Prague, Portugal, and Parrotheads

Wow - I can't believe how quickly time is passing here in Paris!  Just a year ago, my days seemed endless...I had no job and nothing to do all day.  Now I am working two jobs, have found some great friends, and am truly loving life!  I've come a long way!

Because of my newly busy life, I have had a lot less time for blogging.  So, it's time to catch up on everything that has been going on!  I'll start with the Smith's visit at the end of September.

Since Denny, Jerry, and Carly have all "done" Paris before, we decided to take a couple of trips to other parts of Europe, using Paris as our home base.  Our first stop was Prague, in the Czech Republic.  I really knew nothing about Prague before our visit.  A couple of people had told me it was beautiful, but I couldn't imagine it.  I didn't know anything about Prague's history, its architecture, or its people. 

After seeing it with my own eyes, there is really only one way to describe it:  fairy tale.  It felt like I was literally walking the pages of Cinderella, and that a handsome prince was going to gallop by on a white stallion at any moment.  It is absolutely stunning; quite possibly the most beautiful city I've ever been to.

You can't visit another city without trying some of its signature "dishes".  Here is a cooked piece of dough covered in butter, cinnamon, sugar, and nuts.  DELISH!

Dinner on our last night in Prague

This cute little man asked us where we were from, and then serenaded us with traditional American music!

After an amazing weekend in Prague, we returned to Paris to rest a few days, then set out for Lisbon, Portugual.  Lisbon was beautiful, but in a totally different way than Prague.  Lisbon was sparkling water, white buildings, crisp and clean air, palm trees, and sea food.

The tomb of Vasco da Gama (the 5th grade teacher in me was pretty excited about this)!

On one of our days in Lisbon, we took a train to the countryside to visit some castles.  This medieval castle is perched high up on the side of a hill.  It was a bit of a hike, but well worth the effort!

Standing on top of the medieval castle, with a more modern castle in the background (we went there next!).  

Castle #2...I loved how colorful this one was!

The grand finale for the Smith's visit was the Jimmy Buffett concert in Paris.  Once again, Jimmy put on a fantastic show!  It was especially fun to hear him sing "He Went to Paris"...