Oh! The Places You'll Go...

Spanish Steps - Rome.

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  I know, I know; my season hasn't even started yet, and I'm already thinking about my annual post-season vacation.

  After every season (except my rookie season, where I was so homesick I couldn't wait to get back to the US; and last season, where my visa was expiring), I've gone on a 7-10 day vacation to various spots around Europe. I've visited friends. I've done the big city sightseeing. And I've done the relax-on-a-beach vacation. I love it when I can roll all three into one, and get the best of all vacationing worlds.

  It's hard for me to pick a favorite place I've visited. But here a are a few that top the list:
Prague

Prague boat tour. Charles Bridge behind.

  Prague during Easter weekend was quite an experience. The holiday weekend was jam-packed with tourists, which was almost too much for me.

  It took a day-or-so to adjust to having hoards of people everywhere I went. After I got over my claustrophobic feelings, Prague quickly jumped to the top of my favorites list.

  I loved how the city meshes the old with the new. The architecture and the layout of the city were gorgeous. Add in the Easter Markets, and I was in tourist heaven.

St. Nicholas & the Easter Market.

These were the most amazing pastries.

  I walked all over that city for three straight days, and loved every second of it.

  For me, the most memorable spot in Prague was the Charles Bridge. You can walk up and down the bridge looking at local artists' work, jewelry, paintings, etc with the Prague Castle and the Vlatva River in the background.

How cute is this lady?

Rome
  Rome was also a favorite big city adventure. I love Italy. And I go back at every opportunity. So it was special to be able to go back and finally see Rome; walk the streets, speak the language, and experience the food again. I love the Italian tradition of stopping into a local cafe and having an espresso in the afternoon.

A little Roman cafe. My fave!

The Colosseum.

   There's nothing like the smell of an Italian coffee (okay, maybe I'm weird, but I think the smell is incredible).

  Another favorite food tradition they have in Italy is Happy Hour. You can go to a bar/cafe for aperitivo, order a drink and get some included snacks/tapas/hors d'oeuvres that are amazingly good (and it's super cheap!).

  Obviously Rome is most famous for the Colosseum and Vatican City, but one afternoon I sat in the sun at the Spanish Steps for hours, just taking in the sights and watching the people around me. For me, that was the most enjoyable.

Sunset in Rome.

  So those are my top two favorite big-city adventures! I'm hoping to get to Paris again, and see it more thoroughly this season. And another city I've been dying to get to is Barcelona. Those two are on the top of my must-see list for this year's Euro-trip.

  This has turned into a longer entry than I initially planned!! Goes to show, when you have fun things to write about, it's hard to stop. And it's hard to pick out pictures too, cause there are so many great ones to choose from. Hope you enjoyed them!

  Tomorrow I'll tackle my favorite Euro-beach adventures.

  Til then, be good!