Paris on the Seine

Hi Everyone,
Today I'll continue tell you about our trip to France! The previous post on our trip was about Tours...and how on the Wednesday of that week we had to leave for Paris due to a transportation strike! We never did learn what happened with that strike as all the public transportation was working when we got back to Paris! The strike was supposed to be on Thursday of that week, but we didn't see it! Maybe it was just in the Tours region...I really haven't found out what happened!

Anyway, we made our way back to Paris that Wednesday, one day earlier than we had planned. Thankfully, the hotel we were going to use on Thursday and Friday had an opening, and we were able to stay there that Wednesday night! We stayed at a typical, small Paris hotel called the Hotel Londres et Anvers--which is pretty close to the Gare du Nord train station. It is in the north part of Paris and is small, but comfortable. Our room was clean and small, but that didn't matter since we weren't there too much. It made a nice "bubble" for me! This hotel sits on a very busy street--the street noise wasn't too bad, unti Friday night! Friday night was "party night" and cars were going all night long. We didn't get too much sleep due to the roar of cars. It was kind of funny...you would hear the roar of cars, and then when the traffic light changed, it got very quiet when all the cars came to a stop. When the light was green again, the roar would start up--sounding more like a race track as people stepped on the accelerator in their cars! Otherwise, our stay in the hotel was very good!

Our first destination on Thursday morning was to the bohemian quarter of Montmartre Hill district. I say "bohemian" because that's just what this section of Paris is! You can find everything from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to artists, hotels, restaurants and cafes, and the Museum of Eroticism! It is a beautiful area--from the top of Montmartre you get an excellent view of Paris! It's quite a climb, but well worth the effort for the view is gorgeous. Also on the top of the hill sits the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a wonder to behold. The church sits on the top of Montmartre (hill of martyrs)--sitting like a crown overlooking the city of Paris. There were so many people here! Even so, it was easy to get into the church and out again. The inside of the basilica is dominated by the chancel area which has a beautiful mosaic of the sacred heart of Christ above the main altar. I don't have words to describe this place...really. It is massive and beautiful--all built in travertine. The Sacred Heart Basicilica was dedicated to the Sacred Heart--and was commissioned after the French Revolution. The foundation stone was laid on June 16th, 1875. There are many beautiful chapels scattered throughout the basilica, and people from all over the world still make pilgrimages to this beautiful and holy place. This place struck me pretty hard, too. Most of the churches we visited had such a Presence in them (though not all...some were spiritually "dead" and were only beautiful bricks and mortar)...I was surprised. I guess this is because so many people are not believers any more, and you think these big old buildings are just that...big, old, beautiful buildings--but not places of holiness and belief any longer! That is an ignorant way to think--I have realized this now! I'm admitting my ignorance freely! I've learned so much from being able to visit other places of worship--even those that are outside of my own belief system. It is pretty amazing to encounter the holy in places you don't expect!

After leaving the basilica, Jiri and I wandered around on Montmartre a little bit. We found the Place de Tertre which is where the artists gather and paint! That was a nice sight! Also in this area you can find cafes, restaurants and shops--and more! There was a small band there playing outside--and it was great! Their music reminded me a little bit of the Cajun music from Louisiana...you can definitely hear France in that music! We didn't have a lot of time to spend here, but it would definitely be fun to go back and explore some more! One last note about this area--we saw cars parking in an interesting way--you can see in the slideshow what I'm talking about! Cars will park right up against the car in front of them on the sides of the streets! We saw this all over Paris! How they manage to get out from between two cars I have no idea...we didn't see how it's done--it's a mystery!

After leaving the Monmartre summit, we walked down to the Montmartre Cemetery. Now, you would think visiting a cemetery would be a little bit weird and gruesome...well, at least it is not the first place I would normally choose to visit! But this cemetery is not gruesome...but beautiful and peaceful. It is the last resting place of many famous people. Living people were resting in the cemetery on benches that are scattered throughout the place. I actually saw some eating their lunches there! This is something new for me...in the US, we don't see people doing something like that--it's considered to be weird and disrespectful. But in Europe, it's not so weird. Montmartre Cemetery is a very peaceful and quiet haven in the midst of this busy part of Paris. It felt more like being in a park than a cemetery! Here, you can find a list of some of the famous people who are buried there. There are so many beautiful and interesting monuments here! One interesting thing we noticed is that a bridge covers some of the monuments in this place--see in the slideshow. That was weird to see! Those poor people surely can't be resting too well with a freeway over their heads!

