A year in traveling: rewind (Part Deux - Spring Visitors)

Pin It
mid-03.2011: My mom and her two friends Laurie & Jackie, kicked off our Spring of visitors.
Us ladies went to Paris (Paul joined us later for an evening).  Of course it was our first time, so we did all the touristy things:

 

1.) A free tour.  Honestly, these tours are not boring at all and the best part is they are free.  But please tip, people! Oooh, and they give you great advice on what to do/see & equally as important where to eat/drink in the city.  To me, anything free is usually good, especially while traveling.  The tour started here at Fontaine St-Michel (pictured right).



2.) Went to the top of La Tour Eiffel.  Did you know some girl married married the Eiffel Tower?  Seriously, it is true. 

  3.) Then we saw it at night.  <3 when it sparkles. 

      

4.) Went to Le Sacre Coeur and had French wine in a cafe in Montmatre, perfect end to an evening in Paris.

Bring on the next visitors, my brother & Lea, AKA the Nerd & Lee (Yes, I am mature).

04.30.2011: Prague - pronounced pra-ha, the capital of the Czech Republic (Beautiful city! Go here!)

We arrived just in time for the May Day celebrations in Prague.  The main square had food booths and live music (more interesting than the live music we paid to see. snore.).   The traditional fare found in the booths was pretty tasty.  Excellent sausage, and a cinnamon-sugary dessert Lea and I split YUM:

While we were there, we covered the main highlights the city has to offer:

Charles Bridge

The Lennon wall

The Jewish Cemetery

The free tour in Prague is the best one I have been on in Europe.  It gives you a picture of what the past in Prague was like, including the struggles they went through during WWII, their fight against communism, and the hope they have for the future.  Amazingly enough, even after all this, the majority of the city is still in tact and is absolutely breathtaking. 

We were lucky and had some amazing weather, so we had some Czech beers on this boat on the river.  Cannot think of a better way to spend an afternoon:

Since this is a blog about travel & food: Lea wanted to try traditional Czech fare, so she ordered duck, and got a WHOLE duck.  Is that normal?  We weren't sure.  She ate it anyway.   

 Tip: Carry spare change and some TP in case you need to go while sight seeing.  There are some public toilets throughout the city, but may not be very well equipped. :) hahaha

To wrap up:  We brought a friend home with us, Opitza (it means monkey in Czech).  Meet Opitza.  



And last but certainly not least: a visit by my grandma, Irene & aunts, Jan & Mary in early 06.2011.  I was so blessed to have my 84 year old grandmother who was battling cancer make it all the way across half of America and the Atlantic to visit me in Belgium, a month before she passed away.  The memories made while she was here, are certainly ones that hold a special place in my heart.  We spent most of our time in Brussels, with a day trip to Bruges, and an overnight trip to Amsterdam.  The three of them continued onward with a bus trip to Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna before heading back to Wisconsin.

Love my grandma, and now she is certainly in a better place :)

Grandma Mono

Pin It