Easter Tankovna

So I'm very behind in my blogging, as we have been extremely busy travelling the past few months. But here is a brief-ish review of what we did for Easter!  We spent 3 nights in Prague!  What a wonderful city. We arrived at the Hilton Prague Old Town Hotel. We could tell immediately that it was in a great location, within walking distance to most things but not right in the heart of it where noise would be an issue.  So we dropped our things and headed out to explore.  Being that it was late and we were hungry, we hopped on a tram to go to a part of town that Travers had read was a more lively local part of town, instead of staying in the touristy old town.  Unfortunately, this was the Friday before Easter and things were pretty calm and not a lot going on. But that didn't stop us from having a good time.  We found a cozy little restaurant where we got some beef goulash and some schnitzel and a couple of local Czech beers!

The next day we had a delicious breakfast at a nearby restaurant called Corso Cafe. We had eyed it the night before and knew it was going to have some good food and we weren't disappointed. We both ordered eggs, Travers' scrambled and mine over easy, and a side of sausages and fruit. To top it off some lattes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Yumm!  A great way to start our trip. And we needed the energy the food gave us as we walked a lot this day.  During breakfast we plotted our route. Travers had downloaded the Trip Advisor City Guide for Prague (great app to download that doesn't require data or wifi to use it, only downside is limited cities are available at this time). The app had a built in walking tour which we decided was the best route to take and would let us see as much of the city as possible. So off we went!

We walked from our hotel near the Palladium, down Celetna Street to our first stop, the Powder Tower! This gothic tower is one of the original 13 gates to the old town area of Prague and we walked under it several times this trip.  It also became a storage facility for the city's gun powder, hence the name.  We continued our stroll towards Old Town Square passing through many quaint cobblestone squares and down narrow streets, which finally opened up into the main square which, because of Easter, was having an Easter Market which took over the entire square! It was filled with people enjoying the live music, the food stands and the Easter festivities.

Power Tower!

We walked through the Old Town Square, peering in at the food and drink stands to see what they were selling. There was a live band playing some fun jazzy music, and everything was colorfully decorated. It was so much fun to see tons of people having a good time, enjoying the cold weather and local foods.

Old Town Square

We decided then to go up the Old Town Astronomical Clock Tower as it gave panoramic views of the city below.  It was a longer wait than we expected, because once you're up the tower, the small platform that you walk around is narrow and as typical tourists do, people would just stand there gazing out and take hundreds of photos and be so inconsiderate that others were waiting behind them. So we waited and waited, and finally when it was our turn to get out onto the platform, we, as we've learned from the European pushy people, we shoved our way through, taking photos as quickly as I could (Big shout out to my new camera that has a panoramic photo option that takes amazing panoramas...Thanks Mom and Dad!). So I got all the panoramic photos I needed to within a matter of minutes and were around that tower and heading back down in no time! Here are a few shots I ended up with.

Clock Tower

Astronomical Clock

From there, we walked through the Jewish Quarter, then across the Vltava River, on the bridge next to the famous Charles Bridge so we could see the Charles Bridge across the way.

Just on the other side of the Charles Bridge is the Lesser Town. It is just below the Prague Castle and to our luck was having its own Easter Market as well!  By this time it was around mid-day and we were getting hungry. At several of the food stalls, there was a couple large portions of roasted pig on a spit.  You would tell the guy how many grams you wanted and he would go and carve off a chunk for you and charge you by weight.  Travers and I shared a large piece which came with some sliced bread and mustard. Delish!

After lunch and strolling through Lesser Town, we decided to cross back to the Old Town side via the Charles Bridge. Named after King Charles IV, it is a pedestrian bridge that connects the Old Town and Lesser Town and is used every day by tons of tourists and locals alike.  We crossed slowly as it was packed with people, passing by many street artists and vendors, and watching as several boats went underneath the bridge. Finally making it to the other side, we looked back at the large Prague Castle, which we had decided to save for the next day.

Getting tired from all the walking, and cold from the cold weather, we popped into a local brewery that Travers had read about, for a couple cold unpasteurized beers. These beers come directly from the barrel or tank so the bars are typically called Tankovna's meaning directly from the tank.  It was so delicious but the service was slow, so we left in search of another one.  We found another tankovna and sat at the bar, ordering two Pilsner Urquell's from the tap. I'm not usually a big beer drinker, but these were so tasty that I don't think I will like beer any other way.