Our next destination on Thursday was the Arc de Triomphe, which sits on the western end of the Champs de Elysees. We had a time trying to find the way to the arch as it sits in the middle of a very busy thoroughfare! You actually have to underground via a passageway to get to the arch! We felt like we were in a maze...but it's really not that hard to find the way! The arch is so massive! Pictures don't do it justice! You feel very overwhelmed by this beautiful and massive monument! I'd never seen detailed pictures of the monument--and so was astounded by what I saw. You can see some of the details in our pictures in the slideshow. We didn't go up into the arch--the lines were so long. But Jiri and I did wander around the base for a while and just to take it all in. The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by then Emperor Napoleon in 1806, and was dedicated to those who lost their lives in the service of France in war time. Here, you can find the names of generals and battles that have been chiseled into the base of the monument. You can also find the tomb of the unknown soldier--one of France's unknown war-dead. The Arc de Triomphe is a beautiful monument--and very impressive...again, pictures don't do it it justice!

After visiting the Arc de Triomphe, we wandered down the Champs de Elysees! This is one of the most famous streets in the world! The second one I've had the opportunity to visit! My first being the Ginsa in Tokyo! Truly, the Champs de Elysees reminded me very much of the Ginsa with all of its very high-dollar stores and restaurants! This beautiful street originally was the home of fields and market gardens! It's come a long way since then! I didn't do any shopping...but it was very fun to do some window shopping! Not far from this street, we found a car dealer for Lamborghini...with a beautiful car in front! My husband truly admired this car--it was his form of window shopping--an "only in his dreams" kind of moment that he completely enjoyed!

Well, that's all for today! I'll continue telling you about our trip to Paris in the next post!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Living as an American in the Czech Republic

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to Czech Off the Beaten Path! Today this blog is one of the participants in the World Blog Surf Day which is being sponsored by Golden Prague. Thank you, Golden Prague, for organizing this blog hopping around the world!! There are many expats who are participating--it will be fun to read all of the posts! We are supposed to talk about what it means to be an expat living in our new homes. So, here goes...at the end of this post I'll give you a link to the next expat blog!

Living as an American in the Czech Republic has been a very eye-opening experience for me on so many levels. I remember when I first came to visit my then future husband, Jiri. I was so excited, but also nervous to be visiting a former Soviet bloc country--and a place where my own great grandparents had come from! That trip was my third outside of the US...so I was not as new to traveling, but to be visiting an Eastern European country (as we called it then--now we know better and say "Central European" country!) was quite an adventure. My parents had visited just after the Velvet Revolution and they had a wonderful time here. They loved the people and the country. So, from their visit I knew a little of what to expect, but it was still more of a mystery and an adventure for me! After that initial visit, I made several more, including the trip here for our wedding--in Prague.

I learned that the Czech people (such as my husband's family and friends) were just as curious about me as I was about them! We all had some misconceptions to get over. I think everyone expected I would be one of those "ugly" Americans--the kind who give us all a bad name and don't make for very good travelers or expats! I know some of our guy friends were afraid I was going to turn out to be a feminist! Czech men are very intimidated by Western feminists! Czech guys were at one time told all American women were feminists!! And me...I wasn't sure what to expect, except that this was a very male-dominated culture--so wasn't sure what that would mean for me! Well, they were surprised...I'm not so much of a feminist...and this male-dominated culture is just that, and Czech men have a certain amount of gallantry that is really nice! So, things have worked out in that way...no problem.

Living in a foreign country tends to have a big effect on a person. You learn more about the country you are living in, but you also learn a lot about yourself. You see your own prejudices from someone else's perspective, you learn just what you're capable of doing (you can gain self-esteem), and more. I'm not sure how the experience of living as an expat will change me over time. My basic selfhood will not change. But I do believe living outside of my own country will broaden my thinking on many subjects...and might lead me to some surprising conclusions. Who knows...I feel the changes happening, but am not yet able to see just how I've changed...or how I'm changing. I moved here just over 2 years ago...so I'm still fairly new at this expat life!

This has been and continues to be a great adventure--one I'm happy to be having, in spite of being a reluctant expat in the beginning! I want to see and learn more about the Czech Republic and Europe...and other countries, too...I want to learn more about the world we're all living in...and more about you all, too...my fellow expats!

