On walking with kids

We are now in Vienna, about to embark on a two and a half week walk with our children from Vienna to Budapest. Based on how few resources we found online of other people doing this route, let alone people with their children, we have decided to try to post every day or two in case there are others who are interested in a long amble. 

Part of the reason there aren't many people who have walked the route we are taking is because it Is a bike path. It might seem odd that we are choosing to walk where bicycles go but given Jakob's back it is necessary for us to have a stroller. So with our double jogger we are sort of like a bicycle. And while we are pushing things anyhow we decided to bring along a scooter too to make the walking more exciting for the older kids. We initially thought we would camp along the way but given the bulk of camping gear for six, the lack of campsites and our discomfort stealth camping in Eastern Europe, we decided to up our daily kilometres to make it to accommodation each night.

Here are some things we know: 

1. We have somewhere to stay every night, mostly

2. It is much warmer here than in Iceland or Canada, thank goodness

3. We will bribe our children shamelessly with stories, surprises and candies to motivate them (Sophia is already so excited about this she is counting down the days to the walk)

4. We are seeing this as more of an amble than a hike

5. Kids are going to whine and cry and we might too

6. If possible we will bus the bits where our trail takes major roads as neither one of us it excited about busy road walking with four kids

7. We know not a word of either Slovakian or Hungarian

8. This could be great or it could be a disaster

9. If things don't work out that's alright we will just never walk this route again but realistically even if we have an amazing time we will likely not walk this route again

Here are some things we don't know:

1. Will our already broken stroller make it

2. Will our kids get blisters 

3. Will this make our children love or hate walking

4. If our shoddy preparations will suffice

5. Any of the languages of the countries we walk through

6. Will the bicyclists hate us

7. Why are there mean people in the world

8. Is the universe expanding or contracting or neither 

Today we wandered the streets of Vienna, sipping coffee in a subversive bookshop, dodging Lippizaners, and really enjoying the Haus der Musik - the highlight was a fantastic video simulation of conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with a baton whose sensor controls the playback remarkably well. Sophia conducted so erratically that the whole orchestra stopped and the first violinist gave a rant about "this song always makes me cry - but the only thing I'm crying about now is you!" She was delighted. Here are some pictures of the museum.  

As if they would manage not to boom such a gigantic drum

The girls listen to hi-res sounds of Neptune, monkeys in the space shuttle, farting and more

Now they listen to Beethoven in stereo, flushed from running in circles to Strauss waltzes