Monets garden to Paris

  I booked us a room about 20 minutes drive to giverny. It's called Le Jardine de epicure. I found it on hotel.com and it was only 120 euros for the night. When we arrived I was so excited . It was a beautiful old chateau surrounded by gardens, atriums filled with birds. Forest trails that meandered along the river and over a bridge to another old chateau. The hotel has a sauna and steam room. A indoor pool overlooks the pond and  garden through glass walls. Peacocks and chickens roam the property. The room was elegant and clean. I was tickled pink to stay here. The only draw back was the shower had a big window with sheer curtains. If the neighbors happen to be sitting in there living room and look up they would completely see you shower. That was the quickest most awkward shower of my life. 

   We ate dinner at the hotel. It was served on a deck so you could enjoy all the nature around you. The food was delicious and the people were great. It was a incredibly romantic setting. 

  Monets garden was beautiful but what a tourist trap. It was hot and very crowded. The gardens were really beautiful but the line to see monets house was so long we just decided to not see it. I loved the surrounding area. I'd love to visit again the same hotel and ride bikes through the Normandy country side but I wouldn't bother seeing monets house again.

   I had arranged to drop the rental car outside of Paris and just take the train in but Jimmie decided it would be easier to just drop the car in Paris. Take note of this if you ever plan on returning a rental car in Paris. ... You must return the car with a full gas tank. If you don't you will be charged 150 euros extra. Ever look for a gas station in Paris? It's not fun let me tell you. Driving in Paris is nuts.  Jimmie loves it of course, he takes on the demeanor of the Tasmanian devil behind the wheel. I on the other hand feel like at any moment I'll be taking my last breath so I take lots of gasping breaths which the Tasmanian devil doesn't appreciate. Our phones don't work over here so we can't just ask Siri where is the nearest gas station which means we are left to ask the people in the cars next to us who of course don't speak English while at the stop lights. An exchange of charades carries on where I make the motion of pumping gas on the side of the car and wonder if they think I'm making the motion of shooting a gun. They mumble jumble some directions in French and one thing I've learned is people who don't really know English constantly screw up right and left which is a problem. They will be pointing right and saying left which leaves you more confused. 

  We put the address of the hertz drop off location in the gps and hoped to find gas on the way. No gas station in sight. When we arrive at the destination the car directed us too ,no sign of hertz car rental. It's getting late ,we are hungry, it's hot. I'm starting to panick a little and the driving is making it worse. At one point by some miraculous intervention we stumbled upon the hertz but still hadn't found gas. I wanted to just pay the money and run. Jimmie on the other hand did not want to spend the extra 150 so he went in and got directions to gas station. How will we ever find our way back? No gps. The buildings are so tall you can't see anything and the streets turn you in circles then there's the one ways! I wanted to cry. The directions he got were just around the round about you will see the sign. Somehow he didn't clarify which round about. So here we are driving around the arc de triumph no less than 500 times. Let me explain what this is like. Six or seven or maybe 8 lanes but you can't really call them lanes because there's no lines all circling around with no rhyme or reason. Huge busses ,motor bikes ,fast cars ,honking ,random crazy bicyclists .. I'm gasping.. The devil has the wheel gripped and exclaims how he loves this. A giant bus feels like it's landing in my lap. Round and round we go. I'm getting dizzy from the circling.  There is no gas station! Where the heck do these crazy drivers get there gas?!! Forget the 150 lets just find our way back to hertz. Lost again... Illegal u turns , a few wrong turns down one way streets up down back and forth it all looks the same but no sign of hertz. Finally we stumbled upon it and I wanted to throw myself out of the car and kiss the ground under that big yellow sign. Jimmie went back in to ask for directions the second time. We both decided it was best for me to stay. I walked across the street and ordered a beer and French fries. I wondered if I'd ever see him again. I'd just spend the rest of my life waiting for him under that big yellow sign. He made it back. We were circling the wrong round about apparently.  And the gas was under ground. Weird.

  It took a while to calm down after that fiasco but soon we began our journey on foot back towards our hotel. Walking in Paris is never a bad idea. There is no end of curious and beautiful sights. I love Paris. I love France. I love French people. There is only one thing I don't love about France. Apparently there is a shortage of toilet seats. Have they heard of Home Depot? Seriously France spring for some toilet seats.

