I am back from an uber-relaxing week in the highlands of the Czech Republic. I spent the time at my extended family's cottage relaxing, sunbathing, eating, drinking, walking, bonding with cousins, brushing up on my Czech (I can now say "delicious!" and "I'm full!" - both very useful in my family), and enjoying myself immensely. There is not much to the tiny town of Odranec other than tasty fresh veggies and rolling hills, but I couldn't have wanted anything more. And apparently I was the talk of the town - Silva contends that I may very well be the first American to ever visit the village, and the townsfolk were quite curious about me. The neighbors told Beata that they wanted to say something to me, but they were scared. And as Silva and I rode through the town on bikes, a couple asked Silva, "Is that the American?" That's good stuff. But the best part, as usual, was getting to know my extended family better and catching up on the goings-on. It always amazes me how deeply you can love people who you barely know, all because they're family. But enough gushing, time for pictures. First, the cottage in Odranec:

The courtyard inside had plenty of room for sunbathing, reading, or lounging near all that chopped wood!

Right down the road, we picked cherries off the tree. I ate so much that I got a little sick, but I couldn't help myself. I felt the sick coming, but I kept on eating.

Bea and I took a walk to watch the sun set over the hills.

Speaking of hills, check out this idyllic landscape:

In addition to picking cherries for the first time, I also learned all about picking potatoes....

....and picking mushrooms! I trekked through the woods with my cousin, Silva, and two of her childhood friends, Lenka and Katka, searching for edible wild mushrooms. We didn't find very many, but we managed to come out with a few of them. It was great walking around in the forrest, but I realized very quickly that I couldn't last a day in the woods if I was stranded. Stick me out in the ocean for a few weeks with nothing but a piece of driftwood and I might get by, but I'd be dead after 2 hours in the woods, no doubt. Here are Lenka and Katka on the way to pick mushrooms:

Silva shows off a good looking mushroom.

And although we had planned a "sport week" at the cottage, we mostly lazed and went to the pub. We did cycle 20 km one day, but by the end we were just cycling from pub to pub, and I'm not sure if that actually counts for anything. The gals at the hospoda in Kukla:

(This is a picture from one of our "pit stops" during our cycling trip.)

We really get along so well, it's a shame that we see each other for 3 days every two years. It's just not enough!

I'm already dreaming about going back for another visit. (Cue cheesy music, roll credits.)

Sunday was a great day! It was a perfect, hot summer day - great for a bbq. Nico and Martin cooked us up some delicious lamb sausages (very flavorful but not overpowering) and skewers, complemented by my new favorite summer beverage: a mixture of beer and Sprite. I know that sounds disgusting, and I'm usually the first one to reject any bastardization of beer, but it's a delicious summery treat. It's like a wine spritzer, but with beer! Try it, you'll be amazed. Mary and Nico tending to the grill:

Our yummer meat (this pic's for you, Sam - and by the way, you MUST find some lamb sausage):

Emily and Nico:

In Germany, when the fat from the meat drips onto the coals and catches on fire, you put out the fire with beer. It's the German way! Martin demonstrates his fine fire-dousing techniques while Nico dances excitedly.

The smell of the beer mixing with the meat is fantastic! Or, as the Germans would say, fantastik!

The neighbor girl came over to show us the kittens that their cat just had. So little! There are three of them in that suitcase (yes, she carried them around in a plaid suitcase).

So wee!

The afternoon continued at the Theaterhaus where we saw an incredible jazz performance by McCoy Tyner, legendary jazz pianist and former member of Coltrane's band. Check out the cute kids taking in the music.

It's been a great summer. I sure am going to miss these guys!

Have I mentioned how great all our German friends are? I speak the truth! Here are some pictures from a picnic that they hosted in honor of all of our birthdays. We hiked up to a park at the top of one of Jena's many steep hills and had a delicious feast, all topped off with a beautiful sunset. They even carried decorations all the way up to the top of the hill! Here is Christina with the Happy Birthday sign.

