Welcome to Sanchez World

I haven't blogged in a while since we got back from Europe on our most beautiful wedding and plenty has happened since.

Only after two weeks back from Europe I had to go to Whistler in Canada for a weeks conference.  Ofcourse an opportunity to ski two different continents in the same month was not going to let Melanie pass so we decided to go and enjoy Canada.  Although not as picturesque and as sweet as St Antons, Whistler is a skiers paradise.  With so many great runs and tones of snow we had an awesome time.  Staying at the Four Seasons wasn’t to bad either!!

Once we got back it was back to normal life...although plenty has happened.  Something very small like turning 40 for both Melanie and I. 

We decided that this year we would make it our 40th year and not just a birth day.  So we started pretty well with our wonderful European wedding and holiday.  Canada was wonderful and although we did so much on our own we wanted to include the kids aswell so we decided that on the school holidays we hire a massive houseboat and sail out onto the Hawkesbury for the week.  We all had a wonderful time on this great boat fishing, swimming and discovering such a beautiful part of Sydney we never get to see.

For Melanie and my 40th Birthday we booked Quay Restaurant and had a wonderful evening.  Quay is regarded as this years most exclusive and best restaurant in Sydney by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.  And it didn't disappoint.  The view particularly was AMAZING.  With 180 degree views of the Harbour we even got some fireworks!

We got much more coming this most important year including James and Natasha's birthday's, Melanie's graduation, selling our house, buying a new one, winter holidays, Nicky's birthday and hopefully even a promotion for me at work!

Will be back with more soon!

The Sanchez Clan!

I don't normally blog about "work related" stuff on our family blog but this is too good to not share.

After 18 years at Microsoft and over 20 years in this industry, very few things now days impresses me.  But as an avid space cadet and total freak of the outer limits it is impossible not to get excited and impressed with what we made available for free online today.

The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a Web 2.0 visualization software environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope—bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world for a seamless exploration of the universe.

That is what the website has to say ...however you can now download it and look at it yourself ...http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/

Here are a few images...WOW!

We finally got the entire photo shoot from the Wedding from our Austrian photographer.  The photos are great and I have posted some here for you to look at and in the album on the left.

Just looking at them brings back such great memories!

Yes, we are selling our house in Lane Cove.  Its a great place but we want to upgrade to something bigger and more spacious for the kids.

Here are some of the shots the agent took yesterday

It goes to Auction 24th May at 9:45am.  Fingers crossed!

Here is the link to the Agents website:

http://www.mcgrath.com.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=buying.details&listing=61687

On February 1st in the beautiful town of Salzburg Austria, Mel and I finally tied the knot!

However, our adventure to get there started 4 weeks earlier when we decided to holiday in Europe prior to our vows being exchanged.  You could say we honeymooned before we got married but then again what is the difference?

We started our European holiday in London were from apart from visiting some of the more interesting sites (which either Mel or I have not seen) such as a tour inside Covent Garden as well as having a lovely lunch with Mel's great friend Suzanna, it was primarily the place were we were going to get over our jetlag.  Shopping at Harrods and stacking up with undies at Marks and Spencer was mandatory as well as the traditional pub lunches.

We then travelled to Paris were we spent the most romantic and wonderful week.  Staying at a very traditional french apartment in Montemarte, we metro'd to every site you need to see in Paris.  The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Le Champs Elysees , the cathedral of Notre Dame (which I thought was more dirtier than it was), Le Arc de Triumph and even a coincidental visit to the Moulin Rouge!!

Because we were staying in one of Paris' most upmarket and beautiful suburbs we felt like true locals. Paris has so much character, originality and beauty that it left us wanting more.  No doubt a place were we will return.

We then travelled to Prague (on a an airline called Hahn Air..!!).  Prague is like nothing in the world!.  Probably the most beautiful city in the world encapsulates old Europe.  It is so pristine and wonderfully traditional its hard to describe which part was the best.  From magnificent cathedrals, to Charles Bridge to its most imposing and magnificent castles - you can see where Walt Disney got his inspiration for all of his fairytale movies.  A highlight of the week there was seeing a production of Rigoletto at Prague's beautiful Opera House...also staying at the Four Seasons was not too bad either!

