Walks With Dad

I am in Salt Lake City for the holidays until Thursday. I love coming home & seeing friends + family. Living away makes me appreciate this beautiful place so much more. One of my favorite things to do while I am home is go on walks with my Dad. My parents live in in Foothill near the Boneville Shoreline (which is also one of my favorite walks.) But since it snowed on Christmas we decided to walk through This is the Place Park.

Living in a busy city is nice but sometimes my heart aches for the mountains. I love to look at them & remember how big + beautiful this world is. I know it sounds cheesy! But I feel at peace while walking with my Dad. It's also a special time we share, we get to catch up! Since I hardly get to see my family every moment to me is special.

^ Walking down the snow lined street with my Dad leading the way!

^ Walking through This is the Place Park. It's stunning!

^ Walking up to the monuments. It's hard to believe this is in my parents backyard. It's always nice to escape the city & come to the mountains. 

I will always love these special walks with my Dad! Do you have any favorite things you like to do at home?

Xo,

Emily

Kafka & The Clock Tower

we woke up the next morning in Prague ready to explore. We hopped out of bed & got on the train to Old Town. Walking around Old Town is like a dream! My eyes are so full from the amazing architecture & once again the cute alley ways with shops. I think I am meant to live in Europe....

We stopped downtown at the food market to grab a quick bite to eat.

We got kielbasa sausage, rye & a nice warm glass of mulled wine (my favorite!)

We crossed the bridge & headed to the Kafka Museum. 

^ The statues in front of the museum were quite interesting. They also moved! 

^ Will LOVES Kafka! It's one of his favorite authors. I will be honest; I didn't know ANYTHING about Kafka until visiting the museum & hearing more about him through Will. The museum is really well done! It takes you through his world, what he saw when he wrote & then about his life.  It was very interesting & honestly better then I expected. The museum costs 20 crowns to get in. Plus the view of the city you get from the museum can't be beat!

After the museum we walked to Old Town to visit the Clock Tower. We didn't do the full tour of the tower. We just paid to go to the top! If you want a good view of the city at night this is a great option.

^ The elevator going up & the view of Prague from the tower. Can you spot the castle in the distance?

It was a great day in Prague with two of my favorite people. I am happy we all got to learn something new & explore this beautiful city. 

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*Photos in this post are from Will Attwood-Charles & me. 

Xo,

Emily

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I am in in Salt Lake City with my family. I think the best Christmas gift of them all is being able to come home & spend time with them. Living across the country makes me appreciate our time together so much more. Family is a huge part of my life. There is no other place I would rather be than right here with my fam. Here are a few photos from my time so far!

^ Christmas Eve is a big deal in our family! We have had a big family dinner at my Grandmas house  (now my parents house) since I can remember. this year we did it a little differently & made our family goulash. How cozy is this scene? 

^ When I arrived in SLC there was no snow in the valley, which is unusual for this time of the year. This morning I luckily woke up to this pretty site (my parents backyard.)  It was a white Christmas indeed!

^  It was a quiet Christmas. Amy & Will are in Arizona with his family, so it was just me & my rents. We opened a few presents, ate brunch & relaxed with the fire burning. I can't wait to dive into this book!

I hope you all are having a lovely holiday wherever you may be. 

Xo,

Emily

Prague Beginnings

Our trip was off to a successful start! We all loved our time in Rome & we were sad to leave but this was just the beginning. We were off to Prague & we couldn't wait to explore a new city!

^ Hello from Prague!

Driving into the city, I knew it was going to be gorgeous! 

^ After getting settled into our Airbnb we grabbed a beer & went downtown to explore. 

^ We stumbled across a Christmas market! This is where I discovered the joy of mulled wine. I wonder why we don't drink it outside like this in the USA? It really warms you up & it's delicious. I told my Mom we are making some when I come home for the holidays!

^ We walked around "Old Town" & pinched ourselves. We were in Prague! 

Xo,

Emily

Vatican City

Our time in Rome was coming to an end. We were all starting to get really sad about leaving but we still had one thing to check off...

Vatican City of course! We bought our tickets ahead of time which I highly recommend doing. We also purchased a guided tour while we were there. I am happy we did since we had limited time! 

The Vatican is the second largest museum in the world. When you go to the Vatican you are also in a different country, crazy right?

The first stop on the tour was the courtyard. We learned all about the history of the Sistine Chapel from our guide. Since pictures are not allowed in the chapel this is the only photo I got of it. 

After learning & admiring the amazing artwork we were about to see, we proceeded through different parts of the Vatican.

The Vatican contains some of the most famous paintings & sculptures. They are all throughout the museum & gardens.

^ The sculpture that Michelangelo used as inspiration for God in the Sistine Chapel. 

^ One of my favorite rooms. It's filled with painted maps that are still accurate! 

^ The view of Rome from inside the Vatican.

After going through different parts of the Vatican, we entered the Sistine Chapel. We were only allowed to be in the chapel for 20 minutes. You can imagine how amazing it is. You are literally surrounded by art! I think everyone has his or her own experience in the Sistine Chapel so I don't want to ruin it. It's a must see!

^ On our way into St. Peter's Basilica. 

^ When I stepped into St. Peter's my jaw literally hit the floor. It is so gorgeous! 

^ Oh you know, just trying to take pictures of us & St. Peter's in all it's beauty! 

^ After St. Peter's we looked around the museum by ourselves. Shortly after we got kicked out & shut the place down.

We got one last photo & said Ciao. 

Tips to Vatican City:

1. Plan ahead & purchase your tickets in advance.
2. Skip lines into St. Peter's by taking a tour with a guide.
3. Plan a whole day for the Vatican & don't RUSH!
4. Try to see as much as you can!
5. Watch out for pickpocket's especially in St. Peter's! We saw a guy going around & reaching into people's bags. Be aware of your surroundings!
6. If you have time go to the top of the dome. I hear it's amazing!

Other posts from Rome:

1. Falling for Roma
2. The Pantheon & Spanish Steps
3. The Colosseum & the Roman Forum

*Photos in this post are from Will Attwood-Charles & me.

Xo,

Emily