   We ended our trip sipping our little bottle of burgundy wine on the river surrounded by all the Parisians enjoying the warm summer night relaxing and picnicking together. It was really a beautiful night we didn't have our phones and we both agreed we'd have to etch this memory into our minds which was a lovely thought actually, we couldn't depend on snapping a picture. We had to slow down and absorb everything around us. The sight the smell the sound and the feeling.  Memories... Good memories .. You can't replace them no one can steal them and you can visit them when times are tough. Like a favorite old sweater that warms you on a chilly night our beautiful memories comfort us . 

   We had one last dinner out at a tiny little place called CHANARD... If you visit Paris,, it's perfect. The food was amazing but the best part is the three owners who all visit with you including the chef. 

   Flying home now. This has been better than I had hoped for. We had a absolutely awesome time and our boys did amazing holding down the fort at home. I'm so proud of them and can't wait to hug them and thank them again for being such great kids that we could trust them and do this. Hopefully soon the grimes will be abroad again. 

Photos

Burgundy...

  We are in jimmies happy place. Burgundy France. The best wines in the world planted  over a thousand years ago by the monks are divided into four regions. They produce only Chardonnay and Pinot noir. Mid evil old stone walls separate the vineyards into clos. We visited one of the wine makers Jimmie sells for and tasted the first day we arrived. These monks knew there business.  Jimmie enjoys learning all the details, I just like drinking the details. 

   Beaune is where we are staying two nights. It's a charming village with many choices of cafes and boulangeries and wine shops where you can taste. The first night scott and shauna  came with us and we ate at a very traditional French restaurant. I couldn't understand the menu because it was all in French so I decided to order off the set menu which is basically a choice from three starters a choice of meat or fish and a choice for dessert. The first choice was a tartine of organ meats...ewe... Or beef carpaccio ..beef that is raw...ewe.. I'll go with the salad.  When it arrived it was a delicate green salad surrounded by many large brown pieces of something. Big mushrooms? Steak? I reluctantly bite into the squishy firm thing... Chicken liver!!! Ewe EWE EWE! I  HATE liver of any kind. Ever since I was a kid I hate liver. I remember my dad making liver and onions once and I refused to eat it so I had to sit at the table staring at the ugly piece of flesh that I believe filters all the nasty stuff inside another living thing while all the other kids ate buttery popcorn in the living room. I could never bring myself to eat it. It taste to me like a dirty sink rag , I tried to swallow the chicken liver in the fancy little resteraunt and it nearly climbed back out of my throat. For someone who enjoys food as much as I do,I just cant bring myself to swallow things I really don't like. The place was very small, only ten tables or so and the owner was waiting on us. I felt like that little kid stuck at the table. I wanted dessert and I was afraid they wouldn't let me have it if I didn't clean my plate and I really didn't want to hurt their feelings. I reached in my purse and found a small paper bag. I figured I would use my old tactic from when I was a kid and carefully sneak the livers in the bag then into my purse and dump them later. Jimmîe caught me and refused to let me do that. So I put some on everyone's plate to make it look like I ate more than I did. Another old trick from child hood. That's enough fancy French food for me. We ate Italian the next night.

    I worked up an appetite after riding 20 miles through the vineyards. This of course was jimmies idea and because he loves it here so much I wanted to go along with him. The beginning of the trail was breathtakingly beautiful. The bike path was surprisingly quiet and we only passed a few cyclists. Every now and then we would see someone working in the vineyard and I would say bonjour. At one point four people were bent down tending the vines and everyone of them stopped and popped their heads up to return the friendly Bon jour. I love French people. They really are so gracious and kind. 

   We pedaled through four villages. I loved the hills. Going down them that is. We really had a great time until the ride home when I realized how far we had gone and Jimmie was in a hurry because he wanted to visit a wine tasting cave. I was pedaling my life away. I am sure we pedaled to Poland and back. Why don't they make a bigger more comfy seat on a bike? 

   I feel like I spend half my time chasing Jimmie and the the other half waiting for him. But the moments he stands beside me make it all worthwhile, there is no one in the world I'd rather travel with or experience life with. Now if he would just stop trying to kill me on these darn bikes. 

   We're off the see monets garden today then Paris tomorrow the next day home to see my little men. 

France

  Here we are in beautiful France. The main purpose of this trip was to come visit our friends scott and shawna and their son Zien. We have been friends for at least eight years. We met when z was a baby and shawna was carrying him in a back pack by our house in Nevada city. We started chatting and that lead to a long friendship. Scott is Australian so they ended up moving back to Australia for a while  then Switzerland ( I think) then Southern California . We kept in touch the whole while and then just six months before we moved to Santa Cruz they moved to Felton. They are the kindest most loving people you can ever meet. Shawna and I started to study the bible together along with z and we became very close friends, so they are very special to us.

  We flew into Geneva. Where they live is near the border of Switzerland in the village of annecy France. It's stunning. The hills are so green and there is so much variety of trees and foliage everywhere. Chateaus seem to be around every corner. Fields with cows who actually wear bells. A river, a sparkling blue lake and luminous jagged mountains make this one of the prettiest places I've been. We were here six years ago with the kids. I never thought then that I would be back visiting with friends. 

  On our way home from airport we stopped  at the grocery store. It was like a field trip for Jimmie and I. The French grocery stores are like a work of art. They don't mess around with food. It's to be taken very seriously. In my opinion the foodies of the world. We went to the local boulangerie and cheese shop for the bread and cheese. Aaahhhh France how I love you. Warm baguettes and tarts and smelly soft cheeses came home with us. 

   Scott and shawna took us to the local bric a brac store. A thrift store in a tiny village with the most amazing mountain view I've ever seen. It was a treasure trove of old French pottery and farm house finds and even nice clothes. We had a great time treasure hunting. 

  It's nice to just relax and catch up with friends. Tonight we will go to the Kingdom Hall with them and we are looking forward to that. 

 I'm heading down stairs to have my coffee with shawna. I can hear the birds singing, the cowbells ringing and the sound of the river in the distance. It's truly beautiful here. 

Budapest with jarmo and Eila

  We had a blast in Budapest. I believe it has climbed to the top of my list for favorite european city. Four days was not enough. If I could do it over I'd do 3 nights in Prague and a minimum of five in Budapest. 

   Our friends from Stockholm met us there and that made it all the more wonderful. There is so much to see in this huge city there's no way we could possibly see it all. 

  On our last day we took bikes to the baths. It's a true Hungarian thing to do and I didn't want to miss it. Under the city is geo thermal hot mineral water which they claim has health benefits. When your traveling it's fun to do the things the local people do. 

  When entering the place we must have stood out like two soar thumbs. I'm sure we looked as confused as we actually were about where to start and what to do. The place was huge and after changing we first saw some indoor pools. I thought Jimmie was going to die. The water looked like a fish pond. There was all these big hairy Hungarian men in speedos just chillin in the water. I said " come on babe you have to at least try it" I climbed in. The water was nice and warm but I had to admit secretly this water was a little nasty. Jimmie climbed in for a total of about 20 seconds and immediately climbed out and hit the shower. He makes me laugh. The look on his face was priceless. You would have thought I'd have asked him to dive into a septic tank.

 We headed outside and it was much better. Huge pools crowded with friendly relaxed faces but the water was blue. He nervously joined me. A piece of pollen from the trees floated up to Jimmie and he shooed it away like it was a turd. I said babe relax its pollen from a tree. He said no it's probably toilet paper that floated out of someone's butt. He looked over and saw a man dunking his face under water and I thought he was going to loose it. He is so funny. Such a germ a phobic, 

   In the end I thought it was really relaxing and nice and I love how it's their culture just to meet up at the baths and soak together. Young and old people just chilling out. I loved hearing all the different languages and I love how Europeans are so content within their own skin. Speedos are the norm and so are scantily clad robust women. But no one cares. They are there for the bath not to look at other people or worry how they look. I have found America to be so much more obsessed with body images but in Europe as jarmo explained to me the most important thing is feeling comfortable in your own skin. I like it. 

  It was sad to leave Jarmo  and Eila. We always love to see them and always gave a great time. It was sad to leave Budapest. I forgot to mention the wine was incredible! I've tasted the best wines of my life here. So if you are reading this and love wine go to a international wine place and buy yourself some Hungarian wine. The tokaj region is amazing and puts out some of the most beautiful wines in the world. 

  Good bye Hungary I hope to see you again real soon. Time to head off to France to see scott and shawna and zein. 

Photos from Budapest

These have been the best shoes for walking miles a day they are dansko and I love them

Green smoothies 

Jimmie very happy with his Hungarian lunch 

Chain bridge and more 

Bicycling is bad for marriage...

  I was hesitant to rent bikes in Budapest. It seems like a huge city and I'm much more comfortable on my own two feet than peddling a bike but I could tell Jimmie really wanted to bike so I agreed and tried to put a smile on my face. It's got benefits for sure, you see so much more biking than walking. It's a nice city with good bike lanes, the trouble is when your riding with Mr.  surfer fitness there's some logistic problems. He transforms into a 15 year old kid, he sails like a graceful bird down the streets , when stairs are in the way that doesn't slow down Mr. Fit he simply flies over them, hills are no problem for Mr. Fitness of the year. He petals up effortlessly like he's got an invisible machine in his sneakers. 