We eventually headed back towards the Old Town Square to get some more food and enjoy the entertainment.  There was more music being played and we enjoyed some freshly made potato chips (they put a potato on the end of a drill and push it through a slicer to make the chips, then dunk them in boiling oil) and some candied almonds before heading back to our hotel.

That evening, we went to dinner at a small restaurant in Old Town, having some hearty meat dishes and more Czech beers and watching some Czech football. We then headed out to Karlovy Lazne, one of the most popular disco clubs in town. Unfortunately when we got there, it was filled with young kids and smelled like a combination of old beer and vomit. ugh. Needless to say, we didn't last long. We had a couple drinks, tried not to touch too many icky surfaces, then eventually called it a night.

Easter Sunday, we started again at the Easter Market in Old Town where we had some local freshly made sugary pastries. Then we headed to the metro station to take the metro and then a tram to the Prague Castle.  This castle is comprised of a large cathedral and many surrounding buildings that make up the entire complex.  Travers and I explored the grounds and the large cathedral which had the highest ceilings I think we've ever seen in a cathedral before.

After taking in as much of the grounds as we could, we walked out to a lookout point where we could see the rest of the city below us. Braving the cold weather and wind that was blowing, we were able to get a few good pics of the city.

From the castle, we headed back through Lesser Town and towards Old Town, stumbling across the Lennon Wall, a wall covered with graffiti in tribute to John Lennon.

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We had lunch at a small little restaurant we randomly picked (yes, we can do random restaurants sometimes) and then wandered through the city, taking in as much of the architecture as possible and trying to keep ourselves warm by drinking local Czech beers and mulled wine.  And that evening, we had dinner at Bellvue Restaurant, the number one rated restaurant on Trip Advisor in Prague.  We both opted for the prix fixe menu with wine pairing and we were not disappointed!  The food was absolutely delicious and not too over the top pretentious. The waiter made us feel very comfortable and was really helpful in describing the wines and the food.  Plus, we had a great view of the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle through the front restaurant windows.

After dinner, we walked through the town, admiring the buildings all lit up at night, taking in our last few moments of Prague.  We ended the night with some beers at a nearby Irish pub where a band was playing some great American hits and several groups of stag and hen parties were taking place.









We left the next morning to fly back to Geneva. Now we have Czech-ed Prague off the list!

Weekend and Weekday Getaways

One of the best things about living in Geneva is the ease in which you can leave and spend a day or two in another nearby city.  In March, I did just this, with two trips almost back to back.  After we returned from Berlin, Travers turned right back around the next morning to go to London for the week for work.  I hadn't been to London since last August, so we decided it could be fun if I joined him for the weekend.  So after a week of working, I flew into Heathrow on Friday night and made my way to the Bloomsbury Hotel.  After getting settled in, a knock came on the door and a bottle of champagne was being delivered!  My dear husband had ordered it for me once I arrived! Travers showed up just in time, and we enjoyed the champagne while we caught up with eachother on the week.

We then caught a taxi to Travers' co-worker Travis Becker's apartment.  He had recently moved to London and was living in corporate housing, but was planning on moving into his own place the next week! So he showed us around, and we had some cocktails and appetizers while we caught up on how he was enjoying living in London.


Later that night we headed to dinner at a restaurant called Busaba Thai. Apparently there are several of these throughout London, and although we ended up at a different one than we intended, it was still one of the most delicious thai dinners I think I have ever had. Yumm!  After dinner, we strolled through Leicester Square, getting some Haagen-daaz ice cream for dessert. Double Yumm!

First night in London over, we slept like rocks and didn't rush to get up the next morning. When we finally got out of bed and ready for the day, we headed to Clapham, a neighborhood in London that Travis would soon be living in. We met him at The Windmill on the Common, a nearby hotel/restaurant/pub where we celebrated St. Patty's Eve by getting some beers and a tiny meat pie (yes, this was our breakfast).

Afterwards, we strolled around Clapham, around the common, a large open field where people will sunbathe  (on the rare sunny day) or play sports.  Travis showed us where his new apartment was going to be. Then we popped into The Sun Pub for some more beers and food, and to watch a rugby match that was on. We spent the next several hours chatting and enjoying the scene of the pub.  And as its name says, the sun actually came out from behind the clouds and shone in through the all-glass storefront. Amazing!









