Czech Republic

Country Information:

Czech Republic, which gained independence in 1993. The capital is Prague and the official language is Czech. About 10.5 million people live here. The country used to be primarily Christian but since the mid-20th century religion has declined steadily in popularity; today, the Czech Republic is one of the least religious nations in the world.

Jim’s Perspectives:

Went to the Czech Republic with my father in 1997 on a GATE 1 tour, and also with my MBA program at the University of Tennessee. Toured Prague, the Royal Castle at Hradcany, the Charles Bridge, and the Jewish section.

The Czech Republic is incredibly beautiful because it is surrounded by mountains on all sides. It has over 2,000 castles, castle ruins, and fortified towers, called keeps. One of the highlights of visiting the Czech Republic is enjoying one of its many spas where travelers can relax and enjoy.

A fun fact is that it is the number one beer-drinking country in the world, with pilsner-style beers being the most popular.

A view of Prague looking toward the river

France

On our "Backroads" bike trip from Provence to Cannes in France Jim's Perspectives: I've lost count of how many times I have visited this gem of a country. Some of the more memorable time were as a young man right out of college, I took two summers to improve my...

Russia

Hotel Cosmos in Moscow Men playing backgammon in the park. The Russians lost 25 million men in WW2, notice their formal dress and that they still wear their medals from 40 years ago. Super-cool picture ... Russian submarines at port! Country Information: The...

Monaco

Had a great dinner and time at the casino with the family in 2018 In 2018, my family and I took a Backroads bike trip pedaling from Provence in central/south France all the way to Cannes, on the coast. While in France staying in Cape Ferrat, we decided to hire a...