Local, Near and Far: Our journey of exploring the world.

Category: Europe (Page 4 of 9)

Paris at Night: A Photographic Stroll through the City of Lights

Continuing our ongoing series on Paris, I wanted to share some of our experiences in the City of Lights after dark.

One night, Rebekah and I cruised on the Seine River. But mostly, we explored the city on foot, walking along the lamp-lit streets. Rebekah and I love exploring cities at night, as they are often even more enchanting than by day. Paris at night definitely fits this description. The throngs of tourists have dispersed, and the streets are once again romantic.

Instead of writing a story, I thought I would let the pictures do the talking in this post. I hope you enjoy this sampling of our time in Paris after dark!

The Seine River at Dusk

The Seine River at Dusk

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The Art of Paris: Musée Rodin

Continuing with our series, The Art of Paris, a visit to the Musée Rodin was a great way to start our visit to Paris.  I had been to Paris once before on a quick three day layover between Istanbul and Austin, but had not visited the Rodin.  I made sure we were able to go this time.  In my art appreciation, one of my weaknesses is sculpture.  However, I had recently attended a few lectures at the Kimbell Art Museum and my interest and understanding was growing.  Also, one of our good friends loves Auguste Rodin and was telling us all about her experience there at the museum.  So we made our visit to the museum a priority.

Musée Rodin - The Thinker

The Thinker

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Paris City Overview

On the final leg of a European vacation, Rebekah and I flew from Prague to Paris on EasyJet, one of many budget flight operators in Europe. We found that flying was the easiest and cheapest way for us to connect from Czech Republic to France.

Detail of the Eiffel Tower

Detail of the Eiffel Tower

While one of the primary reasons for visiting Paris was a convenient direct flight home to DFW using frequent flyer miles, I was excited to experience first-hand the magic of Paris. Rebekah visited Paris on a multi-day layover before we were married, but was eager to share this enchanted city with me. Playing the part of tour guide, Rebekah planned our itinerary based on her prior knowledge of this massive city.

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Layover: Vienna in an Afternoon

Today, I proudly introduce our first Guest Blogger and my good friend, John Seale. John is one of my frequent travel partners, from across Texas to the other side of the world (2 trips to Kenya). From Texas to Beyond is excited to bring you his unique perspectives on travel, along with some fascinating locations. In this four part series, John takes us to Vienna, Austria, after which he leaves the conventional European vacation behind with destinations in Kosovo and Albania.

My wife Katie and I planned nearly the perfect itinerary for a three-destination trip. The weak Euro was making European travel cheap, and the threat of terrorism was making Kenyan travel cheap, so we were combining a visit to my sister with a visit to a former ministry I volunteered with for years. Most of our long-hauls were overnights so we could sleep, and we even had a long layover in Chicago, where my wife has family.

The only problem was a long layover in Vienna, Austria. Unfortunately long, really – over 9 hours. I’ve done my fair share of long layovers in airports, and nobody likes them. Naturally, therefore, I started looking to see if it was enough time to have a valuable visit to this beautiful, historic city. Turns out, it was plenty of time, and I’m here now to share how we did it and how you can make it work on your long layover too. Continue reading

In Case You Missed It…Czech Republic

Every couple weeks we’ll be collecting links from past posts grouped together by location; we thought it handy to have everything in one convenient location as you plan your upcoming travels. We just finished a couple different series featuring the Czech Republic, so here’s your recap:

Prague

Church of Our Lady before Týn

Church of Our Lady before Týn

Prague City Overview: Prague is a wonderful city! We were excited to sample the greatest parts of the Czech culture during our two day visit.

Hotel Hastal Prague Old Town: Hotel Hastal features clean, comfortable hotel rooms with convenient access to Prague’s Old Town for an economical price.

Old Town Square-Prague: The Prague Old Town Square includes the Týn Church, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Jan Hus statue, and the Old Town Hall with its Astronomical Clock.

The Slav Epic: Czech artist Alfons Mucha painted his 20-canvas masterpieces, the Slav Epic, housed in the Veletržní Palace in Prague.

National Cemetery in Vyšehrad

National Cemetery in Vyšehrad

Czech Beer: Czechs love beer. While in Prague and Český Krumlov, we enjoyed experiencing this integral part of the culture by sampling some great Czech beers.

Foreigners in a Local’s Pub: What is it like to drink a pint and eat cheese at the local’s pub? In Prague, this is a serious venture at the Golden Tiger.

St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral

The Music of Prague: With Prague’s rich and beautiful musical heritage, treat yourself to a concert! You will not be disappointed.

Prague Castle: Explore the squares, palaces, and churches of Prague Castle and miss the crowds completely by taking a romantic late night stroll.

Saint Vitus Cathedral: If you are in Prague, you must visit the Prague Castle and the stunning Saint Vitus Cathedral with its Mucha stained glass window.

Vyšehrad – Prague: When visiting Prague, you must visit Vyšehrad for scenic views, a relaxing time, and a beautiful insight into Czech artistry and history.

Český Krumlov

View of Church of Saint Vitus from Český Krumlov Castle

View of Church of Saint Vitus from Český Krumlov Castle

Český Krumlov Town Overview: The small, picturesque town of Český Krumlov provides an additional perspective of the Czech Republic beyond Prague.

Pension U Zámku: Pension U Zámku provides a wonderful bed and breakfast experience conveniently located under Český Krumlov Castle at a great price.

Český Krumlov Castle: The main attraction in this small Czech Town is Český Krumlov Castle, complete with a tower, bear pits, bridges, gardens, and panoramic views.

Český Krumlov Castle Gardens & Round Tower: Continuing our look into the Český Krumlov Castle complex, we explore the Castle’s Gardens and climb the Round Tower for a view of the Czech countryside.

Český Krumlov Castle At Night

Český Krumlov Castle At Night

View of Český Krumlov from Hill of the Cross: Enjoy a peaceful sunset view of Český Krumlov just minutes away from the town center.

Český Krumlov Theater: You will travel back in time when you visit the Český Krumlov Baroque Theater, one of two preserved Baroque theaters in the world.

Český Krumlov After Dark: Grab a beer and enjoy a traditional Czech meal at the Gypsy Bar before a romantic stroll through the lamp-lit town of Český Krumlov at midnight.

The People of the Czech Republic: The most enjoyable part of traveling is meeting locals. Our interaction with the caring Czech people was a highlight of our trip!

The Round Tower at Cesky Krumlov Castle

The Round Tower at Cesky Krumlov Castle

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