Speaking of that, it's time to close this post and hand it over to Roz at Life in Australia! Roz is an expat from the UK who has moved to Australia. She shares about her life and experiences in a fun and insightful way! So, here's to you Roz...your turn in our World Blog Surf Day!!

You all have a great day!!!

God bless,
Sher :0)

Image from Flickr
By joone4u

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Housekeeping Matters

Hi Everyone,
I just realized that when in yesterday's post, I left off a couple of things I wanted to mention about Tours! Ach jo...it's been busy here and my mind is too full! Anyway, one of things I wanted to mention was the Rue Colbert in Tours--in the old city center. This was an amazing street that was once the center of the medieval city. There are houses here, too, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, along with many small shops specializing in everything from wigs to antiques. Now, I must mention--I didn't notice a shop selling antique wigs! There are also many small cafes along this street where you can have a nice cup of coffee or tea or a very nice lunch!

One more point about Tours--there is a bridge there called the Pont Wilson (Wilson Bridge). This bridge was constructed in honor of the American presence in Tours during World War I. The Americans used Tours as a garrison city. You can see a picture of this bridge in my first post about Tours--it is the picture captioned "The Loire River." We found honors to the American presence in France in Tour and Paris, both.

Now, on to other matters of housekeeping! I'm going to post about Paris next week as tomorrow this blog will be one of many taking part in the first Blog World Surf Day which is being sponsored by Golden Prague tomorrow. This will be a tour of the world via blog hopping. The theme of the tour will be what it means to be an expat in our new home countries. This will be a very interesting series--be sure to visit the blogs in the tour--they're all very well-written, with each blog offers a different perspective of our world.

That's all for today...see you tomorrow on Blog World Surf Day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

PS Daylight Savings Time: for those of you living in Europe, don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night!

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Tours on the Loire River

Hi Everyone,
Today I'll continue telling you about our visit in Tours, France! My husband was there for a conference, so while he was busy there, I was out exploring the old city center. Tours is a very delightful and beautiful spot. While we were there, the trees were just beginning to leaf out and some of the shrubs were flowering. I can only imagine what it will be like when everything is blooming and the trees are full of new green leaves!

Tours sits in the Loire Valley in the Touraine region of France, and is located on the Loire River. This region is very famous for its wines and many beautiful chateaux, and supposedly is considered to the place where the French language is the purest! I'm no expert on the French language, but I did note that the French spoken there sounded slightly different than the French spoken in Paris! Tours has a long and varied history--it has been the home of kings--and was at one time even a Roman city, and the capital of France (back in the 15th and 16th centuries)! During the Middle Ages, the city was also an important pilgrimage stop for many on the way to Compestela.

One of the most famous places for pilgrims to this day is the Basilica of St. Martin. We weren't able to get as many good pictures during our visit, but this basilica is a very impressive and sacred place. The church was named for St. Martin who was the second bishop of Tours. I found the church one day when my husband was busy at his conference. I was wandering and exploring the old city center and had seen the basilica listed on our map of Tours. I was quite taken with this church. It was constructed in the neo-Byzantine style--this church is very elegant and holy. These are the best words I can find to describe it. Under the altar in the chancel area is a crypt for the relics of St. Martin. It is a place where many go to pray and find some peace. Unfortunately the picture we took in that spot didn't turn out. How to describe it--the crypt is not dark and dank, but is full of light from so many candles and also electric lighting (though this is subdued). The walls are covered in plaques from all over the world--in many languages. These were either given in thanks and praise for answered prayers, or were themselves prayers. These were a quiet addition to the walls of the crypt. The floor was done in a mosaic--very pretty. Chairs, in rows, were on four sides of this room, with a small altar in the center...behind was the place of the saint's relics. It felt very holy. Now, I must explain that I have experienced this sense of the holy in many places--from Buddhist temples to mountain tops and valleys. I'm not a Catholic, and yet this place felt very holy. Not due to the presence of the relics of the saint, but due to a higher Presence. It was quite a moving place--and leaving was not easy...but I finally left the church and walked into the sunlight to explore more of the old city of Tours.

The basilica sits in one of the oldest areas of Tours and is surrounded by houses that date back to the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries! One special area to see some of these houses is the Place Plumereau. The Plumereau sits in nearly the center of "Vieux Tours" (old Tours) and is the place of a very famous row of houses. You can see these in the pictures on my last blog post. Can you believe that these houses were almost demolished in the 1950's? What a loss that would have been! But you can still see these ancient homes sitting on the place, surrounded by cafes and small shops. It is a very nice and relaxing place to stop and take a rest from wandering for a while!

