Photography – Page 2 – Czech the Flip

My Growing Belly….and Family

Published on September 17, 2013 by Grace16 Comments

I am now on my 35th week of pregnancy and as anxious as ever to give birth. Albeit, life had never been more hectic lately. I had been keeping myself busy with arranging my children’s bedrooms and making checklist after checklist of all the things we would need for the baby while at the same time checking my toddler’s needs. One tricky thing about raising children is that they grow very fast – literally. With the changing season, I have to constantly check that my son has adequate and appropriate clothing for the day’s weather. Last season’s pants are now too short, and although he didn’t gain much horizontally, some of his shirts are also getting shorter. I know that I will not be able to do a lot of shopping when the baby arrives, so I have now stocked up on some fall and winter clothing. Plus, I made sure that all his vaccinations and doctor and dentist check-ups are up-to-date, and made an effort to schedule some of these appointments ahead of time so I will not have to worry about it when I have another child to take care of. As you may notice, I am a freak when it comes to organizing things. I believe that in order to be successful in anything, adequate preparation has to be done and that means everything has to be well-organized.

I have also been reading about how to help older siblings cope with the arrival of a new member of the family. It is said that since all the attention will now be focused on the baby, it is important for parents to be mindful of the older child. My husband and I have already talked about it and we have decided to involve Jakub in everything that has to do with his sister — from helping out with diaper changes to being on the lookout for hazards that may be harmful to the baby. Almost everyday, I remind him that he is going to be a big brother soon and I am happy to note that he exhibits a certain sense of pride in his new role.

Anyway, we had a maternity photo session last week to document the anticipation of our little one’s arrival. I am sharing with you some of my favorite shots.

Photo: Jan Strnad — Photo by: Jan Strnad (www.atelierkolin.cz)

It is normally difficult to get a toddler’s full attention in this type of activity, but my little boy was surprisingly enjoying it. He was willing to oblige to every pose and was always excited to check out his own image in the camera after a shot was taken.

Here’s one of my favorite photos. The big brother communicating with his baby sister.

She is already loved.

My growing belly….and family.

We still have about a month to go before we finally meet her. I feel SO HUGE that it seems like there’s no more room left for growing. This is the longest month ever. Although I am suffering from all the discomfort that pregnancy brings, I am happily looking forward to finally hold my little girl in my arms.

Wordless Wednesday

Published on July 31, 2013 by Grace3 Comments

Destination: Čáslav

Published on July 25, 2013 by Grace6 Comments

One of the neighboring cities in my county is Čáslav. I’ve passed by this town several times but never really stopped to view the locale.

One weekend, we decided to visit Čáslav to explore the area.

Like most towns here in the Czech Republic, the town square is laid with cobblestones. During our time there, we didn’t see a lot of people roaming around the streets since it was a Sunday. It was nice to see the town so quiet.

Going further, we passed by the monument of Jan Žižka, one of the greatest Czech generals of all-time. In 1910, part of his cranium was discovered in the Čáslav parish church.

We then walked further to view the remains of the city’s walls.

It further led to a sporting area with a playground for children.

My little boy had a great time playing there with his daddy.

After almost an hour, we decided to walk through a small lake to complete the loop.

We then found ourselves on the square again and this time we went the other way where the Parish church is.

But perhaps one of the most notable landmarks in this town is the Dusikovo theater, which is the oldest theater in the Czech Republic.

With its artistic heritage, no wonder it produces world-class talents. The famous director Miloš Forman was born in Čáslav.

To know more about this historical town, you can visit their website.

Enjoying the outdoors in Obergurgl

Published on July 16, 2013 by Grace7 Comments

During our visit to Innsbruck, our friends Melba and Cez took us to a beautiful, quaint village in the alps called Obergurgl. This village is mainly a tourist spot with only 400 permanent inhabitants. In winter, it is a very popular ski spot and in summer a very popular hiking spot.

We chose a very easy route that is convenient for pregnant women and small children. Moving away from the village and onto the trail, these were the sights we saw.

Some of the lifts were still open for those who wish to view the sights from up above. I decided against going on one because of my current state and my fear of heights.

Our guys led the way with my little boy tagging along. Melba and I followed slowly behind. Both of us are pregnant and the decreasing oxygen was quite taxing for our lungs. Besides, it was also a great time to chat and catch up.

As they ascended higher, we decided to stay behind at a shaded, comfortable spot.

While waiting, we amused ourselves by watching other serious hikers conquer more difficult trails.

