For family with kids, this place is really great for dining because they have a kids’ corner with sitters and entertainment to keep the little ones happy. The restaurant is a covered garden type which makes the ambiance relaxing and laid-back. There’s a live jazz music being played while you enjoy the sumptuous buffet brunch of grilled meats & sausages, salads, spare ribs, etc. and also food choices for the kids.

As parents of two active kids, its really a challenge to keep them still especially when dining out, so I’m giving this place two thumbs up for a relaxing, stress-free dining experience.

The entrance…

The play area with access to an outdoor playground with slides & swing.

We love to eat!

Some of the food we tried…

Fun activities for the kids!  They had 4 sitters minding and entertaining the kids.

There was dancing…

Caity who isn’t used to loud noises (in this case, LOUD MUSIC), walked out and didn’t join the dancing. haha  One of the girls was quick to comfort her and gave her a lollipop.

and there were games too!

The restaurant is located in an island, so you can see the view of Vltava river.  There’s also a playground adjacent to it which isn’t to be missed.  Our kids hadn’t had enough of fun in Žofín and begged to stop at the playground to play. They even tried persuading us to let them ride on the kiddie train or buy an ice cream beside the restaurant’s terrace.

It was really a lovely day. (:

Summer days go by quickly, so I made sure we’ll be able to maximize it and went ahead making a list of things to do. One of the things I’ve written there was a trip to the Bohemian Forest, known as Šumava.

Breath-taking view…

M and his family used to go to this place for a short vacation during summer and mushroom season. I have wanted to go camping there but then we had kids. But now I think Caity and Adie are old enough to go and enjoy this kind of adventure. First, we have to buy a tent for this activity and the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 4 Tent seems like the perfect find for our family of four. We can even have a dry run in Lipence two weeks from now, when the gang meets up again for our annual barbeque party. Exciting!

*Photo credit – bohemianfantasy.cz

Our long weekend continued in Stajka, where we spent it with M’s friends and their family. The kids couldn’t be any happier as the cottage had an inflatable pool big enough for four tots and the littlest sandbox, too small to hold all of them inside! Haha!

The kids were running naked most of the time, hopping from the pool to the sandbox, then back to the pool, etc.

I had a relaxing time being bothered less by the little humans as they’re mostly preoccupied with playing. Our host Jirka cooked really gastronomic foods each meal time, and it was a nice respite for me from the usual food I prepare at home. What a pleasant way to spend 2.5 days! I had a much needed break from all the work waiting for me, such as reading adderall reviews and other online tasks.

We even managed to sneak in a mini family pictorial. Thanks to Honza!

July 5 and 6 are public holidays in Czech Republic, celebrating the Cyril and Methodius Day and Jan Hus Day respectively. The two dates nicely fell on Thursday and Friday, thus a long weekend for the Czechs. Yey!

Water, Sun, Sand
These were the three main things that kept the kids happy for days. We went to Hostivařská přehrada (Hostivar Beach) on Friday morning as Caity was begging to play sand in the beach. The kids didn’t really mind that the water was brown. They seem to be happy turning the pools of water into dark brown, jumping on it and pretending it was muddy puddles after the rain.

We found ourselves a nice shady spot in front of the playground and with the view of the whole beachfront before us. But when the kids decided it was time to play in the water, M and I took turns watching over them and it was searing hot there by the water! It was about noontime, and sitting without any umbrella or shade turned me into a nice toasted Mama!

We didn’t bring any food with us, but there were lots of kiosks offering various foods and drinks. Párek v rohlíku and grilled sausages were our lunch, paired with lemon flavored beer, which I’m starting to like. We capped off our day there with ice cream on our way out. Geez, I dread checking my weight in the scale at home, with all these unfriendly-diet I’m into lately.  But who cares?  Summer comes only once a year.

Up next, how we spent the rest of the weekend. (:

Summer weekends are starting to fill up fast with family activities and invitations from friends.  Last weekend’s gathering was at Brodce which was hosted by a couple whose family owns a mill in that town.  The barbeque party started Friday night but we were able to join in only on Saturday as M had work to finish.  In attendance were 6 couples plus 4 kids.

When we got there in the morning, the gang was by the lake side while a few of them were in the water.  M and the kids immediately jumped into the murky lake.

Nikki leading the way…

Then it was time to return to the base camp for lunch.  After stuffing ourselves with delicious food, the gang split into groups.  One group went  hiking to a nearby ruined castle, another went canoeing, and the last (the lazy bunch!) were left at the house with the kids for some siesta. (:

The house…

One of the two cottages… our chow place!

Raise your hands in the air!

They grew lots of vegetables and herbs and they also raise chickens, ducks and goose.

Bird bath…

Kids gathering raspberries…

Hello there, JJ!

When everyone came back, it was time to prepare for dinner.  After Jirka had placed the chicken in the grill, the boys went for a tour in the mill. Grill, mill!  Rhyming huh!

Our host, Jirka preparing the chicken for grilling.

Burn, baby, burn!

Tomatoes filled with cheese & spices.  Superb taste!

Class picture 1. hehe

Class picture 2.

And that’s me, caught taking photos of the grilled chicken.

The night ended with all of us stuffed, thanks to our gracious hosts who prepared such a yummy dinner.
It was such a lovely day which made me wish summertime is longer than mere 3 months.

*First and last pics are courtesy of KaFlo. Group pics by Jirka I.