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Vienna, day 10: soft play and desert zoo

We're in double digits now! Quite a few things are becoming routine by now, although of course there's still something new to be experienced every day. But since the means of getting places is becoming familiar now - bus, tram or subway - the kids are feeling more at ease I think. Although N still says, after every journey, "I really hope I get to go on this [bus/tram/subway] again soon!" which I think is very sweet.

This morning was so cold, it was a real shock to the system. -7 degrees! And our morning plan involved a bit of walking from the station to the soft play, so I knew enough to take a sling along for D. That was a good idea. But N became very distressed indeed as we walked, we had no choice but to plod on and by the time we arrived she was absolutely in pieces, sobbing. I thank God for our amazing friend from the local church who had offered to lend us a buggy, and brought it along to soft play! The way home was so much easier as N was happy being pushed in the buggy.



Our brilliant Vienna buggy!

For the afternoon I had done a bit of research and found a special (small) desert themed zoo that's part of the greater Vienna zoo, but separate entry. I wasn't about to take the kids through a zoo in these  temperatures but this was indoors and necessarily kept warm. And it was fun! We saw exotic birds (flying around freely!), lizards, rodents, tortoises, snakes and bugs. And I held my hands into a tank with doctor fish in, which felt amazing! But the kids didn't muster up the courage to try.




We had fantastic company there, as we'd arranged to go with a new friend N made at church on Sunday. He and she had great fun dancing together then and she just took an instant, and deep, like to him (he's a little older than her dad, not a kid!!). So I had invited him to come along to the zoo and he did - and it was great for me as well to have a bit of adult conversation as we went through. I've been with the kids, and only the kids, so much! And I love it, but having grown up conversations is wonderful every now and then. ...

My sister A joined us for dinner and that ends our first day in the double digits. Good night!

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