Hellbrun Wasserspiele

The next day after a good breakfast, the kids were more interested in going to Hellbrunn. This is a baroque palace that belonged to an archbishop. On the garden tours, visitors sit here in the ampitheater and volunteers get to come down to the archbishop's table where outdoor parties were held. The guide gets everyone settled and lulls us all into inattention with the history of the palace, and then:

You'll notice that our three kids ran right down, knowing what was ahead. Joss was not interested in another tour and Rob had corralled him on the side. Then when there was an empty place, Rob decided he and Joss would sit too. They were very popular with the crowd. But somehow (and I've looked at the pictures and can't figure it out) Rob's spray was more like a garden hose going full blast. He and Joss got absolutely drenched.

Joss would have stayed here and played for another half hour or so, even in his soaked state. But in having to move on, he decided he'd had enough, and Rob took him out for the rest of the tour. Turns out that he was starving (how are we supposed to remember all this stuff?!) and after some food he was great. The dog who came on our tour was better behaved. I am not even joking -- Austrians bring their dogs sightseeing with them.

And they behave better than my children.

Well better than one of my children. These three were fantastic. They alternated between hiding from and running to the hidden fountains at each stop. They ended up pretty wet too, but it was a hot, hot day and it felt good to wear some cool water. We met Rob and Joss afterward for lunch and playing in the park, and those two were still the wettest!

I took a few videos, but Curtis did a better job and edited them all for you. If you'd like to see them you can visit his post on Hellbrunn.