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Summer season in Europe is in full swing — and did I ever make the most of it this month! One factor I like about residing in Prague is how simple it’s to get throughout Europe. Whether or not you’re searching for a seaside getaway or a mountain escape, you’ve bought loads of choices.
This summer time took me on seaside getaways to Italy and Croatia — along with having fun with the perfect of Prague.
Let’s check out this month — the final full calendar month of my thirties!
Locations Visited
- Ponza, Palmarola, and Rome, Italy
- Prague and Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Break up and Korčula, Croatia
Highlights
The largest spotlight of the month is that my everlasting residency within the Czech Republic was authorised! A part of me is in disbelief…4 years in the past I hoped and praying to be allowed to enter the nation throughout that first COVID summer time, and now I’ve everlasting residency?! Life comes at you quick!!
Everlasting residency is the equal of a inexperienced card within the US — the precise to remain, work, and reside right here eternally.
Normally it takes 5 years of residency and a language take a look at earlier than you may get Czech everlasting residency; I used to be in a position to get it so rapidly as a result of individuals married to an EU citizen can get it after two years of residency and one yr of marriage, no take a look at obligatory. I utilized proper after our first anniversary. (Charlie continues to be thought of an EU citizen within the Czech system as a result of he bought his everlasting residency right here earlier than Brexit went by.)
This month I’ve a gathering to get new biometrics taken for my new ID — which is nice as a result of I seem like Buzz’s girlfriend in my present ID. Woof.
My July started on the island of Ponza, simply off the coast of Lazio, Italy. Ponza is a pleasant, low-key island. There isn’t a ton to do right here, however there are a whole lot of boat journey choices, and we took a ship to the close by island of Palmarola! (I feel that brings my Italy island rely to round 22, not counting mainland Sicily or Sardinia!)
As soon as once more, staying at Grand Resort Santa Domitilla was the large spotlight, and we loved a full day of lounging by the pool for the primary time in…FOREVER!
On the best way again, we had a layover at Termini Station in Rome, which allowed us to seize lunch at Mercato Centrale, proper subsequent door. We needed to get the tramezzini with meatballs, and the spaghetti carbonara with truffles that we loved in March! It’s really an amazing, well-balanced mixture!
Good instances in Prague. July brings one other of my favourite meals festivals, the annual French market, now moved again to the Mala Strana facet of the Charles Bridge. We loved cheeses, saucissons, baguettes, and plenty of French wines, and our picnic backpack got here fairly in helpful!
We took our niece to Výtopna Railway Restaurant for her fourth birthday — a restaurant that delivers every thing on prepare tracks that cross the restaurant! A cool place and we had a blast, although it appears to have been designed for adults who actually like trains, slightly than youngsters.
We additionally attended the annual American Occasion at Dva Kohouti, our neighborhood brewery, that got here with purple solo cups, beer pong, barbecue, a bluegrass band, and a mechanical bull!
Seeing Smashing Pumpkins in live performance. Smashing Pumpkins was one in every of my favourite bands in highschool, and this was my first time ever seeing them! I LOVED IT. Immediately, Ava Adore, Tonight Tonight, Mayonaise, Bullet with Butterly Wings, 1979 — ALL SO GREAT. I almost cried at Disarm.
This was additionally my first live performance utilizing these live performance earplugs, and I’m SO glad I purchased them. I might hear the music completely, and my ears didn’t ring in any respect afterward. They do make it a bit tough to have any conversations with individuals round you, although, which I suppose is the purpose of them!
A enjoyable day in Průhonice. For my newest new Czech vacation spot of the month, we headed to Průhonice, a small city outdoors Prague with a beautiful park. Průhonice Park is huge, with ponds, all types of strolling trails, and a castle-like constructing peeking between the treetops.
We loved galettes and crepes afterward at a French cafe referred to as U Slepiček.
The last word birthday journey to Croatia. For my fortieth birthday this yr, I needed to rejoice with a lot of buddies in a spot I like. I selected my beloved island of Korčula in Croatia, and 7 buddies joined me and Charlie for per week!
It was absolute paradise — a home perched on a beautiful turquoise bay, a 12-minute stroll from the downtown, and simply kicking again and enjoyable with my buds. This was the primary journey in eternally that I didn’t do any work in any respect, and didn’t convey my large digicam or my laptop computer. The break was SO good.
We additionally spent an evening in Break up, and I feel I have to replace my Break up information with a wine bar we liked — Monika’s. The proprietor is aware of simply the wines that may impress you based mostly in your tastes (although I cringed each time he referred to gentle whites as “women’ wines” and I ordered my standard spicy reds whereas observing him, deadpan).
Challenges
Oh my God, COVID’s again once more. There was an enormous wave of COVID world wide, and it made its strategy to us — Charlie examined constructive for COVID two weeks earlier than we had been to depart for Korčula. I examined adverse.
We reside in a one-bedroom condo, and it’s not possible to isolate from one another, so I left the condo, staying away till he had examined adverse for a number of days. We didn’t need to threat me getting contaminated, then infecting our buddies in Croatia.
Amusingly, I first stayed at an condo one block from the church of St. Peter at Poříčí, close to the Bílá Labut’ tram cease — then I realized that THAT CHURCH BELL TOLLS EVERY 15 MINUTES, ALL NIGHT LONG. It’s 2024 — who nonetheless does that?!?! The primary night time, I didn’t sleep; the second, earplugs saved me; and after a number of days I moved to a resort in my neighborhood.