Another fun place to wander was on the Beranger Boulevard! This is a very wide walkway in the middle of the street! It reminded me of the Rambla in Barcelona! Sometimes there are small farmer's markets set up along this walkway. The houses that line both sides of Beranger Boulevard are dated to around the 1700's--so fairly new, in the European way of looking at time!

We only spent a couple of days in Tours due to a transportation strike that was due to start that week. So, we didn't have much of a chance to see the chateux and other sites in and around Tours. But there was another church I was able to visit--the Cathedral of St. Gatien. This cathedral was built from 1170 to 1547. When you see the inside, you can imagine why it took so long to build this magnificent cathedral! You can see our pictures of St. Gatien's cathedral in my last post. This is a gorgeous place--the stained glass windows are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen! The colors are so rich and deep--the pictures almost seem like living scenes! The ceiling of this cathedral soars over head and is almost lost to view. There are many small chapels here dedicated to various saints. A couple of the most beautiful were the ones dedicated to Christ and Mary and St. Gatien. Again this struck me as a very holy place. Not all churches hit me this way...but this one and St. Martin's definitely did...which surprised me. I was very moved here, and again it was very difficult to leave!

Wednesday of that week found me doing some resting from all the walking...and then my husband came back to our hotel and announced that we were leaving for Paris that very day! This was due to an announcement made at the conference about the transportation strike taking place. Everyone was advised to make arrangements to leave either before or after the day of the strike. So, Jiri thought it was better for us to leave on Wednesday afternoon. Luckily we were able to exchange our tickets and had a very nice and relaxing ride back to Paris on the TGV that day!

It was hard to leave Tours--it is easy to see why it was the seat of so many kings and others! Tours is beautiful, delightful and more! I would like to go back again when we would have more time to explore more of the treasures of Tours and the surrounding region. It is an area so rich with history and full of so many things to do! There are so many places to visit--from chateaux to caves and many natural areas to hike! Tours is definitely a must-see if you have time to venture out of Paris. The TGV train makes it a very fast and easy trip from Paris to Tours. You won't be disappointed!

That's all for today...next time I'll tell you about our trip to Paris and have pictures, too!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Tours--Beautiful City in the Loire Valley

Hi Everyone,
Jiri and I had a great trip to France. This was my very first visit to France--and it was quite a surprise for me! I knew it would be pretty there, but wasn't prepared for the reality of the beauty to be experienced and seen. We were able to only have a fast visit, but we managed to see quite a bit. However, we would like to go back and do more exploring as there is just so much to see and do in France!

We flew from Prague to Paris (Charles de Gaulle International Airport) on a Sunday. The flight was good--a little bumpy, which is common this time of the year with the weather changing from winter to spring. The flight took about an hour and forty-five minutes--not bad at all. We landed and managed to find our way to the baggage area OK and my bag showed up! It's frustrating that I have to check my small suitcase every time we travel! I have so many medications I have to carry with me in my carry-on on luggage that it precludes having my small suitcase as carry-on. That, however, is only a minor inconvenience--as long as my suitcase shows up!!! :0)

After gathering my suitcase, we then had to try to find our way to transportation that would take us to Tours, France. Charles de Gaulle International Airport is a nice, big, modern airport--but it's very frustrating trying to find your way around. The signs are somewhat confusing--and some of those (service people) who are there to assist didn't like speaking in English :0) But we finally managed to find the way! We took the TGV train--a high-speed train--directly from the airport all the way to Tours. The trip was close to two hours, and this included some short stops along the way. I love traveling by train. The TGV was the second high-speed train I've used (the first was the Bullet Train in Japan). The TGV is great--very clean and fast--very comfortable. You feel as if you're actually flying!

We arrived in Tours in the late afternoon on Sunday. The train station there is huge and a bit confusing, but there again, we finally managed to find our way out! Next we had to find the conference center (my husband was there for a conference) and see where we were to be accommodated. For some reason, the conference had not made it clear where we would stay when Jiri made the booking through the conference website! Thankfully the concierge desk, at the conference center, had that information! We stayed at the Ibis Hotel Central. This was a nice hotel--very clean and pleasant. Ibis is a hotel chain similar to Holiday Inn or Ramada in the US. We've used Ibis hotels in the past, and have been very happy with their service. The rooms are small, but very adequate and comfortable--and very clean. I usually don't have too much allergy trouble in these hotels. That's great--as our hotel room has to become my "bubble" and safe haven away from pollution and allergens when we travel!

