Bye bye, Canada but summer is still love!

Time for break ups again, as it seems. LOL Time to say "Bye, bye, Canada"... Not the best relationship we had, so no regrets. :))))

*Image courtesy of AllThings Europe

Meanwhile - summer in the fields, friends getting separated, people blaming the sun eclipses for the ultimate power of passion this year... Weddings, funerals, births, a couple of roses with the sweetest aroma under my window, an invitation for a yacht trip, a cocktail in the dusk, a flirt, a dance, a new recipe tried at midnight when the earth was finally cooling down but the crickets were insanely falling in love...

*Image courtesy of trouvais.com

Shared wine glass, the other one is broken and sparkling on the stone tiles, cherries and their juice on my new shirt, watermelon lip gloss and dark eye pencil...

Gypsy hearts and gypsy music, curls in night black and flowery skirts, panama hats cuddled in rich scarves...

*Image courtesy of 3bp.blogspot.com

And the sea. Always the sea. The river who hurries up to meet the sea. The boats who rush to dive into the blue. Me, running down the slope, jumping over the scorched rocks, always looking for it, always longing...

*Image courtesy of casualweddingdresses.com

Summer! It's wild! And I love it!

*Image courtesy of hensonstables.com






















I'm listening to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCPuXPiqdzk&feature=related to smash myself completely. :))))

Prague for volleyball lovers

Prague is a destination well known but this year the Czech Republic shares the honour with Austria as a host of the European Volleyball Championship. It adds to the natural charm of the city for all volleyball lovers who, like me, are planning to go and watch the games of their favorite team. The tournament will start on September 10th and will end on September 18th in Wien where the final game will be played. Here is a detailed schedule of all stages from the official championship website: http://www.volleyeuro2011.at/en/schedule.html . On the home page the hosts have started offering accommodation packages as well: http://www.volleyeuro2011.at/index.php . You can also purchase tickets via the website partners, click Tickets at the left menu. However, I spoke to friends of mine in Prague who are well experienced volleyball travellers :))) and they said tickets were always available prior to the games even if they were not for the best seats in the venue. It's up to you to decide if buy well ahead or go and check when already in Prague. I personally choose the second option because it gives me flexibility to combine sightseeing with watching volleyball.

The games in Prague will take place in O2 Arena: http://www.o2arena.cz/O2arenaEN/default.aspx . Unfortunately, it's not a central venue and it's a bit challenging when one wants to explore the river banks and the old town during the same visit. However, there is regular bus, tram and subway transportation to the hall, I'm told by friends. The website offers good info on how to get there too: http://www.o2arena.cz/O2arenaEN/docDetail.aspx?docid=19033722 . The picture above is courtesy of another great website offering lots of info about the venue (and other things): www.livenation.co.uk .


In addition to the accommodation offered on the championship website, you may want to check again the home exchange websites (if you have a home to offer to Prague residents and exchange) or, which is my choice, to rent an apartment. I've said it before, to me the best way to visit a place is to have a "home" of my own, even only for a week. It also matters that I'm a parent and it's much more comfortable to me to cook my son's favorite meals and spare myself browsng the restaurants for appropriate food, if nothing else. And in general, I feel more relaxed when renting. Some options to rent can be found here: http://www.praguecentralapartments.com/ or here: http://www.homesweethome.cz/en/ .

Prague has also tons of hotels, pensions, and hostels. You can go to any big and popular website and find both good and not so good offers. In my opinion, the city has become quite expensive lately compared to about five years ago. One more reason for me to rent - the rent of the apartment won't be much cheaper than a cheap hotel but you can save the food cost. Also, if you travel with more friends (we'll be four or five people) or children, the rent of a big flat with 3-4 bedrooms divided between all of you will actually come quite cheap. A website I liked with many hotel and other accommodation options is this one (aside from the most popular ones): http://www.tvtrip.com/cih9Cc4-prague-hotels . It checks a couple of big websites for you, like Venere, Booking, etc. Another good website is the one the picture above belongs to: www.hotelprague.us .


A couple of official tourism websites: http://www.praguewelcome.cz/en/ , http://www.czechtourism.com/Homepage.aspx , http://www.pragueexperience.com/information/tourist_information.asp - this one offers tons of info and useful tips, as well as this one: http://www.prague-guide.co.uk/ . The expats in Prague website http://www.expats.cz/ is another interesting destination and offers a different look at the city, quite useful for other people who come from abroad. Finally, this interactive guide can cover almost all your needs, including tickets for sightseeing and events: http://www.allpraha.com/ .

Tips and hints: don't rent a car except if you are a very experienced driver, the traffic is huge and parking spaces hard to find; don't exchange money outside banks regardless how tempting the rate seems; change your debit/credit cards PINs to four digits, many ATMs in Europe don't accept longer PINs; don't forget the unified 112 emergency European number where you can talk to an English speaking operator; don't eat anywhere and anything, especially dairy and meat, cook or eat at the hotel is safest; if you're into calm and quiet vacation, Wenceslas square may not be your first choice; the peak season in Prague lasts till October, book and plan in advance; for sightseeing and events, use an online or local tourist agency/website to get your tickets.

I hope you find these useful. I'm already planning my trip but will welcome any inside information, if you'd like to share. :)

Last summer

Ah, those were the days, as the song has it. :) In fact, I wanted to recommend my all times favorite hotel in Bulgaria, on the Black Sea coast - http://www.grandhotelvarna.com/ Be aware that it's an old hotel and has nothing to do with the contemporary 5-star level. However, I simply adore the green, the zen feeling, the warm mineral water swimming pool (inside), the two beaches close by (one artificial to the south and one natural to the north) and... I may be a bit emotional about this place but it's such a serene spot. At night the only thing I could hear was the chill out music from the pool's bar. I was there with my 3-year old son and it's great for children as well - fenced, there are bouncing castles, kids club and kids pool. Enjoy!

P.S. Wireless access for free was not the last thing to appreciate! :)))

P.P.S. There are other hotels in the same complex - Rubin, Dolphin, Dolphin Marina and Lebed, but my recommendation is the Grand although it's the oldest.

Spring, spring, spring...

... and my heart sings! :))) Cold, cold, cold, and I'm not that bold... to go out. :)))) How are you doing these freezing days? I am doing precisely that - freezing. :) Yet, it's a new year. Meaning - new luck. New job. New love. New life. New miracles... The order may be different. :) Yesterday I found out I'm a Rabbit according to the Chinese astrology, therefore this is MY year. Congrats to all fellow Rabbits out there! And bunnies, cats, and all sorts of fluffy things. Buy a pair of fluffy slippers and celebrate comfy life!

Plans for this speacial year include: renovations, nice furniture, new home, seaside vacation on the Black Sea, European Volleyball Championship in Prague... friends, fun, love, laughter, kids, games, pastel colors, cotton pants, summer shimmer, cold white wine, Czech beer, a new novel, a new car, anti age treatment, Italy for lovers... What's on your list? :))

*Photo courtesy of  www.inthehoopdesigns.com