Meanwhile, our boys had a grand time in their trail. My husband was so proud of our little boy for walking all the way through the almost 3km loop with around 2500 ft elevation.

And here they are, posing for posterity.

On the way back, we all stopped by a nearby restaurant as we were already famished.

Yes, I almost ate that whole serving of pizza. Since it was very close to Italy, they do make great pizzas.

Although this wasn’t a very serious hike, it is one of the greatest one I’ve had in a long time and will definitely be one of my best memories.

Thank you Melbs and Cez for taking us there!

Impressive Innsbruck

Published on July 11, 2013 by Grace7 Comments

As mentioned in a previous post, our main goal for last weekend’s trip was to visit friends in Innsbruck, Austria.

Melba is one of my closest friends from the university. Since we had the same bachelor’s degree and lived in the same dormitory, it was only natural for us to be in the same group of friends. All through our college years, we have shared endless discussions about our families and life goals. Together with a few other girls, we were like a family- lending an ear and supporting each other.

After obtaining our degrees, we parted ways to follow our dreams. While I was pursuing an ambitious goal in a manufacturing industry in the States, she went to Japan to obtain her Phd and go after her scientific pursuits. It was during this time when we met our husbands – both Central Europeans (mine Czech, hers Polish). Little did we know that we would end up in the same continent to raise our families.

I’m glad that we made this trip out to see them. It was a great time for our families to bond and for both of us to catch up.

Their place is situated in a suburban location close to the mountains and not too far from the university where her husband Cez teaches.

That Saturday morning, we started our day with a full breakfast on their balcony. It was very refreshing to be just around nature and inhale its beauty.

We were lucky that the powers-that-be gave us good weather during our stay there. There was nothing but sunshine which allowed us to go for a short hike and tour the downtown.

I will do a separate post on the hike because it was a pretty interesting one.

Meanwhile, here are photos of this beautiful city.

The inner streets of the city is full of impressive buildings with a typical European feel.

The succeeding picture is a view of the Old City watchtower, which is a popular landmark.

Going further into town, there lies a more modern square normally used for social events.

Innsbruck’s public transport system is very well-developed and accessible. Trains, trams and buses can be seen moving in and around the city.

Being in the highlands doesn’t mean it’s short of fun. During our stroll, I was lucky to snap a quick photo of these youngsters parading the streets.

Although, if you live in a place like this, it would be crazy not to go on a hike. The alps are just breathtaking.

When Melba told me that they were thinking of giving up a great opportunity in a major city in exchange for a quiet life in Innsbruck, I didn’t fully understand why. But after experiencing this beautiful city, I now understand.

I was very impressed with this amazing city and wished it was closer so we can do more frequent visits. But most of all, we had a great time in the company of great friends.

If you would like to learn more about Innsbruck, you can check out this page.

A Day in Munich, Germany

Published on July 9, 2013July 17, 2013 by Grace10 Comments

This past weekend, my family and I went on a road trip to 2 neighboring countries in Europe. Our main goal was to visit dear friends in Innsbruck, Austria but since we were passing by the German state of Bavaria, we decided to make a stop at the Bavarian capital of Munich. And I’m glad we did.

Munich is the third largest city in Germany and one of the most popular expat hubs due to the big industries that are based there.

Since we only had a day to see the city, we decided to just walk around Munich’s Old Town where most of the popular sights can be found.

We got a hotel that was 3 km away from the old town so we decided to try out Munich’s public transport system. It saved us a lot of money and it was a very easy ride. The maps were easy to understand, the directions were well-marked and the trains were clean and efficient.

The metro had a station right at the heart of Marienplatz (Marien Square) , so it was a very convenient ride.

Perhaps the most notable landmark in the square is the New Town Hall of Munich. Its architecture is quite impressive.

I wanted to get a posterity shot in front of the building, but my son was starting to get bored. So this is the best shot we got.

Right in front of the town hall is the Marian column.

Other buildings surrounding the square were more modern and commercialized. As we walked a couple of blocks into one of its narrow streets, we found ourselves facing the Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady, the city’s largest church.

It was very grand and awesomely huge that I couldn’t take a full photo of it without having to stand at an elevated distance. Anyhow, I managed to capture a few shots of the interior as it was surprisingly allowed.

Normally, climbing on top of the church’s twin towers would have been allowed. It is said that from those towers one can see a breathtaking view of Munich’s cityscape and the Bavarian Alps. However, during our time there, it was undergoing some major renovation and was closed.

