinge of complaint from sources above, I do think the girls appreciated the trip 😉

This is Berlin? In September? Surely not?

Enter: the largest indoor water park in the world, housed in a former aircraft hangar, in an airfield in Bandenburg. It hosts in excess of 8,000 visitors per day, can accommodate several thousand overnight guests, and even has hot air balloon rides! 26 degrees celcius and 64% humidity. Always.

From a lurgy perspective, Tropical Islands possibly wasn’t the best idea, given that a warm, moist, indoor environment plays host to such as the one we are all trying to avoid at the moment… but from the girls’ perspective, it was definitely a great idea – and, hey! It looks like it’s outdoors, so as long as everyone wears a mask unless eating or swimming then we should be fine! (What’s that you say? We were eating or swimming 97% of the time?).

Special thanks to our wonderful man, the brainchild of the lets-get-out-of-here-and-go-tropical idea, and the one who (as always) does all things caravan and driving. We love you.

_{This photo is from the website & only shows a teeny tiny part of the whole thing (which also includes a beach and the world’s largest indoor rainforest – a really nice walk!)}

Orø, oh how we love thee, even if we can’t pronounce your name. Peace. Animals. Beautifully clean kitchen and bathrooms. Nature. Beauty. Togetherness. One of the ‘constants’ in our lives!

We went to one place nearby to get a feel for how things work, and then to Hillerød for some experienced camping fun! Dad got us set up and then went back to work, returning each evening. There was a swimming pool we could walk to from the campsite and we went there a couple of times. Also a big shopping mall, where the girls bought themselves some small treats.

Christmas Day AND Boxing Day! Danish decorations adored the Christmas table. Lots of sun, sand and (sort-of) surf. Lani watched Bluey with an actual Bluey, and Jemima enjoyed being a skater girl for Christmas. We said goodbye to the Symons clan as they headed down to Albany for the rest of the time we are in Perth.

The Pattens hosted us, Aunty Fi yet again laid a beautiful table, and everyone brought delicious food to share. Presents and swimming followed! Christmas Eve service at Grandma and Grandpa’s church, St Albans (where Emily, Jemima & Lani were baptised).

In Dwellingup. With all the cousins! Christmas present to all the (grand) neices & nephews from Aunty Sissy! These two were of the ‘stay closer to the ground’ age. Jemima needing a fair bit of rescuing but managed to go on the higher ropes with the bigger kids.

St Nik’s in Rockingham. The girls took part in the service. Genevieve (Mum’s goddaughter) is cute as a button.