Jiri and I then walked to the hotel, which was very close to the conference center and train station. It probably took us about ten to twelve minutes to walk there. Not bad at all. We checked in and unpacked, and then decided to take a walk and get some supper. The conference started that evening, so Jiri went there, and I stayed and relaxed at our hotel.

The weather during our stay in Tours was great--typical spring, with warm, sunny, windy days, and cool evenings and cold nights. The skies were mostly clear, with some high clouds--it was such a great thing to see the sun!!! Here, in Prague, our winters are very dark and dreary. This has been hard for me to adapt to since I come from the extremely sunny south west in the US! Seeing the sun was like receiving a jolt of energy--it was great!! The air in Tours, during our stay, seemed to be pretty clean and clear.

That's all for today--I thought it would be easy to only write one post for Tours...but no!!! So, please come back and read more about our trip to Tours. I'll give you some background about the city and tell you about some of the things we saw there. You can see our pictures in the slideshow above.

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

All photos are property of J and SA Vacik

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Uploading and Writing!

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for stopping by today!!! I'm working very hard on preparing the photos and text about our trip to France! I had hoped to have some of it ready for today, but will definitely have pictures and information on the first part of our trip to Tours, France--tomorrow! There's so much to tell you about...and so many pictures...it's been quite a job today!!!

So, please stop by tomorrow to hear about our trip and see the pictures!!!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Back in Prague!

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick post to let you know Jiri and I are back home! We had a great trip--I'll be telling you about that this week. There are so many pictures to sort through! Phew!

Thank you to the Entrecard droppers who kept visiting while I was away! I really appreciate it and have gotten caught up with everyone once again! There were a lot of drops to make...but you should have cards from me now...and I'll be back to a regular dropping schedule from today on!

That's all for now...I'll tell you about our trip to France this week...after sorting through all the pictures--we took literally hundreds...Ach jo!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

PS I'll catch up with comment moderation tomorrow, too! :0)

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Entrecard Droppers and Advertisers

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick note to let you know that I'll be traveling this week and might not have an Internet connection this during the trip. Please continue to come by and drop Entrecards...I'll be sure to get back to dropping when we get back home next weekend! If we do have Internet, I'll try to drop and make new posts.

The Internet is available in most places here in Europe, but many of the hotels charge an exorbitant price for that connection! Back in the States, many hotels offer a free WiFi connection. One of these days this idea will hopefully take on here in Europe, too!!!

That's all for today...you all have a great day!! And I'll drop when I can during the week, and will be back to full-time dropping once we get home!!! :0)

God bless,
Sherry :0)

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The New Term Is....

Hi Everyone,
Well, the comments this week have been pretty interesting! It's great to hear from you all...and visit back and forth on our blogs! The past couple of days we've been discussing the term "expat" and what a better term might be. Most people don't seem to care for the term "expat" for various reasons. It seems that this is an outdated term in most people's minds!

Michael, from Blogging Gelle, came up with a term that most people seemed to like--"world citizen!" Here you can find a definition for "world citizen." Thank you, Michael, for that term and thank you all for the engaging responses you've been leaving!

This weekend, Jiri and I are leaving for a conference, so my posts this next week will be more sporadic. We're going to visit Tours, France--and this will my very first visit to France! I'm excited and looking forward to the trip. Thankfully I'm about recovered from all that stuff with the bronchitis!!! This will be a treat after having to stay in our flat for so long!!! :0)

I'll be taking all kinds of pictures and will try to fill you in if we have an Internet connection. There will be Internet, of course, but the hotels charge a high rate and we need to economize! Maybe I'll be lucky and find some small cafe with free Wifi! That would be great! :0)

Well, that's all for today...you all have a great weekend and a great week!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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World Patriot--New Term?

Hi Everyone,
This morning I was reading Golden Prague's post: Expat--What is in a Name? She had some interesting thoughts on what being an expat means to her. I have inadvertently been writing about this here! So many of you have responded with comments, and I've enjoyed them all! Each comment adds another perspective to this topic, as does Golden Prague's post. It's been another learning experience for me, as I look at what this new life is doing for me and to me.