Anyway, we continued our walk to the Viktualienmarkt, another famous landmark. It is the site of Munich’s daily farmer’s market.

The colorful booths at the market offered a great variety of fresh and regional food. We couldn’t just be there and not partake in these delicious offerings. So we stopped for lunch at a seafood place. I had a shrimp ciabatta sandwich while my husband had a fish sandwich. Jakub on the otherhand had a fish fillet with potato wedges. We also had some fresh olives from a nearby stall and were quite happy with our meals. Everything was so delish.

After having enough fuel for the remainder of the day, we again set off for a walk passing through the Munich Opera house….

…. and several other historical and modern buildings.

Our final stop for the day was at the Munich Hofgarten.

It was a great day for chasing pigeons while I took a rest under the shaded trees.

Munich is a beautiful city with a good blend of modern and traditional architecture. If given the chance, I would like to spend a lot more time in this beautiful city some time.

But I was more excited for what lay ahead as we headed out to the Austrian alps.

Destination: Znojmo

Published on July 1, 2013 by Grace5 Comments

One of the most visited places in Moravia is the southern town of Znojmo. On our recent trip to Vienna, we decided to make a quick stop in this magical city to somehow get a glimpse of it. I hope it will also give you a glimpse of this beautiful city.

Before entering the town center, this was the piece of architecture that greeted us. I thought it was impressive.

Right across it was the town theater.

Upon entering the town, this is the view of the town square.

View of the buildings surrounding the square.

There is a passageway behind the squarish flat building with beautiful pictures of the city. What a great way for visitors to relax and see the city through pictures!

Aside from its beautiful architecture, Znojmo is also know for its wines.

That red tram was ready to take tourists to the wineries.

It’s too unfortunate that because of my current state we didn’t have the chance to taste Znojmo’s wines. Well, at least there is something to look forward to when we go back to this place.

To cap off our day, we went to this cafe and had a good serving of gelato instead.

If you would like to learn more about Znojmo and what it has to offer, please click here.

Have a great week!

Weekend in Vienna – part 2

Published on June 26, 2013 by Grace9 Comments

We reserved the second part of our trip for the Schonbrunn Palace and gardens, the summer residence of the Habsburg Monarchs. The place was located a little bit farther from the city center, so we decided to already check out of our hotel, spend a couple of hours over there, then head for home.

We entered the palace from the side entrance since it was where we found a good parking spot. I also figured it was a great way to cut the walking distance.

But I was wrong. In order to fully appreciate its beauty, one has to enter it from the main front entrance.

The place was so huge and grand.

We walked through the whole perimeter to view the gardens. This next picture was taken from the right wing.

It has amazing French-style gardens that are simply breathtaking.

The rear side of the castle did not fail to impress either.

The gardens at the back were just as beautiful as the ones on the side.

There was also a huge fountain with the statue of Neptune at the far end.

With its huge expanse, it was quite a walk.

But the view from the fountain facing the palace was also awe-inspiring.

Furthermore, the area seems to be a runner’s haven.

With all its mazes, varied terrain and beautiful scenery, it makes up for a very good run.

After walking and admiring the beautiful sites of the Schonbrunn Palace, we headed for home.

If there is one person I know who likes to have everything planned, it is my husband. But since we were on holiday, I somehow persuaded him to just follow where the GPS navigator will take us. And so we did. The funny thing was, it added a twist to our already colorful day. I chose a route that avoided toll roads and highways so we can see the countryside but it took us somewhere we didn’t expect – the ferry boat!

I thought it was a lot of fun, but he was not so happy about it. My friend Georgia used to say that her GPS is a Global Piece of Sh*t, because of all the wrong directions that it takes her. At this time, my husband was thinking the same.

Although later on, we all just laughed about it. It’s another adventure added to our list.

Anyhow, the route did take us to the countryside.

It was an interesting drive through small villages and farmlands.

Until finally, we arrived at the border. Home sweet home!

All in all, the trip to Vienna is now part of my most memorable trips . My son who is turning 3 next month will surely remember this — specially the ferry ride.

Weekend in Vienna – part 1

Published on June 24, 2013 by Grace7 Comments

One of our weekend travel plans this year included a trip to Vienna. This past weekend, we made it happen. Thanks to 2 days of great weather, everything went well as planned.

Our trip started Friday night as we drove 4 hours from Kolin to Vienna. It was a surprisingly smooth trip with minimal traffic.

The following day, we started out early. First on our list was a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

What was impressive in this cathedral is its prominent gothic structure. Today, it is the seat of the Archbishop and the site for most of Vienna’s religious and social gatherings.

