the trip

Making memories, that's what we're doing :)    Lots and lots of good memories.

We set off Monday on a 7pm train.

Honestly, it was a great time to depart.  The kids were easy to entertain for the first few hours and then it was bedtime for everyone.

Mom and Dad had two soft sleeper tickets, more of a train compartment set-up with four beds in each 'room'.  Our family plus a good friend were in the hard sleepers (a few train cars away).  Beds stacked three high and open to the entire train car.  We had a set of six facing beds (for 8 people!).  It worked out ok.  The kids actually slept amazingly well.  Matt and I slept..... not so well.   But better than I feared.

The train rolled (or rattled and jerked and clanked) through the night and we woke up to a view.

We had our bags packed and ready to go as the train pulled into the station a little before 8 am.  The older three are each carrying their own clothing for the trip.  Matt and I have larger packs with everything else.

We headed out into the city to gather up some breakfast and find taxis to the north train station.  Matt stayed in superDad mode for the duration of the trip.  He carries anything and everything :)

At the next train station the boys played a little cards.  Actually Dad and the older kids really played cards (as they often do) and these two mostly just messed around with the cards.

And then our second train.  These bullet trains are fast (like 250 km/hr fast) and fancy and just great ways to get around.   Mom and John Paul and Luke and Matt slept :)  The other kids mostly listened to audio stories on the iPad.  The view was nothing fancy, the majority of the train ride is high-speed through tunnels.

After 2 and a half hours we were oh-so-close to our final destination.  Another hour or two on a bus (no pictures, I was done with pictures!) and we arrived!  yay!  a very successful trip.

Mom and Dad have (apparently) recovered from the journey and we all are enjoying our days - beautiful scenery and fellowship with old and new friends.

We spent today mostly playing - on boats and bikes, so I'll be back with more - later.  I'm still catching up on a bit of the lost sleep so it's off to bed for me!