czech republic – Page 2 – Czech the Flip

Destination: Javoříčko Caves

Published on June 9, 2014 by Grace1 Comment

During a recent trip to my husband’s hometown in Moravia, we decided to visit one of the more popular caves in the area, the Javoricko caves. Now you might wonder how we are able to do it with a baby in tow?

Well, one of us has to be left behind. This time it was my husband. Since he is from the area, he has been to the cave several times. So it was my turn to bring Jakub with me on this exploratory journey. So off I went with my sister-in-law and her two boys.

The path to the entrance of the cave will lead you to a memorial honoring those who were killed during the end of the second world war.

As we entered the cave, this was the sight we saw.

The terrain was composed of several uphill and downhill trails. We chose the tour that was child-friendly, so all the roads were paved.

It was interesting to see several rock formations.

There were stalactites…

… and stalagmites.

According to information found on-line, the discovery of these caves started way back in 1938. In 1950, the search has widened and more and more floors have been found and developed.

Although the hike was quite strenuous for this unfit mama, I really enjoyed the trip. So did my boy who had to drag his mama along when the going went rough.

Anyhow, if you are ever in Moravia, this is one nature spot that you may not want to miss.

More information about the cave can be found here.

Destination: Bobova Draha, Kutna Hora

Published on May 27, 2014May 26, 2014 by GraceLeave a comment

This past weekend, we decided to stay local. We recently learned that our neighboring town, Kutna Hora, has a bobsled area (bobova draha). So off we went to check it out.

As it turns out, it wasn’t just a bobsled area. It is a recreational area where one can also do Zorbing, dirt-bike riding, and rodeo bull riding. There was also a jumping castle, a trampoline and a small playground for the kids to enjoy.

I didn’t get to ride the bobsled. I’m not really a fan of rides that resemble a roller coaster. However, I had a lot of fun just watching my boys go on the ride.

Here they are patiently awaiting their turn to get on the lift.

Before they went, my husband explained the rules to Jakub.

Then off they went.

A short wave for mama.

This is how the lift looked like. The height is pretty decent. The whole course is said to be the second longest bobsled course in Europe.

I wasn’t able to take pictures of the loops because it was on the other side of the hill. But here is a photo of them in motion as they were going through the course.

And here’s one more as they were already descending.

Until finally, the ride was over.

My husband took Jakub to the playground for a short break, but that only lasted a little while since he wanted more.

So here they are again, getting ready to ascend and ride the bobsled course once again.

As for me and Michaela? Well, we decided to sit it out. She was mostly sleeping and I was just relaxing. What better way to spend the weekend.

Anyhow, I hope you had a good one!

For more information about the bobsled ride, please click here.

Destination: Karlovy Vary

Published on May 23, 2014 by Grace1 Comment

Touted as the largest and most beautiful spa town in the heart of Europe, we decided to visit Karlovy Vary during our recent trip in this western part of the Republic.

It was a very short visit and I am now left hanging — wanting to see more. The place is just so grand. No wonder it has earned all these accolades.

The weather was not in our favor during our visit, so we didn’t really get to walk around the town.

But a visit to Karlovy Vary will not be complete if one does not visit the main spring pavilion.

So here I am with my little boy posing for shot inside the pavilion.

We also tasted the spring waters, each available in different temperature gradients.

If you have met my boy you would know that he is very friendly not one afraid of speaking out his mind. He is a very sociable child and would talk to anybody at anytime.

In here, he is telling the lady to be careful because the water is hot. Yup, the hottest water temperature was 72C.

Right outside the pavilion, there were pigeons to chase, so we gave him a little bit of time to run around.

This he was doing while his mama was busy taking photos of the beautiful architecture surrounding the area.

After only testing the tip of the iceberg, I know I will really go back to this place. It is only a few minutes drive from Marianske Lazne, and a trip to both spas is a future event that I am definitely pinning my hopes on.

To know more about this place, you can visit their webpage.

Destination: Marianske Lazne

Published on May 14, 2014May 13, 2014 by Grace1 Comment

Between all the visits and my husband’s busy work schedule these past few days, we were able to squeeze in a short trip to Marianske Lazne, one of the most popular spa destinations in this country.

It is located in the Western part of the Czech Republic and is a 2-hour drive from our place.

