Sunday dawns, and it's off to the slopes for 3/4 of the Marais. We have to get Amber to a hospital for her required check-up before we get further away, and Mandy will be coming along for the ride.
It snowed last night, so there are a good few inches of fresh powder all about. Before we can leave the hotel, the kids are already up to all kinds of stuff in the snow..
Mandy - air guitar version of "Hotel California"...
'Teeeenhun! The troops lined up for inspection
We dropped Michael, Mish and Pierre at the slopes and set off. Michael is in the capable hands of Miro (Miroslav) for his lessons today.
Man... at this time of year, the skiing is great - if you can get to the lift!
Hayley, by a stroke of inspiration thought of going to a closer hospital rather than trekking all the way back to Plzen. Long story short, we stopped in one of the larger towns, found the nearest hospital thanks to TomTom, and again by the synchronicity that goes before us wherever we go, were able to get to see the required people, get the required stuff done and were set for the rest of the holiday.
In the CR, if you want to see a physician, you wait outside a closed door until it opens. Understand, there is no receptionist, there are NO receptionists ANYWHERE, in any institution. So, frequently one doesn't know if one is even in the correct place at all. The sister appears like the angel who stirs the healing waters, all aglow with authority, people, especially the ones who arrived since her last appearance, all rush up or call to her and tell her what they want / need etc, she issues directives, takes documentation, and then summarily disappears again behind the closed door. We have never found a sister who can speak a word of English, so we are typically at a loss where we start, not able to get past the angel at the door. In a moment of boldness, I asked a particularly studious looking gentleman, reading a book, on one of the chairs that line the corridor that is also the waiting room, in my best Czech "Prosim Vas... Mulvite Anglicky..?" when he answered "Yes" I knew we had hit the jackpot, he immediately sprang to our aid, relayed to the heavenly sister what we needed doing, and once she knew that she couldn't speak to us she somehow seemed to soften and accommodate. 1, 2, 3, we're in, see the man, do the photo, some more plaster on the cast, a little documentation and in a flash we're out of the hospital on our way to pick up the skiing Marais and set off for Rothenberg ob der Tauber.
Michael had been skiing for most of the day with mom and dad, apparently like a pro, doing the family blue slope on his own and really taking to the snow. Mandy, with us, had been the model citizen and had preferred to come to the hospital because skiing "Takes too long." A comment we've often had from our 2, not about skiing you understand, but just about anything else - "Sarah, put on your shoes!" (for the 5th time). "Dad I can't! - It takes too long...".
After a late lunch / supper at the restaurant on the slope we bundled into the van and began the drive to our guest house, a restored mill, in Rothenberg o.d.T.
Our diggs tonight are at Pension Fuchsmühle. This guest house is really first class, everything seems like it is new, spacious accommodation and nice services, stocked fridge downstairs, coffee machine etc.
Amber bathing in her bag
"Look ma... a broken hand!"
Bed time for little people, some of whom will be sleeping in a genuine camping cot for the first time in 5 years... The kids room only had 2 regular beds, the other two sleeping spots are in camp cots! At first there was rebellion, no one wanted to sleep like a baby, until the parents spun it into a cool thing to do. Then of course, you have the job of mopping up all the broken hearts and tears for those who can't sleep in the "cool" camp cots... you can never win.
Pierre (the legend) captivating babies with his stories of somewho's doing somehow some daring doo's... and kids enthralled. I think this was the case of the escaped hamsters.
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