Snow!

And then, of course, there was the snow. We had hoped that we'd run into some and Vienna (and Athens after it) did not disappoint us.  When the first snow fell we were at Stephansplatz in downtown Vienna. Amalia ran around with her friend Isabella chasing each other as much as the snowflakes. Our return to our small apartment (graciously offered by a friend a Scott and Rebecca's) was one of those "out of a movie" experiences with the snow softly falling in a quiet nite, highlighted just so by the streetlamps seemingly there only to add emphasis to the beauty of the moment. 

By the next morning there was now on our balcony and the girls were, expectedly, thrilled!  Irini enjoyed it a bit more than her sister did, and ventured out into it with a bit more gusto, but when Amalia realized the potential of fun she too happily joined the shinanigans. The highlight was the racing down hills on tiny sleds (bought by Rebecca at a nearby supermarket). The girls fought the cold (gloves and pants and essentially everything was not made for being wet, just staying warm... a crucial difference) and trudged up hills for the thrill of the descent. It was everything mommy and daddy had hoped for, for them. What a great way to start the new year!

The videos below are only two of many that we recorded on the two days of 'sledding'. It was awesome!