We really pinpointed the place Charlie bought COVID: Hooters, the place we watched the Eurocup ultimate, as a result of one other of our buddies bought COVID on the identical timeline, and we solely noticed him there. One way or the other it evaded the opposite three of us. (Hooters? I do know, I do know. It’s the place we go for all of the sports activities finals. We just like the wings and the TVs at each angle.)
The excellent news is that Charlie’s case was very gentle, and I had $300 of unused journey credit score from my Enterprise X card that paid for almost 4 nights of resort.
Surprising duties. My earlier white sneakers had been so worn out, one shoe crammed up with water on a latest wet day, so it was time to get a brand new pair! I’ve arch points, so I ordered these cute sneakers from Frankie4 in Australia, which zip and have a podiatrist-designed footbed with good arch assist.
Since I ordered them from Australia, I anticipated to pay the VAT of 21% on prime of the price. I sometimes do this and it’s fantastic. Boy, was I stunned when VAT plus taxes and duties totaled $100 for sneakers that price $163!! Holy shnikes.
(One factor I didn’t know earlier than transferring to the EU was that you simply pay duties on all worldwide purchases, however within the US you solely pay duties on worldwide purchases value greater than $800. I as soon as had a ebook writer within the US ship me a free ebook, and I needed to pay the equal of $10 to the FedEx man. Bleh.)
For what it’s value, the sneakers are cute and the match is true to dimension. I really feel like their footbed is just a little too tall, although, so I would experiment with completely different insoles. However that’s the final time I order sneakers from abroad!
Publish of the Month
The Excellent Scottsdale Women’ Journey in 16 Steps — The complete recap and itinerary of my journey to Scottsdale! We had the best possible time. Be at liberty to steal this to have your individual good itinerary!
E book Membership This Month
Our subsequent ebook membership will happen on Sunday, August 18, 2024. We might be studying Dearborn, a brief story assortment by American writer Ghassan Zeineddine.
“Spanning a number of a long time, Ghassan Zeineddine’s debut assortment examines the varied vary and complexities of the Arab American neighborhood in Dearborn, Michigan. In ten tragicomic tales, Zeineddine explores themes of identification, generational conflicts, struggle trauma, migration, sexuality, queerness, residence and belonging, and extra.
In Dearborn, a father teaches his son find out how to cheat the IRS and conceal their money earnings within frozen chickens. Tensions heighten inside a close-knit group of {couples} when a mysterious man begins to frequent the native gymnasium pool, wearing Speedos printed with nostalgic pictures of Lebanon. And a failed stage actor makes an attempt to drive a younger Lebanese man with ambitions of changing into a Hollywood motion hero to LA, however Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers produce other plans.
By turns wildly humorous, incisive, and deeply transferring, Dearborn introduces readers to an arresting new voice in up to date fiction and invitations us all to think about what it means to be a part of a spot and neighborhood, and the way it’s that we assist each other survive.”
You may join right here. Hope to see you there!
Style Discover of the Month
This summer time I’ve been obsessive about my new costume within the good shade of orchid — it’s this costume from Sézane. It’s stretchy with a tied waist band, and it has slits up either side. There’s additionally a short-sleeved model that is available in completely different colours.
Additionally, this summer time I purchased my first pair of Birkenstocks EVER (sure, ever!!) and I ADORE THEM. Why did I wait so lengthy?
At first I apprehensive I had purchased them barely too small, however they molded to my ft completely. I’m residing in all of them summer time lengthy. When you have unhealthy arches like I do, you want a pair of those!
What I Watched This Month
It’s been all concerning the Olympics!! And I’ve to say, this was my favourite expertise of watching the Olympics but. I’m not a giant fan of what NBC does within the US, curating a set of occasions every night, filling it with emotional particular curiosity items and solely specializing in a number of common sports activities.
This yr, I watched by way of Eurosport on the Czech model of HBO Max, which was PERFECT. It had actually every thing, reside and repayable! (As of late, you are able to do the identical factor within the US, watching on Peacock.)
When my buddies and I had been in Croatia, we’d activate the iPad within the mornings and watch judo, horse leaping, fencing, browsing, and sure, gymnastics.
And I like all of the Olympics memes this yr. LeBron holding the American flag within the boat within the rain, lethal critical, trying like George Washington crossing the Delaware. Candy Stephen Nedoroscik (a fellow Masshole!) killing it on the pommel horse. Simon Biles and Jordan Chiles bowing to Rebeca Andrade. Snoop Dogg, in every single place. Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec trying like a hitman.
A couple of of my buddies are on the video games in Paris, and although I didn’t need to go anyplace close to them, I might really like to go to a future Olympics! Perhaps Los Angeles? I wouldn’t if I needed to drive in LA site visitors, however your complete video games might be accessible by public transportation!
Coming Up in August 2024
Nicely, we’re already per week into the month. August started in Korčula, and on the second, I TURNED FORTY! And what a day we had. You’ll hear about it in subsequent month’s recap.
Most of August might be spent in Prague, having fun with the sunny and generally stormy summer time days.
On the finish of the month, Charlie and I’ll journey to Moravia, the jap a part of the Czech Republic, to go to wine nation! Seems the Moravians maintain the perfect Czech wine for themselves, so I stay up for sampling the wares. There’s even a spot the place you’ll be able to pattern 100 wines at your leisure!
The gorgeous city of Mikulov, pictured above, might be my new Czech vacation spot for August.
