Let us never forget the sacrifice of so many.  A thousand thank you's would never be enough..........

We learned how to say "hello, goodbye, please, thank you, yes, no and excuse me" from our adorable taxi driver on our first day in Prague.  The Czech's were happy to hear us speak these few words.  Nashedanou means "goodbye" and is pronounced "nah sleh-dah-noh-oo".   Hello is much easier; "Dobr'y den" prounounced "doh-bree-dehn".  

Prague was a wonderful experience and I had yet another European history lesson from a city.  I think that is the reason why I enjoy travel so much, I always walk away from a new city or country learning a little bit more than when I arrived.  The Czech's are a strong people who have endured much and have come out on the other side stronger and grateful.

Prague is divided into districts and each one is more interesting than the next.  We spent much of our time in "The Old Town"  and "The Castle District"  but the other districts are equally interesting and beautiful.    

The Vtava River is a great place to stroll or sit on a bench and watch boats cut through the calm water............

Dan had to work one day so the kids and I decided to take a rivercruise.  Always a great way to see the city from a different perspective.......

I love the chair that is sitting on the outside of the window looking in......

So much of Pragues beauty is it's location.  It has rolling green hills with castles, churches and montestary's perched on them.  It also has beautiful shaded parks, it is a city of angles; the Old Town Square is not really a square but a rectangle with streets that leads to beautiful neigborhoods.  

Most all of Pragues streets are made from stone, make sure to wear comfortable shoes to walk the streets and hills.  The metro system is a great way to get around and taxi's are very difficult to come by in the center city itself. 

So many of the buildings were painted in pastels and many of the rooftops had red tiles.  The city was very bright even when clouds rolled in threatening to rain. 

 

All of us fell in love with the "matryoshka".  The kids love opening these wooden dolls to find yet another doll, and another, and another.......

We will miss the people of the Czech Republic, they were forever stroking the kids cheeks and smiling at them, their warmth was contagious......

Dekuji (thank you, pronounced da-quee) for a wonderful visit...........

I will be back with more photo's of Prague once my computer decides to cooperate with me........

Happy Memorial Day weekend to those of you in the United States!  Eat lot's of potato salad and do a cannonball in the pool for me! 

I can't quite put my finger on it but everyone seems so happy in Prague.  The locals and the tourists.  Everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful.  We are continually surprised by the kindess of  the Czech people.   

The main square is gorgeous but it is more than a square.  Every side street from the main square brings one to another breathtaking street. 

This city is loved; it is clean and well cared for.........

Sophie was tickled to take a horse and carriage ride........

We wandered the streets and found the oldest astronomical clock.....along with a hundred other people...........

The old town area  houses the Jewish museum where Hilter sent "all things that represent the Jewish people".  So glad that we still have the Jewish race to share with us "in person" about their culture.

Prague Castle is a beauty that sits high above the city.....

Charles Bridge leads you to the castle and is the oldest bridge in the city.  It is for pedestrians only.........

I will leave you for now, I have so many pictures to share, too many.  I am forever in awe of the beauty that is in Europe.  Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen so far in my life.   

We immediately appreciated the cleanliness of Prague.  The city is much smaller than expected and the green countryside wraps itself around it. 

The people of Prague are it's biggest asset.  They are incredibly warm.  Dan said it beautifully last night after receiving much needed smiles and warmth while enjoying the city.  He looked at me and said "oh, the smiles and the warmth is so good for my soul".  

I snapped a few pictures, enjoy and  there will be more to come...........  

We are leaving this morning for Prague in the Czech Republic.  I have read and heard from others that if we had the chance to visit any Eastern European country, visit Prague!  Some say it is the most beautiful city in all of Europe. 

I will let you know what I think and you can tell me what you think after I post pictures.    Have a great day!

              "Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take,
              but by the number of moments that take our breath away.
                                                        ~Anonymous

Belle Ile took our breath away from the moment we saw it.  Our day was one packed with fun and adventure from beginning to end.  I will remember this day forever. 

Thank you Guillame for sharing a piece of your France with our family.........

Thank you for the way you loved on the kids and the smiles that you generated........

The day ended far too soon..........good bye Belle Ile, you will be missed........ 

Hello Versailles..........

Hey Paris, did you miss us?

The flight over to Belle Ile was beautiful.  We were anxiously looking out our windows, enjoying the beautiful french countryside. 

I couldn't find a car on the maze of roads below.  Giullame reminded me that it was a holiday and "it is lunch time in France, everyone is inside".  (But of course!)

Within an hour, we could see the Brittany coast and the Atlantic ocean.  A beautiful peninsula lapped up the coastline. 

This is where you can take a 45 minute ferry from Quiberon to Belle Ile.  We flew over the turquoise colored waters, looking below at long stretches of beach and rugged cliffs...........then we spotted the beautiful island that was our destination. 

The island is only 12 by 6 miles and has a wild coastline, they call it "cote savage".  It has numerous inlets with small coves and beaches.  The interior of the island has sweet neighborhood communities with small cottages.  Some of the communities have pathways right down to the ocean...........

These pictures don't do this island justice.  The colors of the countryside were so much greener than they appear and the water was an unbelievable greenish blue.  It took our breath away. 

Once we landed, we decided to go to one of the beaches that we saw from the air.  We called a taxi from the small airport and drove about 5 minutes to the beach.  We had a picnic lunch and an extra pair of clothes for the kids so we were set. 

The kids ran ahead of us down the long pathway from the road and screamed with delight when they saw the blue ocean.  They could not get to the coastline fast enough.  

A small hotel at the beginning of the pathway sat  overlooking the ocean.  The sky was so blue, the sun so intense, the breeze so refreshing.  Beautiful bodies lay all over the sand, glistening and brown.

Once the kids made it to the water, they stripped down to their undies and jumped into the cold water. 

They became quite the spectacle.  It was fun to see the other vacationers swim close to them, smile and laugh at their utter joy; listening intently to all of us.   

I will leave you with your toes in the sand and cool water running over your feet.  Let's continue this little trip tomorrow..............

Another french holiday.............  Dan's friend has a small airplane and is flying us to "beautiful island" today for lunch on the Atlantic coast.   How fun is that?    

It is warming up to 83 degrees today.  The sun is bright, the sky sapphire blue without a cloud in sight.   I will be sure to post some pictures of our trip tomorrow.

I along with everyone else was exploring Paris this afternoon.  The sun was shining, events were taking place all over the city, restaurants were busy and the subway was packed. 

Everyone seems to want a piece of Paris today.

I wonder what it feels like to have everyone oooing and ahhhhing..........