European Holiday Adventure: Italy, Belgium, Prague, & Poland

Welcome to the Mintzer Chronicles: Holiday Edition!

These next gazillion pages of photos are the highlights of our European Holiday 3-Week Adventure! Although it was difficult to be away from home for the holidays, and we missed you all tons, we are definitely making the most of our time here in Europe and trying to see as much as we can. Well...here we go!

*Shout-Outs*

We want to start out this blog with shout-outs to both the Dagens in Prague, and to Nikki and Bobby Abernethy in Italy. Both families graciously opened their homes to us and provided us with our own room for multiple nights of our journey. We can't thank you enough!

Stop #1: Rome

We were lucky enough to spend five days in Rome. Most days were spent walking all around the city, viewing the sights. At sunset/dusk, Jason put his camera to good use, while Naomi sipped a late at a nearby cafe (it was too cold to just stand around!!). We ended each night with a delicious meal of pasta pasta pasta.

* The Coliseum *

This is the first of many pictures in which

Naomi is mimicking some ancient art...

Where are the eyes?!?! Poor eyeless face.

Meow Meow Meow

My name is fluffy and I live in the Coliseum.

Some crazed cat lady named Naomi

wanted to sneak me into her purse and

take me home with her...

* The Forum *

You may notice Naomi's hip new sneakers...

her boots decided to flood themselves so

Naomi spent all day walking in a shoe-size

swimming pool...hence the shoe purchase.

* Lets Eat! *

mmm...gelato. Jason's favorite: coconut.

Naomi's favorite: mint chip and chocolate combo.

Note to self: nutella gelato is much too sweet...

The best pasta we've ever had...made from

scratch. yum yum yum.

* Rome's Main Government Building *

As you may have guessed by our makeshift

title, we're not sure the name of this building,

but we're pretty sure some government

business goes on inside. Suggestions?

Rarr! Watch out...Asland is about to fly away.

* The Pantheon *

Can you see the raindrops?

* Plaza Novella *

Jason took some fantastic photography

of one of Rome's greatest plazas. The

merry-go-round was one of his favorite

things to photograph.

Here is a cool statue of a guy stabbing an

octopus. Very Little-Mermaid-esque.

While it may appear that this guy is throwing

up, it didn't look like that in person.

* The Spanish Steps *

View from the top

View from the bottom.

* The Trevi Fountain *

Gotta love the slow-shutter photos of water.

* St. Cecelia Cathedral *

St. Cecelia was an early-church martyr. She

was beheaded for her belief in God, represented

here by the gash in her neck. The statue also

represents her faith in the Trinity - she is holding

up three fingers in one hand, one finger in the other:

Three Gods in one.

This beautiful room was a part of the crypt.

Naomi outside the church.

* Tiber River *

Who's that adorable couple?

This is one of our favorites photos...burnt orange

leaves in front of a river of paint and the mossy

remains of an ancient bridge.

* The Vatican *

Here she goes again, mimicking ancient art...

Meow meow meow

This sarcophagus contains a very important

cat...although I'm not sure what's left of

it after all these years.

Who knew ancient Romans liked Rainbow sandals?

This isn't the ceiling of the Sistine

Chapel, but it's still stunning.

Unfortunately, no photos were

allowed inside the Sistine Chapel.

some awesome flooring.

Jason went all paparazzi on me while in

the silent prayer room.

St. Peter's - inside view

St. Peters Basilica - outside view

La Pieta

* Random Rome Photos *

San Callisto Catacombs:

Miles and miles of underground graves.

* Venice *

brrrr!

Naomi and Nikki in Venice

Naomi and Nikki on the Venice water taxi.

love love love the windows

St. Marcos Square

meow meow meow

we LOVED the masks

Naomi was SO excited to spend Christmas

with Nikki and Bobby, who live in Italy.

They were fantastic Venice tour guides!

* Florence *

The ceiling of the baptistry in San Giovanni.

an awesome bicycle basket

love love love the green shutters against

the gold-toned wall!

The "fake" David

statue...no photographs were

allowed of the original David.

The Cathedral of Florence and

Giotto's Bell Tower

Here are some of Florence's

most beautiful statues:

Don't you love the way the

rain makes for such great photos?

Above is Giotto's Bell Tower

and below are multiple photos

showing the view of Florence

from the top of the bell tower.

