Category: World Travel

Salzburg and the Ländler

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We went to see a play this summer called The Sound of Music and it was amazing! What was even better is someone made it into a movie many years ago and it’s really good, too. It’s one of my new favorites.

The story takes place in Salzburg, Austria. Dad has been there and says it’s the most beautiful city in the world. Hmm, maybe we’ll use the magic suitcase for a trip!

A view of the Alps from the Hohensalzburg Fortress.

One of the scenes from the movie and the play shows an old Austrian folk dance called the Ländler. Those two dots above the ‘a’ mean you say it sort of like “layned-ler.” The dots are called an umlaut.

Anyway, the dance is pretty short so I wanted to see more of it and find out more about it. Videos of the dance are easy to find. What I learned was the Ländler is a dance that no one is sure how old it is, but a lot of famous composers wrote Ländler music, including Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. Dancing became very popular in Austria in the 1800’s and the Ländler was part of it. There are some other related dances: the Steyrischer and the Schuhplattler. Check it out with your parents!

The City of Salzburg, again viewed from the Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Diablicos Sucios!

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Wow, check out that devil mask! These masks are known in Panama as “Diablicos Sucios,” or “Dirty Devils.” They are part of Panama’s cultural tradition and folklore. The masks are made from papier-maché, and then painted and decorated with accessories. There are so many different mask designs and colors. Watch out for those devils!

The Anton Valley

Posted by Chris Oler on

Many of you know we went to Panama this year. One of our favorite places was the Anton Valley, or Valle de Anton. That’s pronounced “Vie-yay day Anton.” It is a small town in the center of an ancient, extinct volcano.

These mountains were once part of an ancient volcano!

The old sides of the volcano come up on every side of the town and look like mountains!

We had an amazing time in Valle de Anton and started out at a butterfly sanctuary. There were some of the biggest and most colorful butterflies I’ve ever seen! Later, we had some yummy pizza at a local restaurant. I think the owner was Italian, his accent was different from everyone else’s.

After that, we rode horses and then explored the Nispero Zoo. We saw ostriches, spider monkeys, an ocelot, and even an American Crocodile!

Valle de Anton was a highlight of our trip. You’ll be able to read more about it soon!

Cincinnati Zoo!

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Michael and I took a trip with our parents to Cincinnati this summer. One of our favorite places  to visit was the Cincinnati Zoo. It opened in 1875 and is the second-oldest zoo in the United States! My favorite animals were the White Tigers, and Michael loved the Colobus monkeys. I got my face painted, and we all enjoyed a 4D movie. No matter how near or far you go, there are always exciting things to explore!

Another New Friend and New Game!

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This is our new friend, Nigel. We met him on a recent trip to London, England. Nigel showed us so many fun things in London. Michael’s favorite thing we did was to play rugby. Rugby is a sport sort of like American football, but the ball is a little different and the players don’t wear pads. It can be a rough game. Look out, Michael!

All Around the World?

Posted by Chris Oler on

Michael and I see many things around the world. There are so many kinds of music, food, and especially animals. We wondered if there was anything we could find no matter where we went. Michael asked our Mom and Dad and they had an answer.

Ants! There are over 12,000 different kinds! We searched the internet for more information and found AntARK, a place that tells all about ants. You can find out what ants may live near you.

We share music, art, and even games and sports with people around the world, but I never thought about ants. I wonder if they bug everyone’s parents as much as they bother our Dad!

Local Legends

Posted by Chris Oler on

Hi, everyone! Our whole family, not just me and Michael, made a trip to Puerto Rico. There was so much to show our Mom and Dad. We took them nearly everywhere Alana showed us. We also found some new places like the one in this photo.

The statue is called “La Rogativa.” A rogativa is a special religious walk made by a large group of people where they ask for help.

The story of this statue goes back to a time when San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, was surrounded by enemy forces. The Bishop led a rogativa that was mostly women and children, but the enemy thought it was more troops arriving and decided to leave! The city was saved by the march!

Francesca from Barcelona

Meet Our Friends!

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One of our favorite parts of traveling is making new friends. Over the next month, Michael and I are going to feature some of our friends from around the world.

This is our friend Francesca who we met in Barcelona. Francesca is an artist, and she loves to paint, draw, and sculpt. Lucky she lives in such a wonderfully artistic city! She even made the shirt she has on here. Everywhere she goes in Barcelona, Francesca can see art – from street vendors, built into the sidewalks, and even in the beautifully designed buildings.

El Drac in Barcelona

Beautiful Mosaics

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Have you ever seen a mosaic? A mosaic is a piece of art made by arranging colored tiles. A great place to see mosaic artwork is in Barcelona, Spain. A famous architect named Antoni Gaudi made tons of buildings and sculptures using mosaics. Our favorite is the giant lizard in Park Guell – his name is El Drac (The Dragon in English), and he’s enormous.

Michael and I like to make our own mosaic patterns and pictures out of construction paper. Try your own and see what beautiful things you can make!