After the weekend on the Zuri Fest, on the Sunday night I stayed over at Laceys as she lives near the airport. Kim and Kate flew in Monday morning at 6.15am so I met them there in the early hours and drove them back to my house to introduce them to my family.
It was so weird to see them both. As they walked through to the baggage claim I could see them through the glass and they both looked so pretty even after stepping off a 24 hour flight. I had been longing for this moment for the past few weeks and it made me so happy to see them. They both hadnt changed at all just seemed more grown up and looking really cute! Once I got to talk to them it was like they hadnt been absent in my life for the past 10 months, it just felt like it was meant to.
The girls were really exhausted from their flight obviously so Monday was a quiet day for them and I also had to work but Tuesday they went on a trip to Luzern to meet Kims friends for the night. We organised their Swiss travel pass for the two weeks and off they went.
Wednesday after the girls came back from Luzern I organised them to meet all of my friends at one of my favourite restaurants called Zic Zac. Everyone came which was really nice and all my friends loved the girls.
It was then on Thursday that we flew to Nice together. I had already been to the South of France but hadnt made it to Nice yet and some of the other tourist spots so we went there to relax and spend some quality time on the beach. We stayed at one of the tope 10 hostels in the world. We were in a great room with a view and a bathroom and the hostel itself was so great! It was full of aussies and we enjoyed cheap drinks and good food the whole time we were there!
As well as exploring Nice we also spent a day exploring Antibes and Cannes and then on another day we went to Monaco for the day and went to one of the nicest beaches I have ever been to. That day also on the way home we stopped at Villefranche at another beach that was nice too but a little bit overcrowded and dirty.
Nice itself was really pretty. I had heard some bad reviews about it but all the beaches were clean, there was heaps of great shops, and the public transport system was really good. You obviously pay more for everything being on the french riviera but that was to be expected and we had such a great time.
The flight home on the Sunday night flew into Basel (one hour from Zurich) really late so we stayed at a hostel near the train station. In the morning we woke up fairly early and left for Zurich. We planned to meet Catherine and the kids and then catch the steam boat to Rapperswil. We went to a really nice restaurant for lunch and then caught the train home.
The following Thursday we flew to Barcelona from Zurich. We arrived at about 9ish into Barcelona and caught the 'aerobus' to our hostel which was on the most famous street in Barcelona the Passeig de Gracia. The first night we were here we stayed in a 12 bedroom dorm whcih wasnt the greatest but ok and then for the following two nights we were in a 6 bedroom dorm with three other Polish girls who were so nice.
We decided that the Friday would be our shopping day, but I while in Barcelona I wanted to see the famous Sagrada Familia so we did that first which was oretty amazing and then we went back to the shopping strip and spent lots of time in changerooms and plenty of euros but had a great time going to all the cool shops and then on the Friday night we went on a 'tapas tour' that was put on nightly by our hostel. For 18 euros we got to go to a tapas restaurant (where you got to choose 5 little meals)and get some Sangria, go to a Flamenco bar, go to an Irish pub and get a free shot, then walk on furthur to a club (haha and get another free shot) and then go to an underground dance party.
My sisters and I left after the club as we had walked across the whole of Barcelona by this stage and were fearful that we may never find our hostel again but we met some nice girls and had a really good time for the evening!
On the Saturday Kim the beach bum had to get some sunshine so we walked for a good hour with a girl named Magda from our room to the beach. Nothing in comparison to the French beaches, Kate and I went to a nice restaurant instead while Kim was baking!
The Saturday night we were pretty tired so we went to a Spanish restaurant and had fajitas! Then surprisingly on Sunday morning Kims friends that she had met in Luzern showed up to breakfast with her boyfriend! We all ate together and then caught the metro to the Park *****. It was a huge park that overlooked the whole city. It was actaully a really nice way to spent the last day as we had to leave for the airport by 2pm. Kims friends Louise and Brendan were so nice and I was glad to meet them!
Our flight home was good and I think we flew over some of the prettiest landscape ever (which I think was the south of France) and we got home at about 8ish Sunday night. The kids were all excited to see us again which was a nice welcome home!
After Barcelona the girls had two more full days in Switzerland so they took the opportunity to go down to Interlaken for the day and go in a cable car up to the Schilthorn which is home to the famous revolving restaurant in the James Bond film. While here they also went exploring in Zurich, and go to the famous Rhine Falls on the border of Switzerland and Germany.
On the girls last day here we stayed together and went out to lunch after doing some work for Catherine and the girls packing their bags!
On Tuesday night then at about 7.30pm we left for the airport. The girls werent looking forward to the flight obviously because it is so long. We checked them in and thankfully their bags were both on 20kg (our limit!!!)
We sat in Starbucks for a while until it was time to say goodbye and then I walked them over to the passport control. It was then that it finally hit that I had to let them go.
I am already nervous about saying goodbye to Manda who is one of very best friends here so to say goodbye to the girls just reminded me of how many times I have had to wave bye to people that I love recently.
It hurt me so much to see them go. I know that we argued about silly things while they were here and I know they needed to go home but I feel like I am missing out on so much of their lives while I am here.
Katie was stong for us all when we departed as Kim and I were so upset but hopefully now that we have seen each other again we will stay in better contact on email or whatever once they get home.
I am so proud of the girls with how they carry themselves in life. Katie is now at uni and doing so well and Kim has such a great attitude on life that I know they will both do so well in the future. I am so glad that I will be home to see them in 4 months and I think as we grow older we become more than sisters and we become good friends too. I know the girls will be with me every step of my life and I hope they know that I am always there for them even if I am so far away.
Thank you for coming over Kim and Kate and thank you Mum and Dad for letting me see them, thank you for the best gift ever!