Florence's Arno River

On the bridge over the Arno River lies a statue of the legendary goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini. Young lovers in Florence seal their affection by placing a lock inscribed with their names on the fence surrounding the monument, representing their unbreakable love, and then they throw the key into the Arno River. Apparently, it was a good thing that we refrained from this tradition as the city officials recently started issuing a 30 Euro fine for this "proliferation of unsightly clusters of metal disfiguring the monument." For the full, hilarious story, visit:

http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/tuscany/florence-tries-stamp-out-locks-love

Here we are at The Joshua Tree Pub. Yes,

it even came equipped with a map of

Joshua Tree. Jason felt right at home!

Goodbye, Florence! Such a beauty!

* Belgium: Brussels *

What comes to mind when you think of

Belgium? Belgian Beer, perhaps? maybe

Belgian Chocloate? How about Belgian

Waffles? Or if you think like us...

all of the above.

250 Belgian Beers...where to start?

Belgian Chocolate...pricy,

but worth every penny.

Naomi's Favorite: Belgian Waffles

Another of Naomi's Belgian highlights...

La Cure Gourmande: Sucrecuitier, Biscuitier,

Chocolatier (sugar, cookies or "biscuits if

you're British, and chocolate)

Naomi was in heaven.

the Willy Wonka flashbacks started

about now...

Time for some non-food pictures! Here

are Jason's best photos of La Grande Place

Jason was more interested in taking

photos of the lights making the light show

than of the light show itself.

The Manneken Pis (peeing boy) was much smaller

than we thought it would be...can you see it?

He appear to be peeing on our heads.

Who wouldn't want a rainbow colored,

solid chocolate manneken pis?

Dinner at the Christmas street fair.

Scrumptious. See below for the giant pan

of potatoes, sausage, and cream that seduced

us over for a taste.

Now for the main event!

The Royal Toone Theater of Brussels.

Toone is a puppet theatre, puppet museum, and

pub - all in one! Who could want more?

The Toone marionette shows began in

1830, and have been a hit ever since.

Unfortunately, the toone (puppet master)'s

language of choice was Flemish. Apparently

it was a hilarious show, but we had absolutely

no idea what was going on...so we snuck out

halfway through. If you'd like a small taste

of the Toone experience, check out the video

at the end of this blog post.

What better way to end the night than with

a pitta stuffed with schwarma and fries?

On the train to Bruges! The best

transportation yet...only 1 hour.

Flight from Belgium to Prague.

loving those clouds...

* Belgium: Bruges *

Bruges is one of Europe's most well-preserved

medieval cities. It only takes a short walk around

the swan-graced canals until you start believing

your in a fairy tale. Many of the houses date

back into the 1600's.

The infamous clock tower as seen

in the film "In Bruges"

Here's Naomi pretending to

steal a bike...

Jewelry boxes made of miniature furniture!?!?

Behind us is the charming little ice-skating

rink that they set up for the holidays in the

middle of the main square of Bruges.

Belgian Snuggies?!?!? Who knew they

were a world-wide hit!

This one's for Lewis (Dad)...we know

how much you love Crocs!

Naomi standing in front of another

chocolatier...this one looked like it was

taken from a Lord of the Rings

hobbit village!

Happy New Year - 2010!

Naked glamour shots with your cat...

all the rage in Europe right now.

Egyptian food for dinner!

Wow, I (Naomi) really went all out for

New Years...A bottle of champagne and

a burgundy thermal turtleneck. Glamourous.

Cheers for 2010!

Our new Irish friends!

Another little hobbit shop!

Jason insisted that I take this picture of him

in the public port-a-urinal.

* Prague *

The Prague Medieval Astronomical Clock

dates back to 1410.

Note to self: don't become the worlds best

clock-maker and end up like this poor guy...

legend has it that his eyes were poked out after he

finished making this clock. The clock owner had

the clock-maker's eyes poked out so he couldn't

ever make a better clock for someone else.

Well, it IS a pretty rad clock...

Just around the corner from the astronomical clock

is the Old Town Execution Memorial Site.

27 crosses mark the famous executions of 24

noble protestant leaders and 3 commoners

at the height of the Thirty Years War. It

dates back to June 21, 1621.

Old Town Square

Cindarella's castle...

at least in my mind.