That evening we had plans for dinner with our friends Chris and Jasmine Hodges, who had lived in Geneva for awhile, then had moved to London a year earlier, and were moving back home to Seattle in the next few weeks.  So this was essentially the last time we would see them for awhile.  We had dinner at Wahaca, a fun Mexican restaurant (yes, we get Mexican food in almost every country we go to).  After devouring some tasty food and some yummy margaritas, we headed to a speakeasy called Purl, in a remote location, where you need a reservation to get in.  We were shown a corner table and all ordered some elaborate drinks where some balloons were popped and things were lit on fire. Seriously. After a round of drinks, we called it a night, said goodbye to our friends, tried not to shed any tears, and headed back to the Bloomsbury for the night.









The next morning, we packed our bags and grabbed one last meal before heading to Heathrow.  We met Travis (yes, we saw him a lot this weekend) near the Seven Dials and he showed us to his all time favorite restaurant to get Sunday roast, Hawksmoor. We were seated right away, and without looking at the menu, Travis ordered 3 Sunday roasts for us all.  When the waitress came back with three huge plates of food, our eyes went wide.  On each plate was a large cut of prime rib, lots of cooked vegetables and roasted potatoes, and a huge popover that rivals those at Neiman Marcus' The Rotunda!  Amazingly, we all ate most of our food, stuffing ourselves almost to uncomfortably full.  But it was well worth it as this was one of the best meals we've had in a long time.  Needless to say, we were not hungry for the rest of the day until much later that evening back in Geneva at home.

Two days later, on a Tuesday, I woke up at 4am, packed a bag, and caught the bus to the train station, where I met my friend Shelley and her baby girl Harper.  We were catching an early train to Paris for a one night girls trip!  The train took about 3 hours, arriving in Paris mid-morning. We took the metro to our hotel near the Arc de Triomphe (getting our first taste of travelling with a stroller in the Paris Underground), dropped our bags, took in the view of the city, then headed out to take in as much as possible.

Starting at the Arc de Triomphe, we strolled down the Champs-Elysees, stopping into various shops and stores.  It was almost lunch time, so we turned off the main drag and ventured into little side streets to find a cute cafe or restaurant. We settled on one with create your own sandwiches and salads. And even though we ordered in French, they can always tell that we would prefer English.

After lunch, we continued our stroll towards Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore and almost had a run-in with Justin Bieber, who was in town staying at Le Meridien. We waited awhile to see if he would show up, along with lots of teenage girls with their camera phones at the ready. When he didn't show up, we continued our stroll and ogled the designer clothes through the store-front windows. We took a break at Le Pain Quotidien for an afternoon coffee and to tend to little Harper. She really enjoyed sleeping through the majority of her first trip to Paris.  We tried going to the Ritz for a glass of champagne, because what's a trip to Paris without a glass of champagne!  But the hotel was under construction, so we found a nice quiet restaurant that looked out onto the front of the Palais Garnier, the Opera!

After enjoying a much needed glass of champagne, we took the metro back to the hotel, just as it started to rain.  We rested a bit at the hotel and played with baby Harper and took in the views of Paris lighting up after the sun set.  For dinner, since we get French food all the time, we chose a tasty Thai restaurant in the 3rd arrondissement, then called it a night as the rain wasn't letting up.












The next morning, we packed our bags, dropped them at reception, then took the Metro to the Notre Dame.  We walked past the Hotel de Ville, then crossed the bridge to  the Notre Dame. And just our luck, the sun came out just in time to shine upon us and the famous cathedral. After taking a quick look inside, and some photos outside (you can see Harper is continuing to sleep through Paris in the photo below), we continued into the 5th arrondissement, walking past the Sorbonne, and ending up at the Pantheon.

Continuing our stroll up Boulevard Saint-Michel, we had lunch at a small sushi restaurant that slowly filled with locals. Then stopped in at a Starbucks (it had to be done) before heading towards the Louvre.  We walked through the building and enjoyed the views of the beautiful museum.






It was getting time to head back home, so we took the metro back to the hotel, grabbed our bags, then metro'd it back to the train station just in time to catch our train back to Geneva.  It was a whirlwind of a trip to Paris, but it is such an amazing city and travelling there is so easy from Geneva, that it just had to be done.  One day we'll have to take Harper back there when she can keep her eyes open and truly enjoy the beautiful city.