Intersections with cars... No problem when you are fit as a fiddle and fearless as a lion. You just weave in and out of traffic like it's as familiar as brushing your teethe. 

  Now me on the other hand. I'm gluten intolerant and have been snacking on copious amounts of luscious bread which has bloated me like a helium  balloon. I'm sweating like a sumo wrestler, I'm clumsy as a newborn giraffe on a ice skating rink,and fearful as a horse on a windy day. 

  This is a recipe for disaster. The climax was when I was pedaling my life away up a hill and suggested we walk the bikes and mr. Charming surfer fitness ,said " just pedal up you can loose a few pounds that way" 

  In my mind ... I found a big stick which I shoved between the spokes of his wheels. He flew off his jet propelled bike and into the Danube river and floated his rear end back to Santa Cruz. I got off my bike and waddled to the nearest bakery. 

   In the end... I had to admit despite me almost killing and humiliating myself many times I had fun and I didn't kill him. 

  And that's all I have to say about that. 

   

(Backup) After arriving in Budapest I've decided mean people suck

  After my visit to communist museum I figured people who lived under harsh conditions and through war must be hardened from their experiences and that's why so many people in Prague were rude. 

  Then I came to Budapest. During world war 2 they were bombed like crazy they have been occupied by the Germans and the Russians and before that Turks before that invaded by Mongolia . Yet from  the moment we got off the plane we were greeted with the most hospitable friendly faces. The cab driver was amazing and he  gave us a history tour on our ride. He was so excited to tell us about Hungarian wines and how great they are. He pointed out the communist block buildings and explained how they were built in a hurry to accommodate the people who returned home after the war. They are tall dark rather ugly buildings. But the history behind them is interesting. 

    Everyone we have met has been exceptionally warm and friendly and when you smile... get this.. they smile back at you. I even got some winks and some smiles are so warm if I had a little less sense I would just stop and give hugs to strangers. 

   The city is a mix of ancient, some run down and some preserved and modern all in one big harmonious package. Everything is electic and mesmerizing but wherever you look it's like a new piece of candy for your eyes. Something new something old ,your mind doesn't rest. In other places you are captivated by all the old cobble stone streets and castles and cafes but here there is a different element that leaves you feeling you can never see it all. 

   The apartment I rented is amazing! A cool mix of vintage and artful decorations bring life to the tall ceilings . Old windows with beautiful bronze knobs open wide to let the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the people below us , smells of Hungarian goulash with spicy paprika and warm bread fill the air. It's absolutely beautiful ! 

  Oh travel how I love you! You open my heart and my mind and make me want to live forever! Never could I tire of seeing all this earth has to offer or tire of the beautiful smiling faces that fill it. 

  

Last day in Prague the communism museum

   Our last day here we don't take our flight until 5:30 tonight so we taxied our luggage to the main train station where for only 3$ you can store your luggage in a locker. It was pretty convenient actually.

The cab driver said we should expect to pay about 600ck for a cab ride from there to airport so about 25$. We decided rather than try to spend the day trying to find specific things we'd just walk and see what jumped out at us. There was a nice shopping strip but most of the shops I thought had ugly clothes. Then I found one where I found the most adorable bohemian style dresses for really inexpensive. Ooh the shopping bug hit! Cute stuff I couldn't get at home. I love shopping for clothes in Europe and finding something unique. I recommend traveling with only a carry on suit case, trust me you will be so happy you did. You just cruise right through airports with out checking then waiting for your luggage. Pack clothes you don't care about so if you find goodies on your trip you can just donate what you can live with out. I brought a sweater that had a hole in it so I didn't feel bad leaving it behind. 

   After I did a bit of shopping we stumbled right into the communist museum which was the one last thing we wanted to see. It was a really great educational experience and shed so much light on the people here. I never really understood when the Berlin Wall fell or communism in general fell, I was young I remember seeing it on the news but was really unaffected by any of it. To young to care to be honest. I learned a lot today. I will share to the best of my ability to recall . 

 Things were really tough here in soviet occupied cheklosavakia. Communism promoted industrial farming to the detriment of the environment and the people. Food became contaminated with pesticides and life expectensy decreased. ( sounds not much different than Americas food practices)  People were fed a lot of anti American and anti west in general propaganda but it was a difficult to get the people to embrace that because they had received help from the Americans during the war and also because they loved old western movies. In fact the bohemian style clothing I have always been drawn too is really a mix of bohemian style or hippie style inspired by the western movies and culture of American cowboy music they loved! Well that is why I love this style! 

  The people here really suffered a lot. They were oppressed and angry. In 1969 on the twenty year anniversary of the Russian occupation a 19 year old college student by the name of Jan Palach burned himself to death in protest of the government. That is a whole lot of helplessness for a young man with a whole life ahead of him to go buy the gas walk down the street and follow through with his plan. He lived three days before dying. He had to have known that he would suffer an awful death yet he willingly chose this. That is a whole lot of determination for such a young man. How sad that the world is so unjust it leads people to such derastic measures. 

  In 1989 people began rioting in protest. They wanted to be peacefully heard. There were hundreds of thousands of demonstrators . The protesters were beat with clubs and sprayed with giant fire hoses but they didn't give up. Even women were hit. We watched a documentary  in the museum and it really touched me. I realized that most of these angry people I've run across here have really been through so much. These people have lived through war after war and have seen it first hand. I can't understand this because I have never lived through it. It's easy for me to smile at everyone and make conversation because I've never lived in a place where a conversation with the wrong person can lead to a unwelcome visit from the secret police. 

 The end of the documentary was all footage of the riots. A beautiful voice sang a song that had subtitles.  I took notes to remember a few of the lyrics. These are the ones I got.

   Thank you for the pain which teaches me to ask questions

Thank you for failure which makes me work hard

Thank you for my weakness which teaches me to be humble

Thank you for tears they teach me compassion

They cry. They call for sympathy

Thank you that I love though my heart is stricken with fear.

The last verse brought tears to my eyes.  Truly no government on earth will bring the lasting peace we all long for. I will pray more fervently tonight that gods will be done on earth and his kingdom come so people will no longer have to live in fear and pain.

   P.s. If you grab a taxi at the train station its triple the price. If you travel light ...walk a few blocks away from station and get a ride for 1/3 of the price. I'd rather spend that money on beer. 

   Well I'm smashed on a bus waiting to board the plane for Budapest! Let's see what adventures await us there. 

Breakfast in Prague

  Our place is surrounded by choices to eat breakfast but my favorite is called home kitchen. A hip swag place with great coffee. They make green smoothies and wonderful bread. We stayed in the heart of old town. If you don't mind noise at night it's a great choice. Centrally located to everything. Lesser town would be a great choice also. It's just under the castle and may be a little quieter. 

   Over all Prague is a beautiful city and if you love great food for great prices, some of the best beer in the world, midevil architecture and refreshing yourself in quaint cafes Prague should be your next destination!

   Cheers! 

Photos from Prague

Jewish quarter

 I've always been fascinated by old cemetery's but the Jewish cemetery in Prague was by far the oldest and most interesting. Before seeing the cemetery you walk through and old building where they have written the names of the Jewish people from Czech Republic who died in the holocaust. All these little letters written on the walls represented a human life lost. I stared at the names and saw one of the victims was an eighty year old man. I love grandpas. It's unbelievable to me to imagine the systematic murder of so many innocent lives. Of course there were many children also and everything in between. I held back the tears but tried to contemplate quietly the sadness within these walls. A voice in the back ground reads the names one by one. I don't know how many hours it would take to go through them all. A sad song moans in the background also. There's no possibility of escaping the sadness here. I know it doesn't sound like fun, but it's part of traveling that I love. I love seeing the world as it is, the good and the bad. 

 The cemetery was so old and interesting. Gravestones crooked and falling on each other from as early as the 1300s. I don't think a visit to Prague would be complete without visiting the Jewish quarter. 

  Also to anyone interested the golden road near the Prague castle shouldn't be missed. I enjoyed it far more than the castle itself. It's the peasant village which is now more of a museum in itself. Peering into the seamstress or goldsmith window you get a true sence of mid evil life. The best part was the armor and weapon collection. There were guns from the 15th century! I had no idea ! Some of them had knives built into the end of the guns in case your gun failed I guess. There weapons meant business let me tell you. Warfare had to be a brutal bloody nasty bit back in the day. I got a kick out of all the armor choices of the time. Some  of them were scarier than heck just to see the guy coming at you would kill me of a heart attack. The most fascinating part to me was most of them left there privates pretty exposed. I wondered how many were castrated in battle simple because they didn't have that spot covered. Maybe so they could pee easily? Well I'm guessing at least a few knights had their buddies feminized this way because finally I saw armor with medal balls to protect that spot. Then I saw one with metal shaped like a penis but it was sticking up! I have a hard time believing that was a practical realistic protective cover. Then some of them were made for men with beer bellies while others proud of there phisique had theirs made with a six pack complete with nipples. Very interesting indeed. 