Let it snow!

* * * * *

Here are a few pictures of the

incredible architecture in Prague.

The Charles Bridge

Look closely to find Naomi standing with

her arms out on the right of this picture!

We just walked across the Charles Bridge.

This crucifix is one of 30 statues that grace

the sides of the Charles Bridge. It dates back

to 1657.

While in Prague, we stayed at the home of

the Dagens, family friends of Naomi. Jill

Dagen, shown below with Naomi, was

also Naomi's kindergarten teacher!

Our first traditional Czech meal...

delicious! Fried cheese, potato

pancakes, potato dumplings, french

fries, and some yummy meat.

Some more delicious food! Above: waffles

filled with warm carmel. Below: Czech sausage

for Naomi and a shish kabob for Jason. We

absolutely LOVED the Czech food. We were

truly disappointed to leave it and return

to Spanish food!

Below: Trdelnik! What is that, you ask? It's

a traditional sweet pastry cake made from

rolled dough, wrapped around a stick, then

grilled and topped with a sugar and walnut

mix. It was delectable!

While in Prague, we also visited numerous

Jewish sights. Photography wasn't allowed in

any of the museums or temples, but we were

able to take a few photos of the Old Jewish

Cemetery.

The Old Jewish Cemetery was in use from the

early 15th century until 1787. During this time

period, the Jews were only allowed to use this

alloted space for their burials. As they ran out

of space, they created more and more layers

for the graves - 12 layers total. This explains

why the tombstones are so close.

The Museum of Torture. Although Jason

found this informative museum to be quite

entertaining, Naomi wasn't quite as excited

about the experience! yuck!

This next segment of pictures is of Petrin

Hill and the observation tower (a mini-

wannabe Eiffel Tower).

Up until this point in time, Naomi was thrilled

with her shoe-replacement purchase. Stylish - yes.

Comfortable - yes. Waterproof - yes. Much to

her dismay, she realized that her black and

hot pink patent leather fancy pants Puma

high-tops had absolutely no grip on the sole.

Thus begins the "slipping, sliding, and falling

down Petrin Hill" escapade.

Step 1: take it slow

"taking it slow" failed.

step 2: seek help from walking stick

walking stick failed.

Step 3: crawl down the mountain on hands and knees.

(I know, it's not ideal, but it was better than

attempting yet another unsuccessful "stand-

up" maneuver and risking a slip and slide

off the mountain and into her death.)

not a happy camper.

(the "possessed hobbit" look was obviously

a result of that little slippy-slidy escapade)

We made it to the tower! Finally!

At least our escapade resulted

in a great view of Prague.

Why, that's an odd statue in the alcove! Naomi

started to get a little bored walking up the

never ending path of stairs to the Prague Castle...

blueberry vine

almost to the top! yippee!!

This photo is for you, Dad. Aren't these

dormers awesome!?!??! Click on the

picture to zoom in. - Naomi

* * * * *

The view from the top of the Prague Castle

was phenomenal - we (and by we I mean

Naomi) loved the snow covered red roofs!

winter wonderland

statues: you can't live with them, you can't live

without them. wait, what? that doesn't make

any sense. oh well. here are some rad statues.

Goodbye, Czech Republic. Hello Poland!

But first, the overnight sleeper train.

Be glad you're only spending 10 seconds

looking at these pictures, and not nine

hours actually on the train...attempting

unsuccessfully to catch some z's.

* Krackow, Poland *

We took a one-day excursion to Poland to visit

Auschwitz. There aren't any captions as these

pictures need no explanation.

Dinner in Krakow:

For the last night of our 20-day adventure, we

decided to celebrate by delving into a bit of a

smorgasborg.

pumpkin soup, polish soup, dumplings,

and polish beer to start...

*here lies the memory of a picture accidentally

deleted...jason smiling in front of the

main course: a platter of six different polish

meats, grilled vegatables, and perogis*

for dessert, apple "pancakes"! (pancakes?)

the restaurant was cozy and adorable

* * * * *

Now, some photos of Krakow!

Well, that's (almost) all folks! (below is the video

clip from the Toone puppet show). We love you all

and miss you tons, and are counting down the days

until our return to the OC! Well, not the days...

but the months. Arrivederci!

* * * * *

* watch me! watch me! i'm funny! *