Tuesday, December 20, 2016

PRAGUE CZECH REPUBLIC

If you want to see art you go to Paris, Venice, and Florence.  I you want to see a beautiful city you go to PRAGUE.  Prague and Venice are the two prettiest large cities in Europe.  Prague has a 13th century bridge, and lots of 13th century churches.  Most of the old city is Medieval.  Prague was occupied by the Germans during the war but was never bombed.  The Russians occupied the city during the Cold War but they didn't tear anything down.  It is one of the easiest cities on you wallet we have ever been to.  Gasoline is high like all of Europe but everything else is very reasonable.  Nonette bought some hats and jewelry and she got her usual good deal on everything.   Enjoy the pictures.


13th century








13TH CENTURY BRIDGE


MORE OF THE OLD BRIDGE



THE BRIDGE GATE

PICTURE THROUGH THE BRIDGE GATE

NONNIE CLOSING THE DEAL ON A RING



YOU CAN TELL SHE JUST BOUGHT A RING





THIS CLOCK IS 600 YEARS OLD AND TELLS TIME, MOON PHASES, MONTH, ZODIAC SIGNS, AND YEAR.  IT RUNS ON THE ORIGINAL MECHANIZM

PILSNER BEER ORIGINATED IN CZECH REPUBLIC.  THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED BUDWEISER ARE FROM PRAGUE
BEST PORK LOIN I'VE EVER HAD

NONNIE'S ONION SOUP










AT THE CHRISTMAS MARKET

CHRISTMAS MARKET




CITY GATE

Thursday, December 15, 2016

WURZBURG GERMANY

Today we visited Wurzburg, Germany.  My great grandfather, Hank Smith,  was born 15 miles east of here, in the town of Rossbrunn, in 1836.  He came to America in 1850.  He first landed in Pennsylvania, but soon set out on foot for California, by himself, when he was 15 years old.  He fought in the Civil War for the Confederacy, fought Indians, in the Indian Wars and was the first settler in the south plains outside of Lubbock in what is now Crosby County.  He built his two story rock house in 1877 in Blanco Canyon, just north of Crosbyton, Texas. There is a copy of his rock house on the square in Crosbyton with a civic center and museum attached to it.  A few years ago we visited the house in Rossbrunn where he was born and one of my cousin's, Albert, still lives in the house.  My family has lived in this house since 1640.  So part of my family, that I know about, started right around Wurzburg.  Here are some pictures.




MY GREAT GRANDFATHERS BIRTH PLACE IN ROSSBRUNN AROUND 1900

ME IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE IN 2011


MY COUSIN ALBERT WHO STILL LIVES IN THE HOUSE

 PICTURE OF WURZBURG TODAY



ONE OF ABOUT MANY BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES IN TOWN

THE VIEW FROM LUNCH TABLE ON THE SHIP






THIS IS THE BISHOPS PALACE.  ONE OF THE MOST MAGNIFICENT INTERIORS WE HAVE EVER SEEN.  NO PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED INSIDE.

A MEMORIAL TO THE GERMAN 7TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION FROM WWII.