Winter Wonderland

I feel very privileged to live where I do BUT there is one VERY BIG drawback - the distance from the family and the total inability to take part in or rather help out in their daily lives.

The holidays they take over here are truly wonderful but as a grandpa, I would love to help out - when required - in doing some of the ordinary things in life.

While today is not yet school holidays and parents are not at their nerves end, I would live to undertake the odd adventure with the grandchildren such as their trip to the temporary Ice Skating rink they visited today. I didn't ask directly but gathered from the comments that came with the photos that it was their first ice skating performance and they did extremely well, Charlotte doing her first double Salchow and is working on her triple Lutz with backward spin. Elliot is following in his Uncle's footsteps and like him, getting tips from his mother.

One thing that does  concern me is the cost of such things nowadays in the UK and as in this case Eire. Alone the parking charges at so many venues appear frightening.

Can't really compare a temporary ice rink with all the one-off costs that are needed but the entry to the place they were at today would according to the website have cost €50 for a family of four. However, it seems to me it is for a restricted time (can't find out what a "session" is) and presumably includes skate hire.

At Munich's Olympic Ice Rink, the family pass for 2 adults and unlimited family children under 16 for two hours costs €12. However, you need to have your own skates or hire them for €4.50 child, €5.50 adult. That would make a total of €32 for a family of four.. (Good used ice skating shoes can be picked up at most recycling yards for free)

I looked at Legoland just now comparing Windsor in the UK with the one in Germany just down the road from us. A Windsor 2019 Gift Voucher for a family of 4 for one day is £240 about €270. The German Legoland Family 2019 Gift voucher costs €134, half the cost.

Ryanair flights from Stanstead to Memmingen on 3rd April are still being shown on their website costing £14.99 p.p. (no seat reservation) or £105.95 for a family of four for round trip tickets returning on 9th March

Hope Ryanair knows more than the rest of us as to whether planes will be taking off from the UK after 29th March.

It was cold enough to skate here today. -4°C when I set off at 6:00 pm with Luna for the walk and according to the weather app, "Feels Like -8°C". By 10:00pm the thermometer on the house wall showed -7°C.