This town is made up of romantic colonnades, cozy hotels, and places for varied seasonal sports activities.

The city is quite small, and it is enough to walk through it in one day. Our main goal was to go to the Krizovy (Cross) spring pavilion.

It is the main pavilion in the Colonnade where one can taste the spring waters from the 6 different springs in this town.

There are 6 main springs in Marianske Lazne, all of them with different ionic concentrations and each one believed to cure different illnesses.

Here you can see my husband enjoying his cup of the spring water.

We then proceeded to walk towards the fountains. Jakub was having the time of his life running around, jumping and what have you.

Its tranquil gardens were awe-inspiring and certainly adds to the beauty of the place.

The architecture of the colonnade itself is very remarkable. It speaks volumes of the grandeur of this place.

Walking around town, the buildings also didn’t fail to impress. Even regular houses were already quite grand.

This one even looks like a castle in a fairytale.

Not sure if this is a house or a hotel. But either way, in my eyes, the architecture is impressive.

Anyhow, I’m glad we visited this place. I hope that the next time we come back, it will be for a week of relaxation in this beautiful place.

Got Whipped?

Published on April 25, 2014 by Grace6 Comments

I did. It was Easter this past weekend.

In keeping up with Easter tradition here in Czech, the females in my family were whipped by the males. It doesn’t matter what age, gender is all that matters.

Here, my sister-in-law got whipped by her own son.

Even my very young daughter got her share of whipping too.

Luckily, her Tata kept a watchful eye and held her close for comfort.

And yes, it may sound way too weird, but the rationale behind the whipping actually makes a lot of sense.

It is done to ward off bad spirits and ensure good health all throughout the year, for the person whipped . More about this practice can be found in my previous post here.

Meanwhile, when we got home, it was time to eat the choco Easter bunny that Jakub got from our Swiss friends.

At first, he was a bit hesitant to eat it as he had been attached to it after waiting too long for this moment.

Here he is giving it one last kiss.

But in the end, his love for chocolate still prevailed.

Crunch! Off went the bunny’s tail.

And of course, he wasn’t the only one devouring this tasty treat. His chocoholic mama “helped him out.”

No wonder somebody escaped from her play gym.

Anyhow, I hope you had a great Easter weekend!

Babies Bonding

Published on April 16, 2014 by Grace2 Comments

These past few weeks, I consider myself lucky to have been visited by good friends. On my last entry, I mentioned about the Swiss family that visited us. This past week, our good friends from Innsbruck came by for a visit.

My friend Melba, with her daughter Nat, came and stayed with us for a couple of days. Nat and Michaela were born a few months apart. It was the first time they met.

It was fun seeing the girls bonding with Jakub.

It was also interesting to see them talking to each other in their own little world.

We got them identical bows, and placed them together in a mat for a photo shoot.

But it was a little bit difficult to get them to stay still and look at the camera. Something else is always more interesting.

Until finally….

…Bam! We eventually managed to get the coveted shot.

But more than anything else, the visit was more valuable for the mommies. It was very therapeutic for Melba and I to talk about our experiences in raising kids in a multicultural household, adjusting to life in a foreign land, and most especially about adjusting to life as a stay-at-home mom.

We never got the chance to visit a lot of places due to the weather and to the children’s moods, but I had a great time just chatting with Melba and seeing our kids playing together.

At the end of their visit, Nat’s dad and her grandma picked them up. Obviously, they have been missed.

Luckily, we managed to get a group shot before they left.

I wish we were closer so a visit like this can be done more often. But I can’t complain. At least we get to see each other almost every year.

A Swiss-Filipino Family Came to Town

Published on April 7, 2014 by Grace1 Comment

I didn’t realize that it’s almost been a month since my last post. Life has been going at full speed and I hardly have time to pen down my thoughts.

Anyhow, we had some guests from Switzerland last week. It was my friend Mayette, her Swiss husband Thomas, and their very cute daughter, Thomara.

I’ve known Mayette since my university days, and we recently reconnected after knowing that both of us are married to Europeans.

After a long trip to and from Sweden, they decided to swing by Czech Republic. Jakub had a blast when he got an early Easter bunny, with nothing but the best chocolate – Lindt.

