Travel: Prague, Czech Republic - Architecture

Apparently, food and drinks are our highest travel priority (duh) because now I'm losing momentum on posting everything else about Prague.  

So, before I can procrastinate any further, here are the rest of my favorite slices of our trip.

As children of Las Vegas (where everything is the same), Steven and I love seeing different architectural styles in the various places we go.  When we went on the Prague Food Tour, Jan explained some of the complicated political history and how impacted their culinary heritage.  And as we walked the city over the next for 4 days, it was clear that it left a mark architecturally as well.

Can you believe this is an elementary school?

I felt like we just walked up to my 10th grade World History textbook.

In recent studies, the Czech Republic has been considered one of the least religious countries in the world.  But you'd never know it from the large number of gorgeous churches. 

I loved all the gold details (and hand-polished dog)

Dubai Life: Weather Forecast

This is the weather forecast for this weekend.

Do you see that humidity percentage?!?!

Travel: Prague, Czech Republic - FOOD & DRINKS

Okay, so first things first -- the food in Prague was delicious.  We enjoyed everything we ate and drank and it was so affordable that we did a LOT of it.

We did Jan and Zuzi's Taste of Prague Food Tour on Friday morning and it was about 4 1/2 hours of great company, amazing food, and a fascinating conversation.  Jan gave us a crash course in Czech political history, culinary heritage, culture, and where to eat all over the world.  It was really enjoyable and easily the best part of the whole trip.  I was so engrossed in the conversation and tasting that I didn't take a single picture!  Oops.

For the rest of our meals, we mostly stuck to the various guides and Foodie Map that Jan and Zuzi sent us.  Having these curated lists was an awesome way to get to know the city.  We didn't have to guess or obsessively research everything, or eat bad food (except the fast food we ate at 11pm the night we arrived), or waste much time going to attractions that were super uninteresting (ahem, the clock).  Honestly, I wish we could travel like this everywhere we go!

But enough gabbing, now the food and drinks...

First, of course, is coffee.  We tried the coffee at Bakeshop, Sisters, I Need Coffee, and Kafe Karlin, with the last being our favorite.  It was all good, but the cappuccino and macchiato from Kafe Karlin were excellent.  I think it was $4 for both.

And while the coffee at Sisters was good, their food was even better.  They serve traditional Czech open-faced sandwiches, but with a simple and modern take on the ingredients.  We initially came here on the tour, and we like it so much we went back the next day for breakfast.  The picked herring with wasabi mayo was our favorite. The total for 4 sandwiches, 1 cappuccino, and 1 homemade cucumber basil soda was $16.

On Saturday, we did quite a bit of walking and were lucky enough to catch one of the riverside farmer's markets. I've been missing these ever since we left Washington and it was one of the things I looked forward to the most.  I really miss these.  We bought a quart of strawberries for $1 and sat by the river staring at swans.

And what better way to soothe your farmers-market-missing-self than to drink French wine and nibble on charcuterie?  We sat outside at Na břehu Rhony and enjoyed a little people watching, the cool breeze, and the super helpful staff.  We are starting to really enjoy wine, but don't know much about it (especially all the pairing rules).  The staff was really knowledgeable and we loved that their presiding advice was basically "drink whatever you like best."  We had 2 glasses of wine and an assortment of meat, cheese, and olives for $15 ($20 with tip).

We really liked the various Lokals around Prague, too.  Haha, now that I think about it - we ate or drank there every single day (it was part of the Food Tour, too).  Each location has a slightly different menu and we enjoyed ordering something different each time.  By the end of the trip we'd eaten: pork terrine, pork cutlet (the best ever) with coleslaw, rabbit livers, Czech ham with horseradish whipped cream, cucumber salad, steak tartar, sausage made from Czech heritage pigs with (very mild) horseradish and mustard, picked herring, and rice pudding (which was like bread pudding, except with rice). And as good as the food was, the main attraction here was the really good beer (Pilsner because it's the Czech Republic), which we probably had about a dozen of.  The best part was how affordable it all was.  For under $30 (including tip) we could get 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, and 6 large beers (don't judge).

Our first meal in Prague. That is Sven's happy food face.