Maybe there's a new term to describe those of us who live and/or travel outside of our home/birth country--"World Patriot"! I can't use the term "world patriate," as this would imply living offworld. There are only a handful at this moment who are living offworld! :0) But for those of us who are traveling and living out in the world, maybe the new term "world patriot" would apply!

What do you think?

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Clearing the Air

Hi Everyone,
Lately, I've had the feeling that maybe my blog posts (example--The Good Czech Housewife post) came across in a way that I hadn't intended. So, I would like to clear the air a bit with some explanations. These were originally in the comment section, but I've put them in this post...to make a statement :0)

In writing about the Czechs, I'm not a Pollyanna...this is not Utopia, by any means. But I do route for them...they have been in an underdog position for so long, but in the last 20 years have made great strides in trying to become an open country. There is still much room for improvement, but they are trying and have been successful in many areas up to this point.

I'd also like to say that I'm not one of those expats who hates their home country. I love my country, in spite of all the troubles it has. It is my home. Give me any country...show me one that hasn't made some mistakes--even some grave and tragic mistakes. My country is not perfect, any more than any other country. Being an American doesn't make me a better person...or less of a person. The American way is not always the right way for other countries to follow...they have to find their own good and right paths. I am an American and I love my home, but I can also appreciate the good I see and meet in other countries and the people from those countries. I'm blessed to have this chance to see more of the world than I used to back in the States. When I eventually move back home, I hope to be richer in understanding about the rest of the world.

I would make one more comment and say that I'm also not anti-Western. I'm not against the lifestyles of those who have means and money. Everyone lives at the level they are able...some are highly successful in earning an income and some are not so successful. Some countries are wealthy and others are working to become more so. This is Life. That's just how it works...even in Nature.

So, in my recent posts about frugal living in the Czech way, I'm not saying that the West is bad. I personally was just more wasteful when I lived in the US, but now have learned to try to use everything in a more efficient way. That's all. I'm not trying to say that the West is evil in being wasteful and Central and Eastern Europe have it right! :0)

Anyway, maybe I've said too much now...oh well...:0)

You all have a great day!
God bless,
Sher :0)

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The Expat Life

Hi Everyone,
The past few days I've been thinking about the expat life...and how it has effected me. When I moved here just over two years ago, I really didn't expect to be changed too much by living overseas. That's a rather naive thought...but I really didn't expect it to change me too much. I expected to learn about the Czech Republic, learn about Czechs and the culture here...and the society. But I never thought I would change.

This expat life hasn't changed my basic personality so much--I am who I am...and that's that! I'm not trying to change myself into a Czech...it's impossible...I'll always be an American living in the Czech Republic! I still have a temper, I'm still very traditional, I'm definitely shy and prudish (that won't change any time soon...these are hard traits to have while living in Europe!). Basically, my personhood (if that's a proper term) hasn't changed so much. Then what has changed about me?

I have learned so much about this part of the world, for one thing. I have a deeper appreciation for things Czech than I ever had before. I've been learning about my heritage as I live here. I've gained a little bit more of a world-view...having a better understanding of how others live...and hearing news that I wasn't able to hear too much at home. I've learned an entire new way of living compared to how I lived back home.

Even more, I've been able to learn new things about myself. I've found that I can be a little more flexible in my being and doing...in regards to living a new way. That's been a surprise! I can really live without a car, a dishwasher and other things. I've been able to adapt to living in a much smaller place than what I had back home. It's not been easy, but I've done it and am doing it!

It seems that being an expat forces you to have to "get real" with yourself and your surroundings...you have to adapt...if you don't, you won't make it. You also have to learn to appreciate other people...people you don't necessarily understand...and you have to come to terms with them and their society. There may be many things you don't appreciate in the culture...even so, you have to find a way to manage and live a full and meaningful life...not only survive.

This is what I'm in the process of doing. It's not so easy...and it's not for the faint of heart, by any means! But this has been and continues to be a very interesting and wonderful journey for me on many levels. Not only am I learning about this part of the world, but I'm also learning more about myself in the process...and that's also not for the faint of heart, though I'm not so brave...I hope I'll survive this process OK! :0)

That's all for now...you all have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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The Good Czech Housewife

Hi Everyone,
All this talk of the global financial crisis has brought to mind frugal living. One of the comments to my blog yesterday, from Martin at Bulgarian Slivatree, reminded me of a Czech saying that has to do with housewives--and how they should be the most frugal! The saying is this: a good wife will jump over the fence for a feather. It means--a good housewife will do everything possible to use and recycle everything in order to save money. Even if that means jumping over a neighbor's fence to retrieve a feather lying on the ground. That feather could be added to others to make a quilt, a pillow and more!!!

