Exploring Prague

View of Prague from Petrin Hill

The start of 2009 marked a brief flurry of forays into Eastern Europe for us - a chance to see this great part of the world in the midst of the Winter, while saving other travel destinations until the Summer months!

At Prague Castle

Our hotel was right in the middle of Prague and provided a great base for exploring this beautiful city, all of which we could explore by foot. We easily filled a weekend, spending time exploring Prague Castle on the hill overlooking the city, taking in the most animated changing of the guard ceremony we had ever seen (with trumpeters popping out the window of the castle), walking through a nearby icy hillside park which offered panoramic views of the city, passing the time in small smoky beer halls enjoying a Pilsner Urquell with the locals, waiting for the cheesy 'astronomical' clock (complete with little figures which pop out on the hour) and meandering around the small cobblestoned streets.

Changing of the guard - note the band in windows to right

View of the river at dusk from the Charles Bridge

Prague was once a stag capital, but we saw little of this. For us it was a city filled with beautiful buildings, squares, statues and bars, restaurants and cafes everywhere. We had an incredible meal at Monarch (www.monarch.cz) a French, come Spanish, come Italian restaurant with a huge wine list and a great sommilier who was happy to recommend a great wine and a smooth cigar to follow the meal - just one example of what a cosmopolitan city this is. We had a fantastic relaxing time here - just what we felt like after a fairly busy start to the year.

Funky interior design in the tube station

Gargoyle in action during a brief shower of rain

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

(For you non-Spanish speakers, that's Spanish for 'Happy New Year')

The bags were hardly unpacked from our Christmas holiday when time came to repack them - the destination this time Seville and then Granada for a few days each with travel buddies Andrew and Sel.

Our hotel in Seville was located in the heart of the old town and it was a great base for the next couple of days which were spent exploring this beautiful place. The cobbled streets are lined with orange trees which gave the sense of a warm summer town - notwithstanding the fact it was the middle of winter!

The main attraction in Seville is the Alcazar - a fortress palace and reputedly the best example of Moorish architecture outside of the Alhambra (see below). While the building is beautiful, the highlight for us here was exploring the huge garden grounds which are filled with ponds and fountains - symbols of power and wealth in this dry southern Spanish environment. On the sightseeing front we also ticked off the bullring - although unfortunately there are no bullfights at this time of the year, so we had to settle for a tour instead.

Grounds of the Alcazar

Fountain at Alcazar

A local at their window in Seville

We also celebrated New Year in Seville. We had an interesting night - our expectation of lively bars and parties in the streets was not quite met - it seems the Spanish tend to spend New Year with their families and as a result most bars were shut. We did manage to settle in with some locals in a small bar by the river - complete with an ancient free pouring barman!!! We managed to find a restaurant for the countdown - and in Spanish tradition marked the New Year with grape filled mouths and cries of 'Feliz Ano Nuevo'.

Mich, Sel, Andrew and Malaga Virgin

We embraced the tapas culture and enjoyed the odd tipple of the local sherry - the Malaga Virgin proving particularly easy to drink! One afternoon Michelle and I were befriended by a local couple in a tapas bar and passed the time exchanging tapas and buying each other drinks while trying to converse in pigeon English/Spanish!

Typical Tapas Bar - Hams lining the roof

Our new friends......

From Seville we went by train to Granada (2 hours). In Granada we were again located in the heart of the old town, this time in a beautiful old house converted to a B&B.

On the hills over Granada
Cave homes in foreground, Alhambra in the distance

Pomegranate - the symbol of Granada

We enjoyed the next two days exploring the steep cobbled streets of Granada. In some ways it was similar to Seville but overlaid with a more diverse cultures - the influence of Gypsies who lived in homes built in caves on the surrounding hills still evident as well as a Moroccan influence with shisha bars, lots of mosaics and Moorish influence. For us - Granada was the pick of the two cities.

Me!

The main attraction in Granada is the Alhambra - Spain's most visited attraction, and rightly so in our opinion. The Alhambra is a complex of buildings located on a hill overlooking Granada. It started life in the 11th Century and was home to various rulers over the years that followed. In around 1830 Washington Irving stayed there and wrote about his experiences -following which the Alhambra had cemented its reputation as a must see attraction.

Fountain - Alhambra

Alhambra

Our 5 hours here flew by, exploring the main building attraction (the Palacios Nazaries), the impressive Palacio de Carlos V (which was built later) and the incredible gardens, ponds and fountains - particularly those which surrounded the Summer Palace.

Palacios Nazaries - Pond

Palacios de Carlos V

Palacios Nazaries - Fountain

There were lots of great eating experiences and nights spent in wine and tapas bars. We had a very relaxed time exploring these cities, and while due to the time of the year we did not get the benefit of the Spanish summer, we also avoided the crowds of tourists which would pack the streets in the warmer months. It was great holiday - with a nice mix of tourist sights and relaxing with friends.

Grounds of the Summer Palace

A not so white Christmas.....

It has been a fairly busy start to the year and we are a bit behind on the Blog. Here are a few words and pics from our holiday in the North of Scotland over Christmas.

Sky reflecting on Loch in Bonar Bridge

Unsure of whether we would have our passports back from the Home Office, we decided a domestic holiday for Christmas would be a good move. We were keen to explore the far north of Scotland so booked flights to Inverness and started planning the trip. We quickly discovered that not many other people travel to the North of Scotland in the depth of winter and as a result pretty much everything up that way was shut (including accommodation) making a road trip somewhat problematic. Plan B - hire a cottage on the coast and hunker down with friends, a few bottles of wine, lots of food and a fireplace for a few days.

Dena, Shane and Mich in front of MacKay's Cottage

We had five days in Durness - a small village on the northern coast of Scotland - population 353 (or 358 including us). Durness comprises 2 stores, a petrol station, a restaurant, a beach (award winning) and a pub. With the important exception of the pub, all of which were shut for the duration of our stay.

Durness' Award Winning Beach - there is no disputing it

Days were spent sleeping in, playing board games, eating, drinking and reading. We occasionally ventured out to explore the coast - including the award winning beach and the nearby Smoo Cave. While the days were short (with darkness falling around 3-4 in the afternoon) it was surprisingly mild and snow was never on the cards for us. Nights were spent - hmm.... doing the same really.

Exploring the coast

Christmas Day was marked by a visit from Santa and lots of laughter as we shared our Secret Santa presents with each other. We ate (and drank) even more than usual to mark the occasion with a beautiful roast of lamb and chicken served up in the evening (just 5 hours later than originally planned). Topped off with charades it was an action packed day.

Santa!

Shane's present for Pubs and Pub's present for Shane - a strange conicidence?

We also explored the pub and befriended the locals (especially Shifty - a local labourer and drummer in the band which played Boxing Day night). We soon learned that one could byy a beer for someone even when they has one on the go - with the Barmaid simply noting that there was 'one in the pipes' for you.

Shane with one in his pipes

The drive back to Inverness was picturesque. We took the scenic route back down the west coast including a detours along coastal lanes as we went. As we drove south the temperature dropped considerably - minus 5-6 degrees celsius and completely frozen landscapes in places.

A lonely sheep on the Scottish West coast

Reflection on a little pond

We had a fantastic experience and enjoyed lots and laughs with good friends for this orphan's Christmas.

A frozen landscape