In close proximity to the cathedral are historical buildings, fountains and statues. Just like the Old Town Square in Prague, it is highly commercialized and loaded with tourists.

After walking through this…

..and this…

…we found ourselves in front of the Imperial Palace.

It was here where the great empire of the Habsburg monarchy was ruled from. I am not a history fanatic, but after visiting a lot of castles here in Czech and knowing whom it belongs to, I became increasingly interested with the Habsburg Monarchy. It was interesting for me to see where the Imperial seat was.

At present, this palace is now used as the residence of the President of Vienna.

Next on our itinerary was a walk to the statue of the greatest empress in Viennese history, Maria Theresa, mother of the iconic princess Marie Antoinette of France.

It was here where several guys wearing Mozart costumes where inviting us to a Mozart concert. It would have been a nice concert. Unfortunately, we haven’t planned for anything of that sort.

The statue was also in very close proximity to the Natural History Museum.

We then walked through the Viennese Parliament building.

Right in front of it was a Botanical rose garden where we took a quick rest and admired the beauty of the flowers.

It was very relaxing that I almost fell asleep in one of the benches under the trees. My son had to drag me up so we can continue on our journey.

After another long walk passing through embassies and other historical buildings….

…we finally arrived at the last place on this day’s itinerary – the Prater amusement park.

One of its greatest attractions is the giant ferris wheel.

By this time I was already very tired from all the walking. Of course we had the option of taking public transport, but we didn’t want to miss anything, so travelling on foot to these sights proved to be the best option.

My boys had a lot of fun absorbing the sights and that was all I ever needed to make me happy. After going through Prater, we called it a day and went back to our hotel eager for the next day’s trip.

Destination: Chleby Zoo

Published on May 2, 2013 by Grace3 Comments

May 1st was a Czech Labor Day holiday, so my family and I decided to do something fun. My husband and I were initially thinking of bringing Jakub to the Prague Zoo, but knowing that there will be a couple of labor day demonstrations within the city, we decided against it.

After searching the net for possible destinations within our area, we have found the Chleby Zoo.

The Chleby zoo is located in the village of Chleby, out of Nymburk county. It took us approximately 30 mins to get to the zoo from our place in Kolin. Although the zoo was situated in a remote village, it wasn’t very difficult to find since there were road signs pointing to its exact location.

There are approximately 50 different species of animals and rare woody plants that can be found in the zoo. But it specializes in breeding rare endangered species of birds.

However, what we found most interesting were the petting areas for the domestic animals.

First stop: the goat area. Jakub had a lot of fun feeding the goats.

At first he was a little bit hesitant to touch them, but after finding out that they were totally harmless, he got comfortable.

He was even talking to them. And they seemed to understand! They were falling in line.

There was also a turtoise petting area. It was Jakub’s first time to see and touch one.

….Here he is up close.

We then proceeded to the guinea pig petting area.

I know it wasn’t intended to be funny, but I thought the sign outside the petting area was very funny.

In translation, it says: “Boys up to 4 years old, girls without limitation.” The second sign says: “No chasing of guinea pigs.”

I was asking my husband why boys have an age limit and he plainly replied: “…because once boys reach 4 years old, they start doing cruel, naughty things to animals.” So that explains it.

After spending some time at the petting areas, we proceeded to look further at the other animals in the zoo. I was lucky to snap a picture of this yawning leopard.

In the area for gibbons, the sign on the cage gives you a dose of Czech humor.

In translation, it says: “The mobile phone belongs to the smarter one.”

But perhaps what left a lasting mark on me was this animal. They call it Nutria.

And yes, it belongs to the rodent family. Out here in the Czech Republic, these animals are farmed for their meat. By all appearances, it looks like a rat but it can grow as big as a dog. I must confess, I have innocently eaten one of these. It was mixed in a soup. I didn’t know what or how it looked like back then, but they did tell me afterwards that it was an animal from the rodent family. I didn’t seem to mind back then because the soup was pretty tasty. However, after seeing a live one at the zoo, I don’t think I will ever eat one again. Don’t get me wrong. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. It only eats fruits, vegetables and bread and is relatively clean. But what I particularly find unappealing is that it looks like a rat. I hate rats!

Anyhow, the trip to the Chleby Zoo was all worthwhile. It is the smallest zoo I’ve ever been to, but it has its own unique charm. For people with young children, this is a place I would definitely recommend visiting.

If you would like more information about the zoo, please click here.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: