Travel Russia Today

While touring Prague last summer, we found ourselves in the very crowded Old Town Square around lunch. There were charming cafes everywhere but it appeared that all the outdoor seating was taken. I was with a Prague resident who told me she had just the place to go. I must confess I was quite disappointed when she lead me into a dark hallway of the U Prince hotel and got onto an elevator. It was so beautiful outside, the last place I wanted to be was in a dark air conditioned hotel restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised when the elevator doors opened to the outside and a set of stairs. We climbed the stairs and I gasped as I looked around and realized I had a 360 degree view of Old Town and the rest of Prague before me. The rooftop terrace had seating for about forty people and most tables had umbrellas to shade you from the sun. After being seated and looking across all the red terra cotta tiles, I realized I had a clear view to the castle district.

The menu was lengthy with a good mix of traditional Czech specialties and continental food. Of course, all of the food tasted even better when matched with the Czech beer, Pilsner Urquell. After lunch we took advantage of the view and captured some gorgeous pictures of the area. We then descended back down to the town square. Instantly we were engulfed by the crowds and for an instance we debated about retreating back to our new found sanctuary.

I recently enjoyed a day exploring the Norwegian Fjords by traveling via Norway in a Nutshell. This full day journey, involving trains, ferries and a bus will delight any one with its breathtaking views of the fjords. Tiny villages, some consisting of only two or three homes, dot the coastline. Occasionally, I would spot a lone house perched on a cliff and wonder how they survive so isolated.

Countless waterfalls plunge into the sea. The captain of our ferry pulled up along a waterfall and everyone was served a cold, sparkling glass of water. It was the best water I ever tasted but, I must admit, I enjoyed a different drink along the journey even more...

We had a nice stop in Flam (a gorgeous town in Norway) for forty five minutes before continuing on. There were several buildings surrounding the port and when we wandered past the restaurant and souvenir shop we could not believe our eyes when we spotted a brewery.

The Aegir Brewery is a stave designed, barn-like building. The interiors featured wood carvings everywhere and stone floors as if a Viking designed it himself. At the bar, we were delighted to meet the bartender/owner and discover he is a fellow American from Buffalo. He presented us with a tasting board of six micro-brews. With only about thirty minutes before our departure we did our best to sit back and enjoy each sip. The Indian Pale Ale was the clear winner in our group. We would have loved to have spent the whole afternoon there but, alas, we must continue on.