For Erika's birthday, we decided to take the train to Windsor to visit Legoland. The whole day was really fun. At Legoland, Erika received a big button that says, "I'm spending my birthday at Legoland". Throughout the entire day, Erika felt very special because everyone commented on the button, even the waitress at Pizza Hut.
Erika had great fun directing the activities. She rode some of the amusement rides more than once. She drove a small motor boat and also took a mini-driving lesson in traffic school. In Germany, learning the road signs and how to ride a bike or drive a car are taken seriously. Children start to learn how to drive when they are in primary school. They start with a bicycle traffic school and then advance to traffic school using small electric cars. Everyone must go through the German Fahrschule before getting a driver's license when you are a new driver or even if have a valid driver's license from another country. There are also board games so children can learn the road signs. So, it is not surprising to find a traffic school at Legoland and it is one of the most popular rides. At the Legoland Traffic School, they teach the children some of the road signs and then the children use small electric cars on a miniature driving course with small roundabouts. Erika thought it was great. In fact, with all our travelling, Erika is learning how to read road maps and look for road signs such as for campgrounds or hotels.
As a special treat, we had our favorite ice cream - mint chocolate chip for a late afternoon snack. While eating the ice cream, we walked through Miniland. This is a miniature re-creation of famous places throughout Europe with a special emphasis on London. We saw the Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, Tower of London, London Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace with the changing of the guards, Edinburgh Castle, Mont St. Michel and a German Bavarian village. Of course, Erika received a gift from "The Big Lego Shop". After all, what is a birthday without a special gift from your Mom and Dad. Finally, we went to Pizza Hut for dinner. Because of her Legoland button, the waitress knew it was her birthday. So, they gave her a huge bowl of ice cream and even sang "Happy Birthday".