We then train' d it to Vienna.  Ahh Vienna.  Just when we thought Prague was amazing, Vienna shows itself in grandeur and beauty.  Vienna has this exquisite feeling that left us in ore of it.  It is so grand and luxurious, everything is in huge scale...from its beautiful architecture, to its grand avenues to its delicious coffee houses to its massive Vienna Schnitzels.  It is also the home of classical music and as a huge fan of Mozart it was practically like being in a huge music museum. Every great composer at some point visited Vienna, and you can see it in just about everywhere you go.  It is such an elegant city that I know Mel truly fell in love with it.

We then hired a car  and drove to Salzburg.  Salzburg is a tiny version of Vienna, but with its own uniqueness and beauty.  In the week we were there we discovered the place where not only we got married but the place where it will always become part of us and part of our hearts.

If you have ever seen the sound of music, you will know what I mean.  It is such a picturesque small town that you can see it all in a few days.  However it compels you to see it over and over again as it always has something beautiful to offer.  Salzburg became even more special as our friends Jacqueline and Tim flew in from Singapore, my mate Tony flew in from Sydney and my mum arrived from Madrid.  To spend the wedding weekend with us and then go skiing in St Antons.

I dont believe that if we could have planned every moment of the Wedding day it would have turned out as good as it actually did.  Mel and I were staying in a charming little apartment in the centre of the old town were we practically lived like locals.  We also booked the two other apartments in the same floor for Tony and my Mum. 

We started the day by getting ready and heading off to the beautiful Mirabell Palace.  The Mirabell Palace which was the palace of the many Archbishops of Salzburg and royalty of Austria is also the place regarded as the most beautiful wedding registry in the world.  In the Marble Hall (which is entirely made of Marble and Gold gilding) is where our ceremony took place.  The registrar that married us was such an eloquent lady that everything she said as well as the way she said it made many of us tear up with wonder and joy.

With Jacqueline and Tony as maitren of honor and best man, we exchanged our vows and married at 12:30pm on February 1st.

We all then moved on to the stylish Sacher Hotel through the beautiful Mirabell gardens where we took many wonderful pictures of the wedding party and ate and drank many bottles of Moet!.

We then had a car take us to the Schloss Fuschl.  Now Melanie and I have travelled all over the world and have stayed in wonderful and beautiful hotels, however nothing compares to the beauty and grandeur of the Schloss.  Schloss stands for Castle in German and that is exactly what it was but with the most amazing beauty and elegance.  At the Schloss is were we also had a our wedding dinner - the Imperial Restaurant - where it is regarded as the only 3 Michelin Star restaurant in all of Austria and in itself was a gastronomical experience.  With a 10 course 5 hour degastation feast we were completely spoiled with the most wonderful food.

We woke up in the morning to snow and it could not have been more beautiful. 

We then said bye to my mum and we headed off to ski in St Antons with Jacq, Tim and Tony.

St Anton's is a wonderful little ski resort in the centre of the Austrian Tyrol Alps.  It snowed nearly every night of the week we were there and  sunshine nearly every day.  With the most magnificent views of the Alps and the softest powder it made skiing a delight.  There is certainly different type of snow around the world and St Anton's is pure gold....and Thredbo pure shit compared!

St Anton's is also a huge party town and even at the top of the hill we partied hard and still managed to ski down the mountain in darkness and way over the ski alcohol limit!

The snapshots you see are just a small portion of over 500 photo's we took of our holiday and wedding, but you might wonder were are the photos of the actual wedding ceremony etc..Well, we hired a photographer for the day and she took magnificent photos of the ceremony and the Mirabell gardens.  We have them in hard print but we are getting them digitally.  Once we do, I will make sure to post.

We had the best time of our lives and although we never expect anyone to travel all that way to Austria for our wedding we thought about you all during the day and missed you.  However stay tuned as we plan to celebrate in Sydney very shortly.  Trust me it will be a big one!!

Lots of love Mr and Mrs Sanchez

Say no more.....

Thought I might show you photos of Lola.  Yes, she is home and I got my L's.

She is a beauty...and even after getting a flat on my first day out with her (she is typical girl) and getting my mate Paul Barlow to help me bring her home...thanks Paul....she is now part of the family!.

Check her out!