Austrexit Trip 2017 - Volume Two

On Monday we rode the Hop On Hop Off Bus around Dusseldorf! We love those buses and will happily go on one wherever we are. We did one complete lap and then hopped off to have a schnitzel for lunch. Included in the tour was a cruise on the Rhine, so we did that too. A quick visit to the cathedral with the crooked spire. Legend has it that it will straighten itself when a true virgin gets married there, but obviously that hasn't happened yet! After that we went up the Rhine Tower which is very tall and has a great view of the city and surrounding area. Then it was back to Kirsten and Marc's for dinner before a packing up our bags in preparation to pick up our hire car for the next week. 

Austrexit Trip 2017 - Volume One

We're on a big adventure! Europe and the U.K. for six weeks. I am going to attempt to update the blog, mainly as a record my myself to be honest, but maybe you'll enjoy reading it too!

A couple of things before we start:
1. I'm posting this on the iPad, so the formatting might be a bit dodgy, sorry in advance.
2. A bit of backstory: 10 years ago my parents went to Europe, and we smuggled a toy beaver in their luggage. We expected them to return with a couple of photos of him. They came back with over 200 photographs of that toy, at the Eiffel Tower, Edinburgh Castle, with the Loch Ness Monster, etc. We had dinner at my mum's a couple of days before we left and unbeknownst to me, Mum sent my Dad's toy meerkat along with Terry. So the photos I will post below will include MeerKev, he's having a great time too!

It is a VERY long flight from Australia to Germany. 24 hours in a plane is not really my idea of fun,  but it is a means to an end and now we are HERE! It's fairly hot and the sun is still shining at 8pm, so that's weird.

We've come to Germany mainly to catch up with a friend I have not seen for 20 years. She was an exchange student at my high school and thanks to the wonder of Facebook we re connected a few years ago. It has been so wonderful to see her again, and to meet her family. Seriously considering stealing her little boy and taking him home.

Today they took us on a tour of Düsseldorf. When I say 'tour' I mean Terry drank a LOT of beer. There are a lot of beer halls here and not much else is open on a Sunday. We did also see a lot of old buildings, the river and a beautiful church. It's a beautiful place, and after a big sleep tonight we will explore more tomorrow.

Here's a stack of photos:

Giveaway! Disney On Ice presents Frozen!

Do you want to build a snowman?

Do you have a child who just can’t seem to Let It Go?

Then we have the competition for you! Read on to find out how you can win 4 tickets (valued at $180!) to Disney On Ice presents Frozen in Melbourne!

I was at Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival last year and while the crowd got excited when Beauty and the Beast was on, and Tangled, it was NOTHING like the way crowd went wild when the Frozen segment came on. I’ve never seen anything like it. And rightly so, this story was MADE to be told on ice. Literally.

Enter a fantastical winter wonderland beyond imagination when Disney On Ice presents Frozen comes to Hisense Arena from 5-9 July!

Audiences will be enchanted with the much loved Anna, Elsa and the lovable snowman Olaf as well as experience never before seen characters, including Grand Pabbie and the Trolls and the Marshmallow.

Be dazzled by special effects and astonishing skating. Hosted by Mickey and Minnie, this unforgettable celebration of love and friendship will leave your family with memories to last a lifetime.

Disney On Ice presents Frozen will transform the stage into the wintery world of Arendelle inviting audiences to accompany Anna on her epic journey to save her sister Elsa and the kingdom of Arendelle.

The immersive show experience features world class ice skating and dazzling special effects. Audiences across Australia are invited to enjoy this breathtaking and magical world, when Disney On Ice presents Frozen comes to a city near you!

So, how do you win?


Well, to be in with a chance, you just need to be available to go to the show at 7pm on Wednesday July 5^th in Melbourne, then you need to fill out this form below and tell us which is your favourite character or song from Frozen and why.

The answer that amuses or confuses our judge the most will win!

Don’t forget to like Chickens and Bees and Disney On Ice on Facebook to keep up to date with all our news!

 

(If the form won't load, copy this link into your browser - https://goo.gl/forms/j9nVKCaTXNVq0Bo13 )

 

 

 

Disney On Ice presents Frozen arrives in Australia this June and is around until July. Check out their website for dates in Perth, Adelaide, Wollongong, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. Tickets start from $35!

For more information visit www.DisneyOnIce.com.au.

 

Terms and Conditions for this giveaway available on request.

Eighty

My Dad would have turned 80 today. Yet another milestone reached without him here.

I miss him every day, but on days like today, I miss him more than a lot.

Dad with his parents. What a hat!

Dad taking me for a ride on the motorbike

Chyken & Dad

At our engagement party

In London with Mum to visit the Queen

His 60th Birthday Party

Pre-wedding touch ups

Dad sung a lot. He often replaced the words with 'doodle doo'.

Giveaway! Cabaret The Musical!

Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!

When the email for this giveaway landed in my inbox, I was excited. I love this show!


After a sell out season in Sydney, Cabaret is coming to Melbourne next month and we've got tickets to give away, read on to find out how you can win them!


I first saw it many years ago and without mentioning any names, some of the casting was questionable. Not this time around! This time we've got a cast that includes Chelsea Gibb, Paul Capsis, Marcus Graham, and John O'May!

Winner of 12 Tony Awards, 8 Academy Awards and 7 BAFTA Awards, Cabaret wows audiences and critics alike time and time again sky-rocketing the careers its starts. Fifty years ago in 1966 the original Broadway production made a household name of Joel Grey who shook audiences as The Emcee. Two years later an unassuming Judi Dench stole the show as Sally Bowles on London’s West End. Arguably the most iconic movie musical of all time made a star of Liza Minnelli when she brought Sally Bowles to the silver screen directed by Bob Fosse.

Cabaret The Musical is based on The Berlin Stories by famous author Christopher Isherwood who exchanged his upper-middle-class conservative upbringing for the sexual freedom and social liberation of Berlin during the bustling 1930s. Cabaret the musical, adapted by song and lyrics team Kander and Ebb, became a semibiographical portrait of Isherwood’s life, celebrating life on the edge.

Beneath the fun and games of Cabaret lies an ominous melody, providing a glimpse of vibrant Berlin’s dark undercurrents during the rise of Hitler. Cabaret walks the tightrope of pure entertainment and serious political consciousness and for this very reason the musical continues to allure audiences.

Cabaret arrives at the Athenaeum Theatre in April and you can get your tickets here!

But... We have a double pass to give away for the performance on Tuesday May 2nd at 730pm! Make sure you're liking Chickens and Bees and also Cabaret The Musical on Facebook and fill out this form for your chance to win! (If the form won't load, copy this link into your browser... https://goo.gl/forms/AOZzomxnovLKyxuG3 )

Entries close at 6pm (Melbourne time) on Friday March 17th and the winner will be contacted via email shortly after that.




In case you don't win, here's the link to tickets again...

www.CometotheCabaret.com.au