Book Fair,Wifi & Bone Chapel
July 01, 2008
When it comes to family travel, there is nothing kids like better than fun activities and gruesome sights and Evora had both to entertain Mozart. My guess is that the book fair was just a temporary exhibit, but it was hard to tell. It was in the main square and mostly locals were there.
We had stumbled upon a month old, new cafe where there was free wifi and the most yummy dessert. DaVinci spotted someone on a laptop as we walked by, they said it was free, so we quickly plugged in to take advantage of this opportunity. After Mozart gobbled down her dessert she was ready to keep exploring, so she and her dad found the nearby book fair while I handled some internet business.
Books always attract Mozart and one stall was open with a little creative play area in one section and a computer with kids software in another part. Creativity has no language barrier, and Mozart quickly jumped into the foray with the local kids, glad to be gluing and cutting and making! Later she came with me and made some more and played for awhile on the computer that was just her size. One of the greatest things about extended family travel is doing ordinary things in extraordinary places!
There are lots of bone churches in Europe and we went to one in Hallstatt, so this was our second bone chapel. The one in Hallstatt was in use until the 1960's when the Catholic church started to allow cremation, as there was no safe burial ground left there. This one was a little different as it was built as a reminder by three Franciscan monks about the transience of material things and says, "We bones in here wait for yours to join us" above the chapel! Indeed, it was a bit gross and intimidating to have 5000 skulls staring at you from the walls and arches.
When it comes to family travel, there is nothing kids like better than fun activities and gruesome sights and Evora had both to entertain Mozart. My guess is that the book fair was just a temporary exhibit, but it was hard to tell. It was in the main square and mostly locals were there.
We had stumbled upon a month old, new cafe where there was free wifi and the most yummy dessert. DaVinci spotted someone on a laptop as we walked by, they said it was free, so we quickly plugged in to take advantage of this opportunity. After Mozart gobbled down her dessert she was ready to keep exploring, so she and her dad found the nearby book fair while I handled some internet business.
Books always attract Mozart and one stall was open with a little creative play area in one section and a computer with kids software in another part. Creativity has no language barrier, and Mozart quickly jumped into the foray with the local kids, glad to be gluing and cutting and making! Later she came with me and made some more and played for awhile on the computer that was just her size. One of the greatest things about extended family travel is doing ordinary things in extraordinary places!
There are lots of bone churches in Europe and we went to one in Hallstatt, so this was our second bone chapel. The one in Hallstatt was in use until the 1960's when the Catholic church started to allow cremation, as there was no safe burial ground left there. This one was a little different as it was built as a reminder by three Franciscan monks about the transience of material things and says, "We bones in here wait for yours to join us" above the chapel! Indeed, it was a bit gross and intimidating to have 5000 skulls staring at you from the walls and arches.
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Hi all, fantastic blog. I am green with envy at your current lifestyle.
Just a quick question? Is that a whole child's skeleton hanging up in the picture (3rd from last) in the bone chapel? That would be quite upsetting I feel. I think this more than anything would bring it home to me.
Posted by: Leigh | July 03, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Hi Leah! Glad you are enjoying the blog!
It is an adult skeleton, but pretty gross I know. I debated whether to use that shot, but both Mozart & DaVinci said I should.
I am not one for bone houses, so missed both of them & sometimes I am too sensitive even for regular old churches here.
Surprisingly bone churches are very popular with families and kids! I guess it is like horrible histories, the grosser the better.
It is not my cup of tea!
Posted by: Soultravelers3 | July 03, 2008 at 02:11 PM