Are you ready to continue on our journey? You can read part one here and part two here.

Things got a little crazy at this point in the trip. A few days into our trip we left Gniezno and drove to Zary {about three hours away}. The drive was just gorgeous–open countryside and puffy clouds.

We stopped beside the road, not to look at this adorable cottage, but to chat with the police officer who pulled us over for speeding. There was a major language barrier but after a brief reminder about the speed limit we were on our way. Phew!

Do you see that balcony above bursting with flowers? I love that. It totally caught my eye. I want to be the person who adds as much beauty as possible to each day. I want to walk out on my balcony and be greeted by bright blooms.

As soon as we pulled into the town I noticed color. The buildings were all colorful and fun. So charming.

He brought this lego book with us everywhere we went.

The famous composer Telemann spent some time in Zary.

Pizza, soda and beer. Yum!

Zary holds one of the palaces from the Von Promnitz family {of which our friends are descendants}. We are told they’re planning to restore this amazing palace and turn it into a hotel with shopping. How incredible will that be?!

Love this moment captured!

Too silly to get a good pic–so this will have to do!

We arrived in Zary, had a great meeting and then ate pizza and explored the town as the sun set. We got into our beds and crashed quickly–but after a couple hours Steve woke up not feeling well. I’ll spare you all the details but he was really, really sick. Then an hour later Matthias woke up with the same thing. My sister Susan didn’t get it quite as bad–and somehow David and I managed to avoid it all together. I’m so glad I didn’t get it! I was busy taking care of my sick boys. Oh it was terrible!

I packed up all the luggage and Susan and I loaded it into the car. Steve was well enough drive {thankfully!}. We stopped at Tesco to pick up crackers, bananas and water for the drive. We made our way back to Berlin without incident. The sick members of our party were feeling better within 24 hours and we were able to do more exploring in Berlin.

I’m almost caught up on laundry and emails. Yay! It’s Friday and we’re so excited to have a weekend at home. We’ll be celebrating Father’s day and chilling out. What does your weekend hold?

Part two of our journey continues in Gniezno, Poland. You can read part one here. It’s such a lovely town. I fell head over heels for the color everywhere, the yummy food, the warm people and the sense of history.

While we were in Poland, I saw very few individuals with disabilities. People stopped in their tracks and really stared at David. We talked with a local and she told us it’s unusual to be out and about if you have such a severe disability. That said, no one was unkind to us and everyone was very accommodating with David. We were able to find soy milk {after a bit of hunting!} and blended foods that worked great for him. He stayed healthy the entire trip and except for a little constipation, he felt happy and energetic. I am thankful we’re able to travel internationally with David. It can be challenging, but it’s so worth it!

There are bikes everywhere. I love a bike friendly town!

WC stands for water closet–which means restroom, bathroom, toilet, loo, what have you. If you’re in a new country and having an emergency, this can be valuable information!!

Too bad that ice cream cone isn’t real. Yum!

Photo bombed by Matthias {again!}

We didn’t mind a little rain.

Silliness.

He really, really, really wanted the artist lego mini figure–and you can’t tell which one is in the package. And he got it. So happy!

This picture of the sun setting behind the cathedral doesn’t do justice to the beauty that we took in. Gorgeous.

We attended a royal ball in Gniezno. I found this vintage, beaded gown  at a thrift store in Dallas for $7. I was so happy! The silver glitter shoes are off Zappos. We’ll have to talk about how much I love Zappos some time. The dress felt like a gift sent from heaven–finding a formal gown is stressful and expensive–so glad I didn’t have to worry about that.

The ball was a mix of descendents of the royal family,  city officials {I chatted with the head of the Polish air force, a very nice gentleman!}, prominent business people and American students who were singing in the Von Promnitz Choir Tour. There was tons of food, all kinds of drinks, lots of pastries, a short ceremony and lots of time to mingle. It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences. Funny thing, I couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel to snuggle with the boys–I’m introverted, what can I say?!

It was dark when we left for the ball so it was hard to take pics. The ball was held at The Palace Balcerowo. And the photo above of us dressed up was the best of the bunch.

 I wonder if I’ll ever have another opportunity to wear that dress again? Maybe I’ll have to create an opportunity!

We’re home! It’s wonderful to sleep in our own beds.

We had an AMAZING trip. Wow, there is so much to tell. So much to think about. So much to be thankful for. The boys were fabulous travelers–there were many times I marveled at how flexible they were. Also, having my sister with us was a blessing. She helped a ton with both boys, but especially David.

We tried new foods, learned about history, and grew closer as a family. There were imperfect moments too, and I want to be honest about those. I have five posts lined up for the next week or so–and I’ll try to share as many bits and details as I can.

We landed in Berlin and then drove to Gniezno, Poland. This is where our story begins!

Gniezno is a small town in central-western Poland. It’s near the larger city of Poznan. It used to be the capital of Poland so there is rich history here!

The cathedral in Gniezno is breath-taking both inside and out. I took so many pics it was hard to chose which ones to share!

How fun to have auntie along, right?

We found a pizza place our first night there and it was probably the best pizza I have ever eaten. So of course, we went back the next night, too!

David was nodding off at dinner. Jetlag is rough!

The town center is full of shops, restaurants, flowers and birds. So charming!

We stayed in the heart of the town and we were able to walk everywhere {which is my favorite!}. We ate pizza, kebabs, and traditional polish food like polish sausage and schnitzel. There was a toy store and an ice cream shop right across the street from the hotel.

Some friends of ours are descendants of the Von Promintz Family of Poland which makes them a Count and Countess. Because of their position we were able to meet with city officials and business leaders. It was an amazing experience!

I’ve got lots more to share. Including attending a royal ball, getting wiped out by something we ate, and taking in lots of history.

My favorite part of travel–discovering a completely new place for the first time. My least favorite part of travel–jet lag. What are your favorite/least favorite parts of travel?

We had a wonderful time in St. Louis. I’m thankful all of us {even my mother in law} were able to travel back and be part of this special day. It will be a historical day in our family. Steve worked hard to accomplish this goal–and it needed to be celebrated!

We got to see some old friends.

Matthias made a new friend. It made his trip so fun!

There was lots of ceremonies and lunches and services and waiting. The boys were troopers! This pic cracked me up!

Steve’s professor was a hit with our boys. We got to have lunch with their family and it was a highlight of the trip.

Two stylish boys with bowties. Love!

We made a custom keychain for Steve. We’ve been teasing the boys that they’re going to have to start calling Steve ‘Dr. Daddy’

We explored downtown–the arch was beautiful!

We saw the courthouse where the historical Dred Scott case was held.

We had the BEST frozen custard. How good can it be, I thought? Pretty darn AMAZING! Yum!

The City museum was awesome. We loved it!

Steve, I am so incredibly proud of you. Thank you for working hard and showing our boys what it means to keep learning and to be a good father and husband. I love you!