And lastly, our priciest meal was at La Bottega Bistoteka on Friday night.  Everything was perfectly prepared and we took lots of bites out of each other's entrees.  For $95 (including tip) we had 1 octopus salad, 2 entrees (braised beef cheeks with white onion puree with marscapone and truffle oil, and risotto with rabbit leg, wild garlic puree, pancetta, and morel sauce), 2 desserts (panna cotta and a fruit tart), sparkling water, and 4 glasses of wine.  DEAL.

*sigh*

Now that I've relived all these meals, I'm even more sad it's over.  We're definitely hoping to return.

The way we travel

We had such a fantastic time in Prague and I really want to share it.  It's going to take me a few days/posts to share the whole thing, but I'll get there.  

But as a preamble, I should probably explain that most of our travel recaps will be full of things we personally enjoy.  The good coffee, delicious meals, parks, markets, architecture, bits of culture we're able to absorb, etc.  Neither of us are aficionados in any of these categories; they're just the things we like.  And for the most part, our recaps will also be devoid of the main tourist attractions.  In general, it's just not something we like to do.  We make exceptions for things that are really iconic/special or that we think will be substantially better in person, so a few will pop up from time to time.  

My favorite example:

About a decade ago, I lived in Philadelphia for almost 4 years.  Sven came to visit frequently, and on one occasion he asked about seeing the Liberty Bell.  I took him to Old Town, to the very spot across the street where you can see the Liberty Bell through the giant windows (the same spot I first saw it from).  And when Sven realized you can't touch it, he lost all interest.  I asked if we wanted to go inside (because if one of us wants to, it's worth it), but he said he'd rather get lunch at the hole-in-the-wall cafe we passed on the way there. 

Neither of us have ever regretted this choice.

 

That's how we travel.

We stood right next to that little white door to the left of the bell.  Photo credit: this NPS page.

Gig Harbor House: SOLD!

We got the news in the wee hours on Tuesday - the Gig Harbor house has officially closed!  We are relieved, and happy, and thankful for everyone who has helped us through this from 1/2 a world away (yes, Dads...we're talking to you!)

I'm not gonna lie though - I was a tiny bit sad to let go of our first home. When we bought it in 2014, we knew it wasn't our forever home (if such a thing exists for us) but we expected to be there a lot longer than 18 months. We were tempted to rent it so we could hold on to it, but in the end the financial risk was greater than the emotional reward. 

But then I checked our bank account this morning.  We had gone into the sale process aiming to break even, and tried to be conservatively skeptical every time we received a net sheet.  Now that the beans are all counted, we did so much better. 

Don't lie. I know y'all do this too sometimes.

Even Sven was pleased with how it all worked out:

We are no longer home owners.  
WE.  ARE.  FREE.  
*sigh*

Dubai Life: Today was a Good Day

Every once in a while you have a day that is so bright and shiny and fantastic, that even 3 days later you can still feel the glow.  Saturday was one of those rare and perfect days.

We didn't do anything out of the ordinary, and not everything we did was great (like sitting in way too hot cars, or going to under-AC'd hardware stores, or eating disappointing icebox pies).  But that didn't dampen our day.  When Steven and I talked about it over Morrocan tea and cookies (our new favorite), we recognized it's the first day we both felt truly and completely happy here.  Half-way across the world in a simmering hot desert, surrounded by a culture we are only just beginning to understand, we are together...and still oh-so-happy.

And to us, that's really something.

A rare Dubai car ride for Phoebe.  My new favorite family photo.

The best outtake.  Can you tell she's super happy about being in the car again?

Booked: Prague, Czech Republic

Soooooo we're changing our plans and heading to Prague next weekend instead.  

Long story short, I didn't realize that Bahrain's Ramadan rules were different than the UAE's (thanks Sven for looking it up).  And since we'd like to be as respectful as possible, we figured it's just better to try again another time.  

But ahhhhhh we're going to Prague!  Have any of you been there yet?  Any recommendations?

And man...I'm so happy I didn't buy a new swimsuit since this won't be a beach vacation. (Except I totally did, on Amazon, like 36 hours after I wrote this post.)  Oops.  Whatever, it was on sale.  We'll beach it up after Ramadan!