Day Out with Claire

When we moved here almost 24 years ago, I never would have guessed that Frýdek-Místek would be one of my favorite places to go! It's a town of 57,000 people, thirty minutes from where we lived in Havířov for the first eight years, and fifteen minutes from where we now live in Frýdlant nad Ostravicí.

Back in the day I'd go there because of an outdoor market where I could find things that I couldn't find otherwise.

But today, it's full of charm, cute restaurants, and places we've discovered that we go back to time and time again.

Today we tracked down a new cafe that opened six months ago - Kontakt Cafe. It definitely lived up to its reputation of being a very special place with great atmosphere, coffee, dessert, food and even a gift shop with Yankee Candles! If you're in the area, it's definitely worth visiting!

Frýdek-Místek is actually two towns that were combined into one back in 1943. But its beginnings go back 750 years. They're actually celebrating that anniversary this year!

Separated by the Ostravice river, Claire and I like both sides of town as each has its own charm and places that we like to visit. After being on the Místek side for coffee, we headed to the Frýdek side.

Back in January, just after Claire had graduated from Moody and had been accepted by JV for her ministry to JV Kids, we came to the Frýdek side of town in search of a place to take photos for her prayer card.

It was so fun to be back here seven months later, on a warm summer day (it was freezing the day we took her pictures, though you'd never know looking at it!), knowing that she is at 75% of her needed monthly support! She'll be back here to live before we know it!

Our actual destination today was here.

While we've been inside this church, and have walked past it countless times, we've never been up in the tower, Svatojánské Věž (Holy John's tower).

We headed up all 211 stairs, taking in an exhibition along the way telling about its history, built in the 15th century (I think! Didn't hold that piece of info in my head...only know that it was a very   L--O--N--G time ago!).

The trip to the top is sure worth it for this view!

While there is a little walkaway around the top of the tower, the public is not allowed on it, so you have to satisfy yourself with the view through little windows. Not a bad view though!

On our way back down all those stairs, a woman stopped Claire to ask a question...which turned out to be an interview for Česky Rozhlas, the national radio station in Czech!

Claire did the interview speaking Czech, never tipping her hand that she's an American girl, born in Germany, raised in Czech, college graduate from the States, and on her way back here to do ministry!

So proud of my girl for who she is, all parts of her!

And loved sharing a day together in one of our favorite places.