Mary helped fire up the grill and cook delicious German meat, yum.

Check out all this food...

Christina, Anika, Mary, and Inga.

They even bought us birthday presents! Mary and I were sehr excited.

And if presents weren't enough, they made us cake! Individual cakes! Anika and Nadine light the candles.

The birthday girls: Uli, Mary, Emily, and Inga.

I had such a hard time coming up with a wish - is that a good thing or a bad thing?

The view of Jena from the Park:

Great scenerey!

And a beautiful sunset to end the evening. Vielen Dank!

Finalmente! Here is the last installment of the Portugal/ Spain journey (don't cry). First things first: let's discuss spanish food. In one word: delicioso. In two words: muy delicioso. The paella was out of this world, the gazpacho melted in my mouth, and the jamon was...deliciously salty. Our first big meal was at the oldest restaurant in the world, Sobrino de Botin. It was a cute little place (a little rickety, but I suppose that comes with the territory of being the oldest restaurant in the world) complete with a mariachi band (who knew?), an alluring atmosphere, and yummer sangria (though not as good as the sangria that we drank at the flamenco show, but that's a whole nother story...).

Ok, this ham leg is a little bit disgusting, but the jamon is so delicious that you can forgive the unappetizing slicing of the meat.

Such a charming place!
In case ham leg picture didn't convince you that Spain is very serious about their ham, check out the Museum of Ham. I'd like to think that this is what heaven is like.

Oh my goodness, it's so much ham. My mouth is a'watering!

Although the food was certainly a highlight of the trip, the other facets of Madrid aren't too shabby either. The views alone are worth writing home about. First case in point: our view of the Prado museum from the hotel.

The weather was so fantastic that we spent some good time just hanging out on the balcony of the hotel and taking in the view. What's prettier, Diana or the view?

Another of my favorites in Madrid was the main park, el Parque de Retiro. We strolled through on the first day and jogged through on another (and by "jogged" I mean walked). Our first stop in the park was the rowing lake, which is very similar to the one at 72nd street in Central Park.

Next stop in the park: the Crystal Palace. Check this place out! It must get so insanely hot in there. The building actually reminded me quite a bit of Berlin because a lot of the governmental buildings in Berlin are entirely transparent; the clear glass is the government's way of demonstrating to the German people that they have nothing to hide. But seriously, that's gotta get steamy. This part of the park reminded me of something out of Dr. Suess book. Such funny little hedges...
Next stop: the Palacio Real (the Royal Palace). Hi, Mom!

The Palacio was really spectacular. I've visited a few castles in Germany (and we saw some in Portugal), and they all really showed their age. Though many of them were furnished with period pieces, it was hard to imagine what they really looked like in their glory days. The Palacio, however, retains all of its splendor and majesty. I really don't think that I can justly describe it, so I won't even try. But if you happen to find yourself in Madrid, go to the Palacio, it's definitely worth it.

A view of the Palace grounds:

This church, the Cathedral of our Lady of Almudena, wasn't completed until 1993. The artwork and stained glass on the inside are entirely modern (and very angular) - almost Picasso-like. The colors were all so bright and bold, it was quite a contrast to every cathedral I've ever seen. Again, if you're in Spain, be sure to hit this up.

A final stop: The Plaza Mayor, home to many a fiesta, bullfight, execution, and revolution. It doesn't look like much in these pictures, but the square was dripping with history and intrigue, creating an almost mystical feeling.

So how did we go about soaking up the enchantment of the Plaza? We drank a cerveza, of course. Some shots of me and the cousins:

Diana must have resembled some famous Spanish/ Portuguese person, because there were many times when people just stared at her. Like, stared and whispered. It was fun traveling with someone who is maybe famous. Maybe it was those rockin sunglasses (which I wanted to steal, but feared for my life).

!Mas cerveza, por favor!

And thus ends my recap of the trip. Good stuff, eh? I highly recommend going out and finding yourself a couple kickass cousins.