It’s been a couple of very busy and cold/wet days exploring Prague. Nonetheless, Prague has rewarded us with gorgeous architecture beautiful monuments and delicious food.
Here are some of our favorite photos to date. Our hotel room is on the 6th floor. It’s high enough to yield some interesting shots above many of the rooftops. Some are interesting, others a chuckle. Enjoy!
J&J
What’s a guy gotta do around here to get a bite to eat!Honey…Did you feed the cat today?Er…no I thought it was your turn to feed it!A pair of turrets from a distant church.A lone clock tower on the skyline.A little of this, a dash of that, mix together and viola!
It was an interesting travel day yesterday. We had an early wake up call and a 9 a.m. Uber pickup from the apartment. SURPRISE! Our street was closed due to street repaving. We left the apartment early to see if our Uber pickup was in sight. Long story short, Uber canceled our order. Surprisingly a local taxi was both faster and cheaper…
We had a pleasant Air France flight from Paris to Prague in 1 hour, 20 minutes. The big surprise arriving in Prague was the cab ride to the city center took longer than the flight due to massive traffic.
This morning we took a quick walk around the old town city center. Here are some of our photos.
Within the next few hours we will check into our new hotel and meet the rest of our travel companions for the next two weeks.
One of many churches in the city center.Peek-a-boo view of the spires from our hotel.City CenterConcert Hall
Today brings our first week in Paris to an end. As always that means getting reacquainted with the familiar and making new discoveries at the same time.
We decided to explore the Rodin museum after we calculated it’s been over 25 years since we had been there. We did not recognize it at first glance.
His former home (a mansion actually) is now a museum along with the estate’s grounds.
Here are some of our favorite photos from the day.
Six rare paintings by Rodin.The KissThe Thinker in pastel. Van GoghToes…Handy…Van GoghVan Gogh 2Van Gogh 3The ThinkerDomed church where Napoleon is buried.
Each visit to Paris reminds us why we keep coming back. It’s the ever changing, always evolving, never disappointing Paris we have grown to love.
There is an energy here that is hard to describe. It is reminiscent of the US of our younger days. THANK YOU Paris for opening your heart to those seeking a safe and caring place to thrive.
Here are some of our favorite photos from yesterday.
A beautiful day and great perspective of the Eiffel Tower.
Fontaine de Mars located near the Eiffel Tower has been one of our ‘GO TO’ restaurants for over 35 years. Great classic French cuisine and world class service that does not disappoint!
The Gargoyles of St.-Germain-des-Pres have watched over Paris’ oldest Church, dating from the 11th Century.
The surviving towers of the great fire that all but destroyed Notre Dame await the reconstruction already well underway.Every direction has a good possibility of a great view. (Or Restaurant…)Afternoon sun on the Ile St. Louis.
The weather is slowly changing with only an occasional drizzle and just enough sunshine to make Paris glow.
Yesterday was filled walks through Les Halles and the Beaubourg neighborhood, followed by a movie and a casual walk home the Marais.
St. Eustache Church, construction period, 1532 to 1640 is a massive structure in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris. It’s well worth a visit! St. Eustache is a massive structure with over a dozen chapels.The original organ was built in 1854. It has been restored and upgraded many times and is regarded as one of the finest instruments in the Capital.We stumbled upon a quiet little park dedicated to the 500 infants that were murdered at the end of World War 2…Place Des VosgesAfter our 6 mile walk, time for an Aperol Spritz!
Today we explored the 9th Arrondissement known for its covered shopping passages, varied shops, the famous Follies Bergeres and a relatively low tourist presence.
We enjoyed a lunch of Moules Marinieres (mussels in a garlicky wine sauce) and Frites with a nice bottle of French Sancerre wine.
It was a delightful day getting reacquainted with a part of the city we have not visited in recent years.
The weather cooperated again today as we racked up 5.3 miles on our health meter. Here are some of our discoveries.
The Bourse is France’s Stock Market.A typical street in the 9th ArrondissementThe Follies Bergere is a famous theater venue dating back decades.La Mere de Famille is a gourmet food shop founded in 1761. The store is packed with goodies, especially chocolates. Not to be missed if you are in the area!Hotel de Ville (City Hall)Approaching Notre Dame. Our first look since the devastating fire. The good news is restoration has begun.Near Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle boasts fantastic stained glass windows dating to the medieval days.
Nearby is the turreted prison where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned before execution.Hello from the Ile St. Louis!
We arrived in Paris midday yesterday via the Eurostar fast train after a pleasant 2-1/2 hour ride from London! What a nice and affordable way to travel from the UK to Europe.
Today we started one of several walking tours on our agenda including the Viaduct des Arts, Bastille to Les Halles, a movie at Les Halles shopping center and entertainment complex. And finally back to our base near the Bastille (11th arrondissement).
Golden angel in the morning sun atop the Place de la Bastille column.Once an elevated Railway, now a welcomed walking pathway.A unique glass facade in the morning sun.A classic bakery from the 1800sA unique interior crucifix in a 17th century church, Paroisse Saint Antoine Des Quinze Vingts Place des Vosges is as splendid as ever. Sunny morning in the 12 ArrondissementThis Israeli restaurant in the Marais has been popular for decades. We enjoyed falafels, hummus, three salads and a tasty black beer. The massive Eataly is another favorite restaurant where a lunch is on today’s agenda,
We recently spent a weekend with Jeff and Wendy, long time friends of ours. They invited us to their mountain home near the small town of Arnold, near Angels Camp at the 5,000 foot level of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
It’s a bucolic setting with endless rivers, streams, hiking and magnificent forests and scenery.
A high point of our visit was an afternoon strolling the Calaveras Big Trees State Park, home to one of the largest stands of giant sequoia redwood trees, many dating as old as 2,000 years.
Some of these trees are over 325 feet tall and some have trunks 33 feet in diameter. The Park is popular in good weather. It’s visitor friendly, children friendly and there are ADA facilities throughout.
The Sequoiadendron giganteum forestJeff, John and RuebenStumpedAlpine lakeTaking a break.Wendy, a great host, and awesome chef.Afternoon in a peaceful setting. Cocktails and snacks Sierra Style! One of the grandest old Sequoias may be 20 centuries old.
It was another glorious day of sunshine on the coast. Generally clear skies and near perfect weather conditions.
Our only wish would be to replicate this weather for all our friends and family in the areas where the weather has been so frightfully cold.
Until then, we hope a few more pictures will be welcomed by all. Mendocino felt surprisingly quiet, uncrowded and we had a leisurely day visiting the shops, headlands and an afternoon hike to the Cabrillo Light Station.
Here are our favorite photos from day 3.
First we were greeted by this perfect reflection of a local museum.
A favorite store selling locally grown and made mustards, jams, jellies and more.
One of the locally famous water towers still in use from another era.
The MacCullum House B&B is open to the public for beakfast and dinner.
The historic Masonic Temple now shares space with a local Community Bank.
It’s another beautiful morning with clear skies and expected temps in the 60s. We’ll be hiking and exploring Mendocino today.
In the meantime here are some more pictures of Fort Bragg and the surrounding areas. Our afternoon walk through the local Botanical Gardens and more of the coastline.
Enjoy, J&J
Our morning walk through our favorite, MacKerricher State Park!
Surf, 10 to 20 foot waves!
Good morning to all of you from John & Jim.
Good morning from a little friend.
A morning chat…
A morning snack!
A beautiful morning for a walk.
Another perfect morning and the coast.
A perfect wave on a perfect black sand beach.
We filled the afternoon with a relaxing stroll through Fort Bragg’s Botanical Gardens.