We decided long ago that our preference for travel would be very intentional, single-city focused trips that would allow us to soak up local color, culture and customs in at least 4-5 days. We don’t see ourselves taking week-long, city-hopping cruises or bus tours only giving you a glimpse of each location and a surface skim of its points of interest. So, Prague became our first “focused” European trip, and it proved to be the perfect recipe. Even years later, I still have vivid memories of its streets, flavors, secret passages, ornate décor and fascinating history. Prague welcomed us with its highly decorated buildings, simple but delicious Eastern European cuisine,…

This was our first major European trip since having kids, settling into our careers, buying a home. We spent 9 days in Paris, primarily exploring the city, and doing just one side trip to Parc Asterix. We met my Russian family in Paris, and so we had quite a large group of 8 negotiating schedules, jet lag, dietary preferences, and cultural interests. In the end, it was very fun, and so many memories now start, “Remember, when we all met in Paris…”