Praha, Wien, & Budapest

It's been about three weeks since we returned from our fabulous trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. And while I've traveled to Europe before, I loved how each country offered something completely different than the other. I like to give a rundown of my trips not only to share my experiences, but because it actually gives me a chance to process the 10 day whirlwind that our trip entailed. So read, enjoy, and book the next flight!

The first thing you need to know about our trip is that it began at 6 a.m. when Lufthansa texted us to say our flight was cancelled. Uh what? After countless attempts to contact both our travel agency and the airline, we'd learn that there was a pilot strike in progress, that nothing could be solved after standing in line for three hours in Germany, and that we'd be spending the night in Frankfurt. Well, at least it earned us a stamp in our passports.

Despite the fact that someone later told us that Frankfurt is the "Armpit of Germany," we found it to be quite beautiful.

 And when in Frankfurt, one must dine on frankfurters and pig knuckle. So we did. Plus some apple wine concoction that everyone loved, but I thought tasted like olive juice.

With a belly full of pork and a restless night of sleep, we woke early to make sure we wouldn't miss another flight. First up was Prague.

Here's what I can tell you about Prague:
1. It's a beautiful city. I loved just looking at the landscape because every building has intricate architecture, every roof is a different color, and if you can climb the hills, you get a great view of the entire city.

2. There are literally hoards of people everywhere. The tourist-trap-ometer was a bit off the charts here, which was rather unfortunate. While the sites here are amazing, just know that you won't be the only one there to view them.
3. Food! My favorite thing! From the Prague ham, to the gingerbread museum, to the ultimate find of the trip- trdlo (cake baked over charcoals, see below), the food here was legit. Good thing you do a ton of walking in this city, because the goulash is worth every extra step. Oh, and don't forget to cap off the night with a freshly fried Smažený sýr ala Anthony Bourdain, (that's a fried cheese sando).

4. You should go off the beaten path. We saw all the popular attractions like the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, but we also explored a bit because Pinterest told me to. Seriously though, due to my extensive research on Pinterest we saw:

• The Old Jewish Cemetery- there are rooms filled with names of Jews who disappeared during WWII, a cemetery that held 10 layers of graves, and Hot Stuff got to wear a yamaka!
• The Funnicular- A super steep tram to the top of the hill for amazing views and a visit to the Eiffel Tower, (though we were assured this wasn't the actual Eiffel Tower...good thing they clarified that for us...)
• The John Lennon Graffiti Wall- Hidden in the streets of Prague, this wall has been a symbol of rebellion and peace since the 1980s.

 

 

The only thing that I didn't like about Prague was that we didn't have enough time there. After only two days, we were on the move via train, or as I like to call it, the Hogwarts Express.  Good times- Czech! (No, that joke still isn't old). 

While I never managed to find Platform 9 3/4 (damn it), we did make it to Vienna where a Hell's Angel cab driver took us to our hotel. I loved every little bit of Vienna. It might be because the city  is all about everything that I enjoy- cleanliness, safety, symmetry, beauty, music, culture for days, and most importantly CAKE!

When in Vienna:
1. Eat your face off. When researching for our trip, we heard that your wallet will be smaller but your waistline won't be, and man were they right. The best thing we ate on our trip was a doner kebab sandwich at the Naschmarkt where we stood on the corner and polished it off in 4 minutes flat. So. Good. Then we walked to eat, yet again, at one of Vienna's most famous coffee shop, Cafe Central. Oh, NBD, just having a cappuccino where Freud and Hitler have both dined. I could go on about the food for days, but just go, eat schnitzel, and enjoy!

2. Listen to the music! Rarely have I felt classier than getting dressed up to go to the symphony/opera in Vienna. We heard Bach and stared at the intricate ceiling for two hours, it was awesome.

3. Do what Pinterest tells you to (again). This time it brought us to the Mozart Statue, Demel Bakery, and the National Library. Pinterest wins again.

 4. Live like the royals. It's hard to describe just how impressive Schönbrunn Palace and The Belvedere Palace are. Apparently these guys were related to Marie Antoinette and they ruled a lot of people for a really long time. It wasn't necessarily the wealth and the ornate rooms that impressed me, but the sheer magnitude of each place.

 The closest we came to living like royals was for our friend's birthday where we celebrated by dining at Steirereck, a restaurant that boasts two Michelin stars. It cost an exorbitant amount of money, but we were served milk skin on a linen pillow for the love of Pete. I don't even know what that means! See us pretending to be classy below.

I hated to leave Vienna, but it was another train ride to our final country of the trip- Hungary.

Budapest is:
1. A heaven for history buffs. Whether learning about their Nazi ties during WWII or the hardships of Soviet brainwashing, I was utterly fascinated by what I learned here. We saw a building that was first the stock exchange, turned into a Communist educator training center, turned into a Communist television station. To top it off, our tour guide's grandfather was a Nazi. Cuh-razy! Did I mention I learned all this whilst on a segway...oh yes (I fell off three times, and I am not ashamed to admit this).

2. Really into their statues. There were statues in the subway, on the streets, and by the river banks. I guess you could say it's part of the charm. This is Hero's Square:

3. Known for their thermal baths. We decided to "take in the waters" like the locals at Szechenyi, the largest bath in the city. I expected the experience to be akin to visiting the hot springs in Ouray...which I suppose it was, but with 200 Italian spring breakers and big men in little swimming suits. The water was lukewarm with the cold winds, and I suspect we picked up a few bacteria while there, but I'll admit that the saunas were quite nice.

4. A tale of two cities. Did you know that on the west side of the Danube you can visit Buda and on the east you're in Pest? We started on the Pest side where the city is very urban and home to the Parliament. This was also where the "Shoes on the Danube" memorial was located which is in remembrance of the Jewish citizens who were murdered by the Nazis at that very spot.  It was eerily beautiful.

 We also walked across a bridge to Maragret Island which is a local spot for running and a tourist spot for these sweet bikes!

The Buda side of the city is definitely older. It's been rebuilt numerous times due to war, but had much more charm. I especially like going to visit the Hospital in the Rocks which was built as a hospital but later turned into a top secret nuclear bunker.

We ended the trip with an amazing cruise down the Danube and one last delicious trdlo.

All in all, it was a pretty amazing trip with amazing people. Some people scoff when they hear how I spent my spring break, and to that I say, traveling doesn't have to be something just for the rich and famous. To me, seeing the world is a choice, one that I'm so thankful to be able to do. Each time I go somewhere new I'm reminded of how lucky I am and just how big our world is. So I will end with my favorite traveling quote, "There is no end to the adventures we can have, if only we seek them with our eyes open."