Czechs are very frugal people--I've learned this first-hand from Jiri's family! They save everything that is useful...like glass jars, for instance. At home, we throw a glass jar away when we've used up the contents. But here, the jar is saved, washed and reused in many ways! You can use them in the microwave (without the metal lids, and as long as the jar has no metal on it), you can use them for storing spices and many other things!!! I've started saving jars, too, but Jiri is not always happy about that as we have a small kitchen and not much storage space! Czechs never throw out food--the food is reused as leftovers--made into new dishes. They are also very good about reusing many other things--too many to list here.

Most Central and Eastern Europeans live in this way--and really it's a great way to live for saving money and for keeping our planet a nicer place to live! I've been trying to slowly change my American ways to incorporating more of the Czech way of being frugal and recycling. It's not easy--by any means! But if you have a creative spirit, you can think of many recipes for leftover food and reuses for many other items such as cans and jars, etc! This is a big change from the way I was living in the US, but it is a change for the better! And my husband sees I'm trying to be a good Czech housewife!

Do you have any frugal tips that would go along with this Czech saying?

That's all for today...you all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

Photo from Freerange
Photographer: Zephrine de Rijk

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Czech Republic, Europe and the Global Crisis

Hi Everyone,
I was browsing some news stories and opinion columns online today, and found a couple of interesting articles. The stories give more information about how the global financial crisis is effecting Europe and the Czech Republic. It seems that some are of the opinion that the EU may not be able to survive this crisis due to the infighting between it's member countries. Truly the EU has a very fine wire to cross in order to keep it all together!

Here are the articles:

Christian Science Monitor--this article gives more background into the problems the EU is struggling with: EU Summit Pledges Help--But Offers No More Money--for Struggling East

Washington Post--this is a column about the state of European affairs: European Disunion


That's all for today...you all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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(c) 2009 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Obama Meetings in Europe this April

Hi Everyone,
We have some big news that has been picked up by many of the bloggers here--Obama will be making a trip to Prague in April. Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolank, has confirmed that President Obama will actually be in Prague on April 5th. Obama will also be in Europe for a couple of other gatherings--the NATO summit meeting in Strasbourg, France; and he will attend the G20 economic summit in London. All of these trips will take place in April. Many Czechs are hoping that Obama will listen to their concerns and wishes regarding the possible missile radar base that has long been considered for deployment in the Czech Republic. Most Czechs are against this missile radar base, while the Czech government is very much for it.

Other big news from the Czech Republic and Europe is the planned stimulus pacakge, put together by some of the biggest financial institutions in the world. This package will aid the economies of central and eastern Europe that have been hard-hit by the global financial crisis. This might help to stablize and even encourage investors who have recently seen investments in this part of the world as too risky. The "risky" economic and political environment for this part of Europe has caused many investors to pull out completely. This part of Europe is still developing and regrouping after the fall of the communists. The economies in some of these countries are very dependent on international investments to bring them up-to-date with the rest of Europe.

There are countries, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, who have made great strides in developing into economic and political leaders--and who have established successful and stable governments. These countries are struggling and hurting, but the governments are managing to stay together and work toward stimulating their economies. Unfortunately, despite the progress and success of these countries, they are lumped into the same category as the other countries who are relatively new to the EU. These new EU members are still in the very first stages of establishing successful governments and economies. They are working hard, but are seen as unstable. Investors need to take care of their money, but they should also keep an eye to the "big picture" and see what the withdrawal of their investments is doing to this part of Europe.

Fortunately the EU is pulling together and will send aid to the countries who are struggling from the current world financial crisis. The EU has promised to consider giving aid to each region as is needed, rather than distributing a region-wide bail-out. Hopefully this financial aid will be enough to stimulate the European economy as a whole, and will help those who are in most need.

It's very interesting for me to be watching this crisis on both sides of the ocean...seeing the US struggling through and so many people out of work and homeless...and watching the situation here in Europe and how it is developing. Everyone has pinned their hopes on President Obama and the US bringing about a new and healthier world economy. Hopefully the economic meetings Obama will be attending in April will help to get us all to work together to bring this world crisis to an end. It will definitely take time, but if we work together maybe we can see the end of the crisis sooner!

That's all for today--you all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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