Christmas 2018 Part 2

Efteling was everything and more that we had anticipated.  We stayed in one of the Efteling villages Bosryk in a cottage overlooking the golf course.  It had a few little extras such as a sauna in a shed  behind the property and a hot tub.  It had the little touches that made the difference, particularly for the children.  Six night caps had been left, along with the story book of the Sandman who visited to help get the little ones to sleep with a story.  Breakfast was delivered each morning and a little gift left each day as well.  Such a wonderful touch that enhanced our stay.

The grounds were spectacular, I would imagine in the Summer it would be a stunning setting.  The lake had Mr Sandmans castle in the centre, so was always a joy to walk past to see if he was there.

Each evening he told stories prior to going to bed, so much fun despite the language barrier.

Just a five minute walk from the village brought you to a special entrance to the theme park, which is divided into several areas.  There was so much to see and do it was so easy to fill our days.  The winter wonderland aspect was a joy which included ice skating, a toboggan run, cross country skiing and a a wide variety of speciality foods and drinks.

There were carollers singing intermittently around fire pits throughout the park, which gave the park such a wonderful atmosphere.

We have some wonderful memories of visiting this Fairy Tale Park many years ago when our own daughters were small, whilst serving in the Military.  As you can imagine it brought them all back and we laughed at some of their antics.  The boys loved hearing about their Mamas adventures when she was small.  The talking tree was a highlight, along with the carvings in the forest.

You can't possibly go to Efteling and not get a photo sitting on one of the mushrooms.

Another highlight was the Ravelijn show, the boys were given a VIP pass for this so sat in the royal box, it was such fun.

All in all an amazing break away, fun and laughter good food and good company we couldn't have asked for more.  One of the eateries was a pancake house where the pots and pans came to life. 

Such fun and the pancakes were good too.  There is something for everyone at this park with some amazing shows and white knuckle rides along with children's characters and rides more suited to Granny.

Time flew by we had so much fun, must admit to been cold at times but the fire pits and hot chocolate specialities certainly helped.  It is somewhere we would definitely go back.

Hope you enjoyed our little tour, there was so much more not least the Caro show which we did have to pay extra for but it as heavily discounted as we were staying at the park.  Well worth going to, the boys loved it when Granny was invited to participate.  All in all as good as Disney without the crowds and queues although some of the characters were not as familiar.

As always I thank you for your visit and comments.  I am still trying to get the cottage back into some order but am catching up with you as and when I can.

See you soon.

A Blast From The Past - Efteling

 

I am back safe and sound from a wonderful holiday to Center Parks in Zandvoort Holland, a wonderful place, a wonderful Country and wonderful company.  It was a lovely location and with so many activities available not necessary to go off site.  We however wanted to re-live some of our youth and share with Wilbur some of the places we had taken his Mummy as a little girl.  We had stayed at the same site when it was owned by Gran Dorado at least 20 years ago perhaps longer so a day trip to Efteling Theme Park was arranged.  We were amazed how much we remembered, the essence of the park remaining the same around childhood story books.  A truly wonderful experience one that I would love to do with our other Grandchildren.

 

 

We were fortunate to watch the Raveleijn Park show which was amazing and included Ravens that were trained to food, a truly incredible experience that Wilbur is still talking about he enjoyed it so much.  A definite highlight of the holiday.

 

 

Some of the rides were a true blast from the past, the Carousels were a delight and brought back some lovely memories.

 

 

The toddler park was a feast for the eyes with the bright colours of the play equipment, Wilbur was enchanted by the strawberry.

 

 

Another old time favourite was the Carnival Festival ride which is a little like Its a Small World in Disney, a delight for young and old.

 

 

 The Efteling Museum was also a must see another blast from the past.

 Some of the artefacts did look familiar...

The Fairytale Forest remained the firm favourite with a lovely stroll, reflecting on times gone by and the stunning characters bringing the story to life.

 A truly memorable park to visit should you ever have the opportunity, a day that I will remember for a long time to come and I one that I feel honoured to have shared with my eldest daughter and her family.  Some beautiful memories to treasure.

As always thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my last post, sending me birthday and holiday wishes.  Also a warm welcome to new followers, I wish I could offer you a nice pot of tea and some cake.  I will catch up with everyone over the next few days.

See you soon.