Prague

Prague is a stunningly beutiful city. The Gothic Towers at town hall lit up at night and at dusk.
And the Charles Street Bridge.

A little fun in Prague! We found a summer luge which Elliott and Sterling enjoyed!

You can see the city in the background.

A little nosh at the Kafka Cafe. there were no bugs!

For our Passover lunch we dined at King Solomon's, a wonderful experience, lovely setting, good matzo balls and roast chicken. Best cucumber salad ever!

The Jewish history in Prague is rich, tragic and triumphant, and much of it has been preserved to bear witness to it all.

This is the Old – New Synagogue where, in 1389, 3000 citizens of the Jewish Quarter were killed, their homes destroyed. It was such a massacre, that the walls of the Synagogue went dark with blood. During nazi occupation, it stored and distainfully displayed Judaica. It is now one of the most cherished and visitited sightes in PragueThe ceremonial house to prepare the dead for burial.

The Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov, the Jewish Quarter was created in the 15th century when Jews were forbidden to be buried outside the district. There was little space so the graves may be in as many as 12 layers, totalling perhpas 100,000 in all.

Prague with President Obama

"There is violence and injustice in our world that must be confronted. We must confront it not by splitting apart but by standing together as free nations, as free people. I know that a call to arms can stir the souls of men and women more than a call to lay them down. But that is why the voices for peace and progress must be raised together."

Photos by Sterling and Elliott

Paris for my birthday!

Elliott took me to Paris for my birthday! Upon arrival, we found spring had decided to come too!

We headed straight for the Eiffel tower, below, across from the Ecole Militaire, above, founded with the support of Madame de Pompadour to create an academic college for cadet officers from poor families. Can you spot E and Sterling?

Above is the classic Eiffel tower photo. Below is the one I have always wanted, unbeknownst even to me. I took it after a picnic on the lawn, lying on my back, looking up at the Tower. It was a moment I enjoyed very much!

On the top

After our descent, we took a little cruise on the Seine.

Notre Dame below and in the background above.
The Tower from the Seine

Back on land, a few artsy photos with E's terrific new camera.

A little spring garden at the base of the Tower.The next day we enjoyed the Louvre.

And the Musée d'Orsay

That night, we had my birthday dinner in an old Parisian restaurant near the Bastille Column of July, with Leoni and Françoise, friends we met near us in Divonne last summer. They had arranged everything, even the cake with flares and Joyeux Anniversaire a Vous! It was fantastic.

Very happy, we headed out for our last night in Paris.

In the morning, before heading home, we stopped by my favorite store to get my present, another copper pot. I love this place!

Au revoir, Paris! And thank you, Elliott and Sterling, for a fantastic weeked.

Florence - our Dolce Vita Begins

This is how our trip began...a snowy drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel into Italy through the alps.

Florence was full of beautiful architecture, the sky was clear deep blue and there were gelato shops everywhere.

The Duomo

The central market. We bought some herbs from this vendor and they were delish.

The Vatican

Let's start at the top. This is from the dome on St Peter's onto the square. E walked all the way up and had a stunning view.

Here is the shadow of the basilica on the Sistine Chapel.

The Swiss Guards. Recruits to the guards must be Catholic, single males with Swiss citizenship who have completed basic training with the Swiss military. Recruits must have a professional diploma or high school degree and must be between 19 and 30 years of age and at least 174 cm (5'8.5") tall.
St. Peter's tomb.

The Vatican Museum is very palatial.

Pictures are forbidden inside the sistine Chapel so these are web photos. Viewing requires enough time to acclimate and let your mind and eyes to absorb it all.
The ceiling is painted using the fresco technique of applying paint to wet plaster which can only be done in small segments to assure that the plaster is fresh. There are nine scenes from the Book of Genesis, surrounded by prophets and sibyls. Adorned with architectural features that are painted on so expertly, it is hard to tell where the illusion begins and ends. We are now intimately aquainted with all of it as we bought and complete a 1000 piece puzzle!
Elliott has historical links to King Tut and was very happy to reconnect with them!