Donegal

Some more catching up... Allison and I stayed in a country lodge in Donegal. A really nice place run by a Belgian chef. The big draw of course was that it must one of only places in ireland with Belgian beer right at the bar. At least that was enough for us to stay there. Donegal of course is famous for the old Irish culture, coastal cliffs, and some great mountains.

Slieve League was the big draw as the highest coastal cliffs in all of Europe, but they let us down a little as they were half covered in cloud. Moving on up the coast each day we saw more cliffs, toured and Island, bought some hand woven local twead, and hiked up one of the most striking mountains in Ireland, Errigal.

All in all a fantastic weekend in Ireland as the weather was on our side for 3 days of early spring. Click through the photo for some more.

Prague

In early April we took a long weekend and headed to Prague. We hit an absolutely wonderful time in the Easter season - painted eggs everywhere. Lots of outdoor markets with mulled wine, wonderful pastries (think Elephant Ears wrapped around a stick and rolled in almonds), and kitschy crafty stuff for the holiday. Reuben enjoyed the great beer selection while I trolled for garnet necklaces.

Prague has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful cities in Europe - and I have to say it is beautiful. But.... I actually prefer Budapest. Seems a little more authentic and a little more grand. In any case we had an excellent time. Took a jazz boat dinner cruise down the river one evening and it was such a highlight - highly recommended.

Jazz Boat Cruise on the Vltava