  I would say atleast 60  percent of the people here are not very happy. I smile at some of the hardest looking characters just to see if I can get them to smile back. Rarely works. One old chap I made eye contact with. I gave him a friendly smile and he literally rolled his eyes back in his head like a dramatic school girl. Some of the waiters have been the rudest I've run across in my life but to be fair we have also met some very lovely Czech people. It's all part of the deal when traveling. The friendliest chap was in a store that made cosmetics from beer. She I mean he no I think I mean he was very friendly and nice. He was about 6 feet tall with a beard and some small breasts ,makeup and cute bangs and a very manly deep voice. I found it really confusing and tried to not look to much because I didn't want her to feel bad but honestly she was the nicest person of the day. I mean he . Or she. 

   Well after all that running around we stop in cafes for beer or coffee for sprits. There's no limit to the number of amazing old cafes that just beckon you in. My waist is growing every day I'm here and I feel like I've grown another chin. But I'll deal with that when I get home.

 Off to Budapest tomorrow.. Good night.  

Waking in Prague

  Like two excited children in a candy store we headed out to explore the city. The town square is just a few blocks from our apartment. We see the famous astronomical clock and as we  stare around the square we are amazed by the beautiful old architecture. We head towards the river and cross a bridge and start climbing the stairs toward the castle. Surely no less than 5 million stairs. When we breach the top we get an Ariel view of the city and it's so worth every step. 

  We head towards what's called lesser town. Narrow crowded cobble stone streets. Everywhere you look a cafe nestled in some midevil building draws you in. We walked and walked and then would stop to sample some Czech beer then walk some more until we had to releave ourselves then we'd start the process all over again.

  We found a symphony and bought tickets. I insisted knowing Jimmie would love this. Then we stumbled onto the coolest of cool old tavern that has been there since the 14th century. Mozart must have appreciated that it was 400 years old when he sat and drank there. The downstairs was decorated with human skulls. Super interesting place. Not sure who these people were ? Maybe they loved this pub so much they wanted to be buried  there? Or rather there heads imbedded into the ceiling? Maybe they didn't pay there pub bills ? Anyhow we arranged a dinner show there. Touristy yes, but after all we are tourists. 

   We climbed down the 5 million steps toward Charles bridge. Beautiful statues line the whole bridge and people sell lovely handmade things. We sat and had another refreshment under the bridge where we met some lovely French people. We got lost on conversing with them. I have always found European people to have a certain softness that I don't see in America. I am so drawn to it. I don't see that with people of Prague but more on that later. Anyhow we lost track of time and before we knew it we had 15 minutes to get to our concert. 

   Dang those stairs! I forgot how many I had gone casually back down now I'm running full speed up the 5 million stairs. I thought surely I would die. Once I reached the top of the stairs I was full speed running by the time I sat down for the concert I was sweating like a hog and felt like I'd ran a marathon. 

  The music was lovely. The sounds bounced off the old stone walls beautifully and soon I was carried away. Whenever I'm stuck sitting still my mind wanders and I took another little vacation in my head for that hour. I rode horseback on green hills . I danced along a river but then I gave up dancing because even in my biggest imagination I look ridiculous trying to bust dance moves so I just went back to exploring on horseback. This kept me busy until the concert ended. 

   Dinner reservation at our midevil Mozart place. Fire flinging belly dancers , jugglers and drum playing guys in costumes entertained while we drank all you can drink wine and ate a plate of tasty animals. It was pretty cool and even though it was touristy I loved it. 

  We made friends with a cute Italian couple sitting next to us, we talked all about marriage , food, culture and our hope for the future. They were darling. The people that are in this city are not great so it was nice to chat with some friendly people. 

  We walked back with them and offered to buy them a beer. They argued they would buy their own but we insisted. It was nice to show some hospitality the way we were in Denmark. On our way there the wife and I were walking several feet ahead of the husbands. There's these creepy guys who are in all the town squares and are up to no good. One of them came right up to her and was very aggressive and in her face. I said "hey leave her alone. " he hollered back at me " f.. you you are ugly I wasn't talking to you ..." and on and on. I was taken back at how mean and nasty he was. I was glad the husbands didn't hear any of it because I'm afraid them trying to defend would have been a bad idea. I keep reliving this in my head and I can not get over that some people are really like this. This hateful and mean. Here I am just a mom trying to go for a walk with a friend, and this guy thinks he can just do that? Weird... there is dark element on the streets here at night. I've figured out how to identify and not make eye contact. 

  Over all though this city is worth seeing and is even more beautiful than Paris in my opinion. Tomorrow shall be another day of exploration . 

Prague

 We flew into Prague Friday evening. It was painless and inexpensive. For anyone considering a trip to Europe once you snag a cheap flight on Norwegian airlines you catch flights anywhere in Europe very easily. The flight took an hour and twenty minutes. The airport in Denmark was one  of the nicest I've seen. It felt like more of a shopping mall than a airport and you could get some tasty food if you wanted. I slept the entire flight it felt like 5 minutes passed. And here we are in Prague! 

   We had a prearranged ride to our Prague apartment so even getting there was easy . As we drove into the city center we felt like two kids who were seeing dysneyland for the first time, only you can't make this stuff up. We have seen a fair amount of European cities at this point but none thus far have blown my socks clear off like this place. Prague castle glows in the dark like an enormous mountain watching over the city. Steeples and towers lit all around us overwhelming our senses. People bustling everywhere loud and frolicking on the streets. We head out for dinner even though it's 11 at night. We have our first taste of Czech food. Jimmie ate duck with some sort of sour crout dish .I had soup. We had chateau Neuf de Paup wine. A fraction of what you would pay at home. The waiter asked if we would like schnapps . Well of course.. when in Rome.. or wherever you must eat and drink the local way.. " would you like it on fire?" Sounds good... so after poaring the schnapps into a enormous glass he " roasts" the glass over a fire then it sort of blows up in the glass before he serves it. Well this ought to be good. It was. 

   We fell asleep with the loudest of loud people on the streets. Finally in the wee hours of the morning the revelers  went to bed and I woke for a moment to the smell of bread from the bake shop beneath us. 

   Goodnight Prague see you in the morning. 

Our last days in Copenhagen

  Sitting in Prague I still haven't had a Chance to write my thoughts and experiences of Copenhagen. I loved it there so much! The people are the best , so friendly and hospitable. To give you a idea we rented bikes and explored which I highly recommend by the way. We cruised over to the Christiansen island and I saw some people sitting outside a cozy pub, I smiled they smiled back I said it's so beautiful!! I asked do you live here? Yes of course they reply. Jimmie somehow chimes in braggingly she's Danish .. the man jumps up says sit sit I will buy you a beer! What? Are you kidding I gladly sit just for the visit, they ended up insisting on buying strangers beers. I got my lesson on my Danish roots, the meaning of my name the area where different ones lived. Our friendly host was so cheerfully sharing so much history with me. She proudly looked at me and said you are truly Danish. I felt so happy to be even a little part of some kind of culture to identify with something besides cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese. Susan and Jimmie were the names of the people, they were sea men. Even though Susan was a female sea man. She clearly does the work of a man on cargo ships. Jimmie backed this up, they have worked together for 11 years. I couldn't help but think of my mom who works harder than most men I know. It's clearly in her Viking blood this work ethic. Susan told me she has been in over 60 foot waves when I asked her what is the biggest you have sailed through? I asked you we're scared? " no never, if the boat goes down I know what to do. " what a woman. We took pictures and hugged them. They invited us to go sailing the next day with them, I declined but how incredibly sweet. They said they were going to sail today but ended up drinking to much. How Danish of them.. they were so incredibly kind after arguing they insisted on paying for our beers. I hope one day I will see them again. I really felt a sense of belonging on this day sitting in the sunshine outside a cafe on Christian island. 

  We took our bikes through what's called Christian town. It's an interesting place. 30-40 years ago people just moved into these old army barracks. A bunch of artsy hippies originally. They scored lake front property some of them. It was fascinating and a bit sketchy in places. They consider it a free thinking hippie commune but nowadays it's also a place where people buy marijuana. I obviously wasn't a fan of tthat street but was smitten by all the artistic and recycled creations. 

  Our last day carl and Jeanette met us and brought a lovely picnic in the royal park. I love pic nics ! And with great friends you can't ask for anything more! We also went and saw the stables and royal carriages. I enjoyed the smell of horse crap, made me feel at home, and I got to sneak scratches on the beautiful horses. The carriages were really cool, the one that really struck me funny had a toilet in it. I thought that was pretty practical really. The Danish queen when cruising around Denmark I'm sure had a fleet of make guys around her and how awkward to have to squat in the woods. So instead they just fixed up a carriage with a hole she could slide over and do her business. Not a bad idea. But I hope she never had to go number two because how embarrassing when the lumber Louis just fell out of the bottom. Those poor guys in the back of the caravan were like " that's not horse crap" maybe the term my mom always said " there's something rotten in Denmark came from that. 

  On that note one thing to get used to is in Europe sometimes you share toilet rooms with men. I have a hard time with this. I'm shy about potty anyhow but I certainly don't want to drop the kids off at the pool while staring at man feet. 

Well I could go on and on about lovely Denmark. But I still have to write about Prague so I'll sign out for now and get back to drinking my Czech beer. 

  

   

Pictures! Copenhagen

Danish delights

  I've heard it said once you have s Swedish friend you have a friend for life. We have found this to be true and are blessed with many Swedish friends. Last night we were welcomed by the jiebolts who we had the privledge of staying with last time we were here. We visited tivoli gardens which is a amusement park really and probably the only amusement park I've ever really liked. Like all of copppenhagen it's very clean with really beautiful gardens. The best part though of course was catching up with old friends. One of the boys picked up a beautiful Swedish bride since we have been here and she was absolutely adorable. Sidney who was just a teenager when we were here last even made the time to come and it was wonderful to hear him talk about how he made the truth his own. We couldn't help but reflect on how fortunate to be part of  a world wide family. We will see them again friday. 

   After settling into our hotel we were pretty hungry so we walked around the Nyvahan area and found a swanky little cafe. It was a small and simple little ,place candles lit on each table and classical music playing . We ordered coffee and a sandwich. Oh Europe how I love you! The coffee was the best I've ever had and the sand which! I'm not even a person who likes sandwiches that much but the bread was like nothing I've ever had. It was brown like chocolate warm soft and nutty but lightly crisp on the outside. A little salami pesto and artichoke. So simple so delicious! Alas we are here! 

   Denmark is beautiful. We are staying right near the canal which is flanked by colorful buildings and old pirate looking boats. The people are friendly and I can't stop looking at them to see the family resemblance. It was funny to hear our friends talk about the difference between the danish and Swedish. The Danes are known for saying it like it is and  being stubborn but friendly . Hmm sounds familiar. They are open minded and love vodka and beer. Sounds familiar also. 

   We ate dinner at a Lebanese kabob place. 5$ will get you the most tasty falafel sandwich. We stopped at a old bar from the 1700s. I wondered if my great grandparents stopped here for a drink. 

  Looking forward to biking around today.  Maybe visit a museum and a castle. Hopefully I'll remover how to add pictures soon. 

 

Copenhagen here we come...

  Six years ago to the day we set off with all three boys on the adventure of a lifetime. 2 months exploring Europe as a family was one of  the best decisions we ever made. We enjoyed it so much so we did it again three years after that. This time we are headed abroad honeymoon style. The kids have settled into there life in Santa Cruz so much so they were content to stay home and we were content to go just the two of us. 

   Copenhagen is our first stop. Looking forward to exploring my danish roots. Somewhere I have a old family photo of my great grandparents who immigrated from denmark. As a kid I thought they must have been Danish royalty dressed so beautifully. Recently I went to visit the farm house in Watsonville California where they settled. I realized then this danish royalty thing was clearly a figment of my imagination. The run down old farm house was not much more than a shack these days . 

   Traveling always gives you a chance to demonstrate your patience. For instance after arriving four hours early for our flight for various reasons we still had the stress of rushing to our gate.  Before we left we had a lengthy conversation about whether or not to bring water canisters. I stressed to Jimmie the importance of staying hydrated when flying,  and since the days of peanuts and drink service are a thing of the past I suggested we just buy big waters once we pass through security. There was some discussion about this as my husband values saving money while traveling when possible. After enjoying a game of cards and food and margaritas we headed up our gate and stopped in and spent 10$ on two water bottles. We turned out of the store and I followed Jimmie looking for our gate, somehow someway we walked right under the big giant sign that said if you walk past here you have to go through security again. As soon as we realized what we had done we quickly turned around but a security guard was there to enforce the rules. I though Jimmie was going to have a full fledged fit. To me it was comical , the 10$ water we just paid for 2 minutes earlier we had to throw out, now we are rushing to pass through security despite getting there four hours earlier and Jimmie is having a fit because for anyone who knows him knows he hates germs and removing his shoes at the security check is always a cause for a melt down. He swears the bottom of his socks are covered in athletes foots germs. 

   The whole thing gave me quit a laugh because what else are you going to do? So now I sit dehydrated on this plane writing this story because sleeping on this plane is worse than trying to sleep on a bed of frozen nails naked in December. 

  Hopefully we will pay better attention next time. Three more hours till we're off this torture chamber and exploring Denmark!