Their daughter Thomara is only a month older than Michaela, so they are technically batchmates. It was funny getting the two babies to meet.

Looking eye to eye, they look like they couldn’t believe there’s actually another person the same size as them.

We finally got them to look at the camera, but were unable to goad them in eliciting a smile.

There was a little bit of movement, as they got curious about the other.

But after putting them in the car, they both went down easily.

My little boy on the other hand, acted like an older brother.

He was happy to look after the girls while their parents were busy taking pictures.

And here he is happily posing for a photo with our guests.

We brought them to Kutna Hora and to Prague, but three days was not enough to see everything.

They did say they were going to come back and we are really looking forward to that. Otherwise, we will have to visit them in Switzerland.

M’s first Visit to Grandparents

Published on March 10, 2014March 8, 2014 by Grace3 Comments

Last weekend, we visited my in-laws in Moravia. It was Michaela’s first visit to her grandparents. The trip took us 2.5 hours one way and it was her longest car trip yet. Both her and her brother behaved so well. She was sleeping most of the time which made it a very smooth one.

When we got there, she immediately warmed up to her grandparents. Here she is playing with grandpa….

…and posing for a shot with grandma.

It was also my father-in-law’s birthday celebration, so the following day most of our family came by.

She was quite apprehensive with Aunt Romana and Grandma Marta (mom-in-law’s sister).

But she comfortably fell asleep in Aunt Hanka’s arms.

The boys didn’t care much about the new baby. They were busy doing their thing — running around.

This is the usual scene. The usual suspects in action. Where am I? Doing what I like best —taking pictures!

And of course the day is never complete until somebody cries.

But all in all, the visit went very well. Our little princess was happy for the most part.

I hope your weekend was great as well.

A Walk in the Woods

Published on February 19, 2014 by Grace6 Comments

The weather has been slowly getting better in our side of the world, so I took my kids out yesterday for a walk in the woods. Why the woods? Well, you might as well say that I am slowly becoming Czech. The malls are not as appealing as the woods anymore.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I was able to snap.

My little boy is growing so fast, and he really enjoys his new role of being a “big” brother. While I was busy looking for things to photograph, he took over and pushed the stroller of his baby sister.

Tired of doing it the regular way, he is experimenting with other ways on how to move it.

At this point, I took over for fear that he may accidentally flip the stroller with his sister inside. Instead, I asked him to lead the way.

He obliged and even told me: “Don’t worry, mom. I will protect you and Michaela.”

The end of the trail is the entrance to the city center through this bridge.

There was nobody during that time. It is still winter, afterall.

But we did see a fisherman on the river. He was fishing while Jakub was feeding the ducks and swans.

A new set of exercise bars were also built in a little space by the river. I think they finished it last year, but I didn’t see it because I was too lazy to walk towards this side of town when I was still pregnant with my daughter.

When the temperatures finally go up, I think I would like to use one of these bars for fitness.

But for now, I’ll just enjoy short walks with my kids.

Despite the cold, it was a very nice walk. Definitely another day well spent.

How are you coping up with winter in your side of the world?

My Pretty Girl is Pretty Fat

Published on February 13, 2014 by Grace4 Comments

Perhaps the biggest advantage of being a stay-at-home mom is that you get the see your children grow up. I am experiencing it now.

My little girl is growing up fast. At 3 months, she is now 6+ kg. They say that breastfed babies are less heavier than their formula-fed counterparts, but this one is quite the contrary. She is heavier than her brother when they were both at the same age. Just for comparison, here are photos of them in the same outfit.

This was Jakub at 3 months.

And now this is Michaela.

Being a second child, she gets to inherit her brother’s hand-me-downs. I hate throwing away such good stuff, so I am making her wear Jakub’s old outfits. Although, I bought a couple of headbands to give it a little feminine touch.

Even though she is heavier, she is still within the ideal range, so I’m not so worried about setting her up for obesity. I’m pretty sure that when she is able to run, she will be as active as her brother and will easily lose all those baby fats.

Jakub was pretty chubby when he was a baby too. But now he is very lean because he’s getting taller. I actually wanted him to gain a little bit more weight, but can’t really complain because he is very healthy.

Here’s both of them now.

Anyhow, I am happy to have this chance to stay home with them. I will never trade it for anything else in the world.

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